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United Artists Pictures
Compiled by Jason Jones, Matt Williams, James Fabiano and Ryan Froula
Logo captures by Eric S. and TVlogos2008
Editions by V of Doom and Shadeed A. Kelly
Background: United Artists Corporation was formed in 1919 as a joint venture between the four of the leading figures in early Hollywood era originally: Mary Pickford, Sir Charles Chaplin, Douglas Fairbanks, and D. W. Griffith. After, it merged to Transamerica Corp. in 1967 and finally to MGM in 1981. Actually, Tom Cruise, Paula Wagner and the MGM are the new owners of the actual UA.
1st Logo
(1919-1934)
No info... yet
2nd Logo
(1934-1967)
Nickname: "The Hexagon"
Logo: Over a grainy-looking background, we see the words "UNITED ARTISTS" appearing inside a 3-layer gold/brown hexagon shape. "Presents", in gold script, is sometimes shown below.
Variants:
FX: None; it's a still logo.
Music/Sounds: Probably the intro of any UA movie playing throughout. Other times, it's silent.
Availability: Extremely rare; however, it has been preserved on the VHS release of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum and Thunderbirds are Go. This logo can occasionally be seen on TCM.
Scare Factor: None.
3rd Logo
(1967-1968)
Nicknames: "The UA-Transamerica Circle," "The UA Ovoid"
Logo: We see the words "UNITED ARTISTS" appearing inside a circular field. The words "A Transamerica CORPORATION" (or "A Transamerica COMPANY") is seen in small letters underneath. The U and the A are somewhat taller than the rest of the company name, and they overlap each other.
Variants: There were a few color scheme variations used for this logo.
FX: None; it's a still logo.
Music/Sounds: A ten-note fanfare. The first seven notes sounded like a solo cornet; the final three were a brass trio.
Availability: A hard call. This logo has been updated with later United Artists logos, due to Transamerica information on the logo.
Scare Factor: None.
4th Logo
(1968-1975)
Nickname: "The Transamerica T"
Logo: It starts with two sets of blue lines going into place, one by one. One line turns to the left, another turns to the right, and so on. There are six lines altogether, revealing the logo of Transamerica Corporation, United Artists' former owner. The stylized blue T design zooms out to the right side to make room for the company name "United Artists", which appears in a futuristic white font. A small byline pops in afterward, inscribed "Entertainment from Transamerica Corporation" and appears under the UA name.
Variant: There has been a version with the T zooming out to the bottom left.
FX/Cheesy Factor: The stacking of the lines.
Music/Sounds: A majestic fanfare going up the musical scale, followed by a stinger of horns and drums. Most films, however, had this logo without the music.
Availability: Generally replaced with a later logo, because of the Transamerica logo and information on the logo (which is, of course, outdated). This is presumably done because Transamerica still exists as a company. However, the Transamerica T logo, especially the second variation, DOES pop up from time to time on cable and Pay TV broadcasts of Lorimar-produced films that UA distributed. It was also prolific on Magnetic Video releases of UA films of the era from 1980, including Last Tango in Paris. The variation with the fanfare is one of the toughest finds, so pat yourself on the back if you hear it the next time you pop in a Magnetic Video tape you just bought.
Scare Factor: Low; even with the theme, it doesn't seem harmful.
5th Logo
(1975-1981)
Nickname: "Transamerica T '75"
Logo: We see the words "United Artists" in a futuristic white font on a black background. A few seconds later, the blue T design fades in on the left side of the company name. Like the previous logo variant, the T is made up of 6 blue lines, with three stacked on top of each other on both sides. At the same time, blue text that says "A Transamerica Company" appears underneath the United Artists name.
FX: The blue stacked T and Transamerica byline fading into view.
Music/Sounds: None.
Availability: Very rare. Most UA films of the time have had this logo edited over, but it occasionally appears on some prints. It has been preserved on the 1990 VHS releases of The Black Stallion and Thunderbird 6 and on One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (same with the DVD version).
Scare Factor: None.
