Ellen Lowell

Wendy Drew initially played Ellen from 1956 until 1960, when Patricia Bruder took over the role. When Drew requested to be released from her contract as she was getting married, the fictional Ellen was sent away on a cruise, and returned played by Bruder.{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1314&dat=19610527&id=C6pWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=CugDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4839,4211926|title=Somebody stole my bride!|last=Lieber|first=Leslie|date=May 27, 1961|work=The Spokesman-Review|access-date=January 30, 2012}} Bruder appeared in As the World Turns for 35 years.{{cite web|title=Weddings/Celebrations; Diane Debrovner, Daniel Minus|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2003/10/05/style/weddings-celebrations-diane-debrovner-daniel-minus.html|work=The New York Times|access-date=January 29, 2012|date=October 5, 2003}} Alongside Eileen Fulton and Don Hastings, who played Lisa Grimaldi and Bob Hughes respectively, Bruder was one of the serial's longest-serving cast members.{{cite web|last=Gewdas|first=John N.|title=Soap scene|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=wKwfAAAAIBAJ&sjid=n9YEAAAAIBAJ&pg=1444,2207929&dq=patricia+bruder+ellen&hl=en|work=The Gadsden Times|publisher=(The Gadsden Times)|access-date=January 29, 2012|date=April 21, 1991}} In 1990, a party was organised to honor the longevity of these and other cast members, and viewers were invited to attend to the event.{{cite web|title=Daytime drama|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=nbAeAAAAIBAJ&sjid=oc4EAAAAIBAJ&pg=3898,4128723&dq=patricia+bruder+ellen&hl=en|work=The Herald Journal|publisher=(Pioneer Newspapers)|date=March 11, 1990}} In 1995, Bruder was "let go" from the serial.{{cite web|title='As The World Turns': through the years|url=http://goliath.ecnext.com/coms2/gi_0199-5584169/AS-THE-WORLD-TURNS-THROUGH.html|work=TelevisionWeek|publisher=(Crain Communications)|access-date=January 29, 2012|date=March 27, 2006}} In 1998, Bruder returned to the serial to play Ellen once again.{{cite web|last=Perigard|first=Mark A.|title=Soap Opera Crisis; Fans tell us what's wrong with the soaps, and how to stem ratings losses|url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/bostonherald/access/37366375.html?dids=37366375:37366375&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Dec+27%2C+1998&author=Mark+A.+Perigard&pub=Boston+Herald&desc=Soap+Opera+Crisis%3B+Fans+tell+us+what%27s+wrong+with+the+soaps%2C+and+how+to+stem+ratings+losses&pqatl=google|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130201143921/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/bostonherald/access/37366375.html?dids=37366375:37366375&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Dec+27,+1998&author=Mark+A.+Perigard&pub=Boston+Herald&desc=Soap+Opera+Crisis;+Fans+tell+us+what's+wrong+with+the+soaps,+and+how+to+stem+ratings+losses&pqatl=google|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 1, 2013|work=Boston Herald|publisher=(Herald Media Inc)|access-date=January 29, 2012|date=December 27, 1998}}

As The World Turns initially focused on two families: the Hugheses and the Lowells.Matelski 1988, p.70. Ellen's father, Jim Lowell (Les Damon), was one of the soap's original protagonists. An early plot featured an affair between Jim and Edith Hughes (Ruth Warrick). Creator Irna Phillips had intended to contravene the typical format of soap opera storylines by allowing the affair to lead to a happy marriage, however ultimately killed Jim off instead. This resulted in younger members of the Lowell and Hughes families, including Ellen, being brought to the forefront of storylines.Museum of Television & Radio 1997, p.132. Ellen had been horrified by her father's affair, and as Marilyn J. Matelski writes in The Soap Opera Evolution, this, alongside her doubt as to whether her parents truly loved her, set Ellen on a "somewhat reckless [path ... seeking] love and security from any source".Matelski 1988, p.72. In 1958, Ellen became pregnant by Dr. Tim Cole (William Redfield) and subsequently gave their son up for adoption. According to The Daytime Serials of Television, 1946–1960, she was the first major character in any serial to have an illegitimate child.Cox 2006, p.163. Lynda Hirsch summarised Ellen's following storylines:

{{blockquote|text=After Tim [...] divorced his wife, he and Ellen married. But Tim died of a blood ailment shortly after the wedding. Meanwhile David and his wife Betty Stewart had adopted [Ellen and Tim's son] Dan and also had a natural son named Paul. Betty died and David hired a housekeeper to raise his boys. Ellen learned where Dan was and tried to win custody but the court denied her motion. Several years later, David fell in love with Ellen and they married, but not before Ellen murdered his house-keeper Franny Brennon.|sign=Lynda Hirsch|source=Youngstown Vindicator.{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=DvRJAAAAIBAJ&sjid=r4QMAAAAIBAJ&pg=1729,3169975&dq=ellen-lowell+world+turns&hl=en|title=Lynda Answers 'Soap' Queries|last=Hirsch|first=Lynda|date=April 23, 1978|work=as featured in Youngstown Vindicator|access-date=January 30, 2012}}}}

