Ella Cinders

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The theme for august is silents are golden as i begin to explore the many facets of what makes silent movies magical.  Movies are memories of a lifetime we must keep them alive as silent movies are often overlooked by movie lovers as they forget about these golden classics. Its a shame as many of these movies are wonderful tales that tell diffrent takes on the classic stories and many orginal ideas that shine brightly. Movie magic does not need to talk to be magical as silents are golden in this month’s theme.  So i begin with a delightful look upon a new twist on the classic  Cinderella story.

Ella Cinders review

Cinderella is one of those stories that often is retold on the screen to many different takes on the classic tale. Cinderella has been performed set in hundreds of times and places as this version takes us on the Hollywood dream of the tale. Poor Ella Cinders is much abused by her evil step-mother and step-sisters. When she wins a local beauty contest she jumps at the chance to get out of her dead-end life and go to Hollywood to be a star.

ELLA CINDERS (First National, 1926) a John McCormick production, directed by Alfred E. Green is a star vehicle for Colleen Moore, a popular silent screen flapper of the 1920s in one of her more notable comedies of her career that has become forgotten through the passage of time. It’s a Hollywood story taken from both comic strip character and Cinderella fairy tale, and reminiscent to Mabel Normand performance in THE EXTRA GIRL (1923).  Ella Cinders is based on a comic strip (or, as the main title has it, “comedy strip”) of the same name that started appearing only the year before the film version was made.

Colleen Moore is brilliant as Ella, funny, warm, beautiful, vivacious. The scene when she finds she has won the contest will move you to tears. Colleen Moore’s performance as Ella Cinders is truly what makes this movie click as Coleen makes the movie a riot with her comedic talent that really seems to match with many other great comedy legends.  Colleen Moore was the real revelation of the picture for me as she carries the story with her delightful charm. This movie mocks Hollywood as its ironic it mocks as it’s basically the Hollywood dream tale it is spoofing.
This silent classic has Terrific trick photography with the delightful Colleen Moore’s performance and Harry Langdon, and even director Alfred E. Green making an appearance with the  comedic charms of Colleen Moore make this silent movie classic a delightful comedy classic you can enjoy anytime.

The Ruth Rating: