United Artists/Summary

Logo descriptions by Jason Jones, Matt Williams, James Fabiano, Andrew Turnbull, Ryan Froula, Supermarty-o, D.L. Chandell, indycar and others

Logo captures by Eric S., TVlogos2008, naxo-ole, Bob Fish, Logophile, V of Doom, StephenCezar15 and indycar

Editions by V of Doom, Logophile, Michael Bass, Shadeed A. Kelly, betamaxtheflyer, shnick1985, MartinVB, D.L. Chandell, KirbyGuy2001, Supermarty-o, Vahan Nisanian, indycar and Gilblitz112

Video captures courtesy of Eric S., KidCairbreReturns, HulkieD, Sagan Blob Enterprises, BreadCrustCouncil, Jordan Rios, Watcher3223, MattTheSaiyan, BasicMasterReloaded, StephenCezar15, DudeThatLogo, MyNewBrycelsHere2012, JeiceTheWarrior, eyeh8nbc, mulog29, Una mirada hacia la humanidad, daxdigital Vahan Nisanian and laughtingduck1000.

Background

United Artists was formed in 1919 by four of the leading figures in early Hollywood era: Mary Pickford, Sir Charles Chaplin, Douglas Fairbanks, and D. W. Griffith. It was sold to Arthur Krim and Robert Benjamin in 1951; both Chaplin and Pickford sold the remaining shares to Krim and Benjamin in 1956. United Artists was sold to Transamerica Corporation on April 27, 1967, and later to Kirk Kerkorian's Tracinda, Inc. (the then-current owner of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Inc.) on July 28, 1981. MGM would use both their brand and United Artists as labels during this time under the MGM/UA brand. In 1986, Turner Broadcasting System purchased MGM/UA Entertainment Co. and renamed it to MGM Entertainment Co. United Artists' assets were purchased back by Kirk Kerkorian who would use them to found a new company under the United Artists name. However, when Turner gained heavy debt over the MGM purchase, he sold the company back to Kirk Kerkorian, with the new United Artists being renamed as MGM/UA Communications Company, with MGM and United Artists being used as distribution labels. This still wasn't enough as the company gained a loss of $88 Million, leading to MGM and United Artists splitting into separate divisions. By 1990, after the purchase of MGM/UA by Giancarlo Parretti, United Artists became dormant in favour of the MGM label being used instead. In 1993, after Crédit Lyonnais' purchase of MGM, he convinced John Calley to run UA, allowing the Pink Panther and James Bond franchises alongside the release of the only NC-17-rated film released nationally: Showgirls. Kirk Kerkorian later repurchased MGM in 1996, with John Calley resigning. In 1999, MGM folded the existing United Artists company into their own operations (with copyrights for The Pink Panther and Rocky transitioning to MGM, although James Bond kept with a United Artists copyright for legacy purposes) and rebranded their G2 Films (A renamed portion of the former Samuel Goldwyn Company) division as United Artists International, with the United Artists brand now being used as an art-house theater label. On April 8, 2005, Sony Corporation, Comcast, and four of its private partners bought MGM and United Artists for $4.8 billion. In November 2006, Tom Cruise and Paula Wagner were made the new owners of this revamped United Artists. However on August 14, 2008, Wagner left the studio, but still remained a stockholder in United Artists. In 2011, it became completely owned by MGM again when the studio purchased the stock formerly owned by Cruise and Wagner. As a result, UA was absorbed, but still exists as a in-name-only unit of MGM. In September 2014, MGM acquired a stake in Mark Burnett's companies One Three Media and Lightworkers Media, merging them into United Artists Media Group; however, next year, after MGM purchased the stakes in these companies, UAMG was folded into MGM Television. In 2018, MGM revived the brand again as United Artists Digital Studio, and the United Artists name would finally return to the big screen in 2019 as United Artists Releasing, a re-branding of MGM and Annapurna Pictures' existing distribution joint-venture Mirror Releasing, and allowing movies from fellow (and reactivated after years in dormancy) MGM subsidiaries Orion Pictures, Orion Classics, and American International Pictures to be distributed.

1st Logo (1919?)

Logo: We see a rounded UA monogram with the company name in the middle on a rock wall.

FX/SFX: None.

Music/Sounds: Possibly silent.

Availability: Probably extinct. It may have appeared on earlier films like Broken Blossoms.

Editor's Note: A United Artists logo that connected the two initials side to side was an idea that wouldn’t be used again until the 1980s.

2nd Logo (November 13, 1930-October 23, 1967)

UA Hexagon- from a print of the Merrie Melodies cartoon "Case of the Missing Hare" (1942)

UA Hexagon- from "The Hound of The Baskervilles" (1959)

UA Hexagon- from "Thunderbirds Are Go" (1966)

UA Hexagon- from "A Bridge Too Far" (1977)

UA Hexagon- from "Heaven's Gate" (1980)

Nicknames: "The Hexagon", "The UA Hexagon"

Logo: Over a grainy-looking background, we see the words "UNITED ARTISTS" appearing inside a 3-layer gold/brown hexagon shape. "Presents", in gold script, is sometimes shown below.

Variants:

• On films produced by London Productions, this logo would appear an in-credit version of this logo, with the words "Distributed by" above it.
• There were several color variants, including a sepia-toned variant from the mid 1940s-1950, three different black and white variants from 1930-1967, and a color variant from 1950-1967.
• A 20th anniversary variant was seen on Of Mice and Men, as well as on Laurel & Hardy's A Chump at Oxford (filmed and completed in 1939, released in 1940). This is also nicknamed "The Hal Roach Studios Variant".
• There is also a variant that had the hexagon in white on a black background. This was seen on films such as A Hard Day's Night (though the regular black and white variant appears instead on some prints, including a 16mm print), Help! and How I Won the War. It is unknown whether this variant appeared on The Mouse on the Moon and The Knack ...and How to Get It.
• On A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, the logo is in grungy Roman letters, which makes the logo look to be spelled out as "VNITED ARTISTS".
• On an unknown modern film, in black and white, the hexagon zooms out in place on a granite background, and the word "PRESENTS" fades in underneath. The video description claims that it's from 1937, but the film looks a bit too new to be from 1937.
• On A Bridge Too Far, a special animated variant was created. The name zooms out on a black background, the three hexagon outlines fade in from the center outward, then the background fades in along with the byline "A Transamerica Company" and the Transamerica "T-Flower". Some prints do not contain the Transamerica references.
• This logo appears on Heaven's Gate, with a small black and white Transamerica "T-Flower" and the words "A Transamerica Company" fading in underneath. Some prints (such as the MGM DVD release) do not contain the Transamerica references. The Transamerica byline, however, has been restored on the Criterion Collection DVD & Blu-ray.

FX/SFX: None.

Music/Sounds: Most of the time it is silent, though some films have their intro music playing.

Availability: Extremely rare.

