Lux Film (Italy)

This article is about the Italian production and distribution company. For the Hungarian film company, see Lux Film (Hungary).

Main Availability

Credits

Descriptions by
Tabit and TVB

Captures by
Tabit and TVB

Video captures courtesy of
ifrequire, LogicSmash, Mr. Gann, Peakpasha, and David's Logo Archive

Background

Lux Film was an Italian film distribution company founded by Riccardo Giulino in 1934. Based in Turin, Lux mainly specialised in non-Italian films during its first few years, eventually relocating its headquarters to Rome in 1940, making its first few films in the same year with the main outcome being "low risk and low budget by packaging high-quality art films with cultural content". Ponti joined the studio in 1940 and was assigned an Italian adaptation novel Piccolo mondo antico, along with De Laurentiis becoming an executive producer in 1942, who oversaw such successful films from said company.

The company suffered from loss of production during the 1950s, resulting in gradual reduction of production schedule. One of the films being Senso (1954), which led to conflict with the Italian army and the censors who increasingly extended their demand for cuts before the company protested and the authorities largely relented.

After Giulino's death in 1964, Lux Film was acquired by Rovelli SSR.

1st Logo (August 7, 1939)

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Visuals: On a black background, there is a mountain with a lighthouse in the middle of a starry night, all presumably inside a black circular frame. The lighthouse shoots its light ray from left to right in a circular path, revealing "COMPAGNIA ITALIANA CINEMATOGRAFICA" in an arched format, surrounding the sky and lighthouse. When it is finished, "LUX" in a 3D form fades in front of the mountain and zooms in until it sights right below the mountain. Finally, "TORINO" appears from the bottom and places itself below "LUX".

Technique: Cel animation.

Audio: A triumphant brass piece with a dramatic, suspenseful start with xylophones and flutes.

Availability: Seen on Due milioni per un sorriso.

2nd Logo (January 22, 1941-June 6, 1942)

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Visuals: It starts with a moving sky background along with the company's name carved in stone facing upwards in a horizontal manner. The company name slowly rises as a spotlight illuminates more of the company name, stopping at a diagonal position. The logo crossfades to "PRESENTA" on a black screen, either static or zooming in.

Technique: Live-action model work and practical effects.

Audio: A bombastic orchestral fanfare at a slow tempo.

Audio Variant: On Violette nei capelli, the audio from the previous logo was heard.

Availability: Seen on La forza bruta and Violette nei capelli.

3rd Logo (December 19, 1941-February 28, 1962)

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Visuals: A moving sparkling starfield is first displayed. A bunch of chroma-keyed fireworks then randomly appear against the starfield, varying in size. As this is happening, the company name in Times New Roman and in a stacked format appears in the middle and gradually zooms in for a short period, which also appears to be in a 3D manner, causing the fireworks to disappear and a sunburst pattern to appear behind it. It stays onscreen for a few seconds until it slowly fades out to give space for "presenta" in a script font to appear in the middle.

Variants:

• The "U" is romanized from 1945 up to 1946 and the sunburst background is not present, which can be seen on Le miserie del signor Travet, Abbasso la ricchezza!, Un americano in vacanza and Partenza ore 7.
• An alternate variant exists on Il brigante Musolino, where "ROME" can be visible underneath the company name (which is in a 2D format) and the sunburst background is different.
• Colorized variants exist on Carosello napoletano and La mina.
• An in-credit variant exists on Toto in Color.

Technique: A mix of traditional animation and chroma-keyed live-action.

Audio: Same as the previous logos.

Audio Variants:

• The opening theme of the film is heard on I promessi sposi and Un colpo di pistola.
• On Abbasso la ricchezza!, it is silent.

Availability: This can mostly be seen on Italian films and some foreign films they have publicly distributed.

• The logo made its debut appearance on I promessi sposi and made its final appearance on Salvatore Giuliano.
• The Romanized variants can be seen on the aforementioned Le miserie del signor Travet, Abbasso la ricchezza!, Un americano in vacanza and Partenza ore 7.
• The colorized variants can be seen on Carosello napoletano and La mina.

4th Logo (October 19, 1961-February 14, 1964)

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Visuals: Almost the same as the previous logo, but there is no starfield and there are less fireworks. The company name is now in a 2D fashion, in a horizontal manner, and colored orange. "presenta" is also now seen in a different handwritten style as the company name fades out.

Variant: Staring with Omicron, "Una Esclusivita" is now added above the company name and it is in black-and-white. "presenta" is also nowhere to be seen.

Technique: A mix of traditional animation and live action.

Audio: The same audio from the previous logos.

Availability: Seen on Orazi e Curiazi, Omicron, Mare matto, I Compagni, and La città prigioniera.

5th Logo (July 23, 1962)

Visuals: Against a background similar to the fifth logo of Paramount Pictures, the white text

ПРОИЗВОДСТВО

ЛЮКС ФИЛЬМ-Понти-
ДЕ ЛАУРЕНТис

Италия

is shown at the center.

Technique: A painted image filmed by a camera.

Audio: None.

Availability: Only seen in a Soviet dub of the 1954 Italian movie Ulysses.