Embassy Films Associates: Difference between revisions

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{{Pagecredits|descriptionA=James Fabiano, Sean Beard, Eric S., Matt Williams, Matthew Anscher, Supermarty-o, Mark Edward Heuek and indycar|capture=Eric S., V of Doom, Supermarty-o, Derrick Anderson, Gilblitz112, and TheEriccorpinc|edits=V of Doom, Mr. Logo Lord, kidinbed, Shadeed A. Kelly and indycar|video=eyeh8nbc and AaronTLenc2}}
{{Pagecredits|description=James Fabiano, Sean Beard, Eric S., Jess Williams, Matthew Anscher, Supermarty-o, Mark Edward Heuek and indycar|capture=Eric S., V of Doom, Supermarty-o, Derrick Anderson, Gilblitz112 and TheEriccorpinc|edits=V of Doom, Mr. Logo Lord, kidinbed, Shadeed A. Kelly and indycar|video=eyeh8nbc and AaronTLenc2}}



===Background===
===Background===
In January 1982, when acclaimed TV producers Norman Lear and Jerry Perenchio acquired [[Avco Embassy Television]] and dropped "Avco" from its name, the film division followed suit, reverting to the previous '''Embassy Pictures''' name. In 1984, the film division was renamed "'''Embassy Film Associates'''". Lord Lew Grade (who had just stepped down as head of [[ITC Entertainment Group|ITC Entertainment]]) was brought in to run the international unit until Lear and Perenchio sold Embassy to [[The Coca-Cola Company]] on June 18, 1985.
Embassy Pictures was founded by film producer Joseph E. Levine in 1942 as a foreign film distributor. Levine distributed such films as ''Godzilla, King of the Monsters'', ''Hercules'' (the 1958 Steve Reeves version) and, more infamously, ''Santa Claus Conquers the Martians''. In 1967, Levine sold the company to Avco Corporation, an aviation equipment and financial services company, reincorporating it as "Avco Embassy Pictures Corporation". In 1976, Avco Embassy sold off their broadcasting division to Multimedia, Inc. and became [[Multimedia Entertainment]]. In January 1982, when Norman Lear and Jerry Perenchio acquired the studio, the film division changed accordingly, reverting to the previous Embassy Pictures by dropping off "Avco". In 1984, the film division was renamed "Embassy Film Associates". Lord Lew Grade (who had just stepped down as head of ITC Entertainment) was brought in to run the international unit until Lear and Perenchio sold Embassy to [[The Coca-Cola Company]] on June 18, 1985. In late 1985, Coca-Cola sold the Embassy Pictures division to Dino de Laurentiis by forming [[De Laurentiis Entertainment Group]] and folded Embassy Films Associates. However, Coca-Cola continued to own the television division, by now renamed to ELP Communications (standing for Embassy Limited Partnership, Embassy Lear Perenchio, or Embassy Lear Pictures, depending on the source) and as an in-name only unit of [[Columbia Pictures Television]]. Coca-Cola then sold Embassy Home Entertainment to Nelson Holdings International which formed [[Nelson Entertainment]] in 1986. In 1988, DEG went bankrupt and its library assets were sold to Parafrance International, who was eventually purchased by [[StudioCanal (France)|StudioCanal]], which merged the DEG library with that of [[Carolco Pictures]] when it itself went bankrupt (Carolco owned DEG's Wilmington studio and the rights to several features that were in production at the time of the DEG bankruptcy). Currently, [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios|Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer]] owns American home media rights to most of the Embassy film library after they acquired the rights to the pre-March 31, 1996 [[PolyGram Filmed Entertainment (UK)|PolyGram Filmed Entertainment]] library, which also included the Nelson library. [[Sony Pictures Television]] owns television rights to the film library as successor-in-interest to Embassy Communications. Sony also owns the Embassy logo, names and trademarks through ELP Communications. [[Lionsgate Films]] owns American streaming rights to select titles in the Embassy library, and home media rights to at least some of the same, by agreement with StudioCanal.


