ABC Pictures Corporation

From the Audiovisual Identity Database, the motion graphics museum


Background

ABC Pictures Corporation was a film production division of the American Broadcasting Companies, Inc. The studio's films were distributed by Cinerama Releasing Corporation. The studio never turned a profit for ABC and was shut down in 1972. Walt Disney Pictures has owned the rights to the studio's library since 1996 when Disney acquired ABC. The home media rights are licensed to Kino Lorber after they were previously released by MGM Home Entertainment, Fox Video and Anchor Bay Entertainment.

Logo (September 23, 1968-February 13, 1972)


Visuals: On a blue background, a globe of the Earth, with olive continents and teal water as well as white longitude and latitude lines, slowly rotates around clockwise. Over the globe, an rounded "ab" combo forms over the globe in white, before it spreads slowly apart to reveal the "abc" letters, which slowly turn blue as the globe fades to a black circle (just as the Americas fully come into view.) Below the letters, "PICTURES CORP." fades in as the logo moves left, with a stylized filmstrip wiping in upwards to reveal the globe there. Below, a byline reading "A SUBSIDARY OF THE AMERICAN BROADCASTING COMPANIES, INC." in white fades in below, followed by "PRESENTS" below the filmstrip, also in white.

Variants:

  • Sometimes, "PRESENTS" is not seen.
  • On Jenny, the logo is presented on a white background, with the byline and "PRESENTS" text seen in black. The logo is also smaller.

Technique: A mix of cel animation and live-action model work.

Audio: The opening theme of the film, or none. The Jenny variant uses a whimsical-sounding flute tune with a string flourish and orchestral finale.

Availability: It can be seen on the Magnetic Video Corporation VHS and Kino Lorber DVD and Blu-Ray releases of Suppose They Gave a War and Nobody Came?, Kotch, The Grissom Gang, Song of Norway, and The Last Valley. Some films such as Straw Dogs (on The Criterion Collection DVD and Blu-Ray release (except the MGM and Anchor Bay Entertainment DVDs) only contains the 1968 Cinerama Releasing Corporation logo. It was also seen on the original Magnetic Video Corporation VHS and Laserdisc of They Shoot Horse's Don't They? (current prints have the ABC Pictures International logo), and the Anchor Bay DVD release and TCM airings of Too Late The Hero (though removed on the MGM DVD).

ABC Pictures Corporation
ABC Pictures International
ABC Motion Pictures
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