• Despite being around for a good 37 years, this logo was extremely difficult to find due to scarce use on certain films as well as rampant plastering by the means of MGM and later UA variants. Now with MGM sub-licensing its films to video labels who are doing new scans and remasters, they usually leave the original studio card indents intact on their film scans unlike MGM themselves, so therefore this logo has started to become far more common than it was over the last few decades.
• It is believed to be first seen on The Bat Whispers.
• As most releases only used a text notice, a few films have originally used this logo but were removed or updated with newer ones (or a MGM logo), thus making it an extremely hard find. However, it does appear on the Hopalong Cassidy film False Colors, whenever CoziTV decides to rerun it.
• It's unknown if this logo appeared on Mclintock!, as most VHS and unofficial DVDs have no logo, and the restored release uses Paramount Pictures' 2002 logo.
• Noticeably, out of all the pre-1967 James Bond films, the only one where this appeared was Goldfinger (not fully confirmed).
• Among the other films that originally featured this logo were The Magnificent Seven, West Side Story (at least on general release prints), Tom Jones, The Pink Panther (rumored to have been seen on the original Magnetic Video Corporation VHS release for a few seconds), the Golden Age 3D film The Diamond Wizard, One, Two, Three, and The Beatles' films A Hard Day's Night and Help!.
• This logo was also seen on international prints of some pre-1948 Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies shorts that they owned, while plastering the Warner Bros. opening of the era. It has been preserved on Call Me Bwana, Stranger on Horseback, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Thunderbirds Are Go!, Tomorrow, the World!, Three Sundays to Live, The Hound of the Baskervilles, The Happy Thieves, The Fabulous Dorseys, The Horse's Mouth, and How I Won the War (an early Transamerica-era film that was intended to be released six months earlier than it actually was; possibly the last film to feature the hexagon, before Transamerica took over).
• It also appears on the Scream Factory Blu-ray of Doctor Blood's Coffin, the Kino Lorber DVD and Blu-ray of 10 Seconds to Hell, and the Twilight Time Blu-ray and Vudu's print of Inserts (made in 1975, but it was rated X, so Transamerica didn't want its name nor insignia on the film, and since it was a period piece set in the 1930s, UA simply decided to use this logo as a stylistic choice in lieu of an in-credit notice), TCM airings of Tomorrow, the World! and Return from the Ashes, and ThisTV airings of Gentlemen Marry Brunettes.
• This was also seen on international prints of The Man with the Golden Arm, including an Australian TV airing and on the German Blu-ray from Concorde Video. The MGM/UA VHS of Marty also preserves this, and it's been suggested that this even appeared on its original VHS and Betamax release, from CBS/Fox Video.
• On Topkapi, the logo was small and in-credit at the bottom-right corner of the end credits, with the words "Released by" above it.
• The in-credit variant can also be seen on all the British-made films from London Productions that were distributed by UA, though it does not appear on the 1942 Jungle Book film.
• Also seen on Heaven's Gate (sometimes with or without the Transamerica byline), released in 1980.
• The A Bridge Too Far variant is seen on the 1998 MGM DVD release of the film, but is plastered with a newer MGM/United Artists logo combo on most current releases.
• This was also seen on foreign prints of It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World. (Note: This logo, during the pre-Transamerica days, was allegedly seen only on British United Artists films and export prints of U.S United Artists films. However, this theory has yet to be proven.)
• Most prints of 12 Angry Men plaster this logo with the MGM logo, but it was eventually restored on the 2023 Kino Lorber UHD release.

Editor’s Note: A semi-iconic logo representing the early days of UA.

3rd Logo (October 30, 1942, July 17, 1943)

Nickname: "The United Artists Eagle"

Logo: We see the words "UNITED ARTISTS" appearing in front of a design of a bald eagle. Above this "A" is seen, and below it "Release" is seen. The latter two phrases are in cursive.

Variants:

• On some films, the text reads as "Released through" and lacks the eagle. Instead a single spotlight is seen, emerging from the bottom right corner.
• There is also a colour version.

FX/SFX: None.

Music/Sounds: The opening theme to the film.

Availability: Extremely rare. Only two films are known to contain this logo, which are I Married a Witch and The Crystal Ball. This logo is preserved on the 2013 Criterion Collection Blu-ray release of the former. It should be noted that both films were produced by Paramount Pictures and were sold to United Artists for distribution. The logo may appear on other films that Paramount produced and sold to United Artists.

Editor’s Note: One of UA's first attempts to use a consistent logo in the United States.

4th Logo (June 13, 1967-August 3, 1968)

UA Ovoid- from "Fitzwilly" (1967)

UA Ovoid- different variant, from "You Only Live Twice" (1968)

Nicknames: "The UA-Transamerica Circle", "The UA Ovoid"

Logo: We see the words "UNITED ARTISTS" appearing inside a circular field. The words "A Transamerica CORPORATION" (or "A Transamerica COMPANY") is seen in small letters underneath. The "U" and the "A" are somewhat taller than the rest of the company name, and they overlap each other. The word "FROM" appears above the UA circle, in teeny, tiny letters. The logo is contained inside a yellow circle, focused off-center from the screen, but centered around the logo, which is inside a blue rectangle with rounded corners, encased inside an off-center purple box, surrounded by offset dark red bars.

Variants: There were a few color scheme variations used for this logo besides the normal version:

• A variant of the standard version with the blue rectangle resembling a TV tube, an uneven alignment of the (larger) yellow and black circles, and a smaller purple section with rounded corners.
• BG/white circle/black lettering/Transamerica logo byline.
• Print UA-Transamerica Circle (seen on most trailers and B&W films)
• Black circle on a red background, "UNITED ARTISTS" in white.
• Black UA-Transamerica circle and the text inside it is yellow. The logo is inside a larger yellow circle with a blue TV tube shape, placed against a purple square. All of these shapes are situated against a red background.
• Depending on the film, the placement of the logo would vary ever so slightly.

FX/SFX: None.

Music/Sounds: Usually is silent, or has the opening theme or audio to the film playing over it.

Music/Sounds Variants: On the American prints of the Italian James Bond spoof Operation Kid Brother (Original Italian title: O.K. Connery), this logo plastered the original Titanus logo that started the picture, but maintained Titanus' fanfare: A ten-note fanfare with the first seven notes sounding like a solo cornet, and the final three played by a brass trio. UA likely extended the animation of their logo at the time to match the length of the Titanus fanfare.

Availability: Extremely rare.

• Until recently, this was bordering on near extinction due to chronic plastering and its short life span. It was allegedly first seen on You Only Live Twice (which used the blue TV tube variant on both sides of the pond) and last seen on Attack on the Iron Coast. It was also said to be seen on a Retroplex airing of the former, and it might possibly be retained on the 2021 Kino Lorber Blu-ray of Fitzwilly.
• Among the other films that originally featured this logo were Billion Dollar Brain, Operation Kid Brother (American prints), Death Rides a Horse (American prints), The Party, Yours, Mine and Ours, Kill a Dragon, Danger Route, Live for Life, and Hang 'Em High.
• The trailer variant is seen on the Clambake! trailer, but on the main feature (Region 2 and 4 DVDs only), it has an odd United Artists/Ledy-Gardner-Laven productions in-credit logo.
• The original U.S. theatrical run of The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly did not originally have this logo, as confirmed by the original 1967 continuity script which described the first reel as going straight to the title sequence from the leader (the absence thereof is preserved on the 1990 MGM/UA VHS and laser videodisc release). It does appear on the 2017 Kino Blu-ray release of The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (after the 2012 MGM logo) as well as on the 2021 4K UHD. It can also be seen on Kino's Blu-ray releases of A Fistful of Dollars and For a Few Dollars More.
• The continuity script for In the Heat of the Night also confirms that the logo didn't originally appear on it or its camera negative. However, it was attached to most 35mm US prints.
• The blue rectangle variant is only known to have appeared on the aforementioned Kino Lorber Blu-ray releases of the Dollars Trilogy.
• The black background variant can be seen on some trailers of films, notably the trailer of The Party (1968).

Editor’s Note: Even though it was short-lived, this is a very interesting (and colorful) logo nonetheless.

5th Logo (June 19, 1968-June 26, 1981)

UA Transamerica T- with original music!

UA Transamerica T- from "The Bridge at Remagen" (1969)

UA Transamerica T- timpani variant, from original prints of "Fiddler on the Roof" (1971)

UA Transamerica T- 1982 music variant, from current prints of "The Adventures of Gerard" (1970)

UA Transamerica T- "Re-Released thru" variant

Nickname: "The Transamerica T"

Logo: It starts with two sets of blue lines going into place, one by one on a black background. One line turns to the left, another turns to the right, and so on. There are six lines altogether, revealing the logo of Transamerica Corporation, United Artists' former owner. The stylized blue "T" design zooms out to the right side to make room for the company name "United Artists", which appears in a Impact font. A small byline pops in afterward, inscribed "Entertainment from Transamerica Corporation", which appears under the UA name.

Trivia:

• This was the result of a branding strategy of the Transamerica Corporation, unifying all their owned companies under the main company's logo. This included, among others: Transamerica Distribution Services, Transamerica Airlines, Liberty Records, Blue Note Records, and of course, United Artists and its subsidiary United Artists Television.
• This logo was animated at DePatie-Freleng, known for producing The Pink Panther, The Inspector, Roland and Rattfink, The Ant and The Aardvark and many others.

Variants:

• There has been a version with the "T" zooming out to the bottom left corner. So far, this has been seen on The Killer Elite, Bugs Bunny Superstar, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Breakheart Pass, Brannigan, Rollerball, and Return of the Pink Panther, among other films from between 1975-76.
• On some trailers, the "T" is white.
• On some films, such as most James Bond of this period (with the confirmed exceptions of the original theatrical prints of On Her Majesty's Secret Service and a 1971 reissue print of Dr. No), the logo would cut to black instead of fading out.
• There is also a B&W variant seen on late 1960's reissues of older black and white United Artists films. This was also seen on two Woody Allen films, Sleeper and Interiors (the latter a 1978 film, strangely).
• On a few films, such as Everything You Wanted to Know About Sex* (*But Were Afraid to Ask) and Midnight Cowboy, the logo faded into a white background to accompany the opening credits.
• There is a variant just like the 5th logo. It starts off with "United Artists" and the Transamerica "T". Then "Entertainment from Transamerica Corporation" fades in, possibly as a way of United Artists bidding "farewell" to Transamerica after 14 years. This was seen on original theatrical prints of For Your Eyes Only. Surprisingly, this variant currently appears in full on an American trailer for the 1980 release of Arabian Nights (a 1974 Italian film).
• On reissue trailers for some films a still version of this logo is used, only it says "Re-released thru" above the logo.
• On some Scope films, such as The Secret of Santa Vittoria, The Organization, The World of Hans Christian Andersen, Fellini's Satyricon, Visit to a Chief's Son, and Thunderbolt and Lightfoot, the logo is zoomed out further than usual. Other Scope films, including The Bridge at Remagen, On Her Majesty's Secret Service, and Fiddler on the Roof, simply used the standard variant cropped heavily, and on Scope films that use the 1975 variant, the logo zooms out similar to the Scope variant of the 1984 Tri-Star Pictures logo.
• On some full screen prints, including the RCA VideoDisc release of Fiddler on the Roof, the logo is squeezed to fit the 4:3 aspect ratio.
• On the 1981 Magnetic Video VHS print of The Thomas Crown Affair, the logo zooms out further back, but cuts back into its proper distance after a split-second.

FX/SFX: The stacking of the lines and the zooming out.

Music/Sounds: An ascending musical scale of 6 groovy bass guitar notes accompanying each of the 6 blue lines, followed by a sharp drum roll, and concluded by a fanfare of horns and drums composed by Doug Goodwin, who also composed "From Head to Toes", the theme used at the intro and closing of The Pink Panther Show.

Music/Sounds Variants:

• On original prints of Fiddler on the Roof, it used a timpani drum piece.
• Most releases had it silent or with the opening theme/audio of the film.
• On the current print of The Adventures of Gerard, it uses the last half of the 1982 fanfare, due to a sloppy reverse plaster, but it actually fits this logo quite nicely.
• On the Region 2 DVDs of The Taking of Pelham One Two Three, the standard 1968 version (in 2.35:1 scope) was seen with the fanfare from the 10th logo. This oddity was likely due to a sloppy reverse plaster job when the newer anamorphic D1 master was being made (being the older Region 1 DVD had the 1994 logo in its place).
• On the MGM MOD release of Some Girls Do, the 2001 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures lion roar is strangely heard over the standard 1968 version. This is, again, likely due to a sloppy reverse plaster (being that oddly, the 2012 MGM logo precedes this).
• On the full-screen side on the 2000 MGM DVD release of Everything You Wanted to Know About Sex* (*But Were Afraid to Ask), the 1995 theme is heard.
• On the Arrow Video Blu-ray release of Pulp, the standard 1968 version is accompanied with the fanfare from the 12th logo. This oddity was due to a sloppy reverse plaster job that likely resulted from Arrow reusing the audio source from MGM's previous SD master (being the MGM DVDs had the 1994 logo) with the new 2k scan featuring this logo intact (as well as the vintage BBFC card).
• On the 2021 Kino Lorber Blu-ray release of Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia (second pressing only, which uses Arrow's 2017 4K remaster), this logo uses the music from the 14th logo due to a sloppy reverse plaster (Arrow's version is silent as it should be). Oddly enough, the first pressing of Kino's release uses the older MGM HD master with the 2001 MGM URL variant and the 14th UA logo.
• On original prints of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, this logo has the sound of race cars (leading into the opening scene of the film) playing over this logo.

Availability: Rare.

• First seen on The Thomas Crown Affair, this is generally replaced with later United Artists or MGM logos, because of the Transamerica logo and information on the logo (which is by this time outdated). This is presumably done because Transamerica Corporation still exists as a company (and was still using the "T-Flower" logo in the 1980s). However, this logo (mainly the first variation) can currently be seen on the DVDs and TCM's prints of Cotton Comes to Harlem (the 2001 MGM release only), Alice's Restaurant, Cops and Robbers, Sam Whiskey, Jennifer on My Mind, The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (Region 2 DVDs as well as the 2022 Kino Lorber UHD), and Jeremy, all after either the 2001 version of the 1986 MGM logo or 1995 logos. Starting around 2020, this logo has started to make more reappearances on releases of catalog titles that feature new scans that keep the film's original logo, unlike MGM themselves.
• The version that fades to white makes an appearance on the 2000 MGM DVD release of the Woody Allen film Everything You Wanted to Know About Sex* (*But Were Afraid to Ask) (full screen side only; the widescreen side has a sped-up 1995 logo).
• It was also prolific on Magnetic Video Corporation releases of United Artists films from the early 1980's, such as the pre-Transamerica films West Side Story and Tom Jones, the American print of Last Tango in Paris (plastering the next logo), and the extremely rare release of Let It Be.
• The version with the fanfare mainly appears on original prints of Pink Panther shorts and various DePatie-Freleng Enterprises Friz Freleng cartoons of the time co-produced with Mirisch/UA, but it was also heard on a few feature films such as the original U.S print of Yellow Submarine, and makes a surprise appearance on the Magnetic Video Corporation Laserdisc release of Carrie (plastering the second 1975 logo). Also made appearances on the 1998 VHS release of Mr. Majestyk (after the 1994 logo), an Australian airing of The Last Escape (after the 1987 logo), and the Digiview DVD of The World of Hans Christian Andersen.
• The Fiddler on the Roof variant appeared on early television broadcasts, and on the 1981 RCA CED (Magnetic Video Corporation's version was released later that same year, and by that time, Transamerica no longer owned United Artists).
• The second version is much harder to find, but is kept intact on the 1993 Republic Pictures Home Video VHS of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, and on the 1984 Key Video VHS, the 2000 MGM DVD, and ThisTV airings of The Killer Elite. However, the 2013 French Blu-ray from Wild Side Video and a TCM airing of the latter have the 2012 MGM logo and the 2001 United Artists logo plastering over this (with the film's opening audio playing over the latter).
• On James Bond films of this period, it originally appeared on On Her Majesty's Secret Service (appears on a 16mm print), Diamonds Are Forever (appears on the RCA CED version), Live and Let Die, and The Man with the Golden Gun.
• The black & white version has been spotted on the 2000 DVD of Interiors (fullscreen side only; the widescreen side has the 2001 version of the 1986 MGM logo and 1994 logo instead), along with the Blu-ray version and post-2007 broadcasts of Sleeper, and surprisingly, current releases of Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia. It is currently unknown if any other full screen versions of Woody Allen titles on DVD retain their original United Artists logos.
• This logo is also preserved on some trailers on DVDs, Blu-rays, and trailers on the iTunes store.
• The reissue variant can be seen on the 2000 MGM DVD release of Thunderball on a reissue trailer for a double feature of it and You Only Live Twice. It is unknown if this logo originally appeared on original American prints of 1973 to 1975 MGM films.
• This logo may have appeared on some United Artists films on VHS and Betamax releases from VidAmerica in the United States, or from Intervision Video in the United Kingdom (some notable releases from both companies include Coming Home, Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex* (*But Were Afraid to Ask), The Fountainhead, The Great Escape, Hair, Lenny, Some Like it Hot and White Heat).
• On reissued UA trailers, the MGM/UA Distribution Co. print logo would often plaster the still UA logo. However, the UA logo is retained at the end of the trailer for Breakheart Pass on its 2000 MGM DVD.
• It also makes Blu-ray reappearances on the MGM release of Sleeper, the Kino Lorber releases of Cops and Robbers, Busting, The Taking of Pelham One Two Three and Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (the latter two on UHD), the Arrow Video releases of Pulp and Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia (including the second pressing of the 2021 Kino Lorber Blu-ray of the latter), the Criterion Collection Blu-ray of Midnight Cowboy, the Scream Factory release of What's the Matter With Helen?, and the UK BFI Blu-ray of Women in Love (the Criterion release of the latter, oddly enough, has the current UA logo in its place after the 2012 MGM logo).
• It may appear on Cartrivision tapes of UA and AAP features, including The Jazz Singer.
• This logo was also seen on the US theatrical version of That's the Way of the World (a Bryanston Pictures production they later got distribution rights back to). Some releases keep this logo, while others remove it or have the Bryanston Pictures logo in its place.

Editor’s Note: This logo is a favorite among many due to its unique animation and funky fanfare. It's also one of the earliest examples of brand unification, as Transamerica used the same font and logo throughout all of its divisions.

6th Logo (June 25, 1975-December 17, 1976)

Nicknames: "Blue Light", "The Secret Transamerica T", "UA Glow"

Logo: The text "UNITED ARTISTS" starts appearing on a black screen in five segments, outlined by a blue light. After "UNITED ARTISTS" completely revealed, the Transamerica "T" and the byline "A Transamerica Company" (which is sometimes tinted gold) fade in below as "UNITED ARTISTS" turns orange. Then, little sparkles appear and disappear in various spots in the word "UNITED ARTISTS" for a few seconds before stopping.

Variants:

• There is a variant without the Transamerica byline.
• A short version seen on trailers starts with the logo already revealed and the sparkles on the "UNITED ARTISTS" text.

FX/SFX: The logo appearing in segments, the outline, the fade in of the "Transamerica T" and the byline (when it applies), and the sparkling on various on the "UNITED ARTISTS" text.

Music/Sounds: Silent or the film's opening theme. On the 2001 Special Edition DVD release of Rocky, it uses the 1995 music, due to a reverse plastering error.

Availability: Very rare, due to this logo being short-lived.

• The bylineless version can be found on Carrie (which has no logical reason to be plastered).
• The rendition with the Transamerica byline is much harder to find due to plastering, and was seen on films such as Rocky, The Return of a Man Called Horse, The Pink Panther Strikes Again, and Rollerball. It is, however, preserved on the 2001 DVD and the Blu-ray releases of Carrie and Rocky, but then replaced with the current logo on the 2006 DVD release of the latter.
• However, the 1990 VHS of Rocky has this logo plastered with the 1987 logo and the MGM/UA Communications logo, while the 1996 VHS, 1998 DVD, and 2014 Blu-ray plaster it with the 1995 logo. It is possible it may be on the 1981 USA RCA CED release, but this has yet to be seen.
• Also seen on current TV airings of Champion of Death (AKA Karate Bullfighter), after the 2008 MGM logo.
• This logo was last seen on Bound for Glory, in which the R2 DVDs and ThisTV airings (following the 10th logo) retain it, while the R1 DVD has it plastered with the 1987 logo. (It is unknown if the 2016-22 Blu-rays by Twilight Time and Sandpiper Pictures retain it.)

Editor’s Note: An interesting concept, though it's not as fun as the 5th logo.

7th Logo (April 23, 1976-August 14, 1981)

UA Transamerica T '75- from "The Black Stallion" (1979)

UA Transamerica T '75- trailer variant

UA Transamerica T '75- "Released Thru United Artists" trailer variant

UA Transamerica T '75- United Artists Europa Inc. variant, from European release of "Cannibal Holocaust" (1980)

Nicknames: "Transamerica T '76", "The Transamerica T II"

Logo: We see the text "United Artists" in the same Impact font on a black background. A few seconds later, the blue "T" design fades in on the left side of the company name. Like the previous logo variant, the "T" is made up of 6 blue lines, with three stacked on top of each other on both sides. At the same time, a blue text that says "A Transamerica Company" appears underneath the United Artists name.

Variants:

• On trailers for some films (mostly when distributing Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures films), the "T" and Transamerica Corporation byline are in white and the words "Released thru" are seen above the logo.
• A similar variant appears on black-and-white films, including Manhattan, Stardust Memories (both Woody Allen films) and Raging Bull, only the full animation is used, and "Released thru" doesn't appear at all.
• On some films such as One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Being There and a full screen print of Moonraker, the "T" and the text are bigger and the Transamerica byline is smaller. It was known as a print logo, and was seen on movie posters.
• On trailers, the logo is still and the Transamerica byline is in white. However, the original theatrical trailer for One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest has the still version of the regular version, though the film itself has the variant from a full screen version print of Moonraker.
• On Moonraker, the logo was in freeze-frame.
• Depending on the film, the placement and colors of the logo would vary ever so slightly.
• On European releases, such as the Italian release of Cannibal Holocaust, it would say "United Artists Europa Inc." This can be seen on the Arrow UK DVD & Blu-ray release, as well as the Shameless releases. This logo is not on American releases, as early VHS copies edited it out, while on the Grindhouse DVD it is replaced with the Grindhouse Releasing logo. This logo was seen on Primo Amore.

FX/SFX: The "United Artists" text appearing, the blue stacked "T" and Transamerica byline fading into view.

Music/Sounds: Silent, or the film's opening cue/theme.