In late 1985, Coca-Cola sold the Embassy Pictures division to Dino de Laurentiis, who folded Embassy Films Associates into his own [[De Laurentiis Entertainment Group]]. However, Coca-Cola continued to own the television division, by now renamed to ELP Communications (standing for Embassy Limited Partnership, Embassy Lear Perenchio, or Embassy Lear Pictures, depending on the source), which subsequently served as an in-name only unit of [[Columbia Pictures Television]]. Coca-Cola then sold [[Embassy Home Entertainment]] to Nelson Holdings International, which formed [[Nelson Entertainment]] in 1986.
== Embassy Pictures (1st Era) ==
===1st Logo (May 28, 1961-December 21, 1967)===
[[File:Lr7R1LDVMELLOVsec2SyRw8724.jpeg|center|350px]]
<center>
<youtube width="329" height="186">qozXfzKSulE</youtube>
<youtube width="329" height="186">C-yPFtSaPFw</youtube>
<youtube width="329" height="186">Zn9XqNMfiHs</youtube>
</center>
'''Nicknames:''' "Circular E", "Spotlight E"


In 1988, DEG went bankrupt and its library assets were sold to [[Parafrance Films|Parafrance International]], a firm eventually purchased by [[StudioCanal]], which merged the DEG library with that of [[Carolco Pictures]] when it itself went bankrupt (Carolco owned DEG's Wilmington studio and the rights to several features that were in production at the time of the DEG bankruptcy).
'''Logo:''' On a black background, a spotlight is shining on the middle of the screen, and a huge black, lower-case "e" is on it. Inside the "e" are the words "AN EMBASSY PICTURES RELEASE", with the "EMBASSY PICTURES" in white in the middle, centered, and the "AN" and "RELEASE" both in black above it. All the words are in a broad font.


Currently, [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios|Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer]] owns American home media rights to most of the Embassy film library after they acquired the rights to the pre-March 31, 1996 [[PolyGram Filmed Entertainment|PolyGram]] library, which also included the Nelson library. [[Sony Pictures Television]] owns television rights to the film library as successor-in-interest to Embassy Communications. Sony also owns the Embassy logo, names and trademarks through ELP Communications. [[Lionsgate Films]] owns American streaming rights to select titles in the Embassy library, and home media rights to at least some of the same, by agreement with StudioCanal.
'''Variants:'''


===Logo (February 19, 1982-May 2, 1986)===
*A Black & White variant, has been spotted.
<gallery mode="packed" heights="200">
*There are some in-credit variants.
260f2c97536a00928d247e0ee08ba061.png

D844c7b01b5bafc8cdf13305c119fbd5.png
'''FX/SFX:''' None.
F3c1fec6dc5d14f0f81c52c90a088c60.png

5fdab6173ef5d753ef024d92e8356010.png
'''Music/Sounds:''' Only the opening theme of the movie.
A6d9e5512e8f8277e270e076113d9540.png

D14a818635970e1d6906a124b2258a1b.png
'''Availability:''' Rare. It's seen on some American-distributed Italian movies (most of which are in public domain) and ''The Graduate''. While the next logo below plastered this logo on most pre-1998 prints of the latter (while the 1978 Magnetic Video Corporation VHS release plasters this with the Avco Embassy Television logo). It has been restored on current prints of ''The Graduate'', beginning with the 1997 StudioCanal/Carolco Pictures (through Strand Releasing and Rialto Pictures) theatrical release and 1998 PolyGram Video VHS release, along with the MGM Home Entertainment DVD and Blu-ray releases and current television airings.

'''Editor's Note:''' None.

