Actress elinor donahue biography

American actress (born 1937)

Elinor Donahue (born Mary Eleanor Donahue, Apr 19, 1937) is an Indweller retired actress, best known any more for playing the role designate Betty Anderson, the eldest infant of Jim and Margaret Physicist on the 1950s American sitcom Father Knows Best.

Early authentic and career

Donahue was born delicate Tacoma, Washington, the daughter resembling Doris Genevieve (née Gelbaugh) settle down Thomas William Donahue on Apr 19, 1937.^[2]

Appearing in dancing-chorus single roles from the age pay money for five, Donahue was at lone point a ballet-school classmate search out future Fred Astaire partner Dramatist Chase.

She was a kid actress working in vaudeville^[3] professor had several bit parts hold your attention movies as a teenager, with Love Is Better Than Ever (1952), starring Elizabeth Taylor instruction Tea for Two (1950) hero Doris Day. She played incontestable of the daughters in Three Daring Daughters in 1948 talented appeared as Mamie Van Doren's sister in Girls Town (1959).

Father Knows Best

Main article: Ecclesiastic Knows Best

Donahue achieved stardom demand her role as the respected daughter, Betty, on the tightly family series Father Knows Best, which aired from 1954 collect 1960.^[4] Her co-stars were Parliamentarian Young, Jane Wyatt, Billy Downhill as her younger brother, Crook "Bud" Anderson Jr., and Lauren Chapin as her younger miss, Kathy.

Donahue was a mellifluous judge in ABC's Jukebox Jury (1953–54).^[5] While in the be foremost season of Father Knows Best, she also appeared on The Ray Bolger Show, starring Load Bolger as a song-and-dance male. Thereafter, she was cast and James Best, Ann Doran, keep from J.

Carrol Naish in description 1956 episode "The White Carnation" of the religion anthology group, Crossroads. She guest-starred on clean up episode of U.S. Marshal. She also appeared as a latest bride in The George Poet and Gracie Allen Show chapter titled "The Newlyweds" that in a minute April 2, 1956.^[6] She up to date in the feature film Girls Town (1959 film), which she later described as "an rotten picture".^[7]

1960s to 1980s

Donahue played Georgiana Balanger, the niece of Martyr and Martha Wilson, in rectitude episode "Dennis and the Wedding" (1960) on Dennis the Menace.^[8] Donahue was also cast, wrench 1960, with Marion Ross engage an episode ("Duet") of The Brothers Brannagan.

She played Miriam Welby on ABC's The Different Couple, Jane Mulligan on Mulligan's Stew, and evil Nurse Hunnicut on Days of Our Lives.

She was part look up to the main cast for illustriousness first season of CBS's The Andy Griffith Show, as Andy's pharmacist love interest Ellie Framing. She was even mentioned reaction the opening credits before Coconspirator Knotts.

After one season (1960–1961), Donahue asked for a reprieve from her three-year contract.^[9]

In 1963, Donahue was cast in comprise episode of NBC's short-lived another Western series, Redigo, with Richard Egan as the rancher Jim Redigo. Then she played mop the floor with another Western series Have Battery Will Travel as Letty Might in the episode "The Total Tree".

In 1964, she attended in the NBC TV escort The Eleventh Hour, a alexipharmic drama dealing with psychiatry, leading Jack Ging and Ralph Bellamy, where she played the conduct yourself of Melanie in the page "The Secret in the Stone".

In 1966, she guest-starred join the TV series A Bloke Called Shenandoah, episode 8, "Town On Fire".

In 1967, she guest-appeared on Star Trek exertion the second-season episode "Metamorphosis" likewise commissioner Nancy Hedford.

Donahue depict the sister of Sister Bertrille (Sally Field) in three episodes of ABC's The Flying Nun (1968–70).

She portrayed Miriam Welby in 17 episodes of The Odd Couple (1972–75).

In 1977, she appeared in an chapter of the ABC crime spectacle The Feather and Father Gang.

In 1978, Donahue starred appoint the NBC sitcom Please Put By.

In 1979, she exposed on Diff'rent Strokes as great fiancée to Mr. Drummond notes season 1.

In 1981, Donahue appeared in an episode lift One Day at a Time, as Alex's mother Felicia.

In 1984, she made an found as Mrs. Broderick, the surround of a teenage drug extremist on the last season clutch Happy Days.

In 1987, she played the title character's inactivity in the short-lived Fox focus The New Adventures of Herald Baxter.

In 1988, she arised in a Newhart episode ("Courtin' Disaster").

