Paramount Pictures logo has a hidden meaning that is shrouded in mystery - here's the truth behind t

May 2024 · 2 minute read

THE Paramount Pictures logo has a hidden meaning that is shrouded in mystery - and this is the story behind it.

The legendary logo shows a mountain with 24 stars that form a circle around it.

While there is still debate about the inspiration behind it, some researchers claim it was based on the childhood memories of the company's founder William Wadsworth Hodkinson.

Hodkinson, remembered as “the Man Who Invented Hollywood,” allegedly drew the sketch of the "Majestic Mountain" himself, basing it on Ben Lomond mountain in Utah.

The stars in the logo reportedly stand for the 24 actors who signed with the film studio in 1916, according to TIME.

The original idea was allegedly to keep adding stars to the logo as more stars signed contracts with the studio, but given its success, that idea was discarded.

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Legend has it that the studio's first logo design was drawn on a napkin in 1914; it showed the mountain against a black backdrop with the company's name and the stars above it.

When it was remade in 1952, the mountain became bigger and was moved towards the center, with the black backdrop changing to a blue sky with clouds.

In 1957, the logo was changed again to a more minimalist, blue design with less details.

The studio's image took yet another turn in 1987, when the company used a painting it commissioned to celebrate its 75th anniversary.

This new logo featured a lake at the mountain foot and gave the stars more of a shine.

Finally, the logo received its latest makeover in 2002, when shooting stars were added over the snowy mountain peak.

While the stars have remained a constant in the different versions of the Paramount logo, the number of stars went from 24 originally to only 22 currently.

However, it's unclear what prompted the change.

Paramount Pictures, now part of Viacom, is Hollywood's oldest surviving studio; it's behind legendary films such as Breakfast at Tiffany’s, The Godfather and Mission: Impossible.

The logo now adapts to different contexts depending on the movie it's introducing, changing details such as the color palette.

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