Logos[]
1st logo: A sepia rotating model globe with "UNIVERSAL FILMS" on a space background with "Made in USA" logo on two bottom corners.
Variants[]
- There is a green version of the logo.
- There is a black and white version of this logo.
- There is a variant where "UNIVERSAL FILMS" is not superimposed over the globe but rather a model. The text is also placed in a lower position than normal. The globe and space background also looks different. The "Made in USA" logo is also gone. The globe animation is also improved as well.
2nd logo: We see a circle with "UNIVERSAL" written above and "FILMS" written below. Inside the circle is some 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). Violin Music plays in the background.
3rd 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).
4th logo: Against some dark clouds, 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 in a sepia tone color was used sometimes.
5th logo: On a dark cloudy background, we see a globe slowly rotating as a smiling Carl Laemmle can be seen within the middle. Below are the words "Carl Laemmle" in a script font and "P R E S E N T S" below it.
Variants[]
- On a black background, we see a globe on the top left with Carl Laemmle smiling in the middle whilst the globe is rotating at a normal pace. On the bottom right hand corner we see "Carl Laemmle" in a script font like the normal logo and says "Presents" below it.
- Another variant has the rotating globe but with the "CARL LAMMMLE" text in a capitalized font.
Closing Variant (Smouldering Fires)[]
On a black background it says "It's a Universal Picture", with "Universal" in a cursive font.
6th 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.
Variants[]
- The position of the globe varies per movie.
- The logo was cropped to 1.85 for Universal's 75th Anniversary logo in 1990. However, full screen prints of the logo retains the full aspect ratio.
Closing Variants[]
- The words "THE END" are seen superimposed over the globe and the sky is darker. Then, seconds later, "IT'S A UNIVERSAL PICTURE" fades in.
- Another closing variant exists where the globe is at the bottom right corner rotating. On the top it says "The End" in a cursive font. "It's a Universal Picture" (also in cursive) is superimposed over the globe. A ray of light also shines down on the globe. On some films, the text is on the bottom left corner. Starting around 1933, the text is in a Broadway font.
- On short films, instead of the text saying "It's a Universal Picture", the text is replaced with "It's a Universal Short".
- On cartoons, it says "It's a Universal Cartoon" in a script font.
7th logo: A stylized glass globe is seen, tilted at an angle. Around the globe, the words "A UNIVERSAL PICTURE" rotate, in a stylized 1930's font. Stylized five-point stars (a la the stars on the Paramount logo) surround the globe.
Variant[]
- On some color releases, like colorized Woody Woodpecker cartoons at the time,the logo is tinted blue.
- On the colorized versions of the Universal Sherlock Holmes movies, the letters are gold colored.
- Like the previous logo, this logo was also cropped to 1.85 for Universal's 75th anniversary logo in 1990. The full screen version retains the full aspect ratio.
Closing Variant[]
Superimposed on 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".
8th logo: On a space background, a model globe (harkening back to the 2nd logo; 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 italic Roman font with "U" and "I" bigger than the rest of the letters, symbolizing Universal's merger with International Pictures.
Variants[]
There are widescreen and color versions of the logo.
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 text is "A Universal-International Picture".
9th logo: We zoom through space, and a pair of Van Allen radiation 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 (named Futura Bold), fades in close-up to us and zooms out to a comfortable distance. When the word and the globe are in position, the byline "AN MCA COMPANY", fades in below it, in a bold yellow font (named Eurostile Bold). Two Van Allen belts 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" text sandwiched between "A" and "PICTURE" or "RELEASE". This can also be seen on newer movies that use this logo for a retro effect.
- "PRESENTS" is underneath the "UNIVERSAL" text. Sometimes, "UNIVERSAL PRESENTS" starts blurred, but becomes clearer as the globe zooms in fast. This variant is seen on movies like Secret Ceremony and The Killers (1964).
