Classic Paramount CartoonsThis is a featured page

Logo descriptions by Argus Sventon, James Fabiano, and Jason Jones
Logo captures by V of Doom and GreenLantern40
Editions by V of Doom, Eric S., Bob Fish, and others
Video capture courtesy of Eric S.



1st Logo
(1926-1938)
Paramount Classic Cartoons (Betty Boop, 1929-1932)Paramount Classic Cartoons -Popeye/Betty Boop- (1933)Paramount Classic Cartoons (Screen Songs, 1933)Paramount Classic Cartoons Closing Logo (Popeye, 1933-1934)Paramount Pictures (1934)
Paramount Classic Cartoons (Betty Boop, 1934)Paramount Pictures (1934, Ending Logo)Paramount Classic Cartoons Closing Logo (Betty Boop, 1934)Paramount Classic Cartoons (Popeye, 1936)Paramount Pictures (1936)
Paramount Classic Cartoons -Max Fleischer Color Classics- (1936-1938)Paramount Classic Cartoons (1936-1938)Paramount Classic Cartoons (Popeye/Betty Boop, 1937)Paramount Classic Cartoons Closing Logo (Max Fleischer Color Classics, 1936)Paramount Classic Cartoons Closing Logo (Max Fleischer Color Classics, 1937-1938)
Paramount Classic Cartoons (Popeye, 1937)


Nickname: "30s Toon Mountain"


Logo: Against a multi-colored sky backdrop is a third dimensional dark-colored mountain surrounded by a round border of 23 stars. (Don't ask! We don't know why there are only 23 in this version.) By the top of the mountain are the words:

A
Paramount
Picture

in the Paramount font. The title screen then appears on a specialty background: "Max Fleischer Presents..." with whoever is the star of the cartoon. (i.e. Betty Boop, Popeye) After the main title card, you would see the credits followed by the cartoon title, or vice versa.

Variants:
  • From 1935-39, the text "Adolph Zukor Presents A Max Fleischer Cartoon" was seen instead of the Fleischer text. Most color cartoons would have the byline... "Adolph Zukor Presents A Max Fleischer COLOR CLASSIC, In Technicolor"
  • For shorts featuring live-action model sets, a special byline appeared at the start of the cartoon. It read [Special Patent Process Used In This Production]
  • Used the following byline on the opening of later shows featuring the above mentioned... [Stereoptical Process and Apparatus Patented. Paten Number 2054414]
  • Popeye and Betty Boop shorts feature this logo in black-and-white.

FX/SFX: None, except for the flowing clouds in the background.

Music/Sounds: The beginning/end of a cartoon's theme music.

Availability: Can usually be seen when Boomerang is showing Popeye: The Sailor shorts on Late Night: Black & White. May be more visible if they continue to restore the shorts and replace the NTA and AAP logos with the originals.

Scare Factor: Low.



2nd Logo
(1938-1943)
Paramount Classic Cartoons 3-D Mountain" (Popeye, 1939)Paramount Classic Cartoons 3-D Mountain" (Superman, 1938)

Nickname: "3-D Mountain"


Logo: Against a multi-colored sky backdrop is a third dimensional light-colored mountain surrounded by a round border of 24 stars. By the top of the mountain are the words:

A
Paramount
Picture

in the Paramount font. The title screen then appears on a specialty background: "Max Fleischer Presents..." with whoever is the star of the cartoon. (i.e. Betty Boop, Popeye, Superman) After the main title card, you would see the credits followed by the cartoon title, or vice versa.

Variants:
  • Used "Paramount Presents" in this era. Most color cartoons would have the byline... "Paramount Presents A Max Fleischer COLOR CLASSIC, In Technicolor"
  • After the Fleischers left in 1942, the animation studio became known as Famous Studios
  • Used the following byline on the opening of some shows... [Stereoptical Process and Apparatus Patented. Patent Number 2054414]. Replaced with "In Technicolor" at the end of most color shorts
  • Like the previous logo, Popeye and Betty Boop cartoons featured this logo in black-and-white.

FX/SFX: Just the flowing clouds in the background.

Music/Sounds: The beginning/end of a cartoon's theme music.

Availability: Can usually be seen when Boomerang is showing Popeye: The Sailor shorts on Late Night: Black & White and Superman shorts. May be more visible if they continue to restore the shorts and replace the NTA and AAP logos with the originals.

Scare Factor: Low.



3rd
Logo
(1943-1954)
Paramount cartoon logo - 1944Paramount Cartoons - CLG WikiParamount Classic Cartoons B&W Mountain" -Little Lulu- (1947)Paramount Cartoons '40s Toon Mountain" (Santa's Surprise, 1947)

Nickname: "'40s Toon Mountain"


Logo: Against a blue sky with white clouds is a red mountain surrounded by a round border of 24 stars. By the top of the mountain are the words:

A
Paramount
Picture

in the Paramount font. Usually at the end of the film featured the following byline in these two variations...
  • 1943-1947: In TECHNICOLOR, In CINECOLOR, In POLACOLOR
  • 1947-1954: Color by TECHNICOLOR

Variants:

  • Some variations of the mountain included one with a darker BG from the top of the screen and the mountain capped with snow.
  • Another has a brown mountain and the BG in a yellow-orange shade.
  • Until 1948, there were no clouds surrounding the mountain.
  • A B&W variation appears on the U.M.&M print of the Little Lulu cartoon "Loose in a Caboose".
  • On the Noveltoon cartoon "Santa's Surprise", there is a special variation of the logo in which one of the stars turns yellow and becomes the star of a Christmas tree.

FX/SFX: None.

Music/Sounds
: Over the Paramount logo plays the theme of any cartoon short (i.e. Casper, Herman and Katnip, Baby Huey).

Availability: Can usually be seen when Boomerang is showing Popeye shorts. May be more visible if they continue to restore the shorts and replace the NTA and AAP logos with the originals.

Scare Factor: Low.



4th Logo (Noveltoons Custom Logo)
(1943-1955)

Paramount Cartoons - CLG WikiParamount Pictures (Noveltoons, 1943-1948) -Part 1-Paramount Cartoons "Jack-in-the Box" (1944) -Part 1-
Paramount Cartoons - CLG WikiParamount Pictures (Noveltoons, 1943-1948) -Part 2-Paramount Cartoons "Jack-in-the Box" (1944) -Part 2-

Nickname: "Jack-In-The-Box Opening"

Logo: An extreme close-up of a box takes up the screen, with a red border surrounding a peach outlining. Inside is a picture of a brownish mountain, against a blue sky with white clouds (without clouds from 1943-1948) and surrounded by a round border of 24 stars. By the top of the mountain are the words:

A
Paramount
Picture

in the Paramount font. The box zooms down to the bottom center of the screen. A Jack-In-The-Box pops from inside the box, opening the word "NOVELTOON". The picture fades, leaving the title card over a plain color backdrop. Then more words appear above and below the title. On this, we see "Paramount PRESENTS A NOVELTOON, in (Color by) TECHNICOLOR". After this, the Famous Studios logo appears on an orange screen.

Variant: Was referred to as: "A Paramount Champion: Brought Back By Popular Demand" on those cartoons that won an award.

FX/SFX: The Jack-In-The-Box popping out of the box.

Music/Sounds
: A Jazzy xylophone tune during the '40s and mid '50s.

Availability: It all depends on which public domain tape you buy. Some '40s Noveltoons have NTA titles on them. Since only a few Noveltoons were included in the U.M.&M. sale, most have Harveytoon titles. A few Noveltoons (such as The Enchanted Square, Old MacDonald Had a Farm and The Wee Men) do NOT use this opening, but rather the standard Paramount cartoon logo.


Scare Factor: Minimal, some don't like a Jack-in-the-box opening.



5th Logo (Little Lulu/Little Audrey Custom Logo)
(1943-1955)

Classic Paramount Cartoons - CLG WikiClassic Paramount Cartoons - CLG Wiki

Nicknames: "Little Lulu/Little Audrey Opening", "Spinning Star"


Logo: Against a blue sky with white clouds (without clouds from 1943-1948) is a reddish mountain surrounded by a round border of stars. By the top of the mountain are the words:

A
Paramount
Picture

in the Paramount font. A star then spins towards the screen from the center of the logo. Inside the star, we see either Little Lulu's or Little Audrey's head appear. Several variations were used.

Little Lulu:
  • Original Variant: After Lulu's head appeared, the star faded away, and we see the words "Paramount PRESENTS" at the top of the screen, followed by "LITTLE LULU" in large printed letters. Below this we see "by Marge" written out, and then the word "from" below "by Marge", this too written out. The words "SATURDAY EVENING POST" are printed out, and below this we see the word, "in" written out, and then below it in large block lettering, the word "TECHNICOLOR".The backdrop of all of this is the Paramount mountain and the stars, which remains until after the words "A FAMOUS STUDIOS PRODUCTION" appear in various fonts depending on the release year. After this, the mountain logo disappears.
  • NTA Variant: The opening "A Paramount Picture" title is replaced with the NTA logo; NTA shows the rest of the opening sequence, except for the fact that the words "Paramount PRESENTS" and "in TECHNICOLOR" are blacked out.

Little Audrey:
  • Original Variant: After Little Audrey's head appeared, the words "Little Audrey" appear in large written out letters. Then the entire logo fades away to a new title card. On this, we see "Paramount PRESENTS" then "A NOVELTOON", written in some unusual font in capital letters, with "Color by TECHNICOLOR" below it. After this, the Famous Studios logo appears on an orange screen.
  • NTA Variant: Same as for Lulu, except they finally get to the regular titles when the Famous Studios logo comes in.

FX/SFX: Spinning star, same used for Popeye. However, unlike Popeye, Audrey had a fast spin centered, while Lulu's spins much less than 360 degrees. However, their heads are intact the entire sequence.

