Continuing my look into the stories behind movie related things we all take for granted, this week’s choice is The Warner Bros. logo.
The history of Warner Brothers is an interesting one. The brothers Wonskolaser emigrated, together with their parents, from Russian controlled Poland to the United States. Their father changed their surname to Warner. When the brothers were older they started screening the movie The Great Train Robbery in a vacant store, which they called the Bijou. In 1903 they bought a small theater and turned it into a Nickelodeon called the Cascade, where people could watch movies for, as the name implies, a nickle. In 1904 they founded a distribution company and around the time of the first World War they started producing movies. They opened their studio in Hollywood in 1918 and slowly the company began growing and was the first studio to release a talkie in 1927 called The Jazz Singer. For more history on the Warner Brothers I suggest watching the documentary The Brothers Warner.
Through the years the studio logo went through changes as well.
1923-1929
The original version of the logo already had a shield (it’s unclear why it was chosen) and the WB, but also a picture of the actual studio.
1929-1936
Here the picture of the studio has disappeared and the letters WB fill the whole shield. The text shows “WARNER BROS. PICTURES, Inc and The Vitaphone Corp. present”
According to Wikipedia:
Vitaphone was a sound film process used on feature films and nearly 1,000 short subjects produced by Warner Bros. and its sister studio First National from 1926 to 1930. Vitaphone was the last, but most successful, of the sound-on-disc processes. The soundtrack was not printed on the actual film, but was issued separately on 16 inch (40 cm) and, later, 12 inch (30 cm) phonograph discs recorded at 33 1/3 rpm, a speed first used for this process. The discs would be played on a turntable indirectly coupled to the projector motor while the film was being projected.
1936-1937
In the next version of the logo the shield zoomed into view out of the clouds, followed by the text “WARNER BROS. PICTURES, Inc. Present” appearing over it.
1938-1948
The logo has now has more depth to it and a banner has the text “WARNER BROS. PICTURES, INC.” on it.
1948-1967
The classic WB logo colors, gold and blue, are introduced. Sometimes the clouds are the background, but it’s also shown superimposed on the movie itself, as is the case in this screenshot from Rope.
1967-1970
At the end of the sixties a big change was made to the logo as Seven Arts productions acquired a controlling interest in Warner Bros. It appeared in yellow or white and was quite simple.
1970-1972
When the newly formed Warner Bros-Seven Arts was acquired by Kinney National Company it decided to drop the Seven Arts from the name and the logo changed again.
1972
Only used for a very short period, the logo looked like it had in the past.
1972-1984
In 1972 the logo was redesigned by the legend himself, graphic designer Saul Bass and has a stylised W.
1984-2001
In 1984 the classic logo returned with not a lot of difference compared to earlier versions.
1998-2011
In 1998 a CGI version of the logo was introduced which started with a picture of the studios, a ripple going across it and slowly turning to reveal the logo.
2011-
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g14nw9zENvI]
The newest version which transforms into the New Line Cinema logo.
It is funny that with most of these studio logo posts, they all go a bit off the rails in the 70s… trying somethign different then coming back to normal
Great stuff Nostra
Yeah, it’s something I noticed as well, might be the drugs people were taking around then? 😉
I liked that one with the rippling pictures of the studio. Shame they’ve moved on already!
Yeah, they didn’t use it very long!
I also liked the little piece of music that went with it: a small sample of “As Time Goes By” from Casablanca.
Wow.
That one from the 70’s looks evil. Like the perfect symbol for a fascist regime.
Hahahaha, your comment made me smile 🙂
Very interesting, Nostra! Hmm… I prefer the classic logo as well. I’d love to know why they chose a shield.
I wanted to know as well, but wasn’t able to find information about it. I guess it might stand for power or something like that…
Another nice one, Nostra. I had no idea Saul Bass had a hand in that ‘W’ logo, I know he does a bunch of great movie opening sequences.
Looking into some other stuff I also ran into his name a couple of other times and I’m planning to give him some more attention in a future “The Story Behind” feature!
I didn’t know Saul Bass had designed that, either. I loved that animated logo.
Also Nostra, if I remember correctly, the CGI logo as you call it was to herald the anniversary of the studio (80th?), but I’d have to see a movie from that year to be sure. I know when I first saw it, it was something special, maybe it was a big movie. Usually the biggest tent pole movie introduces the new studio logo.
Interesting, didn’t know that it was to herald the anniversary
Very interesting. My favorite is the one from Saul Bass.
It’s a classic one and I seem to remember it from records, although I might be mistaken.
In the early 70’s I was reading a series of reprinted ‘ pulp novels called “The Avenger” by Kenneth Robeson “The Creator of Doc Savage” (which series of novels was immensely popular then, published by Bantam). The Avenger was originally published by pulp king Street & Smith between 1939-41 (renewed in ’67 by Condé Nast). Looking through my copies, the first Avenger book, “Justice, Inc.” was published June ’72 by Paperback Library a division of Coronet Communications. Their logo was an opened book with their name arched above it. This was what was on the title page.
They seemed to have a plan to publish each additional Avenger novel once a month (24 original novels in all). I don’t have a first edition of the second novel, but by at least the third one, “The Sky Walker”, published August ’72, Warner’s must have purchased Coronet. Though the cover still has a logo that just says “Paperback Library” (as well as on the covers of book #2’s 3rd printing and #4’s first printing), on the inside title page the word “Warner” is now above the open book logo and “Paperback Library” straight underneath. The last Avenger book published with the open book logo was the 10th novel, The Smiling Dogs, March 1973. The 11th novel, “River of Ice” published April ’73 has the Saul Bass logo on the cover and title page. A second printing, also April ’73, of the 5th novel, “The Frosted Death” still has the old open book logo on the cover but on the title page is the Saul Bass logo.
