Trans-Lux

Background

Trans-Lux was a company that specialized in rear-projection systems for stock exchanges and movie theaters. With the theater business in trouble at the end of the 1950s, Trans-Lux diversified into television production and distribution; they commissioned the 1960s version of Felix the Cat, as well as The Mighty Hercules. Trans-Lux also brought Speed Racer to the US, commissioning a US dub and handling distribution rights. They also had the distribution rights to a few movies, such as The African Queen. Trans-Lux closed the TV syndication division in 1969, selling its animated shows to Alan Enterprises; with the exception of Speed Racer (whose rights have since reverted to Tatsunoko, the anime's original producer), all of the Trans-Lux cartoons are now owned by DreamWorks Animation through DreamWorks Classics. The African Queen was eventually relicensed to Viacom Enterprises, who sublicensed it to Magnetic Video, CBS/Fox Video and 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment in the 1980s and 1990s for VHS releases; Paramount now controls the US rights to the film (under license from Horizon-Romulus, the original producers), and handles home video distribution. Trans-Lux itself is still in the display and signage business.

1st Logo (October 2, 1958-1961)

Visuals: It has two variations:

The first and most common variant involves an olive drab field, which then irises into a TV screen with a perspective effect applied which appears between a huge letter "T" and a huge "L". Above and to the right of the "T" are the letters "RANS" (in a smaller font), and below and to the right of the "L" are the letters "UX" in the same smaller font. The TV screen has Felix the Cat on it, standing in front of a sunburst backdrop; Felix holds his finger in the air and says "Righty-O!" "THE END", written in white letters, fades in at the bottom left corner.
A secondary variation involves the screen cutting to the logo instead of irising in. This time the field is either beige or blue, the "RANS" has a period after the S, and the TV screen has the letters "TV" on it. The TV screen fades to a still of Felix waving at the camera.

Technique: Cel animation.

Audio: Also has two variations:

A fifteen-note horn fanfare, of which the last 4 are a loud sounder; Felix speaking. Originally, this end fanfare was heard at the end of the Paramount cartoon short "Huey's Father's Day" (1959); it ended up being reused along with many of Winston Sharples' stock music cues from Paramount/Famous Studios while teaming up with Joe Oriolo for this television series (he also composed some original music for the show as well). While this arrangement was used for the "Righty-O!" version of the title, it also ended up on some episodes originally using the secondary variant, without Felix's catchphrase being heard.
A different, faster 4-note sounder, with Felix not speaking, appears exclusively on the secondary beige/blue variant. Like the other variation, this fanfare was also originally taken from the end of a Paramount cartoon, in this case "Good Scream Fun" (1958).

Availability: Can be found on DVD sets of the 1960s Felix the Cat series. While the beige/blue background variant was spotted on old TV airings from the 60s to the 80s (even international), modern copies of the series and DVD prints only have the initial "Righty-O!" title, which also replaces the secondary one on the episodes that originally had it (likely because of the poor condition of the film elements).

2nd Logo (1959-1969?)

Visuals: There is the word "TRANS-LUX", in large, sans-serif letters, styled similar to the THX logo, with the bar on the T and the tail on the "S" extended to outline "TRANS", the lower bar of the "L" in "LUX" extending into an underline, and a bar over "LUX" that touches the top right part of the "X".

Variants: Unknown

Technique: Either a still cel sheet or superposed.

Audio: None or opening and closing theme of the show.

Availability: The English dub of Speed Racer used to be a source for this logo, but newer prints struck in the 1990s remove all mention of Trans-Lux. It's also been spotted on old Magnetic Video prints of The African Queen, and on episodes of Mack & Myer for Hire on Decades.