RKO Pictures: Difference between revisions

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{{PageButtons|RKO Pictures|Logo Variations=1}}
{{NeedsImages}}
{{about|the current iteration of RKO|the original incarnation|RKO Radio Pictures}}
{{PageCredits|description=Nicholas Aczel, Sean Beard, Logophile, OZ_Paramount87, indycar, and Vahan Nisanian|capture=SubparMario63, Eric S., indycar, Sagan Blob, naxo-olé and others|video=Eric S., DudeThatLogo, Peakpasha, simblos, LogoLibraryinc, MyNewBryceIsHere2012, JeiceTheWarrior, mcydodge919 and Kiernan Howell-MacKinley}}
{{Infobox company
|name=RKO Pictures LLC
|image=[[File:RKO 2009 logo.png]]
|founded=1978 ({{age|1978|1|1}} years ago)
|predecessors=[[RKO Radio Pictures]]
|formerly=RKO Pictures Inc. (1978-1989)<br>RKO/Pavilion (1989-1991)
|key people={{w|Ted Hartley}} (chairman/CEO)<br>Mary Beth O'Connor (vice chair)
|country=[[:Category:United States|United States]]
|parent=[[RKO General Productions|RKO General]] (1978-1987)<br>Wesray Capital Corporation (1987-1989)
|subsidiaries=RKO Stage Productions<br>RKO Radio
}}
 
===Background===
==RKO Radio Pictures==
In 1981, [[RKO General Productions|RKO General]], corporate heir to [[RKO Radio Pictures]] under the General Tire and Rubber Company, began to re-enter film production by resurrecting the '''RKO Pictures''' label, which co-produced several films with various studios, such as [[Avco Embassy Pictures]], [[Universal Pictures]], [[20th Century Studios|20th Century Fox]], and [[Paramount Pictures]]. In 1984, General Tire's media holdings were reorganized to form GenCorp, with RKO General remaining as a subsidiary. A hostile takeover was attempted in 1987 on GenCorp, and RKO Pictures was spun off and sold to Wesray Capital Corporation, who then spun off the company in 1989. The studio was then acquired by and merged with Pavilion Communications, then owned by actress Dina Merrill and her husband, film producer Ted Hartley.
 
{{ImageTOC
=== Background ===
|RKO Pictures 1983 A.png|1st Logo (September 25, 1981-1987)
RKO Radio Pictures was originally founded by RCA to promote their RCA Photophone sound system. The initials in the company name stand for "'''R'''adio '''K'''eith '''O'''rpheum", reflecting the joint venture of RCA, the Keith Orpheum theater circuit, and the Film Booking Office of Joseph P. Kennedy, the father of the 35th U.S. President, John F. Kennedy. It was one of the Big Five studios of Hollywood's Golden Age (the other were [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios|MGM]], [[Paramount Pictures]], [[Warner Bros. Pictures]] and [[20th Century Studios|20th Century Fox]]).
|OwQPZBXQaU5VsWVQHbunKQ16377.jpeg|2nd Logo (April 10, 1987-March 21, 1992)
|D0Nl3JCJG6IR0OmrIpkAZA236208.png|3rd Logo (June 24, 1992)
|ECs3RU51ucYjxOjcCzag7w22789.jpeg|4th Logo (October 23, 1992)
|RKO Pictures (1998).png|5th Logo (Ritual) (October 19, 1996-April 30, 2015)
|D687059539c02881e46c0448aee3f84b.jpeg|6th Logo (February 2, 2011-June 26, 2018)
}}
 
===1st Logo (September 25, 1981-1987)===
Howard Hughes would purchase the studio in 1948 and sell off the studio to the General Tire and Rubber Company in 1955. The rights to the majority of the in-house RKO Radio Pictures films are owned by the current RKO Pictures with distribution rights owned and/or licensed to [[Warner Bros. Pictures]] via [[Turner Entertainment Co.]] While [[Walt Disney Pictures]] owns the rights to their own productions and films produced by [[Selznick International Pictures]] (the latter via [[ABC Motion Pictures]]), the Samuel Goldwyn, Jr. family trust owns the rights to Samuel Goldwyn Productions films, [[Paramount Pictures]] owns ''It's a Wonderful Life'' via [[Republic Pictures]] and [[Universal Pictures|Universal Studios]] owns films produced by Hughes.
<tabber>
 
