Born in Tacoma, Washington, Mary Eleanor Donahue grew up dancing and performing. Is Ellie off of Andy Griffith Show still alive? I didnt know that much about it except that I was going to be in the show with Andy Griffith, Donahue said. Her character mysteriously disappeared without any kind of explanation for the viewers. "Andy couldn . Sign up for daily stories delivered to your inbox. The trouble started with his very first onscreen girlfriend, Ellie Walker, played by Elinor Donahue. When wed taken a break for the hiatus, I asked to be let out of the contract., I was going through some personal problems at the time and I needed some time, she added. I didnt think there was any real chemistry there. [citation needed]. She played lady druggist Ellie Walker on the CBS comedy for about a dozen episodes until her unexpected departure. Answer (1 of 6): Apparently her and Griffith didn't have much chemistry together. It was the strangest feeling.. Elinor Donahue is the stage name for American actress Mary Eleanor Donahue. Walker was Mayberry's pharmacist. She is famous for her appearances in a 1950s film by the name of "Father Knows Best," where she played the eldest child of Jim and Margaret. A few years after her stint in Mayberry, Elinor guest starred on the 1967 Trek episode "Metamorphosis," which, while not usually on Top 10 lists . Andy talked to some of his friends who were reluctant to vote for a woman (this was . 1960-Season 1), 1960-68. I was exhausted.. Elinor Donahue, who portrayed Ellie, wanted off the show almost immediately. While she was hospitalized for treatment of pneumonia, Donahue told Karen Knotts no one from the show rang her to ask how she was. Shes listed as being in 12 episodes. At least now we know what happened. It was the strangest feeling. Several women did come into his life but none of them seemed to stick around. Donahue portrayed the sister of Sister Bertrille (Sally Field) in three episodes of ABC's The Flying Nun (196870). She played Miriam Welby on ABC's The Odd Couple, Jane Mulligan on Mulligan's Stew, and Nurse Hunnicut on Days of Our Lives. Now, we finally know how Elinor Donahue felt about the show and why she decided to leave.Lets learn about Elinor Donahues life and career and why she left The Andy Griffith Show Elinor Donahue Finally Reveals Why She Left the Andy Griffith Show 26 Feb Feb . After Father Knows Best ended, she really struggled to adjust to a new show. Very good. I felt like a bird out of a nest. Elinor Donahue (born Mary Eleanor Donahue, April 19, 1937) is an American actress, best known today for playing the role of Betty Anderson, the eldest child of Jim and Margaret Anderson on the 1950s American sitcom Father Knows Best. Don't miss a story! Watching it back, she seemed to blend in just fine with the show. Andy was leaving the show following the end of its eighth . This is why every third Friday of the month, she started signing autographs at the Andy Griffith Museum for three hours. But there was a reason that Andy didnt have Ellie in his life for long. She is apparently self-sufficient; her occupation is never revealed despite references to a never-seen office, yet she lives in a roomy and well-decorated house of her own. Donahue played Ellie Walker from 1960 through 1961. Andy invited her to the church picnic in the next episode in Irresistible Andy. Except Don Knotts. Answer (1 of 2): In the Andy Griffith Show the character of Ellie, played by Elinore Donahue, helped her uncle Fred at Walker's Drugstore in Mayberry. For her full interview, see http://www.emmytvlegends.org/interviews/people/elinor-donahue I didnt feel like I had all my feathers yet and I didnt feel capable. I had a three-year contract for that show, but at the end of the first year, I asked to be let out of it because I didnt feel that I was playing the role properly. Study Guides . In retrospect, from things that people have said to me very lovely things I was doing OK. RELATED: How Did The Andy Griffith Show End? Donahue played Georgiana Balanger, the niece of George and Martha Wilson, in the episode "Dennis and the Wedding" (1960) on Dennis the Menace. [4] While in the first season of Father Knows Best, she also appeared on The Ray Bolger Show, starring Ray Bolger as a song-and-dance man. In 1959, she was nominated for an Emmy Award for her supporting role as Betty Anderson on "Father Knows Best". Id gone directly fromFather Knows Bestto having a couple of months of turmoil in my personal life that was not settled at all. Donahue played Gladys, the mother of Chris Peterson (Chris Elliott), in all 35 episodes of the sitcom Get a Life (199092), and had a recurring role as Rebecca Quinn on the CBS drama series Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman. If anything, Griffith felt bad that he couldnt do more. But I felt that it was because I was so terrible.. Fife appeared on The Andy Griffith Show from the show's beginning in 1960 until 1965, when Knotts left the show to pursue a career in feature films. And Ellie won the seat. You