Universal Pictures: Defying Edison, Losing Oswald and the 17-Day Window

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In the early 1900s Thomas Edison's Motion Picture Patents Company controlled key film patents, including the Latham loop, charged theater owners fees and sent enforcers to smash unlicensed projectors. Chicago nickelodeon owner Carl Laemmle, a German immigrant and former dry goods salesman, stopped paying and in 1909 founded the Independent Moving Pictures Company. He promoted the anonymous Biograph Girl under her real name, Florence Lawrence, and did the same for King Baggot, helping invent the movie star. On April 30, 1912, IMP merged with five independents into the Universal Film Manufacturing Company, and in 1915 Laemmle opened the 230-acre Universal City, where visitors paid 25 cents to watch filming.

In 1928 Laemmle made his son Carl Jr. head of production at 21, and Junior delivered All Quiet on the Western Front and the horror cycle of Dracula and Frankenstein. A $750,000 loan from Standard Capital for a lavish Show Boat remake, secured by the family's stock, led to foreclosure when the film ran about $300,000 over budget, and the Laemmles were ousted in early 1936. In 1950 agent Lew Wasserman won James Stewart a share of profits on Winchester '73, and his agency MCA bought the studio lot for $11 million in 1958 and took over the company in 1962. Later owners included Matsushita, Seagram, Vivendi, GE through NBC Universal and Comcast.

• In 1916 Universal labeled releases Red Feather, Bluebird or Jewel to show theater owners their budget level.
• In 1927 Charles Mintz hired away Walt Disney's animators and Universal kept Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, after which Disney created Mickey Mouse.
• Carl Laemmle had about 70 relatives on the payroll, including future director William Wyler.
• In 2020 Universal released Trolls World Tour on premium video on demand, and AMC threatened a boycott before agreeing to a 17-day theatrical window.
• By 2026 Universal used a 31-day window, and The Odyssey became its highest-grossing film.