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RKO Pictures
Logo descriptions by Nicholas Aczel and Sean Beard
Logo captures by Eric S. and others
Video captures courtesy of mcydodge919, monarchofvideos and Eric S.
Background: RKO was originally founded by RCA to promote their RCA Photophone sound system. The initials in the company name stand for Radio Keith Orpheum, reflecting the joint venture of RCA, the Keith Orpheum theater circuit, and Joseph P. Kennedy's Film Booking Office. They only make a few films today, but RKO is still alive and will continue to live on.
RKO Radio Pictures
1st Logo (Opening Logo)
(1929-1956)
Nickname: "The Transmitter", "The Globe and Tower" (according to the RKO Pictures, LLC website http://www.rko.com)
Logo: On a cloudy background we see a radio tower situated on top of a rotating Earth globe. The radio tower is sending out signals illustrated by lightning bolts and sound waves coming from its transmitter. The text "A Radio Picture" (1929-1936) or "An RKO Radio Picture" (1936-1956) writes itself on the logo in a "thunderbolt" font.
Variants:
FX/SFX/Cheesy Factor: The rotating Earth globe, the lightning bolts, the sound waves; all primitive 1920s visual effects, but give them credit for trying.
Music/Sounds: A series of "morse code" beeps.
Availability: Very common; still saved on every RKO release. The Radio Pictures logo is rare today and it's used on King Kong and Top Hat.
Scare Factor: Medium; one of the best-known logos, but the creepy "Morse code" transmission sound FX may cause some scares.
2nd Logo (Closing Logo)
(1929-1956)
Nickname: "The Thunderbolt"
Logo: In the end titles of a film, we see an equilateral triangle pointing down with a "thunderbolt" drawn 3/4 through it. Above the logo is the text "Radio Pictures" (1929-1936) or "RKO Radio" with a line drawn over the triangle edge with the text "PICTURES" (1936-1956). The text "REG. US. PAT. OFF." is shown below.
Variants:
FX/SFX: None.
Cheesy Factor: The drawing looks quite ugly.
Music/Sounds: The closing score of a movie.
Availability: Common; still saved on every RKO release.
Scare Factor: Medium; the scary thunderbolt drawing may turn off a few.
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RKO Pictures
1st Logo
(1981-1987)
Nicknames: "'80s Thunderbolt", "Cheesy Thunderbolt", ''Thunderbolt Triangle''
Logo: On a plain black BG, a segmented white-lined rectangle with a cut on the left side and the text "RKO PICTURES" below emerges from the top of the screen, and moves down and curves up as if a roller coaster, zooming up to the center of the screen. We also see a red variant of the thunderbolt logo flipping up and growing in size as it lands below the cut on the rectangle in between "RKO" and "PICTURES."
Variants: Variations of this logo were used for other RKO general properties throughout the 1980s, such as RKO Television-owned local stations and RKO Nederlander, the Broadway production subsidiary. The syndication variant also had small text reading "DISTRIBUTED BY", which fades in above the rectangle to the left.
FX/SFX: The logo zooming and flipping effects.
Cheesy Factor: It's all cheap chyron and 1980s-standard zooming and flipping animations.
Music/Sounds: A synthesized tune with rising air and a "BOOM!" as the logo parts come together, followed by a gradual synthesized fade out.
Availability: Near extinction; only used as a distribution logo on television. Appears on None but the Lonely Heart when aired on TCM.
Scare Factor: Low to medium; the scary synth music and the animation effects may scare a few.
2nd Logo
(1987-1989)
Nickname: "'80s Transmitter"
Logo:
Music/Sounds: A series of "Morse code" beeps. The closing variant is silent.
Availability: Uncommon; appeared on a few Paramount releases from that era, including Campus Man, Hamburger Hill, and Hot Pursuit.
Scare Factor: Medium; the creepy "Morse code" transmission sound FX may cause some scares. Low for the closing variant.
3rd Logo
(1992)
Logo: On a black background, the words "RELEASED THROUGH" appear on the top. Below is "RKO PICTURES DISTRIBUTION". The words are in blue.
FX/SFX: None.
Music/Sounds: None.
Availability: The only known movie to use this logo is Frozen Assets.
Scare Factor: None.
4th Logo
(1997- )
Nicknames: "'90s Transmitter", "CGI Transmitter"
Logo: In this version, the sky background and Earth globe look more realistic. A bright light is seen on the transmitter tip of the radio tower situated on top of the rotating globe as the picture zooms outward. The radio tower then sends out signals illustrated by sound waves coming from its transmitter. The text "RKO PICTURES" fades in on top of the transmitter. "RKO" appears in a red "thunderbolt" font while "PICTURES" sports a more '30s-ish typeface below that.
