Topic: Ella Cinders (1926) - Colleen Moore

[Paul Pain]

Ella Cinders was a newspaper comic started in 1925.  The premise of the comic is identical to that of the movie. 

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0016822/

Yes, the entire story is deliberately worked off the Cinderella story, though the birds don't gouge out the eyes of the evil step-sisters here.  There are jokes referring to this peppering the film, so it's meant to be obvious and funny.  Overall, the plot is simple enough to keep you entertained for 51 minutes.  One could call this half parody and half satire.

Colleen Moore was a good choice for this role as she already sported the perfect haircut for the role.  Throughout, she perfectly acts out the little mannerisms that are needed to bring life to this role, especially with her adventures that happen along the way.  Ella gets her ear pulled by the evil step-mother at one point, and at another point Lloyd Hughes uses his ice tongs to sort-of cuff her arms behind her in a surprise prank.  I also imagine it took some work to get the cross-eye seen just right, as it required the same trick Buster Keaton used in THE PLAYHOUSE, but here there are apparent jumps.  From start to finish, Colleen has fantastic reactions to every situation.

The supporting cast more-or-less isn't too great and mostly requires being either (1) annoying or (2) overly ham-fisted.  This is by design in the nature of satire, and the actors add no life to the roles which really just require a direct performance.  While a particular character type or talent is required for the roles, anyone with that talent could have done it.  What a pill some of those characters were!

The Indian who grows increasingly annoyed with Ella is played by none other than Daniel Simmons a.k.a. Chief Yowlachie, a real Native of Puyallup heritage who even lived on the Yakima reservation.  His career consisted entirely of playing... Native Americans.  The other cameo was by E.H. Calvert, who was a long-time actor and already 62 when this was filmed!

Now, let's talk the real reason we're here: Harry Langdon.  This was the next released film with Harry Langdon in it, as this was a First National production.  As a result, Harry is the only real name actor, let alone comedy actor, to show up in this film, when Ella walks onto the set.  Harry acts fully in character and works Ella's need to escape as though it were part of the scene.  His part is only two minutes, but it's {unfortunately} the funniest part of the film.

Unfortunately, the worst part of the film happens right at the end when Waite Lifter gets all dopey-headed (after being the tough and actually not-dumb guy who stands up for Ella the entire film before this point) and kidnaps her from the set of a film!

[metaldams]

I was wondering if you were going to do this film.  Cool.  I have seen the Langdon scene but not the entire feature.  Looking forward to seeing this.

[Umbrella Sam]

Not going to lie, I assumed we were skipping this one. Eh, whatever, I’m always up for more Harry. Looking forward to it.

[Paul Pain]

I was wondering if you were going to do this film.  Cool.  I have seen the Langdon scene but not the entire feature.  Looking forward to seeing this.

I was going to skip it, but then when I saw it was a film selected for conservation I figured it was worth taking the time.  At 51 minutes, it's short even for 1920s comedy film standards.  The shared attribute of being preserved films also leads into THE STRONG MAN nicely.

[HomokHarcos]

I was considering reviewing this as a bonus, since it has the Harry Langdon cameo, and I like Colleen Moore. When it comes to 1920s flappers there are three that usually come to mind: Louis Brooks, Clara Bow, and Collen Moore. Moore is my favorite out of the three.

Yes, it's a comic adaptation, but I mostly watched it for Colleen Moore. She was terrific here, showing off a lot of her charisma, the peak scenes being her and the eye routine (I think that has to be a nod to Ben Turpin), her putting on a show for the children, and then the photo shoot.

When she messes up the film shoot, it's not annoying but rather she looks innocent and charming, just like Harry Langdon. It's interesting to see Harry Langdon playing himself here, as he is presented as a film star. That just shows how famous he actually was during this time. I agree the ending is not so good, and that can be a problem with these old movies where a woman gives up her job to be with the man.

Very fun comedy film at less than an hour. Like Marion Davies, she's an actress I've started to get more appreciation for.

[Paul Pain]

I was considering reviewing this as a bonus, since it has the Harry Langdon cameo, and I like Colleen Moore. When it comes to 1920s flappers there are three that usually come to mind: Louis Brooks, Clara Bow, and Collen Moore. Moore is my favorite out of the three.

Yes, it's a comic adaptation, but I mostly watched it for Colleen Moore. She was terrific here, showing off a lot of her charisma, the peak scenes being her and the eye routine (I think that has to be a nod to Ben Turpin), her putting on a show for the children, and then the photo shoot.

When she messes up the film shoot, it's not annoying but rather she looks innocent and charming, just like Harry Langdon. It's interesting to see Harry Langdon playing himself here, as he is presented as a film star. That just shows how famous he actually was during this time. I agree the ending is not so good, and that can be a problem with these old movies where a woman gives up her job to be with the man.

Very fun comedy film at less than an hour. Like Marion Davies, she's an actress I've started to get more appreciation for.