might even remember her playing the friendly store manager Bridget in Pretty Woman, Lady Palimore inThe Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagementor eventhe "Orphanage woman" inFreddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare. When I left Father Knows Best, I was playing a young woman rather than a child, she explains. The wedding took place in front of the Abbotts' new home, which just happened to be a replica of the Anderson house from Father Knows Best. Her character mysteriously disappeared without any kind of explanation for the viewers. Part of that, she believes, was because she had more or less grown up on the former. georgetown child psychiatry; the sardine can morro bay. Possibly, she might be the only child of her parents. I didnt feel like I had all my feathers yet and I didnt feel capable. But THAT is the more intense "dark side" of Andy Taylor, the flip-side. He was buried in the Griffith family cemetery on the island within five hours of his death. It was just very sweet., Our new Privacy Policy will go into effect on January 1st, 2023. She eventually starts dating Andy Taylor. In the eyes of the world, I was a young woman and was launched into the rest of my career, already not having to make a huge transition from child to an adult., RELATED: Father Knows Best Star, Billy Gray, Reminisces on Childhood Fame. [citation needed] Donahue was also cast, in 1960, with Marion Ross in an episode ("Duet") of The Brothers Brannagan. After her appearance in episode The Guitar Player Returns, she inexplicably leaves the series. The actress, Elinor Donahue, later admitted that she felt like she and Andy Griffith didn't have enough chemistry to portray a believable couple on screen, so she decided to leave the show. The commonality is actually actress Elinor Donahue, who became a part of Classic TV history on Father Knows Best and ever so briefly The Andy Griffith Show, the latter for about a dozen episodes. Should be required viewing for any Andy Griffith fan. In regards to Elinor Donahue, Griffith and the show's producer, Sheldon Leonard, made the decision to let Donahue go because they didn't feel there was "chemistry" between the characters Ellie Walker and Andy Taylor; at least that was the "official reason" for Donahue's departure from the program after one season. Andy later took the blame and said he wasn't very good at showing affection while being filmed. The Early Days of The Andy Griffith's Show. She went up and apologized for having left the show. I was actually 23 when we stopped, but I was playing 19. She hasn't appeared in any onscreen roles since 2011. THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW, Elinor Donahue, Andy Griffith (ca. Donahue played a strong female role on The Andy Griffith Show. Andy later took the blame and said he wasn't very good at showing . They tried other women periodically, but then Aneta Corsaut came in. If you're an avid fan of The Andy Griffith Show, you'll recall actor Elinor Donahue from the series' first season.She played "lady druggist" Ellie Walker on the CBS comedy for about a . I just didnt feel right about it. As much as we enjoyed watching Andy Griffith play Ron Howard's onscreen father, it was entertaining to see him simultaneously pursue relationships with women on the family sitcom. 1960-Season 1), 1960-68. There was no point in my trying to continue with it, she continued. What happened to Thelma Lous first husband? He could tell I was nervous and said, Just sit down here on the floor and Ill just noodle around with the guitar and you come in when you feel comfortable and well start. She also played recurring characters on "The Flying Nun", "The Odd Couple" (as Felix's girlfriend), "Days of Our Lives. A friend and fellow actor from the show, Elinor Donahue, said Lynn . Very good. 47 6 thatphanom.techno@gmail.com 042-532028 , 042-532027 Author, Ed Gross, Your email address will not be published. I didnt feel like I had all my feathers yet and I didnt feel capable. But the truth is, I felt like a bird out of a nest. So at the end of filming one day, we met at a recording studio and he got a key. Subscribe to our newsletter for new stories, tips & events. She played the part of Lorraine, Luther Van Dam's girlfriend, in season five of Coach in the early 1990s. Okay, thats it. I said, What? He faked me out, because he knew how nervous I was, andthatwas the take that they used. I didnt think there was any real chemistry there. Her character mysteriously disappeared without any kind of explanation for the viewers. I had a three-year contract. This time it was Corsaut and not the shows writers who said no to marriage. Elinor holds American citizenship but her ethnicity is Caucasian. The actress was born on 19 April 1937. Among regular cast members of The Andy Griffith Show, only the director Ron Howard, who played Opie, Sheriff Taylors son, is still alive. He said they just didnt know how to write for me. I had a three-year contract for that show, but at the end of the