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Desilu/Lucille Ball Productions
Logo descriptions by Jeffrey Gray
Logo captures by Eric S., V of Doom, and Shadeed A. Kelly
Editions by V of Doom
Video captures courtesy by Mcy919 and Bob Fish
Desilu Productions, Inc.
Background: Desilu is a production company founded in 1950 as a joint venture between the actors DESI Arnaz and LUcille Ball, to produce TV shows and films between the 1950s and 1960s. In 1960, Desi Arnaz sold the pre-1960 shows to CBS since Ball and Arnaz couldn't work with each other anymore. Until 1962, Arnaz sold his holdings of the company to Ball. But in December 1967, she sold this company to Paramount Pictures, renaming Paramount Television. Actually, all Desilu library is owned mainly by CBS Corp. and distributed on TV by CBS Television Distribution.
1st Logo
(1951-1957)
Logo: Desilu did not use a logo until 1952. As superimposed on the end credits, we see the text:
From 1951-1952, the copyright info fades in below; from 1952-1957, this would fade to the "Handwriter" logo.
FX: None; it's a superimposed disclaimer.
Music/Sounds: The closing theme of "I Love Lucy".
Availability: Seen intact on all I Love Lucy episodes.
Scare Factor: None.
2nd Logo(1952-1966)
Nickname: "Handwriter"
Logo: Over a specialty backdrop, we see the words "FILMED IN HOLLYWOOD BY" ("Filmed in HOLLYWOOD and MEXICO by" on "The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour"). The word "Desilu" is written in a cursive font, either in black, white, or in a 3D-ish appearance. Then, a round ball dots the "i". The copyright information appears at the bottom. This phrase was shortened to "FILMED BY DESILU" in 1959.
Variant: There is a still in-credit variant appeared on some co-produced shows.
FX: The "drawing effect".
Cheesy Factor: Animation was very primitive.
Music/Sounds: Music played during the end of the show. Some "I Love Lucy" episodes have an announcer saying "I Love Lucy is a Desilu Production.". Even some with that have "Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz will return next week at the same time.".
Availability: Found superimposed on shows like I Love Lucy, the Star Trek pilot episode Where No Man Has Gone Before and The Untouchables (1950's version). Also, the in-credit variant was seen intact on some co-produced shows, such as The Andy Griffith Show, I Spy, The Dick Van Dyke Show, and That Girl, among others.
Scare Factor: Depending on the logo variant:
3rd Logo
Nicknames: "Merging Circles", "Multi-Colored Circles", "Color Desilu Logo"
Logo: On a black background six multicolored (red, pink, and orange) circles surround a white one and then merge together with it to form a blue circle, which backs away upward as the word "Desilu" is written in a yellow cursive font. As the circle takes its place over the "i," it turns white. Sometimes the logo will have the Paramount copyright information at the bottom.
Variants:
FX: The circles merging in a kaleidoscope fashion, moving, and changing colors, the "drawing" effect.
Cheesy Factor: Animation was very primitive.
Music/Sounds: A four-note horn fanfare; starts on a light note as the circle forms. Sometimes this music would play faster.
Music/Sound Variants:
Availability: Uncommon. Sometimes can be seen on Star Trek reruns on Sci-Fi and TV Land; also appears on some Mission: Impossible episodes on AmericanLife Television Network. Also intact on early episodes of Mannix, as well as The Lucy Show. When Star Trek is shown on Canada's Space: The Imagination Station, this logo is presumably kept with the Paramount copyright while Paramount's logo is cut.
Scare Factor: Low to medium for the original variant, and medium for the battling loud "M:I" series variant. The fanfare might scare some, although the Mission: Impossible music was funny to this logo.
_______________________________________________________________
Lucille Ball Productions, Inc.
Background: After Lucille sold Desilu to Paramount Pictures in December 1967, Lucille Ball opened a new production company with her name to continue producing TV shows and movies, specially the (last) sitcom Here's Lucy.
(1968-1974)
Nickname: "LB Handwriter"
Logo: Over a specialty backdrop, we see the words "Lucille Ball" being drawn, then the word
"PRODUCED BY" appears above it, the word "PRODUCTIONS, INC." under it, then copyright disclamers appears.
FX: The "drawing effect".
Cheesy Factor: Animation was very primitive. The script is a little overexaggerated as well.
Music/Sounds: Music played during the end of the show.
Availability: Found on shows like Here's Lucy.
Scare Factor: Minimal; again an issue with the script.
Logo captures by Eric S., V of Doom, and Shadeed A. Kelly
Editions by V of Doom
Video captures courtesy by Mcy919 and Bob Fish
Desilu Productions, Inc.
Background: Desilu is a production company founded in 1950 as a joint venture between the actors DESI Arnaz and LUcille Ball, to produce TV shows and films between the 1950s and 1960s. In 1960, Desi Arnaz sold the pre-1960 shows to CBS since Ball and Arnaz couldn't work with each other anymore. Until 1962, Arnaz sold his holdings of the company to Ball. But in December 1967, she sold this company to Paramount Pictures, renaming Paramount Television. Actually, all Desilu library is owned mainly by CBS Corp. and distributed on TV by CBS Television Distribution.
