Universum Film AG (1917-1945)

Background
Universum Film AG derives from UFA, the oldest German film studio created in 1917 and produced a lot of worldwide-known films. The studio later went into the control of the Nazi government and continued to work during World War II. After the war, the studio facilities remained in the Soviet occupation zone and was renamed DEFA, quickly returning to production, becoming the main film studio in the DDR and created many acclaimed movies until it closed in 1992. In West Germany, the film industry remained long dormant, although Universum Film AG was resurrected in the 1950s and acquired by Bertelsmann AG in 1964. In 1979, Universum Film began releasing home videos. The reunification of Germany led to the existence of loosely based companies UFA, formerly DEFA, and Universum Film with their UFA Home Video label, which gained the rights to distribute former DEFA-made movies on DVD. Universum Film AG celebrated their 30th anniversary in 2009. This has no relation to the other German company Universum Film GmBH, which uses a logo with planets and confusingly also operates the UFA Home Video label.

(1930s-1945)
Nicknames: "UFA Signature", "Almost-Ambigram-Styled Signature"

Logo: We see UFA signature logo taken into a rhombus. Other details depend on the movie shown.

Variants:
 * In early years, the construction was thinner.
 * On Munchausen, the logo looks like neon-tubes, the rhombus is red and "Filmkunst" appears in decorative font
 * On Kolberg, the background was blue and the logo had purple metallic look.
 * On American releases of Metropolis, the Paramount print logo is underneath the UFA logo.

FX/SFX: None.

Music/Sounds: Silence.

Availability: Was seen on German films made in 1930's-1940's, such as Munchausen, Der Blaue Engel, or Kolberg.

Editor's Note: None.