Universal Studios Inc. , is an American film studio, owned by Comcast through its wholly owned subsidiary NBCUniversal, and is one of Hollywood's "Big Six" film studios. Universal was founded in 1912 by the German Carl Laemmle, Mark Dintenfass, Charles O. Baumann, Adam Kessel, Pat Powers, William Swanson, David Horsley, and Jules Brulatour. It is the world's third oldest major film studio, after the French studios Gaumont Film Company and Pathé.