Gold Key Entertainment
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)
Nickname: "The Spinning Key"
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.
FX/SFX: The key spinning and the words sliding in from underneath.
Music/Sounds: A triumphant horn 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: Extremely rare. This appeared on various theatrical and TV movies. This is still preserved (off centered) on the DVD print of Getting Wasted, starring David Caruso.
Editor's Note: While the animation's rough and some might be surprised for the darkness, spinning key, and music, it's also a favorite due to the music. If the music sounds familiar, that's because it is. A slightly different version of "Endeavour" was used in the first ITC Film Distributors logo.