Music/Sounds Variants:

• On a TCM airing of Return of the Pink Panther, it uses the 1995 music due to sloppy reverse plastering.
• On the 1980 MGM/CBS Home Video VHS release of Cruising, the opening theme is heard.
• On late 1970s reissue prints of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (plastering over the previous logo), this logo has the sound of race cars (leading into the opening scene of the film) playing over this logo.

Availability: Rare.

• Until recently, this logo was very hard to find due outside of old TV airings and select prints, due to rampant plastering by the means of MGM and later UA variants. Nowadays, MGM sub-licenses its films to video labels that perform new scans and remasters and leave studio logos intact on the film unlike MGM themselves. Therefore, this logo and its later variant have been making more reappearances than in the past few years. Most United Artists films of the time have had this logo edited over with newer logos or recent MGM logos, but it occasionally appears on older prints.
• The original version is believed to have first appeared on Stay Hungry, becoming UA's regular logo beginning with The Missouri Breaks, and last appeared on Head Over Heels (the original version of Chilly Scenes of Winter, which would be reissued in 1982 under the United Artists Classics banner), while the variant with the smaller byline first appeared on the 1978 re-release of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, taking over as the regular logo beginning with The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh, and last appeared on Deadly Blessing.
• It has been preserved on the 1990 MGM/UA Home Video VHS releases of The Black Stallion and Thunderbird 6, the 1983 Vestron Video VHS of The Final Countdown, the 1980 MGM/CBS Home Video releases of the United Artists-distributed Lorimar Motion Pictures films Being There and Cruising (same for the CBS/Fox Video and Warner Home Video re-releases of the latter).
• It was also seen on the 1997 Warner Home Video VHS and DVD releases of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (this is not on the Thorn-EMI Video and Republic Pictures Home Video VHS releases and later Warner issues).
• It makes an appearance on the trailer for The Last Wave on The Criterion Collection DVD release. This also makes a surprise reappearance on the 2010 Warner Home Video DVD and Blu-ray releases of Ralph Bakshi's The Lord of the Rings, though it is absent on all older releases. It is also intact on the MGM MOD DVD-R and Kino Lorber Blu-rays of Valentino, Burnt Offerings, and the 2016 Scream Factory Blu-ray of Invasion of the Body Snatchers, which uses a new 2K transfer (the 2007 MGM DVD & Blu-ray and Arrow Video UK Blu-ray have the 2001 MGM lion and UA logos in its place; it is unknown which logo appears on the 2021 Kino Lorber 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray releases), as well as the 2022 Fun City Editions Blu-ray of Cutter's Way.
• The U.S print of the ITC Entertainment Group-produced The Big Sleep also had this logo. The original home video release and early television airings of Apocalypse Now should preserve this logo, although the 1990s Paramount Home Video Laserdisc uses the 1990 version of the 1986 Paramount Pictures logo, and none of the DVD, Blu-ray, or 4K Ultra HD releases contain a logo at all. It is preserved on trailers on the iTunes movie store.
• It also appears on the original Magnetic Video Corporation release of The Jazz Singer, followed by the 1923 Warner Bros. logo. The black and white variant is preserved on the RCA CED and Magnetic Video Corporation VHS, Betamax and LaserDisc releases of Raging Bull, as well as more recent prints of Stardust Memories (oddly after the 2001 MGM Lion and 2001 UA Swoosh). Also seen on the Magnetic releases of The Black Stallion, Annie Hall, and La Cage Aux Folles.
• Also seen on the international prints of Piranha, which is preserved on the Region 2 DVD after the 1995 logo. It also appeared on pre-1981 prints of Rocky II, including HBO broadcasts (the best place to look for that, and previous versions of the Transamerica logos in general, would be through commercial-free cable TV broadcasts, and pre-1981 network TV broadcasts).
• It is also seen intact on the Region 2 and Region 4 DVDs of Rocky II, the Warner Archive Instant print of Americathon, and the Shout! Factory DVD and Blu-ray of Deadly Blessing (a film Universal Studios owns because they control some of the pre-1996 PolyGram Filmed Entertainment library, in addition to being the very last film released in the Transamerica era).
• On James Bond films of this period, it originally appeared on The Spy Who Loved Me, Moonraker, and For Your Eyes Only.
• This logo was on the trailers for the 1975-81 MGM films That's Entertainment Part II, Logan's Run, Fame, and He Knows You're Alone (on the latter two films this logo appears under the 1966 MGM logo). It is unknown if this logo appeared on the actual release prints of MGM films from this era. This logo may have been seen on US VidAmerica and UK Intervision Video VHS and Betamax releases of United Artists films.
• It appeared on a late '80s Cinemax airing of The End and an Italian Sky Cinema broadcast of The Missouri Breaks.
• It also appeared on reissue prints of Return of the Pink Panther (reissued alongside The Pink Panther Strikes Again and then Revenge of the Pink Panther), One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (reissued in the late summer of 1978), and Some Like It Hot (reissued in the spring of 1980). This logo was also seen on Grit network's airings of The Big Red One, though it is absent on all other releases.
• International prints of Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull's History Lesson, owned by StudioCanal as part of the Carolco Pictures library courtesy of producer Dino de Laurentiis, also retain this.

Editor’s Note: While not as memorable as the previous logo, it still has its fans.

8th Logo (September 18, 1981-December 1982)

Nicknames: "Blank United Artists", "T-less United Artists"

Logo: It's just the on-screen text of the 7th logo without the Transamerica "T" logo and byline.

Trivia: This was later used during the time of MGM/UA Entertainment Co.'s formation after MGM merged with United Artists.

Variants:

• The logo appears in a videotaped version when plastering older logos.
• A variant has the font the same as in the 5th logo.
• On European releases, it would say "United Artists Europa Inc."

FX/SFX: None.

Music/Sounds: Usually silent.

Availability: Very rare.

• Was seen on the original American prints of Last Tango in Paris (although the original Magnetic Video Corporation VHS and Betamax uses the previous logo).
• It also appears on later Magnetic Video Corporation and most 20th Century-Fox Video VHS, Betamax and LaserDisc prints of Rocky, Dr. No, Goldfinger, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, For Your Eyes Only, White Lightning, The Return of a Man Called Horse, Rollerball, and Love and Death.
• It is retained on the 2001 MGM DVD and the Criterion DVD & Blu-ray releases of The French Lieutenant's Woman, though streaming prints and overseas Blu-rays have the 2001 logo in its place.
• Can also be currently found on Vigilante Force, Safari 3000, Born to Win, Rancho Deluxe, Drum, and The House Where Evil Dwells.
• Appears on some public domain DVDs of The Magic Sword.
• It first appeared on True Confessions and made its last appearance on The House Where Evil Dwells.

Editor’s Note: A boring variant of the previous logo.

9th Logo (May 28, 1982-October 8, 1987, September 23, 1994, October 22, 2004)

Nicknames: "Turning UA", "UA Paperclip", "The Sad/Happy Music"

Logo: It starts with a whitish line against a black screen. The line then rotates at an extremely slow pace and reveals itself to be a silvery blue stylized "UA". The logo is in the shape of a "U" with a bigger left side, and a diagonal line protruding from the shorter right side to form the "A." When the symbol finishes turning around, the words "United Artists" appear under it in the same font that was used during the "Transamerica" era.

Trivia: The logo was created and designed by Sandy Dvore (who also created the Lorimar 1971 "LP" logo). The "UA" was a wood model sprayed with chrome-like paint and suspended with a black rod covered in a velvet cloth to avoid reflection. The background was simply a black piece of paper. The model was then rotated on a small stage.

