Biography
Mary Eleanor Donahue (born April 19, 1937), credited as Elinor Donahue, is an American actress, best remembered today for playing the role of Betty Anderson, the eldest child of Robert Young and Jane Wyatt, on the 1950s American sitcom Father Knows Best.
Donahue achieved stardom for her role as the elder daughter, Betty, on the television family series Father Knows Best. Her co-stars were Robert Young, Jane Wyatt, Billy Gray as her younger brother, James "Bud" Anderson, Jr., and Lauren Chapin as her younger sister, Kathy.
Donahue was a musical judge in ABC's Jukebox Jury (1953β54). 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. Thereafter, she was cast with James Best, Ann Doran, and J. Carrol Naish in the 1956 episode "The White Carnation" of the religion anthology series, Crossroads. She guest starred on an episode of U.S. Marshal. She also appeared as a new bride in the George Burns and Gracie Allen Show episode titled "The Newlyweds" that aired April 2, 1956.
She played Georgiana Balanger in the episode "Dennis and the Wedding" (1960) on Dennis the Menace. Donahue was also cast, in 1960, with Marion Ross in an episode ("Duet") of The Brothers Brannagan. She played Miriam Welby on ABC's The Odd Couple, