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Earlier variant
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Colorized version
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Textless variant
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Textless colorized variant
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{{PageButtons|Availability=1|Logo Variations=1Logo Variations=1|Columbia Pictures|Trailers=1}}
{{PageCredits|description=Jason Jones, James Fabiano and
{{Infobox company
|name=Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc.
|image=[[File:Columbia Pictures Logo 1997.png]]
|founded=January 10, 1924 ({{age|1924|1|10}} years ago)
|
|formerly=Columbia Pictures Corporation (1924-1968)
|founder={{unbulleted list|{{w|Harry Cohn}}|{{w|Joe Brandt}}|{{w|Jack Cohn}}}}
|key people=Sanford Panitch (president)
|country=[[:Category:United States|United States]]
|parent=Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group<br>([[Sony Pictures Entertainment]])
|subsidiaries=[[Ghost Corps]]
}}
===Background===
'''Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc.'''
Columbia Pictures was originally founded on June 19, 1918 as
Columbia Pictures titles were
{{ImageTOC
|6DJLXiQZEO68dzt-Zpnolw50795.jpg|1st Logo (March
|GFylseYW8ww4fsqoueveAQ18692.jpg|2nd Logo (January 1, 1928-May 25, 1936)
|EiyDf4JLXXWz7dy1Bv WJg16978.jpg|3rd Logo (May 28, 1936-December 21, 1976)
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}}
===1st Logo (March 1, 1924-December
{{MIA}}
<gallery mode="packed" heights="200">
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</gallery>
'''Visuals:''' On a
'''Trivia:'''
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* The following silent-era films from Columbia released during the timeline of this logo are known to be complete: ''Pal o' Mine'', ''The Midnight Express'', ''The Price She Paid'', ''One Glorious Night'', ''Tainted Money'', ''Who Cares'', ''Charley's Aunt'', ''An Enemy of Men'', ''The Unwritten Law''. ''The Price of Success'', ''The New Champion'', ''The Great Sensation'', ''When Husbands Flirt'', ''A Fight to the Finish'', ''S.O.S. Perils of the Sea'', ''The Fate of a Flirt'', ''The Lure of the Wild'', ''Ladies of Leisure'' (1926), ''The Belle of Broadway'', ''The Lone Wolf Returns'', ''When the Wife's Away'', ''Obey the Law'', ''The Better Way'', ''Wandering Girls'', ''The Bachelor's Baby'', ''The Price of Honor'', ''Birds of Prey'', ''Paying the Price'', ''Pleasure Before Business'', ''Poor Girls'', ''Rich Men's Sons'', ''The Romantic Age'', ''The Blood Ship'', ''For Ladies Only'', ''Alias the Lone Wolf'', ''The Clown'', ''The Tigress'', ''The Opening Night'', ''The Warning'', and ''The College Hero''. Prints of these films are held in various film libraries, including the George Eastman House and the Library of Congress.
* It has appeared in the 1999 documentary ''The Lady with the Torch''.
*
===2nd Logo (January 1, 1928-May 25, 1936)===
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{{YouTube|id=B32HFqTKR8E|id2=oDRHWiqT88k|id3=QpIEeoDVtT0|id4=6LR-7VmUcrk|id5= v8jUNTvjII8}}
</tabber>
'''Visuals:'''
*1928-1932: There is a medium shot of a lady holding a light torch in her right hand, depicted with a dark bob and a Cleopatra-esque headdress across her forehead. She is draped in an American flag complete with the stars on her left shoulder and the stripes coming across her middle, supported by her left arm, and hanging down her right side. Her torch is displayed with a rather primitive, flickering style of animation emitting lines of light as rays. The Torch Lady's head is under an arch of chiseled, square-shaped letters reading the words "'''COLUMBIA PICTURES CORPORATION'''".
*1932-1936: Same as before, but the words are replaced with "'''A COLUMBIA PRODUCTION'''" and the typeface is different.
'''Trivia:''' The Torch Lady shown here is actress Claudia Dell, who appeared as Spanky's mother in the ''Our Gang'' shorts "Mama's Little Pirate" and "Anniversary Trouble".
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* On some ''Three Stooges'' shorts, the logo is shown without the company name.
* A rare opening variation has the words "COLUMBIA PICTURES" on top and "Presents" below. It was spotted on ''The Pagan Lady'', ''The Guilty Generation'', ''The Deadline'', ''The Secret Witness'', and the early John Wayne film ''Maker of Men'' (all 1931).
* In 2004, [[Sony Pictures Home Entertainment|Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment]] released several colorized ''Three Stooges'' shorts; these had the Torch Lady in color as well, and the words are in
'''Closing Variants:'''
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** In an earlier variant, the words are replaced with "A COLUMBIA PRODUCTION." It was spotted on ''The Miracle Woman'', ''Platinum Blonde'', ''Three Wise Girls'', ''The Final Edition'', ''High Speed'', ''American Madness'', and the ''Three Stooges'' short "Restless Knights".
* On <u>''That Certain Thing''</u>, there is a print logo with the words "The End" overlapping the print logo in a script font.
** Some films from <u>1928 to 1932</u> have the print logo at the center with the words "
* There is another closing variant that has the words "COLUMBIA PICTURES", with "The End" appearing below, which can be found at the end of ''The Secret Witness'', ''Maker of Men'', ''Forbidden'', and ''Shopworn''.
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'''Audio:''' A majestic horn sounder (a la [[20th Century Fox]]), or the opening/closing theme of the short/feature.
'''Availability:''' Seen on Columbia-owned films from this time period right up until the introduction of the next logo.
* The logo premiered on ''That Certain Thing'' and made its final appearance on ''Counterfeit''.
* It was seen on ''It Happened One Night'' (1934) and ''Mr. Deeds Goes To Town'' (1936).
* It can also be seen on ''The Three Stooges'' releases on DVD.
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File:Columbia Pictures (1943-1953 Technicolor closing logo variant; orange letters) (source - A Thousand and One Nights (1945)).jpg|1943 closing variant (Technicolor) (orange letters)
File:Columbia Pictures (1940s).png|1942-1945 short subject closing variant
File:Columbia Pictures (1953) (From - the end of The Wild One).png
File:Columbia Pictures closing logo (1955; CinemaScope) (source - The Long Gray Line).jpg|CinemaScope closing variant
File:Distribuida por Columbia Pictures.png|Italian variant
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{{YouTube|id=
</tabber>
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'''Trivia:''' The model in this and the next two logos is Pittsburgh native Jane Chester Bartholomew, who was discovered by Columbia co-founder and head Harry Cohn. After she left acting in the 1960s, Bartholomew became a nursing inspector with the Chicago Board of Health. She died in 2012.
'''Byline:''' Starting in 1974, the byline "A DIVISION OF COLUMBIA PICTURES INDUSTRIES, INC." appears at the bottom of the screen. This variant was introduced around the time its television production division [[
'''Evolution Variants:'''
* 1942: The lady looks much like she did in 1936, but the flag is now a plain red mantle (the Sony website implies that the change was to coincide with a new law that forbade the usage of the American flag as clothing; perhaps not coincidentally, this variation first appeared within a year of the United States' entry into World War II), dark on the left shoulder with only the shadows of the folds distinguishing the rest of it from the lady's white gown on her right side. The "COLUMBIA" lettering is also modified, still chiseled but less bold, and with darker shadowing.
* 1943 (1): The logo is adapted for Technicolor. The pedestal is more visible now and the sky background is different. It made its debut on ''The Desperadoes'' (1943).
* 1943 (2): Similar to the Technicolor variant, but the "COLUMBIA" text is
* July 17, 1953: The Columbia Lady's robe is redrawn with a plunging neckline. The logo is also adapted for widescreen. After the introduction of the next three variants, it would be used in tandem with them until it was retired.
* January 26, 1955: The logo is adapted for CinemaScope. The Torch Lady loses her slipper-clad foot peeking out from the bottom of her robe as it divides just above the pedestal. Also, the clouds behind the logo are more concentrated in the center and more billowy in shape.
* August 12, 1956: Similar to the CinemaScope variant, albeit in 4:3 fullscreen; more of the logo can be seen on the top and bottom. This logo is adapted for the 1.37:1 "academy" process, as well as the CinemaScope process.
* 1960-1968: Similar to the CinemaScope variant, but the clouds are
* April 1968-August 1, 1976: The drapery is temporarily
'''Variants:'''
* On ''The King Steps Out'', the ''Three Stooges'' short "Disorder in the Court" and the 1936 western ''Stampede'', "PRESENTS" appears below.
* On ''The Three Stooges'' shorts
* On ''Taxi Driver'', the logo is on a black background with
* On some films or shorts subjects like ''The Three Stooges'', ''Buster Keaton'' or ''Charley Chase'', the logo is completely still, only the torch shining at the opening or at the end of the movie or shorts.
* On the 1948 ''Three Stooges'' short "Fuelin' Around", the 1968 logo in black & white is seen at the beginning. Obviously, this plastered the Screen Gems logo on some TV prints, with/without the original music. This variant was seen on said short when reran on The Family Channel in the mid-1990s.
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* On 3D movies produced by the company, a 3D version of this logo was employed. The depth was as follows: the Torch Lady was closest to the screen, with "COLUMBIA" slightly behind her, and the cloud background farthest back.
* An ending variant was used on serials in the 1930s and 1940s. Along the bottom, it would read "A Columbia Serial" along the bottom. These were used on the Batman serials, among others.
* Two ending variants existed for short subjects during the early 1940s: (1) Near the top of the screen, "THE" is in a 3D-like Futura font with a white face and dark/light shadows to the left of the Torch Lady, and "END" in the same font and effects is to the right; the shadows from "THE END" go behind the Torch Lady to an unknown vanishing point behind the rays of her torch (much like the early-to-mid-60's [[Four Star International|Four Star Television]] logo's effect). Near the top of the Torch Lady's pedestal, "COLUMBIA" is in a small but wider version of the company name's "chiseled" font, and "SHORT" "SUBJECT" "PRESENTATION" is chiseled onto each step of the pedestal, going from top to bottom respectively (when seen on colorized prints of ''The Three Stooges'', "THE" "END" and "COLUMBIA" are in a
* An Italian version of the closing version was shown at the end of the Spanish Mexican film ''Él'' (aka ''This Strange Passion'' or ''Lui'').
* Two Soviet-Russian variants exist where the whole logo is a recreated painting, which varies, the "COLUMBIA" text is completely absent, and different text can be seen in front of the Torch Lady.
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===4th Logo (June 23, 1976-February 11, 1982)===
<tabber>
Images=
<gallery mode="packed" heights="200">
File:F1559519d0b15f2665b62b3b2375acb9.png|The Torch Lady
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File:Columbia Pictures (USSR Alternate Version, 1977).png|USSR snipe
</gallery>
|-|
Videos=
{{YouTube|id=t04eWLp6_Bk|id2=ej1iKGJg6Ts|id3=ukQ1xQxRMSM}}
</tabber>
'''Visuals:''' It begins with the familiar Columbia Torch Lady (a less
'''Trivia:''' The Sunburst logo originally appeared in 1975, but first appeared only on posters.
'''Variants:'''
* When viewed in 4:3 fullscreen, there are varying versions where we see the pedestal, including close and medium views. There is a far view version in either 1.85:1 on the U.S. Blu-ray release of ''Tommy'' or 1.37:1 "academy" ratio on 4:3 HD fullscreen prints of ''Tommy'', ''Fun with Dick and Jane'' (1977) and ''Close Encounters of the Third Kind'' (the latter film shot in [[CinemaScope]]).
*A Soviet version exists. Here, the sunburst glows and the text is pinkish-white for the finished product. This is most likely due to a mastering error, which was common among imported films at the time.
**Many USSR releases
'''Technique:''' Motion-controlled cel animation, with the Torch Lady and cloud backdrop being a matte painting. The animation was provided by Robert Abel and Associates, who also did work on commercials (including early 1970s 7-Up ads, among many others) and ''Star Trek: The Motion Picture''.
'''Audio:'''
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6ZtHj2vx0zDxgI8Vy45I1A26857.jpg|Far view variant
Columbia1981UHD.png
Columbia_Pictures_(1981, 2.20.1).png|2.20.1
D624bf8a268df036c733f4629c7b63fa.png|Squeezed variant
7AC70031-370B-4CCE-B1E0-E90B3B7D4D53.jpg
Columbia Pictures Home Entertainment (1982).png
</gallery>
|-|
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E0hUJQ8HLJohwzKLFXrTIQ10000.jpg
PaO-rB4Tz8jbcUzX2MmMQw12994.jpg
Columbia Pictures (1989, closing).png
SxwXvhQaNvFjlGf3yBTusw10850.jpg
JWBJ5kF7ZDfJCxoTt NwGQ16165.jpg
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'''Visuals:'''
* 1981-1990: The standard Torch Lady (a somewhat less detailed version of her 1970s iteration, wearing a more
* 1989-1993: Same as the original variant, but the sunburst animation is omitted (however, one can still see a glimpse of the
'''Variants:'''
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* On a 1986 HBO airing and the 1985 VHS of ''Starman'' and the original UK VHS release of ''Flatliners'', the logo's original 2.35:1 aspect ratio was squeezed into 4:3 full screen.
* On 4:3 pan & scan prints of various 1982-1986, 1988 and 1990 films, the logo's original 2.35:1 aspect ratio is cropped to 2.20:1.
