Universal Studios Hollywood History

Universal Studios began as a single theater in 1905 and has grown into an industry giant. Despite having changed hands numerous times, the company has produced hundreds of films including Dracula, ET and Jurassic Park.

The Start

Universal Studios was founded in 1905 by Carl Laemmle as The White Front Theater. It was successful and grew rapidly.

Film Production

The company began to produce films after a clash with the Motion Picture Patents Company monopoly. To get films for his theaters, Laemmle had to make them himself. The Universal Film Manufacturing Company was created in 1912 when Laemmle's company merged with five others.

New Universal

In the 1930s, Laemmle's son produced a series of high-quality films that were well-received by critics but lost money. Due to these debts, Standard Capital acquired the company in 1936 and renamed it New Universal.

Losses in the 1950s

The new company reduced production and focused on making lower-quality, lower-budget films. However, the introduction of TV in the 1950s hurt the film industry. Universal lost money and in 1962 the studios were taken over by the Music Corporation of America, which wanted them for TV production.

Theme Park

Since 1962, Universal had offered backstage tours to the public. In 1990, this was turned into a full-fledged theme park.

References

• History of Universal Studios