Walt Disney Classics

Walt Disney Classics
Background : "Walt Disney Classics" (nicknamed by Disney video collectors as the “Black Diamond Classics”) was created in 1984 to release the animated features from the Disney Animated Features canon. The first release from the line was Robin Hood in 1984, and more soon followed, including Pinocchio, Dumbo, The Sword in the Stone, Alice in Wonderland, and more. In 1990, due to the wild success of The Little Mermaid, the Classics line released that film to video and began releasing the more contemporary new animated releases of the time from Disney. In 1994, after the video release of The Fox and the Hound, the Classics series was discontinued and replaced with a newer series, labeled as the Walt Disney Masterpiece Collection.

===1st Logo (December 3, 1984-October 6, 1987, 1988, 1993)=== ''

Videos: Montage of the Walt Disney Classics logos, Opening Previews to "Robin Hood (USA & Canadian)", "Cinderella" and "The Rescuers Down Under", "The Great Mouse Detective UK Promo"

Nicknames : "The Black Diamond", "Sorcerer Mickey II", "Hi again, Mickey!"

Logo : We start with the opening animation of the 1986 Walt Disney Home Video logo, with Mickey Mouse dressed in his Sorcerer’s Apprentice outfit like on Fantasia, standing on a blue spotlight on a black background. The camera slowly begins zooming up to his hand as the stars and crescent moon on his hat flash one-by-one, and then a magic spark flashes and appears above Mickey’s hand. We zoom past Mickey as the spark begins swirling around and begins to write "WALT DiSNEY” in the corporate Disney font, except it is metallic white. As we zoom out, the background begins to change to dark blue, and a black diamond with metallic edges fades in from a far point and begins to slowly zoom in, as “CLASSICS”, in a fancy metallic white Lo-Type font, begins zooming out from the bottom of the screen, before that and “Walt Disney” settle on the diamond, which has zoomed up to a comfortable distance. The edges begin to glow white, and then a magic comet swishes into view from the bottom left of the screen, circles behind the diamond, then flies out from the top right and passes in front of the diamond before flying offscreen, leaving a trail of pixie dust that changes the "WALT DiSNEY CLASSICS" text to gold , and adds a purple tint to the diamond’s edges.The logo "shines".

Variants :


 * In 1992, starting with 101 Dalmatians, the logo had brighter colors with the diamond in bright blue (possibly due to deterioration of the master), and the logo fades out earlier than before. Sometimes the logo begins abruptly (this mostly happened on 1992 releases).
 * The original 1988 prototype version seen on Cinderella (retail copies only, demo tapes had the previous logo) had the background as a dark to light blue gradient, a more shiny, silver, metallic diamond, and rougher animation. This has also been seen on the 1992 laserdisc and demo tape of The Rescuers, the demo tape of Beauty and the Beast, the later Canadian print of The Rescuers Down Under, and the later Canadian/USA print of Robin Hood (albeit off-center). It also shows up at the beginning of the videotape Fantasia: The Making of a Masterpiece (which was included as part of a "Deluxe Collectors' Edition" box set of the movie). The last video to initially feature this version of the logo was the 1993 French-Canadian release of Pinocchio.
 * On several prints of the 1991 video release of Robin Hood, the Mickey scene is cut, and the logo starts off with the spark writing the words.
 * Another short version on the Robin Hood VHS has Brian Cummings saying, "Look for these animated Disney classics on videocassette." This is shown before a preview for The Jungle Book, which is also shown with this variant on the 1991 VHS of The Brave Little Toaster.
 * On the 1991 video release of The Rescuers Down Under, just the end of the logo is shown. There is no music and Brian Cummings says, "Don't miss this timeless Disney classic from Walt Disney Home Video." This was shown during the beginning of The Jungle Book preview from the Robin Hood VHS.
 * The shortened version seen on Robin Hood was also seen at the beginning of a UK promo for The Great Mouse Detective (ironically, this promo was found on the 1992 UK VHS release of Robin Hood, as well as on the UK video releases of The Prince and the Pauper, and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow), except in this version, the 1992 variant is used. Also, at the end of the logo, an announcer says "From Walt Disney Home Video", before cutting to the promo.
 * On the US version of the promo, as seen on the 1992 prints of So Dear to My Heart and The Rescuers, the end of the 1992 variant is shown (with the music from The Great Mouse Detective playing in the background) and Mark Elliot provides the voice-over.
 * The tail end of the 1989 variant (with the logo "shining") surprisingly appears at the beginning of a video promo for Bambi, as seen on several international Disney VHS releases.
 * Japanese tapes use a still variant for promos featuring the diamond reading "THE CLASSICS" on a starry sky with a thicker, more glass-like frame.
 * On Descriptive Video Service VHS's, a DVS narrator (for example Wendie Sakakeeny on the 1992 DVS VHS of Dumbo) describes the logo: "Now an animation, a figure appears. Mickey Mouse wearing his red sorcerer's robe and tall blue pointed hat stands with his left arm extended. A star shoots up from his palm writing the signature and the logo Walt Disney Classics."