- 1971-1990: The byline "AN MCA COMPANY", in a yellow Eurostile Bold font, appearing below the "UNIVERSAL" text.
- "Scope": Shown in a wide ratio of 2.20:1 or 2.35:1 widescreen, 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 this format such as Halloween II and III, The Thing, Scarface, The Dark Crystal, The Last Starfighter, They Live, and Jaws. It also had a bylineless variant of its own, Tell Them Willie Boy Is Here (1969).
- "Flat": Presented in 1.37:1 academy or 1:85:1 "matted" widescreen, the logo appears to move somewhat faster than the widescreen version. The "UNIVERSAL" text is not blurred, and simply fades in. Seen on films such as An American Werewolf in London, Videodrome, Cat People (1982), Monty Python's The Meaning of Life, The Breakfast Club, Back to the Future I and II, Brazil, and Somewhere in Time. In a variant, used in tandem with the normal version, "A UNIVERSAL PICTURE" starts blurred, but becomes clearer, along with the Edward Muhl byline. The globe zooms in faster in this variant, used on movies like Shenandoah, Send Me No Flowers, Charade and Father Goose. A B&W version of this variant can also be seen on Kitten with a Whip.
- Off-center: Only known to exist on old video prints of Charade, the logo is slightly off-center, due to a sloppy job reformatting the aspect ratio of 1:85.1 into 4:3. Another off center version can be found on the MCA Discovision, MCA Videocassette Inc. and MCA Home Video releases of Jaws.
- A credit for Edward Muhl, the then-head of Universal, can be seen on the lower-left of the first movies to feature this logo.
- The 1971-1990 version is bylineless on some films.
- The 1971-1990 version, but with "PRESENTS" underneath the byline in a smaller font. This was seen on American Graffti.
- The widescreen version of Jaws 3-D has the MCA byline in a more extended font.
- There is an end-title variation that contains the word "RELEASE" below the MCA byline. This was used to plaster the Paramount logo on 1980s reissue prints of Alfred Hitchcock films owned by Hitchcock himself (including Rear Window and 1956's The Man Who Knew Too Much).
- A black-and-white version was seen at the beginning on both 1981 MCA Videocassette, Inc. VHS release of Scarface (1932), the 1980 VHS release of Psycho, and the 1965 unsold TV pilot Dark Intruder, which got a theatrical release.
- There is another scope variant where the 1.85 version is cropped to 2.35. This can be found on Coupe De Ville, Bird on a Wire,andJaws: The Revenge. However, the GoodTimes DVD of the latter uses the regular scope variant. The cropped Scope variant also appears, in reverse, onThe House with a Clock in Its Walls (more can be read about that on this company's Logo Variations page).
- On most movies from 1989 and 1990, the MCA byline has more of a red orange tone to it. The Van Allen belts also have a more purple tone to them This can be found on Parenthood, Uncle Buck, Field of Dreams, Born on the Fourth of July (the VHS release), Opportunity Knocks, Coupe De Ville (which was a co-production with Morgan Creek), Bird on a Wire and the theatrical trailers for Back to the Future Part III and Problem Child (both of which used the 75th Anniversary variant of the 11th logo on the actual movies). However some movies from 1989 such as Back to the Future Part II, The Dream Team and K-9 would still use the original variant of the MCA byline. A clip of this variant was used for the Universal 75th Anniversary logo, which also used clips from the 7th and 8th logos.
Closing Variants[]
- At the end of some films from the era. We see a blue background with the then current print logo inside a yellow circle with "UNIVERSAL STUDIOS" written under it. Around the yellow circle is a red ring with the following inside, "THE ENTERTAINMENT CENTER OF THE WORLD". Above & below it is the following, "PRODUCED AT" above it & "CALIFORNIA, U.S.A" below it. It then fades to a slide with a red bus outside of a set in Universal Studios in Hollywood. On the top left corner of the screen is the following text in yellow, "When in Hollywood Visit Universal Studios".