== Avco Embassy Pictures ==
===2nd Logo (March 18, 1968-February 12, 1982)===
<gallery mode=packed heights=200>
File:3bdc1bc28c0924108cfcff0342b6a411.png
File:Aea7cf2206e3c25d2e7ff282d2ee4435.png
File:B47cac4f116f8004a55224f7f5affec0.png
File:39afd2a933b4c037fee9dd784179a5c0.jpeg
File:A822200288e18315d99e7c4fc19513e7.png
File:1f0d6ad8b4e9e89aa9b3b5f76ec1ad00.jpeg
</gallery>
</gallery>
{{YouTube|id=YAqK4ZQWs4o|id2=9kgJFADesyo|id3=3s7vD7JD6RU|id4=jXWEu59Yksg|id5=74P-62eoQIU|id6=GwaRDxAU_gk}}
<center>
<youtube width="329" height="186">86EX_fVvssc</youtube>
<youtube width="329" height="186">5ptoEJ73Y_M</youtube>
<youtube width="329" height="186">0XjHMqMw-c8</youtube>
<youtube width="329" height="186">NYE-05bE5pA</youtube>
<youtube width="329" height="186">GWQtIbsVzqk</youtube>
<youtube width="329" height="186">h_dNEvFIhrU</youtube>
<youtube width="329" height="186">GGRs3mqUKHs</youtube>
</center>


'''Visuals:''' Over a {{color|blue}} background, 2 large white pieces, consisting of a large white E with a triangle cut-out, and a strange-looking "C" zoom out while rotating clockwise. They slowly move together during this, in which they meet up to form the Embassy logo, a boldface "E" in Futura Medium Bold BT extended to feature a star cut-out. The text "'''EMBASSY'''PICTURES" in the same font as the logo, fades in underneath, as well as a registered trademark symbol under it.
'''Nickname:''' "AE Slate"


'''Trivia:''' This logo was designed by Chermayeff & Geismar Associates of New York, who also designed the 1984 [[PBS]] logo.
'''Logo:''' After a rectangular iris-in, three copies of a stylized "AE" (consisting of a right triangle, a rectangle, and three striped horizontal vertical lines, or the Avco empennage logo with 3 striped rectangles on the side forming an "E") float in a circular pattern. The logos are {{Font color|red|red}}, {{Font color|green|green}}, and {{Font color|blue|blue}}, and they eventually merge to form a white version of the logo. This one changes colors one shape at a time; the triangle turns {{Font color|blue|blue}}, and each of the other shapes turn {{Font color|green|green}}. Below, three copies of the message "AN AVCO EMBASSY FILM" ({{Font color|red|red}}, {{Font color|green|green}} and {{Font color|blue|blue}}) come in from the left, right, and bottom and merge under the logo to form a white version of the words.


'''Variants:'''
'''Variants:'''
* Starting in <u>1984</u>, the logo appears without the "EMBASSY PICTURES" text and the registered trademark symbol is shifted to the logo. This is when the film division was referred to as "Embassy Films Associates".
*An in-credit variant exists with "Avco Embassy Pictures" in the font used in the credits, as well as "presents" below. Above is an outline of the Avco logo (without the striped rectangles).
* Depending on the film, the <u>color of the blue background</u> may differ, and the "☆E" may be <u>gray</u>.
*An inverted variant was spotted on the 1983 Australian PBV Video release of ''They Call Me Trinity''. It's unknown whether this appears on other releases of the film.
* Some films <u>lack the registered trademark symbol</u>.
*A Black and White variant was spotted on a re-release of ''The Witch''.
* <u>Current prints of ''This is Spinal Tap''</u> have the colors <u>highly saturated</u>, making it resemble the [[Embassy Communications|Embassy Television]] logo.
*A blue background variant exists, it's unknown where it was taken from.
*A brighter variant exists, it's also unknown where it was taken from.
*Some film prints have the logo highly distorted to fit the entire screen. The inverted version also falls under this.

'''FX/SFX:''' The Scanimate merging effect, which is similar to the Marvel Productions logo.

'''Music/Sounds:''' Is usually silent, but other times, the opening theme of the movie is used.

