Here’s one of those weirdly mesmerizing ‘history of a logo’ videos that are a staple of a complete Youtube diet. This is the history of the 20th Century Fox logo over a 100 year period. I knew that William Fox, an independent film distributor/producer, was the originator of things somehow but I failed to even consider that there was once a 20th Century Pictures with which he merged. You’ll see precisely one logo of each before the now famous fully named company appears. The only other thing of any real interest is the fact that over the course of eight decades the theme has never been played in any key other than the original B flat. Why I enjoy zoning out on stuff like this I can’t explain. Perhaps it’s the sheer abdication of thought that I find so charming and refreshing.
April 30, 2024
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Fun anecdote –– in one of those instances where assets were sold to shore up one or another loss, it was decided that the Fox music catalog might be a good thing to sell off (c’mon, who can forget those ear worm worthy ditties from some random Alice Faye/Cesar Romero extravaganza –– “Romance and Rhumba” anyone?). Warner-Chappell music was more than happy to purchase the catalog – unfortunately, one of the lawyers tasked with the sale neglected to realize that among the musical offerings was a short, but key, Alfred Newman composition — The Fox fanfare. Ooops. Warner got great joy in leasing the theme back to FOX each year – salt in the wound?
That’s hilarious–Warners owning Fox’s very identity. One never thinks about who writes these pieces of music that are truly the accompaniment of our lives (if your people like us of course).