6th Logo
(1975-1976)
Nickname: "Blue Light"
Logo: "United Artists" starts appearing on a black screen in segments, outlined by a blue light. After "United Artists" completely appears, the Transamerica T and the byline "A Transamerica Company" fade in below as "United Artists" turns gold.
FX: The logo appearing in segments, the outline, and the fade-in of the "Transamerica T" and the byline.
Music/Sounds: None. However, the DVD release of Rocky uses the 1994 music.
Availability: Was preserved, albeit accidentally, on the DVD release of Rocky, and due to sloppy editing, the 1994 music got tacked on! Also, it was seen on Rollerball (1975).
Scare Factor: Low; may frighten a few with the dark background, but the music on the DVD release of Rocky slightly lowers the scare factor.
7th Logo
(1981-1987)
Nicknames: "Turning UA," "The Sad/Happy Music"
Logo: It starts with a whitish line against ablack screen. The line then reveals itself to be a silvery stylized "UA" as it turns around. The logo is in the shape of a "U" with a bigger left side, and a diagonal line protruding from the shorter right side to form the "A." When the symbol finishes turning around, the words "United Artists" appear under it in a font similar to that used in the "Transamerica" logo.
FX: The "Turning UA".
Music/Sounds: When the logo turns around, there is a slow, somewhat somber five-note piano tune. Then when it is totally revealed and the words "United Artists" appears, an uplifting orchestral piece is played. A rare rearranged version of the music also exists.
Availability: Was prolific on video and cable during the 1980's, but it's scarce now, as its primary use was to update the older logos. Most 1980's UA releases were released with the MGM/UA lion logo (which still survives on video prints). However, it can still be found on some '90s MGM/UA Home Video releases, such as the early 1990's MGM/UA release of The Secret of NIMH (the logo has been restored on the 2007 DVD release of said film, however). Also, it plasters the 1st UA logo on a CBS/FOX release of Witness For The Prosecution, in which this logo is shown in B&W.
Scare Factor: Low; this logo's nature and the surprising orchestra at the end may get to some, but it's mainly harmless. Same goes for the rearranged music.
8th Logo
(1983-1987)
Logo: Not much of a logo per se, but following the acquisition of United Artists by MGM, most new United Artists films were released with the MGM lion logo of the era (with an MGM/UA Entertainment Co. caption) followed by a black screen containing only the words "UNITED ARTISTS PRESENTS" in white.
FX: None.
Music/Sounds: None.
Availability: Usually preserved on United Artists films of the era, although films could be updated with newer MGM or UA logos on TV broadcasts.
Scare Factor: Low to medium; the MGM/UA logo that precedes the United Artists card on this logo could be high on the scary side for those who don't like roaring lions. Some could be startled by the very stark design of the United Artists screen itself.
9th Logo
(1987-1994)
Nickname: "UA Swoosh"
Logo: Over a black BG, we see a giant pattern of blue crystallized "UAs", styled like the previous logo. The pattern smoothly merges together to form one minimum-sized UA as it zooms out. A streak of light glides by to slash the A, consisted of spikes going across. When it gets to a certain distance, "United Artists" is seen underneath.
Variants:
FX: The merging and zooming out of the logo and the slashing of the A.
Music/Sounds: A low bass sound, followed by a "swoosh".
Availability: Still common on some broadcasts of UA-produced movies, and can be seen on UA-produced movies of the period. This logo was often paired off with the popular MGM/UA Communications logo, and both logos are thus regarded as favorites. The MGM-UA Communications/UA Swoosh Mixture is still seen on current VHS and DVD prints of several James Bond movies and movies from the Pink Panther series.
Scare Factor: Low.
10th Logo
(1994-2000)
Nickname: "UA Shining Light"
Logo: It starts with a couple-dozen bright stars showering over. The backdrop is a dark-colored marble wall. The glittering stars glide over the screen to reveal the company name, then one big star shines against the U, a la the Torch Lady's torch shining.
