Filmways, Inc. was a television and film production company founded by American film executive Martin Ransohoff in 1960. It is probably best-known as the production company of CBS's "rural comedies" of the 1960s, including The Beverly Hillbillies, Petticoat Junction, and Green Acres. Ransohoff left the company in 1972. In 1983 it was acquired in a merger with Orion Pictures Corporation. Film refers to the celluloid media on which movies are printed Film is a term that encompasses motion pictures as individual projects, as well as the field in general. ... Martin Ransohoff (born 1927 in New Orleans, Louisiana) is a cinema and television producer. ... 1960 was a leap year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... CBSs first color logo, which debuted in the fall of 1965. ... Rural areas are sparsely settled places away from the influence of large cities and towns. ... Comedy is the use of humour in the performing arts. ... The 1960s, or The Sixties, in its most obvious sense refers to the decade between 1960 and 1969, but the expression has taken on a wider meaning over the past twenty years. ... The Beverly Hillbillies is a TV sitcom about a hillbilly who strikes oil while hunting on his land, near the fictional Bugtussle, and moves his family to Beverly Hills, California, with the resultant wealth. ... Petticoat Junction was an American situation comedy that was produced by Filmways, Inc. ... Aerial photo featured in the opening sequence of Green Acres There is also the US town of Green Acres, Washington Green Acres was an American television series that was produced by Filmways, Inc. ... 1972 was a leap year that started on a Saturday. ... 1983 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The phrase mergers and acquisitions or M&A refers to the aspect of corporate finance strategy and management dealing with the merging and acquiring of different companies as well as assets. ... Orion Pictures Logo Orion Pictures Corporation was a United States movie production company, formed in 1978 as a joint venture between Warner Bros. ...

The logos that were used

The "Filmways Globe" logo was used in 1961–1978. In a starry blue background, a small horizontally stretched out globe is seen. It has latitude lines on it, and the equator extends beyond the globe, with small Richter scale-like lines on part of it. From behind the globe, "A FILMWAYS" in a 3D font and curved to match the globe's position, zoom northwards. "TELEVISION PRESENTATION" fades in below the globe. The Richter magnitude test scale (or more correctly local magnitude ML scale) assigns a single number to quantify the size of an earthquake. ...

There is a voiceover saying " This has been a Filmways presentation". Those who said the phrase are listed below:

• Petticoat Junction: Kate Bradley (Bea Benaderet)
• Green Acres: Lisa Douglas (Eva Gabor), she says it with "Dahling"
• Beverly Hillbillies: Ellie May Clampett (Donna Douglas)
• Mr. Ed: Larry Keating (Addison)
• Addams Family: The logo was silent, but in some episodes the phrase was said in a deep baritone voice by Ted Cassidy, but he did not say it in his usual "Lurch" Voice.

The "Filmways Trail" logo was used in 1978–1981. On a black screen many differently coloured "Filmways" zoom up from the bottom of the screen towards a white "Filmways". All the multicoloured "Filmways" merge into the white "Filmways". It had a synthesized orchestrated tune edited with xylophone scales. Petticoat Junction was an American situation comedy that was produced by Filmways, Inc. ... Bea Benaderet (April 4, 1906 - October 13, 1968) (pr: ben-ah-DARE-ett) was an American actor best remembered as a voice artist in radio and animation. ... Aerial photo featured in the opening sequence of Green Acres There is also the US town of Green Acres, Washington Green Acres was an American television series that was produced by Filmways, Inc. ... Éva Gábor (February 11, 1919 - July 4, 1995) was a Hungarian born actress. ... The Beverly Hillbillies is a TV sitcom about a hillbilly who strikes oil while rabbit hunting, becomes a millionaire and moves with his family to Beverly Hills, California. ... Donna Douglas (born September 26, 1933) is an American actress. ... Mister Ed was a popular US television comedy show that aired on CBS from 1961-1966. ... Four major characters from the original television adaptation: Thing (foreground) with Uncle Fester, Morticia and Gomez Addams The Addams Family is the creation of American cartoonist Charles Addams. ... Theodore Crawford Ted Cassidy (born July 31, 1932 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; died January 16, 1979 in Los Angeles, California) was an American actor who played Lurch and Thing on The Addams Family. ...

The most short-lived logo was used in 1981–1983. On a black background, a round orange glow of light appears, and in it a light blue light forms a logo. Underneath the words "FILMWAYS TELEVISION" fly back with a whitish blue light effect. Both the logo and the words turn solid as the lights fade, with the logo turning blue and the words white. The logo is a rounded box/maze with a stylized "F" joined with a shape that may be a upside down and/or backwards "F". It had some orchestrated tune or the end of the show's theme. It was used until Filmways's takeover by Orion.