Screen Gems Cartoons

Credits

Descriptions by
Lenhill, Mr. Logo Lord, RSX-798, garfield13 and Neo-Kirby

Captures by
Lenhill, Mr. Logo Lord, RSX-798, Neo-Kirby and garfield13

Editions by
Lenhill, V of Doom, Bob Fish, garfield13, RSX-798, Neo-Kirby, Trevor807, and DatuDimatablan

Background

George Winkler (with Charles B. Mintz as head manager) opened his animation studio in 1928 to produce animated film shorts, using various vanity cards, which include "Color Rhapsody", "Phantasy", and "Fable" among others. Columbia Pictures Corporation distributed the cartoons and then later acquired a stake in the company in 1933 and launched "Screen Gems". However, when Mintz became indebted to Columbia in 1939, he ended up selling his studio to them. Under new management, the Screen Gems became a full time animation studio in 1940 until 1946 when Columbia closed its animation unit.

The "Screen Gems" name was inspired by an early Columbia Pictures slogan, "Gems of the Screen", itself based on an American patriotic song entitled "Columbia, the Gem of the Ocean".

Columbia later revived the "Screen Gems" name for its its television arm, and then as Sony's genre film division.

Krazy Kat

1st Logo (1929-1931)

• 
• 
• 
• 

Logo: It's Columbia Pictures' then-current print logo used onscreen, overlapped with the second credits.

Closing Title: Same as the opening, but instead of the credits, we can now see clearly the Columbia Pictures print logo overlapped by "The End" written in script and "A KRAZY KAT COMIC" below. Later in 1930, the disclaimer changed to "A WINKLER KRAZY KAT COMIC", and beginning with The Apache Kid, the end title is filled to the screen.

Technique: 2D animation for the first opening/closing titles.

Music/Sounds: The intro/outro of the cartoon's music.

Availability: Rare. Only seen on the Krazy Kat cartoons.

2nd Logo (1931-1939)

• 
• 
• 
• 

Logo: On a black background with an outline looking like a TV screen, the words "A KRAZY KAT CARTOON" appear in big bold letters on the top of the screen. In the middle is the Columbia Pictures print logo overlapped by "The End" written in script and on the bottom of the screen is "a Charles Mintz Production".

Technique: None.

Music/Sounds: The closing theme of the cartoon.

Availability: Rare.

Scrappy

(1931-1939)

• 
• 
• 
• 

Logo: Same as the previous logo, except the word “SCRAPPY” replaces “KRAZY KAT”.

Technique: None.

Music/Sounds: The closing theme of the cartoon.

Availability: Rare.

Color Rhapsodies

1st Logo (1934-1938)

• 
• 
• 
• 

Logo: The same ending for the the previous 2 series logos, this time on a light cyan background, with the Color Rhapsody logo at the top of the border.

Variants:

• Holiday Land (the first Color Rhapsody cartoon) features an orange background and “A Color Rhapsody” in a gothic-like font.
• On Make Believe Revue (1935), the end title is on a curtain.
• On Little Rover, the end title is superimposed over a city-at-night background.

Technique: None.

Music/Sounds: The closing theme of the cartoon.

Availability: Rare.

2nd Logo (1935-1938)

• 
• 

Logo: On a sky blue background, we see the following:

• (1935-1937): There are the words "A COLOR RHAPSODY" in red on a "musical diagram", with "IN TECHNICOLOR" in yellow. Underneath is a simplified drawing of the Torch Lady, with the words "COLUMBIA PICTURES" in bold inside a circle. Below the Columbia logo is the text "A CHARLES MINTZ PRODUCTION" in red.
• (1937-1938): The 2nd closing title was nearly the same as the 1935-1937 end title. Nearly, because the Columbia Pictures logo is inside a square this time, with the Torch Lady more detailed compared to the 1st closing title.

Technique: None.

Music/Sounds: Same as the previous logo.

Availability: Rare.

3rd Logo (1938-1945)

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Logo: The 1936 Columbia Pictures logo is used, except the clouds are orange, the company name is blue, and the Torch Lady is holding a purple drape. Below is “Presents” in cursive lettering.

Closing Logos:

• (1938-1942): "A COLOR RHAPSODY IN TECHNICOLOR" is seen below the pedestal, and the clouds arelight blue. Additionally, the Torch Lady wields an American flag.
• (1942): Above the Color Rhapsody byline is "The End" in script. The flag was soon changed to a drape.
• (1942-1945): "The End" is correctly positioned.

Technique: None.

Music/Sounds: See 1st logo

Availability: Commonly seen on Totally Tooned In!.

Phantasies/Fables

(1941-1945)

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Logo: The same source for the previous series logo, with “Presents” below.

Closing Logos: "The End” in script and "A COLUMBIA [series name]" are shown below the pedestal.

Variants:

• On Under the Shedding Chestnut Tree, the byline reads "A FABLE CARTOON".
• On The Playful Pest, "Presents" appears in a different font.
• On Tangled Travels, both "The End” and "A COLUMBIA PHANTASY” are absent.

Technique: None.

Music/Sounds: The theme of the cartoon.

Availability: Common.