CHARLES LAMONT BIOGRAPHY & FILMOGRAPHY:

Charles Lamont was born May 5, 1898 in San Francisco, California. He grew up with a theatrical family, and was thus exposed to the dramatic arts from an early age. However, he did not enter the film industry until 1919, when he became a prop man. Only years later, Lamont graduated to director, his first feature being the comedy short “Built on a Bluff” (1923). For the rest of the 20s, as well as the early 30s, the director put out dozens more two reel silent comedies for producers Al Christie and Mack Sennett at Educational Pictures. Some of the studio’s most popular hits, like the “Juvenile Comedies” which starred Malcolm “Big Boy” Sebastian, were directed by Lamont. Additionally, he was employed by a competing studio, Universal Pictures, to help make the “Buster Brown” comedies.

Even more, many of his works featured him also as writer. In 1924, Lamont made his debut in writing for his “Her City Sport” (1924). After he created the story for that picture, he continued to aid in the script writing process for many of his directed films.  In 1936 however, after making “Grand Slam Opera”, he said a final goodbye to the pen, and stopped writing for good to focus solely on directing.

In 1932, Lamont was assigned by Educational to direct a series of child-oriented comedies starring four year old Shirley Temple. Even then, he stuck strict to the script he was given, as he did with all of his actors in all of his features. While he was a bit firm with his stay on ad-libbing, his method seemed to be working, for in 1934 he became Educational’s best director. He was even given the opportunity to step out of his comfort zone and direct improve master Buster Keaton in a group of his talkie shorts in the mid thirties.

When Educational shut down its Hollywood studio, Lamont was hired by Columbia Pictures to collaborate with such celebrities as Charley Chase and the Three Stooges. It was also around this time that he began to venture out of short-subject features and jump into full length films. While he did continue to heavily remain a part of the two-reel picture for a while, his options began to open up when he decided to try directing longer features. His first full length movie was “The Half-Pint Hero” (1932), but he did not begin to regularly direct lengthy pictures until 1934, with “The Curtain Falls”.

Around this time, the director also started traveling between studios. In 1938 and 1939 he even produced a couple features himself. It was not until he joined Universal in the early 1940s that he found a studio to stay with for a long period of time. In fact, he remained at Universal for sixteen years. During his involvement with the studio, not only did the director produce well received and enjoyable pictures, he managed to do so within a reasonable  budget – so much so that by 1950, Universal hailed him as one of their most efficient directors and began giving him the large projects that would make his name remembered. He directed some of the better Abbott and Costello films, some Yvonne De Carlo and Rod Cameron westerners, a series of Gloria Jean teen musical comedies, and the profitable Ma and Pa Kettle comedies. His final film was “Francis in the Haunted House” (1956), but he went on to direct two more television programs: “Walt Disney Presents: Annette” (1958) and “Zorro” (1958-59). After the TV shows, he retired. The director died on September 12, 1993 in Woodland Hills, California from pneumonia. He was ninety eight years old.

