Paramount Cartoon Bumpers

Paramount Cartoon Studios

By Argus Sventon, James Fabiano, and Jason Jones

Mid 1920's
(The Three Mountains In the Credits)

Logo: On a screen we see at the top one of the following bylines:

"ADOLPH ZUKOR PRESENTS" (films produced on the East Coast)
"JESSE L. LASKY PRESENTS" (films produced on the West Coast)
"ADOPLH ZUKOR AND JESSE L. LASKY PRESENT" (films produced on both coasts)

Below this we see the title of the film and a little more info.

Somewhere on the screen, we see a snowcapped mountain poking out of a cloud at the bottom. The mountain is surrounded by a ring of stars. We see text overlapping the mountain reading "A Paramount Picture".

At the bottom of the screen is a box. On either side of the box there are two Paramount pseudo-logos. Each has a ring of stars inside a ring. On the pseudo-logo on the right we see the words "Paramount Pictures". On the pseuo-logo on the left, we see some writing. I theorize that this logo may actually be "Famous Players", so I may be wrong.

At the top of the box, we see "COPYRIGHT (year".

Inside the box we see the words "FAMOUS PLAYERS-LASKY CORPORATION" in a large font. Below this in a slightly smaller font we see the words "ADOLPH ZUKOR PRESIDENT". Below Zukor's name, we see the words "NEW YORK CITY".

Below the box we see in a large font "ALL RIGHTS RESERVED".

The End Variation of this logo

We see the words "THE END" on the screen. At the top of the screen is the title of the movie. Below "THE END", we see a snowcapped mountain poking out of a cloud at the bottom. The mountain is surrounded by a ring of stars. We see text overlapping the mountain reading "A Paramount Picture".

FX: Nothing. It was actually a big painting in a room, that was filmed by a cameraman.

Music: Nothing.

Availablity: Probably still around on Paramount silent movies. The logo was actually part of the opening credits, and should be still on there, since Paramount has always owned their silents.

A picture showing the filming of this logo, can be found on Page 71 of "A Pictorial History of the Western Film".

Scare Factor: Minimal

Paramount/Fleischer Studios
1st Logo
(1926?-1938)

Nickname: "30s Toon Mountain Mountain"

Logo: Against a multi-colored sky backdrop is a 3rd dimensional dark-colored mountain surrounded by a round border of 23 stars. (Don't ask! We don't know why there are only 23 in this version.) By the top of the mountain are the words:

A
Paramount
Picture

in the Paramount font. The title screen then appears on a specialty background: "Max Fleischer Presents..." with whoever is the star of the cartoon. (i.e. Betty Boop, Popeye) After the main title card, you would see the credits followed by the episode title, or vice versa.

(Note: From 1935-39, the text "Adolph Zukor Presents A Max Fleischer Cartoon" was seen instead of the Fleischer text. Most color cartoons would have the byline... "Adolph Zukor Presents A Max FleischerCOLOR CLASSIC, In Technicolor")

(Note: For shorts featuring live-action model sets, a special byline appeared at the start of the cartoon. It read [Special Patent Process Used In This Production])

(Note: Used the following byline on the opening of later shows featuring the above mentioned... [Stereoptical Process and Apparatus Patented. Paten Number 2054414])

FX: None, it's a still logo

Music: The beginning/end of a cartoon's theme music.

Availability: Can usually be seen when Cartoon Network's showing Popeye shorts. May be more visible if they continue to restore the shorts and replace the NTA and AAP logos with the originals.

Scare Factor: Low

2nd Logo
(1939-1944)

Nickname: "3-D Mountain"

Logo: Against a multi-colored sky backdrop is a 3rd dimensional light-colored mountain surrounded by a round border of 24 stars. By the top of the mountain are the words:

A
Paramount
Picture

in the Paramount font. The title screen then appears on a specialty background: "Max Fleischer Presents..." with whoever is the star of the cartoon. (i.e. Betty Boop, Popeye, Superman) After the main title card, you would see the credits followed by the episode title, or vice versa.