- A variant of this had "(Ask for Babs)" fade in under the text. This a reference to the 1978 comedy: National Lampoon's Animal House were one of characters named Barbara "Babs" Jenson becoming a tour guide at Universal Studios. Animal House director John Landis would use this variant at the end of all the movies he did for Universal. Such examples include The Blues Brothers, An American Werewolf In London (the theatrical release only. All home video releases and TV broadcasts edit it out with the exception of a 2001 VHS release) Into The Night, and Amazon Women On The Moon. If you did ask for "Babs", you would of likely gotten a discount or free entry to Universal Studios according to this source. In 1989, Universal announced that they would no longer be giving out free entries or discounts.
- Another variant also lacked the "PRODUCED AT" & "CALIFORNIA U.S.A" text.
10th logo: A large "flash" appears as we view the far right side of the Universal globe, still cloudless and against the new detailed starfield background. We move down the globe as the flash dims away and see, in golden letters, the word "UNIVERSAL", in a brand new font (named Copperplate Gothic Bold), appears from behind the globe and circling it. We zoom out and the globe moves to center, as the word "UNIVERSAL" straightens itself out and takes its place across the globe. The byline "AN MCA COMPANY", in gold and in spaced-out letters to fit the width of "UNIVERSAL", appears below the 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 the 7th, 8th, and 10th logos, 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", which is in spaced-out letters like the MCA byline, and written out in script with "th" flashing in next to "75". Movies that have this logo include Back to the Future Part III (first film to use this logo), Ghost Dad, Jetsons: The Movie, Problem Child, Mo' Better Blues, Darkman, Henry & June, Child's Play 2, White Palace, Havana, Kindergarten Cop, Lionheart, King Ralph, Closet Land, The Hard Way, Career Opportunities, and A Kiss Before Dying (the final film to use this variant of the logo). This was only used from May 25, 1990 to April 26, 1991. From May 24, 1991 to April 18, 1997, starting with the film Backdraft, the regular variant was used (although the trailers for it had the 75th Anniversary variant).
Other Variants[]
On some widescreen films such as Far and Away and The Thing, the logo is zoomed out further than normal.
11th logo: On a black background, an arc slowly appears and brightens. A series of 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 (which the Earth's continents now have the green, yellow, and red color design this time). As we begin to zoom out, the letters in the word "UNIVERSAL", in a similar font as the last logo but handsomely redone (this time, the text is still gold, but has the inner white part of the text rising out of the gold part), rotate to the front of the globe as the lights around the continents dim out. 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's website.
- From 1998 to October 26, 2001, December 21, 2001 to February 22, 2002, and from April 19, 2002 to 2010, the web address, "www.universalstudios.com", in an orangish color, fades in at the end. In the 1998-1999 URL variant, the copyright information faded in alongside the URL. But by 1999, the copyright is gone, and moved to the end credits of the movie.
- In 2005, the globe was graphically enhanced with a darker color and 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, either a darker, thicker shadow suddenly pops out late or a slightly brighter-than-normal shadow fades in 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 variant with the slightly-brighter-than-normal shadow and NBC Universal byline can be seen on the stereoscopic 3D prints of Despicable Me. The 2D prints use the normal variant with the NBC Universal byline.
- 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" with "E.T." in its own movie logo font. This was used on November 21, 2001 on Spy Game and March 22, 2002 on the 20th Anniversary Edition of E.T. The Extra Terrestrial. Shortly afterwards beginning with The Scorpion King, the normal logo was reinstated.
- Starting in 2009, the website URL has been removed in favor of the byline "A DIVISION OF NBC UNIVERSAL", also in an orangish color, which fades in toward the end.
- On some films, such as Munich and Nanny McPhee Returns (or Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang in places outside the US), the logo is bylineless.
