Paramount Pictures was founded in 1912 as the Famous Players Film Company by Hungarian-born Adolph Zukor. It is the fifth-oldest surviving film studio in the world.

Zukor’s idea was to offer feature-length films featuring the leading theatrical players of the time and appeal to the middle class.

At the same time Jesse L. Lasky opened the Lasky Feature Play Company.

Beginning in 1914, both Lasky and Famous Players released their films through a start-up company, Paramount Pictures Corporation, which had been organized earlier that year by theater owner W.W. Hodkinson.

In 1916 Zukor arranged a three way merger of his Famous Players, the Lasky Company, and Paramount.

Zukor was the driving force behind Paramount, and he signed and developed many of the leading early stars.

Paramount nearly collapsed during the Depression, but was reorganized and brought out from bankruptcy in 1936.

Paramount cartoons were successful in the 1930’s such as Betty Boop and Popeye the Sailor.

In the 1960’s Paramount’s aging leadership could not keep up with the times and the company’s future was in doubt. The company was sold to Gulf + Western Industries Corporation, which was able to revive it and produce such hits as The Odd Couple, Love Story, and The Godfather.

Today Paramount Pictures Corporation is a film and television production/distribution studio which is consistently ranked as one of the top-grossing film studios. The studio’s most commercially successful films include Shrek, Transformers, Mission: Impossible, Friday the 13th, and G.I. Joe.

Paramount is a subsidiary of Viacom.

Paramount Pictures was founded in 1912 as the Famous Players Film Company by Hungarian-born Adolph Zukor. It is the fifth-oldest surviving film studio in the world.

Zukor’s idea was to offer feature-length films featuring the leading theatrical players of the time and appeal to the middle class.

At the same time Jesse L. Lasky opened the Lasky Feature Play Company.

History

Beginning in 1914, both Lasky and Famous Players released their films through a start-up company, Paramount Pictures Corporation, which had been organized earlier that year by theater owner W.W. Hodkinson.

In 1916 Zukor arranged a three way merger of his Famous Players, the Lasky Company, and Paramount.

Zukor was the driving force behind Paramount, and he signed and developed many of the leading early stars.

Paramount nearly collapsed during the Depression, but was reorganized and brought out from bankruptcy in 1936.

Paramount cartoons were successful in the 1930’s such as Betty Boop and Popeye the Sailor.

In the 1960’s Paramount’s aging leadership could not keep up with the times and the company’s future was in doubt. The company was sold to Gulf + Western Industries Corporation, which was able to revive it and produce such hits as The Odd Couple, Love Story, and The Godfather.

Today Paramount Pictures Corporation is a film and television production/distribution studio which is consistently ranked as one of the top-grossing film studios. The studio’s most commercially successful films include Shrek, Transformers, Mission: Impossible, Friday the 13th, and G.I. Joe.

Paramount is a subsidiary of Viacom.