Filmways

Compiled by Eric Hartman, James Fabiano and Jude Cormier

1st Logo
(1960s-Mid 1970s)

Nickname: "Filmways Globe"

Logo: We start with a small globe of Earth, horizontally stretched out in the center of the screen. The globe has latitude (left to right) lines on it, and the equator extends beyond the globe, with little Richter-scale like lines on part of it. The globe is on a blue, starry background, with most of the stars clumped in the upper left and right hand corners. Now, to the action. From behind the globe, the text "A FILMWAYS", in a 3D font and curved to match the globe's position, zoom in a north-forward direction. Shortly after, the text "TELEVISION PRESENTATION" fades in below the globe. Sometimes, the Seal of Good Practice appears below.

SFX: The waves, the zooming up of "FILMWAYS" with the rest of the text.

Music/Sound: At least on Filmways' more sucessful shows, there would be a voice over saying "This has been a Filmways presentation." Those who muttered the phrase are listed below.

Voiceovers: Several voiceovers who said "This has been a Filmways presentation" on this logo on the shows they appeared on.

  • Petticoat Junction: Kate Bradley (played by Bea Benaderet)
  • Green Acres: Lisa Douglas (played by Eva Gabor) says it with "Dahhling".
  • Beverly Hillbillies: Ellie May Clampett (played by Donna Douglas)
  • Mr. Ed: Alan "Rocky" Lane (voice of Mister Ed)
  • Addams Family: It usually had it silent, but on a few episodes, the usual phrase was said in a deep baritone voice. It could've been Ted "Lurch" Cassidy, but if so, he did not say it in his usual "Lurch" voice.

Availability: Uncommon, still seen on syndie reruns of "Mr. Ed," "Beverly Hillbillies" and "Green Acres."

Scare Factor: Minimal, mainly it can catch you off guard.

2nd Logo
(1978-1981)

Nickname: "Filmways Trail"

Logo: On a black screen, many differently-colored "Filmways" zoom up from the bottom of the screen, towards a white "Filmways." All the multicolored "Filmways" merge into the white "Filmways."

Cheesy Factor/SFX: The "merging" of the "Filmways", somewhat reminiscent of the 1975-82 Filmation logo.

Music: A synthesized orchestrated tune edited with xylophone scales.

Availability: Can be seen on "Fangface" (without music), and the first season of "Thundarr the Barbarian" (with music).  Also appears on Cartoon Network at the end of some Ruby-Spears pre-1981 shows on some occasion.

Scare Factor: Minimal, unless you never saw it before

3rd Logo
(1981-1983)

Logo: On a black background, a round orange glow of light appears, and in it a light blue light forms a logo. Underneath, the words "FILMWAYS TELEVISION" (in the same font as logo 2) fly back with a whitish blue light trail effect.  Both the logo and the words turn solid as the lights fade, with the logo turning blue and the words white.  The logo is a rounded box/maze with a stylized "F" joined with a shape that may be an upside down or backwards "F."

SFX: The logo forming amid the light effects; flying of the company name.

Cheesy Factor: '80s special effects

Music: An orchestrated tune or the end of the show's theme

Availability: Was seen on "The Best of Saturday Night" reruns (60 minute syndicated cut downs) and on the first season of Cagney and Lacey. However, on reruns of the latter shown a few years ago on TNN, the Orion Television logo was plastered over all the 1st season episodes except 1 (which in turn had the Orion logo right after). Used until Filmways takeover by Orion.

Scare Factor: None

Rhodes Productions
(1971?-1995)

Logo: On a black background the words "Syndication through" appear to the left, then letter by letter come the words:

RHODES
PRODUCTIONS

Both are in a rounded font, looking quite similar to the Filmways font on logos 2and 3. Around the right of the logo several white stars appear.

A Few Notes:

  • On the syndicated edition of the original Hollywood Squares, this logo had an on-screen appearance, and a Filmways byline was present, but would later have the full logo animation on screen.
  • Rhodes broke apart from Filmways in 1980, becoming independent.
  • Rhodes Productions was bought by Filmways in 1975;on the recovered syndicated version of the original Hollywood Squares,the phrase "World Wide Syndication By" appeared over the company name (seen stacked in a font similar to the later Filmways logo) on 1971-75 episodes;Rhodes was SCTV's original US syndicator starting in 1978 (only to lose the rights to Blair Entertainment in ca.1982 and get them back after that company went bust [i.e. the 1986-93 Nick at Nite reruns],retaining them until 1998, when WIC got the rights)

SFX: The words and stars appearing gradually to the music

Cheesy Factor: This one goes off the charts. The logo is live action and assembled much like the turn signal indicator on a car's dashboard. You can see the spaces that are about to be animated via "Lite-Brite" light effects. I know this was the '70's, but even then it was instantly dated. This logo could have been easily done in the 30's!

Music: Synthesized notes that ascend, drop, and then ascend again. The last high note is held for the stars' appearance.

Availability: Seen at the end of the game show Pitfall, and as a still shot in the end credits of episodes of the original run of Hollywood Squares. Was also used for the NBC episodes of SCTV. Was also responsible for off-quality prints of "The Cisco Kid" and plastered their logo over the originals.

Scare Factor: Low

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