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Universal Pictures
Logo descriptions by Jason Jones, Matt Williams, and Eric S.
Logo captures by Eric S., Bob Fish, codyfinke, Shadeed A. Kelly, Logozextreame102, Logophile, V of Doom, and Donny Pearson
Editions by Eric S., Shadeed A. Kelly, V of Doom, and Donny Pearson
Video captures courtesy of Eric S., Joecool85, kmhoran1, MrFb09, TomChor, JohnnyL80, VideoMaster1994, Tlogos, Columbia-Pictures, and Weatherguru76
Background: Universal Pictures was originally formed on June 8, 1912 by Carl Laemmle, a German-Jewish immigrant who settled in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, where he managed a clothing store. It is the second oldest studio in Hollywood (beaten by one month by Paramount Pictures). However, it was fully established in 1915. In 1946, Universal merged with International Pictures, headed by Leo Spitz and William Goetz. This team ran Universal-International, while Nate Blumberg and J. Cheever Cowdin remained at the helm of Universal Pictures, the parent company. In late 1951, Universal-International was acquired by Decca Records. In 1962, Music Corporation of America (MCA) purchased Decca Records and with it, Universal Pictures, leaving Milton Rackmil and Edward Muhl in charge, while Dr. Jules Stein (Board Chairman) and Lew Wasserman (President) guiding MCA. As a result of a consent decree with the justice department, MCA divested itself of its talent agency business. In 1990, MCA/Universal was acquired by Panasonic Corporation and later sold to Seagram and Sons in 1995. In 1996, MCA was reincorporated and renamed as Universal Studios. In December 2000, French company Vivendi acquired Universal Studios from Seagram and Sons and formed Vivendi Universal Entertainment. Currently as of May 11, 2004, it is part-owned by Vivendi SA (20%) and General Electric (80%) and is a subsidiary of NBC Universal.
1st Logo
(July 22, 1914-1919)
Nickname: "Trans-Atlantic Globe", "Saturn Globe", "Trans-Atlantic Saturn Globe"
Logo: We see a circle with "UNIVERSAL" written above and "FILMS" written below. Inside the circle is some really small text that says "TRADE MARK". A Saturn-like ring surrounds the circle, which reads "THE TRANS-ATLANTIC FILM CO. LTD." (Universal's British distributor at the time).
FX/SFX: None.
Music/Sounds: None.
Availability: Ultra rare; Universal destroyed most of their silent films, so you'll have to look hard for this one. It appeared on TCM's Silent Sunday Nights.
Scare Factor: None, unless you're crept out by silent films.
2nd Logo
(August 23, 1920-January 11, 1922)
Nicknames: "Saturn Globe II"
Logo: We see a checkered background with a Saturn-like globe with the words "UNIVERSAL FILMS" on it. "UNIVERSAL" is
shown above the globe in a stencil-like font. "FILM MANUFACTURING COMPANY", "PACIFIC COAST STUDIOS", and "Universal City, Cal." are shown below, in different fonts (and the first line in an upward arc).
FX/SFX: None.
Cheesy Factor: It's a very old logo.
Music/Sounds: None.
Availability: Rare; appears on silent films that appear on TCM. You may look for this logo on TCM's Silent Sunday Nights.
Scare Factor: None.
3rd Logo
(September 2, 1923-September 6, 1925)
Nickname: "Rotating Letters", "Saturn Globe II", "Airplane Passing Globe"
Logo: We see a biplane flying around a rotating globe counterclockwise, leaving a trail of smoke behind it, which form the words "UNIVERSAL PICTURES".
Variant: A more zoomed-out version was used sometimes.
FX/SFX: The plane rotating around the globe, the forming of the name.
Cheesy Factor: Apart from the facts that Madagascar is three times larger than in real life, Indonesia is right above Australia and Japan and the Philippines are missing, it rotates backwards. Very cheesy by today's standards, but pretty for its time.
Music/Sounds: None.
