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Filmways Television
Logo descriptions by James Fabiano and Jude Cormier
Logo captures by Eric S. and Shadeed A. Kelly
Editions by Shadeed A. Kelly and Bob Fish
Video captures courtesy of Phasicblu
Background: Filmways was originally founded in 1958 by Martin Ransohoff to produce TV shows and movies; however, it merged to Orion Pictures Corp. in 1982, being folded in 1983 into Orion Television. The company didn't use a logo until 1960. Currently, all of the Filmways library except The Beverly Hillbillies and Petticoat Junction (both distributed by Viacom Enterprises, now CBS Television Distribution) is owned mainly by MGM under the umbrella of Sony and its partners.
1st Logo
(1958/1960-1978?)
Nickname: "Filmways Globe"
Logo: We start with a small globe of Earth, horizontally stretched out in the center of the screen. The globe has latitude (left to right) lines on it, and the equator extends beyond the globe, with little Richter-scale like lines on part of it. The globe is on a blue, starry background, with most of the stars clumped in the upper left and right hand corners. Now, to the action. From behind the globe, the text "A FILMWAYS", in a 3D font and curved to match the globe's position, zoom in a north-forward direction. Shortly after, the text "TELEVISION PRESENTATION" fades in below the globe. Sometimes, the Seal of Good Practice appears below.
Variants:
FX/SFX: The waves, the zooming up of "FILMWAYS" with the rest of the text.
Music/Sounds: At least on Filmways' more sucessful shows, there would be a voice over saying "This has been a Filmways presentation.". Those who uttered the phrase are listed below. The in-credit variant uses the end theme of the show, obviously.
Voiceover Variants: Several voiceovers who said "This has been a Filmways (television) presentation" on this logo on the shows they appeared on:
Availability: Common; seen on Beverly Hillbillies on WGN America and TV Land and Green Acres and The Addams Family on TV Land (when they decide to re-broadcast the latter). Plus on Mister Ed on ThisTV.
Scare Factor: Minimal; the announcer might catch you off guard.
2nd Logo
(1978-1981)
Nickname: "Filmways Trail"
Logo: On a black screen, many differently-colored "Filmways" zoom up from the bottom of the screen toward a white "Filmways". All the multicolored "Filmways" merge into the white "Filmways". They are all in a rounded font called Bauhaus 93.
Later Variant: In 1980, the registered trademark symbol appears next to the name.
FX/SFX/Cheesy Factor: The "merging" of the "Filmways" is somewhat reminiscent of the 1975-1982 Filmation logo.
Music/Sounds: A 6-note synthesized orchestrated tune with xylophone scales, or the closing theme of the show.
Availability: Fairly common; can be seen on Fangface (with the end title theme finishing over it), and the first season of Thundarr the Barbarian (with the logo theme) both on Boomerang. Also appeared after the original Hollywood Squares (with theme music played over it).
Scare Factor: Minimal, unless you never saw it before.
3rd Logo
(1981-1983)
Nickname: "Abstract F"
Logo: On a black background, a round orange glow of light appears, and in it a light blue light forms a logo. Underneath, the words "FILMWAYS TELEVISION" (in the same font as logo 2) fly back with a whitish blue light trail effect. Both the logo and the words turn solid as the lights fade, with the logo turning blue and the words white. The logo is a rounded box/maze with a stylized "F" joined with a shape that may be an upside down or backwards "F."
Early Variant: There is a stand alone variant where it only says "Filmways" in the beginning.
FX/SFX: The logo forming amid the light effects; flying of the company name.
Cheesy Factor: '80s special effects.
Music/Sounds: An orchestrated tune or the end of the show's theme.
Availability: Ultra rare/Extinct; used until being folded in Orion Television in 1983. Was seen on The Best of Saturday Night reruns (60 minute syndicated cut downs) and on the first season of Cagney & Lacey. However, on reruns of the latter shown a few years ago on TNN, the Orion Television logo was plastered over all the 1st season episodes except 1 (which in turn had the Orion logo right after). There's a chance it may appear on the complete first season of Cagney & Lacey on DVD.
Scare Factor: Low.
Logo captures by Eric S. and Shadeed A. Kelly
Editions by Shadeed A. Kelly and Bob Fish
Video captures courtesy of Phasicblu
Background: Filmways was originally founded in 1958 by Martin Ransohoff to produce TV shows and movies; however, it merged to Orion Pictures Corp. in 1982, being folded in 1983 into Orion Television. The company didn't use a logo until 1960. Currently, all of the Filmways library except The Beverly Hillbillies and Petticoat Junction (both distributed by Viacom Enterprises, now CBS Television Distribution) is owned mainly by MGM under the umbrella of Sony and its partners.
1st Logo
(1958/1960-1978?)
Nickname: "Filmways Globe"
Logo: We start with a small globe of Earth, horizontally stretched out in the center of the screen. The globe has latitude (left to right) lines on it, and the equator extends beyond the globe, with little Richter-scale like lines on part of it. The globe is on a blue, starry background, with most of the stars clumped in the upper left and right hand corners. Now, to the action. From behind the globe, the text "A FILMWAYS", in a 3D font and curved to match the globe's position, zoom in a north-forward direction. Shortly after, the text "TELEVISION PRESENTATION" fades in below the globe. Sometimes, the Seal of Good Practice appears below.
Variants:
- On the 1962-1964 seasons of The Beverly Hillbillies and Petticoat Junction, the Filmways logo would fade to the text "Produced in association with the CBS TELEVISION NETWORK" and has the Seal of Good Practice near the text.
- On the 1964-1965 season of the shows mentioned above, the logo is still, with the Filmways on the top left of the background, and the CBS mention on the bottom right.
