- 1984 Private Defense Contractors
- 21 Laps Entertainment
- 3 In The Box
- 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks
- A Band Apart
- Access Motion Picture Group
- Action Adventure Network
- Allan Carr Productions
- All Pro Productions
- Alfred Higgins Productions
- Allied Artists Pictures Corporation
- American Cinema Marketing
- American Eagle Films Corporation
- Amsell Entertainment
- Analysis Film Corporation
- Anonymous Content
- Apatow Productions
- Apollo Pictures Inc.
- Apparition
- Aquarius Releasing
- Arc Entertainment
- Arista Films
- Arman Julian Productions
- Arrow Film & Video
- Arthur Sarkissian Productions
- Ascendant Pictures
- Astor Pictures Corporation
- Atlantic Streamline
- Atlas Entertainment
- Atmosphere Pictures
- August Entertainment
- Autonomous Films
- Avenue Pictures
- Aviron Pictures
- Bad Robot Pictures
- Barnholtz Entertainment
- Batjac Productions
- Battleplan Productions
- Bauer Martinez Studios
- Beacon Group
- Blake Edwards Entertainment
- Bless Bless Productions
- Blind Wink
- Blinding Edge Pictures
- Bloody Earth Films
- Blue Moon Productions
- Blumhouse Productions
- Boxing Cat Films
- Bregman/Baer Productions Inc.
- Brain Damage Films
- Bruce Cohn Productions
- Brooklyn Films
- The Bubble Factory
- Caballero Entertainment
- Cal Vista International
- The Canton Company
- Carsey-Werner Films
- Centropolis Entertainment
- Channel 83 Films
- Cheyenne Enterprises
- Chicago Pictures
- Cinema Shares International Distribution
- Cinemation Industries
- Cineville
- Clarius Entertainment
- Color Force
- Commercial Pictures
- Cougnar Productions Inc.
- Cow Creek Films
- Crown International Pictures
- Cross Creek Pictures
- Cruise/Wagner Productions
- Cube Vision
- D'Souza Media
- Dark Fall Productions
- Darko Entertainment
- Dead Alive Productions
- Denver & Delilah Productions
- Depth Entertainment
- Distributors Corporation of America
- DMG Entertainment (See countries)
- Dog Eat Dog Films
- Dog Eat Dog Productions
- The Donners' Company
- Dream Entertainment
- Edward Small Productions
- Electric Entertainment
- Electric Pictures
- Emmett/Furla/Oasis Films
- Endgame Entertainment
- Enoki Films USA
- Epsilon Motion Pictures
- Erry Vision Films
- Escape Artists
- Everyman Pictures
- F/M Entertainment
- Fairway International Pictures
- Favorite Films Corporation
- Film-Makers International Releasing Company, Inc.
- The Filmgroup
- FilmColony
- Fine Arts Pictures
- Friesen/Meyer Productions
- Garson Productions
- Gary Sanchez Productions
- General Film Corporation
- GGRC International
- Ghost House Pictures
- Gibraltar Releasing Organization
- Gigapix Studios
- Glass Eye Pix
- Gold Circle Films
- Golden Films
- Golden Path Entertainment
- Graphic Films Corporation
- Grand Am
- Grand National Pictures
- Green Diamond Entertainment
- Green Hat Films
- GreeneStreet Films
- Grindhouse Releasing
- Groundswell Productions
- The Halcyon Company
- Halcyon Days Productions
- Harpo Films
- Hart Sharp Entertainment
- Hemisphere
- Herts-Lion International
- Highland Park Classics
- Hi Point Pictures
- Hollywood Media Bridge
- HSX Films
- Hybrid LLC
- Hyde Park Entertainment
- Independent-International Pictures Corporation
- Indian Paintbrush
- Inter-Ocean Films
- The International Picture Show Company
- International Spectrafilm
- International Vision Inc.
- Intrepid Pictures
- I.R.S. Releasing
- Jack Russell Film Productions
- Janus Films
- Joseph Green Pictures
- Juniper Releasing
- Kanbar Entertainment
- Ken Anderson Films
- The Kennedy/Marshall Company
- The Kerner Entertainment Company
- Kirby Productions
- Kopelson Entertainment
- K/O Paper Products
- LD Entertainment
- Lot 47 Films
- Major League Baseball Productions
- Malibu Bay Films
- Mark IV Pictures Incorporated
- Martin Mooney Productions
- MDP Worldwide
- Media Cinema Release
- Mike Zoss Productions
- Milestone Films
- Miracle Films
- Mirage Enterprises
- Mosaic Media Group
- The Movie Group
- Moviehead Pictures
- Moving Pictures
- Namesake Entertainment
- NASA
- Nassour Studios
- Nero Films
- New Concorde
- New City Releasing
- Newman/Tooley Films
- Nomad Films International
- Ntsa Iab Production
- OddLot Entertainment
- Official Films, Inc.
- Orgolini-Nelson Productions
- Orphan, Inc.
- Oscilloscope Laboratories
- Oxymoron Entertainment
- Pacific International Enterprises
- Pacific Motion Pictures
- Palm Pictures
- Paragon Arts International
- Pariah Films
- Peregrine Entertainment
- Perspective Films
- Peter Perry Pictures
- Platinum Dunes
- Platinum Pictures
- Playtone
- Premiere Releasing Organization
- Prevalent Entertainment, Inc.
- Producers Placement Group
- Producers Releasing Corporation
- Puck Film Productions
- Pull Down Your Pants Pictures
- Puritan Pictures Corporation
- Pyramid Films
- Quadrant Films
- Radar Pictures
- Ralph Edwards Films
- Rapid Film Group
- RBC Films
- Red Hour Productions
- Red Wagon Entertainment
- Regent Releasing
- Releasing Corporation for Independent Producers
- Rigel Entertainment
- River Road Entertainment
- Rolling Thunder
- Ruddy Morgan Productions
- Saban Films
- Saliva Films
- Saturn Films
- Scare Flix
- Schenck-Koch Production
- Screen Media Ventures (See countries)
- Seven Arts International (See countries)
- Seymour Borde and Associates
- Shangri-La Entertainment
- Sharp Features
- Shields Pictures, Inc.
- Shock Film Company
- Showcase Entertainment
- Sideshow Cinema
- Sidney Kimmel Entertainment
- Silver Lake International Pictures
- Skouras Pictures
- Skyhawks Films
- Skylark Productions
- Slaughterhouse Entertainment
- The Sommers Company
- Sonnenfeld Josephson Worldwide Entertainment
- SpectreVision
- Spectrum Pictures
- Spinnaker Films, Inc.
- Starbucks Entertainment
- Stanley Donen Films
- The Stone Quarry
- Storm Entertainment
- Strand Releasing
- Sunray Films
- Swan Productions
- Sweetland Films
- Syncopy Productions
- Tag Entertainment
- Tapestry Films
- Target Productions
- Taurus Entertainment Company
- Ted Fox Entertainment
- Thunder Road Pictures
- Tig Productions
- Tomorrow Entertainment (1990s)
- Tonylyn Productions
- Triad Studios
- Triax Entertainment Group
- Tribe First Rites (See countries)
- TriStar Pictures Productions
- Triton Pictures
- Troublemaker Studios
- Twisted Pictures
- Tyler Perry Studios
- UCLA Media Center
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- VCA Pictures
- Vertigo Entertainment
- Visionsmiths
- Voltage Pictures
- Weed Road Pictures
- Windchill Films
- Woolner Brothers Pictures
- World International Network
- World-Northal Corporation
- WWE Studios
- Xenon Entertainment Group
- Xtreme Entertainment Group
- Zombastic Productions, Inc.