Image=
===1st Logo (Closing Logo) (March 24, 1929-December 21, 1956)===
<gallery mode="packed" heights="220">
File:RKO Pictures 1929 Closing1983 A.png
File:RKO Radio Pictures (1949).png
File:RKO Radio Pictures (1951).png
File:RKO Radio Pictures (1942).png
File:RKO Radio Pictures (1950).png
File:RKO Radio Pictures (1941).png
File:RKO Radio Pictures (1947).png
File:RKO Radio Pictures (1948).png
File:RKO Radio Pictures (1951) 2.png
File:RKO Radio Pictures (1953).png
File:RKO Radio Pictures (1940).png
File:RKO Radio Pictures (1953) 2.png
File:RKO Radio Pictures (1941) 2.png
File:Walt Disney Pictures, RKO Radio Pictures (1937, Closing).png
File:RKO Radio Pictures (1952).png
File:RKO Radio Pictures (1945).png
File:RKO Radio Pictures (1950) 2.png
</gallery>
|-|
Video=
{{YouTube|id=ajJdbmOxydQ}}
</tabber>
 
'''Visuals:''' On a plain black background, a segmented, white-lined rectangle with a cut on the left side and the text "RKO PICTURES" below emerges from the top of the screen, and moves down and curves up as if on a roller coaster, zooming up to the center of the screen. There is also a red variant of the thunderbolt from the closing 1929 RKO Radio Pictures logo flipping up and growing in size as it lands below the cut on the rectangle in between "RKO" and "PICTURES." The text "DISTRIBUTED BY" appears above the logo.
'''Nickname:''' "The Early Thunderbolt", "Early Thunderbolt Triangle", "Classic Thunderbolt Triangle", "Thunderbolt Triangle"
 
'''Technique:''' Analog 2D animation.
'''Logo:''' In the end titles of a film, we see an equilateral triangle pointing down with a "Thunderbolt" drawn 3/4 through it. Above the logo is the text "Radio Pictures" (1929 to 1936) or "R K O Radio" with a line drawn over the triangle edge with the text "PICTURES" (1936 to 1956). The text "REG. US. PAT. OFF." is shown below.
 
'''Audio:''' A three-note synthesized tune with rising air and a thunderclap as the logo parts come together, followed by a gradual synthesized fade out.
'''Variants:'''
 
'''Availability:''' This logo was only used as a distribution logo on television and did not appear on any of the studio's film output. Appeared on 1980s syndicated prints of ''Riff Raff'', ''I Remember Mama'' (notably a November 1989 AMC broadcast), ''What Price Hollywood'', ''Mr. and Mrs. Smith'' (1941), ''None But the Lonely Heart'', ''Westward Passage'', and ''Nocturne'', among others; some of these prints air on TCM occasionally. Home media releases from [[RKO Home Video]] and [[The Nostalgia Merchant]] may include this logo at the end of such films as ''Citizen Kane'', ''The Magnificent Ambersons'' (1942), and ''Isle of the Dead''. Also appears on the 1986 [[VidAmerica]] VHS release of ''Suspicion'' and the 1990 [[Turner Home Entertainment]] VHS release of ''Bringing Up Baby'' (Turner actually reprinted some older RKO Home Video releases). It is unknown which Turner reprints (or any [[Warner Bros. Home Entertainment|Warner Home Video]] reprints) of RKO films have this logo.
*The "Radio Pictures" variant had "THE END" displayed, which was wiped away to allow the Radio Pictures logo to be wiped in, which had a much scragglier thunderbolt design and a different font compared to the "R K O Radio" variant that followed.
*On films produced by Walt Disney Productions that RKO distributed, a color version of the logo would appear at the beginning of the film, on a title card in the style of the opening credits. Starting with ''Song of the South'' in 1946, the phrase "Distributed by RKO Radio Pictures, Inc." appears below the logo. This variant also appeared on the 1948 film ''Joan of Arc''.
*Like the above-mentioned Walt Disney Productions films, films produced by Samuel Goldwyn Productions had this logo at the beginning of a film in the style of the opening credits.
*On ''Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs'', the logo appears at the end of the film and is put on a jewel background, with the words "A WALT DISNEY FEATURE Production" overlapping it, and "IN TECHNICOLOR" below it.
*On ''Fantasia'', the logo is put on the title screen of the film, and is {{Font color|silver|silver}}.
*On a few Disney films, such as ''The Reluctant Dragon'', ''Peter Pan'', and ''Adventures in Music: Melody'', the thunderbolt is mirrored horizontally.
 
