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The Plight Of Cecil

THE PLIGHT OF CECIL stars ventriloquism dummy Cecil Sinclaire, a cantankerous vaudeville talent agent and ventriloquist Carla Rhodes, his reluctant assistant.

This dark kid’s show for adults shows a glimpse into Cecil's antiquated, absurd vaudeville office. Dark undertones deepen and develop, suggesting something sinister is beneath the fun, candy coated surface.

A perfect surface description is, “It’s as if The Shari Lewis Show and Pee Wee's Playhouse were produced by the love child of Lucille Ball and directed by David Lynch!”

  • Ed Hellman
    Director
    Retire For The Evening
  • Carla Rhodes
    Writer
  • Kathy Ruopp
    Assistant Director
  • Mallory Lewis
    Executive Producer
    Lamb Chop's Play-Along
  • Jeff Nash
    Associate Producer
  • Andy Shernoff
    Co-Producer
  • Steven Tong
    Director of Photography
  • Brendan Malafronte ... Pearl Friday puppet
    Cast
  • Carla Rhodes ... Assistant
    Cast
    Retire For The Evening
  • Cecil Sinclaire ... Vaudeville Talent Agent
    Cast
    Retire For The Evening
  • Pearl Friday ... Secretary
    Cast
  • Tyler Bunch ... Cecil Sinclaire puppeteer
    Cast
  • Chuck McCann ... Voice Over Announcer
    Cast
  • Gal Friday ... Burlesque Dancer
    Cast
  • Ruthie Kaye ... Vocals on Opening Theme
    Cast
  • Alon Gelnik
    Editor
  • Cheryl Esposito ... Makeup Artist
    Art Department
  • Victoria Aguila ... Production Designer
    Art Department
  • Liz Beeby ... Production Assistant
    Art Department
  • Leydi Levia ... Set Decorator
    Art Department
  • Andrew Kluger
    Assistant Camera
  • Eric Romary
    Sound & Mixing
  • Anthony Carella
    Gaffer
  • Michael Brogan
    Key Grip
  • Carla Rhodes, Joe Vincent & J. Keen
    Composers
  • Project Type:
    Short, Web / New Media, Other
  • Runtime:
    7 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    September 22, 2014
  • Production Budget:
    2,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Shooting Format:
    RED
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • L.A. Comedy Film Festival
    Los Angeles, CA
    May 1, 2015
  • The Coney Island Film Festival
    Coney Island, Brooklyn, NY
    September 18, 2015
    NYC Premiere
Director Biography - Ed Hellman

Ed Hellman hails from Baltimore, Maryland. He holds a BFA from Bard College and a MPS from the School of Visual Arts. Ed is an Apple-certified Final Cut Pro Editor and professional freelance Director and AD. He has been making films since the fourth grade, often investigating the themes of identity, gender, sight, and miscommunication. Ed won the Adolfas Mekas Award for Scriptwriting in 2006 for his 3rd feature film, "Elephant in Love," and his most recent short, "Retire for the Evening," won Runner-Up Best Picture at its premiere festival, the SVA Film Fest 2013. It has screened in over 18 cities, including Los Angeles, Manhattan, and London – and most recently the Oscar-qualifying Atlanta Film Festival. He is currently working as a freelance Director, and 1st or 2nd Assistant Director, while in production on "Plight of Cecil," a web-series with Carla Rhodes. Ed lives with his wife, Andrea, and their two hairless cats in New York.

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