CBS/Fox Video

Logos[]

1st logo (1982-1983)[]

Over a white background, we see before us a dual set of violet lines stacking upward and downward. Then, six long objects pop in at the top and bottom of the segmented lines, revealing the words:

CBS

FOX

then each letter of the word "VIDEO" pops in one by one below "FOX".

Variants[]

A still logo was found on the original release of Sophie's Choice.
A special animated version was used on PAL releases. Two segmented white curved squares and one segmented red square zoom in and out from the screen. The words "CBS-FOX", letter by letter, zoom in to the left side of the screen as another segmented white parallelogram zooms in. As it curves, it fills the screen, and the segments of the CBS/Fox logo zoom out from the top and bottom of the screen, while the word "VIDEO" zooms out from the bottom.
There is also an alternate variant for educational releases. On a blue-red gradient background, a light blue star flashes, and the text "A CBS/FOX VIDEO LEARNING EXPERIENCE" fades in. The words stay for several seconds, and then zoom away inward. While this happens, sets of white lines stack upon each other and form the CBS/Fox logo. A white flash below this forms the word "VIDEO". This variant has been nicknamed "Inexperienced".
There is a black and white variant. This is seen on the 1982 VHS of The Diary of Ann'e Frank and the 1983 VHS of Modern Times.
There is an Australian variant where the logo appears in the corner and Australian television and radio announcer Pete Smith (most famous for his announcing of the Australian version of Sale of the Century) introduces the film.

2nd logo (1983-1984)[]

On a blue background, two grids are moving from the top and bottom of the screen converging in the center of the screen. "CBS" comes from the top at an angle, with "FOX" coming from the bottom at an angle. The background has an orange flash, in which "CBS" and "FOX" are cut in a segmented line font as it moves toward the flash, and "CBS" and "FOX" right themselves in the center of the screen. The letters of the word "VIDEO" fly in from the bottom center of the screen one at a time. Then the trademark symbol fades in on the right/bottom corner of the logo.

Variants[]

There is a still version found at the end of some UK promos.
There is a black and white variant. This can be seen on the 1983 VHS of The Pride of the Yankeesand many other films in said colors.

3rd logo (1984-2000)[]

In a blue, boxed area, we see a mirrored, twin stair-like texture that shines a lot. The "stairs" rotate counter-clockwise and turn out to be the following text in blue with a segmented line between the two words on a black marble background:

CBS

------

FOX

then the word "VIDEO" shines in below "FOX", and the whole logo shines with pride.

Variants[]

There are a few variations of this logo:

A variation was seen in black and white. This was shown on re-releases of 1940s, 1950s and 1960s films.
On widescreen releases, the logo would zoom out to a screen with two rectangles, one on the left and one on the right, on an almond-staged orange/purple background, and the two rectangles on the sides would expand, and "SPECIAL WIDESCREEN EDITION" is below the screen on the stage.
There may be either the words "STEREO", "STEREO SURROUND", the Dolby Surround logo, the Ultra-Stereo logo or the Chace Surround Stereo logo appearing in the bottom left corner.
On late 1989-early 1990 prints, from just before CBS/Fox started printing their tapes at Rank Video Services America, during the FBI Warning screen, which appears on the beginning of such tapes at that time, a still version of this logo appears a couple of times, staying on the screen for about five seconds before cutting back to the warning. This has been spotted on prints of License to Kill, Iron Eagle (the 1989 re-print), Die Hard, Magic Memories on Ice, The Mighty Quinn, The January Man, Buying Time, The Abyss, Commando (the 1989 re-print), and In Like Flint from the time period.
Memories of Me has an almost still logo where the logo shines.
On the 1984 VHS of The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, there is a still version where the logo does not shine at all. The entire logo fades in, stays on-screen for a couple of seconds, and then fades out.

4th logo (Argentina; 1980s)[]

On a black space background with a moon on the lower-left of the screen and a planet below that (a widescreen shot of the opening in Star Wars: 'Episode IV - A New Hope after the title crawl, stretched to fit a 4:3 screen), two hands are clasped together. They move away from the top and bottom respectively, revealing a super-imposed CBS FOX VIDEO logo with an explosion inside it. Then clips from various movies (such as Star Wars) play inside the logo. Then, after a few seconds, "GATIVIDEO S.A." (in its company font) appears below, then that itself disappears after a few moments.

5th logo (1998)[]

On a black background, we see a white version of the CBS/Fox Video logo.

6th logo (1989?-Early 1990s?)[]

Opening: The CBS/Fox Video logo in silver is inside of a black box with a white outline zooms up and has three black lines (each one getting larger further down) come up with it. "ALL TIME GREATS" then zooms and it has a larger line with an upside down triangle on it. This all happens against a blue background.
Closing: The same as the opening version, only "Y'OURS TO KEEP FOREVE'R" appears under it.

Music/Sounds[]

1st logo[]

None.

Music/Sounds Variants[]

On PAL releases, a high-pitched variant of the original 1954 CinemaScope extension of the TCF fanfare was used.
On the "Learning Experience" variant, a female voice-over says: "This has been a CBS/Fox Video Learning Experience".
Pete Smith says in his variant, "Hello there, congratulations on your choice of a great CBS/Fox film. Before settling back, here are scenes from two films available from the vast CBS/Fox Video catalog".

2nd logo[]

A triumphant 25-note horn march fanfare, sampled from the Bruton Music library track "National Trust" composed by Keith Mansfield.

Music/Sounds Variant[]

Some Australia PAL releases carry this logo with a voice-over reminding the viewer to rewind the videocassette when it is finished playing. Here, he says "Don't forget to rewind this tape before returning it to your video library."

3rd logo[]

Same as the 2nd logo, but sounding slightly more powerful than before.

Music/Sounds Variants[]

On the widescreen variant, a big "WHOOSH" sound is heard at the beginning (if listening under stereo, the whoosh pans from right to left), then another whoosh when the side rectangles expand, then a Boom! at the end (also if listening under stereo, the Boom! pans from the left side to the right).
On the 1990 VHS of The Sound of Music, this logo is silent.
At the end of some PAL tapes (at least in Australia), there was a variant in which a British-accented male voice-over says "Please rewind this cassette before returning it to your video library" at the end.
Another variant used Chelsea Brown saying "Could you please rewind your cassette before returning it to your video library?".
The completely still variant seen on the 1984 VHS of The Good, The Bad and The Ugly has no music at all.

4th logo (Argentina)[]

A disco theme. (Hot Wheels by Walter Murphy from the Valentino Music Library)

5th logo[]

TBA.

6th logo[]

The CBS/Fox Video theme from the previous logos.
On the closing version, a male British announcer says, "All Time Greats from CBS/Fox Video, favorite films to keep and enjoy, forever".

Scare Factor[]

1st logo[]

None to low.

2nd logo[]

Low. The music may get to you and/or startle you the first time you hear it, but otherwise harmless.

3rd logo[]

Low. This is one of the most memorable logos ever made, especially thanks to the epic music. Raised to low to medium for the widescreen variant because of the whooshes and the thunderclap.