Earlier Variant: The name appears as "United Artists Pictures, Inc." for the first few years. It was later referred to as "United Artists, An MGM Company" starting in 1997.
FX: The glittering stars and the bright shining star.
Music/Sounds: Some tingling sounds followed by an orchestral tune, and ending with a rhythmic twinkling sound.
Availability: Common. The current logo, or at least the most recent, as the UA website features a new variation of Logo 4, while this still appears on video releases. This logo chiefly updates the Transamerica UA logos on video, while used on EVERY UA release on cable. Can be seen on pre-2007 DVD releases of The Secret of NIMH.
Scare Factor: None.
11th Logo
(2000-2001)
Nickname: "UA 2000"
Logo: On a black screen, white streaks appear, streaking to form a new UA logo, that looks similar to the 1982 and 1987 logos, except the logo is a little narrower and there are no streaks. The words UNITED ARTISTS come from both sides of the lower part of the screen and converge. The words "AN MGM COMPANY" soon fade in afterwards.
Variant: This logo is usually preceded by the current MGM Lion on older United Artists releases.
FX: The streaks, the appearance of the logo, the convergence of the United Artists.
Music/Sounds: A short instrumental bed consisting of a drum beat and sounds of wind. A short piano stinger at the end.
Availability: Can be seen on new United Artists movies (UA is now an art-house movie studio for MGM). This logo has also been seen on the ABC-TV airings of James Bond movies since January 2002.
Scare Factor: None.
12th Logo
(2001-)
Nicknames: "UA Swoosh 2001," "UA Spikes 2000," "Silver Spikes"
Logo: Essentially the same as the previous logo, except this one includes a metallic version of the UA Swoosh logo from 1987. There is also a URL for www.unitedartists.com underneath the company byline.
Variants:
FX: The streaks, the spikes flashing in, the convergence of the United Artists.
Music/Sounds: Same as above. However, it sometimes uses the 1994 music.
Availability: Common. Seen on some new and recent films released by UA, including Jeepers Creepers and Ghost World. It may also show up on a few DVD releases of classic films. This logo may also replace old logos such as the oned used during the Transamerica years.
Scare Factor: None.
Logo captures by Eric S. and TVlogos2008
Editions by V of Doom and Shadeed A. Kelly
Background: United Artists Corporation was formed in 1919 as a joint venture between the four of the leading figures in early Hollywood era originally: Mary Pickford, Sir Charles Chaplin, Douglas Fairbanks, and D. W. Griffith. After, it merged to Transamerica Corp. in 1967 and finally to MGM in 1981. Actually, Tom Cruise, Paula Wagner and the MGM are the new owners of the actual UA.
1st Logo
(1919-1934)
No info... yet
2nd Logo
(1934-1967)
Nickname: "The Hexagon"
Logo: Over a grainy-looking background, we see the words "UNITED ARTISTS" appearing inside a 3-layer gold/brown hexagon shape. "Presents", in gold script, is sometimes shown below.
Variants:
- When Transamerica Corporation acquired this company in 1967, it included the byline "A Transamerica Company".
- On Movies by London Productions, on the credits, would appear an in-credit version of this logo, with the words "Distributed by".
- There is 2 more color variants: A sepia color variant from the mid 1940's-1950, a black and white color variant from 1934-1941, and a color variant from 1950-1967.
FX: None; it's a still logo.
Music/Sounds: Probably the intro of any UA movie playing throughout. Other times, it's silent.
Availability: Extremely rare; however, it has been preserved on the VHS release of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum and Thunderbirds are Go. This logo can occasionally be seen on TCM.
Scare Factor: None.
3rd Logo
(1967-1968)
Nicknames: "The UA-Transamerica Circle," "The UA Ovoid"
Logo: We see the words "UNITED ARTISTS" appearing inside a circular field. The words "A Transamerica CORPORATION" (or "A Transamerica COMPANY") is seen in small letters underneath. The U and the A are somewhat taller than the rest of the company name, and they overlap each other.
Variants: There were a few color scheme variations used for this logo.
- A standard blue BG version.
- BG/white circle/black lettering/Transamerica logo byline.
- White-on-black UA-Transamerica Circle (seen on most trailers and B/W films).
- Black circle on a red background, UNITED ARTISTS in white.
- Black UA-Transamerica circle (the text inside it is yellow) inside a larger yellow circle with a blue TV tube shape, placed against a purple square. All of these shapes are situated against a red BG.
FX: None; it's a still logo.
Music/Sounds: A ten-note fanfare. The first seven notes sounded like a solo cornet; the final three were a brass trio.
Availability: A hard call. This logo has been updated with later United Artists logos, due to Transamerica information on the logo.
Scare Factor: None.
4th Logo
(1968-1975)
Nickname: "The Transamerica T"
Logo: It starts with two sets of blue lines going into place, one by one. One line turns to the left, another turns to the right, and so on. There are six lines altogether, revealing the logo of Transamerica Corporation, United Artists' former owner. The stylized blue T design zooms out to the right side to make room for the company name "United Artists", which appears in a futuristic white font. A small byline pops in afterward, inscribed "Entertainment from Transamerica Corporation" and appears under the UA name.
Variant: There has been a version with the T zooming out to the bottom left.
FX/Cheesy Factor: The stacking of the lines.
Music/Sounds: A majestic fanfare going up the musical scale, followed by a stinger of horns and drums. Most films, however, had this logo without the music.
Availability: Generally replaced with a later logo, because of the Transamerica logo and information on the logo (which is, of course, outdated). This is presumably done because Transamerica still exists as a company. However, the Transamerica T logo, especially the second variation, DOES pop up from time to time on cable and Pay TV broadcasts of Lorimar-produced films that UA distributed. It was also prolific on Magnetic Video releases of UA films of the era from 1980, including Last Tango in Paris. The variation with the fanfare is one of the toughest finds, so pat yourself on the back if you hear it the next time you pop in a Magnetic Video tape you just bought.
Scare Factor: Low; even with the theme, it doesn't seem harmful.
5th Logo
(1975-1981)
Nickname: "Transamerica T '75"
Logo: We see the words "United Artists" in a futuristic white font on a black background. A few seconds later, the blue T design fades in on the left side of the company name. Like the previous logo variant, the T is made up of 6 blue lines, with three stacked on top of each other on both sides. At the same time, blue text that says "A Transamerica Company" appears underneath the United Artists name.
FX: The blue stacked T and Transamerica byline fading into view.
Music/Sounds: None.
Availability: Very rare. Most UA films of the time have had this logo edited over, but it occasionally appears on some prints. It has been preserved on the 1990 VHS releases of The Black Stallion and Thunderbird 6 and on One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (same with the DVD version).
Scare Factor: None.
6th Logo
(1975-1976)
Nickname: "Blue Light"
Logo: "United Artists" starts appearing on a black screen in segments, outlined by a blue light. After "United Artists" completely appears, the Transamerica T and the byline "A Transamerica Company" fade in below as "United Artists" turns gold.
FX: The logo appearing in segments, the outline, and the fade-in of the "Transamerica T" and the byline.
Music/Sounds: None. However, the DVD release of Rocky uses the 1994 music.
Availability: Was preserved, albeit accidentally, on the DVD release of Rocky, and due to sloppy editing, the 1994 music got tacked on! Also, it was seen on Rollerball (1975).
Scare Factor: Low; may frighten a few with the dark background, but the music on the DVD release of Rocky slightly lowers the scare factor.
7th Logo
(1981-1987)
Nicknames: "Turning UA," "The Sad/Happy Music"
Logo: It starts with a whitish line against ablack screen. The line then reveals itself to be a silvery stylized "UA" as it turns around. The logo is in the shape of a "U" with a bigger left side, and a diagonal line protruding from the shorter right side to form the "A." When the symbol finishes turning around, the words "United Artists" appear under it in a font similar to that used in the "Transamerica" logo.
FX: The "Turning UA".