'''Music/Sounds Variants:'''
*Some films use a dreamy string tune such as ''In Praise of Older Women'', ''Murder by Decree'', ''Phantasm'', and ''Death Ship''.
*A high-pitched and repeating synth riff ending with a six-note synthesized tune was heard on certain movies like ''The Old Curiosity Shop'', ''Permission to Kill'', ''Sidewinder One'', ''Go Tell the Spartans'', and ''Wacky Taxi''.
*On the 2006 Anchor Bay Entertainment DVD release of ''The Seduction'', the Embassy Communications logo theme is mistakenly used. This may be due to a reverse-plastering error.

'''Availability:''' Uncommon. Seen on ''The Producers'', ''Swamp Thing'', ''The Howling'', ''The Fog'', ''Vice Squad'', ''City on Fire'' (1979), ''The Seduction'', ''The Exterminator, Scanners'', ''Target'', ''The Ruling Class'', the original Time-Life Video and Vestron Video and later HBO VHS releases of ''Go Tell the Spartans'', and pre-1998 prints of ''The Graduate'' (the 1987 Embassy Home Entertainment and 1987 Nelson VHS releases of the latter have no logo). This may have been on older prints of ''Escape from New York'', but no evidence has shown up as of yet. Sometimes, as seen on ''The Graduate'', ''They Call Me Trinity'', ''A Nice Girl Like Me'', and ''Woman Times Seven'', the Avco Embassy Television logos plasters this or the previous logo on the Magnetic Video releases. For ITC films that the studio distributed, the logo is removed on the Magnetic Video release of ''The Cassandra Crossing'' but is preserved on the Magnetic Video release of ''The Tamarind Seed''. The in-credit references were also preserved on the Avid Home Entertainment release of ''Farewell My Lovely'', a surprise considering that Avid usually removed or replaced references to other companies with the then-current ITC logo, which precedes the Avco Embassy in-credit opening screen on this release. This logo is also seen on most of the studio's films from the time frame when they are aired on Antenna TV. On streaming copies of ''The Producers'', this logo is plastered by the current StudioCanal logo. It may have been seen on original theatrical prints of the original ''Prom Night'', but it is unknown if it's preserved on the British Embassy Home Entertainment VHS release. It also appeared on the U.S. theatrical and 1983 Warner Home Video VHS release of ''Watership Down'', but most newer prints of the film either cut straight to the opening prologue or have the [[Janus Films]] logo. Weirdly, the logo is retained on Roadshow Home Video's release of ''Phantasm'' (known as ''The Never Dead'' in Australia), despite Roadshow typically stripping logos from most of its home video releases. This also appeared on the 1994 VHS of ''Carbon Copy'' (other home media releases omit this logo).

'''Editor's Note:''' None.

== Embassy Pictures (2nd Era) ==
===3rd Logo (February 19, 1982-May 2, 1986)===
<gallery mode=packed heights=200>
File:260f2c97536a00928d247e0ee08ba061.png
File:D844c7b01b5bafc8cdf13305c119fbd5.png
File:F3c1fec6dc5d14f0f81c52c90a088c60.png
File:5fdab6173ef5d753ef024d92e8356010.png
File:A6d9e5512e8f8277e270e076113d9540.png
File:D14a818635970e1d6906a124b2258a1b.png
</gallery>

<center>
<youtube width="329" height="186">YAqK4ZQWs4o</youtube>
<youtube width="329" height="186">9kgJFADesyo</youtube>
<youtube width="329" height="186">3s7vD7JD6RU</youtube>
<youtube width="329" height="186">=jXWEu59Yksg</youtube>
<youtube width="329" height="186">=74P-62eoQIU</youtube>
<youtube width="329" height="186">=GwaRDxAU_gk</youtube>
</center>
'''Nicknames:''' "Spinning ☆E", "Rotating ☆E"

'''Logo:''' Over a {{Font color|blue|blue}} background, 2 large white pieces, consisting of a large white E with a triangle cote-out, and a strange-looking "C" zoom out while rotating clockwise. They slowly move together during this, in which they meet up to form the Embassy logo, a boldface "E" in Futura Medium Bold BT extended to feature a star cut-out. The text "'''EMBASSY'''PICTURES" in the same font as the logo, fades in underneath, as well as a registered trademark symbol under it.