Availability: Ultra rare; currently appears on some 1920s Universal films on TCM's Silent Sunday Nights.
Scare Factor: Low; may surprise you the first time you see it.
4th Logo
(September 9, 1927-April 6, 1936)
Nickname: "Airplane Passing Globe II"
Logo: On a cloud-like background, an earth globe rotates. No clouds are visible on the globe. As the globe rotates, a biplane flies around it, with "A UNIVERSAL PICTURE" being wiped in diagonally as the biplane passes the globe.
Closing Variant: The words "THE END" are seen superimposed in the globe. Then, seconds later, "IT'S A UNIVERSAL PICTURE" fades-in. Sometimes it's written in cursive.
FX/SFX: The biplane, wiping on of letters, and the globe.
Cheesy Factor: This logo just SCREAMS 1920s, as everything is a cheesy model. Still, it looked nice for the time, and you have to give them the effort of trying.
Music/Sounds: None; just the sound of the biplane's engine.
Availability: This is one of the rarest Universal logos. Can be seen on some early films still, though. The current DVD release of Frankenstein has plastered this with the B&W variation of the 1997 logo, while the 1999 VHS release of the film itself has plastered this with the B&W variation of the 1963 logo. This logo can sometimes be seen after the current logo of Universal on certain movies. A warp speed variant can be seen at the beginning of Balto III: Wings of Change. However, this logo was re-created on Xanadu, used during the opening credits. This logo made a comeback on Cry-Baby, which was a 1990 film. This logo also made a surprise appearance on the 2010 film Smokin' Aces 2: Assassins' Ball.
Scare Factor: None.
5th Logo
(May 11, 1936-March 29, 1946)
Nickname: "The Art-Deco Globe", "Rotating Letters II"
Logo: A stylized glass globe is seen, tilted at an angle. Around the globe, the words "A UNIVERSAL PICTURE" rotate, in a stylized 1930s font. Stylized five-point stars (ala the stars on the Paramount logo) surround the globe.
Closing Variant: Superimposed in a special background or in the last seconds of a movie, we see the words "The End" with lettering that varies on the movie along with the text "A Universal Picture" or "A Universal Release".
FX/SFX: The stars, globe, and rotating letters.
Cheesy Factor: This has to be cheesier than the first one. The stars honestly look like they're hung from a mobile or something. And the glass globe and letters look weird. It did look okay for its time, though, and they did get better later on.
Music/Sounds: Usually the beginning of the movie's opening theme. However, a proud, bombastic orchestral fanfare is sometimes used, and Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid uses a remix of the tune.
Availability: Can be seen on Universal releases of the era, and makes surprise appearances on The Sting, The Brink's Job, Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid, Leatherheads, Changeling, and the 2010 remake of 1941's The Wolfman.
Scare Factor: None.
6th Logo
(August 28, 1946-December 25, 1962)
Nickname: "Rotating ('40s) Globe", "50s Globe"
Logo: On a space background, a model globe (harkening back to logo 2; still no clouds though), rotates. Superimposed onto the globe are the words "Universal International" (in white for B&W films or yellow-orange for color films) in a majestic script font, symbolizing Universal's merger with International Pictures.
Byline: Later on, the credit "EDWARD MUHL, IN CHARGE OF PRODUCTION" would appear in the lower-left corner.
Closing Variant: Same as above, but the disclaimer is "A Universal-International Picture".
FX/SFX: The rotating globe.
Cheesy Factor: Well, they got sane with this one. Relatively minimal on the cheesy scale, though you can tell it's a model globe.
Music/Sounds: The opening of the movie's theme.
Availability: Again, seen on Universal International releases of the period.
Scare Factor: None.
7th Logo
(June 26, 1963-May 18, 1990)
Nicknames: "Zooming Globe", "Gaseous Globe", "Famous Globe", "MCA Globe", "Zooming MCA Globe"
Logo: We zoom through space, and a pair of asteroid belts start to form. The rotating earth globe appears in the distance, and as we get closer to it, the word "UNIVERSAL", in a bold, planetary font, fades in close-up to us and zooms out to a comfortable distance. When the word and the globe are in position, "AN MCA COMPANY" fades in below it, in a bold yellow font. Two rings surround the globe.