Variants:

• There is a rare variant which has the logo in white. It just zooms out from the left.
• There was also a variant with larger "United Artists" text underneath the UA paperclip. This was mainly seen on reissue prints and films shot in 2.35:1 such as Trail of The Pink Panther and Death Rides a Horse. It was also seen (after the 2012 MGM logo and Overture) on an Amazon Prime version of Michael Cimino's Heaven's Gate, which was of the director's second 1981 edit running 149 minutes.
• A black & white version was used on old UA & pre-1948 WB films in the said colors.
• A still version appears on the CBS/Fox release of The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.

FX/SFX: The "turning UA", designed by Sandy Dvore.

Music/Sounds: A low sonic tone plays in the background as the line fades in, then a soft "ping" is heard and a slow, somewhat somber five-note piano tune plays when the line begins rotating; a long "whoosh" is also heard throughout this section. When the "UA" is revealed and the words "United Artists" appear, they are accompanied by a short, swelling progression of violins immediately leading to an uplifting, dramatic 5-note orchestral conclusion. This theme was composed by Joe Harnell.

Music/Sounds Trivia: An alternate take exists. It's a re-arranged version of the theme with an emotional piano theme and a more dramatic finish. It made its only appearance on disc two of The Film Music of Joe Harnell CD. You may listen to it here.

Music/Sounds Variants:

• There is a variation without the long "whoosh" and "ping", leaving only the music. This was spotted on a 1988 Disney Channel airing of Fiddler on the Roof.
• A rare rearranged version of the music was heard on an unknown Blake Edwards film (either Trail of the Pink Panther or Curse of the Pink Panther).
• A higher pitched version is used on many PAL releases, as well as on the 1987 American MGM/UA release of Yellow Submarine. This said variant had popped up on a late '80s TV broadcast of the film.
• A lower pitched version is found on AMC's prints of Rocky III.
• On a few films, such as Attack on the Iron Coast and The Thomas Crown Affair, it is silent.
• On rare occasions, such as on Jinxed and older releases (including the 2001 DVD, the 2015 Kino Lorber Blu-ray, and streaming prints) of They Call Me MISTER Tibbs!, the logo is accompanied by the films' respective opening themes (in the case of the latter, the logo is silent in the beginning, but when the "UA" is revealed, the film's opening cue plays; this plasters the original 1968 logo).
• On a Portuguese print of a Dogfather cartoon, the 1968 theme is used.
• The still version uses the second half of the regular music, beginning with the short, swelling progression of violins.

Availability: Was prolific on video releases and cable during the 1980s, but it's scarce now due to plastering with the 1987 or 1994 logos. This logo was used to update its catalog and provide a visual branding presence in the process, especially considering that most pre-Transamerica UA films did not have a logo at the beginning.

• This plasters older logos on the CBS/FOX releases of The Spy Who Loved Me, The Black Stallion, Rocky, Thunderball, You Only Live Twice, Goldfinger, and It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, the Playhouse Video release of Apache, the 1983 MGM/UA Home Video release of The Last Waltz, the 1983 Warner Home Video rental-only VHS and Betamax release of A Fistful of Dollars (it also appears on the 1985 CBS/Fox Video laserdisc), the RCA SelectaVision CED release of The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, and Amazon Prime Video's print of Heaven's Gate (the shorter theatrical cut).
• It has also been seen on some VHS releases of older Warner Bros. films, preceding the aforementioned company's old logo. Most 1980s UA releases were released with the MGM/UA lion logo (which still survives on some current prints). However, it can still be found on some '90s MGM/UA Home Video releases such as the 1996 reissue of Still of the Night and the early 1990s MGM/UA release of The Secret of NIMH (as well as its 2007 "Family Fun Edition" DVD reissue), along with the 1991 VHS of West Side Story.
• Also seen on UK prints of The Plague Dogs (the shorter U.S. version was distributed by Embassy Pictures and had their logo in place), and is also intact on Optimum Releasing's DVD and Shout! Factory's Blu-ray.
• Strangely appears on a VHS trailer for Teachers (on a 1986 Australian tape of American Flyers).
• Also, it plasters the 1st UA logo on a CBS/FOX release of Witness for the Prosecution, in which this logo is shown in B&W.
• Also retained on current TV prints of The Thomas Crown Affair and Rocky III, preceded by the 2001 MGM lion (the 2001 and 2004 DVDs, as well as the Fox Blu-ray releases, also preserve it), and The Wilby Conspiracy, preceded by the 2008 MGM lion. It can also seen on TCM airings of The Horse Soldiers.
• Makes surprise appearances on Sleep with Me and Undertow, both released years after this logo was retired.
• This is also seen on the 2005 MGM DVD and 2011 Blu-ray of The Thomas Crown Affair, as well as on the 2018 Kino Lorber 4K remastered Blu-ray.
• Can also be seen on '80s prints of older 007 films, mainly on VHS and LaserDisc (it also appeared on an '80s British reissue print of From Russia with Love).
• The variant appeared on a video from Kyron Home Video in Colombia. (NOTE: In terms of packaging, this logo only appeared on British, European, Latin, African, Australian, Asian, and Japanese 1980's video releases of UA films from Warner Home Video. CBS/Fox video releases simply had the MGM/UA logo on the packaging. This was perhaps due to branding rights that were different overseas, especially since this logo only actually appeared on film on occasion.)
• It was also seen on the original MGM/UA VHS and LaserDisc of Rock and Rule; however, the DVD and Blu-ray releases of the movie edit out the logo. This can also be seen at the start of The Outer Limits on videocassette.
• It is preceded by the early 2001 MGM logo on current prints of The Secret of NIMH and Rocky III (which was also seen on the 2020 re-release).

Editor's Note: This is a very popular logo, thanks to the effective model work, its uplifting fanfare, and its prevalence on VHS releases in the golden age of the format.

10th Logo (June 3, 1983-January 31, 1986)

Logo: It's basically another on-screen text saying "UNITED ARTISTS PRESENTS" in the same futuristic white font on a black background.

Trivia: After MGM acquired United Artists, most new UA films were released with this on-screen text following the MGM "Lion" logo of the era with the "MGM/UA Entertainment Co." caption above. However, the 1985 films A View to a Kill and To Live and Die in L.A. don't have this text.

Variants:

• On Romantic Comedy, the text reads "A United Artists/Taft Entertainment Picture".
• Some films such as Red Dawn and The Aviator have the text presented in the same font as the main titles. The former film does not have the text on a black screen.
• Yentl has the text reading "A UNITED ARTISTS PRESENTATION".
• On Oxford Blues, the text reads "METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER PRESENTS" in a same futuristic font of "UNITED ARTISTS PRESENTS".

FX/SFX: None.

Music/Sounds: None, or the opening theme of the movie.

Availability: Usually preserved on United Artists films of the era, as it is technically an in-credit logo and later prints still use this text. Films with this logo include Octopussy, Rocky IV, Curse of the Pink Panther, WarGames, and some public domain prints of 1971's Born to Win, among others. Oddly, this in-credit text was used to plaster the 1968 logo on Support Your Local Sheriff! instead of the previous logo, and is intact on its most recent releases. This appeared on the original VHS release and the 2001 DVD of Youngblood, but recent prints replace this with the next logo, or in the case of Encore's print, remove it entirely (while retaining the MGM Lion logo of the era).

11th Logo (June 30, 1987)

Nickname: "Zooming UA"

Logo: On a black background, we see a blue "UA," similar-looking to the previous logo but more uniformed in structure and with three cross-indentations on the "A." Once it reaches a comfortable distance, the "UA" stops zooming, and "United Artists" in a white thin sans-serif font fades in below it.