FX/SFX/Cheesy Factor: The bright light, the sound waves; big improvement after their previous rendition.
Music/Sounds: A series of "Morse code" beeps sometimes accompanied by a majestic fanfare.
Availability: Uncommon; can be found on more recent RKO releases, including Mighty Joe Young, The Magnificent Ambersons, and Gin Game.
Scare Factor: Minimal; although a well-liked logo, the creepy "Morse code" transmission sound FX may still get to some people.
Logo captures by Eric S. and others
Video captures courtesy of mcydodge919, monarchofvideos and Eric S.
Background: RKO was originally founded by RCA to promote their RCA Photophone sound system. The initials in the company name stand for Radio Keith Orpheum, reflecting the joint venture of RCA, the Keith Orpheum theater circuit, and Joseph P. Kennedy's Film Booking Office. They only make a few films today, but RKO is still alive and will continue to live on.
RKO Radio Pictures
1st Logo (Opening Logo)
(1929-1956)
Nickname: "The Transmitter", "The Globe and Tower" (according to the RKO Pictures, LLC website http://www.rko.com)
Logo: On a cloudy background we see a radio tower situated on top of a rotating Earth globe. The radio tower is sending out signals illustrated by lightning bolts and sound waves coming from its transmitter. The text "A Radio Picture" (1929-1936) or "An RKO Radio Picture" (1936-1956) writes itself on the logo in a "thunderbolt" font.
Variants:
- For those who wanted to know, the Morse code heard on the logo transmitted this message:
VVVV AN RKO RADIO PICTURE VVVV - RKO teamed with France-based production company Pathe in 1929 to produce theatrical newsreels under the name RKO-Pathe Newsreels, which lasted until 1950. These featured a logo variation in which the Pathe Rooster stood and crowed in place of the transmitter on the rotating globe.
- On early RKO color features and colorized films the logo was tinted blue; a true living color version of the logo was introduced around 1944.
- Early Radio Pictures films had the globe less detailed and no clouds in front of the globe.
- When RKO produced CINEMASCOPE films, their logo was stretched to fix the screen, being the lightning bolts more realistic.
FX/SFX/Cheesy Factor: The rotating Earth globe, the lightning bolts, the sound waves; all primitive 1920s visual effects, but give them credit for trying.
Music/Sounds: A series of "morse code" beeps.
Availability: Very common; still saved on every RKO release. The Radio Pictures logo is rare today and it's used on King Kong and Top Hat.
Scare Factor: Medium; one of the best-known logos, but the creepy "Morse code" transmission sound FX may cause some scares.
2nd Logo (Closing Logo)
(1929-1956)
Standard logos and their variants
Custom logos
Nickname: "The Thunderbolt"
Logo: In the end titles of a film, we see an equilateral triangle pointing down with a "thunderbolt" drawn 3/4 through it. Above the logo is the text "Radio Pictures" (1929-1936) or "RKO Radio" with a line drawn over the triangle edge with the text "PICTURES" (1936-1956). The text "REG. US. PAT. OFF." is shown below.
Variants:
- The "Radio Pictures" variant had "THE END" displayed, which was wiped away to allow the Radio Pictures logo to be wiped in, which had a much scragglier thunderbolt design and a different font compared to the "RKO Radio" variant that followed.
- A "Distributed by RKO Pictures" variant in color on a blue background appeared on some pre-1953 Walt Disney films which RKO distributed. Usually plastered with a Buena Vista Distribution Co. logo, but occasionally appears on a few cartoon shorts on the Disney Treasures DVD collection.
FX/SFX: None.
Cheesy Factor: The drawing looks quite ugly.
Music/Sounds: The closing score of a movie.
Availability: Common; still saved on every RKO release.
Scare Factor: Medium; the scary thunderbolt drawing may turn off a few.
_______________________________________________________________
RKO Pictures
1st Logo
(1981-1987)
Nicknames: "'80s Thunderbolt", "Cheesy Thunderbolt", ''Thunderbolt Triangle''
Logo: On a plain black BG, a segmented white-lined rectangle with a cut on the left side and the text "RKO PICTURES" below emerges from the top of the screen, and moves down and curves up as if a roller coaster, zooming up to the center of the screen. We also see a red variant of the thunderbolt logo flipping up and growing in size as it lands below the cut on the rectangle in between "RKO" and "PICTURES."
Variants: Variations of this logo were used for other RKO general properties throughout the 1980s, such as RKO Television-owned local stations and RKO Nederlander, the Broadway production subsidiary. The syndication variant also had small text reading "DISTRIBUTED BY", which fades in above the rectangle to the left.
FX/SFX: The logo zooming and flipping effects.
