Universal Pictures: Difference between revisions
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|founded=April 30, 1912 ({{age|1912|4|30}} years ago) | |founded=April 30, 1912 ({{age|1912|4|30}} years ago) | ||
|predecessors=[[Champion Film Company]]<br>Independent Moving Pictures<br>[[Nestor Film Company]]<br>New York Motion Picture Company<br>Powers Motion Picture Company<br>[[Rex Motion Picture Manufacturing Company]] | |predecessors=[[Champion Film Company]]<br>Independent Moving Pictures<br>[[Nestor Film Company]]<br>New York Motion Picture Company<br>Powers Motion Picture Company<br>[[Rex Motion Picture Manufacturing Company]] | ||
|formerly=Universal Film Manufacturing Company (1912-1923)<br>Universal Pictures Corporation (1923-1936)<br>Universal Productions, Inc. (1936-1937)<br>Universal Pictures Company, Inc. (1937-1946)<br>Universal-International (1946-1963)<br>Universal Pictures, Inc. (1962-1963)<br>Universal City Studios, Inc. (1963- | |formerly=Universal Film Manufacturing Company (1912-1923)<br>Universal Pictures Corporation (1923-1936)<br>Universal Productions, Inc. (1936-1937)<br>Universal Pictures Company, Inc. (1937-1946)<br>Universal-International Pictures Inc. (1946-1963)<br>Universal Pictures, Inc. (1962-1963)<br>Universal City Studios, Inc. (1963-1999)<br>Universal Studios Inc. (1999-2014) | ||
|founder={{w|Carl Laemmle}} | |founder={{w|Carl Laemmle}} | ||
|key people=Peter Cramer (president) | |key people=Peter Cramer (president) | ||
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During the early 1920s, Irving Thalberg was entrusted with most of Universal's production policy decisions. Thalberg made distinct improvements of quality and prestige in Universal's output while dealing with director Erich von Stroheim's inability to control the expense and length of his films. Thalberg eventually fired Stroheim and replaced him with Rupert Julian. Louis B. Mayer lured Thalberg away from Universal in late 1922 to his own growing studio, Louis B. Mayer Productions, and Thalberg continued in the same position when that studio was merged into [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios|Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer]] in 1924. Without Thalberg's guidance, Universal became a second-tier studio for several decades. | During the early 1920s, Irving Thalberg was entrusted with most of Universal's production policy decisions. Thalberg made distinct improvements of quality and prestige in Universal's output while dealing with director Erich von Stroheim's inability to control the expense and length of his films. Thalberg eventually fired Stroheim and replaced him with Rupert Julian. Louis B. Mayer lured Thalberg away from Universal in late 1922 to his own growing studio, Louis B. Mayer Productions, and Thalberg continued in the same position when that studio was merged into [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios|Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer]] in 1924. Without Thalberg's guidance, Universal became a second-tier studio for several decades. | ||
On | On October 1, 1946, Universal merged with [[International Pictures]] to form '''Universal-International Pictures'''. International Pictures heads Leo Spitz and William Goetz took control of the studio, while Nate Blumberg and J. Cheever Cowdin remained at the helm of Universal Pictures, the parent company. Universal-International underwent significant expansion with Goetz at the helm. A major move was taking on the U.S. distribution of J. Arthur Rank's UK productions, including acclaimed films like David Lean's ''Great Expectations'' and Laurence Olivier's ''Hamlet''. The studio also ventured into the non-theatrical market, acquiring home-movie dealer [[Castle Films]] and offering "highlights" reels from its film library for home-movie enthusiasts and collectors. In 1948, Universal-International ordered the destruction of all remaining silent film copies to collect the silver nitrate after World War II ended. Despite its expansion efforts, the production arm of the studio struggled to produce hits at the box office. By the late 1940s, Goetz was replaced and the studio returned to its roots of producing low-budget and series films. After Rank lost interest, his shares were sold to investor Milton Rackmil, whose company Decca Records took full control of Universal in 1952. The studio retained the [[Walter Lantz Productions|Walter Lantz cartoon studio]], which released its output alongside Universal-International's films. | ||
On June 18, 1962, the Music Corporation of America (MCA), then the world's largest talent agency, purchased Decca Records, and consequently Universal-International, leaving Rackmil and Edward Muhl in charge as board chairman Dr. Jules Stein and president Lew Wasserman continued to guide MCA. After MCA divested itself of its talent business as a result of a consent decree with the Justice Department, Universal-International reverted back to the Universal Pictures name. In 1963, the motion picture and television operations of Universal Pictures and [[Universal Television (1963-1998)|Revue Productions]] were merged by MCA into a single entity known as '''Universal City Studios, Inc.'''; both names would continue to exist as separate labels (however, Revue would be renamed Universal Television). | On June 18, 1962, the Music Corporation of America (MCA), then the world's largest talent agency, purchased Decca Records, and consequently Universal-International, leaving Rackmil and Edward Muhl in charge as board chairman Dr. Jules Stein and president Lew Wasserman continued to guide MCA. After MCA divested itself of its talent business as a result of a consent decree with the Justice Department, Universal-International reverted back to the Universal Pictures name. In 1963, the motion picture and television operations of Universal Pictures and [[Universal Television (1963-1998)|Revue Productions]] were merged by MCA into a single entity known as '''Universal City Studios, Inc.'''; both names would continue to exist as separate labels (however, Revue would be renamed Universal Television). | ||