Music/Sounds: When the logo turns around, there is a slow, somewhat somber five-note piano tune. Then when it is totally revealed and the words "United Artists" appears, an uplifting orchestral piece is played. A rare rearranged version of the music also exists.
Availability: Was prolific on video and cable during the 1980's, but it's scarce now, as its primary use was to update the older logos. Most 1980's UA releases were released with the MGM/UA lion logo (which still survives on video prints). However, it can still be found on some '90s MGM/UA Home Video releases, such as the early 1990's MGM/UA release of The Secret of NIMH (the logo has been restored on the 2007 DVD release of said film, however). Also, it plasters the 1st UA logo on a CBS/FOX release of Witness For The Prosecution, in which this logo is shown in B&W.
Scare Factor: Low; this logo's nature and the surprising orchestra at the end may get to some, but it's mainly harmless. Same goes for the rearranged music.
8th Logo
(1983-1987)
Logo: Not much of a logo per se, but following the acquisition of United Artists by MGM, most new United Artists films were released with the MGM lion logo of the era (with an MGM/UA Entertainment Co. caption) followed by a black screen containing only the words "UNITED ARTISTS PRESENTS" in white.
FX: None.
Music/Sounds: None.
Availability: Usually preserved on United Artists films of the era, although films could be updated with newer MGM or UA logos on TV broadcasts.
Scare Factor: Low to medium; the MGM/UA logo that precedes the United Artists card on this logo could be high on the scary side for those who don't like roaring lions. Some could be startled by the very stark design of the United Artists screen itself.
9th Logo
(1987-1994)
Nickname: "UA Swoosh"
Logo: Over a black BG, we see a giant pattern of blue crystallized "UAs", styled like the previous logo. The pattern smoothly merges together to form one minimum-sized UA as it zooms out. A streak of light glides by to slash the A, consisted of spikes going across. When it gets to a certain distance, "United Artists" is seen underneath.
Variants:
- In its early years, the MGM/UA Communications logo preceded this logo. In its later years, the logo would be by itself, starting from the point where the UA logo has already merged from the giant pattern, and the phrase "An MGM/UA Communications Company" appears underneath.
- Other movies have the logo zooming in.
- Occasionally, only the "swoosh" part of the animation is shown.
FX: The merging and zooming out of the logo and the slashing of the A.
Music/Sounds: A low bass sound, followed by a "swoosh".
Availability: Still common on some broadcasts of UA-produced movies, and can be seen on UA-produced movies of the period. This logo was often paired off with the popular MGM/UA Communications logo, and both logos are thus regarded as favorites. The MGM-UA Communications/UA Swoosh Mixture is still seen on current VHS and DVD prints of several James Bond movies and movies from the Pink Panther series.
Scare Factor: Low.
10th Logo
(1994-2000)
Nickname: "UA Shining Light"
Logo: It starts with a couple-dozen bright stars showering over. The backdrop is a dark-colored marble wall. The glittering stars glide over the screen to reveal the company name, then one big star shines against the U, a la the Torch Lady's torch shining.
Earlier Variant: The name appears as "United Artists Pictures, Inc." for the first few years. It was later referred to as "United Artists, An MGM Company" starting in 1997.
FX: The glittering stars and the bright shining star.
Music/Sounds: Some tingling sounds followed by an orchestral tune, and ending with a rhythmic twinkling sound.
Availability: Common. The current logo, or at least the most recent, as the UA website features a new variation of Logo 4, while this still appears on video releases. This logo chiefly updates the Transamerica UA logos on video, while used on EVERY UA release on cable. Can be seen on pre-2007 DVD releases of The Secret of NIMH.
Scare Factor: None.
11th Logo
(2000-2001)
Nickname: "UA 2000"
Logo: On a black screen, white streaks appear, streaking to form a new UA logo, that looks similar to the 1982 and 1987 logos, except the logo is a little narrower and there are no streaks. The words UNITED ARTISTS come from both sides of the lower part of the screen and converge. The words "AN MGM COMPANY" soon fade in afterwards.
