Gracie Films

Gracie Films is an American film and television production company, created by James L. Brooks in 1986. The company has produced many award-winning films and television series, some of which include Broadcast News and Jerry Maguire, but most notably, The Simpsons. The company is primarily associated with film studio, and distributor Sony Pictures Entertainment, but it still has an office at the 20th Century Studios lot due to the indefinite contract Gracie Films has with Fox for 31 years of The Simpsons (and counting).

We start off in a movie theater with dimmed lights and a screen in front. The people are animated and we can't see their faces. As the movie patrons are talking, a woman says "Shh!". Then, the audience becomes silent, and the projector comes on, where "GRACIE FILMS" is seen on a blue background.

The jingle was composed by Jeffrey Townsend, and the "Shh!" was done by Tracey Ullman. The people talking were Jeffrey Townsend and then-CEO of Fox Garth Ancier, double-tracked to sound like more people. The Halloween jingle was composed by Alf Clausen back when he did work on the show.

Some standard and special versions of the company's logo and jingle were made to fit television shows, most notably The Simpsons, which has lots of unique variants, as described below.

Gracie Films also were involved in the making of the majority of the video games, such as The Simpsons Road Rage and Tapped Out.

Variants

The Simpsons:
- In most Treehouse of Horror episodes, there is usually a pipe organ that plays the jingle in a minor key after a female scream.
  - I and Halloween of Horror have the normal logo.
    - In addition, "Thanksgiving of Horror" replaces the shush with Homer gobbling like a turkey.
  - In II and III, it was the organ only.
  - In IV and V, the scream was added in with a heavy reverb.
  - In VI, the jingle plays in a Myst/Philip Glass style as constantly heard during "Homer³".
  - Some "Treehouse of Horror" variants differ on what kind of sound effects are being heard.
    - VII, XI and XIV were never reused.
      - VII has the scream in a higher pitch, making it sound like a little girl screaming instead of a woman. This one is more intimidating than the rest.
      - XI has the organ at a more dramatic outburst.
      - XIV has the organ in a deeper tone.
    - XVI, XXV, XXVII, XXVIII, XXIX, XXX and XXXI reuse the same variant from XIII.
      - The organ in this variant resembles that of being played on an electric keyboard. In this case, the Roland D-50 PN-D50-01 patch "Pipe Organ" was used for this one.
        Unusually, when XIII is aired on FXX. The variant adds in another scream and a shush in-between.
    - XVII, XVIII and XX reuse the same variant from VIII.
      - This one has the scream and the organ simultaneously being heard at the 'shush' gesture. The organ is much more dramatic sounding and has more reverb.
  - In IX, before the organ plays, the scream was replaced with Regis Philbin screaming, "My eyes, my beautiful eyes!" as heard in "Terror of Tiny Toon" during the Itchy & Scratchy episode "Candle in the Wound".
  - In X, the variant is a reuse from IV, except that the scream has a small reverb and not a heavy reverb. And in FXX, the woman can finally shush to the girl scream in terror.
    - The organ in IX and X both share the same organ as was originally heard in II.
  - In XII, the organ plays first and then the scream gets heard.
  - In XV, the scream was replaced with Homer screaming throughout this logo and the 20th Century Fox Television logo, similar to that of "The Blunder Years". This variant was reused in XXII and XXIII with the newer organ, although Homer only screamed once in the logo and the FOX TV has the normal logo as usual.
    - This was also the only FOX TV logo to use the Halloween sound effects.
    - The organ in XV is the same as VIII.
      - On FXX airings of V, this variant is used through Gracie Films only.
  - In XIX, the jingle plays in a Peanuts-style theme as heard in "It's the Grand Pumpkin, Milhouse", this variant was reused in "Gone Abie Gone".
  - In XXI, the organ plays, but the scream was replaced by the famous Wilhelm scream heard in "War and Pieces".
  - In XXIV, the scream was replaced with a small crowd shouting the phrase, "One of us!" as heard in "Freaks, No Geeks".
  - In XXVI, the organ plays, but the scream was replaced with Homerzilla roaring.
  - In XXXII, TBC.
