The Samuel Goldwyn Company

Logo description by Logoboy95 Logo captures by Logoboy95, Eric S., and V of Doom Editions by V of Doom, Shadeed A. Kelly, and betamaxtheflyer Video capture courtesy of Eric S. and DudeThatLogo

Background: The Samuel Goldwyn Company, Inc. was an independent film company founded in 1979 by Samuel Goldwyn, Jr., the son of the famous Hollywood mogul, Samuel Goldwyn, Sr., producing and distributing independent films. In 1991, SGC merged with Heritage Entertainment and was later reincorporated as "Samuel Goldwyn Entertainment". In 1996, SGE and its library were acquired by Metromedia and merged with Orion Pictures Corporation, and was later sold to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer under the Tracinda Corporation in 1997, who currently handles most of the SGE in-house productions. However, films SGE merely distributed are now in different hands: The Chipmunk Adventure (a Bagdasarian production) is now released by Paramount Home Media Distribution; Oklahoma! and South Pacific are owned by the Rodgers & Hammerstein estate through 20th Century Fox; and all of the Samuel Goldwyn, Sr.-produced films are owned by Samuel Goldwyn, Jr. via the Samuel Goldwyn, Jr. Family Trust and licensed to Warner Bros. for US distribution and Miramax Films for international distribution. Two years later, Samuel Goldwyn, Jr. founded Samuel Goldwyn Films as his new film company, which he ran up until his death on January 9, 2015. His son Tony now co-runs the company.

(November 9, 1979-February 28, 1997) Samuel Goldwyn ReleaseA Samuel Goldwyn Release (1980)Samuel Goldwyn CompanySamuel Goldwyn CompanyThe Samuel Goldwyn Company (1982, B&W) The Samuel Goldwyn Company (1982, Closing)Samuel Goldwyn DistributionThe Samuel Goldwyn Company (1958/1984)

Nickname: "The Signature"

Logo: On a blue background, we see the words "Samuel Goldwyn" writing themselves in a script font, with a line drawing itself underneath the name. The text "THE SAMUEL GOLDWYN COMPANY" flies up from the bottom of the screen and positions itself below the "Samuel Goldwyn" signature. Otherwise, the name fades in.

Variants:

The early variant has the words "A" and "RELEASE" appearing above and below Goldwyn's name, respectively. A black & white variant of this logo appeared at the beginning of classic Goldwyn movies by Samuel Goldwyn Productions (example is the 1941 Samuel Goldwyn movie The Little Foxes). The closing variant has the text "DISTRIBUTED BY" above the logo. A cable print of South Pacific inserts this variation in the opening credits. The logo often appeared on a black background and was seen on a re-release print of Oklahoma!

FX/SFX: The "Samuel Goldwyn" name writing itself, and the line drawing. None for the early variant. For the closing variant, depends on the movie.

Music/Sounds:

Usually silent, or uses the opening audio/music of the film. On some '90s films, a dramatic fanfare (that is currently used for the Samuel Goldwyn Films logo) is used.

Music/Sounds Variants:

On the Trimark/Pioneer DVD of La Femme Nikita, it uses the Gaumont fanfare (there is 7 seconds of a black screen then the logo fades in at the middle half of the fanfare). On older prints of The Care Bears Movie, the logo has a whimsical, synthesized version of the first few notes of the movie's theme song, "Care-A-Lot". On YouTube prints of Guys and Dolls, the 1995 MGM roar was heard, due to sloppy plastering. It's currently unknown if other current prints have this plaster.

Availability: Uncommon.

Can be seen on films released by this company such as Mystic Pizza, Gregory's Girl, Oleanna, and American Buffalo, among others. On most films put out by MGM DVD/BD, this is retained with the MGM lion and/or the 1996 Orion Pictures logos preceding it. On some films, such as Henry V and The Madness Of King George, this is plastered by the 1996 Orion Pictures logo; while on some DVDs, such Eat Drink Man Woman, Love Is All There Is, Rock-a-Doodle, and The Care Bears Movie, it is replaced with the 2001 MGM lion. On some of their output released through Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, with examples being the Spanish films Matador and Women On The Verge Of A Nervous Breakdown, it is plastered with the Sony Pictures Classics logo. This was seen on the original VHS release of The Chipmunk Adventure, but most current releases (including the 1998 Universal VHS, 2007 Paramount and 2014 Bagdasarian DVD & BD) omit this logo and go into the opening scene. This was also seen on earlier international prints of Two Moon Junction, and makes an appearance on MST3K broadcast of Laserblast as the MST3K gang are entering the theater; It also appears on the Cult Video/Full Moon VHS release of the aforementioned film after the Media Home Entertainment logo. The black & white variant of this logo can be found on The Little Foxes and other black & white films of the era. It can be also seen on re-issues of Oklahoma! and South Pacific; the 1990 VHS of the latter film shows the logo twice, before and at the end of the overture, but the 1994 and 1999 VHS releases cut the logo out entirely. This can be found on the 1999 HBO Video DVD release of Rock-a-Doodle. This also may be seen on foreign prints of Witchboard, Getting Even (AKA: Hostage: Dallas), 3:15 - Moment of Truth, Lady in White, and The Understudy: Graveyard Shift II, among possible others, as Samuel Goldwyn held international distribution rights for those films. It's unknown if this appears the theatrical release of Swan Lake.