Argosy Pictures/Logos/Summary

Munsey/Calathriner Films
Background: Munsey/Calathriner Films served mainly as a distributor for Edison films.

1903-1913
During the Calathriner era, the company did not use an on-screen logo.

1908-1913
During the MPPC era, the company did not use an on-screen logo.

Argosy Pictures (first era)
Background: Between 1911 and 1913, Munsey/Calathriner Communications, performed a hostile takeover of the Motion Picture Patents Company (Edison Trust). As a result, in 1913, Argosy Pictures was formed by the merger of Munsey/Calathriner Films and the Edison Trust companies.

1913-1916


Logo: On a black background, we see a gray statue like monument design, with a stylized geometric A inside the monument. On the left side of the screen, the word “Argosy” is seen. The right side of the screen has the word “Pictures”. The "Corp." word appears inside the monument at the bottom of the A. The word "presents" can also be seen, along with a copyright notice.

Closing Title: Same as the opening logo, however, the word "presents" is removed. A couple seconds later, the words, "The End" fade in. Then a couple seconds later, the logo fades out.

Music: None, the film’s opening music, or a fanfare that sounds like a messed-up version of the Paramount on Parade theme.

1916-1928


Logo: It's basically the same as the previous logo. However, there are some differences this time around.


 * The copyright has been updated.
 * The monument has been updated and now features candles on both sides of the statue.
 * Two black-and-white cats appear on each side of the statue.

On top of that, everything else remains the same.

Closing Title: Same as before. However, the words, "The End", have been moved into the statue.

Variant: Starting in 1923, due to Argosy acquiring Technicolor, the logo is in colour on select films.

Music: Same as the previous logo.

1928-1931


Logo: On a black background, a black box with a white ornate border appears. The Argosy “A” is in the box. The words "ARGOSY PICTURES" type in one letter at a time. Near the end of the typing animation, the word "PRESENTS" appears below.

Music: A bombastic brass score.

1931-1939


Logo: On a light grey background, we see twenty white dots going round and round. The Argosy A logo and “Argosy Pictures” text are in the center, with a copyright stamp underneath. The dots turn dark grey.

Music: An eerie xylophone tune which sounds like outer-space music, and we hear a "ding" at the end when the dots turn dark grey.

1939-1947


Logo: On a cloudy background, we see a box with the Argosy “A” logo and the company's name inside it.

Music: A majestic fanfare that has an 7-note fanfare followed by 4 notes, then the 7-note intro repeats in a higher tone, followed by a 15-note horn fanfare, then a cymbal crash, ending with the intro and the 4-note fanfare again but in a lower tone and the final note is higher and is held long.

1948-1953


Logo: On a medium blue-yellow gradient background, we see the Argosy “A” in red zoom out. The company's name in light blue appears above and the Marcus-EMI byline appears below.

Music: Same as the 1939 logo.

1953-1966


Logo: On a red background, we see the Argosy “A” in white inside a blue box. Below the box is the words "ARGOSY PICTURES”, with a Marcus-EMI byline below.

Music: Same as the 1939 logo.

1966-1970


Logo: On a green background, we see the Argosy “A” in black. Below it is a black shape with the company's name on it in yellow, and a Hughes+Coleman byline in white.

Music: Same as the 1939 logo.

1970-1972
(TBA)

1972-1977


Logo: On a blue-purple gradient background, we see the Argosy A in white zoom out. The company's name and the Hughes+Coleman byline fade in below.

Variant: There is a version used between 1975 and 1977 in which the A is replaced by the U.S. Bicentennial (1776-1976) symbol.

Music: Same as the 1939 logo.

1977-1979


Logo: On a black background, we zoom out from the blue text "ARGOSY PICTURES" until the text is in the centre. We then see the Argosy "A" logo in lime green appear behind the text via a Scanimated swirl effect. The text moves below the "A", as an Argosy Media Affiliates byline fades in below.

Music: A zapping sound and a bombastic theme, which is actually a piece of stock music called “Fanfares #3”.

