Associated Artists Productions

Background
Associated Artists Productions (a.a.p.) was a distributor of theatrical feature films and short subjects for television founded in 1953 and headed by Eliot Hyman (who also founded Seven Arts Productions in partnership with Ray Stark in 1957). The company was acquired by United Artists Pictures in 1958 and was folded into United Artists Television. Associated Artists Productions later became "United Artists Associated" and later "United Artists Television Distribution" in 1968. The library was incorporated into MGM/UA Entertainment Co. after the merger of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and United Artists in 1981. Turner Broadcasting Systems acquired MGM/UA on March 25, 1986 (and later sold back the company on August 26). The library is now owned by Warner Bros. Entertainment by the way of Turner Entertainment Co. with Warner Bros. Pictures holding distribution (Warner Bros.'s owner Time Warner purchased Turner in 1996).

Note: This page is about Associated Artists Productions used on live-action re-releases. For the descriptions for cartoon re-releases, see here.

1st Logo (1954?)
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Logo: On a wood-like background, we see the lettering "Associated Artists" in a row, under it we see the Associated Artists Productions print logo, consisting of a test card-like symbol with "AAP" on it. This is surrounded by two film-stock lines. Under it "Productions, Inc." is seen.

Variant: Depending on the print, the logo is open-matte and does not have light shining on it.

FX/SFX: None.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Extremely rare. Although most copies of it have the 1936 Universal Studios logo intact, it may appear on some public domain prints of the Sherlock Holmes film Terror by Night and Walk the Dark Street (where the variant can be seen).

Editor's Note: None.

2nd Logo (1955-1959)
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Nickname: "The Atom"

Logo: Over a black background, the logo starts with a single white electron orbiting around. At the sound of a percussion riff, the electron becomes a lowercase "a". Another electron starts to orbit. It then becomes another "a." A third electron begins to orbit. That becomes a lowercase "p." The letters "Arial Black" zoom up behind the spinning atom, as the words "Times New Roman" fade in below the "Arial Black"s, along with "presents" below the "Arial Black". The atom zooms-out.

FX/SFX: The animation of the atom and appearances of the letters.

Music/Sounds: A rhythmic drum section is heard throughout the logo, with three corresponding cymbal crashes each accompanying the appearance of the three initials in "aap".

Availability: Extinct. Was seen on pre-1980s syndication prints of feature films that were originally released by Warner Bros. Pictures, respectively, but most prints have been restored and remove this logo.

Editor's Note: The drum rhythm and cymbals can startle some people.