I assume by this time, Warner was consolidating all of it’s media holdings under the “Warner Communications” banner, so you may very well have seen the Saul Bass logo on record albums. As a side note observation, the simplicity of the Saul Bass logo was probably envisioned to be applied to these other media products. The logos on the spines and covers of the paperbacks, less than a quarter inch square, can be clearly seen and recognized from several feet away.
That’s some great research, thanks for that! It does sound like a logical choice since it is a very clear logo.
Wow. look at some of those logos! This is amazing! thanks for this post. I liked the Seven Arts one.
No problem T, The Seven Arts one is unique…
A terrific collection. Thanks for that.
(would you ever be able to find the time to do one on Universal Pictures — if you haven’t already done so? I often wodnered how the beautiful one from I believe the 30’s was made, the one with the crystal globe and the like letters that revolved around it and stars spinning in the background. An amazing piece of work! Also, why the current logo seems to show the Eastern half of the world apparently being bombarded while the Western side is left unaffected)
The TV show, The Animaniacs, featured characters surnamed after the Warner Bros. The little sister was named “Dot” with respect to the period in the abbreviated “Bros.”
Thank you for your kind words. The series is still ongoing and I’m planning to do the Universal one next, hopefully it will be up this Thursday. If I don’t manage to do so it will be up next week Thursday for sure.
and don’t forget Paramount too while you’re at it! awesome read.
That Paramount one is already available, there’s a link to it at the bottom of the article.
The 60s-70s seems to be the era when the studios go a bit manic with their logos and do something disastrous. All the studio logos you’ve showcased so far seem to have done that!
True and I don’t know why, my guess would be that they probably all looked at what other studios were doing and thought a redesign might be needed into something which was completely different from what they did in the past.
“In 1906 they bought a small theater and turned it into a Nickelodeon in 1903 called the Cascade, where people could watch movies”
Can you clear this up? It doesn’t make any sense.
Cleared up now, thanks for mentioning this!
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It’d be great if they’d bring back the old Warner fanfare that accompanied the shield and then blended into the opening music of the movie.
Yeah, they could do some great things with it.
Anyone else rememebr an animaniacs or tiny toon adventures where the traditional logo was beating the 70’s logo in the background?
I do! It’s on an episode of Tiny Toon Adventures called: “Her Wacky Highness”, Babs runs away from her home to Wackyland. I loved that episode.
I will miss the way the logo turned into something symbolic to do with the film you were about to watch, like the Batman films.
I think they still do this occasionally, although I don’t know which was the last one…
Would you believe that when I was little, I thought that the Looney Tunes were called the Warner Bros? I would always watch the cartoons, which of course began with the zooming shield. Since they always said “Warner Brothers presents…”, I ended up assuming that Bugs, Daffy, Porky, etc, were collectively called the Warner Bros.
🙂 Well, I can imagine that, especially if you only watched the cartoons it would be a logical thing to do 🙂
Please do the Universal logo soon, it is my favorite and I love the different variations it has had over the decades.
I can now confirm that it will be up tomorrow!
So glad you got the recognition with the HitList you deserve. It’s a great series you are doing.
Amen for that. Keep up the great work, Nostra!
Thanks guys!
I didn’t even have to go to other websites to find out more! Great work Nostra!
Thanks Khyati.
What are the short narratives/stories following the Warner Bros. logo after some Tv programs, e.g., The Big Bang Theory?
I haven’t looked into the tv programs, so I’m afraid I can’t help you with that question.
These logos are not just ID stamps. They are potent devices meant to communicate specific values about the studios and differentiate from each other.
Why a shield for Warner Brothers? What does a shield represent? Family, tradition, establishment, prestige. What is it shielding WB from? (anti-semitism) Why do the letters look like that? Electricity. Modernity, innovation. What does it mean that the company returned to it’s heritage mark?
The Warner Brothers’ logo, as initially used, tells the public “Trust our American family to present modern and exciting pictures that encompass real traditional values.”
The Cohns’ choice of Columbia and her statue if liberty-like personification are meant communicate much the same message.
Nostra, i encourage to take another look at these posts and tell the whole story behind the names and symbolism of the great studios.
I think you addition to it in the form of your comments is great. I didn’t know these things.
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I know there is an 1918 logo.
Cool, I’ll check it out.
From the later 30s to the early 50s, Max Steiner’s thrilling fanfare accompanied the logo. It packed plenty of punch. Perfect example: ‘White Heat’:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVS7YP1w4G0
I always get a kick out of the ‘Jack L. Warner, Executive Producer’ invasion of the sacred shield. The man had one of the largest egos in Hollywood!
Yeah, that sounds great, thanks!
One of your notes mentioned a logo showing a man hitting a large brass gong. That happens to be the logo for the British production distributor J. Arther Rank. Also would like to see something on London Films, and of course Republic Pictures. Keep up the good work on your series.
Thanks a lot Michael. When I was on holiday in London I happened to see the actual brass gong that was used to film that, was cool to see a little part of film history. Will see what I can do on the ones you suggest.
it soulds like don don don don dedede den don don don nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn
twentyth centry of fox sonds like WARNER BROTHERS. Its like don don dondondon bum bum bumpbe bompedididi dit i ti bebb bon bon bon bbbe dondon doooooooooooooooooon
This was a very fascinating logo.