FX/SFX : All the animation in the logo.

Music/Sounds : A majestic, gradually rising synthesizer fanfare with a "sizzling" noise as the comet circles behind the diamond. Starting with the 1992 VHS release of The Rescuers, the music became distorted and heavier on bass as the result of a video processing error.

Availability : Seen on 1988-1994 Disney video releases of their feature films with the text "A Walt Disney CLASSIC" or "Walt Disney's CLASSIC" on top and the diamond print logo on the clamshell spine. The first two releases with this logo, Cinderella and Bambi, feature the diamond print logo (with WDHV text) on the label like the last logo, though some later releases use an alternate sticker label instead of a white ink label (like some copies of The Little Mermaid, The Jungle Book and The Rescuers Down Under). The most common Disney Classics tapes featuring this logo are Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin (both with the muffled, bass-heavy music). The 1992 version of the logo with the original (clean) music only appeared on 101 Dalmatians and The Great Mouse Detective. Surprisingly, the 1989 version of this logo appears on very early printings (from before December 18, 1995) of the 1996 Masterpiece Collection release of Pocahontas. This was not found on UK releases from the early to mid-90's released under the label "Walt Disney Classics"; they just used the 3rd WDHV logo, which would also be used on Classics LaserDiscs (since 1992) and Spanish-language tapes. The last video to use this logo was the 1994 Classics release of The Fox and the Hound. However the 1992 distorted variant made a surprise appearance on the 2003 UK VHS of Pinocchio: Special Edition. Oddly enough, this was not shown on the 1991 French-Canadian release of Robin Hood (it goes straight to the film after the 1986 WDHV logo). Strangely odd, the 1989 version of Classics Logo it also seen on 1990 French SECAM VHS of Lady and the Tramp, on the 1993 French Canadian VHS of Aladdin, The Great Mouse Detective CLV 1992 Laserdisc (while some copies have the 1986 WDHV Logo on CAV Laserdisc)

Scare Factor : None to minimal. The UK lash may get some, but this is a great improvement over the last logo! Minimal for the distorted music version.

===3rd Logo (1991-1996)=== Nicknames : "The Wiping Light on Text"

Logo : On a shady blue blackground, the words " WALT DISNEY " are seen in yellow with a shadow effect. Below it is " CLASSICS " in a metallic orange serif font, also with the shadow effect. Light wipes over the logo from left to right.

Variant: On the 1993 UK VHS trailer of Peter Pan, the background is solid blue, and light doesn't shine on the logo.

FX/SFX : The wiping light.

Music/Sounds : Opening of the promo following it.

Availability : Exclusive to United Kingdom. Was seen in some WDC promos of the time.

Scare Factor : None. It's a harmless logo.

===4th Logo (2000)=== Nicknames : "Disney Glitter", "Walt Dust Classics", "Another Golden Logo"

Logo : Same as the 1991 Walt Disney Home Video logo, except this time, the logo was placed over a bluish-purple background with swirly pixie dust and sparkles. Instead of "HOME VIDEO", a golden banner with a black word "CLASSICS" was seen underneath. Thin yellowish-orange light shines over various parts of the logo, sans the banner.

FX/SFX : The yellow light and the sparkles.

Music/Sounds : See above.

Availability : Again, exclusive to UK. This was seen twice in a 2000 WDC promo seen on the 2000 VHS of Tarzan, and the 2001 UK VHS Release of Peter Pan.

Scare Factor : None. Pretty neat to look at, actually.

===5th Logo (2002-2003)=== Nicknames : "Disney Glitter II", "Walt Dust Classics II", "Yet Another Golden Logo"

Logo : On a medium blue background with an swirly pixie dust trail in the middle, and trails of sparkles, we see "Walt Disney" in yellowish-gold and in its signature font above the ring and the star (without the glow) from the 2001 Walt Disney Home Entertainment logo, and "CLASSICS" underneath in a yellowish-gold font. The sparkle trails "glints" as faint bright yellow light shines over various parts of the logo.

FX/SFX : The yellow light and the sparkles.

Music/Sounds : See above.

Availability : Again, exclusive to UK. This was seen thrice in a 2002 WDC promo seen on The Magical World of Winnie the Pooh: Vol.1, and Winnie the Pooh: All For One, One For All.

The scare factor is the same as the last logo.