Pearl & Dean

Background
Pearl and Dean is a British cinema advertising company, founded by brothers Charles and Ernie Pearl, and Robert "Bob" Dean.

1st Logo (1953-1968, 1970-1972)
Nickname: "Pillars"

Logo: On a sky background, we see some pillars. Some text fades in at the center of the pillars, and we then begin zooming in. Once we get close, the camera stops, and the text is then revealed to say "PEARL & DEAN present" in yellow. The logo then fades out.

Variants:


 * A later variant in the early '70s had the camera not zooming in as much, and the sky was brighter. This variant has been nicknamed "Pillars II".
 * A version that says, "PEARL, DEAN & YOUNGERS" exists.

FX/SFX: The zooming in of the logo.

Music/Sounds: For the 1953-1968 variant, a rather majestic fanfare. For the 1970-1972 variant, a Latin-flavored music piece.

Availability: Extinct. Was seen in UK cinemas in the '50s. Both variants are available on Pearl and Dean's website, while so far only the first variant is up on YouTube.

Editor’s Note: None.

2nd Logo (1968-1970)
Nickname: "Groovy Dancers"

Logo: Two vertical lines (one green, one yellow) are made on the screen. They unfold and make the letters "P" and "D" (for Pearl and Dean). Each has a clip of someone dancing in it. They fold back again, and unfold to the "P" and "D" again, but this time with different clips. They yet again fold back, but this time, they disappear. Ten smaller lines in rows are five are made, which unfold to make the words “PEARL & DEAN” in a rather odd-looking font. Each letter has a small clip in it, but they then combine to make a large image of a car passing. When the car goes by, the smaller clips return to normal, and seven lines appear under the "PEARL & DEAN", and they unfold to read “PRESENTS”.

FX/SFX: Pretty much all the unfolding of the lines and the dancing clips.

Music/Sounds: A rather fitting dance tune.

Availability: Extinct. Was shown in UK cinemas in the '60s. The only place you can really watch it now is on Pearl and Dean's website.

Editor’s Note: This intro is parodied in one of Terry Gilliam’s animated segments for the Monty Python’s Flying Circus episode “Intermission”

3rd Logo (1972-July 1996)
Nickname: "Asteroid"

Logo: We begin with a black space (which constantly changes shape) on a blue background. An odd-looking white shape appears from that black space, which later fades. When it does, all manner of shapes start shooting up from the center, and while that is happening, the text "PEARL AND DEAN PRESENTS" in white (sometimes blue) shoots up from the center. After it has been there for a few seconds, the logo fades.

Trivia: Heineken used the music in this logo to create an ad specifically for British cinema where the song keeps breaking down and is refreshed by the drink.

Variants:


 * A closing version exists, with, "PEARL AND DEAN" zooming out, instead of in. The "PRESENTS" text is absent.
 * Another closing version with the company's phone number underneath "PEARL AND DEAN".
 * A higher-pitched version exists, although this might be because of deterioration.
 * Starting in 1990, coinciding with Universal Pictures celebrates its 75th Anniversary and introduced the "90s MCA Globe" logo, the logo was given an "enhanced" look. The blue background and the black space-changing shapes are switched to videotape. The black space-changing shapes and the 1970's Pearl and Dean text zooming are using the 1990's graphics.

FX/SFX: The zooming in of the shapes, the black space-changing shapes, and then zooming in of the Pearl and Dean text.

Music/Sounds: The now-iconic 20-second piece named "Asteroid" composed by Pete Moore. A stereo mix version is introduced.

Availability: Extinct, but has now been recognized as legendary by many people. Was seen in UK cinemas in the '70s, '80s, and '90s. Lots of videos of it are on YouTube, and it can be seen on Pearl and Dean's official website.

Editor’s Note: This logo is very memorable and a favorite, thanks to the music, and lasted for a whopping 24 years!

4th Logo (1996-2011)
Nicknames: "Asteroid II", "Fast Filmstrips"

Logo: We see lots of colorful images of filmstrips (or at least the sprockets most of the time) moving around, constantly changing scenes, in time with the music. When that finishes, on the background of the filmstrips, the words "Pearl and Dean" appear in the middle of the screen.

