If you thought all silent comedies were slapstick see this gentle character based comedy. Colleen Moore plays a much abused small town girl with a simply awful family. She wins a beauty contest - the prize a trip to Hollywood and a studio contract!
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, and you'll roar with laughter when she practices eye movements for the camera. This is one of the great performances of the silent era. She can make the smallest thing funny, so it is interesting to see her work with Harry Langdon who could do the same. In one hilarious scene he plays himself.
What is remarkable about Moore is that she can be very funny but still maintain the realism of her characterisation - there is a sadness here that makes the comedy so much more potent. Wait till you see her smoke a cigar, and spin-out! I have never seen a moment like this played better.
Also very charming is Lloyd Hughes as her boyfriend. And the film's director Alfred E Green plays the director in the film!
This film, in a good print from Video Yesteryear which has a fine organ score from Rosa Rio, is a true classic - not to be missed.
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, and you'll roar with laughter when she practices eye movements for the camera. This is one of the great performances of the silent era. She can make the smallest thing funny, so it is interesting to see her work with Harry Langdon who could do the same. In one hilarious scene he plays himself.
What is remarkable about Moore is that she can be very funny but still maintain the realism of her characterisation - there is a sadness here that makes the comedy so much more potent. Wait till you see her smoke a cigar, and spin-out! I have never seen a moment like this played better.
Also very charming is Lloyd Hughes as her boyfriend. And the film's director Alfred E Green plays the director in the film!
This film, in a good print from Video Yesteryear which has a fine organ score from Rosa Rio, is a true classic - not to be missed.