FX/SFX: The zoom-in and fading.

Music/Sounds: None. On current prints of The Living Daylights, the next logo's fanfare is used, possibly due to botched reverse plastering.

Availability: Rare. It was seen on the initial theatrical prints of the James Bond movie The Living Daylights, particularly the ones seen in Britain. When the movie was released in America and most international countries, it was replaced with the next logo. It is, however, restored on the DVD releases and remains intact on current prints of the film.

Editor's Note: Clearly, this was intended as a placeholder logo, judging by the simple animation and its rarity.

12th Logo (June 21, 1987-August 27, 1993)

Nickname: "UA Swoosh"

Logo: Over a black BG, we see a giant pattern of blue crystallized "UAs", styled like the 8th logo. The pattern smoothly merges together to form one minimum-sized "UA" as it zooms out. A streak of light glides by to slash the "A", leaving spikes on the "A". Then "United Artists" fades in underneath and the logo shines.

Trivia: This logo was animated by Rhythm & Hues in 1987. Appeared on their 1988 showreel.

Variants:

• In its early years, the MGM/UA Communications logo preceded this logo. In its later years, the logo would be by itself, starting from the point where the UA logo has already merged from the giant pattern, and the byline "An MGM/UA Communications Company" appears underneath.
• A prototype version can be seen on The Living Daylights. The print logo in blue zooms in, and then "United Artists" fades in below.
• Occasionally, only the "swoosh" part of the animation is shown (with the MGM/UA Communications logo). This is seen on License to Kill, All Dogs Go to Heaven, Rocky V, the 1990 VHS of Rollerball, the 1993-94 VHS releases of Inherit the Wind and It's a Pleasure (as well as the 2001 DVD of the former), the 1993 Laserdiscs of Alexander the Great and The Music Lovers, and the trailer for Road House, among others.
• On the 1988 Rhythm & Hues showreel, the logo animates at a smoother rate.
• There is a still version which appears at the end of Pink Panther: A Pink Christmas.
• A variant of the 1989 version has the logo zoomed further back than usual.
• Some reissues in the early to mid '90s had the 1989 version without the byline.

FX/SFX: The merging and zooming out of the logo and the slashing of the "A". CGI effects.

Music/Sounds: A low bass sound, followed by a jet engine-like "swoosh" and a single note timed with the logo shining. Other times, it's silent.

Music/Sounds Variants:

• On one early DVD print of Rocky, it uses the last half of the fanfare from the 9th logo, due to a plastering error.
• A low-tone variant exists.

Availability: Uncommon. Although subject to plastering with the 1995 and 2001 logos, it is still fairly common on UA-released films of the period such as Baby Boom, Rain Man, and Rocky V to name a few. It first appeared on The Living Daylights and made its final appearance on Son of the Pink Panther. It can also be found on the 1997 DVD of The Black Stallion, the MGM MOD DVD of Tomorrow is Forever, the 2001 DVD of All Dogs Go to Heaven, License to Kill, the 2008 DVD of Child's Play, the 1998 DVD of The Great Escape, TCM airings of Malta Story and Valdez Is Coming, ThisTV airings of The World of Henry Orient, Call Me Bwana, and The Barefoot Contessa, the DVDs of Bound for Glory, Inherit the Wind, Ten Seconds to Hell, Support Your Local Sheriff!, Trail of the Pink Panther, True Love, The Aviator, and Heaven's Gate (the shorter general release cut), and Comet airings of The Man from Planet X and Minotaur, the Wild Beast of Crete. This logo was often paired off with the popular MGM/UA Communications logo (which is sometimes cut off like on current prints of The Living Daylights and a 1993 MGM/UA Home Video print of Rocky) and both logos are thus regarded as favorites. However, the short variant seems slightly easier to find than the normal variant. It was also found on a Turner Classic Movies airing of Judgment at Nuremberg. The Scope variant is extremely rare and only appears on older letterboxed video releases of The Living Daylights and used to plaster older logos on certain older DVD releases. The low tone version was spotted on the Blu-ray release of Rain Man, on the French audio track. The byline variant also appears on the 2004 DVD of Follow That Dream.

Editor’s Note: A very popular logo that introduced UA’s current design.

13th Logo (October 26, 1994-March 24, 2000)

Nicknames: "The Gathering Lights", "The UA Gathering Lights", "UA Shining Light", "The Shining Lights", "UA Marble Stone", "The Company Built by the Stars", "Where's the UA Paperclip?"

Logo: It starts with a couple dozen bright stars showering over. The backdrop is a dark-colored marble wall, which appears a few seconds later. The glittering stars glide over the screen causing the words, "UNITED ARTISTS" with "U" and "A" bigger than the rest of the letters, wiping in from the left. After this progression, two stars criss-cross each other's paths and fade away left and right underneath to reveal, in smaller text, the words, "PICTURES INC.", in spaced-out letters. As the logo completes, one big star goes against the "U" and flashes. Then it shines, a la the Torch Lady's torch shining.

Trivia: This logo was used during and after United Artists' 75th Anniversary.

Variants:

• Starting with the release of It's My Party on March 22, 1996, the words "PICTURES INC." were replaced with the byline "AN MGM COMPANY", again in spaced-out letters.
• On 4:3 full-screen prints of films, the logo is shown in open matte, revealing more of the dark-colored marble wall.
• A black and white version can be seen on B&W UA films (though some, such as Some Like it Hot, feature the color version).
• A shorter version exists on most trailers as well a few TV spots. It begins with the "UNITED ARTISTS" text and the words either "PICTURES INC." or "AN MGM COMPANY" are already formed while it shines.
• A still version of this logo exists on most TV spots as well as some trailers. The "UNITED ARTISTS" text and the words either "PICTURES INC." or "AN MGM COMPANY" are already formed, like the shorter version.
• There is a print closing version where the words "UNITED ARTISTS" are stacked and the shine is intact.

FX/SFX: The glittering stars and the bright shining star.

Music/Sounds: Some tingling sounds followed by an orchestral tune with trip hop-esque backbeat, and ending with a rhythmic twinkling sound. Composed by Starr Parodi and Jeff Eden Fair.

Music/Sounds Variants:

• On some films such as The Birdcage and The Man in the Iron Mask, it has the opening theme.
• On Ronin, it uses a completely different score, sounding more dramatic and oriental. A loud bang is heard once the big flash appears.
• On the TCM print of More Money for Django, it uses the last half of the 1982 fanfare.
• On the Starz and ThisTV prints of Leaving Las Vegas, it uses the 2001 music.
• The 2000 DVD release of Diamonds Are Forever has the fanfare low-pitched.
• The trailer's opening theme is heard for the shorter and still versions.

Availability: Fairly common.