Variants: Several renditions of this logo have been discovered. This is going to get complicated, so let's explain this simply. There are many main variations of this logo:
FX/SFX: The rotating globe zooming-in and "UNIVERSAL" zooming-out.
Cheesy Factor: This was very advanced for its time, and its longevity is amazing, especially during the '80s, when computerized logos were making their debut. So, this one is very low on the cheese scale.
Music/Sounds: Usually it did not have music,but it did occasionally havethe opening theme of the movie. Such memorable instances include Father Goose (composed by Nelson Riddle), The Ghost and Mr. Chicken and The Night Walker (both composed by Vic Mizzy). The opening tag from the latter film was also heard in abridged form on The World of Abbot and Costello.
Availability: It's common as this was never plastered over (except E.T. plastered it with the E.T. 20th Anniversary variant of the 1997 Universal logo for its 20th Anniversary, but seeing this on 1988 and 1996 VHS releases, the theatrical DVD release, and HBO airings of this will be commonly seen), and was used for a total of 27 years, the longest-used logo since the classic era of movies. The original 1960s version has made surprise appearances on the 2009 films Drag Me to Hell, Land of the Lost and Inglourious Basterds. The "PRESENTS" variation of the logo is seen on Journey to the Far Side of the Sun, followed by the "a GERRY ANDERSON CENTURY 21 CINEMA PRODUCTION" logo.
Scare Factor: None to minimal; this is one of the most popular logos ever to exist in history, but the off-center variant is a little creepy.
8th Logo
(May 24, 1990-August 29, 1997)
Nicknames: "CGI Globe", "Rotating Letters III", "MCA Globe II", "CGI MCA Globe"
Logo: A large "flash" appears as we view the far right side of the Universal globe, still cloudless and in CGI. We move down the globe and see, in golden letters, the word "UNIVERSAL", in a brand new font, circle the globe. We zoom out and the globe moves to center, as the word "UNIVERSAL" straightens itself out and takes its place across the globe. "AN MCA COMPANY", in white, appears below the logo. This logo was animated by Flip Your Lid Animation Studios, which also created the 1994-2010 20th Century Fox logo and the 1986-2003 Paramount Pictures logo.
Early Variant: In 1990, Universal was celebrating its 75th Anniversary, and the initial version of this logo was different from the one used afterwards. It began with clips of logos 4, 5, and 7, and then segued into the then-current logo, as if it were a grand unveiling, or a passing of the torch. The end logo also had "75th ANNIVERSARY" on top of the logo, with "75" in the middle of "ANNIVERSARY" and written out in script. Movies that have this logo include Back to the Future Part III, Ghost Dad, Jetsons: The Movie, Problem Child, Mo' Better Blues, Darkman, Henry & June, Child's Play 2, Havana, Kindergarten Cop, Lionheart, King Ralph, The Hard Way and Career Opportunities. This was only used from May 24, 1990 to March 29, 1991.
FX/SFX: The rotating globe and letters.
Music/Sounds: A majestic orchestral fanfare by James Horner. A French horn fanfare was played during the clips of the old logos during the 75th Anniversary logo; a sped-up version of this was later used as the 1991 UTV theme.
Availability: It's easy to see, as this was on all Universal releases of the era such as Jurassic Park and Waterworld among others. The 75th Anniversary version can be seen on the aforementioned films above.
Scare Factor: None; this is a great logo.
9th Logo
(November 14, 1997- )
Nicknames: "CGI Globe II", "The Glittering Globe", "The Shimmering Globe", "The Transparent Globe", "Rotating Letters IV"
Logo: On a black background, an arc slowly appears and brightens. Lights begin appearing below the arc and we see that this is another globe, looking over Europe. We move down as the lights appear all over Europe, and then Africa. As we begin to zoom out, the letters in the word "UNIVERSAL", in a similar font as the last logo but handsomely redone, rotate to the front of the globe. By this time, the globe is shining from the back. A small copyright appears at the bottom-right.
