The True Story Behind Hollywood Studio Logos

2. Metro Goldwyn Mayer (MGM)

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Logo Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Photo :

• mgm.com

Metro Goldwyn Mayer (MGM) was founded by merging three different image studios in the US. Marcus Loew, a successful businessman in the US bought Metro Pictures Corporation and Goldwyn Pictures, Louis B. Mayer Pictures, and together formed his company Metro Goldwyn Mayer.

The MGM logo designed by Howard Dietz has a roaring lion and is taken from a real lion. There are two famous stories behind the lion logo for MGM.

First, shows respect to Columbia University's Alma Matter athletic team nicknamed 'The Lions'. Second, it is believed that Howard took the Lions from the name Marcus Loew, whose German surname translates to a lion. The logo uses many lions for various versions of its logo.

3. Columbia Pictures

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Columbia Pictures

Photo :

• Factofusion

Columbia Pictures was originally founded as Cohn-Brandt-Cohn Film Sales which was later changed to Columbia Pictures in 1924. The original logo looks simple and the design is sketchy. The woman torch that we often see in the logo is inspired by Lady Columbia who is a forgotten symbol of the American woman.

Columbia Pictures' initial logo was of a Roman soldier woman with a shield and staff in her hand. Then it changed and was inspired by Lady Columbia, a torch woman with a headdress on her forehead and a flashing torch light.

In more recent versions of the logo, the headdress and flickering are removed. Until finally the logo we see today was created by Michael J Deas, who painted the entire logo matte.

The woman in the painting is Jenny Joseph for the reference photo that illustrator Michael Deas will use as the basis for the Columbia Pictures logo painting. The photo was taken at photographer Kathy Anderson's apartment in New Orleans in 1992.

4. 20^th Century Fox

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20th Century Fox

Photo :

• Factofusion

William Fox founded FOX FILM CORPORATION in 1915, but as the company went bankrupt, the company eventually merged with 20th Century Pictures and the monumental 20^th Century Fox logo was created. That was the beginning of the true story of the Hollywood 20th Century Fox logo.

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The logo was originally painted by Emil Kosa Jr. Kosa and replaced 'Pictures Incorporate' in the original 20th-century logo with FOX. Later, Rocky Longo repainted the FOX logo keeping the design as is, but making it brighter and giving a clearer look to the entire logo.