• Not as common as it once was when it was the chief means of plastering during most of the 1990s and some of the 2000s. In fact, it's believed to be how this logo first appeared, with the print logo appearing as early as the 1994 LaserDisc release of Midnight Cowboy and the logo itself debuting on the 1994 LaserDisc release of The Black Stallion; the logo would make its theatrical debut on Tank Girl, with the full version premiering on the feature itself.
• However, Sleep with Me uses the 1982 logo, and The Fantasticks was an earlier-produced 1995 film delayed into 2000, so this is quite debatable. It is also preserved on older MGM tapes and DVDs, used as late as the 2004 DVD of The Wilby Conspiracy.
• This also plastered the MGM/UA Communications variant of the 10th logo on the original MGM DVD releases (as well as on select mid-1990s VHS reissues) of Child's Play and Rain Man. Also seen on the 007 films GoldenEye and Tomorrow Never Dies and even appeared on a trailer of The World Is Not Enough and The Thomas Crown Affair (though both films used the MGM 75th anniversary logo). It is also preserved on older MGM tapes and DVDs (an example being the Australian DVD release of 12 Angry Men).
• On Blu-ray, this appears on the Scream Factory release of The Rage: Carrie 2, and MGM's releases of The Birdcage, Rob Roy, the 2014 remastered edition of Rocky (even plastering the 6th logo on the 2020 theatrical re-release), and Ronin (retained on the 2017 Arrow Video Blu-ray as well as the 2023 Kino Lorber Studio Classics edition, the latter appearing solo as that release uses a new film scan).
• This logo can also be seen on MGM/UA Family Entertainment VHS releases (as well as the MGM Kids DVD release, and possibly LaserDisc prints) of The Secret of NIMH (plastering the 1982 logo), Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (plastering the 1968 logo) and All Dogs Go to Heaven (plastering the 1987 logo). Some mid-1990s VHS (and presumably DVD or LaserDisc) prints of Fiddler on the Roof use this logo.
• Strangely, this logo also appears on late '90s VHS releases of MGM produced titles such as Death Warrant, Thelma and Louise, Delirious, Shattered, and other early '90s MGM-Pathè films. Made surprise appearances on ThisTV broadcasts of Separate Tables and Buffalo Bill and the Indians (the latter of which plasters over a Transamerica logo).
• This is also seen on the original 1998/99 DVD releases of The Secret of NIMH, plastering the 1982 "Turning UA" logo; and on the 1999 VHS/DVD release of Yellow Submarine.
• Also appears on some early trailers for The World is Not Enough and The Thomas Crown Affair (1999), though it's unknown if it appeared on any actual prints of those films.
• The 1996 Laserdisc of The Great Train Robbery plasters the 5th logo that was originally on the movie with this one.
• This strangely appears at the beginning of Epix's print of Son-Rise: A Miracle of Love, which was a Filmways production.

Editor’s Note: Some people who prefer UA's older logos don't like this logo, but it still has amazing CGI and an excellent musical score.

14th Logo (September 15, 2000-September 28, 2001)

Nicknames: "UA 2000", "The New UA Paperclip", "UA Paperclip II", "The UA Paperclip Returns"

Logo: On a black screen, white streaks appear, streaking to form a new UA logo that looks similar to the 1982 and 1987 logos, except the logo is a little narrower and there are no streaks. The words "UNITED ARTISTS" come from both sides of the lower part of the screen and converge. The words "AN MGM COMPANY" soon fade in afterwards, where we later see a shining wipe effect on the UA logo.

Trivia:

• This on-screen rendition was ultimately a placeholder for the reintroduction and revitalization of the "UA Swoosh", of which the revised print logo was already being used during this time.
• This logo is usually preceded by the current MGM Lion on older United Artists releases.

Variant: There is a variant where the logo is zooming out from 1.78:1 to 2.35:1 scope. This was because the film was in scope but the MGM lion preceding was in "flat" aspect.

FX/SFX: The streaks, the appearance of the logo, and the convergence of the words "UNITED ARTISTS". Very good CGI done by R. Paul Seymour.

Music/Sounds: A short instrumental bed consisting of a drum beat, a synth harmony, and sounds of wind, with a short 4-note piano stinger at the end. On some films, it is silent or has the film's opening music playing over it.

Availability: Rare, due to this logo being a placeholder. It was seen on United Artists' limited output of this time before it became an in-name only subsidiary of MGM. The only known theatrical releases to feature this logo are Crime and Punishment in Suburbia and The Claim; this logo is also seen on DVD releases of The Black Stallion Returns, Juggernaut, and The Dogs of War, and ThisTV airings of The Mechanic and The Last Waltz.

Editor’s Note: An interesting logo concept that got fully utilized in the next logo.

15th Logo (June 16, 2001-November 21, 2012)

United Artists Logo (2001-)

Nicknames: "UA Swoosh 2000", "UA Spikes 2000", "The Silver Slices", "Silver Spikes", "The UA Swoosh Returns", "UA Swoosh II", "Metallic UA Swoosh"

Logo: Essentially the same as the previous logo, except this one includes a metallic version of the "UA Swoosh" logo from 1987. Instead of the cross-indentations of the "A" being swooshed in this time around, they are "sliced" in by a light effect from left to right, one by one. There is also a URL for "www.unitedartists.com" underneath the company byline.

Trivia: This logo also appears preceded by the current MGM lion on new prints of older United Artists releases.

Bylines:

• 2001-2005, 2011-Present: "AN MGM COMPANY"
• 2007-2010; 2012-Present: Bylineless

Variants:

• From 2007-2010 and 2012, Sony and several other companies each took a stake in MGM. As a result, the logo was rendered bylineless from that point forward, even when MGM took back UA. There is also no URL.
• At the end of Fame (2009) and Red Dawn (2012), a still version is used.
• On Hot Tub Time Machine, the logo is darker and the light effect of the word "United Artists" is more enhanced.
• There is a lighter version of this logo, seen on the 2008 Blu-ray & DVD of The Spy Who Loved Me.
• On more recent airings of Heaven's Gate on Starz Encore Westerns, the logo has a slightly enhanced look. The streaks are brighter, the logo is formed a little faster. The words "UNITED" and "ARTISTS" show their streaks a little more before they converge, the "UA" logo shines a little more, and the logo fades out a little faster instead of slowly.
• On Lions for Lambs, once the logo is formed, "UA" turns red.

FX/SFX: The streaks, the slicing effects, and the convergence of the words "UNITED ARTISTS" done in CGI. A remake of the previous logo, also done by R. Paul Seymour.

Music/Sounds: Same as above. On some films such as Valkyrie and Hot Tub Time Machine, it's silent or has the movie's opening theme playing over it.

Music/Sounds Variants:

• In an unusual variation that is likely an editing foul-up, the British film 24 Hour Party People accompanies this logo with the theme music of Pathé, which had European distribution rights to the movie. This actually suits the logo well.
• TCM's print of The Magic Sword has the second half of the 1982 logo fanfare playing over it. Quite possibly an editing error as well.
• On some films, such as Fiddler on the Roof, Bananas, local airings of Leaving Las Vegas, and the 2012 Blu-ray of Goldeneye, it uses the 1994 fanfare due to a plaster error. This also actually suits this logo well, compared to the Pathé one.
• On a Amazon Prime France print of Rocky II, the theme is low pitched.

Availability: Very common, even though it hasn't been used on any new films since 2012.

• It's seen on UA films released from 2001 to 2012, including Jeepers Creepers, Ghost World, and Hot Tub Time Machine. The last "new" film to use this logo is Red Dawn (and even then, only as a sort of legacy credit). After that film's release, United Artists became an in-name-only company.
• The logo continues to be used as the chief means of plastering older logos, mainly on films made during the Transamerica era. Some notable films that have this logo on most current prints include the James Bond franchise and Rocky II. Only very recently has this has started to become somewhat less common.
• It also appears on PBS's print of The Last Waltz, as well as its Criterion Collection Blu-ray and UHD releases, likely plastering a Transamerica logo that originally appeared after a title card reading "PLAY IT LOUD."
• It also appears on the 2018 Criterion Collection Blu-ray of In the Heat of the Night, as well as the Kino Lorber UHD release, despite its originally being released without a logo.

Editor's Note: A refinement of the previous logo, thanks in large part to the use of the 1987 design. Even though it is still used as the chief means of plastering, it's a favorite of many due to its music and smooth animation.