While the life of a Hollywood starlet may seem glamorous, plenty of actors have more than paid their dues on the sets of your favorite films. The star of films like Horror Island (1941) and King of the Cowboys (1943), Peggy Moran was a star of the B-movie scene.

However, it was Moran’s role in The Mummy’s Hand (1940) that was widely considered the impetus for her stardom. But while the film made her a star, not everything was simple behind the scenes.

According to Universal Horrors: The Studio's Classic Films, 1931-1946 by Tom Weaver, Michael Brunas, and John Brunas, Moran endured an arduous filming schedule.

“I had to be there at six to do hair and makeup, and we started shooting at eight,” said the actor.

“We had to do those late-night shots in the caves. They were all done on the back lot at Universal, and we would work sometimes from eight in the morning until four the next morning.”

Today, these longer hours may seem a bit unfair, but just a few decades ago, such a schedule was simply part of the course if you were an actor under contract.

“They could do that with people like me because we were under contract,” said Moran. “The law requires that outside talent only work for X-number of hours, but me, they could work all the time!”