Redwarmin This movie is the proof that the world is becoming a sick and dumb place

Stometer Save your money for something good and enjoyable

FirstWitch A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

Jakoba True to its essence, the characters remain on the same line and manage to entertain the viewer, each highlighting their own distinctive qualities or touches.

Pamela Short Colleen Moore's performance as Ella Cinders, the slavey who is mistreated by her demanding step-mother and step-sisters, is pure genius and she literally steals every scene of the film.Made in 1926, the story is a modernized Cinderella tale, with Ella dreaming of a better life in Hollywood. Lloyd Hughes plays the towns ice delivery man who is Ella's devoted beau, Vera Lewis as Ma Cinders, Doris Baker, Emily Gerdes as Lotta Pill and Prissy Pill the spoiled step-sisters.Ella makes it to Hollywood, with some cute comedy adventures along the way, she does become a star, eventually beau Waite Lifter comes to California to find his sweetheart, he does and it's a fairy tale ending.Terrific trick photography, an amazing cameo performance with Harry Langdon, and even director Alfred E. Green making an appearance. Add the many comedic charms of Colleen Moore, all together makes this silent comedy a real winner. I don't want to give a full synopsis, as I urge the reader to watch and enjoy this surviving Colleen Moore gem.

Paularoc This Cinderella story stars the wonderful Colleen Moore as the much put upon Ella Cinders. Ella is the household drudge for her nasty step-sisters (Lotta and Prissy Pill) and step-mother. Ella's one pal is the iceman, Waite Lifter. Ella's chance to escape comes when the Gem Studio is promoting a movie contest ball. Among the funniest scenes in the movie are when Ella goes to a professional photographer to get the photo needed for the contest. As she's leaving her house, a title card informs us that "When Ella got into her good clothes, six moths laughed until they died." The session with the photographer does not go well for Ella (but it does for audience!)- thanks to a pesky fly. That and the bit Ella does with her eyes were amazing and funny. Much to the chagrin of her step-relatives, Ella wins the contest because the judges were sure Hollywood needed an actress who could cross her eyes while looking at a fly on her nose. Arriving in Hollywood, Ella does not have the reception she expected, but perseveres and through some clever studio gate crashing (and the amusing help from Harry Langdon), Ella lands a long term movie contract. But, she gives it all up to marry her Prince Charming, the erstwhile Waite Lifter (actually George Waite, the son of a wealthy businessman). Once a little boy iceman cometh, Ella's life seems a perfect Hollywood ending. Well, Ella certainly earned it. As every reviewer has commented, Colleen Moore was a joy to watch and makes it worth seeing this movie more than once.

hte-trasme I first heard of this film as a fan of the great film comedian Harry Langdon because of a guest appearance he makes in one scene of this film. Watching the whole thing, though, I was very glad I got ahold of this comedy vehicle for the silent star Colleen Moore; it's a highly funny, pleasant, and entertaining picture all the way through."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. Having seen only one edition of the strip I can't say how closely the movie parallels it, but I can say that while looking very pretty in the picture, Colleen Moore also manages to look very much like the drawings of her character.Faithful or not, the screen treatment is a very good one -- a clever, witty, and involving update of, obviously, "Cinderella" and an effective satire of the arbitrary nature of Hollywood stardom. There are just enough diversions from the line of the story to stay funny, but keep the plot going. And the "Cinderella" elements can be very amusing when played right for laughs, especially Mrs Cinders' complete inability to remember she has another daughter.Colleen Moore was the real revelation of the picture for me, though. If there were nothing else to it she could have carried it on charisma and screen presence alone. She's totally likable, earnest, innocent, and bewildered, and there are several great scenes that are only that way because her performance makes them so. The scene on the train that would otherwise be simply "a woman smokes a cigar given to her by an Indian" becomes a a bravura performance of her nausea barely masked by a frightened attempt to please the threatening Indians. And a highlight is Ella's earnest but inescapably silly attempts to follow a book's (surprisingly accurate!) advice that great stars are often made by crossing their eyes. Add to the list a hilarious routine with an impatient photographer, a fly, and an Ella desperate to have a flattering shot taken for her beauty contest.It's a little ironic, actually, that a film that mocks Hollywood stardom in such an on-target way (Ella wins the contest because the fly on her nose made her look just right for the comediennes Hollywood needs!) should be so effectively "made" by its lead actress' star quality.When Harry Langdon does show up (as Ella wanders into the shooting of one of his films -- he was at the height of his popular at this point and releasing his films through the same studio as released this) and seems exactly the same offscreen as on, he and Moore seem to have great screen chemistry, like kindred innocents trying to help each other escape... something.Perhaps it's not substantial enough to be one of the greatest of silent comedies, but I think it would be very difficult if not impossible not to have a great time watching this. And it makes it very clear why Colleen Moore was such a sensation.

overseer-3 I watched this silent comedy with Colleen Moore and gorgeous Lloyd Hughes with my 6 year old daughter and we were rapt with attention all the way through. This film boasts a touching sweet romance, and many fine and unique comedy moments, such as Ella getting her picture taken for a beauty contest and having a fly land on her nose, and Lloyd's character using the missing shoe for measurements to buy her a pair of dress shoes when she goes off to Hollywood. Unlike one commentator here however I didn't care for that organ score. I heard some copyrighted song musical phrases in there that were misplaced too, like a strain from Dr. Zhivago! Weird. If you love Colleen Moore or want to learn more about her this is a film not to be missed. She was an excellent comedienne, even better than Mabel Normand.