Original Opening Logo WB / United Artist etc. (1 Viewer)

[Jon Martin]

My favorite company logo is the UA one from the late 60's, early 70's that begins with the piano, and the turning UA, and then builds to the big orchestral finale.
That has been completely replaced and has never appeared on DVD. It was on VHS though.

 

[Powell&Pressburger]

My favorite company logo is the UA one from the late 60's, early 70's that begins with the piano, and the turning UA, and then builds to the big orchestral finale.
That has been completely replaced and has never appeared on DVD. It was on VHS though.

I think the one you are thinking of I love to with the UA logo ... I think it appears on the first issue of INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS but was replaced by the newer one.. but I would think that Body prob was released with the Transamerica logo so there is a puzzle for you. I think the director even mentions this in his commentary track: the ownership of UA by Transamerica Comp. a the time INVASION was being filmed so they would show off their building.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

I have been screaming about original logo changes for years.
Warner has been the biggest culprit.
Don't know why they do this, but I would certainly bring this up
in next week's chat.

 

[Andre Bijelic]

My favorite company logo is the UA one from the late 60's, early 70's that begins with the piano, and the turning UA, and then builds to the big orchestral finale.

The turning UA logo is actually from the 80s (1981-87), but I don't think it was used very often for theatrical releases. It was more common to see UA films of the time open with the MGM lion.

 

[Tom M]

My favorite company logo is the UA one from the late 60's, early 70's that begins with the piano, and the turning UA, and then builds to the big orchestral finale.
That has been completely replaced and has never appeared on DVD.

Not true. That UA logo is on the new re-mastered "Family Fun" edition of The Secret Of NIMH. Couldn't tell you why though. Don Bluth supervised the new SON transfer so maybe he insisted on it?
Which beings me to another point: it seems if a director requests the original logo then most times the studio will let them use it. As was the case for the first Superman movie. If it wasn't for Richard Donner, the current logo would've been used.
Also missing is the old animated combo Orion/WB logo which started out with text for both studios stacked on top of each other, which then slowly merged and came out stacked again but in reversed positions. That one appeared on Excalibur.
Finally, WB has allowed the old LADD logo to appear on some releases including Police Academy, Looker and Blade Runner.

 

[Oliver_A]

I think what's even worse than not including the original opening logo is when studios decide to change the cover artwork in a cheap attempt to jump on current fashion trends. The new Silence of The Lambs artwork, with its monochromatic yellow tint, tries to make it look like a modern horror flick. Or the Batman movies, where the names are now rendered with a generic font, instead of the specific title artwork of the originals.

Oh, and the photographed artwork of the first boxset of the original Star Wars trilogy is absolutely horrible, as if those films were made for TV.

 

[Powell&Pressburger]

I think what's even worse than not including the original opening logo is when studios decide to change the cover artwork in a cheap attempt to jump on current fashion trends. The new Silence of The Lambs artwork, with its monochromatic yellow tint, tries to make it look like a modern horror flick. Or the Batman movies, where the names are now rendered with a generic font, instead of the specific title artwork of the originals.
Oh, and the photographed artwork of the first boxset of the original Star Wars trilogy is absolutely horrible, as if those films were made for TV.

I know what you mean about Silence... they make it grungy looking like it is SAW VI haha and yeah that BATMAN Font on the BUrton Films etc looks bad they even used that font for the new edition of Dark City! I liked the 89 BATMAN logo for that film etc.

 

[Brian Borst]

I don't mind making new artwork for a film (it's being done all the time) if it fits the style and tone of the film. Look at the new Friday the 13th covers, they look like Saw ripoffs. Patton is another example.
I still regret that Lucas didn't use the Special Edition posters for the dvds. Drew Struzan's art is amazing. Same goes for the prequel trilogy.
The R2/Region B covers of the Batman films are much better. The stylized Bat shields work much better than the original posters, I think.

 

[Stephen_J_H]

I have been screaming about original logo changes for years.
Warner has been the biggest culprit.
Don't know why they do this, but I would certainly bring this up
in next week's chat.

MGM is worse, with the constant changing of the UA logos. That goes back to the VHS days. When I borrowed Midnight Cowboy from the library on VHS in the early 90s, it carried the rotating UA logo. My Fiddler on the Roof DVD carries what I call the quasi-Ben-Hur UA logo, and the list goes on. Warner is far from innocent, ut I wouldn't call them "the biggest culprit."

 

[Jon Martin]

This is the UA logo I was referring to:
YouTube - United Artists opening logo (1982)
It was only from the 80's? I saw it on many videotapes of films from the 60's and 70's. I guess they were replacing back then.

 

[Douglas R]

This site shows all the MGM and UA logos and the dates when they were used. I miss the UA logo which was used up to the mid-'60s which is never seen now: http://members.fortunecity.com/teamf...mgm/index1.htm

 

[Stephen_J_H]

This is the UA logo I was referring to:
YouTube - United Artists opening logo (1982)
It was only from the 80's? I saw it on many videotapes of films from the 60's and 70's. I guess they were replacing back then.

I know. The whole style of it definitely does not scream 80s.

 

[MatthewA]

The most up-to-the-minute reports on when logos were used and where they can still be seen is here:
Closing Logos Group Wiki - CLG Wiki

 

[Tom M]

Not sure why my previous post is being ignored but here's the info again:
The re-mastered widescreen DVD of The Secret of NIMH has the "turning" UA logo intact.
The WB/Orion logo I mentioned is this:
Orion Pictures - CLG Wiki
It's the first one. It also was used on Excalibur.
Thanks for that link Matthew! Very cool site!

 

[Brian Borst]

Wow, they finally updated their site. Thanks for the link

.

 

[MatthewA]

Thanks for that link Matthew! Very cool site!

You're welcome. I am acquainted with the people who run it and have contributed a bit of info myself.

 

[Powell&Pressburger]

If i can will will try to bring up the importance of the original logos esp the 70's style one w/ the WB chat but it may be a lost cause.

I seem to ask every year for THE DEVILS and each time they say it is on its way but it gets forgotten, but I did ask about Zabriskie Point last year it is finally on its way but on standard DVD only, so it is win/ lose

 

[Powell&Pressburger]

For those of you who caught the chat last nite or are able to read the transcript I did as them about the classic 70's/ Early 80's Saul Bass Warner Communications logo usage and about preserving it on future releases etc... they replied and I am paraphrasing that is issue has been brought to their attention and that they have notified corporate on the issue, they also said it may be a legal type issue with the company on its usage.

I guess the good thing is they are aware only time will tell.

 

[Brian Borst]

What legal trouble could there be? The fact that Warner was owned by a different company then than they are now? How would they correct them then?

 

[Powell&Pressburger]

What legal trouble could there be? The fact that Warner was owned by a different company then than they are now? How would they correct them then?

Some could say it is the Saul Bass artwork? which I doubt since some releases feature it.
It could be that the suits hate the way it looks? It may have something to do with the changing of the guard at the studio and that they wanted the logos cut from the prints?
I just love the logo... and this seems that this logo is the only one from WB's that gets nixed on releases.
again I don't mind if they show the new one like Universal does but open the actual film with the original.
Sometimes I honestly don't watch DVD releases that don't feature it when they should.. I realize sometimes the films didn't contain a WB logo at all so then they use the new one... so there is a difference it just makes me angry.
I am always cautious over which WB titles i buy just because of the disregard WB has for that logo on the releases that should contain it.