*
'''Closing Variants:'''
* From 1989-April 30, 1993, Columbia's print logo was featured scrolling at the end of the movies' closing credits. This features the Torch Lady with the "sunburst" from the 1981 variation of the opening logo. The phrase, appearing in the same font as the opening logo, reads "
* September 23, 1992-May 14, 1993: The same closing logo, but with "COLUMBIA PICTURES" (in the Bank Gothic font) with the SPE byline below. On ''A River Runs Through It'' and ''El Mariachi'', as well as [[Castle Rock Entertainment|Castle Rock]] films, the words "RELEASED BY" appear on top. A variant of this appeared at the end of ''Josh and S.A.M.'', released on November 24, 1993. In this one, it has "A COLUMBIA PICTURES RELEASE" above the "RELEASED BY" variant, while the movie itself would use the 1993 logo at the beginning. The possible reason for this is that the film was delayed; a teaser for said film, which was found on the 1993 VHS releases of ''Single White Female'' and ''Mr. Saturday Night'', had it originally intended for a spring 1993 release, but when it finally came to theaters, Columbia might have replaced the 1989 logo with their new logo, but didn't touch the credit logo. Another example of Sony's poor editing habits.
* On ''Sibling Rivalry'', the closing logo is based on the 1981-1989 print logo: it has the Torch Lady with a sunburst inside a dome with "
* There are two versions of the Torch Lady print logo. One had a short lady and the big sunburst, which was the one seen inside the dome, but would occasionally appear without the dome. A later version was introduced in 1989, with a smaller sunburst and the Torch Lady appears taller and slimmer and more cleaned up in design. No dome was used for this version.
* Sometimes, on TV airings, the closing logo may be kept with the [[Sony Pictures Television]] (formerly the [[Columbia TriStar Television|Columbia TriStar Television Distribution]] logo) following afterwards or may be skipped ahead with the SPT/CTTD logo.
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'''Audio Variants:'''
* On the DVD release of ''Big Trouble'' (1986), the 1984 Australian VHS of ''Christine'', the 1985 Australian VHS of ''Educating Rita'', a mid '80s Australian VHS of ''Tough Guys'' (1974; plastering the 3rd logo), a 1988 [[GoodTimes Entertainment|Goodtimes Home Video]] VHS of ''The Amsterdam Kill'' (plastering the previous logo), and the 1999 Australian VHS of ''The Karate Kid'', it has the Sunburst music from the previous logo.
* On post-2005 prints of ''Stripes'' (with the exception of the 2021 UHD release), as well as some foreign dub tracks of ''Tootsie'', the 1993 fanfare from the next below is
* On a Portuguese print of ''Stone Cold'' (1991), this has the 1995 [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios|MGM]] lion roar, due to a reverse plastering error.
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* Notable films that have the short 1989 version are ''Ghostbusters II'' (where it made its first appearance), ''The Adventures of Milo and Otis'', ''Casualties of War'', ''Awakenings'', ''Flatliners,'' ''Mortal Thoughts'', ''Boyz n the Hood,'' ''Mo' Money'', ''A League of Their Own'', ''Bram Stoker's Dracula'' and ''Groundhog Day''.
* The first film to use this logo was Cheech & Chong's ''Nice Dreams'', while it was last seen on ''Lost in Yonkers''.
* It also appears as a de-facto home entertainment logo for [[Columbia Pictures Home Entertainment]] from 1981-1983.
* [[New Line Home Entertainment|New Line Home Video]] (and later, [[MGM Home Entertainment]]) releases of Castle Rock films such as ''Misery'', ''City Slickers'', and ''Mr. Saturday Night'' edit this logo out, though it is retained on the New Line VHS of ''Amos and Andrew''.
* The MGM DVD release of ''Amos and Andrew'' has it plastered with the 1987 [[New Line Cinema]] logo, while the YouTube print on the Warner VOD channel had the New Line logo before Columbia's, but was taken off and is now on MGM's channel, with it only featuring the MGM and Castle Rock logos. But the combo (minus New Line) was seen on the Vudu print of the aforementioned film, as well as an airing of the movie on Laff TV.
* This was also retained on the 2001 PAL DVD and the Indonesian VCD prints of ''Misery''.
* The Columbia-Castle Rock combo is also preserved on a 1998 MGM Movie Time VHS release of ''Amos and Andrew'' (WIth the New Line logo appearing before Columbia's), the German and Australian DVD releases of ''Misery'', as well as a 2013 reprint of the latter, (where it's preceded by the 1986 MGM logo) and a 1997 MGM Movie Time VHS of ''City Slickers''; the widescreen LaserDisc release of the aforementioned film retains this logo as well. This was also preserved on cable TV airings of ''When Harry Met Sally...'' and also appeared on the widescreen LaserDisc release of said film. Can also be seen on the Amazon Instant Video print of ''Late for Dinner'' (after MGM), the Olive Films Blu-ray release of ''Sibling Rivalry'' (also after MGM), and Roku Channel's print of ''Honeymoon in Vegas''; the same also applies to the [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9PrSyNIwQA print] on YouTube Movies & TV.
* It is unknown if any prints of ''Year of the Comet, Lord of the Flies'' or ''Mr. Saturday Night'' preserve the Columbia-Castle Rock combo.
* It also appears on the [[Trimark Home Video|Vidmark]] and [[Starmaker Entertainment|Starmaker]] VHS releases of ''The Shadow Riders'' (they used the overseas theatrical version, which is why this logo is seen at the start), along with the Trimark DVD (the 2006 [[Sony Pictures Home Entertainment]] DVD release uses the original TV version).
*
* The logo is seen on the 1986 VHS of ''Casino Royale'' (1967), plastering the 3rd logo, and it also plasters older Columbia logos on several other post-1981 videocassettes as well, including ''The Black Bird'', ''Gidget'' (1959) and ''Funny Girl''.
* While removed from the MGM DVD and
* This may be seen on international prints of ''Piranha II: The Spawning'' (a.k.a. ''Piranha II: Flying Killers'').
* It also appears on the Australian DVD of ''Stephen King's Graveyard Shift'' (released domestically by [[Paramount Pictures]]) and may have been seen on the UK and other international prints of the film.
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* Australian home video releases of ''The Adventures of Milo and Otis'' (e.g. the 2005 [[Roadshow Entertainment|Roadshow]] DVD release and the 1992 Video Selection Australia VHS) have this logo removed as [[Roadshow Films|Roadshow Film Distributors]] held the rights to the film in that country; of note is that Columbia only held the rights to the film in the North American continent.
* It was also seen on newer prints and the Blu-ray of the English dubbed theatrical cut of ''Das Boot'' (aka ''The Boot'') in place of the first Triumph Films logo and proceeding the [[Constantin Film|Neue Constantin Film]] logo.
