ABC Motion Pictures

From the Audiovisual Identity Database, the motion graphics museum

Credits
Descriptions by
Nicholas Aczel

Captures by
TangoWhiskeyDelta

Editions by
VofDoom, universalxdisney172, indycar, and Donny Pearson

Video captures courtesy of
ifrequire, Xpk951Logos and Peakpasha

Background

ABC returned to theatrical film production in May 1979 as ABC Motion Pictures; it was incorporated by June 11, 1980.[1] ABC Motion Pictures was a boutique production company, and only made a few theatrical films a year. The studio's films were released by 20th Century-Fox Film Corporation (now 20th Century Studios). The studio's president was Brandon Stoddard, who figured that ABC would succeed in movie production as there were additional revenue sources from VHS and cable on top of theater ticket and broadcast TV sales.[2]

The studio didn't start production on its first slate of three films until two years after its formation. Although it mainly made films, it also produced TV movies, series and mini-series. One of the studio's films, The Flamingo Kid, was pulled from release by Fox so the company could stop spending money on advertising, despite the movie doing well.[3]

With networks getting better ratings for their own movies of the week over films released by cable and cassettes, they reduced licensing of theatrical films. Additional boutique production companies entered the market at the same time, crowding the market and increasing filming costs. With films distributed by a major studio, ABC's films were slotted in less desirable release dates.

ABC shut down the studio's theatrical motion picture operation on October 28, 1985, after the release of only 6 theatrical films[4]; the move came within weeks of rival CBS shutting down CBS Theatrical Films. The unit released one more movie, SpaceCamp, already produced in the summer of 1985.[5] ABC continued producing TV movies and mini-series while increasing TV series output through ABC Circle Films. A Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette Securities Corporation media analyst forecast ABC's losses on its theatrical operations for 1985 to be $5 million.[6] The company elected to terminate its agreement with Mercury Entertainment in March 1986.[7]

The Walt Disney Company owns the rights to the ABC Motion Pictures library (and currently own the library through 20th Century Studios after that company was brought by Disney in 2019). Disney has licensed the home media rights to Kino Lorber Films, after being previously licensed to Embassy Home Entertainment, Vestron Video, Image Entertainment, Anchor Bay, and MGM Home Entertainment.

Logo (October 29, 1982-June 6, 1986)


Visuals: On a black background, some moving shots of sparkling transparent crystals are shown. Then a crystal "T" slowly zooms backwards, and more letters are revealed. Finally, when the words

ABC
MOTION
PICTURES

all appear in sparkling crystal, the logo stops in the middle of the screen.

Trivia: The logo was designed by Universal Hartland Visual Effects in North Hollywood, which also created special effects work for the original Battlestar Galactica series. According to studio employee Kenneth A. Larson: "The letters were made from highly polished faceted jewel-like glass crystal. They were glued to a plate of glass. No one knows how to attach them without bubbles showing. A fellow employee came up with a solution and this logo was shot on a Hartland stage."

Technique: Live-action.

Audio: A lush synth orchestral fanfare with twinkles. Sometimes it is silent. On some co-produced films, a more generic theme was used.

Availability:

  • It was seen on films produced by the company, such as SpaceCamp, Prizzi's Honor, Young Doctors in Love, and the international cut of The Day After (which was released on VHS by Embassy Home Entertainment in the 1980s and laserdisc by Image Entertainment in 1995; the U.S. broadcast print was released by ABC's Summa Video label in 1995).
  • Most releases of their films put out by Embassy Home Entertainment, Vestron Video and Anchor Bay Entertainment have this logo intact, but DVD releases by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios have it removed and/or plastered with the 2001 MGM logo.
  • This and the 1981 20th Century Fox logos are retained on Kino Lorber's Blu-ray releases of Prizzi's Honor, The Flamingo Kid, National Lampoon's Class Reunion, Impulse, and Young Doctors in Love.
  • This logo was also seen on international prints of some ABC TV movies, including Who Will Love My Children? and The Day After.

References

  1. ↑ https://appext20.dos.ny.gov/corp_public/CORPSEARCH.ENTITY_INFORMATION?p_nameid=713902&p_corpid=632661&p_entity_name=ABC%20Motion%20Pictures&p_name_type=%25&p_search_type=BEGINS&p_srch_results_page=0
  2. ↑ https://articles.chicagotribune.com/1985-11-21/features/8503200730_1_abc-motion-pictures-movie-boutiques
  3. ↑ https://www.nytimes.com/1985/10/29/business/abc-discontinues-movie-operations.html
  4. ↑ https://www.nytimes.com/1985/10/29/business/abc-discontinues-movie-operations.html
  5. ↑ https://articles.latimes.com/1985-11-13/entertainment/ca-5454_1_abc-entertainment
  6. ↑ https://www.nytimes.com/1985/10/29/business/abc-discontinues-movie-operations.html
  7. ↑ "Mercury, ABC Pics Terminate Contract". Variety. 1986-03-05. p. 4.
◄ ABC Pictures Corporation
ABC Motion Pictures
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