| Universal Studios or Universal Pictures or Universal | | | | them. It then became a tradition at Universal |
| City Studios is one of the largest American film | | | | studios, and later temporarily visitors were banned |
| studios. It was established in 1906 when Carl | | | | because of the disturbances on the sets. |
| Laemmle started his first theater in Chicago. He | | | | Carl retired in 1936 and sold the company to |
| started by playing short silent movies. He later | | | | Standard Capital Company. In 1946, Universal |
| switched to production and distribution. To start | | | | merged with International and it was named as |
| the production of his own films, he opened the | | | | Universal-International. In 1947, the company |
| Independent Moving Picture Company in New | | | | produced "Hamlet" which won the Best Picture |
| York in 1909. His first work, Hiawatha, was | | | | Academy Award. In 1952, Universal-International |
| released in the same year. | | | | was sold to Decca Records. Decca Universal gave |
| Laemmle's dream was to make his presence felt | | | | many hits in Milt Rackmil. Music Corporation of |
| all over America. His next target was the west | | | | America, Inc. bought the Universal City studio and |
| where he bought the Nestor Studio in Hollywood. | | | | shifted its studio there and both the companies |
| He formed the Universal Film Manufacturing | | | | merged officially in 1962. Jules Stein was the |
| Company on June 8, 1912. This company which | | | | founder of MCA, Inc., who was later joined by |
| was New York based, incorporated the already | | | | Lew Wasseman in 1936. At first this company |
| existing Independent Moving Picture Company and | | | | prepared bands to perform in clubs and parties. |
| five other companies into it. By that time he had | | | | Later it became the leading talent agency and |
| already conquered the east and the west coast | | | | conquered the entertainment world. They made |
| of America and now he decided to centralize his | | | | motion pictures and also serials for television. |
| production companies. He asked Isadore Bernstein | | | | Later they also ventured into the world of musical |
| to buy plots in Los Angeles. The two hundred and | | | | entertainment around 1960s to 1980s. The |
| thirty acre land bought became the Universal City, | | | | tradition of tours was started once again. |
| the entertainment center of the world. Although | | | | The company was taken over by Matsushita |
| film production here began in 1914 and in 1915 it | | | | Electrical Industrial Company Ltd. in 1991. The |
| was officially inaugurated on March 15, 1915. The | | | | Seagram Company Ltd. Bought large number of |
| first production of this studio was Damon and | | | | shares in 1995 and MCA Inc. was finally named as |
| Pythias. Many films were released after the studio | | | | Universal Studios on December 10, 1996. The |
| opened including comedies, drama, action, and | | | | Universal International television operations |
| adventure. | | | | merged with USA Networks in 1998. At the end |
| Some of the popular movies that were produced | | | | of the year the company took over PolyGram |
| in this studio are "The Hunchback of Notre Dame", | | | | and Universal Music Group became the largest |
| "Dracula", "Bride of Frankenstein"," The Phantom | | | | music company in the world. The Seagram |
| of the Opera", "The Mummy", and "All Quiet on | | | | collaborated with Vivendi and Canal in June 2000 |
| the Western Front". Laemmle developed a habit | | | | and today Universal Studios is a part of Vivendi |
| of inviting guests to watch the movie making | | | | Universal, a global media and communications |
| procedure and to give suggestions to improve | | | | company. |