* This
* It is unknown if it appeared on theatrical prints of ''Winter People'', ''The Last Emperor'', ''The Big Easy, Texasville'', or ''The Taking of Beverly Hills'', among possible others.
* It was found on some trailers (Including teasers) for ''Last Action Hero'', ''In The Line of Fire'', ''Calendar Girl'', and ''Josh and S.A.M.'', all of which ended up using the next logo. The logo makes
===6th Logo (June 13, 1993-)===
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1993-2008=
<gallery mode="packed" heights="150">
File:
File:
File:W3UySxuAsPR eKo9MjRQFA30952.jpg|1993 variant (fullscreen)
File:The Juror (1996).png|1996 prototype variant
File:Columbia 'Fools Rush In' Opening.png|1996 variant
File:A Knight's Tale (2001).png|1996 variant (scope)
File:Vlcsnap-2018-09-25-22h12m45s399.png|1996 variant (open matte)
File:XxSeeZlEX1HlyjePQqamqw247027.png|1996 variant (fullscreen open matte)
File:Columbia Pictures (2001; Black Hawk Down).PNG|1996 variant (full open matte)
File:LSGdmxhAh2NjWJNUwcLexg15286.jpg|75th anniversary variant
</gallery>
{{!}}-{{!}}
2006-2013=
<gallery mode="packed" heights="150">
File:Columbia Pictures (2011).png|2006 enhanced variant
File:WORfh3-EJfYTmY2WCz6iEQ320242.jpg|2006 enhanced variant (scope)
Columbia Pictures (The Bounty Hunter).png|2006 enhanced bylineless variant (similar to the original 1993 logo)
</gallery>
{{!}}-{{!}}
2014-2022=
<gallery mode="packed" heights="150">
File:RoboCopers.png|
File:Columbia 2014 logo.png|2014 variant
File:Columbia Pictures (Fatherhood).png|2014 variant (scope)
File:Columbia Pictures 2014 (Square).png|2014 variant (square)
</gallery>
{{!}}-{{!}}
2022-=
<gallery mode="packed" heights="150">
Columbia Pictures (A Man Called Otto).png|2022 variant
Columbia Pictures (2022).png|2022 variant (scope)
</gallery>
}}
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1993-2013=
<gallery mode="packed" heights="160">
File:DtNndEoBKWyRH4Y5Moa0zA19286.jpg|Early prototype closing variant
File:ColumbiaStrikingDistanceend.png|1993 prototype closing variant
File:ColumbiaMaliceend.png|1993 prototype "Released by" variant
File:Columbia Pictures Kung Fu Hustle End Card.png|1993 prototype closing variant (bylineless)
File:1a339b5f384c70449a8d6dfac5747090.jpg|1993 closing variant
File:NtAMOun97awocb2JigTx5Q14806.jpg|1994 "Released by" variant
File:ColumbiaLesMisérables.png|1994 "Released by" variant (superimposed)
File:Columbia 'Wild Things' Closing.png|1994 "Released by" variant (bylineless)
</gallery>
{{!}}-{{!}}
2013-2023=
<gallery mode="packed" heights="160">
File:780e03ec450caf858ce015d6656666e5.png|2013 "Released by" variant
File:Columbia Pictures (2014, Closing).png|2014 closing variant
File:5ff06a6e6120cefedd7f037e41fb71d8.png|2017 closing variant
File:A63855c366558b11ba929c25e1994b5b.png|2017 "Released by" variant
File:Columbia Pictures (2021, closing).png|2017 closing variant (inverted)
</gallery>
}}
|-|
Videos=
{{YouTube|id=gGnPr5mcnsM|id2=AuWE0gt0qXc|id3=5Hd17J6Swec|id4=FCN4qbtTuuI|id5=
</tabber>
'''Visuals:''' First, there is a ray of light resembling a sunburst, with a different cloud background fading in a brief second later. The light is revealed to be coming from a torch, as the screen zooms out to reveal a redesigned Torch Lady; all of her fingers are now on the torch as she holds it. Once the camera is fully zoomed out, the word "COLUMBIA", in a bold,
'''Trivia:'''
* The Columbia logo's overhaul came about when Sony (who bought Columbia Pictures in 1989) commissioned illustrator Michael J. Deas to paint a new version of the Torch Lady, marking the first major change to the lady's design since 1936. The result, based on Deas' photography sessions with homemaker Jenny Joseph of Mandeville, Louisiana, who posed for him with a makeshift robe and torch, was a taller, slimmer Torch Lady with lighter, curlier hair and a dimmer torch. Rather than using Joseph's face, however, Deas constructed a composite face made up of several computer-generated features. Deas' artwork first appeared on the cover of ''Variety'' magazine on March 2, 1992, and saw its first use as part of the [[Columbia Pictures Television]] and [[Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment|Columbia TriStar Home Video]] identities
* The identity of the Torch Lady's model wasn't revealed until 2004; prior rumors persisted that Annette Bening was the model (she made a cameo appearance as the Torch Lady in the logo at the start of the 2000 film ''What Planet Are You From?'').
* There is a slight error in the enhanced versions (at the six-second mark in the logo itself and at the 20-second mark with the Sony logo preceding it), as the camera zooms out; on the right side of the screen, part of the lower blue section is left unobscured by the clouds.
'''Bylines:'''
* Starting with ''The Juror'', released on February 2, 1996, the byline "
* In late 2013, the byline was shortened to "
'''Evolution Variants:'''
* 2006-2014: Starting with ''The Holiday'', released on
* 2014-2022: Starting with ''The Amazing Spider-Man 2'', released on
* 2021-
* 2022-: Starting with theatrical prints of ''Bullet Train'', released on
'''Variants:'''
* In <u>1999</u>, a special variant was produced to commemorate the company's 75th anniversary. It starts off with the 1936 logo in black and white, leaving the 1993 cloud background intact. The Torch Lady then slowly morphs into her current counterpart as the black and white elements later transition to color. As the camera zooms back, there is a red arched banner dropping from above reading "SEVENTY-FIFTH ANNIVERSARY LIGHTING UP SCREENS AROUND THE WORLD", and on the pedestal is a red box with the gold, giant chiseled name "COLUMBIA" inside on top, and the small word "PICTURES" below in spaced-out letters.
** On the <u>75th anniversary home video collection promo</u>, a copyright stamp for [[Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment|Columbia TriStar Home Video]] appears on the bottom and disappears when the logo is nearly finished.
* There is a scope version each for the 1993 and 2006-present iterations intended where parts of the cloud background are stretched out more and the Torch Lady and the "COLUMBIA" text, along with the byline, are adjusted to accommodate the wider ratios. On most films released in scope from 2007 to 2014, the pedestal is also thinner. Some films released in 1.85:1 crop out the sides from the scope version rather than matting the top and bottom of the flat version.
