Universal City History:
In 1915, when Carl Laemmle purchased the land for his new
movie studio, Universal City was the domain of jack rabbits
and sheep, and the coyotes that hunted them. It was on March
15 of that year when Laemmle changed Hollywood history by
opening a movie studio on a converted chicken ranch. The visionary
Laemmle quickly began inviting visitors to his studio, charging
them a quarter for the first Universal tour. Visitors ate
a box lunch provided by the studio and sat in bleachers watching
films being made. The response was ecstatic, for in the days
of the silent picture, the audience could cheer and jeer.
Laemmle sold eggs to the audience on its way out.
Today, Universal City
is the heart of Southern California's media district. Here
you will find most of the major studios including Universal
City, CBS, Warner Bros., Disney, NBC, Paramount, Capitol Records
and A & M Records. However, by far the biggest reason most
people come to Universal City is to visit the world's largest
film and television studio: Universal Studios Hollywood -
home of the Universal Studios Tour, the Universal Studios
City Walk and the Universal Amphitheater. |