Universal Pay Television

Credits

Descriptions by
Livin'

(Early 1980s-Early 1990s)

Logo: Same as the 1973-1990 Universal Pictures logo, but its aspect ratio is now 4:3 and the text "PAY TELEVISION" in yellow is placed below "UNIVERSAL" and the MCA byline is smaller and placed below the globe.

Variants:

• A black-and-white version exists.
• A shorter version also exists, with the logo already formed. Sometimes, "In Association With" is placed above the logo.
• One print of The Sword and the Sorcerer essentially uses the film logo with "PAY TELEVISION" in yellow chroma-keyed below the MCA byline.
• One variation has the byline "AN MCA CO." on the bottom right-hand corner of the screen.
• Also known as "UNIVERSAL PAY TV PROGRAMMING INC." Variants using this name have the name "MCA" enlarged like the 1975-1991 Universal Television logo. The globe is either moving or static.

FX/SFX: Essentially the same as the 1963 Universal logo.

Music/Sounds:

• The standard version generally used a re-orchestrated version of the 1936 Universal fanfare composed by Miklos Rosza, which was originally heard at the beginning of Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid. Sometimes, it's silent.
• The shortened version and the "Pay TV Programming" version used a synthesized organ version of the 1975 Universal Television fanfare, though sometimes it could have the closing theme playing over it. The fanfare was later overlaid onto the Universal Television logo for The New Leave It to Beaver (originally called Still the Beaver) after it moved from the Disney Channel to TBS.

Availability: This logo was common on pay-cable prints (and American Movie Classics airings) of films from Universal, the pre-1948 Paramount library and films licensed from third-parties during the 1980s; however, it has been difficult to find since then.

• The standard version was recently spotted on a Grit TV airing of The Outlaw, as well as the TCM airing of the movie Last Train from Madrid, and on a Starz print of Charlie Cobb: Nice Night for a Hanging.
• The Pay TV Programming variant was seen on a VHS of the special Portrait of a White Marriage and season one of Still the Beaver, which has been unavailable in any form for years (allegedly due to legal issues).