Just before the new year, Marple lost a bit of a local celebrity. On December 24, Len Cella passed away at the age of 86 from injuries sustained in a traffic accident. Many residents knew Len as he was a Marple Newtown High School (MNHS) graduate and even one of the school’s Hall of Fame athletes. But what some may not have known was that Len was an original content creator, creating short sketches in 1983. Len’s creative mind led him to make these short films, which he called “Moron Movies” and he became a nightly feature on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson.
Len grew up in Broomall and graduated from MNHS in 1955. He was very athletic and excelled at sports, playing football, baseball and basketball. In his 60s he took up tennis, and according to Len, he was better than the other people he played with. He was also an avid golfer and even held a course record at Springfield Country Club for a time.
After high school, Len joined the Army and spent 18 months stationed in Japan. When he returned home, Len attended Villanova University and later 
the University of Pennsylvania to study architecture. For many years, he worked as a sports writer for the News of Delaware County, and then in the advertising field until he eventually started his own painting business.
It was during the 1980s that Len discovered a hobby that he loved: making movies. He was way ahead of his time when he started creating these sketches about everything including “How to protect yourself” and “Man with the thumb stuck in a bowling ball,” which essentially followed the format of TikToks. Len used a Canon camera to create his Moron Movies and he was the director, producer and star of all of his movies. Eventually, he began screening them for friends and family, but he wanted a bigger audience.
Len placed ads in some local newspapers, which first caught the attention of a reporter from the Philadelphia Daily News and later Johnny Carson, whose TV show was the most popular at the time. From 1983–1985, Moron Movies were a regular feature on 
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. Moron Movies even made Variety’s list of top-grossing films in 1985 despite playing in only one New York theater. After The Tonight Show run, Len’s work was also featured on Dick Clark’s TV Bloopers and Practical Jokes, although to Len’s disappointment, they changed the name of his movies to “Len Cella’s Silly Cinemas.”
Len’s videos have been described as both “absurd” and “hilarious.” Fans also remark how Len was way ahead of his time by creating and sharing viral video content, which is now more than a huge trend. One of Len’s videos, posted to YouTube in 2005 is “Me at the Zoo,” which now has 163 million views. “Len was definitely a unique individual and was very talented with an odd sense of humor,” recalled Seth Pancoast III, who knew Len through his dad, Seth Pancoast Jr. “Having known Len for so long, it’s interesting to look back at his Moron Movies and see what has changed as many of the movies were filmed in or around our properties. There are so many stories among those of us that knew him. He’ll be missed by many.”
You can still find and watch Len’s Moron Movies on YouTube and there is even a Facebook page dedicated to Len called Moron Movies/Len Cella Appreciation. When we asked Len in 2022 how he accounted for the longevity of his videos, his answer was simple: “Because they make people laugh!”
Len will be missed by his friends here in Marple. A longtime resident of Marple, Len was often seen walking around town and was still creating movies and original songs into his 80s. Marple Friends & Neighbors sends our deepest sympathies and thoughts to his family.