Questions about classic TV shows with--and without--sponsored-tagged closing credits (1 Viewer)

[Dan McW]

Most of us classic-TV collectors on this site have at least a few episodes in our collections with sponsor logos in the closing credits. The Andy Griffith Show on DVD/Blu and on Columbia House VHS, Gunsmoke on Columbia House VHS, Hogans Heroes on Columbia House VHS, and Twilight Zone final season on Blu all have episodes with sponsor logos at the end.

But one thing I was wondering about was series like the original Mission: Impossible, Night Gallery, and color Gunsmokes. Each of those has end credits staggered to leave an opening in the lower-left corner for a sponsor logo. However, has anyone ever seen a copy from these three series (and others I could name), perhaps from the days of collecting episodes on film prints, that had a logo in the end credits? Or was this a habit of title designers such that they used staggered credits on later series, logo or not?

 

[bmasters9]

Most of us classic-TV collectors on this site have at least a few episodes in our collections with sponsor logos in the closing credits. The Andy Griffith Show on DVD/Blu and on Columbia House VHS, Gunsmoke on Columbia House VHS, Hogans Heroes on Columbia House VHS, and Twilight Zone final season on Blu all have episodes with sponsor logos at the end.

Can't exactly answer the question you posed, but I can add to what you said before it-- I have the volumes of the first go on Perry Mason (1957-58), and the end titles on the first three episodes, as I understand it, also have sponsor logos of whoever was sponsoring those episodes (examples from "The Case of the Nervous Accomplice," OAD Saturday, Oct. 5, 1957 on CBS; Disc 1 in Season 1, Vol. 1)...

 

[Bob Gu]

The staggered credits design might have been a design choice. But I suspect that the empty space and staggered credits on syndication prints and DVDs just means that the original product placements were masked out.

Here's an example from a newer print "Felony Squad" episode from GET-TV, on YouTube., called 'The Streets Are Paved With Quicksand'.

I have an old, syndicated print boot tape with this episode and the Lark pack was removed and looks like this example from a different Get-TV episode.

Wyatt Earp examples from Season 6.
All the credit screens had the Buntline gun and holster behind the lettering, if there were no sponsor product pictures.

If the credit screens had product placement, the earlier screens still had the gun-belt but switched to the staggered credits and a plain background.

Later when they removed the product placements for the syndicated prints, they did not redo the screens with the Buntline background. They used a black background with the non-staggered lettering.

 

[Dan McW]

Thanks for the replies. I should have mentioned Perry Mason. Season one's alternate sponsor was the Purex Corp., whose products were featured in the closing credits.

 

[bmasters9]

Thanks for the replies. I should have mentioned Perry Mason. Season one's alternate sponsor was the Purex Corp., whose products were featured in the closing credits.

Not a problem! I'll have to look that up to see which, if any, episodes had Purex sponsorship (just happened to realize that the Beads O'Bleach product that I showed in my examples was a Purex brand [happened to look it up]).

 

[The Obsolete Man]

Y'know, it never occurred to me, or if it did it didn't sink in, that the Dick pic we see over on the side of the end credits of The Dick Van Dyke Show is just covering up former ad space.

 

[bmasters9]

The staggered credits design might have been a design choice. But I suspect that the empty space and staggered credits on syndication prints and DVDs just means that the original product placements were masked out.

Here's an example from a newer print "Felony Squad" episode from GET-TV, on YouTube., called 'The Streets Are Paved With Quicksand'.
View attachment 182087

I have an old, syndicated print boot tape with this episode and the Lark pack was removed and looks like this example from a different Get-TV episode.
View attachment 182091

Did you realize that Rugolo's credit was spelled differently in the first than in the second of those shots?

 

[Bob Gu]

No, I didn't notice that. 'Rugolo' is correct.

I did notice that the "Wyatt Earp" credits misspelled Steve Brodie as Steve Brode.

 

[KPmusmag]

The CBS DVDs of the early seasons of The Lucy Show feature some episodes that include an option to watch the "night of broadcast" version and I believe that those have closing credit logos.

 

[ScottRE]

Here's a comparison from early I Dream of Jeannie, the episode "Guess what Happened on the Way to the Moon."

From the 16mm broadcast print:

And from the DVD (and I imagine the syndication) print:

The first three credit cards are redone entirely the remaining just have the Lark ad removed.