Anton Karas members of the British Royal family. Princess Margaret invited him to London's fashionable "Empress Club", where he played twice a week during his stay at London. He also appeared before Queen Juliana of the Netherlands, members of the Swedish royal family, and Pope Pius XII. By the end of 1949, half a million copies of "The Harry Lime Theme" had been sold, an unprecedented number for the time. The success of the score also caused a surge in zither sales. In Austria, the film opened on 10 March 1950, in Vienna's Apollo Kino, and it initially offended some Viennese inhabitants,
Bonnie Prince Charlie (1948 film) in October 1948. The film was poorly reviewed by London critics, most criticising the movie as dull and claiming that David Niven was miscast. However, Margaret Leighton received acclaim for her performance. Alex Korda took out paid advertisements defending the movie and criticising the critics. The film still failed to recoup its cost at the box office. Producer Edward Black died not long after the premiere. 20th Century Fox agreed to distribute in the US. The film's US release was held back, along with other Korda productions, out of fear of anti-British protests from American-Jewish groups opposed to British policy