- Since 2004, this logo was used on licensed games (due to the closure of Universal Interactive). It is entirely a still logo on a black background, usually in better quality than the movie counterpart, or had the shining, but never the full animation. Several games with the still logo used a white background. Sometimes, it replaced the Universal Interactive logo on earlier games like The Grinch.
12th logo: On a black starry background, as the sun shines on the planet, the camera pans backwards across Europe and Africa. Then "UNIVERSAL" in white with golden bordering rises upward as the sun pans down, and light glows on the continents. Then the screen eases back to its familiar position. The continents glow as the globe revolves showing the Americas. The sun shines, leaving a glow behind the Earth. Then the byline that reads "A COMCAST COMPANY" fades in underneath. The "UNIVERSAL" name shines before fading out.
Early Variant[]
Just like as they did with their 1990 logo when the company celebrated their 75th Anniversary, Universal initially used a special variant of this logo on the year they celebrated their centennial milestone. In a similar manner the 75th Anniversary variant of the 1990 logo was revealed, the logo acts out as another "grand unveiling" or "passing of the torch," as it begins with clips of the previous logos of the company's history, beginning with the 5th logo and finishing with the previous logo; in which the current logo makes its majestic debut shortly afterwards. The 100th Anniversary variant of the logo also featured the words, "100TH ANNIVERSARY" in gold, which are seen rotating in under "UNIVERSAL" at the same time. The logo w/ montage is only seen on the internet as a promotion video for their 100th year, as most films released so far only have just the logo.
Variant[]
In Blu-ray discs, there is a letterboxed version with the text "Loading a Fresh Preview from the Internet" added on the top black border. This pops up when a preview is loading from online while the viewer is using BD Live.
Music/Sounds[]
1st logo: None, or the ending theme.
2nd logo: The closing theme of the movie. Otherwise, it uses a violin theme.
3rd logo: None.
4th logo: None.
5th logo: An organ theme for the normal logo whilst for the variant it has a descending orchestra which could be an opening to the movie. On both prints of the film it would be normally silent like the original film.
6th logo: Just the sound of the biplane's engine.
7th logo: Usually the beginning of the movie's opening theme. However, a proud, bombastic orchestral fanfare (composed by Jimmy McHugh) is sometimes used, and Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid uses a remix of the tune. It sounds suspiciously like the 20th Century Fox fanfare (or vice versa).
8th logo: None or the opening theme of the movie. However, on some films such as The Egg and I and The Naked City, the bell theme from the International Pictures logo is used..
9th logo: Usually it did not have music, but it did occasionally have the opening theme of the movie. Such memorable instances include Father Goose (composed by Nelson Riddle), The Ghost and Mr. Chicken, The Dark Crystal, 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 Abbott and Costello. The 1972 feature length pilot of the TV series Emergency! used a dramatic, drum-driven fanfare based upon the series' theme.
Music/Sounds Variants[]
- On the Goodtimes DVD of Earthquake, the 1963 scope logo with "PRESENTS" underneath uses the fanfare from the Cinema International Corporation logo! This appears before the standard version.
- On the U.S. DVDs of the Battlestar Galactica movie (which is really the pilot episode "Saga of a Star World" released as a theatrical film in Europe), the 1963 logo is heard with the CIC fanfare.
- On the 1984 MCA Home Video VHS of The Man Who Knew Too Much, this logo has the Paramount VistaVision music, though it fits the logo quite well.
- Sometimes, It even has an updated version of the 1936-1947 fanfare (composed by Jimmy McHugh).
- On select foreign versions of Conan The Destroyer, the MGM lion roar is heard! That is because Universal own North American rights while MGM owns overseas rights from the control of the Dino De Laurentiis catalog. A similar occurrence happens on some foreign prints of Firestarter as well. Nevertheless, this interesting error is most likely due to sloppy plastering.
10th logo: A majestic orchestral fanfare composed by the late James Horner. A French horn fanfare was played during the clips of the old logos during the 75th Anniversary logo which segues into the normal theme; a sped-up version of this was later used as the 1991 UTV theme.