===2nd Logo (April 10, 1987-March 21, 1992)===
'''FX/SFX:''' The fade in and fade out.
<tabber>
Images=
<gallery mode="packed" heights="200">
File:OwQPZBXQaU5VsWVQHbunKQ16377.jpeg
File:0xWD6gVAGap3q3QzvRPZEw17388.jpeg
File:ICDCdfgZCSkbCtPrf5pH5w46100.jpeg
File:RBrmvIl0FJ4Omi979DKFNw18301.jpeg
</gallery>
|-|
Videos=
{{YouTube|id=1rud28G_EZA|id2=YHkM3F8FAXs|id3=jvhtOiTQoFo}}
</tabber>
 
'''Visuals:'''
'''Music/Sounds:''' The closing theme of a film. On Disney films (except ''Fantasia'' and ''Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs'', which in this case uses the closing theme as the logo as seen at the end), the opening theme of the movie plays.
* Opening: The logo begins the same as in the second [[RKO Radio Pictures]] logo. After a few seconds, a segmented white-lined rectangle with a cut on the left side and the text "RKO PICTURES" appearing on opposite sides of the red thunderbolt triangle design emerges from the transmitter tip, and moves downward, zooming towards the lower third of the screen, then the background fades to black.
* Closing: The closing logo of these movies is a still picture of the opening logo, with "An RKO Picture" in the 1929 "thunderbolt" font.
 
'''Technique:''' Live-action for the Earth globe, 2D animation for the thunderbolts, and analog animation for the RKO logomark.
'''Music/Sounds Variants:'''
 
'''Audio:''' A series of Morse code beeps. The closing variant is silent.
*On the original release of ''Bambi'', the opening to the song "Love is a Song" is heard. This was also seen on the 1997 laserdisc release (and the 2017 DVD and Blu Ray releases); however, the logo is removed from most releases, although it can be heard playing underneath the shortened version of the 1985-2006 Walt Disney Pictures logo (on the 2005 Platinum DVD release) and the shortened version of the 2006-present Walt Disney Pictures logo (on the 2011 Diamond DVD release).
*On ''Peter Pan'', the opening to the song "The Second Star to the Right" is heard.
*On ''Pinocchio'', the opening to the song "When You Wish Upon a Star" is heard.
*On ''Cinderella'', the opening to the song "Cinderella" is heard.
*On ''Alice in Wonderland'', the opening to the song "Alice in Wonderland" is heard.
*On the ''Fantasia'' variant, the logo is silent.
 
'''Availability:''' It appeared on some films that [[Paramount Pictures]] released from this time frame, including ''Campus Man'', ''Hamburger Hill'', and ''Hot Pursuit'' (1987).
'''Availability:''' Common. It's still saved on films produced by the company. Most Walt Disney Productions films had this logo plastered by the Buena Vista Pictures Distribution or the Walt Disney Pictures logo until the late 1990s (although some prints have the WDP logo playing before the RKO logo, examples being ''Peter Pan'' and ''Fun and Fancy Free''), when it began to be restored (although some films, such as ''Bambi'', usually have the logo removed as evidenced on the 2005 and 2011 Disney DVD releases of ''Bambi'' where it had a short version of the Walt Disney Pictures logo at the time plastered over with the fanfare playing underneath; however, it appears on a laserdisc release according to YouTube user LogoLibraryInc, it is also seen on the 2017 Walt Disney Signature Collection DVD and Blu-Ray). The variant seen on Samuel Goldwyn Productions films is often removed, although it may have been on 1980s and 1990s home media releases by Samuel Goldwyn Home Entertainment that were distributed by various companies. This logo also originally appeared on ''Song of the South'', but the UK VHS release contains the Buena Vista logo (with the opening theme playing over), and the Japanese laserdisc has no logo. It may have appeared on the original releases of ''Saludos Amigos'' and ''So Dear To My Heart''. The ''Fantasia'' variant is intact on the 2010 DVD release, but is not present on the 1990 VHS release.
 
===3rd Logo (June 24, 1992)===
'''Editor's Note:''' The earlier variant may seem off-putting to some thanks to the sloppy thunder bolt, but an alright logo otherwise. This is even recognized for being on older Disney films, but its not as popular as the next logo....
<tabber>
 
Image=
===2nd Logo (Opening Logo) (July 30, 1929-March 13, 1959)===
<gallery mode="packed" heights="220200">
File:RKO Pictures 1929 AD0Nl3JCJG6IR0OmrIpkAZA236208.png
File:RKO Radio Pictures (1940) 2.png
</gallery>
|-|
Video=
{{YouTube|id=e78RDCgxN7w}}
</tabber>
 
'''Visuals:''' On a black background, there is a box with a white border with the thunderbolt triangle at the bottom. Inside the box, there is the famous radio tower on earth. On top of the antenna "R", "K" and "O" appear one by one, in red and in its company font. Then, "P I C T U R E S" flies in and rests at the bottom of "RKO". Then "DISTRIBUTION" appears at the bottom at the top of the thunderbolt triangle.
'''Nicknames:''' "The Transmitter", "The Globe and Tower" (according to the RKO Pictures, LLC website http://www.rko.com), "Radio Tower", "Classic Tower"
 
'''Technique:''' 2D animation for the text, with the globe in live-action and thunderbolts using 2D animation.
'''Logo:''' On a cloudy background we see a radio tower situated on top of a rotating Earth globe. The radio tower is sending out signals illustrated by lightning bolts and sound waves coming from its transmitter. The text "A Radio Picture" (1929 to 1937) or "An RKO Radio Picture" (1932 to 1959) writes itself on the logo in a "thunderbolt" font.
 
'''Audio:''' Along with the Morse code beeps, a drumbeat is heard when each letter of "RKO" appears.
'''Trivia:'''
*The Morse code heard on the Radio Pictures logo used from 1929 to 1937, transmitted this message: VVV A RADIO PICTURE VVVVV. On the RKO Radio Pictures logo, used from 1932 until mid-1940s (when the Morse code was dropped out) the message was: VVVV AN RKO PICTURE VVVVV.
*This logo was featured as a stage backdrop during a scene from ''The Rocky Horror Picture Show''.
 
'''Availability:''' Only known to appear on the American release of ''The Elegant Criminal''.
'''Variants:'''
*On early color films and colorized films the logo was tinted {{Font color|blue|blue}}, but a true living color version of the logo was introduced around 1944.
*Radio Pictures films from 1929 to 1932 had the globe less detailed and no clouds in front of the globe. Additionally, the tower is slightly different.
*On some movies, made between 1933-1935, the logo of the National Recovery Administration appeared on a cloudy background, fading into the logo. This variation most notably appeared on ''Son of Kong''.
*When the studio produced CinemaScope and Superscope films, their logo was cropped to fit the screen, making it widescreen and reanimated the lightning bolts to be more realistic.
*''Susan Slept Here'' has the logo tinted in {{Font color|blue|blue}}, and the letters in {{Font color|pink|pink}}.
*On ''Yellow Canary'', the movie’s copyright info and the MPAA seal are superimposed at the bottom of the logo.
*On at least one print of ''Badman's Country'', the logo is haphazardly shortened by cutting out a substantial portion of the animation, meaning that all of the words "RKO Radio" and the letter P in "Picture" simply appear all at the same time rather than animating in properly.
*A shortened version has been found.
 
===4th Logo (October 23, 1992)===
'''FX/SFX:''' The rotating Earth globe, the lightning bolts and the sound waves are all primitive 1920s visual effects. However, they were advanced for their time.
<gallery mode="packed" heights="200">
 
File:ECs3RU51ucYjxOjcCzag7w22789.jpeg
'''Music/Sounds:''' A series of "Morse code" beeps. In some cases, the Morse code is replaced by the movie's opening music (from mid-1940s, the morse code was completely replaced and dropped out), and in other cases, the Morse code and the movie's opening music play together.
 
'''Music/Sounds Variants:'''
*Some 1930 movies had the Morse Code at a very high-pitch.
*In ''Deluge'', the Morse code is low-pitched and its message is: A RADIO PICTURE.
*In ''At Sword's Point'', it's silent.
*The 1932 version of the logo uses a slightly low-pitched and slowed down Morse code. The RKO Radio Pictures version uses a sped-up Morse Code.
*Some movies made between 1942 and 1944 had an arrangement of the beginning of Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 (along with Morse Code beeps made of string instruments). ''Verboten!'' (the last RKO Radio picture, released in March 13, 1959) uses another arrangement of the same music.
*The "V"s in the Morse Code can vary by film.
 
'''Availability:''' Very common. It's still seen on many films. This logo was often not shown at all on a few films, such as ''It's a Wonderful Life'' and films produced by Walt Disney Productions (which usually used the "Thunderbolt" logo or no logo at all). The Radio Pictures logo is rare today and it's used on ''King Kong'', ''Top Hat'' and other films from the studio until 1936. The shortened version has been found on a promo on the VHS of ''King Kong''. The Radio Pictures logo made a surprise reappearance on colorized prints of ''Mighty Joe Young'', released in 1949, and ''The Big Day'', released in 1952. The last film with this logo was Samuel Fuller's ''Verboten!'', released on March 13, 1959.
 
'''Editor's Note:''' A very iconic logo during the golden age of Hollywood.
 
==RKO Pictures==
 
=== Background ===
In 1981, RKO General, under the General Tire and Rubber Company, began to reenter film production by co-producing several films with various studios (such as [[Avco Embassy Pictures Corporation]], [[Universal Pictures|Universal Studios]], [[20th Century Studios|20th Century Fox Film Corporation]] and [[Paramount Pictures]]). Around 1985, General Tire's media holdings were reorganized to form GenCorp, with RKO General remaining as a subsidiary. A hostile takeover was attempted in 1987 on GenCorp and RKO Pictures was spun off and sold to Wesray Capital Corporation, who then spun off RKO Pictures in 1989. The studio was then purchased by actress Dina Merrill and her husband and film producer Ted Hartley to form RKO Pictures, LLC, who remains as the current owner of the studio.
 
