Gaumont

Background
The Gaumont Film Company is a major French film studio established in 1895 by engineer-turned-inventor Léon Gaumont (1864–1946). It is the world's first and oldest film studio, established before Pathé (founded in 1896), Titanus (1904), Nordisk Film (1906), Universal Pictures, Paramount Pictures, and Nikkatsu (all founded in 1912).

Gaumont-Franco Film-Aubert was formed from a merger of Gaumont and Franco Film-Aubert. Known as GFFA, it went into liquidation in 1935 and was taken over in 1938. By that time, the company was renamed "Société Nouvelle des Etablissement Gaumont" (SNEG).

(1908-1910)


Logo: On a black background, we see an outlined daisy with a capital "G" written on it.

Technique: None.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availiability: Near extinction. One of the only known films this appears on is Le Tic. Might have been seen on other films from the time, but it is uncertain if they still exist.

(1908-1920)
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Logo: We see the same outlined daisy, this time with "Gaumont" written on it. Sometimes, "FILMS" is shown above, and "CINEMA" is shown below.

Variants:
 * This logo appears on an experimental Chronochrome film made in 1912. Chronochrome was Gaumont's three-colour additive process used from 1912-1913. Throughout the logo, it slightly changes in hue, demonstrating the technique.
 * An orange/golden version is seen on the 1915 silent film L'embusqué.
 * At the start and end of some films, the logo is at the bottom of a stylised frame that usually has French text with the title of the film and the director (Opening) and/or Fin (Closing).

Technique: None.

Music/Sounds: Possibly the opening theme of the film. Silent for the color variant.

Availability: Ultra rare. It appears in cartels of cinema from Gaumont from 1908 to 1914, and appears on the short film L'embusqué.

(1930-1938)


Logo: We see the same outlned daisy, but with the words "GFFA" inside it, squished inside the daisy.

Technique: None.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Extremely rare. It's seen on films of the period, i.e.: Jean Vigo's classic L ' Atalante (1934), retained on the Criterion DVD.

1st Logo (1942-1947?)
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Logo:
 * On a black background, we see an abstract shape resembling a sun with a capital "G" wiping in counterclockwise, and larger copies of the sun expanding behind it. "UN FILM DE LA SOCIETE NOUVELLE DES ETABLISSEMENTS" wipes in within an arc, superimposed over the top of the larger sun copies. The "G" within the cloud is traced, and that copy moves towards the bottom left of the largest sun, which wipes further to reveal "GAUMONT" underneath.
 * On a superimposed background, we see a white sun with a capital "G" in the middle, and ring around the sun, zooming in.

Variants:
 * On a black background, the sun is colored grey, and "G" is slightly bigger. The text "UN FILM" appears above the sun, and the text "GAUMONT" is below the sun. Above the "G" is the text "DIRÉCTEUR DE LA PRODUCTION" Inside the sun is a rectangle with the text "René G. VUATTOUX".

Technique: The zooming in.

Music/Sounds: The opening theme of the film.

Availability: Extremely rare. Can be seen on some films from 1943 until the late 1940s. Used in tandem with the 3rd logo during its lifespan.

2nd Logo (1942-1964)
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Logo: We see a revolving globe surrounded by a sun. A filmstrip surrounds the globe, and "GAUMONT" is wiped on it. Afterwards, "Distribution" wipes in below the filmstrip in script. At the bottom right, "présente" appears in script.

Trivia: The logo is a combination of the globe from the logo of Compagnie Parisienne de Location de Films (C.P.L.F., which was folded into Gaumont) and the sun daisy from the previous logo.

Variants:
 * Sometimes on other films, the "GAUMONT" text is off-centered and is bolder, then "DISTRIBUTION" wipes in in a same font as "GAUMONT". Also, there is no additional text at all.
 * In early version, the background iris-in, then "C.", "P.", "L." and "F." appears one-by-one, then the letters turn translucent when "LA COMPAGNIE PARISIENNE DE LOCATION DE FILMS" from the left to the right of the script. The translucent "C.P.L.F." is replaced by "GAUMONT" when it was wiped in. Then the words "Times New Roman" wipes in in a script font.
 * Martin Roumagniac: Same as the early version (used in tandem with the early version), but above the globe is "DISTRIBUÉ PAR" in white appears, and "C.", "P.", "L." and "F." appear from the lower part of the screen to the script. Then, the letters turn translucent when "LA COMPAGNIE PARISIENNE DE LOCATION DE FILMS" from the left to the right of the script. The translucent "C.P.L.F." is replaced by "GAUMONT" when wiped in, and "DISTRIBUÉ PAR" disappears.
 * On a Russian print of The Red and the Black (1954), the logo does not appear, but a snipe with Russian text is used, with the music playing as usual.

