United Artists: Difference between revisions
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===Background=== | ===Background=== | ||
'''United Artists''' was formed in 1919 by four of the leading figures in early Hollywood era: Mary Pickford, Sir Charles Chaplin, Douglas Fairbanks, and D. W. Griffith. It was sold to Arthur Krim and Robert Benjamin in 1951; both Chaplin and Pickford sold the remaining shares to Krim and Benjamin in 1956. United Artists was sold to Transamerica Corporation on April 27, 1967, and later to Kirk Kerkorian's Tracinda, Inc. (the then-current owner of [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios|Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Inc]].) on July 28, 1981. MGM would use both their brand and United Artists as labels during this time under the MGM/UA brand. | '''United Artists''' was formed in 1919 by four of the leading figures in the early Hollywood era: Mary Pickford, Sir Charles Chaplin, Douglas Fairbanks, and D. W. Griffith. It was sold to Arthur Krim and Robert Benjamin in 1951; both Chaplin and Pickford sold the remaining shares to Krim and Benjamin in 1956. United Artists was sold to Transamerica Corporation on April 27, 1967, and later to Kirk Kerkorian's Tracinda, Inc. (the then-current owner of [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios|Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Inc]].) on July 28, 1981. MGM would use both their brand and United Artists as labels during this time under the MGM/UA brand. | ||
In 1986, Turner Broadcasting System purchased MGM/UA Entertainment Co. and renamed it to MGM Entertainment Co. United Artists' assets were purchased back by Kirk Kerkorian who would use them to found a new company under the United Artists name. However, when Turner gained heavy debt over the MGM purchase, he sold the company back to Kirk Kerkorian, with the new United Artists being renamed as [[MGM/UA Communications Co.|MGM/UA Communications Company]], with MGM and United Artists being used as distribution labels. This still wasn't enough as the company gained a loss of $88 million, leading to MGM and United Artists splitting into separate divisions. | In 1986, Turner Broadcasting System purchased MGM/UA Entertainment Co. and renamed it to MGM Entertainment Co. United Artists' assets were purchased back by Kirk Kerkorian who would use them to found a new company under the United Artists name. However, when Turner gained heavy debt over the MGM purchase, he sold the company back to Kirk Kerkorian, with the new United Artists being renamed as [[MGM/UA Communications Co.|MGM/UA Communications Company]], with MGM and United Artists being used as distribution labels. This still wasn't enough, as the company gained a loss of $88 million, leading to MGM and United Artists splitting into separate divisions. | ||
By 1990, after the purchase of MGM/UA by Giancarlo Parretti, United Artists became dormant in favor of the MGM label being used instead. In 1993, after Crédit Lyonnais' purchase of MGM, he convinced John Calley to run UA, allowing the ''Pink Panther'' and ''James Bond'' franchises alongside the release of the only NC-17-rated film released nationally: ''Showgirls''. Kirk Kerkorian later repurchased MGM in 1996, with John Calley resigning. | By 1990, after the purchase of MGM/UA by Giancarlo Parretti, United Artists became dormant in favor of the MGM label being used instead. In 1993, after Crédit Lyonnais' purchase of MGM, he convinced John Calley to run UA, allowing the ''Pink Panther'' and ''James Bond'' franchises alongside the release of the only NC-17-rated film released nationally: ''Showgirls''. Kirk Kerkorian later repurchased MGM in 1996, with John Calley resigning. | ||
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'''Logo:''' On a black screen, a whitish line slowly fades in. The line then rotates clockwise at an extremely slow pace and reveals itself to be a {{color|lightskyblue|silvery blue}} stylized "UA". The logo is in the shape of a "U" with a bigger left side, and a diagonal line protruding from the shorter right side to form the "A." When the symbol finishes turning around, the words "United Artists" appear under it in the same font that was used during the "Transamerica" era. | '''Logo:''' On a black screen, a whitish line slowly fades in. The line then rotates clockwise at an extremely slow pace and reveals itself to be a {{color|lightskyblue|silvery blue}} stylized "UA". The logo is in the shape of a "U" with a bigger left side, and a diagonal line protruding from the shorter right side to form the "A." When the symbol finishes turning around, the words "United Artists" appear under it in the same font that was used during the "Transamerica" era. | ||
'''Variants:''' | '''Variants:''' | ||
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*A rare variant is seen on Columbian VHS releases from Kyron Home Video. The logo is in black & white and zooms in from the left. | *A rare variant is seen on Columbian VHS releases from Kyron Home Video. The logo is in black & white and zooms in from the left. | ||
'''Technique:''' | '''Technique:''' Live-action footage. This logo was created and designed by Sandy Dvore (who also created the 1971 [[Lorimar Television|Lorimar]] "LP" logo). The "UA" was a wood model sprayed with chrome-like paint and suspended with a black rod covered in a velvet cloth to avoid reflection. The background was simply a black piece of paper. The model was then rotated on a small stage. | ||
'''Music/Sounds:''' A low sonic tone plays in the background as the line fades in, then a soft "ping" is heard and a slow, somewhat somber five-note piano tune plays when the line begins rotating; a long "whoosh" is also heard throughout this section. When the "UA" is revealed and the words "United Artists" appear, they are accompanied by a short, swelling progression of violins immediately leading to an uplifting, dramatic 5-note orchestral conclusion. This theme was composed by Joe Harnell. | '''Music/Sounds:''' A low sonic tone plays in the background as the line fades in, then a soft "ping" is heard and a slow, somewhat somber five-note piano tune plays when the line begins rotating; a long "whoosh" is also heard throughout this section. When the "UA" is revealed and the words "United Artists" appear, they are accompanied by a short, swelling progression of violins immediately leading to an uplifting, dramatic 5-note orchestral conclusion. This theme was composed by Joe Harnell. | ||
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'''Music/Sounds Variants:''' | '''Music/Sounds Variants:''' | ||
*A higher pitched version was heard on the 1987 American MGM/UA release of ''Yellow Submarine''. | *A higher-pitched version was heard on the 1987 American MGM/UA release of ''Yellow Submarine''. | ||
*There is a variation without the long "whoosh" and "ping", leaving only the music. This was spotted on a 1988 Disney Channel airing of ''Fiddler on the Roof''. | *There is a variation without the long "whoosh" and "ping", leaving only the music. This was spotted on a 1988 Disney Channel airing of ''Fiddler on the Roof''. | ||
*On a few films, such as ''Attack on the Iron Coast'' and ''The Thomas Crown Affair'', it is silent. | *On a few films, such as ''Attack on the Iron Coast'' and ''The Thomas Crown Affair'', it is silent. | ||