Music/Sound Variants[]
- On Reach the Rock, and the Universal Blu-ray of Dazed and Confused (the latter when you select the Spanish track) the 1997 fanfare is heard, most likely due to a reverse plaster error.
- On Schindler's List, the logo is silent.
- The 75th Anniversary logo is silent on the 1991 Media Home Entertainment/Fox Video VHS of Closet Land.
11th logo: 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, with the horn theme coming back near the end. Composed by the late Jerry Goldsmith, who was the composer for the Carolco logo theme.
Music/Sounds Variants[]
- From November 21, 2001 to March 22, 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 March 22, 2002, the music did not change back to the 1997 version until May 17, 2002. Instead, it's a re-orchestration 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", though this version was rather short lived.
- On some prints of Tremors II, the 1990 fanfare from the previous logo is heard, due to a plastering error; Syfy's airing has the correct 1997 fanfare. This error is also present on the Polish dub of We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story.
- On the R1 DVD of TimeCop 2 (if you select the French track), the entire logo (as well as the movie itself) plays low toned.
- On a Foxtel Movies print of The Hurricane, the second horn theme (which normally comes out of the right channel) is oddly omitted. This is likely due to a mastering mistake.
12th logo: The previous logo's fanfare, originally composed by Jerry Goldsmith, in a powerful new re-orchestration by Brian Tyler, accompanied by "a choir, new string parts, and drum cadence utilizing world percussion instruments", according to the Hollywood Reporter. On the 100th Anniversary logo variant, in the logo montage, "One Last Wish" from Casper is used as a fanfare.
Music/Sounds Variants[]
- On Disney Channel's airing of Big Fat Liar, the 1997 music is heard with this logo, due to sloppy plastering.
- On the 2012 Blu-ray of Vertigo, it uses the music from the 12th logo.
- Sometimes, the opening theme of the movie would be used instead.
- The 2015 movie Minions has the titular Minions 'singing' the fanfare. One Minion holds one of the last notes for longer than necessary, and when it transitions to the Illumination Entertainment logo, said Minion promptly collapses from lack of breath.
- On the Pitch Perfect trilogy, an a-capella version of the fanfare is sung by the film's cast.
- Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping features a vaguely EDM-sounding remix of the theme, albeit only halfway through the logo's animation.
- On The Super Mario Bros. Movie, the fanfare is abridged. It only plays the first horn fanfare/hits sequence, and the ending part of the fanfare.
- On Migration, the theme is done on a kazoo and a ukulele. It continues into the film's Illumination Entertainment logo.
Scare Factor[]
1st logo: Minimal to low, unless you're not expecting this logo to show up, and depending how you feel about the choppy spinning of the globe, and expecting the next logo and winding up with this, but it's harmless.
2nd logo: None to minimal, unless you're crept out by silent films or the general darkness of the logo or the violin background music, but the violin music can be relaxing for many, and it’s not a scary logo overall.
3rd logo: None to minimal.
4th logo: Low to medium. It may surprise you the first time you see it. The creepy cloud background and cheesy effects may make you uncomfortable, but it's mostly a harmless logo. But the next logo is a different story...
5th logo: Low to high. It depends on what you think about the darkness of the logo, Carl smiling, and how old it is along with the scratches of the grain.
6th logo: Minimal to medium. The sounds of the biplane might make you uneasy. However, this is tamer than the previous logo.
7th logo: Low to medium. The globe and the glass letters look weird, and the logo may surprise you the first time you see it, but it's harmless.
8th logo: None to minimal, it's generally harmless.
9th logo: Minimal to low, the dark atmosphere and eerie text may unsettle some, but this is a very popular logo.
10th logo: None. This is a great logo, and a favorite of many.
11th logo: None. It's a favorite of many and is much more popular than the previous logo.
12th logo: None. This is still a worthy and beautiful successor to the past two logos.