- There is an extremely rare in-credit variant with "VIDEO LTD. PRESENTATION" just below and the standard CBS notice at the bottom right. This was seen only on This Face is Familiar.
- Another variant, contains both color and another still version. Similar to the second variant above, but however, on the bottom right of the screen, the text "In Association With PhilDil Productions" is seen. This was seen only on The Pruitts Of Southampton.
- On the pilot episode of Mister Ed from 1958, the Filmways TV logo was superimposed in the credits, without animation. Other than that, everything else (the usual text "A Filmways Television Presentation", the globe, etc.) is the same as usual.
FX/SFX: The waves, the zooming up of "FILMWAYS" with the rest of the text.
Music/Sounds: At least on Filmways' more sucessful shows, there would be a voice over saying "This has been a Filmways presentation.". Those who uttered the phrase are listed below. The in-credit variant uses the end theme of the show, obviously.
Voiceover Variants: Several voiceovers who said "This has been a Filmways (television) presentation" on this logo on the shows they appeared on:
- Petticoat Junction: Kate Bradley (played by Bea Benaderet). There was a male announcer's voiceover on season one.
- Green Acres: Lisa Douglas (played by Eva Gabor) says it with "Dahhling".
- Beverly Hillbillies: Bill Baldwin (announcer for BHB's sponsors, seasons 1-3); Ellie May Clampett (played by Donna Douglas; seasons 4-9,).
- Mister. Ed: Alan "Rocky" Lane (voice of Mister Ed).
- Addams Family: It usually had it silent, but on a few episodes, the usual phrase was said in a deep baritone voice. Sometimes, it was Ted "Lurch" Cassidy, but he used his normal speaking voice.
- On the second episode of The Beverly Hillbillies, the same voiceover says "This has been a Filmways production.".
Availability: Common; seen on Beverly Hillbillies on WGN America and TV Land and Green Acres and The Addams Family on TV Land (when they decide to re-broadcast the latter). Plus on Mister Ed on ThisTV.
Scare Factor: Minimal; the announcer might catch you off guard.
2nd Logo
(1978-1981)
Nickname: "Filmways Trail"
Logo: On a black screen, many differently-colored "Filmways" zoom up from the bottom of the screen toward a white "Filmways". All the multicolored "Filmways" merge into the white "Filmways". They are all in a rounded font called Bauhaus 93.
Later Variant: In 1980, the registered trademark symbol appears next to the name.
FX/SFX/Cheesy Factor: The "merging" of the "Filmways" is somewhat reminiscent of the 1975-1982 Filmation logo.
Music/Sounds: A 6-note synthesized orchestrated tune with xylophone scales, or the closing theme of the show.
Availability: Fairly common; can be seen on Fangface (with the end title theme finishing over it), and the first season of Thundarr the Barbarian (with the logo theme) both on Boomerang. Also appeared after the original Hollywood Squares (with theme music played over it).
Scare Factor: Minimal, unless you never saw it before.
3rd Logo
(1981-1983)
Nickname: "Abstract F"
Logo: On a black background, a round orange glow of light appears, and in it a light blue light forms a logo. Underneath, the words "FILMWAYS TELEVISION" (in the same font as logo 2) fly back with a whitish blue light trail effect. Both the logo and the words turn solid as the lights fade, with the logo turning blue and the words white. The logo is a rounded box/maze with a stylized "F" joined with a shape that may be an upside down or backwards "F."
Early Variant: There is a stand alone variant where it only says "Filmways" in the beginning.
FX/SFX: The logo forming amid the light effects; flying of the company name.
Cheesy Factor: '80s special effects.
Music/Sounds: An orchestrated tune or the end of the show's theme.
Availability: Ultra rare/Extinct; used until being folded in Orion Television in 1983. Was seen on The Best of Saturday Night reruns (60 minute syndicated cut downs) and on the first season of Cagney & Lacey. However, on reruns of the latter shown a few years ago on TNN, the Orion Television logo was plastered over all the 1st season episodes except 1 (which in turn had the Orion logo right after). There's a chance it may appear on the complete first season of Cagney & Lacey on DVD.
Scare Factor: Low.
VofDoom |
Latest page update: made by VofDoom
, Jul 27 2009, 7:48 PM EDT
(about this update
About This Update
Edited by VofDoom
4 words added 5 words deleted 2 widgets added 2 widgets deleted view changes - complete history) |
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Keyword tags:
Filmways Inc.
Filmways Pictures
Filmways Television
MGM Holdings Inc.
MGM Television
Orion Television
More Info: links to this page
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| Started By | Thread Subject | Replies | Last Post | ||
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| pja1981 | Filmways "Car" logo | 1 | Jul 1 2009, 2:19 PM EDT by RarityFan | ||
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Thread started: May 18 2009, 7:48 PM EDT
Watch
An interesting logo on this page is the one with a car (probably the show's sponsor) from the early 60's. I wonder where it's from?
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| vzeu019j | Filmways's establishment | 1 | May 14 2009, 1:59 PM EDT by VofDoom | ||
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Thread started: May 5 2009, 8:15 PM EDT
Watch
I don't think that Filmways was found in 1960, and i'll tell you why- the pilot episode for "Mister Ed" was from 1958, and they used only the in-credit version of the globe, so it had to be earlier than 1960 and 1961.
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| Shadeed329 | Two more announcers (Petticoat Junction) | 0 | Jun 4 2008, 10:06 PM EDT by Shadeed329 | ||
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Thread started: Jun 4 2008, 10:06 PM EDT
Watch
On the early two seasons of "Petticoat Junction", there was a male announcer and a different female announcer. Does anyone know or remember who they are?
Do you find this valuable?
Keyword tags:
MGM Holdings Inc.
MGM Television
Orion Television
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Showing 3 of 3 threads for this page