The Stewarts became a prominent family in the serial in the 1960s, and members of the Lowell family were written out in their favor. David and Ellen had two daughters together, Carol Ann (later known as Annie) and Dawn, later known as Dee; the roles of their family unit increased during this period.Schemering 1985, p.31. Over the course of the decade, Ellen's son Dan Stewart was rapidly aged. When Bruder joined the serial in 1960, both she and Ellen were in their early twenties. By 1966, Dan was also in his twenties—his portrayer John Colenback was only a year younger than Bruder.{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=KhJJAAAAIBAJ&sjid=OYMMAAAAIBAJ&pg=3408,3054475&dq=ellen-lowell+world+turns&hl=en|title=Children Get Older, But Parents Stay Ageless in 'Soap' Dramas|last=Hirsch|first=Lynda|date=October 23, 1977|work=Youngstown Vindicator|access-date=January 30, 2012}} Bruder's costume and in-character appearance were altered to complement Ellen's aging. Copious amounts of grey powder were used, and she began dressing in old fashioned outfits and wearing her hair in a French twist. In 1979, Jon Reed of the Star-Banner described Ellen as "matronly", and reported that Bruder wore little make-up, and applied white powder to her hair.{{cite web|last=Reed|first=Jon|title=Personal appearances hype TV's soaps stars|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=kygxAAAAIBAJ&sjid=tAUEAAAAIBAJ&pg=7029,4986024&dq=patricia+bruder+ellen&hl=en|work=Star-Banner|publisher=(Halifax Media Group)|access-date=January 29, 2012|date=October 17, 1979}} For a brief period in 1980, Bruder tried styling Ellen's hair after her own and wearing it loose. She changed it back, however, after receiving dozens of letters from viewers who felt that the style was inappropriate given the "mother image" which Ellen had gained.{{cite web|last=Reed|first=Jon-Michael|title=Tune tomorrow|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=7HAhAAAAIBAJ&sjid=HYgFAAAAIBAJ&pg=2218,1482541&dq=patricia+bruder+ellen&hl=en|work=Tri-City Herald|publisher=(The McClatchy Company)|access-date=January 29, 2012|date=January 6, 1981}}

In 1988, Mary Anne Cooper of The Madison Courier described Ellen as one of the serial's "popular characters".{{cite web|last=Cooper|first=Mary Ann|title=Speaking soaps|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Z7ZJAAAAIBAJ&sjid=eBANAAAAIBAJ&pg=5652,642632&dq=patricia+bruder+ellen&hl=en|work=The Madison Courier|access-date=January 29, 2012|date=May 12, 1989}} In one storyline Ellen discovers that she has been caring for her long-lost son. Michael Maloney of The Huffington Post questioned the chances of someone babysitting an infant and it turning out to be their long-lost child. He noted that the character then went through a series of "trials and tribulations" in her unsuccessful battle to gain custody of Dan. He opined that Ellen and David were "one of Oakdale's more stable duos" and that the "bouffant hairdo" was a trademark of the character's image.{{cite web|last=Maloney|first=Michael|title='As the World Turns' Finale Tribute: The Soap Opera's Top 20 Moments|url=http://www.aoltv.com/2010/09/15/as-the-world-turns-finale-tribute-the-soap-operas-top-20-mom/|work=The Huffington Post|publisher=(AOL)|access-date=January 29, 2012|date=September 15, 2010}} In 1982, a columnist for The Tuscaloosa News said that "Ellen Stewart has had many problems lately" and that she really needed a friend in the series. They said the serial came up with "the best" when they cast Betsy Palmer as her best friend, Suzanne Becker.{{cite web|title=Specials brighten TV week|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=nCUdAAAAIBAJ&sjid=TqUEAAAAIBAJ&pg=2779,5669444&dq=patricia+bruder+ellen&hl=en|work=The Tuscaloosa News|publisher=(Halifax Media Group)|access-date=January 29, 2012|date=February 26, 1982}}

{{Reflist}}

{{refbegin}}

• {{cite book |title=The Daytime Serials of Television, 1946–1960|url=https://archive.org/details/daytimeserialsof0000coxj|url-access=registration|last=Cox |first=Jim |year=2006 |publisher= McFarland & Company |isbn=978-0-7864-2429-0 |ref=refCox}}
• {{cite book|last=Matelski|first=Marilyn J.|title=The Soap Opera Evolution: America's Enduring Romance With Daytime Drama

|url=https://archive.org/details/soapoperaevoluti0000mate|url-access=registration|year=1988|publisher=McFarland & Company|isbn=978-0-89950-324-0|ref=refMM}}

• {{cite book|last=Museum of Television & Radio|author-link=Museum of Television & Radio|title=Worlds Without End: The Art and History of the Soap Opera|year=1997|publisher=Abrams Books|isbn=978-0-8109-3997-4|ref=refHNA|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/worldswithoutend00muse}}
• {{cite book |title=The Soap Opera Encyclopedia|last=Schemering |first=Christopher |year=1985 |publisher= Ballantine Books |isbn=978-0-345-32459-7 |ref=refCS}}

{{refend}}

{{As the World Turns}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lowell, Ellen}}

Category:As the World Turns characters

Category:Television characters introduced in 1956

Category:American female characters in soap operas