Universal Pictures: Difference between revisions

In 1990, MCA was acquired by Matsushita Electric, and was later sold to Seagram and Sons in 1995. In 1996, MCA was reincorporated and renamed Universal Studios, Inc., which retained ownership of the Universal Pictures film studio. In December 2000, French company Vivendi acquired Seagram, in the process forming Vivendi Universal; the deal was closed in January 2001. In 2004, Vivendi Universal sold 80% of its Vivendi Universal Entertainment division (which included Universal Pictures) to General Electric, then the owner of the [[NBC]] television network. GE then merged the operations of NBC and Vivendi Universal Entertainment into a new company known as [[NBCUniversal]]. Vivendi owned the remaining 20% of NBCUniversal until January 26, 2011, when it sold its stake back to GE. Two days later, cable provider Comcast acquired a 51% controlling interest in NBCUniversal, before buying it outright for $16.7 billion in March 2013.

'''Visuals:''' Over a black background, there is a drawing of a ringed globe with "UNIVERSAL FILMS" over it. A plate with the text "[[Nestor Film Company|NESTOR]]" or "SPECIAL" is seen with the trademark text under the plate. Sometimes, the text "NATIONAL BOARD OF CENSORS" is added under the globe.

'''Technique:''' This logo is a painting filmed by a cameraman.

'''Visuals:''' There is a circle with "UNIVERSAL" written above and "FILMS" written below. Inside the circle is some small text that says "TRADE MARK". A Saturn-like ring surrounds the circle, which reads "THE TRANS-ATLANTIC FILM CO. LTD." (Universal's British distributor at the time).

'''Technique:''' This logo is a painting filmed by a cameraman.

'''Availability:'''  Like the last logo, this is hard to come across because most of their silent films of this time were destroyed, while some went into public domain and have recreated titles replacing the Universal references. This is harder to find as there are more films destroyed with reissue titles plastering this logo, though a select few films, however, have turned up with their original credits and this logo intact. It last appeared on a silent film aired on TCM's Silent Sunday Nights. However, it can be found on the film ''By the Sun's Rays''.

'''Visuals:''' A sepia rotating model globe with "UNIVERSAL FILMS" on a space background with a "Made in USA" logo (which resembles an Interstate Highway shield) on two bottom corners.

* There is a <u>{{color|green}}</u> version of the logo.

* There is a <u>black and white</u> version of this logo.

* There is a variant where "UNIVERSAL FILMS" is not superimposed over the globe but rather a model. The text is also placed in a lower position than normal. The globe and space background also looks different. The "Made in USA" logo is omitted. The globe animation is also improved as well.

* In ''<u>The Boy Mayor</u>'' the logo is bigger with stars all over it.

'''Visuals:''' On a black background, there is a combination of a circle and a rounded rectangle surrounding the text "UNIVERSAL". To the bottom left and right corners of the circle are the words "TRADE" and "MARK", respectively.

* At the beginning of some films, the print logo appears below, which contains the title of the film at the center with the byline or both the [[Rex Motion Picture Manufacturing Company|Rex Motion Picture Company]] and the Powers Picture Plays logos at the top of the screen. There is the text

 

<center>Copyrighted [YEAR] by The Universal Film Manufacturing Company</center>

 

at the bottom of the screen or on the lower-left. There are the words "All rights reserved" on the lower-right. On some films, the words "Approved by the [[National Board of Review]] of Motion Pictures" are above "Copyrighted [YEAR] by The Universal Film Manufacturing Company". Sometimes, the words "Carl Laemmle, President" are seen on the lower-left screen.

* On ''The Purple Mask: Episode 5, Reel 1'', there is a print logo below with the words "MOVING" above the word "UNIVERSAL" and "PICTURES" below.

'''Technique:''' This logo is a painting filmed by a cameraman.

'''Visuals:''' Against some dark clouds, there is a biplane flying around a rotating globe counterclockwise, leaving a trail of smoke behind it, which forms the words "UNIVERSAL PICTURES".

* A more zoomed out version in a <u>sepia tone</u> color was used sometimes.

* On <u>''Soft Shoes''</u> (1925), there is a blue toned version of the logo.