'''Trivia:''' This logo was designed by Chermayeff & Geismar Associates of New York, who also designed the 1984 PBS logo.

'''Variants:'''
*Starting in 1984, the logo appears without the "EMBASSY PICTURES" text and the registered trademark symbol is shifted to the logo. This is when the film division was referred to as "Embassy Films Associates".
*Depending on the film, the color of the blue background may differ, and the "☆E" may be gray.
*Some films lack the registered trademark symbol.
*Current prints of ''This is Spinal Tap'' have the colors highly saturated, making it resemble the Embassy Television logo.

'''FX/SFX:''' The spinning of the "☆E" and the text fading in.


'''Technique:''' Motion-controlled animation, done by R/Greenberg Associates.
'''Music/Sounds:''' None, or the film's opening score.


'''Audio:''' None, or the film's opening score.
'''Availability:''' Rare. Embassy's library is shared in various forms by StudioCanal (copyright and most international rights), MGM (domestic home media rights), SPT (television rights) and Lionsgate (domestic internet streaming rights under license from StudioCanal) with any of their logos preceding this logo. It is more common than the Embassy Television logos and can still be seen on ''This is Spinal Tap'' and ''The Sure Thing''. The version without the text can be seen on the 2013 Shout! Factory DVD and Blu-ray releases of ''Crimewave'', the 2014 Kino Lorber Blu-ray of ''The Emerald Forest'', the trailer for ''A Chorus Line'' and the VHS release of ''The Sure Thing'' (along with some television airings). However, the 2004 MGM DVD release and Encore airings of the latter use the standard version instead. It was also seen on the MGM Movie Time VHS of ''Eddie and the Cruisers''. This might have appeared on theatrical prints of ''Zapped'' and ''Parasite'' (1982), but home media releases show no evidence.


'''Availability:'''
'''Editor's Note:''' This is a favorite among logo fans.
* Embassy's library is shared in various forms by [[StudioCanal]] (copyright and most international rights), MGM (domestic home media rights), SPT (television rights) and Lionsgate (domestic internet streaming rights under license from StudioCanal) with any of their logos preceding this logo.
* It is more common than the Embassy Television logos and can still be seen on ''This is Spinal Tap'' and ''The Sure Thing''.
* The version without the text can be seen on the 2013 [[Shout! Factory]] DVD and Blu-ray releases of ''Crimewave'', the 2014 Kino Lorber Blu-ray of ''The Emerald Forest'', the trailer for ''A Chorus Line'' and the VHS release of ''The Sure Thing'' (along with some television airings). However, the 2004 MGM DVD release and Encore airings of the latter use the standard version instead. It was also seen on the MGM Movie Time VHS of ''Eddie and the Cruisers''.
* This might have appeared on theatrical prints of ''Zapped'' and ''Parasite'' (1982), but home media releases show no evidence.


{{Chronology|[[Avco Embassy Pictures]]|[[De Laurentiis Entertainment Group]]}}
[[Category:Movie logos]]
[[Category:American film logos]]
{{American film logos}}
[[Category:American logos]]
[[Category:American film logos]]{{American film logos}}
[[Category:Film logos]]
[[Category:United States]]
[[Category:Vivendi]]
[[Category:Norman Lear]]
[[Category:Logos made by Chermayeff & Geismar & Haviv]]
[[Category:Logos made by R/Greenberg Associates]]

Latest revision as of 21:53, 24 January 2024

Credits
Descriptions by
James Fabiano, Sean Beard, Eric S., Jess Williams, Matthew Anscher, Supermarty-o, Mark Edward Heuek and indycar

Captures by
Eric S., V of Doom, Supermarty-o, Derrick Anderson, Gilblitz112 and TheEriccorpinc

Editions by
V of Doom, Mr. Logo Lord, kidinbed, Shadeed A. Kelly and indycar

Video captures courtesy of
eyeh8nbc and AaronTLenc2

Background

In January 1982, when acclaimed TV producers Norman Lear and Jerry Perenchio acquired Avco Embassy Television and dropped "Avco" from its name, the film division followed suit, reverting to the previous Embassy Pictures name. In 1984, the film division was renamed "Embassy Film Associates". Lord Lew Grade (who had just stepped down as head of ITC Entertainment) was brought in to run the international unit until Lear and Perenchio sold Embassy to The Coca-Cola Company on June 18, 1985.