* On a <u>[[Warner Home Video]] VHS of ''The Shawshank Redemption''</u>, the logo starts a second in.
* Starting with <u>''The Shallows''</u> in 2016, the Sony byline stays onscreen for a split second longer before fading out.
* On <u>4:3 prints of ''The Remains of the Day''</u>, the logo zooms out to a much farther distance, making it look like an open-matte version, but it's positioned so as to not show the cloud background below the pedestal.
* At the <u>end of ''Black Hawk Down''</u>, the logo zooms out to a further distance than usual, revealing the bottom of the cloud background below the pedestal. This is because the film was shot in Super 35 1.66:1 negative ratio and framed for 2.39:1 scope. This variant is seen on 4:3 prints of the film, which exposes more of the image that was not meant to be seen. This variant can also be found on <u>a trailer for ''Erin Brockovich'' (2000)</u>.
*
* On a few Columbia Pictures licensed video games, such as <u>''Ghostbusters: Sanctum of Slime''</u> and <u>''The Smurfs''</u>, the print version seen on most DVD covers of Columbia films appears on a white background, with the text in black (as with Columbia Pictures Television) and the byline below the stacked words.
* A textless version can be found in Columbia's 95th anniversary area in the Sony Pictures booth at the 2019 Tokyo Comic Con, as shown [https://www.youtube.com/shorts/GP4sWBcAQ0c here], in which one of the two variants are played after a short amount of time. After that, the animation is reversed, in which shows the print [[Sony Pictures Entertainment|Sony Pictures]] logo. Furthermore, a special illustration of the Torch Lady, which features the water waves, are given out to attendants who came to the booth, as shown [https://twitter.com/kou_hiiikaru/status/1197779196749078528/photo/1 here].
'''Closing Variants:'''
* The standard closing variant, either superimposed over the ending scene or on a black background, features the print logo of Torch Lady (and the cloud background) inside a rectangular box, with the torch and clouds overlapping the top of the box. To the left of the logo are the words "COLUMBIA PICTURES" (in the same Bank Gothic font as the previous logo), with "COLUMBIA" over "PICTURES". Below that are the words "A COLUMBIA PICTURES RELEASE" or "RELEASED BY" (both in the small-caps format) above the logo with the SPE byline underneath the logo
* On some movies such as ''Stuart Little'', the animated short ''Early Bloomer'', ''Hollywood Homicide'', and ''13 Going on 30'', the SPE byline is smaller, more spaced out, and is in a different font.
* Depending on the credits, the logo and the text may vary in color.
* Starting with ''American Hustle'', the byline was shortened to "'''a Sony Company'''"; however, the older SPE byline variant made a reappearance on ''Pixels'', released on July 24, 2015.
**Both variants have <u>bylineless versions</u>. This is used on ''I Know What You Did Last Summer'', John Carpenter's ''Vampires'', ''I Still Know What You Did Last Summer'' (all three use this with the "A COLUMBIA PICTURES RELEASE" variant), ''Wild Things'', ''Dance with Me'', ''Gloria'', ''The Deep End of the Ocean'', and ''Still Crazy'' (all five uses this with the "RELEASED BY" variant); all eight movies use the bylineless logo at the beginning (though current prints of ''I Still Know What You Did Last Summer'' do use the logo with the byline at the beginning).
* An early closing variant featured the boxed Torch Lady logo in the center, with "COLUMBIA PICTURES" and the SPE byline below one another. Sometimes, the text and byline are smaller and the logo is bigger to fit the width of the text. There is also a variant where the logo is inverted and no SPE byline is used; this appeared on ''Warriors of Heaven and Earth'' and ''Kung Fu Hustle'', as well as on ''Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway'' and ''The Mitchells vs. the Machines'' with Sony byline. Beginning with ''Life'' in 2017, a revised version of this variant is used where the text and byline are larger.
* On international prints of ''Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines'', a still version of the opening logo is used.
'''Technique:''' CGI. The 1993 version was animated at Kleiser/Walczak Construction Company, now known as Synthespian Studios. Jeff Kleiser (the brother of ''Grease'' and ''Flight of the Navigator'' director Randal Kleiser), and Diana Walczak were lead animators, while Ed Kramer and Joel Hynek assisted in production. The staff used 2D elements from Deas' painting, edited them using Adobe Photoshop running on an Apple Macintosh Quadra 950 workstation and converted them to 3D. The clouds were divided up to 66 image maps and Walczak mapped every cloud onto a 3D object and twist-distorted and translated on Alias/Wavefront Advanced Visualizer graphics software running on a Silicon Graphics Crimson Elan workstation. The woman was also converted to 3D by sculpting a real model and scanning it using a Polhemus 3-space digitizing pen. [[Sony Pictures Imageworks]] animated the later versions, while Greenhaus GFX designed the 2014 transition to the logo from Sony.
'''Audio:''' A majestic tune which ends with a brass sounder, composed by Jonathan Elias. The fanfare was recorded in 1993 and re-mixed in 1998, giving four versions of the fanfare (two mains and two alternates), all with the same ending, with only the 1998 final mix still being used regularly today:
* The <u>1993 main version (demo mix)</u> is an early draft of the fanfare with the piano tune emphasized more, and thus sounds more "stripped down" compared to later iterations. This variant debuted on ''In the Line of Fire'' (the second film to use the 1993 logo). It was used mostly on films from 1993-1998, though it was also used on some
* The <u>1993 alternate version (rough mix)</u> is re-orchestrated, and has additional sections/instruments (such as brass, horns, chimes, synthesizers, and flute sections), additional tracks for surround sound channels, and sounds way more powerful than the other fanfares listed here. The added tracks serve as a basis for the later versions of the fanfare. It only appeared on
* The <u>1998 main version (final mix)</u> is the finalized version of the 1993 alternate fanfare (rough mix). It was first used on John Carpenter's ''Vampires'', released on October 30, 1998, and has been the standard version used by Columbia ever since, being used the longest out of the four mixes. This change may have been intended to take advantage of newer digital 5.1 surround sound technologies.
* The <u>1998 alternate version</u> is an alternate mix of the 1998 main fanfare with less brass and more piano similar to the 1993 demo version. This version first debuted on ''Stepmom'', released on December 25, 1998. It was used in tandem with the 1998 final version. The final film to use this rendition on a regular basis was ''Hotel Transylvania'' (2012), although it made an appearance in the 2014 Brazilian film ''Confissões de Adolescente'', and then again nine years later with ''Napoleon'' in 2023. It was the most regular rendition heard in Sony's Brazilian co-productions during the 2000s as well.
* Starting with ''Sex Tape'', released on July 18, 2014, an extra build-up is added at the beginning of the 1998 final fanfare, to match up with the parting clouds.