- Zucker Brothers Productions
- Zupnick/Curtis Enterprises
The Walt Disney Company
Jess Williams, WileE2005, rjsmith09, Matt Anscher, Logohub, indycar and TheLogoFan2004
Captures by
Eric S., iheartparamount, indycar, DaffyDuckScrewball, yctheguardie, SubparMario63 and others
Editions by
Bob Fish, V of Doom, mr3urious, Nathan B., Optimus Prime 2000, userjt, universalxdisney172, shnick1985, HiddenResearcher, McDonald's1, indycar, KPLN, JakeWilliams025, iheartparamount, Unnepad, Logohub, Connormchenry97, DisneyInternationalFan, BaldiBasicsFan, and Tjdrum2000
Video captures courtesy of
wwodtv, Michael Strum, Jordan Rios, TheJamesmario, Peakpasha, Aster, Sagan's Logos, Logo Archive, VPJHuk and UltimateHDVideostify
Background
The Walt Disney Company traces its beginnings to the Disney Brothers Studio (later Walt Disney Studio), an animation studio founded in 1923 by Walter Elias "Walt" Disney and Roy O. Disney after the bankruptcy of their Laugh-O-Gram Studio. In 1937, the company produced its first full-length film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, which was the first American animated feature film. Distributed by RKO Radio Pictures, the film was a hit and was followed up by more films including Pinocchio (1940), Dumbo (1941), Bambi (1942), and the experimental symphony film Fantasia (1940). During World War II, however, Disney's main focus shifted to production of military films, and as such, production of animated features all but stopped. During this time, Disney put out "package films" consisting of a number of shorts put together, such as Saludos Amigos (1942) and The Three Caballeros (1944). Around the same time, Disney began producing live-action films, with its first such foray being the highly controversial animation hybrid Song of the South (1946). The studio's first fully live-action film, an adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island, would follow in 1950.
In 1950, Disney returned to the animated films that made them successful with the release of Cinderella, followed in quick succession by Alice in Wonderland (1951) and Peter Pan (1953). The latter would be the last Disney film distributed by RKO, as that year Disney established its own distribution arm Buena Vista Distribution (later Buena Vista Pictures Distribution), named after the road on which the studio was situated.
After Walt died on December 16, 1966, his brother Roy took over Walt Disney Productions and oversaw the release of films such as The Jungle Book, The Happiest Millionaire (both 1967), and Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971). Roy died of a stroke in 1971, shortly after the opening of Walt Disney World. Walt's son-in-law Ron Miller began running the studio with the help of Walt and Roy's associates Card Walker and Donn Tatum. This era of leadership at Disney is widely associated with a series of ambitious live-action flops, such as The Black Hole (1979) and Tron (1982), most of which have since gained a cult following. Despite Disney's live-action struggles, the animation unit continued to have success with films such as Robin Hood (1973). During his tenure, Miller established Touchstone Pictures and spun off Disney's live-action film division as Walt Disney Pictures on April 1, 1983, while Buena Vista was renamed Buena Vista Pictures Distribution. In 1984, a corporate takeover led by Walt's nephew Roy E. Disney led to Michael Eisner and Frank Wells (the latter of whom died in a helicopter crash in 1994) taking over the company. In 1986, after the commercial failure of The Black Cauldron (1985), the animation unit was split off to become Walt Disney Animation Studios, and Walt Disney Productions was renamed The Walt Disney Company. Walt Disney Animation Studios, now headed by Roy E. Disney, would go on to produce The Little Mermaid (1989); its success led to the "Disney Renaissance" of the 1990s, which saw several equally successful films such as Beauty and the Beast (1991), Aladdin (1992), and The Lion King (1994).
Walt Disney Productions
1st Logo (December 21, 1948-June 22, 1977)
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Nature's Half-Acre: A True-Life Adventure
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True-Life Adventures: Water Birds
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The Shaggy Dog (1959)
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101 Dalmatians
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Those Calloways
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The Jungle Book (1967)
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Robin Hood
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The Rescuers
Logo: At the start of the film, we see the 1948 corporate Walt Disney signature above "Presents". Starting in 1973, this was changed to "Walt Disney Productions Presents".
Variant: In foreign countries, "presents" is replaced by that country's translation (such as "Presenta" on Italian and Spanish prints).
Technique: Usually none, but on 101 Dalmatians, traditional animation by the company's animation division, now Walt Disney Animation Studios, is used.
Music/Sounds: The opening theme of the movie.
Availability: Uncommon. Still saved on some classic Disney shorts and movies of the era, making its first appearance on the True-Life Adventures series of films and last appearing on The Rescuers. However, most films released during this period use an in-credit text instead of the signature script. The foreign versions are rare because they were only released in theatres, VHS, Laserdisc, VCD and some DVD releases as they are usually replaced with the domestic English credits for current DVD/Blu-ray releases.
Legacy: A favorite among fans of Walt Disney and his classic films.
