The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1924-02-28
Penniless Immigrant to Croesus of Film
WOrld-Carl Laemmle
BY JACK JUNGMEYEK
NEA Service Writer

Hollywood, Feb. 2;.--This (Fehru
ary) is Carl Laemmle month on the
motion picture calendar, so designat-
ed because it marks his eighteenth
anniversary in films and his fortleth
in Anne RIGA.
Universal Pictures Corporation
titus h On ors its founder and active
pres ide Mt.
Laemmle has long been domipaRt
figure Of the screen world because
he personifies the. fighting indepeEd-
ence which in early days nodded the
trend of pictures.
An odd fighting man he is. Little,
compact, shrewd, genial and gener-
Gus. Not bclligerent, but dynamic
and tenacious, so that while he
doesn't pick scrap, once it is forced
upon him he meets it doggedly. A
man in whom ideals are not mere
words but something to be sweated
over in the business world, even il
never fully realized.
To fix this impression of the mans
mettle. scrutinize the accompanying
portrait, marking the mouth and jaw
and the hooded, level eyes.
Now multi millionaire and respect
ed leader in a great industry,
Carl Laemmlc forty years ago was
pcnnless immigrant from Ger
many disgorged from the Storage
into New York, II years old. His
first job there was drugstore or
rand boy. On South Dakota ranch
he earned 81 month "and found"
He worked in the Chicago stock
yards. Next Oshkosh knew him as
clothing store cashier and man
ager. Then with $4,000 saved, he
opened his first movie house in Mil
waukee, because here was "a bust
ness with popular appeal
With several other early exhibitors,
Laemmle found himself menaced by
what they called the movie crust"
which sought complete control Of this
new plaything of Croesus. Banding
these independents together, he led
the fight to the highest courts and
to- victory.
Meantime he had raised sufficient
capital to organize the Independent
Motion Pictures" a producing con-
cern-that so-labeled Gimp" which
constantly nagged the would-be mon
opolists. The company waxed. Out
of other battles grew the Universal
Film Manufacturing Company. It's
name changed in 1928 to Universal
Pictures Corporation, now grown to
seven times its original size, with
exchanges throughout the world.
Laemmles fighting face was
wreathed in smiles, as l talked with
him in the modest throne room at
Universal City. He was slipping but
termilk-most unmilitant fare. Sway
ed by sentimental mood, he cast back
reflectively over the outstanding
facts and significances Of his career.
The first five years." he said
"were just plain hell on earth. At
tempts to break me. To freeze me
out. Internal and external SQUAD
| bles. L wouldn't go through them
for all of Rockefeller's and Ford q
millions Jumped. But those years
taught me confidence and the futility
of worry.
"Today I am probably the only
president Of a big film company who
can do just as he pleases. l don't
have to coriult directors. can so
to Europe when want to. l am a
free man. 1t is compensation for
those terrible years.
81 am proud to say never used a
dollar Of Wall Street money" All
his singular pride of clean combat
seemed summed up in that boast
| Money means nothing to me any
more. But l continue to work as
hard as ever, because while finan.
| cially | have succeeded beyond my
widest dreams, still haven't fully
realized my artistic ideals. And
am only ST."