The mountain depicted on the Paramount Pictures logo isn't real. But we wondered if perhaps it was inspired by a particular peak. This question has sparked spirited debate on the message boards of several mountain climbing sites. This fascinating Network 54 posting claims to have the answer.
William Wadsworth Hodkinson, the man who started Paramount and came up with the logo, originally hailed from Ogden, Utah. Lynn Arave, the poster on the message board, also grew up in Ogden and believes Hodkinson's inspiration was Ben Lomond Peak, a 9,712-foot mountain that dominates the northern skyline. This certainly seems possible. According to Leslie Halliwell's biography "Mountain of Dreams," Hodkinson's logo was "a memory of childhood in his home state of Utah."
Film buffs can see the original logo design on Paramount's corporate history page.