Variants: A treasure trove. Here are a few variants:
FX/SFX: The lighting of the globe and the rotation of the letters.
Cheesy Factor: The globe looks more like a giant rubber ball than anything else, but the lighting effects look very professional.
Music/Sounds: Begins with a powerful, majestic horn fanfare, followed by two orchestra hits. Then, another horn fanfare, followed by two more hits. Then, a very majestic fanfare as the logo is completed. Composed by Jerry Goldsmith, who composed the music for the Carolco logo.
Music/Sounds Variants: From November 21, 2001 to March 15, 2002, the music was changed in an arrangement by John Williams to go with the customized E.T. logo; there is only one horn fanfare/hits sequence, followed by the end fanfare. This then segues into the theme from E.T. as he and Elliott fly across the globe. When the E.T. logo was dropped on April 19, 2002, the music did not change back to the 1997 version until June 20, 2003: instead, it's a reorchestration of the 1997 fanfare, again in an arrangement by John Williams. Same melody, but like the E.T. logo, it is in a different key and sounds more "powerful".
Availability: Very common; this logo precedes releases originally without this logo on video (and serves as a de-facto home entertainment logo) and occasionally on cable channels. Also seen on new prints of The Blues Brothers and The Last Starfighter.
Scare Factor: None; this logo isn't as popular or well-received with fans as the previous logo, but there's nothing scary about it.
Logo captures by Eric S., Bob Fish, codyfinke, Shadeed A. Kelly, Logozextreame102, Logophile, V of Doom, and Donny Pearson
Editions by Eric S., Shadeed A. Kelly, V of Doom, and Donny Pearson
Video captures courtesy of Eric S., Joecool85, kmhoran1, MrFb09, TomChor, JohnnyL80, VideoMaster1994, Tlogos, Columbia-Pictures, and Weatherguru76
Background: Universal Pictures was originally formed on June 8, 1912 by Carl Laemmle, a German-Jewish immigrant who settled in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, where he managed a clothing store. It is the second oldest studio in Hollywood (beaten by one month by Paramount Pictures). However, it was fully established in 1915. In 1946, Universal merged with International Pictures, headed by Leo Spitz and William Goetz. This team ran Universal-International, while Nate Blumberg and J. Cheever Cowdin remained at the helm of Universal Pictures, the parent company. In late 1951, Universal-International was acquired by Decca Records. In 1962, Music Corporation of America (MCA) purchased Decca Records and with it, Universal Pictures, leaving Milton Rackmil and Edward Muhl in charge, while Dr. Jules Stein (Board Chairman) and Lew Wasserman (President) guiding MCA. As a result of a consent decree with the justice department, MCA divested itself of its talent agency business. In 1990, MCA/Universal was acquired by Panasonic Corporation and later sold to Seagram and Sons in 1995. In 1996, MCA was reincorporated and renamed as Universal Studios. In December 2000, French company Vivendi acquired Universal Studios from Seagram and Sons and formed Vivendi Universal Entertainment. Currently as of May 11, 2004, it is part-owned by Vivendi SA (20%) and General Electric (80%) and is a subsidiary of NBC Universal.
1st Logo
(July 22, 1914-1919)
Nickname: "Trans-Atlantic Globe", "Saturn Globe", "Trans-Atlantic Saturn Globe"
Logo: We see a circle with "UNIVERSAL" written above and "FILMS" written below. Inside the circle is some really small text that says "TRADE MARK". A Saturn-like ring surrounds the circle, which reads "THE TRANS-ATLANTIC FILM CO. LTD." (Universal's British distributor at the time).
FX/SFX: None.
Music/Sounds: None.
