Independent film New York. During the Edison era of the early 1900s, many Jewish immigrants had found jobs in the U.S. film industry. Under the Edison Trust, they were able to make their mark in a brand-new business: the exhibition of films in storefront theaters called nickelodeons. Within a few years, ambitious men like Samuel Goldwyn, Carl Laemmle, Adolph Zukor, Louis B. Mayer, and the Warner Brothers (Harry, Albert, Samuel, and Jack) had switched to the production side of the business. After hearing about Biograph's success in Hollywood, in 1913 many such would-be movie-makers headed west to avoid the fees imposed by
The Albert Brothers Criteria and became an engineer alongside his brother. From here on out, the duo were known as "Fat Albert Productions." The Albert Brothers, along with Atlantic producers Tom Dowd and Arif Mardin, Atlantic co-owner Jerry Wexler, and equipment-designer Jeep Harned, helped Criteria become a heavily sought after recording studio. Eventually, the brothers became partners in the company. By 1983, however, Criteria was in debt and planning on retiring, the brothers sold their share in the company. In 1987, their plan of retirement was canceled and they created two new companies with their partner Steve Alaimo: Vision Records and Audio Vision