Gold Key Entertainment

Credits

Descriptions by
Kris Starring, BenderRoblox, Jason Jones, Shadeed A. Kelly, and Andrew Batstone

Captures by
Jason Jones, Shadeed A. Kelly, and Eric S.

Editions by
BenderRoblox and Shadeed A. Kelly

Video captures courtesy of
JohnnyL80, Eric S., and Stephen Cezar

Background

Gold Key Entertainment was a television distribution company founded in 1970 by Harold Goldman. In 1971, Gold Key merged with the Vidtronics Company, a subsidiary of the Technicolor Corporation. On January 10, 1980, Gold Key Entertainment established Gold Key Media, a barter division to syndicate new series. In 1983, Technicolor was bought by financier Ronald Perelman's company, MacAndrews & Forbes, and Vidtronics was subsequently sold to Compact Video (which was later itself acquired by Perelman). On February 13, 1984, Four Star International acquired Gold Key Entertainment. After Compact shut down, its remaining holdings (which also included Four Star International) were folded into Perelman's Andrews Group, and eventually became part of New World Entertainment when Perelman acquired that company in 1989.

1st Logo (1971-1980)

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Logo: Up against a red background, we see a white line that "streaks in" in the middle of the screen, making a 90 degree turn to reveal the shape of a two-dimensional key. The design then turns itself into a golden key with the following gold text fading-in front of it:

GOLD KEY
ENTERTAINMENT

A DIVISION OF
THE VIDTRONICS COMPANY, INC.

presents

in the Futura font.

Variant: The closing of the presentation would have the word "Released by" above the logo text and the byline reading as: "A DIVISION OF THE VIDTRONICS CO., INC." below.

Technique: A mix of camera-controlled cel and live-action.

Music/Sounds: A bombastic fanfare, sourced from the KPM library track "Fanfare (1)" composed by Neil Richardson and released on the 1970 album Scenesetters, Fanfares, and Punctuations (catalog number KPM 1057).

Music/Sounds Variants: A low-tone version exists. On at least one movie print, the first few seconds of the opening credits' music is heard instead of the fanfare (as seen on a November 17, 1984 CBN airing of "Susan Slept Here").

Availability: This appeared on '70s/'80s syndication prints of the King Features cartoon library, the syndicated Krofft Superstars (featuring H.R. Pufnstuf, The Bugaloos, Land of the Lost, and other Sid & Marty Krofft series), and various theatrical and TV movies. This currently appears on the Rhino DVD and public domain prints of Road to Nashville. An abridged version of the closing variant appears at the start of the VCI release of Once Upon a Brothers Grimm.

2nd Logo (April 1980-1983)

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Logo: Over a black background, we see a golden key spinning counter-clockwise towards us. It then makes a stop and backs up slightly off center as the words "GOLD KEY" also in gold, slide in from underneath. The word "ENTERTAINMENT" appears right under that as the logo shines throughout.

Technique: A mix of live-action and motion-controlled computer effects.

Music/Sounds: A triumphant horn/drums fanfare - an edit of the 1978 Bruton Music track "Endeavour," composed by John A. Coleman. This edit was likely sourced from the LP Jingles Volume One, catalog number BRB 1, though it does appear on several different Bruton releases.

Availability: This appeared on various theatrical and TV movies, including The Mysterians, Latitude Zero, and The War in Space. This is still preserved (off centered) on the DVD print of Getting Wasted, starring David Caruso.

Legacy: It's a favorite due to the music, which itself is notable for being used in the first ITC Film Distributors logo.