Paramount Pictures

## Section Header

### Formerly

Famous Players Film Company (1912–1916)Famous Players–Lasky Corporation (1916–1927)Paramount Famous Lasky Corporation (1927–1930)Paramount Publix Corporation (1930–1935)Paramount Pictures Inc. (1935–1950)

### Predecessors

Famous Players Film CompanyFamous Players–Lasky CorporationRepublic PicturesDW Studios

### Founder(s)

William Wadsworth HodkinsonAdolph ZukorJesse L. Lasky

### Headquarters

5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, California, United States

### Divisions

Paramount Home EntertainmentParamount PlayersParamount AnimationParamount Television StudiosParamount Music

### Subsidaries

Miramax (49%)Rede Telecine (12.5%)United International Pictures (50%)Republic Pictures

### Website

paramountpictures.com

**Paramount Pictures Corporation** is an American film and television production and distribution company and the namesake division of Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS). It is the sixth-oldest film studio in the world, the second-oldest film studio in the United States (behind Universal Pictures), and the sole member of the "Big Five" film studios located within the city limits of Los Angeles.

In 1916, film producer Adolph Zukor put 24 actors and actresses under contract and honored each with a star on the logo. In 1967, the number of stars was reduced to 22 and their hidden meaning was dropped. In 2014, Paramount Pictures became the first major Hollywood studio to distribute all of its films in digital form only. The company's headquarters and studios are located at 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, California.

Paramount Pictures is a member of the Motion Picture Association (MPA).

## Logo

It is still unknown why there were originally 29 stars and why their number was reduced to 22. Rumor has it that the semicircular constellation around the mountain used to denote actors who signed a contract with a film studio. But this assumption is not confirmed by anything because at the dawn of cinema, William Hodkinson did not sign agreements with anyone, and Paramount was engaged in distributing other people’s films.

In any case, the mountain peak with a halo of stars is one of the most famous symbols of Hollywood. It predates MGM’s roaring lion by nearly a decade and retains the basic design concept. The mountain personifies solidity, steadfastness, and durability. The stars, in turn, are an integral part of Hollywood and perform a decorative function in the emblem.

The first lettering on the Paramount Pictures logo was the same style as the Paramount-Artcraft Motion Pictures wordmark. The cursive type was considered very fashionable in that era. But time passed, and he gradually evolved until he acquired recognizable features.

The logo is made in the technique of filming: it seems that this is a frame from a movie of the 1930s. The color scheme is reminiscent of classic black and white cinematography.

## Trivia

* On the third logo the mountain was doodled by William W. Hodkinson during a meeting with Adolph Zukor. It is based off of Ben Lomond Mountain in Utah, which is near where Hodkinson spent his childhood The gliding clouds and mountain are both hand-painted matte paintings, with the cloud background being slid behind the mountain.
* 24 stars surround the mountain: one for each movie star that had a contract with the studio at the time.
	+ The 6th logo was originally created for Paramount's 3D process "Paravision" and later modified especially for widescreen.
	+ The mountain seen here is known as "Artesonraju", located in Peru.
	+ The painting of the mountain was created by matte artist Jan Domela.