(Note: Used "Paramount Presents" in this era. Most color cartoons would have the byline... "Paramount Presents A Max FleischerCOLOR CLASSIC, In Technicolor")

(Note: After the Fleischers left in 1942, the animation studio became known as Famous Studios)

(Note: Used the following byline on the opening of some shows... [Stereoptical Process and Apparatus Patented. Paten Number 2054414]. Replaced with "In Technicolor" at the end of most color shorts)

FX: None, it's a still logo

Music: The beginning/end of a cartoon's theme music.

Availability: Can usually be seen when Cartoon Network's showing Superman shorts. May be more visible if they continue to restore the shorts and replace the NTA and AAP logos with the originals.

Scare Factor: Low

Paramount/Famous Studios
1st Logo
(1944-1954)

Nickname: "'40s Toon Mountain"

Logo: Against a blue sky with white clouds is a brown mountain surrounded by a round border of 24 stars. By the top of the mountain are the words:

A
Paramount
Picture

in the Paramount font. Usually at the end of the film featured the following byline in these three variations...

1944-1947: IN TECHNICOLOR
1947-1956: Color by TECHNICOLOR, Color by CINECOLOR, Color by POLACOLOR

(Note: Some variations of the mountain included one with a darker BG from the top of the screen and the mountain capped with snow. Another has the BG in a yellow-orange shade. Various mid '40s cartoons do not have the logo with white clouds intact.)

FX: None, it's a still logo

Music: Over the Paramount logo plays the theme of any cartoon short (i.e. Casper, Herman and Katnip, Baby Huey).

Availability: Can usually be seen when Cartoon Network's showing Popeye shorts. May be more visible if they continue to restore the shorts and replace the NTA and AAP logos with the originals.

Scare Factor: Low

2nd Logo
(1954-1959)

Nickname: "50s Toon Mountain"

Logo: Against a navy blue sky with white clouds is a reddish mountain surrounded by a smaller-sized round border of 24 stars. By the top of the mountain are the words:

A
Paramount
Picture

in the Paramount font. Usually at the end of the film featured the following byline in these three variations...

1954-1956: Color by TECHNICOLOR
1956-1959: TECHNICOLOR®

FX: None, it's a still logo

Music: Over the Paramount logo plays the theme of any cartoon short (i.e. Casper, Herman and Katnip, Baby Huey, Noveltoons).

Availability: Can usually be seen when Cartoon Network's showing Popeye shorts. May be more visible if they continue to restore the shorts and replace the Harvey Films logos with the originals.

Scare Factor: Low

Paramount Cartoon Studios
(1959-1967)

Nickname: "Toon Mountain '60s"

Logo: Against a blue sky with white clouds is a red mountain capped with snow and surrounded by a round border of 24 stars. By the top of the mountain are the words:

A
Paramount
Picture

in the Paramount font. The title card of the featured cartoon fades in, after which we get the regular credits. Most variety cartoons would have the "Noveltoons" or "Modern Madcaps" label with "Paramount Presents" in the Paramount logo font. Also, most episode titles would have the pseudo Paramount ident along side the copyright information.

FX: None, it's a still logo

Music: Over the Paramount logo plays the theme music of any cartoon short. Most Noveltoon/Modern Madcaps will play a slapstick-type underscore in horns and flutes, as heard on Harveytoon features.

Availability: Seen on TV on TWO occasions. On Nickelodeon's "Kartoon Kablooey" and "Guts" (not sure of the latter title; waiting for confirmation)

Scare Factor: Low

Paramount/Famous Studios - Popeye
(1944-1957)

Nickname: "Popeye Opening"

Logo: Against a blue sky with white clouds is a brown mountain surrounded by a round border of stars. By the top of the mountain are the words:

A
Paramount
Picture

in the Paramount font. A star then spins towards the screen from the center of the logo. When it stops, Popeye appears in it and toots his pipe. The title screen then appears on the mountain background: "Paramount Presents Popeye the Sailor, etc. etc." After this the logo on the mountain now reads, "A FAMOUS STUDIOS PRODUCTION," after which we get the regular credits. (An updated version of this logo was used for the 1960s Popeye television shorts, except with the King Features Syndicate logo)

FX: The spinning star.