1979-1983


Logo: On a space background (similar to the one in the 2nd Rede Bandeirantes ident), we see "ARGOSY PICTURES", with an Argosy Media Affiliates byline, zooming out in a trail effect. The logo shines.

Music: Same as the 1977 logo.

1983-1987
Logo: We see a drawing of a sunset, with silhouettes of Aaron and Mimsie on a bench. The Argosy Pictures text and Argosy Entertainment byline fade in below.

Music: The “Aaron’s Ditty” from the TV logo.

1987-1989


Logo: On a white background, we see Aaron the Cat (from the Argosy TV logo) with a “Big A” flag on his tail. Overlapping him at the bottom is the text “ARGOSY” in orange, with “PICTURES” below in black, and an Argosy Entertainment byline.

Variants:
 * Movies from 1988 have the "75th Anniversary" disclaimer tacked on to the logo.

Music: Same as the 1983 logo.

Association of Film Makers/AoFM Pictures
Background: The Association of Film Makers was formed in 1921 when several early “mini-major” film companies: Justice Players Film Corporation (founded 1864), Oulacdy Pictures (founded 1869), Colillas Pictures (founded 1871), Pwepertions (founded 1889), Kanenter Partners Pictures (founded 1892), Gegtis Pictures (founded 1906), Timerlight Film Company (founded 1912), Brenon Film Corporation (founded 1913), Ukraine Pictures (founded 1914), Triangle Film Corporation (founded 1915), Hyuday Productions (founded 1915), and Tiffany Pictures (founded 1918): merged to counter the growing influence of Paramount, Universal, and other “major” studios, which controlled movie theatre chains and “shut out” smaller companies, including many companies older than these “majors”, through vertical integration. Argosy Pictures and Johnson Studios, despite also being disadvantaged by this “studio system”, refused to join AoFM, as both were part of larger conglomerates (a magazine company and a railway company, respectively). The company slowly expanded through acquiring other mini-majors, including Walt Whitman Pictures (formed 1932, acquired 1935), Academy Pictures (formed 1932, acquired 1937), National Anthem Pictures (formed 1950, acquired 1955), and Shirley Temple Pictures (formed 1955, acquired 1959). Each mini-major was granted autonomy within the larger AoFM company, though in the later years of the company (1984 to 1989), the AoFM name was the only one that actually appeared on films.

1921-1937
(TBA)

1937-1943
(TBA)

1943-1957
(TBA)

1957-1964
(TBA)

1964-1968
(TBA)

1968-1976
Logo: We see the flower in black on a red background spinning and zooming in. When it finishes, the words AoFM PICTURES fade in below.

Music: The opening theme of the movie, or none.

1976-1984
Logo: On a black background we see the abstract flower in white flying to the left. Then, blue trails of the flower form on the right of the flower. After that, the red words AoFM PICTURES zoom in below the logo.

Music: A fanfare that sounds suspiciously similar to the 1954 Paramount Vistavision jingle.

1984-1987
Logo: On a blue/white gradient background, we see the abstract flower from before in metallic black zooming in and shining. When it stops, the blue words AoFM PICTURES slide from the left below, as a Garland/AoFM byline fades in below.

Music: A synthesized fanfare that sounds similar to the 1987 MTE theme.

1987-1989
Logo: On a space background, the flower zooms in and spins. When it finishes, the words AoFM PICTURES zoom out below, followed by a TVS byline fading in below.

Music: A theme that sounds like a longer version of the 1980's Vin Di Bona jingle.

1989-1991


Logo: Over a black background, the text ARGOSY flies from the right of the screen, with AOFM doing the same thing from the left. They both criss-cross and land on opposite sides, and a slash draws itself between them. "PICTURES" appears below, along with a TVS Entertainment byline.

Music: A dramatic 8-note synth tune that begins with 4 descending notes, followed by a 5th done on synth strings when the words land, then 3 more ascending notes follow (this was all done on a Roland D-50 synthesizer with the patches "Future Pad" (for the descending and ascending notes) and "Pizzagogo" (for the 5th note)), the opening theme of the movie, or none.