===1st Logo (1983-1987)===
<gallery mode="packed" heights=220>
File:RKO Pictures 1983 A.png
</gallery>
 
'''Visuals:''' On a black background, the words "RELEASED THROUGH" appear on the top. Below, there is "RKO PICTURES DISTRIBUTION".
'''Nicknames:''' "80s Thunderbolt", "Cheesy Thunderbolt", "Thunderbolt Triangle II", "Animated Thunderbolt Triangle"
 
'''Technique:''' A still graphic.
'''Logo:''' On a plain black background, a segmented white-lined rectangle with a cut on the left side and the text "RKO PICTURES" below emerges from the top of the screen, and moves down and curves up as if on a roller coaster, zooming up to the center of the screen. We also see a {{Font color|red|red}} variant of the thunderbolt from the closing 1929 RKO Radio Pictures logo flipping up and growing in size as it lands below the cut on the rectangle in between "RKO" and "PICTURES." The text "DISTRIBUTED BY" appears above the logo.
 
'''Audio:''' None.
'''FX/SFX:''' The logo zooming and flipping effects.
 
'''Availability:''' The only known movie to use this logo is ''Frozen Assets''.
'''Music/Sounds:''' A three note synthesized tune with rising air and a thunderclap as the logo parts come together, followed by a gradual synthesized fade out.
 
===5th Logo (Ritual) (October 19, 1996-April 30, 2015)===
'''Availability:''' Rare. This logo was only used as a distribution logo on television and did not appear on any of the studio's film output. Appeared on 1980s syndie prints of ''What Price Hollywood'', ''None But the Lonely Heart'', ''Westward Passage'' and ''Nocturne'', among others; some of these prints also aired on TCM. Home media releases from [[RKO Home Video]] and [[The Nostalgia Merchant]] may include this logo at the end of such films like ''Isle of the Dead''. Also appears on the 1986 [[VidAmerica]] VHS release of ''Suspicion'' and the 1990 [[Turner Home Entertainment]] VHS release of ''Bringing Up Baby'' (Turner actually reprinted some older RKO Home Video releases). It is unknown which Turner reprints (or any [[Warner Bros. Home Entertainment|Warner Home Video]] reprints) of RKO films have this logo.
<tabber>
 
Image=
<br />
 
===2nd Logo (April 10, 1987-March 21, 1992)===
'''Nickname:''' "1980s Transmitter"
 
'''Logo:'''
 
*Opening: The logo begins the same as in the first one. After a few seconds, a segmented white-lined rectangle with a cut on the left side and the text "RKO PICTURES" appearing on opposite sides of the red thunderbolt triangle design emerges from the transmitter tip, and moves downward, zooming towards the lower third of the screen, then the background fades to black.
*Closing: The closing logo of these movies is a still picture of the opening logo, with "An RKO Picture" in the 1929 "thunderbolt" font.
 
'''FX/SFX:''' The rotating Earth globe, the lightning bolts, the sound waves and the zooming thunderbolt triangle.
 
'''Music/Sounds:''' A series of Morse code beeps. The closing variant is silent.
 
'''Availability:''' Uncommon. It appeared on some films that Paramount Pictures released from this time frame, including ''Campus Man'', ''Hamburger Hill'' and ''Hot Pursuit''.
 
<br />
 
===3rd Logo (October 23, 1992)===
'''Logo:''' On a black background, the words "RELEASED THROUGH" appear on the top. Below is "RKO PICTURES DISTRIBUTION".
 
'''FX/SFX:''' None.
 
'''Music/Sounds:''' None.
 
'''Availability:''' Extremely rare. The only known movie to use this logo is ''Frozen Assets''.
 
<br />
 
===4th Logo (June 24, 1992)===
'''Logo:''' On a black background is a box with a white border with the thunderbolt triangle at the bottom. Inside the box is the famous radio tower on earth. On top the antenna "R", "K" and "O" appear one by one, in red and in its company font. Then "P I C T U R E S" flies in and rests at the bottom of "RKO". Then "DISTRIBUTION" appears at the bottom at the top of the thunderbolt triangle.
 
'''FX/SFX:''' The Earth and the company name appearing.
 
'''Music/Sounds:''' Along with the Morse code beeps, a drumbeat is heard when each letter of "RKO" appears.
 
'''Availability:''' Extremely rare. Only known to appear on the American release of ''The Elegant Criminal''.
 
<br />
 
===5th Logo (October 19, 1996-)===
<gallery mode="packed" heights="200">
File:RKO Pictures (1998).png
</gallery>
</gallery>'''Nicknames:''' "1990s Transmitter", "CGI Transmitter"
|-|
Videos=
{{youtube|id=aKVDIzNXwsY|t=39|id2=JK07hOrQZWk|id3=7Y1OTZk9-jk|id4=QU5TVvVT9Co}}
</tabber>
 
'''LogoVisuals:''' In a cloudy space environment, wethe camera panpans back from a series of spinning clouds to reveal the famed RKO tower, now yellow and lovingly rendered in CGI, and still on top of a rotating Earth. A bright light is seen on the transmitter tip of the tower, and when the camera fully zooms back in a comfortable position, the tower then emits signals. The red text "{{Font color|red|RKO}} PICTURES" fades in on top of the transmitter. "{{Font color|red|RKO}}" appears in athe {{Font color|red|red}}same "thunderbolt" font as the third logo, while "PICTURES" sports a more '30s1930s-ishlike typeface below that.
 
'''Trivia:''' According to a VHS tape containing the logo (shown in a trademark filing), this logo is officially named "Ritual".<ref>https://tsdr.uspto.gov/documentviewer?caseId=sn76349449&docId=SPE20080616075957&linkId=15#docIndex=11&page=5</ref>
 
'''Variants:'''
* A short version begins with the finished result. This can be seen at the end of some TV movies like ''Holiday Affair''.
*When viewed in 4:3 aspect ratio, there are varying versions where more of the rotating Earth globe is seen. There are medium and far views. A version of this can be seen on a demo reel from Flip Your Lid Animation.
* On ''Shade'', the logo begins in black-and-white and then turns into color as the transmitter emits the signals.
*On 4:3 prints of ''Mighty Joe Young'' (1998) and ''Are We Done Yet?'', the logo zooms out to a much farther distance than usual, revealing more of the rotating Earth globe at the bottom.
* On ''Beyond a Reasonable Doubt'' (2009), the background is in a darker shade of red.
 
'''FX/SFXTechnique:''' The bright light and the sound waves, all in great CGI. This was done by Studio Productions (now known as "Flip Your Lid Animation").
 
'''Music/SoundsAudio:''' A triumphant and majestic orchestral fanfare (composed by RKO owner Ted Hartley) with the iconic Morse code beeps at the end.
 
'''Music/SoundsAudio Variants:'''
* Sometimes, the opening theme is heard with the beeping played over it.
* The short version has a short rendition of the fanfare.
*A high-toned version of the fanfare can be heard on ''Barely Lethal''.
 
'''Availability:''' Uncommon. First seen on the 1996 television film ''Holiday Affair'' (it ''may'' have appeared on the 1996 film ''Milk & Money'', but this is unconfirmed as the film is too obscure to figure out). It canlater be seenappeared on films such films as ''Mighty Joe Young'' (1998), ''The Magnificent Ambersons'' (2002), ''Gin Game'', ''Are We Done Yet?'', ''Beyond a Reasonable Doubt'' (2009 version), ''A Late Quartet'', and ''Barely Lethal''. Since the release of the latter film in 2015, the company has not produced a new film due to a focus on licensing their library for stage shows and remakes by other film companies. It has reappeared in full on the trailer for ''Ocean of Lies''.
 
===6th Logo (Website intro, February 2, 2011-June 26, 2018)===
'''Editor's Note:''' A wonderful CGI ode to the famed RKO tower, complete with a gorgeous fanfare.
<tabber>
 
Image=
<br />
<gallery mode="packed" heights="200">
File:D687059539c02881e46c0448aee3f84b.jpeg
</gallery>
|-|
Video=
{{YouTube|id=xOlKlTgJNIA}}
</tabber>
 
'''Visuals:''' The previous logo is initially seen, animating in reverse in black and white. As it zooms to the bright light, a thunderbolt appears out of the light and the letters "RKO" in silver Gotham lettering appear with a shine effect, with a thunderbolt sticking out of the "K". The clouds later fade into a black background.
===6th Logo (2009-February? 2018)===
'''Nickname:''' "CGI Transmitter II"
 
'''Technique:''' CGI, with 2D Flash animation for the RKO print logo.
'''Logo:''' We see the previous logo animating in reverse in black and white. As it zooms to the bright light, there is a thunderbolt that appears out of the light and it displays the letters "{{Font color|silver|RKO}}" in {{Font color|silver|silver}} lettering with a shine effect. The clouds later fade into a black background.
 
'''Audio:''' The Ted Hartley-composed fanfare from the 1996 logo, but the Morse code sounds play earlier and a deep whoosh is heard when the RKO logo appears.
'''FX/SFX:''' The logo zooming into the light, "RKO" appearing.
 
'''Availability:''' This logo was used in the 2011 version of RKO's official website until the site was changed in mid 2018.
'''Music/Sounds:''' Same as the last logo, but the Morse code sounds play earlier.
 
=== References ===
'''Availability:''' Extinct. This logo was used in the 2009 version of RKO's official website until the site was changed in early 2018. You can still see the logo using the Wayback Machine.
{{Reflist}}
 
{{Film logos}}
[[Category:Movie Logos]]
[[Category:AmericanFilm Movie Logoslogos]]
[[Category:American Logosfilm logos]]
{{American film logos}}
[[Category:United States]]
[[Category:RKO Pictures]]
[[Category:Logos with music by Ted Hartley]]
[[Category:Logos made by Flip Your Lid Animation]]
[[Category:English-language logos]]

Latest revision as of 01:05, 23 October 2024

Main Logo Variations
This article is about the current iteration of RKO. For the original incarnation, see RKO Radio Pictures.

Credits
Descriptions by
Nicholas Aczel, Sean Beard, Logophile, OZ_Paramount87, indycar, and Vahan Nisanian

Captures by
SubparMario63, Eric S., indycar, Sagan Blob, naxo-olé and others

Video captures courtesy of
Eric S., DudeThatLogo, Peakpasha, simblos, LogoLibraryinc, MyNewBryceIsHere2012, JeiceTheWarrior, mcydodge919 and Kiernan Howell-MacKinley


Background

In 1981, RKO General, corporate heir to RKO Radio Pictures under the General Tire and Rubber Company, began to re-enter film production by resurrecting the RKO Pictures label, which co-produced several films with various studios, such as Avco Embassy Pictures, Universal Pictures, 20th Century Fox, and Paramount Pictures. In 1984, General Tire's media holdings were reorganized to form GenCorp, with RKO General remaining as a subsidiary. A hostile takeover was attempted in 1987 on GenCorp, and RKO Pictures was spun off and sold to Wesray Capital Corporation, who then spun off the company in 1989. The studio was then acquired by and merged with Pavilion Communications, then owned by actress Dina Merrill and her husband, film producer Ted Hartley.


Contents

1st Logo (September 25, 1981-1987) 2nd Logo (April 10, 1987-March 21, 1992) 3rd Logo (June 24, 1992) 4th Logo (October 23, 1992) 5th Logo (Ritual) (October 19, 1996-April 30, 2015) 6th Logo (February 2, 2011-June 26, 2018)
1st Logo (September 25, 1981-1987) 2nd Logo (April 10, 1987-March 21, 1992) 3rd Logo (June 24, 1992) 4th Logo (October 23, 1992) 5th Logo (Ritual) (October 19, 1996-April 30, 2015) 6th Logo (February 2, 2011-June 26, 2018)



1st Logo (September 25, 1981-1987)

Visuals: On a plain black background, a segmented, white-lined rectangle with a cut on the left side and the text "RKO PICTURES" below emerges from the top of the screen, and moves down and curves up as if on a roller coaster, zooming up to the center of the screen. There is also a red variant of the thunderbolt from the closing 1929 RKO Radio Pictures logo flipping up and growing in size as it lands below the cut on the rectangle in between "RKO" and "PICTURES." The text "DISTRIBUTED BY" appears above the logo.

Technique: Analog 2D animation.

Audio: A three-note synthesized tune with rising air and a thunderclap as the logo parts come together, followed by a gradual synthesized fade out.

Availability: This logo was only used as a distribution logo on television and did not appear on any of the studio's film output. Appeared on 1980s syndicated prints of Riff Raff, I Remember Mama (notably a November 1989 AMC broadcast), What Price Hollywood, Mr. and Mrs. Smith (1941), None But the Lonely Heart, Westward Passage, and Nocturne, among others; some of these prints air on TCM occasionally. Home media releases from RKO Home Video and The Nostalgia Merchant may include this logo at the end of such films as Citizen Kane, The Magnificent Ambersons (1942), and Isle of the Dead. Also appears on the 1986 VidAmerica VHS release of Suspicion and the 1990 Turner Home Entertainment VHS release of Bringing Up Baby (Turner actually reprinted some older RKO Home Video releases). It is unknown which Turner reprints (or any Warner Home Video reprints) of RKO films have this logo.