1st Logo
(1951-1957)
Logo: Desilu did not use a logo until 1952. As superimposed on the end credits, we see the text:
A
DESILU PRODUCTION
From 1951-1952, the copyright info fades in below; from 1952-1957, this would fade to the "Handwriter" logo.
FX: None; it's a superimposed disclaimer.
Music/Sounds: The closing theme of "I Love Lucy".
Availability: Seen intact on all I Love Lucy episodes.
Scare Factor: None.
2nd Logo
Nickname: "Handwriter"
Logo: Over a specialty backdrop, we see the words "FILMED IN HOLLYWOOD BY" ("Filmed in HOLLYWOOD and MEXICO by" on "The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour"). The word "Desilu" is written in a cursive font, either in black, white, or in a 3D-ish appearance. Then, a round ball dots the "i". The copyright information appears at the bottom. This phrase was shortened to "FILMED BY DESILU" in 1959.
Variant: There is a still in-credit variant appeared on some co-produced shows.
FX: The "drawing effect".
Cheesy Factor: Animation was very primitive.
Music/Sounds: Music played during the end of the show. Some "I Love Lucy" episodes have an announcer saying "I Love Lucy is a Desilu Production.". Even some with that have "Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz will return next week at the same time.".
Availability: Found superimposed on shows like I Love Lucy, the Star Trek pilot episode Where No Man Has Gone Before and The Untouchables (1950's version). Also, the in-credit variant was seen intact on some co-produced shows, such as The Andy Griffith Show, I Spy, The Dick Van Dyke Show, and That Girl, among others.
Scare Factor: Depending on the logo variant:
- None to low; the '50s-style script could give some the shakes.
- None for the in-credit variant.
3rd Logo
(1966-December 1967)
Nicknames: "Merging Circles", "Multi-Colored Circles", "Color Desilu Logo"
Logo: On a black background six multicolored (red, pink, and orange) circles surround a white one and then merge together with it to form a blue circle, which backs away upward as the word "Desilu" is written in a yellow cursive font. As the circle takes its place over the "i," it turns white. Sometimes the logo will have the Paramount copyright information at the bottom.
Variants:
- When Desilu merged with Paramount Pictures in 1966, the Paramount copyright information and pseudo logos would appear under it.
- On Star Trek reruns from 1978, the Paramount copyright is chyroned in. Then they would cut to the then-current Paramount Television logo afterward.
- There was a red Desilu logo seen on Mission: Impossible.
FX: The circles merging in a kaleidoscope fashion, moving, and changing colors, the "drawing" effect.
Cheesy Factor: Animation was very primitive.
Music/Sounds: A four-note horn fanfare; starts on a light note as the circle forms. Sometimes this music would play faster.
Music/Sound Variants:
- 1966-1967 season episodes of Mission: Impossible would sometimes have "bump" music (the basis for the "M:I" theme) as the fanfare.
- 1967-1968 season episodes of Mission: Impossible episodes had a battling loud rendition of the fanfare. This would later be used on Paramount Television's first logo in early 1968.
- In other cases, it's silent.
Availability: Uncommon. Sometimes can be seen on Star Trek reruns on Sci-Fi and TV Land; also appears on some Mission: Impossible episodes on AmericanLife Television Network. Also intact on early episodes of Mannix, as well as The Lucy Show. When Star Trek is shown on Canada's Space: The Imagination Station, this logo is presumably kept with the Paramount copyright while Paramount's logo is cut.
Scare Factor: Low to medium for the original variant, and medium for the battling loud "M:I" series variant. The fanfare might scare some, although the Mission: Impossible music was funny to this logo.
_______________________________________________________________
Lucille Ball Productions, Inc.
Background: After Lucille sold Desilu to Paramount Pictures in December 1967, Lucille Ball opened a new production company with her name to continue producing TV shows and movies, specially the (last) sitcom Here's Lucy.
(1968-1974)
Nickname: "LB Handwriter"
Logo: Over a specialty backdrop, we see the words "Lucille Ball" being drawn, then the word
"PRODUCED BY" appears above it, the word "PRODUCTIONS, INC." under it, then copyright disclamers appears.FX: The "drawing effect".
Cheesy Factor: Animation was very primitive. The script is a little overexaggerated as well.
Music/Sounds: Music played during the end of the show.
Availability: Found on shows like Here's Lucy.
Scare Factor: Minimal; again an issue with the script.
Latest page update: made by VofDoom
, Jun 8 2008, 6:49 PM EDT
(about this update
About This Update
Edited by VofDoom
1 word added
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Edited by VofDoom
1 word added
1 word deleted
view changes
- complete history)
Keyword tags:
CBS Corporation
CBS Paramount Television
Desilu Productions
National Amusements
Paramount Television
More Info: links to this page