British Empire Films

Background
British Empire Films was an Australian film company founded in 1930 by the Greater Union Organisation for use as a distribution arm for its cinema chain. Its clients included British International Pictures, Cinesound Productions, Eros Films and The Rank Organisation, which acquired a 50% stake in GUO in the 1940s. In 1971, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, which was experiencing financial difficulties at the time, sold its Australian distribution facilities to GUO; the acquisition gave the cinema chain the distribution rights to films from Walt Disney Productions. Although MGM relocated the distribution of its films to Cinema International Corporation in 1973, the Disney distribution contract remained with BEF. In 1976, the company was renamed to GUO Film Distributors.

1st Logo (1932-1967)
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Logo: On a gray-to-black colour gradient background, we see the stacked text "DISTRIBUTED IN AUSTRALIA BY" and, below it, a large metallic object containing the letters B-E-F. Enclosed inside the object is a globe showing only the continents of Africa, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East and the country of Australia. The text "British Empire Films" appears below.

Technique: None.

Music/Sounds: None or the opening theme of the film. Availability: Near extinction. Has been spotted on a small number of early Australian film prints of domestic and imported productions, among which are The Girl in the Picture and Bond of Fear.

2nd Logo (1967-1976)
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Logo: On a blue background, we see three octagons, each of which the letters B, E, and F. The stacked text "BRITISH EMPIRE FILMS" wipes in from the left.

Technique: Cel animation.

Music/Sounds: None or the opening theme of the film. Availability: Extinct. No film prints with this logo are known to have surfaced as of this writing.