Carl Laemmle Jr. (28 April 1908 - 24 September 1979) was in charge of production at Universal Studios from about 1928 to 1936. He was the son of Carl Laemmle, the founder of Universal Pictures. Laemmle, called “Junior”, by his friends and family, developed a reputation for spending too much money at the studios on several films that did not earn back their cost. Universal had great success with All Quiet on the Western Front (1930), Dracula (1931), Waterloo Bridge (1931), Frankenstein (1931), The Mummy (1932), The Old Dark House (1932), The Invisible Man (1933), Imitation of Life (1934) (a film which Laemmle Jr. did not personally produce), and Bride of Frankenstein (1935).
However, by the end of 1935, the studio had spent so much and had so many flops that J. Cheever Cowdin proposed to buy out the Laemmles. The great success, financially and critically, of the 1936 screen version of Show Boat, was not enough to correct the downslide, and the two Laemmles, father and son, were both forced out of the company. Neither of them worked on another film again, despite the fact that Carl, Jr. lived another forty-three years. Charles R. Rogers became the new head of production at Universal.
Laemmle, Jr., died from a stroke at the age of 71.
Son of Carl Laemmle (founder of Universal Pictures), cousin of Robert Wyler and William Wyler, uncle of Judy Wyler and Catherine Wyler (I).
Cousin of actress Carla Laemmle, Ernst Laemmle, Nat Ross, Arthur Alexander (I) and Max Alexander (I).
Brother of Roseabelle Laemmle (born Rose Laemmle) Son of Recka Laemmle.
Never produced another film after the 1936 version of "Show Boat".
It was his idea for Universal to start producing horror films.
Died 40 years to the day after his father, Carl Laemmle.
