However, the Universal tour was temporarily halted in the late 1920s, when "talkies" became the norm and producers demanded a set free of visitor noise.Ī few of Universal's most notable feature films of these early years include The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923), The Phantom of the Opera (1925), and All Quiet on the Western Front (1930). Laemmle also began inviting visitors to Universal City to observe his movie making, establishing Universal's long-standing tradition of welcoming guests to enjoy the behind-the-scenes magic. Damon and Pythias, co-starring William Worthington and Herbert Rowlinson, was the first picture completed at Universal City.Īs movie production at Universal City increased, a steady stream of silent films including westerns, comedies and action-adventures became Universal's trademark. Among them were 75 Indians who lived in tepees on the backlot, western riders, movie "soldiers" and workmen.Īlthough the studio officially opened in 1915, film production on the lot began in 1914. At the time of Universal City's opening, the new municipality had nearly 500 residents. According to eyewitness accounts, over 15,000 people were present for Universal City's opening day ceremonies. On MaCarl Laemmle officially opened the gates of Universal City, the world's first self-contained community dedicated to making movies. This site was to become "the entertainment center of the world" – Universal City. Colonel John Fremont signed the Treaty of Cahuenga in 1847. For $165,000 in March of 1914, Bernstein chose a 230-acre ranch, just across the road from where Mexican General Andre Pico and U.S. Less than two years later, Laemmle decided to centralize his West Coast operations and ordered his manager, Isadore Bernstein, to buy more property in the San Fernando Valley. On August 15, 1912, Universal officially expanded its operation to the West Coast when it leased a portion of the Providencia Ranch in the San Fernando Valley. By May 20, Nestor and Champion Films had also joined Universal, and on July 12 Carl Laemmle had officially been elected President of the new venture. This new company was an alliance between Laemmle's IMP, the New York Motion Picture Company, Rex Motion Pictures, and Powers Motion Pictures. On April 30, 1912, the Universal Film Manufacturing Company was incorporated in New York. Laemmle's first production in 1909 was Hiawatha, a one-reel adaptation of Longfellow's poem. In June 1909, he formed the New York based Independent Moving Picture Company of America (IMP), not only to produce his own films, but to defy the monopolistic Motion Picture Patents Company that charged a license fee to all independent theater operators. From exhibiting short silent films in one theater, Laemmle later moved to movie distribution and production. Universal's rich entertainment legacy can be traced back to 1906, when 39 year-old German immigrant Carl Laemmle (pronounced LEM-lee) opened his first nickelodeon theater in Chicago.
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