By Jason Chavis
History of Universal Studios
Universal Studios is one of America's major movie studios. Along with its motion picture division, a 2004 merger brought the company together with NBC. Located in Universal City, California, it represents the second-oldest studio in Hollywood. Its history is long and has had a number of ups and downs.
Founding
Carl Laemmle founded the Independent Moving Pictures Company in 1909. This provided the foundation of what would become Universal Studios in 1912 after merging with five more studios.
Disney
Universal Studios commissioned young animator Walt Disney to create a series of animated shorts. "Oswald the Lucky Rabbit" was a huge success, prompting Disney to create his own character, "Mickey Mouse."
Buy-Out
By the late 1940s and early 1950s, Universal hit a low point in its history. Its most successful pictures were those from Abbott and Costello. However, profits were low and the studio was sold to Decca Records in 1952.
Resurgence
Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Universal Studios became synonymous with a series of blockbuster films. Hits like "Jaws," "E.T." and "Back to the Future" helped re-establish the studio.
NBC Universal
In 2004, Universal Studios was purchased by General Electric, the parent company of NBC. The new conglomerate was renamed NBC Universal and is one of the five largest media companies in the world.
Resources
About the Author:
Jason lives and works out of Minneapolis. After 11 years of professional writing, he is the author of four books, two movies and a play as well as numerous articles for Scientific American, The History Channel, City Pages and The Onion. Jason is a graduate of the film school at USC.
Photo Credits:
Physicistjedi; Public Domain