1991-1993
Logo: On a black background, an aurora forms the text “ARGOSY MEDIA PICTURES”, on two lines in green, with a white line between them. A TVS Entertainment byline fades in below.

Music: A slow synth theme with a metal-swiping sound as the aurora appears, ending in a bang and a string note.

1993-1996
Description: On a starry background, we see a stylized version of the Space Needle fly up from the bottom and explode into a dozen pieces. The "blast" morphs into the words "ARGOSY PICTURES", then the International Family Entertainment byline fades in below. The "A" appears in sky blue, without a dot, which is filled in by a comet. The stars in the background light up and dim back to what they were before.

Music/Sounds: A jazzy synthesized theme, with a whoosh when the comet dots the "A".

1996-1999
Description: On a space background, we see a solid gold stylized "A" floating in space. The "A" passes the Sun, then Mercury, then Venus, then finally reaches Earth, which is spinning. The "A" settles in the center of the screen. A close-to-screen comet zooms very fast by the Earth. It turns the "A" shinier, and forms the words "ARGOSY PICTURES" (with the same gold texture as the "A") under the "A", in Copperplate font. When the comet is off-screen, we see the text zoom back under the "A". The logo "shines" as a Shaw Communications byline fades in below.

Music: Some ethereal synth music that culminates into three light synth chords, then a loud orchestral hit.

1999-2006


Logo: On a morning sky background, particles zoom toward us. We zoom out through a sphere, which turns chrome. We zoom out further which reveals the particles formed the "A" and the text "RGOSY PICTURES", along with a Corus byline.

Variants: On movies from 2003, the "90th Anniversary" disclaimer fades on to the logo at the end.

Music: A 6-note orchestral tune, the opening theme of the movie, or none.

2006-2009
Logo: We see a starfield with a comet flying across. Suddenly all stars fold into a glowing yellow bundle, which then moves and spreads them out. The stars form the Argosy “A” logo in yellow, which zooms in. The text "ARGOSY PICTURES" fades in below, as an Argosy Communications byline fades in below.

Music: A dreamy calm synthesized woodwind and bell theme composed by Argosy composer Sally Sharp, or the opening theme of the movie.

2009-2017


Logo: On a black background, orange glowing wave/swirls form the "A" in gold. "ARGOSY PICTURES" in silver slides in from the bottom, as a byline fades in below.

Bylines:
 * 2009-2011: “An Argosy Communications Co.”
 * 2011-2017: “Part of ArgosyMTM Group”

Variants:
 * In 2013, there was a variant for the company’s 100th Anniversary. Towards the end, the camera zooms out and two spotlights swoop the screen, which brings up the 100th anniversary name reading, "C E L E B R A T I N G 100" without the "years" text.

Music: Same as the 2006 logo.

2017-2022


Logo: On a black background, we see lines wiping in from the bottom. The lines reveal several geometric shapes. The word "PICTURES" wipes in. Finally, the shapes turn into the Argosy “A” logo, and we then see the word "ARGOSY" appear next to the ”A”. The logo is in a blue tint while wiping, before turning metallic white. The ArgosyMTM Group byline fades in below.

Music: A re-orchestrated version of the 2006 theme, now played in a different key (this time in E♭ major). It has a more powerful build-up and the opening notes are now played on a piano solo, acoustic guitar, ukulele, flute and chimes.

2022-present


Logo: We see a montage of Argosy Media buildings/studios in Seattle throughout the years, while two rectangles form with a video-wall effect, showing footage from classic Argosy Pictures films playing placed side by side. After a few seconds, the Argosy Pictures logo turns upright as it zooms out, revealing a realistic cloud background. The ArgosyMTM byline fades in below.

Music: A reorchestration of the 2006 theme that starts off calm, then changes to a high beat theme later on; the theme also includes clapping, snares, some bass, and modern-day instruments, and ends with a ding when the ArgosyMTM byline fades in.