Ella Cinders

"Ella Cinders" was a syndicated comic strip created by writer Bill Conselman and artist Charles Plumb. Distributed by United Feature Syndicate, the daily version was launched June 1, 1925, and a Sunday page followed two years later. It was discontinued in 1961.

As the stepdaughter of Myrtle "Ma" Cinders, Ella did the household chores while being tormented by her stepsisters, Prissie Pill and Lotta Pill. However, Ella found support from her kid brother Blackie and her boyfriend, Waite Lifter. After winning a beauty contest, she headed for Hollywood where she and Blackie had various misadventures, with Ella eventually landing a husband, Patches.

Colleen Moore portrayed Ella when the strip was adapted into a film released by First National on June 6, 1926. Lloyd Hughes played Waite Lifter, and Alfred E. Green directed for producer John McCormick. Ella also turned up in Big Little Books and comic books, including early issues of "Tip Top" and "Sparkler Comics" plus her own title in 1948-49.

The comic strip had numerous ghost writers and ghost artists, including children's book author Hardie Gramatky, Henry Formhals (of "Freckles and His Friends") and Jack W. McGuire (of "The Red Knight"). After Plumb retired, Fred Fox took over the strip in the 1950s, and he was later replaced by Roger Armstrong (of "Scamp").

External links

* [http://www.toonopedia.com/ellacind.htm Don Markstein's Toonopedia: "Ella Cinders"]