not horrible nor great

Excellent characters with emotional depth. My wife, daughter and granddaughter all enjoyed it...and me, too! Very good movie! You won't be disappointed.

This movie feels like it was made purely to piss off people who want good shows

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

This is fairly well made for 1914, and it's been restored and presented in a higher quality than most films from that period, including some lovely color tinting. It'd be nice if other early silent films were made available in such quality as Mary Pickford's vehicles have been, but we'll take what we can get, I suppose. In addition, the well-known fairytale narrative makes this an ideal candidate from the early phase of feature-length films to see on DVD if you're not already an avid viewer of ancient cinema.This is an early example of expert focus on filming and staging around the star. Pickford is filmed in the best lighting; her face is nearly always center stage, even if it means blocking or not showing frontal views of others; and there are a good number of close-ups mostly for her. That's for the best, by the way, as not much else here seems as appealing or talented, including Owen Moore, Pickford's real-life husband at the time, as Prince Charming. Otherwise, the film-making here is rather prosaic even for 1914; for example, notice how they return to the same camera positions for scenes in the kitchen, bedroom and ballroom. The framing for the kitchen scenes are very similar to those of the kitchen scenes in the 1911 Thanhouser version of Cinderella, which I saw recently before this.The clock dream is amusing and creative, though. It begins as a superimposed vision above sleeping Cinderella and then becomes its own shot crosscut with her sleeping. The nice added score helps, too. It's worth comparing this to the dance of the clocks nightmare in Méliès's 1899 "Cinderella", as well as the one in his 1912 version. I also like the through-the-window framing of Cinderella looking out the window at dancing fairies during her other sleeping scene; it's also one of the few times Pickford's back is to the camera.There were other stars in 1914, but I haven't seen any of them receive this good of treatment, with such classical star focus, for another year or two. Nobody, however, was bigger then in the movie world than was Mary Pickford.

This film is included as a DVD extra for another one of Mary Pickford's films, THROUGH THE BACK DOOR. Both have very well-preserved prints and nice musical scores--making this DVD well worth having.In many ways, this film differs from the traditional Cinderalla story. However, these differences generally help the story and make for an excellent film.Unlike the more traditional story, this time the Fairy Godmother comes to Cinderalla before the ball. She's dressed like an old lady and Cinderalla is kind to her. So, the fairy and all invisible fairies nearby all decide they should do something nice for her.Additionally, I was surprised to see that she actually met the Prince before the ball as well. While she was gathering wood, she slipped and the Prince came to her aid--even though all the noblemen with him seemed to think that Cinderalla was just some dumb peasant. I liked this, as it game the Prince more depth. I mean, think about it, in most versions he sees her just once at the ball and pledges to marry her because of love at first sight! What a dope! But here, there is a greater depth to him and the story.Naturally, the Fairy Godmother does show up and makes Cinderella beautiful for the ball. And, naturally, the Prince is quite smitten with her. And, naturally, she runs away and the Prince vows to marry the woman whose foot fits the magic slipper. All this is pretty standard, but you certainly could NOT expect them to change these details. But, in an interesting twist, the Prince immediately recognizes Cinderella when he finds her dressed in rags and is delighted. Sure, he puts the shoe on her, but this is after he's taken her to the castle to show his father, the King. This, also, seemed like a nice way to tell the story. The Prince in this tale is no vacuous pretty-boy! One thing that the story did not do (and I doubt any movie ever did show this), but according to my daughter who studies folklore in college, in one version the wicked step-sisters do some insane things to try to claim the shoe is theirs. They saw their toes off and horribly deform themselves to try to get it to fit!! I would just love, for once, to have that included in a film--though it might just traumatize the kids watching it.Overall, you might be surprised to hear this, but I truly think I enjoyed this more than the more famous Disney and Rogers-Hammerstein versions. It's sweet and well-told but unfortunately forgotten since it's "only a silent film" as some knuckleheads might think, few will probably get around to it.

The famous fairy tale, appropriately starring Mary Pickford (as Cinderella), with Owen Moore (as Prince Charming). Ms. Pickford's performance is terrific; in many of her early films, her acting ability is most clearly evident. Mr. Moore was one of Pickford's three successful actor husbands; he is charming as her Prince. This film seems adds a lot of story which is not in later re-makes; and, most of it would have been well worth repeating. However, this version skimps on background and characterization; perhaps, the filmmakers supposed everyone knew the basic story. If you don't know "Cinderella", it is possible to figure out who's who, and what's going on. Though, you won't believe how skillfully Pickford catches rodents. Great parts: Pickford and Moore romancing before the clock strikes midnight (or, is that noon?), and Pickford's "clock dream". The accompanying soundtrack, by Donald Sosin and Joanna Seaton, is exemplary. ****** Cinderella (12/28/14) James Kirkwood ~ Mary Pickford, Owen Moore, Inez Marcel, Isabel Vernon

Cinderella (1914) *** (out of 4) Sweet and charming version of the famous story has Mary Pickford in the title role. The film clocks in at just over fifty-minutes and there isn't a single minute that's wasted in telling the story. The film doesn't try anything too special but instead relies on Pickford and her incredible charm, which jumps off the screen. I believe Pickford was one of the most natural actresses in the history of cinema and her innocent charm is on full display here. The film has a very sweet tone and doesn't forget the fact that it's a fairy tale. Another interesting aspect is Cinderella's nightmare of the clock when she doesn't arrive home until after midnight. Some nice comic touches as well and two incredibly ugly stepsisters.