  - Interestingly, the organ jingle can be heard in The Complete Eleventh Season set when navigated to certain Scene Selections where Moe is riding a ghost train before reverting to normal from his plastic surgery from Pygmoelian.
- In some episodes that feature songs during the ending credits, the closing song continues playing over the logo.
  - Tony Bennett's "Capital City" (The very first Gracie Films variant ever in the Simpsons)
  - Paul McCartney and Wings's "Maybe I'm Amazed"
  - NRBQ's cover of the Beatles's "Can't Buy Me Love" (This also ran into the 20th Century Fox Television logo)
  - NRBQ's "Always Safety First"
  - The Chicks's "America's Back"
  - Mona and Abe Simpson singing "Dream Operator"
  - Ragtime music
  - Icelandic rendition
  - Simpsons Christmas Theme (also played in "I Won't Be Home for Christmas")
  - Star Trek Theme
  - Acoustic music
  - Homer's cover of You're the Best
  - Kevin Michael Richardson's cover of Can't Get Enough of Your Love, Babe
  - The Roman Holidays Theme
  - The Road to Cincinnati
- Numerous other alternate versions of the theme have been used over the years.
  - Whistle, then marching band
  - Baseball bat, then stadium organ and faint applause
  - Played on a Heavy Metal Guitar (Including the shush)
  - Mexican style, then "Olé" chant (Included on the album Songs in the Key of Springfield)
  - Las Vegas style, then slot machine (Included on the album Songs in the Key of Springfield)
  - Renaissance (Including the shush) (Included on the album Songs in the Key of Springfield) (also reused similarly again in Margical History Tour)
  - Lisa's first Saxophone solo (Including the shush)
  - Philip Glass Homage
  - Lisa's second Saxophone solo (Including the shush)
  - Lisa's third Saxophone solo
  - Christmas version (Including the shush)
  - A semitone lower
  - Played on Piano (Akin to that of Treehouse of Horror XIX)
  - Acapella version (Including the shush)
- The first time the logo can be seen within the episode was in "You Kent Always Say What You Want", where after being interrupted by the 20th Century Fox Television logo when saying "The truth is...", Homer, on a white screen, whispers to the fourth wall, "OK. What I was going to say was...," before the 'shush' interruption and the end credits.
- In "The Longest Daycare", the background is pitch black. The audience (including the shush lady) is on a teal outline. The rest of the logo continues as normal, despite the fact that the jingle was replaced by a drum roll. The finished logo looks like the print logo.
  - In "Playdate with Destiny", one of the audience's heads is replaced by the head of the mascot of The Walt Disney Company, Mickey Mouse. This marks the third visual variant.
- Some episodes use either a sound bite from the episode, or use a quote from a character in that episode that plays alongside the jingle and shush or replacing the jingle and shush.
  - These kind of variants are possibly inspired by the 'Deedle-Dee Tag' of Deedle-Dee Productions, as heard in nearly every episode of Mike Judge's animated comedy King of the Hill.
    - Abe Simpson says "I'm sorry."
    - Carl Carlson says "Shut up." (Overtakes the shush)
    - Lisa playing the Didgeridoo (No shush or music)
    - Loud gunshot
    - Chief Wiggum sings "Jamming."
    - Music first, then (Gunshot) Snake shouts "You too, Gracie music dude! Gaw!" (No shush)
    - Ron Howard says "Homer, we're out of vodka." (No music)
    - Increase retorts "Don't tell me to shush, you stupid lady."
    - Rupert Murdoch shouts "Silence!" (Replaces the shush)
    - Gunshot, then a thud and three more gunshots (No shush or music)
    - Lisa shouts "Ooh, I hear this really sucks."
    - Mel Gibson imitates Curly from the Three Stooges
    - A soldier complains "Oh, why'd you have to shush? You ruined the whole show!"
    - Fred Mertz says "You hit her pretty hard there, Rick." (also used in the Latin American dub as Homer Simpson)
    - Comic Book Guy complains "Worst episode ever."
    - Duffman shouts "Oh, yeah." (also said in Waiting for Duffman)
    - Bart says "Moochie-moochie."
    - Vicki Valentine instructs "Tappa-tappa-tappa."
    - (John Updike laughs and Krusty reacts) "Shut up, Updike!"
    - Comic Book Guy retorts "¡Devuelvame mi dinero!" (Give me my money back!) (Used in the Latin American dub only)
    - Moe Szylak says "Y esta porquería mirando mi programa de televisión." (And this is crap watching my television show.) (Used in the Latin American dub only)
    - Tri-tone on a loop from a house phone
    - Agnes Skinner reacts "Why, you ill-mannered sack of crap."
    - Krusty says "Mukluk."
