Universal Pictures (1923-1946)

1st Logo (January 16, 1922-September 9, 1927)
Logo: Against some dark clouds, we see a biplane flying around a rotating globe counterclockwise, leaving a trail of smoke behind it, which forms the words "UNIVERSAL PICTURES".

Trivia: Given the fact that the first picture of the Earth from space was not taken until 1967, the globe in the logo is inaccurate. Madagascar is three times larger than in real life, and Japan and the Philippines are missing. Also, the globe spins to the left instead of to the right.

Variants:
 * A more zoomed out version in a sepia tone color was used sometimes.
 * On Soft Shoes (1925), there is a blue toned version of the logo.

Technique: Live-action model work combined with wiping effects.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Ultra rare.
 * Currently appears on some 1920's Universal films on TCM's Silent Sunday Nights.
 * It has also been seen on The Cat and The Canary and was also seen on Soft Shoes as well.

2nd Logo (January 18, 1925-August 1927?)
Logo: On a dark cloudy background, we see a globe slowly rotating where a smiling Carl Laemmle can be seen in the middle. Below are the words "Carl Laemmle" in a script font and "P R E S E N T S" below it.

Variants:
 * On a black background, we see a globe on the top left with Carl Laemmle smiling in the middle whilst the globe is rotating at a normal pace. On the bottom right-hand corner, we see "Carl Laemmle" in a script font like the normal logo and says "Presents" below it.
 * Another variant has the rotating globe but with the "CARL LAEMMLE" text in a capitalized font.
 * At the end of Smouldering Fires, we see the text "It's a Universal Picture" on a black background.

Technique: Practical effects.

Music/Sounds: An organ theme for the normal logo, whilst the variant has a descending orchestral theme which could be an opening theme to the movie. On both prints of the film it would be normally silent like the original film.

Availability: Like most early Universal logos, extremely rare. Can be seen on the silent film Smouldering Fires, and the variant can be seen on another silent film, Head Winds.

3rd Logo (September 9, 1927-September 17, 1936)
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Logo: On a cloud-like background, an earth globe rotates as a biplane flies around it. The text "A UNIVERSAL PICTURE" wipes in diagonally as the biplane passes the globe.

Trivia: The biplane is a Lockheed 8C Sirius.

Variants:
 * The position of the globe varies per movie.
 * The logo was cropped to 1.85 for Universal's 75th Anniversary logo in 1990. However, fullscreen prints of the logo retain the full aspect ratio.
 * A colored variant exists where the entire logo (except for the continents, which are ) is light blue.

Closing Variants:
 * The words "THE END" are seen superimposed over the globe, and the sky is darker. Seconds later, the text "IT'S A UNIVERSAL PICTURE" fades in.
 * Another closing variant exists where the globe is at the bottom right corner rotating. On the top, it says "The End" in a cursive font. "It's a Universal Picture" (also in cursive) is superimposed over the globe. A ray of light also shines down on the globe. On some films, the text is on the bottom left corner. Starting around 1933, the text is in a Broadway font.
 * On short films, instead of the text saying "It's a Universal Picture", the text is replaced with "It's a Universal Short".
 * On cartoons, it says "It's a Universal Cartoon" in a script font.

Technique: Live-action.

Music/Sounds: The sound of the biplane's engine.

Availability: Very rare; can be seen on films of this era.
 * This logo can sometimes be seen after the current Universal logos on certain movies.
 * The earlier DVD releases of Frankenstein and Dracula have plastered this with the B&W variation of the 1997 logo, while the later VHS releases of the films plaster this with the B&W variation of the 1963 logo.
 * Early Betamax and VHS releases of the films do not use a logo at all, though it can be seen on the alternate opening for the former on its 2005 Special Edition DVD and the 2012 DVD and Blu-ray of the two aforementioned titles.
 * This is also seen on Bride of Frankenstein, including its 1984 MCA Home Video VHS release.
 * It appears on TCM's print and the Criterion and Universal DVD releases of My Man Godfrey, although several public domain prints of the film have the logo removed entirely.
 * It was also restored for the Criterion Blu-ray and DVD release of the 1936 version of Show Boat.
 * It surprisingly also appears on a cable print of The Texan, a 1930 Paramount film.

Legacy: This is considered an impressive logo for its era.

4th Logo (May 11, 1936-December 15, 1947)
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Logo: A stylized glass globe is seen, tilted at an angle and surrounded by stars. Around the globe, the words "A UNIVERSAL PICTURE" rotate, in a stylized Art Deco font.

Variants:
 * On some color releases, like color Woody Woodpecker cartoons at the time, the logo is tinted.
 * On the colorized versions of the Universal Sherlock Holmes movies, the letters are gold colored.
 * Like the previous logo, this logo was also cropped to 1.85 for Universal's 75th anniversary logo in 1990. The full screen version retains the full aspect ratio.
 * A Spanish-language version exists, with the text now reading "PELICULA UNIVERSAL". This may have been seen on some Spanish-dubbed Woody Woodpecker shorts.

Closing Variant: Superimposed on a special background or in the last seconds of a movie, we see the words "The End" with lettering that varies on the movie along with the text "A Universal Picture" or "A Universal Release".

Technique: Done in live action, which looks pretty impressive for its time. Created by set designer Alexander Golitzen.

Music/Sounds: A proud, bombastic orchestral fanfare, composed by Jimmy McHugh.

Music/Sounds Variant: From about 1945 onwards, the opening theme of the movie is used.

Availability: Rare.
 * Can be seen on Universal releases of the era.
 * This doesn't show up that often on TV since the movies it appears on don't appear as often as newer movies (so you might have to look on home media), but Svengoolie on Me-TV happens to be one of the best sources of this logo (and other older logos from other movie companies).
 * It also often shows-up on Johnny Mack Brown films from the time period on Starz Encore Westerns.
 * The last regular appearance of this logo was on the Woody Woodpecker cartoon "Woody the Giant Killer".
 * It also showed up on a Screenpix Westerns airing of Destry Rides Again on August 27, 2021.
 * It is unknown if this appears on any prints of the 1943 version of The Phantom of the Opera.

Legacy: This is one only two Universal logos (the other being the 1914 logo) not to make use of the Earth as a globe.