2nd Logo (April 10, 1987-March 21, 1992)

Visuals:

  • Opening: The logo begins the same as in the second RKO Radio Pictures logo. After a few seconds, a segmented white-lined rectangle with a cut on the left side and the text "RKO PICTURES" appearing on opposite sides of the red thunderbolt triangle design emerges from the transmitter tip, and moves downward, zooming towards the lower third of the screen, then the background fades to black.
  • Closing: The closing logo of these movies is a still picture of the opening logo, with "An RKO Picture" in the 1929 "thunderbolt" font.

Technique: Live-action for the Earth globe, 2D animation for the thunderbolts, and analog animation for the RKO logomark.

Audio: A series of Morse code beeps. The closing variant is silent.

Availability: It appeared on some films that Paramount Pictures released from this time frame, including Campus Man, Hamburger Hill, and Hot Pursuit (1987).

3rd Logo (June 24, 1992)

Visuals: On a black background, there is a box with a white border with the thunderbolt triangle at the bottom. Inside the box, there is the famous radio tower on earth. On top of the antenna "R", "K" and "O" appear one by one, in red and in its company font. Then, "P I C T U R E S" flies in and rests at the bottom of "RKO". Then "DISTRIBUTION" appears at the bottom at the top of the thunderbolt triangle.

Technique: 2D animation for the text, with the globe in live-action and thunderbolts using 2D animation.

Audio: Along with the Morse code beeps, a drumbeat is heard when each letter of "RKO" appears.

Availability: Only known to appear on the American release of The Elegant Criminal.

4th Logo (October 23, 1992)

Visuals: On a black background, the words "RELEASED THROUGH" appear on the top. Below, there is "RKO PICTURES DISTRIBUTION".

Technique: A still graphic.

Audio: None.

Availability: The only known movie to use this logo is Frozen Assets.

5th Logo (Ritual) (October 19, 1996-April 30, 2015)

Visuals: In a cloudy space environment, the camera pans back from a series of spinning clouds to reveal the famed RKO tower, now yellow and rendered in CGI, and still on top of a rotating Earth. A bright light is seen on the transmitter tip of the tower, and when the camera fully zooms back in a comfortable position, the tower then emits signals. The red text "RKO PICTURES" fades in on top of the transmitter. "RKO" appears in the same "thunderbolt" font as the third logo, while "PICTURES" sports a more 1930s-like typeface below that.

Trivia: According to a VHS tape containing the logo (shown in a trademark filing), this logo is officially named "Ritual".[1]

Variants:

  • A short version begins with the finished result. This can be seen at the end of some TV movies like Holiday Affair.
  • When viewed in 4:3 aspect ratio, there are varying versions where more of the rotating Earth globe is seen. There are medium and far views. A version of this can be seen on a demo reel from Flip Your Lid Animation.
  • On 4:3 prints of Mighty Joe Young (1998) and Are We Done Yet?, the logo zooms out to a much farther distance than usual, revealing more of the rotating Earth globe at the bottom.

Technique: CGI by Studio Productions (now known as Flip Your Lid Animation).

Audio: A triumphant and majestic orchestral fanfare (composed by RKO owner Ted Hartley) with the iconic Morse code beeps at the end.

Audio Variants:

  • Sometimes, the opening theme is heard with the beeping played over it.
  • The short version has a short rendition of the fanfare.
  • A high-toned version of the fanfare can be heard on Barely Lethal.

Availability: First seen on the 1996 television film Holiday Affair (it may have appeared on the 1996 film Milk & Money, but this is unconfirmed as the film is too obscure to figure out). It later appeared on such films as Mighty Joe Young (1998), The Magnificent Ambersons (2002), Gin Game, Are We Done Yet?, Beyond a Reasonable Doubt (2009), A Late Quartet, and Barely Lethal. Since the release of the latter film in 2015, the company has not produced a new film due to a focus on licensing their library for stage shows and remakes by other film companies. It has reappeared in full on the trailer for Ocean of Lies.

6th Logo (Website intro, February 2, 2011-June 26, 2018)

Visuals: The previous logo is initially seen, animating in reverse in black and white. As it zooms to the bright light, a thunderbolt appears out of the light and the letters "RKO" in silver Gotham lettering appear with a shine effect, with a thunderbolt sticking out of the "K". The clouds later fade into a black background.

Technique: CGI, with 2D Flash animation for the RKO print logo.

Audio: The Ted Hartley-composed fanfare from the 1996 logo, but the Morse code sounds play earlier and a deep whoosh is heard when the RKO logo appears.

Availability: This logo was used in the 2011 version of RKO's official website until the site was changed in mid 2018.

References

  1. ↑ https://tsdr.uspto.gov/documentviewer?caseId=sn76349449&docId=SPE20080616075957&linkId=15#docIndex=11&page=5
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