Why Frank Darabont Chose The Ink Spots to Open ‘The Shawshank Redemption’

It was important for writer-director Frank Darabont to set the right tone in opening his 1994 film “The Shawshank Redemption.”  The music playing as Tim Robbins’ Andy Dufresne sits in a car with his brown liquor and firearm ended up being the apropos “If I Didn’t Care,” the classic 1939 ballad by The Ink Spots.

But Darabont was seriously considering another song to open his Oscar-nominated, adaptation of the Stephen King novella.