    - (Kids laughing) Teacher says En français. (Kids laugh in a French way) (No shush or music)
    - Violet Coughing
    - Bill Cosby hilariously saying "Pokémon? Pokémon? Where the pokey and the man and the thing with the guy comes out?" (Laughs) (overran into the 20th Century Fox Television logo)
    - Milhouse proclaims "Whazzup?" (No shush)
    - In a Southern accent, Lisa quotes "This has been a Gracie Films presentation." (Before the logo proceeds)
    - Mick Jagger shouts "Simpson!" (Overtakes the shush)
    - Simon Cowell proclaims "Oh, shush yourself."
    - Stephen Hawking says "Badabing, badaboom. And we're done." (No shush or music)
    - Plácido Domingo holding a high note (No shush or music)
    - Jack Black says "Might be some wrong words in there, but uh, pretty much nailed it." (No shush or music)
    - Penelope vocalizing (No shush or music)
    - Ricardo Bomba nearly says his catchphrase: "Soon you will be m-" (Before the logo proceeds)
    - A group of men shout "L'Chaim" (No shush)
    - Whale call (No shush)
    - Simon Cowell laughing (No shush or music)
    - A cow moos (music plays without the shush)
    - Katy Perry complains "...but I did say stop." (No shush)
    - Ricky Gervais asks "Well, why couldn't you've said that a minute ago? Don't take any of my ideas." to Ridley Scott (No shush and then a 5-note jingle)
    - After being rudely interrupted, Ewell Freestone complains "You shush yourself."
    - Wayne Slater reacts "Shush me again, and I'll take your head clean off."
    - Annie Dubinsky shouts "Oh, grow up!"
    - Moe's bar rag says "I'm in hell." (No shush)
    - Cletus sings "The Outlands" (No shush or music)
    - Tribal drums (No shush or music)
    - Cletus and Brandine Spuckler scatting (No shush or music)
    - Abe says "Not the second, or the..." (Before the logo proceeds)
    - Marge Simpson's shush
    - Peter Griffin from Family Guy sings the jingle: And now the show is over now
    - Sammy Hagar laughing (No shush or music)
    - Pit Master says "I'm out of here."
    - After an acapella version of 'I'm Shipping Up to Boston' "...departed!" (No shush)
    - "The Wiki-Waka Liki-Laka Mr. Burns"
    - Squeaky-Voiced Teen sings "Throne of God"
    - Plopper squealing
    - Dog howl (Overtakes the shush)
    - Lawrence O'Donnell shouts "Last word!" before getting shushed.
    - Raphael scats "Wahh-wahh!" (No shush)
    - Professor Frink in his operatic voice: "The End"
    - Nelson shouts "Haw-Haw!" and either Rod, Todd or Ralph shouts "Yay!" (No music)
- Homer Simpson has the most dialogue in the variants he has been heard in:
  - Ringing bicycle bell twice, then giggling (No shush or music)
  - "You're cut too, Shushy!"
  - "Larry Flynt is right! You guys stink!"
  - "Don't shush me, you rich bastard!" (If aired after 8:00PM)
  - "Save me, Jebus!"
  - "Aah! Undo! Undo! Oh!" (The logo was normal as usual, but this is in the 20th Century Fox Television logo without music)
  - "Baby made a boom-boom."
  - "Oh, boy! Buffalo testicles!"
  - "Cobras! Ahhh!"
  - Screaming (overran into the 20th Century Fox Television logo, then re-used in "Treehouse of Horror XV")
  - The Smothers Brothers "We may both agree, but folk singers never say, "Take it, naked bacon" and Homer asks "Do you guys know 'Funkytown?'" (No shush or music)
  - "Hey, shush yourself!" (Reruns only)
  - "Excellent!" (No shush)
  - "Jeez, sorry Dave." (No shush)
  - "And if I'm dead, avenge my death!" (Reruns only) (No shush)
  - "Are we going to New York, or... Oh!" (Before and after being shushed)
  - "Usher! Will you stop that person who's shushing?" (No music)
  - Gobbles like a turkey (No shush)
The first visual variation of this logo was in "Last Tap Dance in Springfield", where after the shush, we hear Vicki Valentine saying "Tappa, tappa, tappa" while the logo's main animation slides up to the top half of the screen, while the bottom half has an animated black-and-white scene of a cat rubbing its eyes (with fake prop arms from off screen) and smiling afterwards (this was in an old Vicki Valentine movie that Lisa was watching during the episode). There wasn't a second visual variant for nearly 17 seasons, 16 years and 11 months until the episode "Looking for Mr. Goodbart". In that episode, the second visual variant replaces the audience and the shush with several different species of Peekimon. The Peekimon are heard mumbling. After the green Peekimon shushes (who is the Peekimon that replaced the shush), another Peekimon pops out in the background.