* Sometimes, it is silent, has the opening theme of the film, or music from any given soundtrack.
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'''Audio Variants:'''
* On the <u>''Open Season'' short "Boog & Elliot's Midnight Bun Run"</u> and <u>''The ChubbChubbs Save Xmas''</u>, the first half of the [[Sony Pictures Animation]] logo music can be heard during the logo, before the Columbia logo cuts into the mentioned logo as the music finishes.
* A high-pitched version also exists.
** The theme is high-pitched on the <u>original version of ''Ghostbusters: The Video Game'' (except on the Nintendo DS)</u>, as well as on <u>PAL prints of most films</u>.
** From 2005 to 2012, the 1998 alternate mix of the fanfare is PAL pitched.
** From 1999 to 2000, there is also a double-pitched version of the 1998 theme.
* On <u>''Palmetto''</u>, yet another arrangement of the theme is heard without cymbal hits, ending smoothly with synthesized flutes (presumably a version of the 1993 rough mix). This variant was only seen on original Sony Pictures releases, as current releases remove this logo (prior to Time Warner owning the [[Castle Rock Entertainment|Castle Rock]] library, as ''Palmetto'' is a Castle Rock film, however a recent TCM France airing retained the Columbia logo, which was also in widescreen).
* On the
* Some newer prints of 1993-1998 films may have their original 1993-98 fanfares (whether demo or rough mix) replaced with a later 1998-present one (whether final mix or alternate, as well). Examples of this are <u>Blu-ray prints of ''Last Action Hero''</u> (as well as the 2021 UHD release if the Dolby Atmos track is selected; other digital prints and original theatrical mixes keep the original rough mix fanfare), <u>Netflix's print of ''In the Line of Fire''</u> (as well as the 2021 UHD release), and <u>later releases of ''Desperado''</u>.
* On <u>the UHD release of ''The Remains of the Day'' (1993)</u>, it starts off with the original 1993 demo mix of the fanfare, but blends into the current 1998 final mix due to a attempted reverse plaster, with the previous fanfare heard over the current one.
* On <u>''Life'' (2017)</u>, the 1998 final mix of the fanfare plays in sync over the 2014 fanfare. As a result, the Sony logo and the build-up on the 2014 version are quieter than usual, and the logo louder than usual.
'''Availability:''' It has been placed in front of most Columbia films for an impressive 30 years.
* The first film to use this logo was ''Last Action Hero'' (however, the teaser trailer, a scene from the film itself and the TV spot had the previous logo).
* This logo was also seen at the beginning of ''Ghostbusters: The Video Game''
** The original version uses the full version of the 1993 logo in high-tone. The Nintendo DS port uses the still version.
** The Remastered version uses the trailer version of the 2014 logo with the Sony logo at the start, and is also silent.
* Some cable prints and [[New Line Home Entertainment|New Line Home Video]] releases of Castle Rock films such as ''Needful Things'', ''Malice'', ''Josh and S.A.M.'', and ''North'' actually keep this logo (it doesn't appear on [[MGM Home Entertainment|MGM]] releases of the former two films; however, the Kino Lorber Blu-rays of ''Needful Things'' and ''Malice'' have it, the latter after MGM).
* On current prints of ''City Slickers 2: The Legend of Curly's Gold'', this is replaced by the 2001 [[Warner Bros. Pictures]] logo (the 1989 Castle Rock logo is intact), while the [[Shout! Factory]] Blu-ray removes it. UK and Australian prints keep this intact due to Columbia keeping the rights to ''City Slickers 2: The Legend of Curly's Gold'' for those countries.
* Current prints of 1994-1998 Castle Rock films distributed by Columbia have the logo either plastered by a Warner Bros. logo or edited out altogether. Even the end in-credit notices aren't safe as they're either blacked out or replaced by a WB logo (it is, however, retained on the 1999 DVD release of ''City Hall'' and the Blu-ray and 2021 UHD release of ''The Shawshank Redemption''). The 1998 Warner Home Video VHS release of ''The American President'' retains this, however. It is retained on the British VHS releases of ''Palmetto, Zero Effect,'' and ''Sour Grapes'', the Indonesian VCD releases of ''My Giant, Alaska,'' ''Hamlet'' (the 2004 full cut edition)'','' and ''Extreme Measures,'' among possible others.
* It is unknown if any prints of ''Absolute Power'' or ''My Giant'' retain this logo.
*
* This also appears on the 1997 Director's Cut version of ''Das Boot'', plastering the previous logo. Also, the 2006 version plasters the original 1993 logo on the Blu-ray of ''Muppets from Space,'' and the [[Sony Pictures Classics]] logo on the Blu-Ray and HDTV prints of ''Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.''
* It also may have been seen on U.S. theatrical prints of ''The Wind in the Willows'' (1996), later re-titled ''Mr. Toad's Wild Ride'', but it doesn't appear on any VHS or DVD releases of said film due to Disney owning the U.S. home video rights. It is, instead, plastered by the 1985 [[Walt Disney Pictures]] logo.
* This logo appears on international trailers for ''The Punisher'' and ''Suspect Zero''; however, the two films use the 5th [[Sony Pictures Releasing International|Columbia TriStar Film Distributors International]] logo instead.
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* The SPA films ''The Star'', ''Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation'', ''The Angry Birds Movie 2'' and ''Wish Dragon'' don't have this logo, despite appearing on said films' promotional materials, but the "Released by" closing logo appears at the end. This also doesn't appear at the end of ''Vivo'' nor ''Hotel Transylvania: Transformania'' as the [[Sony Pictures Entertainment]] closing logo appears instead.
* A portion of this logo appears about halfway through ''The King''.
* The 2022 version of the logo was used on the trailers for ''Madame Web'', ''Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire'', ''The Garfield Movie'', and ''Kraven The Hunter'', all of which ended up using the next logo.
* Although the logo was temporarily retired after the release of ''Anyone but You'' on December 11, 2023, due to the next logo being used on all 2024 releases, it would make an appearance on the short film ''The Spider Within: A Spider-Verse Story'' (as a custom variant; the trailer uses the next logo), which debuted at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival on June 12, 2023 and was later released on YouTube on March 27, 2024.
'''Legacy:''' A well-received homage to the 1936 logo thanks to its CGI and fanfare, used for over 30 years as of 2024.