Cheesy Factor: The "Little Lulu" variation used a cheesy 1940's style "spin" that is reminiscent of old commercial graphics.

Music/Sounds: Either the Little Lulu or Little Audrey theme.

Availability: It all depends on which public domain tape you buy. Most Little Lulu cartoons have U.M.&M. titles on them. Since only a few Little Audrey cartoons were included in the U.M.&M. sale, most have Harveytoon titles. Only two Little Audrey cartoons, "The Lost Dream" and "Tarts and Flowers" have U.M.&M. titles, so most have NTA titles. Now, a few Little Audrey cartoons have original titles, or recreations of them. However one Little Lulu cartoon on a Republic Pictures Home Video tape has a complete Paramount logo sequence.

Scare Factor: Minimal.



6th Logo (Popeye Custom Logo)
(1943-1957)

Nicknames: "Popeye Opening", "Spinning Star"

Logo: Against a blue sky with white clouds (without clouds from 1943-1948) is a red mountain surrounded by a round border of stars. By the top of the mountain are the Paramount Cartoons - CLG Wikiwords:

A
Paramount
Picture

in the Paramount font. A star then spins towards the screen from the center of the logo. When it stops, Popeye appears in it and toots his pipe. The title screen then appears on the mountain background: "Paramount Presents Popeye the Sailor, etc. etc." After this the logo on the mountain now reads, "A FAMOUS STUDIOS PRODUCTION," after which we get the regular credits. (An updated version of this logo was used for the 1960s Popeye television shorts, except with the King Features Syndicate logo)

FX/SFX: The spinning star.

Music/Sounds: Over the Paramount logo plays either the generic cartoon sailor song The Sailor's Hornpipe (a.k.a. Popeye the Sailor Man) or an abridged version that ends on a high note. The former is the music for the AAP Popeye opening. The latter is the more common, and was updated for the opening to the 1960s Popeye television shorts.

Availability: Can usually be seen when Boomerang is showing Popeye shorts. May be more visible if they continue to restore the shorts and replace the AAP logos with the originals.

Scare Factor: Low.



7th Logo
(1954-1959)

Nickname: "50s Toon Mountain"

Logo: Against a navy blue sky with white clouds is a reddish mountain surrounded by a smaller-sized round border of 24 stars. By the top of the mountain are the words:Paramount Cartoons - CLG Wiki

A
Paramount
Picture

in the Paramount font. Usually at the end of the film featured the following byline in these three variations...
  • 1954-1956: Color by TECHNICOLOR
  • 1956-1959: TECHNICOLOR®

FX/SFX: None.

Music/Sounds: Over the Paramount logo plays the theme of any cartoon short (i.e. Casper, Herman and Katnip, Baby Huey, Noveltoons).

Availability: Can usually be seen when Boomerang is showing Popeye shorts. May be more visible if they continue to restore the shorts and replace the AAP and Harvey Films logos with the originals.

Scare Factor: Low.



8th Logo
(1958-1967)
Paramount Cartoons - CLG WikiParamount Cartoon Studios (1967)

Nickname: "Toon Mountain '60s"


Logo: Against a blue sky with white clouds is a red mountain capped with snow and surrounded by a round border of 24 stars. By the top of the mountain are the words:

A
Paramount
Picture

in
the Paramount font. The title card of the featured cartoon fades in, after which we get the regular credits. Most variety cartoons would have the Noveltoons or Modern Madcaps label with "Paramount Presents" in the Paramount logo font. Also, most cartoon titles would have the pseudo Paramount ident alongside the copyright information.

FX/SFX: None.

Music/Sounds: Over the Paramount logo plays the theme music of any cartoon short. Most Noveltoon/Modern Madcaps will play a slapstick-type underscore in horns and flutes, as heard on Harveytoon features.

Availability: Rare. Did appear, however, on Nickelodeon's Kartoon Kablooey back in 1991.

Scare Factor: Low.
_______________________________________________________________

Copyright Notices: Here is some information about the copyrights on the Paramount cartoons:
  • 1926-1930 Copyright © by Paramount-Famous Lasky Corporation
  • 1930-1933 Copyright © by Paramount-Publix Corporation
  • 1933-1935 Copyright © by Paramount Productions, Inc. (Note that Paramount was in bankruptcy)
  • 1935-1939 Copyright © by Paramount Pictures, Inc.
  • 1939-1950 Copyright © by Paramount Pictures, Inc. (Note: This was in the Paramount font)
  • 1950-1967 Copyright © by Paramount Pictures Corporation


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Started By Thread Subject Replies Last Post
logoboy95 Little Audrey opening 0 Apr 12 2009, 1:24 PM EDT by logoboy95
Thread started: Apr 12 2009, 1:24 PM EDT  Watch
The "Little Audrey" Paramount mountain opening was also seen on an NTA print of "Song of the Birds" (1949), except the "A Paramount Picture" logo is cut.
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