HUGO

A bullet-shaped rocket ship blasts off from Earth headed for a spectacular lunar landing.  On-lookers gasp as they literally watch the capsule face plant itself into "The Man In the Moon."  This iconic scene comes from one of the  most significant silent motion pictures ever produced-- A Trip to the Moon, by French filmmaker George Melies.
He created ground-breaking cinematic techniques (including inventive vanishing effects ) that changed the movie-making process forever.  Upon its release in 1902, the film captivated audiences around the world, including Thomas Edison who distributed the silent in the U.S.   A Trip to the Moon's  cultural impact continues to endure, helping to inspire author Brian Selznick to pen The Invention of Hugo Cabret, adapted into Hugo, directed by Martin Scorsese.

Melies

One of the story's key plot points concerns a young boy living in a busy Paris train station who encounters an eccentric toy shop owner called Papa George.  Selznick paid homage to the real Melies in his story, blending heavy doses of fact with fiction.  In truth, George Melies also sold toys for a living after his filmmaking career suffered a major setback.

Author Selznick also learned that Melies once was a magician and had a collection of automatons, or mechanical robots.  This, too, helped significantly shape the story.  In Selznick's research, he learned of magicians who created mechanical figures that could write poems and draw pictures.  The French magician Jean-Eugene Robert-Houdin constructed a mesmerizing automaton that swung on a trapeze.  In fact, at one point in his career, Melies bought Houdin's theater and eventually showed his films there (Houdin would also inspire perhaps the world's most famous magician--Houdini.   To learn more about automatons, go here.  On the "Hugo" book's website, Selznick offers plenty of rich information on Melies and other real sources of inspiration.

Also, for another intriguing look at Melies, check out a segment of the award-winning TV mini-series, "From the Earth to the Moon" entitled Le Voyage dans la Lune. This final installment of the series chronicles the final Apollo flight into space constrasted with the making of the filmmaker's silent masterpiece.