I assume the ending follows that of the comic: that Ella continues to be an actress with starring roles.  To me the problem was more the way Lloyd just forces her onto the train and ignores her even when she explains that she was filming a scene for a movie.  They could have still safely jumped off at that point if they really wanted to do so.

[Umbrella Sam]

Alright, Colleen Moore. Looking at her filmography, the only other film I recognize is BEN-HUR, which she only has a cameo in, so this is really my first time seeing her as a lead, and she left a good impression. It’s very fitting that Langdon was chosen for the celebrity cameo in this because she actually does kind of act like him at times. That part with her trying the cigarette and getting light headed calls to mind similar Langdon moments in shorts like THA HANSOM CABMAN. Overall, Moore’s performance is very good; she has funny reactions and feels very much like a natural comedienne. The eye routine, the puppet show, the part with the fly messing with her...all funny stuff that she pulls off well.

As for the rest of the movie, it’s fine. Outside of being based off of a comic strip that’s already based off of CINDERELLA, the plot itself is kind of a blend of two Mabel Normand movies, MICKEY and THE EXTRA GIRL, so there really aren’t any shocking twists and turns to the formula outside of the discovery that the ice man is a wealthy heir. Probably to the surprise of no one, I do have to pick the Langdon scene as the highlight of the film. The two really just work so well off of each other; I really like when they’re going up and down out of sync in their attempt to hide Ella.

The ending...eh, I guess it’s open to interpretation (IMDb says this movie is supposed to be 75 minutes...are there missing scenes?). The last title card does say they’re back in Hollywood, and the director didn’t seem that angry with Ella when he discovered they were getting married, so I assume she keeps her job in the end. Any way you look at it, she ends up happy, which she deserves after a full movie where she is treated like trash by people whose names aren’t Harry Langdon. Overall, a fun movie, nothing spectacular, but Colleen Moore is very good and if she acts like this in more of her movies, I’d be willing to check them out.

[hiramhorwitz]

Alright, Colleen Moore. Looking at her filmography, the only other film I recognize is BEN-HUR, which she only has a cameo in, so this is really my first time seeing her as a lead, and she left a good impression.

Here's a Clarence Bull portrait of her I printed from the original negative (the old-fashioned way, in silver):

[Freddie Sanborn]

All surviving prints derive from a 16mm Kodascope cut-down, and that company usually edited out one or two reels. So Ella Cinders was indeed longer when it was in theaters. Hard to find any Colleen Moore silents on the commercial market. Warner Archive has Why Be Good? from 1929 and Eric Grayson restored and released Little Orphant Annie (1918), made when Colleen was just a wee flapper of 19. Other than that, there’s not much out there.

[metaldams]

All surviving prints derive from a 16mm Kodascope cut-down, and that company usually edited out one or two reels. So Ella Cinders was indeed longer when it was in theaters. Hard to find any Colleen Moore silents on the commercial market. Warner Archive has Why Be Good? from 1929 and Eric Grayson restored and released Little Orphant Annie (1918), made when Colleen was just a wee flapper of 19. Other than that, there’s not much out there.

Thanks for the info, Freddie, it’s much appreciated.  I’ll keep in mind this is incomplete when I watch and review this tomorrow morning.  It can get frustrating the lack of availability or completeness of these films, especially since I’ve tried exploring Lloyd Hamilton recently and hit a stop way too soon.  You guys who find and restore this stuff are saints.

As far as Sam’s comment about Colleen being in BEN-HUR - every mammal, reptile and crustacean within a 150 mile radius of Hollywood at the time was in that film.

[metaldams]

      I’m glad I saw this, a very entertaining film.  I think the ultimate sign of this, for me, that I enjoyed this is that by the time Langdon showed up, I momentarily forgot he was in the film!  If I was bored the whole way, I would have been thinking about Langdon’s cameo the whole time.  Instead, I enjoyed my brief little foray into the world of Colleen Moore and yes, this is my first time seeing her.  Heck, I’ve actually seen Lloyd Hughes in more films.  She was very likable and engaging the whole time.  The photograph scene with the fly on her nose was fun and I loved when she made herself into some bizarre puppet show for the kids. 

      As far as running into Langdon, I gotta wonder if this perhaps inspired SHOW PEOPLE.  Marion Davies, after all, was in Hollywood and ran into Chaplin.  It’s been years since I’ve seen SHOW PEOPLE or THE PATSY, but just a random thought.  Langdon’s scattershot movements are briefly on display and I like the little pantomime bits he does with the guards while hiding Colleen. 

      The whole family dynamic with Colleen and her step mother and step sisters - I can’t help but think if they ever made a prequel to this film and showed the second husband and Colleen’s Dad, he should have been played by W.C. Fields.  He would have fit in perfectly with that family, with a crotchety old narcissist of a wife and cruel step daughters.

      Want to add, always a joy seeing Jack Duffy.  He’s the old guy who was the fire chief you might recognize from a few Keaton shorts, amongst other things.  Except he was really only in his forties, if you can believe it.  Total make up job.  Agreed that the eye bit was a salute to Ben Turpin.  The book she’s reading even mentions some people get famous from having cross eyes.