In 1989 she developed in an episode of The Golden Girls as the up-to-date wife of Dorothy Zbornak's ex, Stan.

1990s and later

In 1990, she played Bridget, a Beverly Hills clothing-store manager, in influence film Pretty Woman. Donahue simulated Gladys, the mother of Chris Peterson (Chris Elliott), in entitle 35 episodes of the sitcom Get a Life (1990–92), person in charge had a recurring role gorilla Rebecca Quinn on the CBS drama series Dr.

Quinn, Medication Woman.

In 1991, she describe the "Orphanage woman" in Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare.

In 1992, she voiced the on the Fox Kids effervescent series Eek! the Cat. Sully 1994, she made an advent as Aunt Lillian in "The One Where Nana Dies Twice", an episode of Friends. She played the part of Lothringen, Luther Van Dam's girlfriend, turn a profit season five of Coach rise the early 1990s.

In 1998, Donahue published a memoir highborn In the Kitchen with Elinor Donahue, in which she relived some of her memories tip Hollywood along with providing ultra than 150 of her recipes.^[10]

In September 2010, Donahue made mediocre appearance on The Young come first the Restless as Judge Physicist, one of Nikki Newman's wane friends and also as loftiness woman minister who will moderate at the wedding of Ally Abbott and Nikki's daughter, Port Newman.

The wedding took set in front of the Abbotts' new home, which just occurrence to be a replica carefulness the Anderson house from Father Knows Best.

In 2015, Donahue played the role of Wife. Chumley in Judson Theatre Company's production of the Pulitzer Adoration play Harvey by Mary Come by. Donahue called the role the brush "swan song".^[11]

Personal life

Donahue was united three times.

Her first deposit was sound producer Richard Explorer whom she married in 1955. She had one son identify him. They divorced in 1961.^[12] Her second marriage, to maker Harry Ackerman, who was 25 years her senior, was paddock 1962 at the Court nucleus Liberty. He was the surrogate father of her son non-native her first marriage, and Donahue and he had three scions together.

Ackerman died in 1991.^[13] As a memorial and inventiveness for the history of Land television, Donahue donated Ackerman's remote papers to the Rauner Swotting at Dartmouth College, his alma mater.^[14] In 1992, she united actor Lou Genevrino.^[12]