===7th Logo (100th anniversary logo) (January 10, 2024-)===
<tabber>
Images=
<gallery mode="packed" heights="150">
Columbia Pictures (2024, 100 Years).png|
Columbia Pictures (2024, scope).jpg|Scope version
Columbia Pictures (2024, closing).jpg|Closing variant
</gallery>
|-|
Videos=
{{YouTube|id=-Op7-B6eNRc|id2=SeAdKwf9xH0}}
</tabber>
'''Visual:''' It starts the same way as the 2022 variation of the previous logo, but the Torch Lady then turns black and white after a second. Afterward, the Torch Lady designs of various eras (1924, 1928, 1942, 1955, 1968, 1976, 1981, and 1993; the 1981 design is shown in both the finished and original sunburst versions) iris in similar one-second shots, zooming out on a black background revealing an encased, stylized "100". Then, there is stacked text in the same font as the print logo at the bottom reading:
<center><big><big><big><big>
<center>
The various Torch Lady designs slide in more and more rapidly, until they land on the updated 2014 version of the 1992 painting. When this happens, the torch glows brightly as the rest of her right hand is shown, as the border around the "100" and text shine, and the Sony byline appears below, then the logo fades out.
'''Trivia:'''
* This logo marks the first time in 31 years that "Pictures" is used.
* The use of variants is based on the ''Spider-Verse'' films that showcased various new/existing variants of the logo.
'''Variants:'''
* For the logo's reveal, it was cut to the Sony logo already revealed. However, on [https://twitter.com/SPHEFR/status/1745085333086065034 Sony Pictures Home Entertainment's French social media accounts], it cuts to the multicolored background gradually fading in when the Sony logo is being revealed.
* A 3D variant exists, where only the Sony logo and the first few seconds of the 1993 logo are in 3D. It was first (and possibly only) spotted on the theatrical 3D release of ''The Garfield Movie''.
'''Closing Variant:''' Same as the 2017 variant of the previous logo, except with the 100 Years print logo, with the Torch Lady and clouds in the 2022 revision of its 2006 design, just like the on-screen logo.
'''Technique:''' CGI. Like the later variations of the previous logo, this was done by Sony Pictures Imageworks.
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'''Audio:''' The 2014 version of the current fanfare.
'''Availability:''' This is used for the company's centennial anniversary.
*The logo made its first appearance on [https://twitter.com/SonyPictures/status/1745083073614447000 Sony Pictures' social media accounts] on January 10, 2024, which is the 100th anniversary of Columbia Pictures.
* It later made its theatrical debut in front of the re-release of ''Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse'' on January 19, 2024, and has also been seen on various TV spots and trailers of the aforementioned films above.
* This logo was used on ''Madame Web'', ''Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire'', ''The Garfield Movie'', ''Bad Boys: Ride or Die'', ''Fly Me to the Moon'' (2024), ''Harold and the Purple Crayon'', ''It Ends with Us'', and most recently, ''Afraid''.
** It was also seen on the trailer of ''The Spider Within: A Spider-Verse Story'', but doesn't appear on the short film itself (a custom variant of the previous logo appears at the start and the regular "A Columbia Pictures Release" closing logo appears at the end) since it originally premiered at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival in June 2023.
* This logo was also seen on the theatrical re-releases of the ''Spider-Man'' films, all preceding different versions of the 6th logo.
===External Links===
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*[https://www.sonypicturesmuseum.com/exhibitions/columbia The Torch Lady Exhibition] on the Sony Pictures Museum website
*[https://www.imdb.com/search/title/?companies=co0050868 Columbia Pictures] on IMDb
{{Navbox-Sony}}
{{Movie-Navbox}}
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[[Category:American film logos]]
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[[Category:Logos made by Robert Abel and Associates]]
[[Category:Logos made by Greenhaus GFX]]
[[Category:Logos with music by Suzanne Ciani]]
[[Category:Logos with music by Elias Music]]
[[Category:Logos made by Synthespian Studios]]
[[Category:English-language logos]]
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Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film studio owned by the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment. It has been headquartered at Sony Pictures Studios (formerly MGM Studios and the former Lorimar's studios) in Culver City, California since 1993.
Columbia Pictures was originally founded on June 19, 1918 as Cohn-Brandt-Cohn Film Sales by Harry Cohn, his brother Jack, and Jack's friend Joe Brandt. Brandt was initially president, handling sales, marketing and distribution from New York along with Jack Cohn, while Harry Cohn ran production in Hollywood. Many of the studio's early productions were low-budget affairs; the start-up CBC leased space in a poverty row studio on Hollywood's famously low-rent Gower Street. Among Hollywood's elite, CBC's small-time reputation led some to joke that the name stood for "Corned Beef and Cabbage".
On January 10, 1924, CBC was reincorporated as Columbia Pictures Corporation. The studio's product line at the time consisted mostly of moderately budgeted features and a short-subject program of comedies, serials, cartoons, and sports films. Columbia gradually moved into the production of higher-budget fare, building a reputation as one of Hollywood's more important studios. On December 23, 1968, the studio was reorganized as Columbia Pictures Industries after merging with its television division Screen Gems. On June 22, 1982, Columbia Pictures was sold to The Coca-Cola Company for $750 million. In December 1987, it became part of Columbia Pictures Entertainment, with Coke owning 49%. Finally, on November 8, 1989, it was sold to Sony Corporation of Japan. In 1998, the studio became a part of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group (now the Sony Pictures Entertainment Motion Picture Group).
Columbia Pictures titles were released outside North America via a partnership with Warner Bros. under the name Columbia-Warner (with some partnerships in the United Kingdom) until 1987, when Columbia reorganized its international distribution division as Columbia Tri-Star Films (now Sony Pictures Releasing International); the UK partnership would last until 1988.
This logo is currently missing in action. Please do not add reconstructions of the logo if any exist, as they are likely not accurate to the actual logo. Additionally, do not attempt to add a finalized description of the logo until it has been found in its entirety. |
Visuals: On a dark gray background with arch clouds below, there is a woman dressed in a Roman soldier's outfit (similar to the ancient Greco-Roman goddess Athena/Minerva), crowned with a wreath and covered in a toga, holding a shield in her left hand and holding an olive branch in her right hand. There is the text "COLUMBIA PICTURES CORPORATION Presents", with "COLUMBIA PICTURES" arched above, "CORPORATION" underneath it in a straight line, and "Presents" below.
Trivia:
Variant: A textless variant exists.
Technique: This logo is a matte painting.
Audio: None.
Availability: Seen on silent-era Columbia Pictures films, most of which are now lost or survive only in an incomplete form.
Visuals:
Trivia: The Torch Lady shown here is actress Claudia Dell, who appeared as Spanky's mother in the Our Gang shorts "Mama's Little Pirate" and "Anniversary Trouble".
Variants:
Closing Variants:
Technique: A mix of a matte painting, moiré effects and editing.
Audio: A majestic horn sounder (a la 20th Century Fox), or the opening/closing theme of the short/feature.
Availability: Seen on Columbia-owned films from this time period right up until the introduction of the next logo.