* Currently appears on some 1920's Universal films on TCM's Silent Sunday Nights.

* It has also been seen on ''The Cat and The Canary'' and was also seen on ''Soft Shoes'' as well.

 

* ''Smouldering Fires'' (1925): On a dark cloudy background, there is a globe slowly rotating where a smiling Carl Laemmle can be seen in the middle. Below are the words "Carl Laemmle" in a script font and "P R E S E N T S" below it.

* ''Head Winds'' (1925): On a black background, there is a globe on the top left with Carl Laemmle smiling in the middle whilst the globe is rotating at a normal pace. On the bottom right-hand corner, there are the words "Carl Laemmle" in a script font like the normal logo and says "Presents" below it.

*At the end of <u>''Smouldering Fires''</u>, there is the text "It's a ''Universal'' Picture" on a black background.

'''Audio:''' An organ theme for the normal logo, whilst the variant has a descending orchestral theme which could be an opening theme to the film. On both prints of the film, it would be normally silent like the original film.

'''Visuals:''' On a cloud-like background, an earth globe rotates as a biplane flies around it. The text "A UNIVERSAL PICTURE" wipes in diagonally as the biplane passes the globe.

* The <u>position of the globe</u> varies per movie.

* The logo was cropped to <u>1.85</u> for Universal's 75th Anniversary logo in 1990. However, <u>full-screen prints</u> of the logo retain the full aspect ratio.

* A <u>colored</u> variant exists where the entire logo (except for the continents, which are {{color|green}}) is {{color|deepskyblue|light blue}}.

* On ''Hell's Heroes'', there are the words "The End" in a script font inside the oval with a rainbow-like shape with "UNIVERSAL PICTURES" arched over the rotating globe. On the left side of the ribbon, there are the words "COPYRIGHT [YEAR] BY UNIVERSAL PICTURES CORP." and on the right side, there are the words "CARL LAEMMLE" with "PRESIDENT" below it.

* Another closing variant</u> exists where the globe is at the bottom right corner rotating. On the top, it says "The End" in a cursive font. "It's a Universal Picture" (also in cursive) is superimposed over the globe. A ray of light also shines down on the globe. On some films, the text is on the bottom left corner. Starting around <u>1933</u>, the text is in a Broadway font.

'''Technique:''' Live-action.

* The earlier DVD releases of ''Frankenstein'' and ''Dracula'' have plastered this with the B&W variation of the 1997 logo, while the later VHS releases of the films plaster this with the B&W variation of the 1963 logo.  

* Early Betamax and VHS releases of the films do not use a logo at all, though it can be seen on the alternate opening for the former on its 2005 Special Edition DVD and the 2012 DVD and Blu-ray of the two aforementioned titles.  

* This doesn't show up that often on TV since the movies it appears on don't appear as often as newer movies (so you might have to look on home media), but ''Svengoolie'' on Me-TV happens to be one of the best sources of this logo (and other older logos from other movie companies).  

* It also often shows-up on Johnny Mack Brown films from the time period on Starz Encore Westerns.  

'''Visuals:''' On a space background, a model globe rotates. Superimposed onto the globe are the words "Universal International" (in white for B&W films or yellow-orange for color films) in a italic Roman font, with the letters "U" and "I" bigger than the rest of the letters.

* There are widescreen and color versions of the logo.

'''Technique:''' Live-action.

* It appeared on original prints of ''Horror of Dracula'' (released as simply ''Dracula'' in the UK), but video releases either remove it or plaster it with the 1984 [[Warner Bros. Pictures]] logo.

** However, the 2018 Warner Archive Blu-ray release restores this.

'''Visuals:''' The screen zooms through space, and a pair of Van Allen radiation belts start to form. A rotating earth globe appears in the distance, and as we get closer to it, the word "'''UNIVERSAL'''" (in Futura Bold) fades in close-up to us and zooms out to a comfortable distance. Two Van Allen belts surround the globe.

*On international prints of ''The Wizard'', this logo didn’t get plastered over by the Carolco logo. Instead, the logo would usually play as normal with the music and would then be followed by the film with the Universal logo blacked out.