Variant: This logo is usually preceded by the current MGM Lion on older United Artists releases.
FX: The streaks, the appearance of the logo, the convergence of the United Artists.
Music/Sounds: A short instrumental bed consisting of a drum beat and sounds of wind. A short piano stinger at the end.
Availability: Can be seen on new United Artists movies (UA is now an art-house movie studio for MGM). This logo has also been seen on the ABC-TV airings of James Bond movies since January 2002.
Scare Factor: None.
12th Logo
(2001-)
Nicknames: "UA Swoosh 2001," "UA Spikes 2000," "Silver Spikes"
Logo: Essentially the same as the previous logo, except this one includes a metallic version of the UA Swoosh logo from 1987. There is also a URL for www.unitedartists.com underneath the company byline.
Variants:
- This logo can also appear preceded by the current MGM lion on some new prints of older United Artists releases.
- In an unusual variation that was likely an editing foul-up, the 2002 UK film 24 Hour Party People accompanies this logo with the theme music of Pathé, which had European distribution rights to the movie.
- For the later years, this logo is bylineless.
FX: The streaks, the spikes flashing in, the convergence of the United Artists.
Music/Sounds: Same as above. However, it sometimes uses the 1994 music.
Availability: Common. Seen on some new and recent films released by UA, including Jeepers Creepers and Ghost World. It may also show up on a few DVD releases of classic films. This logo may also replace old logos such as the oned used during the Transamerica years.
Scare Factor: None.
Latest page update: made by BobFish
, Jul 1 2008, 2:31 AM EDT
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view changes
- complete history)
More Info: links to this page
(Showing the last 5 of 6 - view all)
| Started By | Thread Subject | Replies | Last Post | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shadeed329 | Very first UA logo (1919) | 3 | Jun 7 2008, 7:50 AM EDT by naxo-ole | |
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Thread started: Mar 20 2008, 1:29 PM EDT
Watch
I remember seeing an image of the very first logo of United Artists used during the silent film era at Wikipedia. Does anyone have it or has anyone seen it?
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| tvlogos2008 | you don,t need to do it | 2 | Jun 3 2008, 5:44 AM EDT by tvlogos2008 | |
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Thread started: Jun 2 2008, 10:09 AM EDT
Watch
you don,t need to delete the 2 images of the 1934-1967 united artists logos newave.
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Keyword tags:
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc.
United Artists
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| Lazlow | Old UA logos on the James Bond Ultimate Edition DVDs | 0 | May 13 2008, 5:44 PM EDT by Lazlow | |
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Thread started: May 13 2008, 5:44 PM EDT
Watch
On these DVDs the films start with the current MGM and UA logos, but there are some interesting exceptions. Some of the films from the sixties, like Thunderball (1965), don't have the UA logo but got the MGM logo. Octopussy (1983), The Living Dayligths (1987) and Licence to Kill (1989) got the current MGM logo and the UA of that time. Octopussy just have "United Artist presents'in white on black background, while the other two have thw swhoos logo.
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Keyword tags:
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc.
United Artists
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| logoboy95 | "Turning UA" replaced | 1 | May 2 2008, 11:39 AM EDT by mr3urious | |
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Thread started: May 2 2008, 3:17 AM EDT
Watch
I know the United Artists "Turning UA" logo is replaced with the 1994 UA logo on the 1998 DVD release of "The Secret of NIMH", but the "Turning UA" logo was restored on the 2007 DVD release of "The Secret of NIMH".
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Keyword tags:
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc.
United Artists
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| tregoweth | Scary "Turning UA" | 0 | Apr 26 2008, 3:55 PM EDT by tregoweth | |
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Thread started: Apr 26 2008, 3:55 PM EDT
Watch
I'm starting to think that what scares (or scared) me is the opposite of everyone else. Does anyone else think the "Turning UA" is kinda creepy? Maybe it's because I only remember seeing it before "Pink Panther" cartoons, so it seemed much more jarring.
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Keyword tags:
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc.
United Artists
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(Showing the last 5 of 6 - view all)