We kick off the week a day late (sorry about that) with another look at Hugo, the silent, lumbering castle henchman of Francis in the Haunted House (1956), directed by Charles Lamont. Open the door – close the door. That’s all Hugo does all day.

Lamont’s directing career began in the silent era and continued full steam ahead until the late 1950s. He directed, produced and/or wrote scores of shorts and features, specializing in comedies starring the likes of Abbott and Costello and Ma and Pa Kettle. While directing the musical short War Babies (1932), he was so impressed with the talent of one little 4 year old that he brought her out of the chorus and put her into the spotlight. Her name was Shirley Temple. Lamont directed her again in several more shorts over the next few years.