Carl Laemmle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Carl Laemmle
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Portrait, Exhibitors' Times, 1913
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Karl Lämmle
January 17, 1867 Laupheim, Kingdom of Württemberg (now Germany)
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| Died | September 24, 1939 (aged 72) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
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| Resting place | Home of Peace Cemetery, Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Years active | 1909–1939 |
| Spouse(s) | Recha Stern |
| Children | Rosabelle Laemmle Bergerman (1903–1965) Carl Laemmle Jr. (1908–1979) |
| Family | Stanley Bergerman (son-in-law) Carla Laemmle (niece) |
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Carl Laemmle (born Karl Lämmle; January 17, 1867 – September 24, 1939) was a German-American film producer. He was the co-founder and owner of Universal Pictures until 1934. Carl Laemmle helped create over 400 movies during his career.
He is known as one of the most important people in the early days of filmmaking. Laemmle was born in what is now Germany. He moved to the United States in 1884. For 20 years, he worked in Chicago. Then, he started buying small movie theaters called nickelodeons.
Later, he created a company to distribute films, called the Laemmle Film Service. He then started making movies with his own company, Independent Moving Pictures Company (IMP). This company later became the famous Universal Pictures.
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Early Life and Moving to America
Karl Lämmle was born in 1867 in Laupheim, a town in Germany. His parents, Julius and Rebekka, were Jewish. His father was a cattle merchant. Carl was one of the youngest children in a large family. He was very close to his mother.
When he was 13, Carl started an apprenticeship in a nearby village. He learned about accounting and sales. He worked hard to help support his family.
After his mother passed away in 1883, Carl decided to move to the United States. He wanted to find a better life, just like his older brother Joseph. For his 17th birthday, his father gave him tickets for a boat trip across the Atlantic Ocean and fifty dollars.
Carl left Germany on January 28, 1884. He arrived in New York on February 14, 1884. He then moved to Chicago. For about 20 years, he worked there as a bookkeeper and office manager. In 1889, he became an American citizen.
Starting in the Movie Business
In 1906, when he was 39, Carl Laemmle decided to try something new. He had planned to open a chain of discount stores. However, after visiting a nickelodeon, he changed his mind. Nickelodeons were early movie theaters where people could watch short films for a nickel.
Carl opened one of the first movie theaters in Chicago, called The White Front. Soon, he also started a service to exchange films. He challenged Thomas Edison's company, which had a lot of control over the movie industry.
To fight Edison's control, Laemmle started promoting individual actors. He advertised "stars" like Mary Pickford and Florence Lawrence. This made these actors more famous and helped them earn more money. It also encouraged them to work with independent filmmakers like Laemmle.
Founding Universal Pictures
Carl Laemmle moved to New York and began producing movies. He formed his own company, Independent Moving Pictures (IMP). On April 30, 1912, Laemmle brought together several other film company owners in New York. They merged their companies with IMP to create the "Universal Film Manufacturing Company." Carl Laemmle became its president.
They built film studios in Fort Lee, New Jersey. This area was a popular spot for early film studios in America. On March 15, 1915, Laemmle opened the world's largest movie production studio. It was called Universal Studios Hollywood. This huge studio was built on a 230-acre farm in the San Fernando Valley, near Hollywood.
Universal also had offices on the East Coast, in New York City. In 1936, Carl Laemmle and his son were removed from the company he founded. This happened because of a "hostile takeover," which means other people took control of the company. After this, Carl mostly retired.
Family Life
In 1898, Carl Laemmle married Recha Stern. She was the niece of his boss at the Continental Clothing Company. Carl and Recha had two children: Rosabelle, born in 1903, and Julius, born in 1908. Julius later became known as Carl Laemmle Jr..
The family moved to California. They lived in a large home in Beverly Hills. Sadly, Recha Stern Laemmle passed away in 1919 at age 43. She died from pneumonia after getting the Spanish flu.
Carl Laemmle's niece, Rebekah Isabelle Laemmle, was known as Carla Laemmle. She appeared in several films. Carl was known for giving his family members important jobs in his studios. The poet Ogden Nash even wrote a funny poem about it:
Uncle Carl Laemmle
Has a very large faemmle.
Many other family members also worked in the film industry.
Later Life and Legacy
Carl Laemmle passed away on September 24, 1939, in Beverly Hills, California. He was 72 years old. He was buried at Home of Peace Cemetery.
Carl Laemmle produced hundreds of films. He is especially remembered for early horror films. These include The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923) and The Phantom of The Opera (1925), both starring Lon Chaney Sr. He also made Dracula (1931) and Frankenstein (1931) with his son, Carl Jr..
Laemmle always stayed connected to his hometown of Laupheim in Germany. He sent money to help his town. In the 1930s, he helped hundreds of Jewish people from Germany move to the United States. He paid their fees to leave Germany and enter America. This saved them from the terrible events of the Holocaust. He even contacted important American officials to help them.
Awards and Honors
- Oscar, 1930 for All Quiet on the Western Front.
Images for kids
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Carl Laemmle (seated far right) and Irving Leroy Ress (sitting, far left) at Laemmle's 70th birthday celebration (1937).
See also
In Spanish: Carl Laemmle para niños
- History of the Jews in Laupheim
- Laemmle Theatres
