Cinerama Releasing Corporation

Credits

Descriptions by
Kris Starring

Captures by
Eric S., Bob Fish, Derrick Anderson, and TheEriccorpinc

Editions by
indycar

Video captures courtesy of
Eric S. and DudeThatLogo

Background

Cinerama Releasing Corporation was founded in 1967 as a subsidiary of Cinerama Inc., owner of the Cinerama format (invented by Fred Waller). It distributed its own films (some of which were actually not filmed in Cinerama, but in Super Panavision, Ultra Panavision and Todd-AO, and converted to be played on the curved Cinerama screen), foreign films and films produced by ABC Pictures Corporation and BCP. The company closed down in 1975.

Alongside National General Corporation and Commonwealth United Entertainment, Cinerama Releasing Corporation was considered one of Hollywood's "instant major" studios.

Logo (November 9, 1967-1975)

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Visuals: On a black background, 5 multi-colored arcs start drawing in while rotating clockwise, with blue and orange arcs coming from the left and green, pink, and yellow arcs coming in from the sides. Below it, a large blue arc wipes in while turning in conjunction with the 5 arcs as they interlock with each other and then meet at the left, forming a large "C" shape as the right ends (which were shorter) are blocked out. All the while this is happening, the "C" is zooming out towards the center at first, right before shifting to the right. As it finishes drawing, a white mass zooms into the "C" and spreads out to read "CINERAMA RELEASING CORPORATION" one-by-one, while "FROM" appears on the left side.

Variants:

• An early version is known to appear on The Rover. On a brown background, the "C" draws in both halves from right to left, and when they connect, "FROM" appears on the left in black. "CINERAMA RELEASING CORPORATION" then slides in quickly from the right.
• Starting in 1971, the logo now just reads "CINERAMA RELEASING" in a large, beige font, fading in and sliding out as they do. The logo is also now frozen to the left side of the screen, having "FROM" or "DISTRIBUTED BY" above the logo this time in a smaller print.
• A version exists of the 1967 version which the font is different.
• On some early trailers, a still logo is used with "CORPORATION" omitted.
• A black and white variant exists.
• The tinting of the colors depends from film to film.
• An airing of the movie Terror at the Wax Museum has part of the "C" and the company name out of frame.

Technique: Cel animation.

Audio: A bombastic brass fanfare with a trombone and drums backing it. This is possibly stock music. Most of the time, it's silent.

Audio Variants:

• On one Spanish dubbed print of Straw Dogs, the last half of the ABC Pictures International jingle was heard over it.
• On the Amazon Video print of Harrad Summer (1974), this logo is seen at the end of the film with the high tone variant of the 1986 Lorimar-Telepictures "Crashing Comets" jingle tacked on. This occurrence is possibly due to the film using a 35mm print while sourcing audio from a Warner/Lorimar owned master with the L-T logo at the end.

Availability:

• ABC Pictures and BCP films such as Charly and Willard were seen with this logo, but is sometimes plastered with one of the current MGM logos as seen on the 2005 MGM DVD release of the former and an MGM DVD release of Straw Dogs.
• It is intact on the Scream Factory releases of Willard (1972), Ben (1973), the MGM Home Entertainment Blu-ray and 2017 Criterion Blu-ray and DVD releases of Straw Dogs (as a recreation; the logo is obviously in a wider aspect ratio than the film itself, which was released after the company dropped "CORPORATION" from its name in this logo), along with the 2003 and 2015 Criterion DVD and Blu-ray releases of The Honeymoon Killers.
• It is also seen on the 1980 Magnetic VHS release of Take The Money And Run (although some printings have the logo removed; it's unknown if it appears on the 2017 Kino Lorber DVD/Blu-ray release).
• It has also reappeared on the Kino Lorber Blu-ray release of Hell In The Pacific, and will likely be seen on more upcoming releases from them such as Custer of the West and Charly.