first year I asked to be let out of it, because I didnt feel that I was playing the role properly. It was just very sweet.. My mother said, Oh for heavens sake, you sing that in church all the time, you can certainly sing that. But I was very, very nervous about it. The Andy Griffith Show made its debut in 1960, and Elinor was a part of it, playing pharmacist Ellie Walker, with the idea being that she would eventually become the girlfriend of Sheriff Andy Taylor (Andy Griffith) following a rocky start between the two of them.And while Ellie and Andy did begin to date, the . We're talking about pharmacist Ellie Walker, who had a pretty prominent role in Season 1. Just a rehearsal. We started singing and sang through the whole thing. As a producer, he dominated early television. In retrospect, from things that people have said to me very lovely things I was doing OK. Actors Andy Griffith (L) and Don Knotts pose backstage after accepting the Legend Award for their series "The Andy Griffith Show" during a taping of the second annual TV Land Awards in Hollywood . It was an ongoing whirlwind. And while Ellie and Andy did begin to date, the relationship was a short-lived one with Elinor only appearing in a dozen episodes of the season, after which she asked to be released from her contract. Elinor Donahue was Andy Griffith's 1st love interest on the show. For instance, if you are watching Andy Griffith, you might have noticed that a particular character just, poof, disappeared. Still, Donahue said she didnt feel right on the show. She was a pharmacist who helped her uncle. In 1987, she played the title character's mother in the short-lived Fox series The New Adventures of Beans Baxter. That could have been part of it. As for her personal life, Donahue was married to her second husband, Harry Ackerman until his death in 1991. Why did Elinor Donahue leave Mayberry? In 1988, she appeared in a Newhart episode ("Courtin' Disaster"), and she appeared in a 1989 episode of The Golden Girls as the newest wife of Dorothy Zbornak's ex-husband, Stan. The actress, Elinor Donahue, later admitted that she felt like she and Andy Griffith didn't have enough chemistry to portray a believable couple on screen, so she decided to leave the show. Betty Lynn, who portrayed Thelma Lou, died earlier this month at age 95. Behind the scenes, Donahue decided she and Griffith lacked the chemistry to make their on-screen romantic relationship credible and she decided to leave. View results. She became Andy Griffith's first longstanding girlfriend on The Andy Griffith Show (1960) for one season, but then suffered a major slump. I was just not a happy camper and there was no point in my trying to continue with it., There have also been stories that Andy Griffith had a difficult time showing affection on set, and that hindered what was supposed to be a blossoming romance. "Nip It In the Bud": $20 'Andy Griffith Show' Tee Is a Funny, Cozy Memory. They tried a lot of other women periodically, but then Aneta Corsaut (Helen Crump) came in. In retrospect, from things that people have said to me very lovely things I was doing OK. She later rejoined the original cast forThe Father Knows Best Reunionin 1977. 1 views . And for almost two decades after it ended in 1968, finding another hit show eluded him. Ms. Lynn joined the cast of the show in 1961, late in the first season, for an episode in which Sheriff Andy Taylor (Mr. Griffith) plays matchmaker between Barney and Thelma Lou. In the 196465 broadcast season, Donahue costarred as Joan Randall, the daughter of Walter Burnley, played by John McGiver, on the CBS sitcom Many Happy Returns about the complaint department of a fictitious Los Angeles department store. And while Ellie and Andy did begin to date, the relationship was a short-lived one with Elinor only appearing in a dozen episodes of the season, after which she asked to be released from her contract. The series tried with other actresses, like the ones who played Peggy (Joanna Moore) and Helen (Aneta Corsaut), but it was difficult to make the relationships look natural. He was just absolutely precious. Thelma Lou and Barney parted ways when he left Mayberry to join the Raleigh police force and Knotts left the series after five years. I just didnt feel right about it. Your email address will not be published. Ellie helped her uncle Fred at Walker's Drugstore in Mayberry and she eventually starts dating Andy Taylor. Soon after, she was selected to play the role of Charlene Darling. What makes literary nonfiction different from other nonfiction? Years later, Elinor attended an event and saw him there. Years later, Elinor attended an event and saw him there. Okay, thats it. I said, What? He faked me out, because he knew how nervous I was, andthatwas the take that they used. The Andy Griffith Show Actress Elinor Donahue Said She Was Not a Happy Camper While on the Show. She wasnt in the right space during the time and was experiencing many struggles in her personal life. Betty was the oldest daughter of Robert Young and Jane Wyatt's characters with Billy Gray and Lauren Chapin starring as her younger siblings. Pleshette married twice. Do Men Still Wear Button Holes At Weddings? Part of that, she believes, was because she had more or less grown up on the former. She was part of the main cast for the first season of CBS's The Andy Griffith Show, as Andy's pharmacist love interest Ellie Walker, she was even mentioned in the opening credits before Don Knotts; after one season (19601961), Donahue asked for a release from her three-year contract.