Technique: The earth moving and the words "Gaumont", "Distribution", and "présente" appearing. On Martin Rougmaniac, the texts "C.P.L.F.", "DISTRIBUÉ PAR", "LA COMPAGNIE PARISIENNE DE LOCATION DE FILMES" and, of course, "GAUMONT".

Music/Sounds: A triumphant fanfare with brass and shrill violins.

Music/Sounds Variants:
 * Sometimes a rearrangement of the general fanfare is used.
 * Martin Rougmaniac: A beautiful fanfare made by an orchestra and a chorus, which begins before the logo
 * During the logo's early years, it would use the opening theme of the film.

Availability: Rare.
 * This logo has appeared on films that they produced from the era until 1964.
 * The places this logo can be spotted is on the Criterion Collection DVD of The Earrings of Madame de..., and the 2006 film OSS-117: Cairo, Nest of Spies, which is set in 1955.
 * It has also been seen on Code Name: Tiger and Martin Rougmaniac.

3rd Logo (1955?-1971)
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Logo: On a blue background, we see a globe surrounded by a yellow sun. A red filmstrip surrounds the globe, with "GAUMONT" written on it. Written above is "LA SOCIÉTÉ NOUVELLE DES ÉTABLISSEMENTS" and below is "DÉPARTMENT FILMS". The yellow "présente" text is being written in a rectangle in cursive text in the corner of the screen.

Variants:
 * The original version had the rectangle in the "présente" text omitted. Also, the logo is slightly open-matted.
 * The CinemaScope/21:9 version has the logo brighter than usual. Also, the "présente" text has been omitted, and the camera angle is slightly different.
 * In later years, the background is grayer. Also, the "É" in "DÉPARTMENT FILMS" is replaced with a non-accent one, and the "présente" cursive font is slightly different and in white.

Technique: The globe rotating.

Music/Sounds: Same as the 2nd logo. On Les Tontons Flingueurs and Les Barbouzes, the logo is silent.

Availability: Rare.
 * Used in tandem with the second logo until 1964.
 * Appears on some films like The Case of Poisons, Marie Antoinette, Queen of France, Les Barbouzes, Les Petits Matins, Fripouillard et Compagnie, and Les Totons Flingueurs.
 * Recently appeared on the OSS-117 films as a variant.

4th Logo (1971-1980)


Logo: Against a smoky dark blue background, we see a revolving orange globe, with several "points" moving like that of a cartoon sun, zooming in from the top right. It immediately cuts to Gaumont's "marguerite" daisy with a "G" inside it, both in white, which resembles the 1st logo's daisy. As it moves out to the left, the background slowly turns red. Then the word "AUMONT" appear at the right, and "DISTRIBUTION" appears at the lower right of the screen.

Technique: The sun globe and smoke effects.

Music/Sounds: A rather ominous fanfare composed by François de Roubaix. The fanfare grows more and more dramatic, with three violin/timpani stabs in sync with the animations at the end.

Music/Sounds Variants:
 * Sometimes the logo is silent.
 * On the TeleMünchen German DVD of Le Guignolo and the re-release of Flic ou Voyou, the 1995 music is strangely kept, possibly due to a reverse plastering error.
 * On the re-release of Les Sœurs Brontë, it has the music from the next logo. If you listen closely, you can hear the music sort of repeating while a Russian announcer says "Gaumont Film Company Presents".
 * On Les Mariés de L'an Deux, It has the music from the 9th Logo.

Availability: Ultra rare.
 * Most current prints of films released during this period are plastered by any of the newer Gaumont logos (mainly the 10th and 11th ones).
 * It is surprisingly intact on the TeleMünchen German DVD of Le Guignolo, and it can be found on the film Violette & François, which can be found on YouTube (albeit with the first half of the logo cut off and the second half's beginning plagued by VHS artifacts).
 * It can also be seen on La Foiles Des Grandeurs.

5th Logo (1980-1986)


Logo: On a blue space background, we see a white daisy zooming forward, eventually reaching the viewer and leaving the screen. The text "Gaumont" in an old-English font (the same font used for the 1908 logo) zooms out along with the daisy from before, which stops on top of the text. When it reaches the end of the screen, it disappears.