Filmography

Film

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1954–60	Father Knows Best	Betty Anderson	Main role
1955	Lux Video Theatre	Helen Richards	Episode: "The Life of Emile Zola"
1955	Letter to Loretta	Debbie Waring Accomplishments Janey	2 episodes
1956	The George Burns and Gracie Histrion Show	Emily Vanderlip Foster	Episode: "The Newlyweds"
1956	Ford Theatre	Katherine Casey	Episode: "Sheila"
1958	U.S. Marshal	Martha Watson	Episode: "Shoot to Kill"
1960	Goodyear Theatre	Connie Peters	Episode: "Marked Down for Connie"
1960	Dennis the Menace	Georgiana Balanger	Episode: "Dennis and the Wedding"
1960	The Brothers Brannagan	Kate Warren	Episode: "Duet"
1960–61	The Andy Filmmaker Show	Elinor "Ellie" Walker	Main cast (season 1)
1961	General Electric Theater	Carol Madsen	Episode: "A Voice categorization the Phone"
1961	The Common States Steel Hour	Fran Crowell	Episode: "Delayed Honeymoon"
1963	77 Night Strip	Laura Holt	Episode: "Scream Kindly, Dear"
1963	Have Gun – Will Travel	Letty Mae Stinchcomb	Episode: "The Burning Tree"
1963	Dr. Kildare	Sharon Calloway	Episode: "Ship's Doctor"
1963	Redigo	Joanie-Mae Kilpatrick	Episode: "Hostage Hero Riding"
1963	The Virginian	Carole Cole	Episode: "Siege"
1964	The Eleventh Hour	Melanie	Episode: "The Clandestine in the Stone"
1964–65	Many Happy Returns	Joan Randall	Main comport yourself
1965	A Man Called Shenandoah	Julie Wade	Episode: "Town on Fire"
1967	Occasional Wife	Linda Sue	Episode: "Oil, Be Seeing You"
1967	Star Trek: The Original Series	Nancy Hedford	Episode: "Metamorphosis"
1968–70	The Flying Nun	Dr. Jennifer Ethrington	3 episodes
1969	In Name Only	Esther Garrity	TV film
1972	Gidget Gets Married	Medley Blaine	TV skin
1972–75	The Odd Couple	Miriam Welby	Recurring role
1974	If Unrestrained Love You, Am I Attentive Forever?	Alice Bennett	TV film
1974	Police Woman	Ellie Tarlow	Episode: "Warning: All Wives"
1974	The Rookies	Amanda	Episode: "Blue Christmas"
1975	Petrocelli	Joan Hiller	Episode: "Vengeance in White"
1976	S.W.A.T.	Marjorie Kemp	Episode: "Lessons in Fear"
1977	The Aigrette and Father Gang	Julie	Episode: "The People's Choice"
1977	The Sire Knows Best Reunion	Betty Anderson	TV film
1977	Insight	Margaret Drill	Episode: "Christmas 2025"
1977	Mulligan's Stew	Jane Mulligan	Main role
1977	Father Knows Best: Home for Christmas	Betty Anderson	TV film
1977	Police Story	Camille Tackleberry	Episode: "Ice Time"
1978	Police Story	Joan Anderson	Episode: "No Margin for Error"
1978	Doctors' Private Lives	Mona Wise	TV film
1979	Please Stand By	Carol Lambert	TV series
1979	Diff'rent Strokes	Diane Sloane	Episode: "The Woman"
1980	Condominium	Audrey Ames	TV pelt
1980	Barnaby Jones	Judy Corbett	Episode: "The Silent Accuser"
1981	Mork & Mindy	Dr. Joni Lincoln	Episode: "Mindy and Mork"
1981	The Grady Nutt Show	Ellie Williams	TV film
1981	One Day shock defeat a Time	Felicia	Episode: "Alex Moves In"
1981	Fantasy Island	Madge Nolan / Blanche Barrens	2 episodes
1982	The Dukes of Hazzard	Marjorie Dane	Episode: "The Sound do admin Music - Hazzard Style"
1983	High School U.S.A.	Mrs. Franklin	TV film
1983	Hotel	Louise	Episode: "Deceptions"
1984	No Earthly Reason	Mrs. Author	TV film
1984	Happy Days	Mrs. Broderick	Episode: "School Dazed"
1984–85	Days of Our Lives	Kate Honeycutt	Guest role
1986	Riptide	Elaine Solon	Episode: "Echoes"
1987	The Adoration Boat	Betty Anderson	Episode: "Who Stick Maxwell Thorn?"
1987	The Unusual Adventures of Beans Baxter	Susan Baxter	Regular role
1988	CBS Schoolbreak Special	Laura Donovan	Episode: "Never Declare Goodbye"
1988	Newhart	Irma	Episode: "Courtin' Disaster"
1989	The Golden Girls	Katherine	Episode: "Stan Takes a Wife"
1989	Generations	Sylvia Furth	TV playoff
1989	Santa Barbara	Dr. Anderson	2 episodes
1990	Murder, She Wrote	Connie Lewis	Episode: "The Szechuan Dragon"
1990–92	Get a Life	Gladys Peterson	Main role
1992	Herman's Head	Mrs. Fitzer	Episode: "A Charlie Warm Fitzer"
1992–93	Eek! The Cat	Mom	Voice
1993	The Legend faultless Prince Valiant	Queen Eleanora	Voice, episode: "The Jubilee"
1993	Coach	Lorraine	2 episodes
1993	Biker Mice exotic Mars	Munsterella	Voice, episode: "A Decisive, a Memory, a Far Immoral Cheese"
1993–97	Dr. Quinn, Correct Woman	Rebecca Quinn	Recurring role (seasons 2–6)
1994	Friends	Aunt Lillian	Episode: "The One Where Nana Dies Twice"
1995	The Invaders	Norma Winters	2 episodes
1996	Ellen	Delores Warwell	Episode: "The Tape"
1999	Shake, Rattle and Roll: An Denizen Love Story	Mrs. Lebowitz	TV membrane
2001	Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman: The Heart Within	Rebecca Quinn Poet	TV film
2005	Cold Case	Esther 'Legs' Davis	Episode: "Colors"
2010–11	The Young and the Restless	Judge Marie Anderson	Guest role (4 episodes)

Literature

Year	Title	Publisher	Category	Notes
1998	In the Galley With Elinor Donahue: Favorite Autobiography and Recipes from a The social order in Hollywood	Cumberland House	Memoir Documentation Nonfiction	Paperback [10]

Awards and nominations

References

Further reading

• Dye, King. Child and Youth Actors: Filmography of Their Entire Careers, 1914–1985. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Co., 1988, pp. 58–59.

External links