Universal Studios

Paper Summary:

The motion picture industry, like the automobile and the steel industries, saw tremendous growth and change in the twentieth century. The paper shows that motion pictures evolved over the twentieth century from a collection of widely dispersed small operations to a handful of large companies which comprised not just motion pictures, but "entertainment" in a broader sense. Universal Studios has been at the heart of the motion picture industry for much of the twentieth century and this paper explores the history of the company, its current situation and the outlook for its success.

Outline
Introduction
Getting Started
Universal Studios
Carl Laemmle
IMP
Universal's Image
The MCA Years
History of MCA
Historical Relationship between Universal and MCA
MCA's Acquisition of Universal
Universal Under MCA
Matsushita
Seagram
Acquisition
Universal and Barry Diller
Non-filmed Entertainment
Filmed Entertainment
Lackluster Performance by Universal to Date
Outlook
Mergers and Joint Ventures
Increased Involvement by Bronfman
Universal as an Entertainment Company
Conclusion
References

From the Paper:

"Over the years, Universal struggled to create a unified vision for itself. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer is often associated with large, lavish musicals while Paramount Studios was often associated with westerns. Universal produced prestige pictures such as All Quite on the Western Front (which won the Best Picture Academy Award in 1930), but also produced horror films such as Dracula and Frankenstein. Abbott and Costello, W. C. Fields and Basil Rathbone also became associated with the studio. Standard Capital took control of the studio in 1936 for $4.5 million. In 1946, Universal merged with International Pictures forming Universal-International, a subsidiary of Universal Pictures. One year later, a British distributor purchases a majority interest in Universal ("Time Line," 1999, p. 2)."

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