Technique: 2D animation.

Music/Sounds: A dramatic synthesized fanfare with pounding synth drums, composed by Vladimir Cosma.

Availability: Very rare.
 * This was used in tandem with the next logo until 1986.
 * Most current prints of films released during this period are plastered by any of the newer Gaumont logos (mainly the 11th and 12th ones), such as on the U.S. Criterion Collection DVD of La femme de chambre et le Peasant (The Maid and the Peasant).
 * This is preserved on Lotaino Da Dove, some DVD releases of Zeder, and the Fox Lorber DVD of The Path to Power.

6th Logo (1981-1994)
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Logo: On a dark blue/black gradient starfield background, several of Gaumont's past "marguerite" daisy logos are shown scrolling into the distance. Then a large white daisy slowly zooms up and out of view. Afterward, the word "Gaumont" in white with the "G" inside the same daisy from earlier (the text appears to be in 3D). The logo continues to zoom out as several more stars shoot forward.

Variant: A variant with a dark blue/dark green gradient background exists.

Technique: 2D animation.

Music/Sounds: Same as the previous logo.

Music/Sounds Variant: On Betty Blue, it has the music from the 9th logo.

Availability: Extremely rare, as Gaumont is plastering old logos.
 * Used in tandem with the previous and next logos.
 * This is intact on the Miramax Region 1 DVDs of Dead Tired, The Visitors, and on the U.S. Cinema Libre DVD of Bengali Nights.
 * Also, it makes a surprise appearance on a German HDTV airing of La Femme Nikita, instead of the 9th logo.

7th Logo (1985-1995)
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Logo: On a dark blue gradient background, we see the Gaumont daisy slowly coming toward us, a la Viacom's "V of Doom", and stars shoot forward as this happens. It fills the screen and then we see the word "aumont" zoom out with a 3D effect. Then it slowly zooms out altogether and disappears. It's similar to the 6th logo except without any daisies.

Variants:
 * There's an extremely rare version with a pale green background.
 * Depending on the film quality, the logo would appear on a blue or black background, and the daisy would be in white or dark gray.
 * Starting in 1990, the logo appears on a black BG, and "Gaumont" is in yellow.

Technique: 2D animation.

Music/Sounds: From 1985 to 1992, it used the same music as the 6th and 7th logos. The 1990 variant had these sounds in a lower pitch.

Music/Sounds Variants:
 * On Peril, a guitar version of the theme is heard.
 * On international prints of some movies, the next logo's music is used.
 * On the Norwegian dub of The Twelve Tasks of Asterix, it has the 4th logo's music.

Availability: Very rare.
 * The first version can be found on the Celebrity Home Entertainment/Just for Kids releases of Asterix vs. Caesar and Asterix in Britain.
 * Gaumont is plastering their older logos on any new prints of their titles (with mainly the 10th and 11th logos), such as on the Region 2 DVD releases of the former two Asterix films.
 * However, it makes appearances on the French R2 DVD of The Party, and the 2000 Image Entertainment DVD of The Twelve Chairs after the 1984 CBS/FOX Video logo (it uses a video master made from a European print).
 * The 1990 version has been spotted on the Fox Lorber DVD of The Last Metro, the R1 Criterion DVD of And The Ship Sails On, TCM airings of Danton, and early French DVDs of La Femme Nikita and Robin Hood: Men in Tights.

8th Logo (1995-2003)
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Logo: We see a map of all the Gaumont logos throughout history labeled with their respective years. The camera pans across the map following the logos until it gets to the last one. We then see a bright flash and then the camera zooms in toward a gold Gaumont daisy in space (with stars shooting forward). It has a cloud of gas revolving around it that quickly transforms into the word "Gaumont" (written in red). The daisy also turns red. The logo shines afterward.

Variant: For the logo's first year, the words "1895-1995" and "100 ANS DE CINÉMA" are displayed above and below the company name, respectively, to commemorate Gaumont's 100th anniversary.

Technique: CGI.

Music/Sounds: A dramatic orchestral opener with a blowing wind sound that follows into a majestic fanfare.

