Argosy Home Entertainment/Logos/Summary

These are the logos for MTM Video Corporation, Argosy Pictures Home Video, CBS/FOX-Argosy Media Video (UK), and Argosy Home Entertainment.

MTM Video Corporation
Background: MTM Video Corporation, a division of MTM Enterprises, became the very first home video company in 1970, signing 5-year contracts with Argosy Media, Mutual Broadcasting, Johnson Studios, and RKO Pictures, as well as distributing MTM’s own output, also opening a sub-label, Argosy Pictures Home Video, in 1979. In 1980, MTM Video became a joint venture with Argosy Media, reincorporating it as Argosy/MTM Video. It is now known as MTM Home Entertainment.

1970-1976
Logo: We see the kitten clip from the MTM television logo. The words "MTM VIDEO CORPORATION" in a lime green computer-generated font begin to scroll upward.

FX/SFX: The kitten clip and the scrolling text.

Music/Sounds: Just the kitten meowing.

1976-1980
Logo: A still version of the MTM Enterprises logo of the era, sans “ENTERPRISES, INC.” and the byline, with no video mention whatsoever.

FX/SFX: None.

Music/Sounds: A male voiceover indicating the studio:


 * On RKO, Argosy, or Johnson films, he said "The following [company name] presentation is brought to you by MTM Video."
 * On MTM or MBS, he said "The following presentation is brought to you by MTM Video."

Trivia:
 * The original release of Purchasing Overtime features this logo, although the tape is from 1981 so it would normally have the Argosy Pictures Home Video logo, and the tape had Argosy/MTM Video print logos on the case!
 * Some later prints of tapes with the MTM Video logo, e.g. Bushroot's Express, Victory Boy, Young Frankenstein, and Low Anxiety, may have Argosy/MTM Video labels, but those are usually in the original MTM Video packaging, with a video release year of 1980 on the slipcover.
 * Several titles, such as Schoolbodies (1974), Jury of Candles (1974), Santa Claus Conquers the Monkeys (1964), The Skittle Bum (1971), Village of the Cat People (1965), and Walk Into Horror (1956), were all at one point listed in the MTM Video catalog in 1979, but no evidence has come up of them ever being released in 1979, or any other year during MTM Video's history. It is doubtful that they ever were. All of these titles were distributed by Judy Garland Pictures Corporation, and at least some of them would eventually see a home video release during the 1980's.

CBS/FOX-Argosy Media Video (UK)
Background: In the UK, CBS/FOX teamed up with Argosy Media.

1984-1998


Description: Same as the 1984-1998 CBS/Fox Video USA logo, except the CBS/Fox text is rearranged, an orange rectangle containing the “Argosy Media” text is added, and the "Video" shines in below the logo.

FX/SFX: CBS/FOX-Argosy Media rotating, "VIDEO" wiping itself on.

Music/Sounds: A rather catchy tune sounding similar to the HBO Movie jingle.

Argosy Pictures Home Video
Background: Established in 1979, Argosy Pictures Home Video specialized in distributing Argosy Media titles on VHS and DVD. They were the first distributors of the "Smart Set" library of educational tapes, and also the first company to put "Mirage in LaGuardia" on DVD.

1979-1981


Description: On a sky blue background, we see the Argosy "A" logo in white. Below it is the white text, “ARGOSY PICTURES HOME VIDEO”, in a rounded font.

FX/SFX: Still.

Music/Sounds: None.

1981-1984


Description: On a black background, we see the abstract "A" logo in red with a white outline. Below it is the red text, “Argosy Pictures Home Video”.

FX/SFX: Still.

Music/Sounds: None.

1984-1990


Description: On a white background, we see Aaron the Cat (from the Argosy TV logo) holding a VHS tape that has a label with a yellow Argosy “A” logo and the text "ARGOSY PICTURES HOME VIDEO" beside the A.

FX/SFX: Still.

Music/Sounds: Film projector sounds and the “Aaron’s Ditty” from the TV logo.

1990-1994


Description: On a sky background, the words "ARGOSY PICTURES HOME VIDEO" in gold fades in and shine once. An (R) symbol in the same color appears to the lower right of the text. The "A" enters from the right of the screen and settles above it.

FX/SFX: Early 90s CGI.

Music/Sounds: A calm synth theme with some wind chimes and a ding sound when the "A" appears.

1994-1997


Description: The famous geometric A design flies in and spins, gold in color against a blue background. Then "ARGOSY PICTURES HOME VIDEO" fades in below it, also gold. A bar of light moves through, shimmering the logo (Touchstone style).

FX/SFX: Typical late-90s CGI.

Music/Sounds: A tune that sounds like an extended version of the 1980's Vin Di Bona jingle.

1997-2000
Description: (TBA)

FX/SFX: None. This is a still logo.

Music: None.

2000-2008
Description: On a space BG, we see an abstract gold "A" in 3-D zooming out from the center of the screen. The words "ARGOSY HOME ENTERTAINMENT" in a yellow bold serif font zoom in under the "A" afterwards. We zoom in the middle of the "A". We reach Earth and we get right into the clouds, the screen turns white. Then we fade to a shot near more clouds to see 8 triangles falling out of the sky. We turn 180 degrees to see that the same "A" and text that we saw earlier in the logo with the triangles encircling a star statue. Once everything is in place, the ownership byline fades in.

Trivia: The 8 triangles represent 8 units of Argosy at the time: Argosy Media Television, MTM Films, MTM Enterprises Television, Argosy Pictures, Seven Arts Pictures, Gramercy Pictures, Judy Garland Pictures, and Embassy Pictures. The 5-pointed star statue represents the 5 cities that host Argosy production studios: Seattle, Washington; Charlotte, North Carolina; Tokyo, Kanto; Benton, Arkansas; and Irving, Texas.

FX/SFX: Decent CGI for the early-2000s.

Music: A fanfare also used for the Paramount Pictures logo in The Longest Yard.

2008-present
Description: On a black background, the outline of the Argosy A in cyan, seen from an angle, draws in, glowing and with a reflecting glow below. We see two more outlined Argosy A’s, one red and one blue, in front of each other, being formed in the same way. We then cut to another Argosy A outline being drawn, this time in white. The logo flickers like a neon sign, forming a fully-formed Argosy A with the text “ARGOSY HOME ENTERTAINMENT” centred below.

Variant: Starting in 2011, an ArgosyMTM Group byline fades in at the end.

FX/SFX: Impressive CGI.

Music/Sounds: A warbly "outer space" synth scale, with a synth ding then a dreamy synth ditty and a series of synth whooshes. Composed by Argosy composer Sally Sharp.