Cheesy Factor: It's all cheap chyron and 1980s-standard zooming and flipping animations.
Music/Sounds: A synthesized tune with rising air and a "BOOM!" as the logo parts come together, followed by a gradual synthesized fade out.
Availability: Near extinction; only used as a distribution logo on television. Appears on None but the Lonely Heart when aired on TCM.
Scare Factor: Low to medium; the scary synth music and the animation effects may scare a few.
2nd Logo
(1987-1989)
Nickname: "'80s Transmitter"
Logo:
- Opening: On a cloudy background, we see the familiar radio tower situated on top of a rotating Earth globe. The radio tower is sending out signals illustrated by lightning bolts and sound waves coming from its transmitter. After a couple seconds, a segmented white-lined rectangle with a cut on the left side and the text "RKO PICTURES" appearing on opposite sides of the red thunderbolt triangle design emerges from the transmitter tip, and moves downward, zooming towards the lower third of the screen.
- Closing: The closing logo of these movies is a still picture of the opening logo, with "An RKO Picture" in a "thunderbolt" font.
Music/Sounds: A series of "Morse code" beeps. The closing variant is silent.
Availability: Uncommon; appeared on a few Paramount releases from that era, including Campus Man, Hamburger Hill, and Hot Pursuit.
Scare Factor: Medium; the creepy "Morse code" transmission sound FX may cause some scares. Low for the closing variant.
3rd Logo
(1992)
Logo: On a black background, the words "RELEASED THROUGH" appear on the top. Below is "RKO PICTURES DISTRIBUTION". The words are in blue.
FX/SFX: None.
Music/Sounds: None.
Availability: The only known movie to use this logo is Frozen Assets.
Scare Factor: None.
4th Logo
(1997- )
Nicknames: "'90s Transmitter", "CGI Transmitter"
Logo: In this version, the sky background and Earth globe look more realistic. A bright light is seen on the transmitter tip of the radio tower situated on top of the rotating globe as the picture zooms outward. The radio tower then sends out signals illustrated by sound waves coming from its transmitter. The text "RKO PICTURES" fades in on top of the transmitter. "RKO" appears in a red "thunderbolt" font while "PICTURES" sports a more '30s-ish typeface below that.
FX/SFX/Cheesy Factor: The bright light, the sound waves; big improvement after their previous rendition.
Music/Sounds: A series of "Morse code" beeps sometimes accompanied by a majestic fanfare.
Availability: Uncommon; can be found on more recent RKO releases, including Mighty Joe Young, The Magnificent Ambersons, and Gin Game.
Scare Factor: Minimal; although a well-liked logo, the creepy "Morse code" transmission sound FX may still get to some people.
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Mariofan88 |
Latest page update: made by Mariofan88
, Aug 5 2009, 12:21 PM EDT
(about this update
About This Update
Edited by Mariofan88
18 words added view changes - complete history) |
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Keyword tags:
RKO Radio Keith Orpheum
More Info: links to this page
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| Started By | Thread Subject | Replies | Last Post | ||
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| OhBoy! | Two RKOisms | 0 | Jul 28 2009, 1:05 PM EDT by OhBoy! | ||
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Thread started: Jul 28 2009, 1:05 PM EDT
Watch
1) I recall seeing a very early talkie on AMC many moons ago (when AMC was still a good channel) that began with the RKO-Pathe logo. I'm pretty sure it was a U.S. film. I'm wondering if there were any other non-newsreel RKO-Pathes that were released.
2) Byron Haskin' s FROM THE EARTH TO THE MOON (1958) starts with the Warner Bros. logo, and ends with both the "The End/WB" and the RKO closing card. Intriguing. |
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| logoboy95 | RKO logos | 3 | Feb 16 2009, 4:03 PM EST by MikeLogos | ||
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Thread started: Feb 22 2008, 6:22 PM EST
Watch
Did you ever heard the RKO logo is preserved on Disney laserdisc movies such as "Bambi" and "Cinderella"? I'll look for the RKO logo from "Cinderella" since this movie on laserdisc still has the logo.
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Keyword tags:
RKO Radio Keith Orpheum
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| logoboy95 | Cinderella's RKO logo plastered with the cut-short 1990 WDP logo? | 1 | Feb 16 2009, 12:27 PM EST by PaPaLuigi | ||
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Thread started: Feb 15 2009, 7:11 PM EST
Watch
The RKO logo is plastered with the WDP logo on the DVD release. Oh, only the laserdisc of CINDERELLA has the RKO logo. The laserdisc of BAMBI also has the RKO logo.
Laserdisc opening: RKO logo DVD opening: 1990 WDP logo (cut-short w/ RKO fanfare depending) |
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