Availability: Ultra rare; Universal destroyed most of their silent films, so you'll have to look hard for this one. It appeared on TCM's Silent Sunday Nights.
Scare Factor: None, unless you're crept out by silent films.
2nd Logo
(August 23, 1920-January 11, 1922)
Nicknames: "Saturn Globe II"
Logo: We see a checkered background with a Saturn-like globe with the words "UNIVERSAL FILMS" on it. "UNIVERSAL" is
shown above the globe in a stencil-like font. "FILM MANUFACTURING COMPANY", "PACIFIC COAST STUDIOS", and "Universal City, Cal." are shown below, in different fonts (and the first line in an upward arc).FX/SFX: None.
Cheesy Factor: It's a very old logo.
Music/Sounds: None.
Availability: Rare; appears on silent films that appear on TCM. You may look for this logo on TCM's Silent Sunday Nights.
Scare Factor: None.
3rd Logo
(September 2, 1923-September 6, 1925)
Nickname: "Rotating Letters", "Saturn Globe II", "Airplane Passing Globe"
Logo: We see a biplane flying around a rotating globe counterclockwise, leaving a trail of smoke behind it, which form the words "UNIVERSAL PICTURES".
Variant: A more zoomed-out version was used sometimes.
FX/SFX: The plane rotating around the globe, the forming of the name.
Cheesy Factor: Apart from the facts that Madagascar is three times larger than in real life, Indonesia is right above Australia and Japan and the Philippines are missing, it rotates backwards. Very cheesy by today's standards, but pretty for its time.
Music/Sounds: None.
Availability: Ultra rare; currently appears on some 1920s Universal films on TCM's Silent Sunday Nights.
Scare Factor: Low; may surprise you the first time you see it.
4th Logo
(September 9, 1927-April 6, 1936)
Nickname: "Airplane Passing Globe II"
Logo: On a cloud-like background, an earth globe rotates. No clouds are visible on the globe. As the globe rotates, a biplane flies around it, with "A UNIVERSAL PICTURE" being wiped in diagonally as the biplane passes the globe.
Closing Variant: The words "THE END" are seen superimposed in the globe. Then, seconds later, "IT'S A UNIVERSAL PICTURE" fades-in. Sometimes it's written in cursive.
FX/SFX: The biplane, wiping on of letters, and the globe.
Cheesy Factor: This logo just SCREAMS 1920s, as everything is a cheesy model. Still, it looked nice for the time, and you have to give them the effort of trying.
Music/Sounds: None; just the sound of the biplane's engine.
Availability: This is one of the rarest Universal logos. Can be seen on some early films still, though. The current DVD release of Frankenstein has plastered this with the B&W variation of the 1997 logo, while the 1999 VHS release of the film itself has plastered this with the B&W variation of the 1963 logo. This logo can sometimes be seen after the current logo of Universal on certain movies. A warp speed variant can be seen at the beginning of Balto III: Wings of Change. However, this logo was re-created on Xanadu, used during the opening credits. This logo made a comeback on Cry-Baby, which was a 1990 film. This logo also made a surprise appearance on the 2010 film Smokin' Aces 2: Assassins' Ball.
Scare Factor: None.
5th Logo
(May 11, 1936-March 29, 1946)
Nickname: "The Art-Deco Globe", "Rotating Letters II"
Logo: A stylized glass globe is seen, tilted at an angle. Around the globe, the words "A UNIVERSAL PICTURE" rotate, in a stylized 1930s font. Stylized five-point stars (ala the stars on the Paramount logo) surround the globe.
Closing Variant: Superimposed in a special background or in the last seconds of a movie, we see the words "The End" with lettering that varies on the movie along with the text "A Universal Picture" or "A Universal Release".
FX/SFX: The stars, globe, and rotating letters.
Cheesy Factor: This has to be cheesier than the first one. The stars honestly look like they're hung from a mobile or something. And the glass globe and letters look weird. It did look okay for its time, though, and they did get better later on.
Music/Sounds: Usually the beginning of the movie's opening theme. However, a proud, bombastic orchestral fanfare is sometimes used, and Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid uses a remix of the tune.
Availability: Can be seen on Universal releases of the era, and makes surprise appearances on The Sting, The Brink's Job, Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid, Leatherheads, Changeling, and the 2010 remake of 1941's The Wolfman.
Scare Factor: None.
6th Logo
(August 28, 1946-December 25, 1962)
Nickname: "Rotating ('40s) Globe", "50s Globe"
Logo: On a space background, a model globe (harkening back to logo 2; still no clouds though), rotates. Superimposed onto the globe are the words "Universal International" (in white for B&W films or yellow-orange for color films) in a majestic script font, symbolizing Universal's merger with International Pictures.
Byline: Later on, the credit "EDWARD MUHL, IN CHARGE OF PRODUCTION" would appear in the lower-left corner.
Closing Variant: Same as above, but the disclaimer is "A Universal-International Picture".
FX/SFX: The rotating globe.
Cheesy Factor: Well, they got sane with this one. Relatively minimal on the cheesy scale, though you can tell it's a model globe.
Music/Sounds: The opening of the movie's theme.
Availability: Again, seen on Universal International releases of the period.
Scare Factor: None.
7th Logo
(June 26, 1963-May 18, 1990)
Nicknames: "Zooming Globe", "Gaseous Globe", "Famous Globe", "MCA Globe", "Zooming MCA Globe"
Logo: We zoom through space, and a pair of asteroid belts start to form. The rotating earth globe appears in the distance, and as we get closer to it, the word "UNIVERSAL", in a bold, planetary font, fades in close-up to us and zooms out to a comfortable distance. When the word and the globe are in position, "AN MCA COMPANY" fades in below it, in a bold yellow font. Two rings surround the globe.
Variants: Several renditions of this logo have been discovered. This is going to get complicated, so let's explain this simply. There are many main variations of this logo:
- 1963-1973: "A UNIVERSAL PICTURE/RELEASE", with the "UNIVERSAL" logo text sandwiched between "A" and "PICTURE" or "RELEASE".
- "PRESENTS" is underneath the "UNIVERSAL" logo text.
- 1971-1990: The byline "AN MCA COMPANY", in a yellow blocky font, appearing below the Universal logo text.
- Widescreen: Always shown in a letterboxed ratio, the globe appears to zoom in rather slowly, and the "UNIVERSAL" text is blurred when it fades in, becoming clearer as it zooms out. The logo is much wider than usual, to accommodate the extra space. This is seen on films shot in 2:35:1 widescreen such as Halloween II and III, The Thing, The Dark Crystal, The Last Starfighter, and Jaws.
- TV Screen: Always formatted to fit the television screen, the logo appears to move somewhat faster than the widescreen version. The "UNIVERSAL" text is not blurred, and simply fades in. The logo most people are familiar with. This is also seen on films shot in 1:85:1 widescreen such as Videodrome, Cat People (1982), and Somewhere in Time.
- Off-center: Only known to exist on old video prints of Charade, the logo is slightly off-center.
- A credit for Edward Muhl, then-head of Universal, can be seen on the lower-left of the first movies to feature this logo.
- E.T. the Extra-Terrestial had this logo in reverse, so we go from the world to outer space.
- The 1971-1990 version is bylineless on some films.
- The widescreen version of Jaws 3-D has the MCA byline in a more extended font.
FX/SFX: The rotating globe zooming-in and "UNIVERSAL" zooming-out.
Cheesy Factor: This was very advanced for its time, and its longevity is amazing, especially during the '80s, when computerized logos were making their debut. So, this one is very low on the cheese scale.
Music/Sounds: Usually it did not have music,but it did occasionally havethe opening theme of the movie. Such memorable instances include Father Goose (composed by Nelson Riddle), The Ghost and Mr. Chicken and The Night Walker (both composed by Vic Mizzy). The opening tag from the latter film was also heard in abridged form on The World of Abbot and Costello.
