Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Go tell it on the mountain: a pictorial history of the Paramount logo

What's come to be known as 'the mountain of dreams' began in 1914 as a boardroom doodle from the pen of W. W. Hodkinson, founder and president of Paramount Pictures Corporation, America's first nation-wide film distributor.

Paramount Pictures was founded in 1912 as Famous Players Film Company, and later changed to Famous Players-Lasky Corporation. In 1916, the studio become a wholly owned division of Famous Players. With the exception of a brief "blue period" (1975-1985), the studio's logo has remained surprisingly unstained since Hodkinson first shared his drawing with Adolph Zukor over 100 years ago.

Hodkinson claimed the mountain stemmed from memories of his childhood in Utah. Many cite Utah's Ben Lomond as Hodkinson's inspiration. Here are but a few mountain ranges whose agents put in a call for equal billing:

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/may/06/45039/

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/may/06/45040/

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/may/06/45042/

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/may/06/45044/

Why are there 24 celestial objects in the constellation that encircles the pyramidic peak? At the time of its creation, that's how many stars the studio had under contract. The number has been known to vary over the years from a high of 25 to a low of 22.

Here is a nowhere near complete survey of the happiest place on earth and my answer to Disney's Matterhorn. Thanks to Logopedia for helping to fill in a few blank spots.

1912 - 1952

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/may/06/45050/

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/may/06/45051/

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/may/06/45036/

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/may/06/45037/

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43914/

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43915/

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43916/

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43917/

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43918/

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43920/

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43921/

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43922/

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43923/

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43924/

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43925/

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/21/44134/

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43926/

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43927/

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43928/

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43929/

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43930/

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43931/

1952 - 1968

In 1952 the logo is redesigned as a matte painting by studio artist, Jan Domela.

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/may/06/45038/

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43932/

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43934/

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43935/

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43936/

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43937/

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43938/

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43939/

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43940/

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43941/

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43942/

1968 - 1985: The Gulf + Western Years

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43943/

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43944/

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43945/

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43946/

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43947/

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43948/

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43949/

1985 - 2002: CGI Makeover

Paramount commissioned artist Dario Campanile to redesign their corporate 'ident' in honor of the studio's 75th anniversary. The occasion also heralded the introduction of a computer generated lake and stars.

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/may/06/45035/

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43950/

Talk about prime real estate. Eddie Murphy's kingdom in John Landis' Coming to America is situated somewhere beyond the prestigious peak.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zajR_ZweIGg

2002 - 2013: The Viacom Years

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43961/

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43951/

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43952/

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43953/

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43954/

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43955/

Devastudios, Inc. redesigned the studio's logo complete with added touch of the stars getting their tips wet.

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43956/

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43957/

Odds and Ends:

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43960/

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43958/

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43959/

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/21/44133/

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/may/06/45045/

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all

Previous article

Time’s up for Doubletime Recording Studio

Owner Jeff Forrest is trading El Cajon for Portugal
Next Article

For nutty pies at Pizza by Aromi in La Mesa

Sicilian cousins add to the Italian goodness they dish out around Lake Murray

What's come to be known as 'the mountain of dreams' began in 1914 as a boardroom doodle from the pen of W. W. Hodkinson, founder and president of Paramount Pictures Corporation, America's first nation-wide film distributor.

Paramount Pictures was founded in 1912 as Famous Players Film Company, and later changed to Famous Players-Lasky Corporation. In 1916, the studio become a wholly owned division of Famous Players. With the exception of a brief "blue period" (1975-1985), the studio's logo has remained surprisingly unstained since Hodkinson first shared his drawing with Adolph Zukor over 100 years ago.

Hodkinson claimed the mountain stemmed from memories of his childhood in Utah. Many cite Utah's Ben Lomond as Hodkinson's inspiration. Here are but a few mountain ranges whose agents put in a call for equal billing:

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/may/06/45039/

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/may/06/45040/

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/may/06/45042/

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/may/06/45044/

Why are there 24 celestial objects in the constellation that encircles the pyramidic peak? At the time of its creation, that's how many stars the studio had under contract. The number has been known to vary over the years from a high of 25 to a low of 22.

Here is a nowhere near complete survey of the happiest place on earth and my answer to Disney's Matterhorn. Thanks to Logopedia for helping to fill in a few blank spots.

1912 - 1952

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/may/06/45050/

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/may/06/45051/

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/may/06/45036/

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/may/06/45037/

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43914/

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43915/

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43916/

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43917/

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43918/

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43920/

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43921/

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43922/

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43923/

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43924/

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43925/

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/21/44134/

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43926/

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43927/

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43928/

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43929/

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43930/

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43931/

1952 - 1968

In 1952 the logo is redesigned as a matte painting by studio artist, Jan Domela.

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/may/06/45038/

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43932/

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43934/

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43935/

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43936/

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43937/

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43938/

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43939/

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43940/

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43941/

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43942/

1968 - 1985: The Gulf + Western Years

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43943/

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43944/

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43945/

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43946/

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43947/

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43948/

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43949/

1985 - 2002: CGI Makeover

Paramount commissioned artist Dario Campanile to redesign their corporate 'ident' in honor of the studio's 75th anniversary. The occasion also heralded the introduction of a computer generated lake and stars.

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/may/06/45035/

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43950/

Talk about prime real estate. Eddie Murphy's kingdom in John Landis' Coming to America is situated somewhere beyond the prestigious peak.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zajR_ZweIGg

2002 - 2013: The Viacom Years

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43961/

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43951/

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43952/

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43953/

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43954/

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43955/

Devastudios, Inc. redesigned the studio's logo complete with added touch of the stars getting their tips wet.

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43956/

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43957/

Odds and Ends:

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43960/

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43958/

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/16/43959/

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/21/44133/

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/may/06/45045/

Sponsored
Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Tijuana's Caesar Salad: It's show time!

Next Article

Warner Bros. Reveals New Superman Logo for Man of Steel

Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

This Week’s Reader This Week’s Reader