2nd Logo (50th Anniversary) (December 22, 1972-July 12, 1973)
Logo: On a scarlet background with black, wavy, moving Moiré patterns, a blue version of Disney's 50th anniversary logo (a big "50" with Mickey Mouse ears on the "0" with the word "HAPPY" above it and "YEARS" below) appears and eventually changes the background into a blue background with images of Disney cartoon characters, outlined in green, facing the 50. The "50" logo zooms out followed by "HAPPY" zooming out above it and "YEARS" doing the same below. Tinker Bell appears, flies around, and waves her wand, changing the screen to black. The 1954 Buena Vista logo would follow.
Technique: Traditional animation, which is again from Walt Disney Animation Studios.
Music/Sounds: The first two bars of "When You Wish Upon a Star". An announcer (Dick Wesson) says "And now, a 50th-anniversary presentation from Walt Disney Productions!". On international releases, the announcer is absent, and the music is two full tones lower.
Availability: Extremely rare. Appeared before the 1954 Buena Vista logo on the studio's films (both original and reissues) in 1973 and also appeared briefly (twice) on The Wonderful World of Disney episode "50 Happy Years". Remains intact on Charley and the Angel. Its first known appearance was on Snowball Express, and its last known appearance was on A Disney Cartoon Jubilee.
3rd Logo (June 25, 1980)
Logo: Superimposed over the opening credits, we have "WALT DiSNEY" in the familiar corporate Disney logo font and in yellow. Right under is "PRODUCTIONS", also in yellow.
Technique: None.
Music/Sounds: The opening theme.
Availability: Extinct. This was spotted on Mickey Mouse Disco, after the Buena Vista logo. The short was seen on television several times, which includes being in episodes of various Disney cartoon compilation shows, such as Mickey's Mouse Tracks, Donald's Quack Attack and The Ink and Paint Club among others. It has never been made available on home video or on streaming, but it can be seen currently on 16mm copies of the short.
Legacy: Probably the first movie logo with the famed "DiSNEY" signature font, although it was already in use elsewhere since 1956.
4th Logo (1980)
Logo: We see a dark blue Mickey head with waves in sky blue within a blue background and on the Mickey head, the words "Walt Disney" in the original signature script are on the top and the word "PRODUCTIONS" is on the bottom.
Variant: A zoomed-out version exists, appearing alongside the 1975 Paramount Pictures logo.
Technique: None.
Music/Sounds: The trailer theme.
Availability: Near extinction. The logo made its only appearance on the international trailer for Robert Altman's Popeye. The trailer was considered lost until recently when the trailer and the logo were discovered on the Greek VHS release of Donald Duck Goes West.
Legacy: It became a subject of discussions and speculations on the internet, being considered the most mysterious out of all the Disney logos.
5th Logo (1981)
Logo: On a blue background, we see "WALT DiSNEY" in the familiar corporate Disney logo font and in red. Right under is "PRODUCTIONS" in white. The text is zooming in to the camera.
Technique: The zoom-in.
Music/Sounds: Just an announcer saying the company name along with the sounds from the trailer.
Availability: Ultra rare. This was spotted on the original theatrical trailer of The Fox and the Hound.
6th Logo (1982)
Logo: On a twilight background, we see the "WALT DiSNEY" script in 3D and in red, with "PRODUCTIONS" below also in red. The background fades into a cloud time-lapse. Lightning sparks appear and accumulate before being absorbed by the Disney logo, which shines and 'melts' into a red ring.
Technique: Live action footage and traditional animation.
Music/Sounds: A choir, followed by sounds of electricity.
Availability: Ultra rare. Seen on a 1982 Walt Disney Home Video demonstration tape.
7th Logo (1985)
Logo: On a red background, we see "WALT DiSNEY" in white, with "PRODUCTIONS" and "PRESENTS" below.
Technique: None.
Music/Sounds: None.
Availability: Extremely rare. Can be seen on British pre-cert tapes of Walt Disney's Cartoon Classics: Cartoon Bonanza 1 and 2.
The Walt Disney Company
(1989-1996)
Logo: On a black screen, we see the copyright year in Roman numerals, with "The WALT DiSNEY Company" below it. "All Rights Reserved" is seen below everything.
Technique: None.
Music/Sounds: None or the ending theme.
Availability: Extinct. It was only used on television, replacing the in-credit Walt Disney Productions text seen at the end of shows. Seen on The All-New Mickey Mouse Club and the making-of featurette for A Goofy Movie. It would later be replaced by Disney Enterprises.