Frank Griffin Movies

George Sidney and Charlie Murray are "Cohen and Kelly" in everything but name in this wartime farce. Shipped to Russia during the 1919 civil war between the Bolsheviks and the Royalists, American soldiers Krauss (Sidney) and Muldoon (Murray) waste no time commiserating with the local female population. Trying to sneak back to their own lines, our heroes disguise themselves as peasant girls, leading to a hilarious tete-a-tete with a pair of amorous Russian officers. Several other "Charley's Aunt" complications are in store for Krauss and Muldoon before they attempt to end the war with a bomb-detonation device of Krauss' invention. Lost at the Front was directed by Del Lord, future helmsman of dozens of Three Stooges comedies. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Silent film star Colleen Moore and Charlie Plumb's comic strip character Ella Cinders had two basic things in common: their dutch-bob haircuts and their winsome, wide-eyed charm. As played by Ms. Moore, Ella is a moviestruck small-town girl who wins a talent contest purportedly sponsored by a film studio. First prize is a trip to Hollywood and a screen test, but when Ella arrives in Tinseltown, she discovers that the contest was a fraud. Momentarily disheartened, Ella vows to get into pictures by any means possible. Finally wangling a screen test, Ella convinces producers that she is a great dramatic actress by reacting in terror to a fire that has accidentally broken out on the set. She realizes her dream of becoming a star--at least until her hometown boyfriend Lloyd Hughes offers a "lifetime contract" of his own. A thoroughly delightful minor effort, Ella Cinders displays Colleen Moore at her peak, notably in one sequence in which she imitates her contemporary Lillian Gish; there's even time left over for a brief cameo from comedy great Harry Langdon. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The assistant to director Frank Griffin on this Keystone comedy was Jean Havez, whose writing contributions would later be valuable to both Buster Keaton and Harold Lloyd. William Collier is attending art school with Mae Busch, who has fallen in love with him over the objections of her father (Frank Opperman). Her father prefers another gent, who is also an aspiring artist (Joseph Belmont). Collier beats out his rival a number of times. The first time is at an art competition, in which he replaces his rival's sketch for a caricature of Mae's father. Then, during a painting contest, while Collier is off courting Mae, a cow swishes some paint on his canvas with her tail. The painting winds up winning over that of his infuriated rival. Collier finally disguises the maid and sends her off with the rival, while he dashes off with Mae in search of a preacher. The father, however, catches up with them and all seems lost until Collier runs across a motion picture company filming a wedding. He finds a real minister, gets Mae, and tricks his rival into standing up for them. After the couple are wed, the rival can't help but appreciate Collier's craftiness and congratulates him. ~ Janiss Garza, Rovi