Availability: It's common as this was never plastered over (except E.T. plastered it with the E.T. 20th Anniversary variant of the 1997 Universal logo for its 20th Anniversary, but seeing this on 1988 and 1996 VHS releases, the theatrical DVD release, and HBO airings of this will be commonly seen), and was used for a total of 27 years, the longest-used logo since the classic era of movies. The original 1960s version has made surprise appearances on the 2009 films Drag Me to Hell, Land of the Lost and Inglourious Basterds. The "PRESENTS" variation of the logo is seen on Journey to the Far Side of the Sun, followed by the "a GERRY ANDERSON CENTURY 21 CINEMA PRODUCTION" logo.
Scare Factor: None to minimal; this is one of the most popular logos ever to exist in history, but the off-center variant is a little creepy.
8th Logo
(May 24, 1990-August 29, 1997)
Nicknames: "CGI Globe", "Rotating Letters III", "MCA Globe II", "CGI MCA Globe"
Logo: A large "flash" appears as we view the far right side of the Universal globe, still cloudless and in CGI. We move down the globe and see, in golden letters, the word "UNIVERSAL", in a brand new font, circle the globe. We zoom out and the globe moves to center, as the word "UNIVERSAL" straightens itself out and takes its place across the globe. "AN MCA COMPANY", in white, appears below the logo. This logo was animated by Flip Your Lid Animation Studios, which also created the 1994-2010 20th Century Fox logo and the 1986-2003 Paramount Pictures logo.
Early Variant: In 1990, Universal was celebrating its 75th Anniversary, and the initial version of this logo was different from the one used afterwards. It began with clips of logos 4, 5, and 7, and then segued into the then-current logo, as if it were a grand unveiling, or a passing of the torch. The end logo also had "75th ANNIVERSARY" on top of the logo, with "75" in the middle of "ANNIVERSARY" and written out in script. Movies that have this logo include Back to the Future Part III, Ghost Dad, Jetsons: The Movie, Problem Child, Mo' Better Blues, Darkman, Henry & June, Child's Play 2, Havana, Kindergarten Cop, Lionheart, King Ralph, The Hard Way and Career Opportunities. This was only used from May 24, 1990 to March 29, 1991.
FX/SFX: The rotating globe and letters.
Music/Sounds: A majestic orchestral fanfare by James Horner. A French horn fanfare was played during the clips of the old logos during the 75th Anniversary logo; a sped-up version of this was later used as the 1991 UTV theme.
Availability: It's easy to see, as this was on all Universal releases of the era such as Jurassic Park and Waterworld among others. The 75th Anniversary version can be seen on the aforementioned films above.
Scare Factor: None; this is a great logo.
9th Logo
(November 14, 1997- )
Nicknames: "CGI Globe II", "The Glittering Globe", "The Shimmering Globe", "The Transparent Globe", "Rotating Letters IV"
Logo: On a black background, an arc slowly appears and brightens. Lights begin appearing below the arc and we see that this is another globe, looking over Europe. We move down as the lights appear all over Europe, and then Africa. As we begin to zoom out, the letters in the word "UNIVERSAL", in a similar font as the last logo but handsomely redone, rotate to the front of the globe. By this time, the globe is shining from the back. A small copyright appears at the bottom-right.
Variants: A treasure trove. Here are a few variants:
- There is a shorter version of this logo, beginning as the "UNIVERSAL" text slides in over the logo, with a shortened version of the fanfare. This is usually found at the end of documentaries produced for DVD by Universal Home Entertainment, with a web address for Universal Home's website.
- From 1999 to October 26, 2001 and from April 19, 2002 to 2010, the www.universalstudios.com web address, in an orangish color, fades in at the end. By now the copyright is gone, and moved to the end credits of the movie.
- In 2005, the globe was graphically enhanced with a darker color was rotating below the arc in the beginning of the logo.
- Another variant has a darker mood. Nicknamed "The Transparent Globe," the presentation is the same as usual... except the initial darkness of the globe is darker than usual (pay close attention to that). Then, after the word "UNIVERSAL" is rotated from behind, a darker, thicker shadow suddenly pops out late after it locks in position, and the entire globe zooms out farther than its intended mark, and instead of slowing to a stop, it stops hard in its far-back position. The website URL is featured in a Xerox Serif Wide-type font, like a rectangular Helvetica. The globe appears much further back in letterbox format. You can find this variant on the following films: 8 Mile, American Wedding, Seabiscuit, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, and The Bourne Supremacy.
- The biggest variation came on November 21, 2001, when the studio celebrated the 20th anniversary of the most successful film of 1982, E.T the Extra-Terrestrial. The logo animates as normal until the very end, when the "UNIVERSAL" text fades out and the silhouette of E.T. and Elliott, on their bike, fly across the shining globe. Text appears on the bottom, "UNIVERSAL STUDIOS CELEBRATES E.T. THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY". This was used from November 21, 2001 to March 15, 2002, as of The Scorpion King, the normal logo has been reinstated.
- Starting in 2009, the website URL has been removed in favor of the words "A DIVISION OF NBC UNIVERSAL", also in an orangish color, which fades in toward the end.
FX/SFX: The lighting of the globe and the rotation of the letters.
Cheesy Factor: The globe looks more like a giant rubber ball than anything else, but the lighting effects look very professional.
Music/Sounds: Begins with a powerful, majestic horn fanfare, followed by two orchestra hits. Then, another horn fanfare, followed by two more hits. Then, a very majestic fanfare as the logo is completed. Composed by Jerry Goldsmith, who composed the music for the Carolco logo.
Music/Sounds Variants: From November 21, 2001 to March 15, 2002, the music was changed in an arrangement by John Williams to go with the customized E.T. logo; there is only one horn fanfare/hits sequence, followed by the end fanfare. This then segues into the theme from E.T. as he and Elliott fly across the globe. When the E.T. logo was dropped on April 19, 2002, the music did not change back to the 1997 version until June 20, 2003: instead, it's a reorchestration of the 1997 fanfare, again in an arrangement by John Williams. Same melody, but like the E.T. logo, it is in a different key and sounds more "powerful".
Availability: Very common; this logo precedes releases originally without this logo on video (and serves as a de-facto home entertainment logo) and occasionally on cable channels. Also seen on new prints of The Blues Brothers and The Last Starfighter.
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Keyword tags:
General Electric
MCA
Music Corporation of America
NBC Universal
Universal Pictures
Vivendi SA
More Info: links to this page
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| Started By | Thread Subject | Replies | Last Post | ||
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| 20thCenturyFoxLover2 | Universal 75th Anniversary logo on Nick@Nite! | 1 | Monday, 10:24 PM EDT by thehugetvfan | ||
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Thread started: Aug 28 2010, 11:05 PM EDT
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I just saw the Universal 75th Anniversary logo on the Nick@Nite premiere of "Back to the Future: Part III"! The music is high-pitched, however. The 1973 Universal logo is also on Nick@Nite, too, especially on the network's airings of the first two "Back to the Future" films and "Uncle Buck".
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| 20thCenturyFoxLover2 | "Canyon Passage" (1946) Variant | 0 | Aug 21 2010, 7:58 AM EDT by 20thCenturyFoxLover2 | ||
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Thread started: Aug 21 2010, 7:58 AM EDT
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There is a different version of the Universal logo that appears on the 1946 film "Canyon Passage", before the Universal International logo debuted. It consists of an orange globe with brown lines in it on a navy blue background with the words "A UNIVERSAL PICTURE" around it.
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| sonic_rareware8 | Great Fanfare | 0 | Aug 10 2010, 1:50 PM EDT by sonic_rareware8 | ||
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Thread started: Aug 10 2010, 1:50 PM EDT
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I like the theme of the 8th logo, it has a nice fanfare.
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