Visuals: There is the lady, this time standing on top of a pedestal with a backdrop of clouds over her, while she is holding her light torch. Much more refined, ethereal and goddess-like, her facial features are less pronounced and she looks away (up and to the right) instead of straight ahead. Her headdress is absent and her hair sweeps back instead of hanging by the sides of her face. The drape over her shoulder is less obviously an American flag, with the stars on the left shoulder being toned down in a shadow, and the stripes are visible only on the portion of the drape hanging down her right side. "A COLUMBIA PRODUCTION" is replaced with the tall chiseled letters of "COLUMBIA" (which fades in a second afterward) running straight across the top section of the screen, with the lady's torch glowing in front of the "U". A new form of animation is used on the logo as well, with a torch that radiates light instead of flickers. Until the mid-1960s, this logo would also appear at the end of films, sometimes with the words "The End" in a script font.
Trivia: The model in this and the next two logos is Pittsburgh native Jane Chester Bartholomew, who was discovered by Columbia co-founder and head Harry Cohn. After she left acting in the 1960s, Bartholomew became a nursing inspector with the Chicago Board of Health. She died in 2012.
Byline: Starting in 1974, the byline "A DIVISION OF COLUMBIA PICTURES INDUSTRIES, INC." appears at the bottom of the screen. This variant was introduced around the time its television production division Screen Gems Television changed its name to Columbia Pictures Television.
Evolution Variants:
Variants:
Technique: Traditional animation for the torch rays, and a matte painting for the Torch Lady, text and backdrop.
Audio: Usually, the beginning/end of the movie plays over the logo. On some films, the logo appears completely silent. However, on several mid to late '30s Three Stooges shorts, it has a majestic theme before playing the Three Stooges theme. On several other films, it would have a different theme.
Availability: Can still be seen on Columbia Pictures films of this period on home video formats and on TV airings.
Legacy: Considered the most well-known version of the logo, being used for an amazing 40 years.
Visuals: It begins with the familiar Columbia Torch Lady (a less detailed and yellow-toned version of her 1942/1955 iteration), standing on the pedestal and holding her light torch against the backdrop of clouds. The camera slowly zooms towards the torch as the rays pull in, which shines even more as the picture blurs around it. It then emits a flash that fills the screen. When the flash dissolves, the light torch itself appears, as if in a sunburst, against a black background. As it shrinks, it changes into a more "abstract" torch: a blue half circle, or a semicircle, with thirteen white light rays in the center, and the words "Columbia Pictures" (in a beveled Souvenir Bold font) under it. The entire logo then slowly zooms out before fading out.
Trivia: The Sunburst logo originally appeared in 1975, but first appeared only on posters.
Variants:
Technique: Motion-controlled cel animation, with the Torch Lady and cloud backdrop being a matte painting. The animation was provided by Robert Abel and Associates, who also did work on commercials (including early 1970s 7-Up ads, among many others) and Star Trek: The Motion Picture.
Audio:
Audio Trivia: The main instruments appearing on the soundtrack were a small horn section, Suzanne Ciani's Buchla modular (for the "popping" effects) and an ARP string synth (the same model Gary Wright used for his song "Dream Weaver" around the same time).
Audio Variant: The USSR version has an announcer dubbed in.
Availability: Sony generally retains older logos for newer releases of Columbia's films much more often than their TV output. In the early days of Columbia Pictures' video division, however, this logo would be plastered by their home video logo (although the "Columbia Pictures" text alone would be seen for a split second, possibly due to poor editing). Otherwise, all later video releases, DVD and Blu-ray releases, and TV broadcasts retain this logo.
Legacy: Another favorite among the logo community.
Visuals:
Variants:
Closing Variants:
Technique: Cel animation for the torch rays and text, and a matte painting for the Torch Lady and backdrop.
Audio: None or the opening theme of the movie.
Audio Variants:
Availability: Seen on films of the era.
Visuals: First, there is a ray of light resembling a sunburst, with a different cloud background fading in a brief second later. The light is revealed to be coming from a torch, as the screen zooms out to reveal a redesigned Torch Lady; all of her fingers are now on the torch as she holds it. Once the camera is fully zoomed out, the word "COLUMBIA", in a bold, chiseled silver font, fades in, this time much smaller than the 3rd logo and positioned so that the "U" in "COLUMBIA" is behind the torch. A ring of light then shimmers around the lady before the logo fades to black.
Trivia:
Bylines:
Evolution Variants:
Variants:
Closing Variants:
Technique: CGI. The 1993 version was animated at Kleiser/Walczak Construction Company, now known as Synthespian Studios. Jeff Kleiser (the brother of Grease and Flight of the Navigator director Randal Kleiser), and Diana Walczak were lead animators, while Ed Kramer and Joel Hynek assisted in production. The staff used 2D elements from Deas' painting, edited them using Adobe Photoshop running on an Apple Macintosh Quadra 950 workstation and converted them to 3D. The clouds were divided up to 66 image maps and Walczak mapped every cloud onto a 3D object and twist-distorted and translated on Alias/Wavefront Advanced Visualizer graphics software running on a Silicon Graphics Crimson Elan workstation. The woman was also converted to 3D by sculpting a real model and scanning it using a Polhemus 3-space digitizing pen. Sony Pictures Imageworks animated the later versions, while Greenhaus GFX designed the 2014 transition to the logo from Sony.
Audio: A majestic tune which ends with a brass sounder, composed by Jonathan Elias. The fanfare was recorded in 1993 and re-mixed in 1998, giving four versions of the fanfare (two mains and two alternates), all with the same ending, with only the 1998 final mix still being used regularly today:
Audio Variants:
Availability: It has been placed in front of most Columbia films for an impressive 30 years.
Legacy: A well-received homage to the 1936 logo thanks to its CGI and fanfare, used for over 30 years as of 2024.
Visual: It starts the same way as the 2022 variation of the previous logo, but the Torch Lady then turns black and white after a second. Afterward, the Torch Lady designs of various eras (1924, 1928, 1942, 1955, 1968, 1976, 1981, and 1993; the 1981 design is shown in both the finished and original sunburst versions) iris in similar one-second shots, zooming out on a black background revealing an encased, stylized "100". Then, there is stacked text in the same font as the print logo at the bottom reading:
The various Torch Lady designs slide in more and more rapidly, until they land on the updated 2014 version of the 1992 painting. When this happens, the torch glows brightly as the rest of her right hand is shown, as the border around the "100" and text shine, and the Sony byline appears below, then the logo fades out.
Trivia:
Variants:
Closing Variant: Same as the 2017 variant of the previous logo, except with the 100 Years print logo, with the Torch Lady and clouds in the 2022 revision of its 2006 design, just like the on-screen logo.
Technique: CGI. Like the later variations of the previous logo, this was done by Sony Pictures Imageworks.
Audio: The 2014 version of the current fanfare.
Availability: This is used for the company's centennial anniversary.
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