Diamonds, Bobbed Hair, and Fairy Castles: Colleen Moore’s Jazz Age Spell

Colleen Moore wasn’t just a silent film star—she was a business-savvy trendsetter who turned heads and fortunes. While her iconic bob and flapper style defined the Roaring Twenties, Moore quietly amassed wealth through shrewd investments, even co-founding an investment firm and writing a guide for women on the stock market. Her creative spirit didn’t stop at the silver screen. In 1928, Moore began building a lavish eight-foot-tall Fairy Castle, studded with real gems and fairy tale references, now a Chicago museum treasure. Her 1926 film “Ella Cinders” flipped the Cinderella story into a Hollywood satire, blending slapstick with sharp commentary on fame and fortune. Many of Moore’s early films vanished with time, but “Ella Cinders” survived—its wit and whimsy still sparkling in film archives. Moore’s legacy proves that behind every glass slipper, there might just be a pair of business heels and a blueprint for reinvention. #ColleenMoore #SilentFilm #JazzAge #Culture