Variants:
 * There is a SpongeBob SquarePants variant of this. The normal filmstrip plays but it also has SpongeBob SquarePants singing the tune. Then when the logo finishes the "Pearl & Dean" text is missing and the logo zooms out (which had the pictures of various Nickelodeon shows when it zooming out) to reveal the Nickelodeon 'splat' logo and the phrase "Enjoy the Film". SpongeBob then appears one last time doing his signature laugh.
 * From 1996 to the early 2000s, the text was different and faded in instead of jumping back onto the screen.

FX/SFX: Pretty much all the filmstrip animation.

Music/Sounds: A remixed version of the music from the third logo.

Music/Sound Variants: On the SpongeBob variant, Gary (voiced by Tom Kenny) meows then SpongeBob (also voiced by Tom Kenny) says "Quiet Gary, it's starting!". He then proceeds to sing the Asteroid theme. Then when the logo zooms out to the Nickelodeon splat a THX-like synth note is interrupted by SpongeBob's laugh.

Availability: Extinct. Was seen in UK cinemas in the late 1990s, 2000s, and early 2010s. The SpongeBob variant played before The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, WALL-E, High School Musical 3: Senior Year, and Harry Potter & the Half-Blood Prince in British theatres.

Editor’s Note: Like the previous logo, this is also very memorable. The SpongeBob variant is a favorite amongst SpongeBob fans.

5th Logo (2006?-2011)
Nicknames: "Asteroid III", "Film Lovers"

Logo: This logo bears a resemblance to "Asteroid" (the third logo). On a blue background, we see filmstrips appearing from the center of the screen, and then the following text zooms up all the way from the center of the screen, in this order:

"all the latest film news...

reviews of the latest releases...

movie merchandise and ringtones...

cinema listings for every site in the UK and Ireland..."

When that text finishes appearing, the filmstrips stop appearing the text "Pearl and Dean for film lovers everywhere" flips in, with "Pearl and Dean" in pink, and at the same time, the website URL, "www.pearlanddean.com", fades in. The URL "shines.", and the "Pearl and Dean for film lovers everywhere" text zooms in and disappear, leaving just the website URL.

Variant: Sometimes, different texts zooming in all the way from the center of the screen, in this order:

"news...

reviews...

listings & film times...

and much more..."

When that text finishes appearing, the filmstrips stays on screen for 1 second before the filmstrips stop appearing the text "Pearl and Dean for film lovers everywhere" starts flips in. Also, the "Pearl and Dean for film lovers everywhere" flips in faster. After the "www.pearlanddean.com" website URL fades in and "shines", the "Pearl and Dean for film lovers everywhere" text does not zooming in.

FX/SFX: The filmstrips appearing, all the text zooming in, the "Pearl and Dean for film lovers" text, and the website URL fading in and "shining".

Music/Sounds: Same as the fourth logo.

Availability: Extinct. It was only ever used as an outro.

Editor’s Note: None.

6th Logo (2011-2014)
Nicknames: "Asteroid IV", "Shooting Star"

Logo: On a purple background, a sort of wave appears along with what looks like glitter. When that is almost off the screen, a shooting star flies on from the right of the screen, splits in two, and draws a carmine pink "&" sign. That zooms out as the words "Pearl" and "Dean" appear on either side of it. They stop in the center of the screen.

FX/SFX: The wave, the shooting star, and the text zooming out.

Music/Sounds: A shortened and remixed version of the Asteroid music from the fourth logo.

Availability: Extinct. You can see it in cinemas which aren't part of the Vue, Cineworld or Odeon chains, like for example Empire Cinemas or the Prince Charles Cinema just off of Leicester Square.

Editor’s Note: None.

7th Logo (2014-)
Nicknames: "Asteroid V", "Circles"

Logo: A group of white circles' movement is being synchronized on a violet background. After the music finishes, a larger circle with the "Pearl & Dean" name appears.

Variant: Pearl & Dean has done various promotional tie-ins with movies such as Jurassic World, The Good Dinosaur, UglyDolls and others. However, the most interesting variation is the one made for Bohemian Rhapsody, a special variant with a rendition of their famous theme done by Queen themselves. The logo is extended to fit with the full theme, and the logo at the end is replaced with the Queen symbol, with "PEARL & QUEEN" below it, in the band's logo's font.

FX/SFX: The circles.

Music/Sounds: Same as before. The full version of the theme from the 4th logo is used in the tie-in variants, except for the Bohemian Rhapsody variant, which has the above-mentioned Queen rendition of "Asteroid".

Availability: Currently in use.

Editor’s Note: None.