In late 1985, Coca-Cola sold the Embassy Pictures division to Dino de Laurentiis, who folded Embassy Films Associates into his own De Laurentiis Entertainment Group. However, Coca-Cola continued to own the television division, by now renamed to ELP Communications (standing for Embassy Limited Partnership, Embassy Lear Perenchio, or Embassy Lear Pictures, depending on the source), which subsequently served as an in-name only unit of Columbia Pictures Television. Coca-Cola then sold Embassy Home Entertainment to Nelson Holdings International, which formed Nelson Entertainment in 1986.

In 1988, DEG went bankrupt and its library assets were sold to Parafrance International, a firm eventually purchased by StudioCanal, which merged the DEG library with that of Carolco Pictures when it itself went bankrupt (Carolco owned DEG's Wilmington studio and the rights to several features that were in production at the time of the DEG bankruptcy).

Currently, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer owns American home media rights to most of the Embassy film library after they acquired the rights to the pre-March 31, 1996 PolyGram library, which also included the Nelson library. Sony Pictures Television owns television rights to the film library as successor-in-interest to Embassy Communications. Sony also owns the Embassy logo, names and trademarks through ELP Communications. Lionsgate Films owns American streaming rights to select titles in the Embassy library, and home media rights to at least some of the same, by agreement with StudioCanal.

Logo (February 19, 1982-May 2, 1986)


Visuals: Over a blue background, 2 large white pieces, consisting of a large white E with a triangle cut-out, and a strange-looking "C" zoom out while rotating clockwise. They slowly move together during this, in which they meet up to form the Embassy logo, a boldface "E" in Futura Medium Bold BT extended to feature a star cut-out. The text "EMBASSYPICTURES" in the same font as the logo, fades in underneath, as well as a registered trademark symbol under it.

Trivia: This logo was designed by Chermayeff & Geismar Associates of New York, who also designed the 1984 PBS logo.

Variants:

  • Starting in 1984, the logo appears without the "EMBASSY PICTURES" text and the registered trademark symbol is shifted to the logo. This is when the film division was referred to as "Embassy Films Associates".
  • Depending on the film, the color of the blue background may differ, and the "☆E" may be gray.
  • Some films lack the registered trademark symbol.
  • Current prints of This is Spinal Tap have the colors highly saturated, making it resemble the Embassy Television logo.

Technique: Motion-controlled animation, done by R/Greenberg Associates.

Audio: None, or the film's opening score.

Availability:

  • Embassy's library is shared in various forms by StudioCanal (copyright and most international rights), MGM (domestic home media rights), SPT (television rights) and Lionsgate (domestic internet streaming rights under license from StudioCanal) with any of their logos preceding this logo.
  • It is more common than the Embassy Television logos and can still be seen on This is Spinal Tap and The Sure Thing.
  • The version without the text can be seen on the 2013 Shout! Factory DVD and Blu-ray releases of Crimewave, the 2014 Kino Lorber Blu-ray of The Emerald Forest, the trailer for A Chorus Line and the VHS release of The Sure Thing (along with some television airings). However, the 2004 MGM DVD release and Encore airings of the latter use the standard version instead. It was also seen on the MGM Movie Time VHS of Eddie and the Cruisers.
  • This might have appeared on theatrical prints of Zapped and Parasite (1982), but home media releases show no evidence.
◄ Avco Embassy Pictures
Embassy Films Associates
De Laurentiis Entertainment Group ►
Retrieved from "https://www.avid.wiki/Embassy_Films_Associates?oldid=806767"
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