Music/Sounds Variants:
 * On some films, it would be silent or have the film's opening theme.
 * On some films on which it plasters the 6th-7th logos, it would use their respective themes. This occurs on the Sony Blu-Ray of La Femme Nikita, the Alliance Atlantis Canadian DVD of The Big Blue, and the CT DVD of Atlantis.
 * On a plaster of Laisse aller c'est une valse, it has the 3rd logo's music.
 * On the Russian Dub of Just Visiting, after the logo animates, there is a Russian announcer that says "Gaumont Film Company presents, a film by Jeanne Marie Gaubert".

Availability: Uncommon.
 * The full version can be seen on the director's cut of Léon: The Professional (the original United States release print replaced it with the Columbia Pictures logo), Just Visiting, Me Myself I, The Crimson Rivers, and international prints of The Fifth Element and Dracula: Dead and Loving It.
 * In the United States, the short version appeared as a logo for Gaumont Multimedia on the animated series Sky Dancers, Dragon Flyz, Space Goofs, The Magician, and Oggy and the Cockroaches. This does not appear on more recent episodes of the latter series, instead being replaced by the Xilam logo.
 * This also plasters older Gaumont logos on recent prints of their films, such as My Father's Glory.

Legacy: This is one of the earliest 100 years logos on the wiki; most companies haven't been reaching their 100th anniversary until the early 2010s.

9th Logo (2003-2011)
Logo: We start on a black background, then blue haze rises above a horizon, similar to an eclipse, with fireflies flying about. We seen see a silhouette of a boy walking from the distance and stops at a silhouette of a daisy. The boy then bends down and picks up the daisy, then stands back up and lets go of it. The boy then looks up as we travel to the daisy, which comes closer to the screen. The daisy turns colorful and flashes again, turning into the Gaumont logo similar to the previous logo, but more detailed and in 3D. The background changes into a detailed zooming space BG. The Gaumont logo shines and fades out.

Variants:
 * There is also an in-credit logo.
 * On some trailers, the logo is shortened, starting with the daisy flashing.

Technique: A mix of CGI and live-action.

Music/Sounds: We start out with a 7-note fantasy-like fanfare. When the kid releases the daisy, a 4-note xylophone melody plays, ending with a dramatic fanfare. On rare occasions, it is silent or has the film's opening theme over it.

Music/Sounds Variants:
 * The trailer variant only has the 4-note xylophone melody playing.
 * On a plaster of Lavie dissolue de Gerard Floque, it has the previous logo's music.

Availability: Common.
 * It appears on French films from 2003 to 2011.
 * Was also seen as a shortened and simplified (Flash) version of this logo on the company's website.
 * Also plasters older Gaumont logos on recent prints of their films.

10th Logo (May 18, 2011-)
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Logo: On a black background, a red light appears and bursts to form a red line. The red line rotates to look like a petal. After this several more petals fall from the screen as the background intensifies to a blood red color. Soon, hundreds of petals appear to form a red Gaumont logo resembling the one from 1981, but with a more modern look. The petals in the circle keep rotating until the red background becomes black again.

Variants:
 * Starting in 2015, either "depuis que le cinéma existe" ("ever since cinema exists") in French or "born with cinema" in English appears in the same red color and in a different font below the logo.
 * In 2015, to celebrate and Gaumont's 120th anniversary, in the bottom-right corner, the words "120 ans" ("120 years") appear (in a different red font) in a "flower" similar to the one in the Gaumont logo, this was used obviously to mark Gaumont's 120th anniversary.

Technique: CGI.

Music/Sounds: A re-orchestrated version of the first few seconds of the operatic song Casta Diva, originally composed by Vincenzo Bellini.

Availability: Current.
 * First seen on La Conquête and has later appeared on their films that they produced from 2011 onwards.
 * It also seen on Comme un Chef and Un jourmon père Viendra, among others.
 * On English-language productions, it appears on The Neon Demon and many others.

Legacy: This is the earliest "120 years" logo on the wiki; most companies haven't been reaching their 120th anniversary for now. They might not do that until the 2030s.

11th Logo (2011-)
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Logo: Against a black background is "GAUMONT" in a skinny red font, with the "G" inside the stylized daisy from the 1981 logo. The daisy spins as the logo begins, but stops about a second later. On the bottom right of the text, "PRESENTE" appears.

Variants:
 * A black and white variant has been spotted.
 * Another version has "DEPUIS QUE LE CINEMA EXISTE" ("ever since cinema exists") below it.

Technique: 2D animation.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Common. Seen on current reprints of their old films.

Legacy: This logo is a source of annoyance for French logo enthusiasts, as it is used to plaster many of Gaumont's older logos.