Don Bluth Entertainment

Logo descriptions by Gabriel Katikos

Video capture courtesy of MichaelRetro Strum

Background : Sullivan Bluth Studios was a highly successful animation studio which was formed in 1985 by Disney expatriates Don Bluth, Gary Goldman and John Pomeroy in conjunction with businessman Morris Sullivan. A successor to the former three's previous studios Don Bluth Productions (producers of the short film Banjo the Woodpile Cat and the feature film The Secret of NIMH) and Bluth Group (producers of the popular Dragon's Lair and Space Ace video games), it was later located to Dublin, Ireland in the late 1980s. In 1992, the studio declared bankruptcy and was renamed to Don Bluth Entertainment. After the release of the company's last film, The Pebble and the Penguin, in 1995, the studio closed down its doors. Bluth and Goldman went on to form Fox Animation Studios a year earlier while Pomeroy eventually returned to Disney.

NOTE : The company did not use a logo until 1986.

1st Logo (November 21, 1986-April 3, 1992)
Nickname : "The Leaf"

Logo : On a red water background, we see a golden leaf floating down from the top of the screen. When the leaf gets to a comfortable distance, it stops, making a few ripples appear, which leave sparks as they do so. As this is happening, the leaf and ripples disappear, while the sparks form the text "a Don Bluth film", in gold and in a cursive font. Then it fades out, and one of these phrases would appear:
 * Produced by SULLIVAN STUDIOS, INC. (only seen on An American Tail)
 * Produced by SULLIVAN BLUTH STUDIOS (only seen on The Land Before Time)
 * Produced by SULLIVAN BLUTH STUDIOS IRELAND Ltd. (seen on All Dogs Go to Heaven and Rock-A-Doodle)

Variant : On restored prints of of The Land Before Time, the leaf is now green (like the treestars seen in the film) and the ripples is now aquablue (like the water).

FX/SFX : Traditional animation.

Music/Sounds : The closing theme.

Music Variants :
 * On the U.S. VHS release of Rock-A-Doodle, due to the time-compressed closing credits, the film's closing credits music plays over it and the following Goldcrest Films logo.
 * Before the closing credits in the Freeform print of An American Tail, the first part of the film's closing credits music plays over it and the following Amblin Entertainment logo.

Availability : Uncommon; can be seen on the films mentioned above. It also appeared on Rock-a-Doodle in the U.S. theatrical and early home video prints, but not on any subsequent releases.

2nd Logo (March 30-October 7, 1994)
Logo :
 * Thumbelina: On a black background, Thumbelina runs across the screen, leaving behind the yellow words "a DON BLUTH presentation". A few seconds later, Prince Cornelius, on his bumblebee, flies across the words and they vanish.
 * A Troll in Central Park: At the end of the credits, an image of Stanley appears. His green thumb lights up, and the words "A Don Bluth Presentation" appear, then they vanish.

FX/SFX : Each variation is animated.

Music/Sounds : The closing theme of the movie.

Availability : Can be seen at the end of Thumbelina and A Troll in Central Park.