[5]. For The Andy Griffith Show, Peterson initially read for the role of Ellie Walker, a love interest for Sheriff Andy Taylor, but the role went to Elinor Donahue. Howard Morris, a character actor in the Golden Age of television best known for his work with Sid Caesar and for his brief, memorable role as the manic hillbilly poet Ernest T. Bass on The Andy Griffith Show, died on Saturday at his home in Los Angeles. Ellie Walker is a pharmacist (or "lady druggist" as Andy called her) who assists her uncle Fred Walker at Walker's Drugstore in Mayberry. She guest-appeared on Star Trek in the second-season episode "Metamorphosis" (1967) as commissioner Nancy Hedford. she and Andy Griffith didn't have enough chemistry. She guest starred on an episode of U.S. Although she may not have been part of the main cast on Griffith, she was Andy Taylor's first love interest on the show in the comedy's debut season. I had a three-year contract for that show, but at the end of the first year I asked to be let out of it, because I didnt feel that I was playing the role properly. Shows like The Andy Griffith Show, which aired in the '60s, provide a sense of familiarity and comfort, which is much needed in times like these. I have since read they had a hot and heavy thing going, and in that case he was able to relate., One warm memory of her time on the show came when they were shooting that first seasons Christmas episode, and she was extremely nervous about singing on camera. Required fields are marked *. In retrospect, from things that people have said to me very lovely things I was doing OK. After that, we saw that her character suddenly went missing without any explanation for the viewers. To hear Elinor Donahue in her own words regardingFather Knows BestandThe Andy Griffith Show, as well as people likeGilligans Islandstar Dawn Wells and others, please visit theTV RetroVisionpodcast by clicking HERE. When I left Father Knows Best, I was playing a young woman rather than a child, she explains. After twelve appearances in the first season, Ellie disappeared with no explanation offered to the audience. She went up and apologized for having left the show. Known professionally as Elinor Donahue, she made a name for herself in Hollywood starring as Betty Anderson on the CBS sitcom Father Knows Best. The actress, Elinor Donahue, later admitted that she felt like she and Andy Griffith didn't have enough chemistry to portray a believable couple on screen, so she decided to leave the show. Griffith later admitted that it was his own fault, because he had a hard time showing affection on-screen, and as a result, the relationship didn't appear real or believable. "I'm so welcomed here. The actress, Elinor Donahue, later admitted that she felt like she and Andy Griffith didn't have enough chemistry to portray a believable couple on screen, so she decided to leave the show. And I didnt read or anything. This article is from Do You Remember. Sheriff Andy liked to call her the "lady pharmacist.". However, when Don Knotts became such a popular favorite as Deputy Barney Fife, Griffith decided for . She later ran for City Council in Episode 10, and . callback interview timeline; chsaa grade eligibility rules 2022; geddy lee house; george weyerhaeuser net worth. Then he said, Oh, that was very nice. Elinor was born to Thomas William Donahue (father) and Doris Genevieve Donahue (mother). I didnt sing anymore, so I avoided it like the plague, she admits. My mother said, Oh for heavens sake, you sing that in church all the time, you can certainly sing that. But I was very, very nervous about it. They tried other women periodically, but then Aneta Corsaut came in. Donahue appeared in a 1981 episode of One Day at a Time, as Alex's mother Felicia. Woodsy locales were filmed north of Beverly Hills at Franklin Canyon. And of course, they were funny, and they made those two characters so rich and terrific. Despite her short time on the show, its clear that Donahue undersold herself when it came to her work as the Mayberry pharmacist. Why did Barney leave the show? Then he said, Oh, that was very nice. I just didnt feel right about it. While she was on tour, Maggie was discovered by The Andy Griffith Show director Bob Sweeny and producer Aaron Ruben. Part of that, she believes, was because she had more or less grown up on the former. In 1966, she guest-starred on the TV series A Man Called Shenandoah, episode 8, "Town On Fire". 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