The Filmgroup

Background:
The Filmgroup was a production and distribution company founded by filmmakers Roger Corman and his brother Gene Corman in 1959. Corman used it to make and distribute his own movies, as opposed to ones he was making for American International Pictures. The company ultimately folded but lessons from running it helped Corman make a success later of New World Pictures. Filmgroup also produced early feature work of Francis Ford Coppola, Peter Bogdanovich, Charles B. Griffith, Curtis Harrington, Jack Hill, Monte Hellman, Robert Towne and Jack Nicholson. The first films they distributed consisted of the double bill, High School Big Shot and T-Bird Gang, movies which Corman had executive produced and helped financed. Corman would also buy films made by independent distributors, in addition to several films from the Soviet Union, which he would re-dub and have additional scenes shot and added to. Many of the films distributed were the original Little Shop of Horrors, Ski Troop Attack and Creature from the Haunted Sea. Gene Corman left the company in 1963 to join 20th Century-Fox and Corman handed over distribution of his films to American International Pictures. The company soon wound up. Corman never bothered to copyright the movies so most of them are in the public domain.

(1960-1961)
Logo: On a white background, the words "Times New Roman" are seen on the bottom right side of the screen in a Wide Latin font with "presents" in italics underneath. After a few seconds, ridged circles and splotches appear all over the screen in sync to the fanfare, appearing in 3 segments (one where they appear randomly, one where they appear in a column-like formation, and another where a ridged circle appears over 2 places). As the final segment finishes, a sole, pitch black circle is seen above the words for a few seconds, right before the words are replaced by three copies of the circle.

Variant: On Atlas, the background is red and the logo is completely still.

Technique: Circles appearing all over the place.

Music/Sounds: A dramatic theme composed by Ronald Stein.

Availability: Extremely rare. Is absent on even most public domain prints of the movies in which the company distributed. However, it can be seen on the Legend Films release of The Little Shop of Horrors and color prints of The Last Woman on Earth. Can also still be seen in Atlas.