The Resume

(January 17, 1867-September 24, 1939)
Born in Laupheim, Germany
Founder and first president of Universal Pictures (1912-36)
Produced over 400 full-length films and a similar number of shorts

Why he might be annoying:

He put some 70 relatives and in-laws on the Universal payroll, inspiring the Ogden Nash couplet 'Uncle Carl Laemmle/Has a very large faemmle.'
His son Carl, Jr., had to talk him into making the horror movies ('Dracula,' 'Frankenstein,' etc.) that became Universal's main moneymakers.
After several expense flops and large cost overruns on 'Show Boat,' he was forced out from the studio he founded.

Why he might not be annoying:

He was described by one biographer as 'the most good-natured and least neurotic' of the pioneering Hollywood studio bosses.
He fought Thomas Edison's attempts to establish a monopoly over the motion picture business, successfully defending against 289 patent infringement suits.
He opened the Universal studios to public tours (1915).
He paid the immigration fees for 300 families fleeing Nazi Germany.

Credit: C. Fishel

Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

• C. Fishel's Profiles [Series 57]
• Film Pioneers [Silent Era]
• I Died in 1939 (Ranked: 72)
• I Have a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame[J-L]
• I Named My Kid After Myself
• Look at Me, I'm Accepting My Award
• Look at Me, I'm Accepting My Oscar
• Profiles 36501-36750 (Ranked: 36701)
• Subjects of 'Drunk History'

Year In Review:

For 2024, as of last weekly ranking, Out of 1 Votes: 100% Annoying
In 2022, Out of 2 Votes: 0% Annoying
In 2021, Out of 11 Votes: 63.64% Annoying
In 2020, Out of 1 Votes: 0% Annoying
In 2019, Out of 4 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
In 2018, Out of 4 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
In 2017, Out of 2 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
In 2016, Out of 4 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
In 2015, Out of 11 Votes: 45.45% Annoying