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In two episodes, the jingle is played at the start of the logo and then a sound is heard. In "All Singing, All Dancing", Snake Jailbird shoots his gun to stop the music like in the ending credits and says, "You too, Gracie music dude! Gaw!" and in Elementary School Musical, a cow's moo is heard at the very end of the jingle.
On Simpsons episodes starting in Season 2, there is a shorter version of the logo without the murmuring. Earlier Season 2 episodes carried the normal logo. The exceptions of the logo were the episodes "When Flanders Failed", "Stark Raving Dad", "A Star is Burns", "You Only Move Twice", "The Homer They Fall", "Burns, Baby Burns, "Bart After Dark", "A Milhouse Divided", "She of Little Faith" and Season 7 episodes (up to "The Day the Violence Died"), which use the normal logo instead.
- From the DVD release of Season 15 to 17, the 2009-present logo was plastered over the original logo along with the 2007 20th Century Fox Television logo.
- On FXX reruns from 2014-present and local syndication prints from 2015-present of pre-2009 episodes, the 2009-present logo was plastered over the original logo along with 2013 without the byline 20th Television logo with the 2008 20th Television theme.

The CLG Wiki also has a page which lists most sound variants of the logo.

Other Variants:
- An even shorter version is found on the short-lived Phenom, which cuts off the first two notes along with the murmuring and "Shhh!", Also, the background music is slightly more high tone.
- On the webisodes of The Critic, the logo is in the center of the screen, is brighter and blue, and is still. This variant uses the ending theme of the show. A silent version also appears on the digital re-release of The Simpsons Arcade Game, which was only re-released on Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network.

It is often speculated that the main chorus of the 1990 song entitled "King of Wishful Thinking" by the British pop band Go West can be heard in this song. This has been fervently denied by some members of the successful pop band, though others have expressed their displeasure.

The company's production office is located in the Sidney Poitier Building on the Sony Pictures Studios lot in Culver City, California.

References in The Simpsons

Homer Simpson once claimed in his first ramble that he created Gracie Films.^[1]

In the episode "Moho House", the fourth wall is broken when the Gracie Films logo appears at the end of Homer's flipbook to Marge. This is the second episode to have the Gracie Films logo play within the episode; the first was "You Kent Always Say What You Want".