Filmography

1958       Zorro

1958       Walt Disney Presents: Annette 

1956       Francis in the Haunted House

1956       The Kettles in the Ozarks

1955       Lay That Rifle Down

1955       Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy

1955       Abbott and Costello Meet the Keystone Kops

1955       Carolina Cannonball

1954       Ricochet Romance

1954       Untamed Heiress

1954       Ma and Pa Kettle at Home

1953       Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

1953       Ma and Pa Kettle on Vacation

1953       Abbott and Costello Go to Mars

1952       Abbott and Costello Meet Captain Kidd

1951       Flame of Araby

1951       Comin' Round the Mountain

1951       Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man

1950       Abbott and Costello in the Foreign Legion

1950       Curtain Call at Cactus Creek

1950       I Was a Shoplifter

1950       Ma and Pa Kettle Go to Town

1949       Bagdad

1949       Ma and Pa Kettle

1949       Snowtime Jubilee 

1948       The Untamed Breed

1947       Slave Girl

1946       The Runaround

1946       She Wrote the Book

1945       Frontier Gal

1945       That's the Spirit

1945       Salome Where She Danced

1944       Bowery to Broadway

1944       The Merry Monahans

1944       Her Primitive Man

1944       Chip Off the Old Block

1943       Top Man

1943       Fired Wife

1943       Hit the Ice

1943       Mister Big

1943       It Comes Up Love

1942       When Johnny Comes Marching Home

1942       Get Hep to Love

1942       Hi, Neighbor

1942       Almost Married

1942       You're Telling Me

1942       Don't Get Personal

1941       Road Agent

1941       Melody Lane

1941       Moonlight in Hawaii

1941       Sing Another Chorus

1941       San Antonio Rose

1940       Give Us Wings

1940       Love, Honor and Oh Baby!

1940       Sandy Is a Lady

1940       Oh Johnny, How You Can Love 

1939       Unexpected Father

1939       Inside Information

1939       Verbena trágica

1939       Pride of the Navy  

1939       Little Accident 

1939       Panama Patrol

1939       Long Shot  

1938       Shadows Over Shanghai

1938       A Doggone Mixup 

1938       Cipher Bureau 

1938       Slander House 

1938       International Crime 

1938       Fiddling Around

1937       Wallaby Jim of the Islands 

1937       He Done His Duty

1937       Community Sing: Series 2, No. 5

1937       Community Sing: Series 2, No. 4 

1937       Playing the Ponies 

1937       Community Sing: Series 2, No. 3 - College Football Songs 

1937       Calling All Doctors 

1937       The Wrong Miss Wright 

1937       My Little Feller 

1937       New News 

1937       Love Nest on Wheels 

1937       Ditto 

1937       Sailor Maid 

1937       Knee Action 

1937       Jail Bait 

1936       Oh, Duchess! 

1936       Lady Luck 

1936       Bulldog Edition 

1936       Below the Deadline 

1936       The Little Red Schoolhouse 

1936       August Weekend 

1936       The Dark Hour

1936       Ring Around the Moon 

1936       Don't Get Personal 

1936       Thanks, Mr. Cupid 

1936       Three on a Limb 

1936       Grand Slam Opera 

1936       Two Lame Ducks

1935       False Pretenses 

1935       The Lady in Scarlet

1935       Happiness C.O.D. 

1935       The Girl Who Came Back  

1935       The Captain Hits the Ceiling

1935       Alimony Aches 

1935       Tramp Tramp Tramp 

1935       Tars and Stripes

1935       Only the Brave 

1935       A Nose for News 

1935       Circumstantial Evidence 

1935       Hayseed Romance 

1935       One Run Elmer

1935       Restless Knights 

1935       Gigolette

1935       Tomorrow's Youth

1935       A Shot in the Dark

1935       Palooka from Paducah 

1935       The Last Trap 

1934       Sons of Steel 

1934       The World Accuses

1934       The Curtain Falls 

1934       Plumbing for Gold 

1934       Half-Baked Relations 

1934       Allez Oop

1934       Hello, Prosperity 

1934       No Sleep on the Deep 

1934       Managed Money 

1934       Trimmed in Furs

1935       Choose Your Partners

1935       Knockout Drops 

1935       The E-Flat Man 

1935       His Last Fling 

1934       The Gold Ghost 

1934       Pardon My Pups

1933       Kid 'in' Africa 

1933       Merrily Yours 

1933       Polly Tix in Washington 

1933       Kid in Hollywood

1933       What's to Do? 

1933       Git Along Little Wifie 

1933       Merrily Yours 

1933       The Big Squeal

1933       The Kid's Last Fight  

1933       Techno-Crazy 

1933       Glad Rags to Riches 

1933       Keyhole Katie  

1933       A Pair of Socks 

1932       The Pie-Covered Wagon 

1932       War Babies 

1932       The Hollywood Handicap 

1932       Hollywood Kids 

1932       Foiled Again 

1932       Marriage Vows 

1932       Running Hollywood 

1932       The Half-Pint Hero 

1931       Hollywood Halfbacks

1931       Models and Wives

1931       Out-Stepping 

1931       Fast and Furious 

1931       One Hundred Dollars

1931       Divorce a la Carte 

1931       All Excited 

1931       Hot and Bothered 

1931       Circus Blues 

1931       Bachelor Babies 

1931       My Kid  

1931       The Gossipy Plumber 

1931       The Wife o' Riley 

1931       Talking Turkey 

1930       You Said It, Sailor 

1930       Society Goes Spaghetti

1930       Dance with Me

1930       Drumming It In 

1929       Don't Get Excited 

1929       Fire Proof 

1929       Social Sinners 

1929       Fake Flappers 

1929       Sole Support 

1929       Top Speed 

1929       Helter Skelter

1929       The Crazy Nut 

1929       Only Her Husband 

1929       Joy Tonic 

1929       Ginger Snaps 

1929       Auntie's Mistake 

1929       The Fixer 

1928       Follow Teacher 

1928       Misplaced Husbands 

1928       The Quiet Worker 

1928       Making Whoopee

1928       Come to Papa 

1928       Companionate Service 

1928       Girlies Behave 

1928       Hot Luck 

1928       Kid Hayseed 

1928       The Gloom Chaser 

1928       Navy Beans 

1928       No Fare 

1928       Circus Blues 

1928       Chilly Days 

1928       Wildcat Valley

1927       Angel Eyes 

1927       Shamrock Alley 

1927       Scared Silly

1927       Brunettes Prefer Gentlemen 

1927       She's a Boy 

1927       A Half-Pint Hero

1927       Live News 

1927       Kid Tricks 

1927       Who's Afraid? 

1927       Atta Baby  

1927       Grandpa's Boy 

1927       Thanks for the Boat Ride 

1927       Wedding Yells 

1927       Funny Face 

1927       Naughty Boy 

1927       Roped In 

1926       Should Husbands Marry? 

1926       A Yankee Doodle Duke 

1926       Raisin' Cain 

1926       Al's Troubles 

1926       Accidents Can Happen

1926       Helpful Al

1926       Close Shaves

1926       Open Spaces 

1926       Why George! 

1926       My Kid 

1926       Her Ambition 

1926       Open House 

1926       Excess Baggage

1926       Bear Cats 

1926       Going Crazy    

1926       Sea Scamps

1925       Buster Be Good 

1925       A Winning Pair

1925       Piping Hot 

1925       Cupid's Victory 

1925       Educating Buster 

1925       Paging a Wife 

1925       A Rough Party

1925       Married Neighbors 

1925       Love Sick 

1925       Almost a Husband 

1925       Tourists De Luxe

1925       Puzzled by Crosswords 

1925       Clear the Way 

1925       Raisin' Cain 

1925       Sailing Along 

1925       Bachelors' Babies 

1925       A Winning Pair

1925       Baby Be Good

1925       Dog Daze 

1925       Maid in Morocco 

1925       In Deep

1924       Her City Sport

1924       The Diving Fool 

1924       Hats 

1923       Hollywood Bound 

1923       Mama's Baby Boy 

1923       The Lucky Rube 

1923       Don't Play Hookey 

1923       The Big Game 

1923       Built on a Bluff