Music: Over the Paramount logo plays either the generic cartoon sailor song "The Sailor's Hornpipe" (aka "Popeye the Sailor Man") or an abridged version that ends on a high note. The former is the music for the AAP Popeye opening. The latter is the more common, and was updated for the opening to the 1960s Popeye television shorts.

Availability: Can usually be seen when Cartoon Network's showing Popeye shorts. May be more visible if they continue to restore the shorts and replace the AAP logos with the originals.

Scare Factor: Low

Paramount/Famous Studios - Noveltoons
(1944-1954?)

Nickname: "Jack-In-The-Box opening"

Logo: An extreme close-up of a box takes up the screen, with a red border surrounding a peach outlining. Inside is a picture of a brownish mountain, against a blue sky with white clouds and surrounded by a round border of 24 stars. By the top of the mountain are the words:

A
Paramount
Picture

in the Paramount font. The box zooms down to the bottom center of the screen. A Jack-In-The-Box pops from inside the box, opening the word "NOVELTOON". The picture fades, leaving the title card over a plain color backdrop. Then more words appear above and below the title. On this, we see "Paramount Presents A NOVELTOON, In Technicolor". After this, the Famous Studios logo appears on an orange screen.

Music: A Jazzy xylophone tune during the '40s and mid '50s.

FX: The Jack-In-The-Box popping out of the box.

Availability: It all depends on which PD tape you buy. Some '40s Noveltoons have NTA titles on them. Since only a few Noveltoons were included in the U.M.&M. sale, most have Harveytoon titles.

Scare Factor: Minimal

Paramount/Famous Studios - Little Audrey/Lulu
(1944-1950?)

Nicknames: "Little Audrey/Little Lulu opening", "Spinning Star"

Logo: Against a blue sky with white clouds is a reddish mountain surrounded by a round border of stars. By the top of the mountain are the words:

A
Paramount
Picture

in the Paramount font. A star then spins towards the screen from the center of the logo. Inside the star, we see either Little Lulu's or Little Audrey's head appear. Several variations were used.

Little Lulu original title: After Lulu's head appeared, the star faded away, and we see the words "Paramount Presents" at the top of the screen, followed by "LITTLE LULU" in large printed letters. Below this we see "by Marge" written out, and then the word "from" below "by Marge", this too written out. The words "SATURDAY EVENING POST" are printed out, and below this we see the word, "in" written out, and then below it in large block lettering, the word "TECHNICOLOR".

The backdrop of all of this is the Paramount mountain and the stars, which remains until after the words "A FAMOUS STUDIOS PRODUCTION" appear in various fonts depending on the release year. After this, the mountain logo disappears.

NTA Variation: The opening "A Paramount Picture" title is replaced with the NTA logo, NTA shows the rest of the opening sequence, except for the fact that the words "Paramount Presents", and "in Technicolor" are blacked out.

Little Audrey: After Little Audrey's head appeared, the words "Little Audrey" appear in large written out letters. Then the entire logo fades away to a new title card. On this, we see "Paramount Presents" then "A NOVELTOON", written in some unusual font in capital letters. After this, the Famous Studios logo appears on an orange screen.

NTA Variation: Same as for Lulu

FX: Spinning star, same used for Popeye.

Music: Either the Little Lulu or Little Audrey theme.

Availability: It all depends on which PD tape you buy. Most Little Lulu cartoons have U.M.&M. titles on them. Since only a few Little Audrey cartoons were included in the U.M.&M. sale, most have Harveytoon titles. Only one Little Audrey cartoon, "Tarts and Flowers" has U.M.&M. titles, so most have NTA titles.

Now, a few Little Audrey cartoons have original titles, or recreations of them. However one Little Lulu cartoon on a Republic Home Video tape has a complete Paramount logo sequence.

Scare Factor: Minimal

Here is some information about the copyrights on the Paramount cartoons.

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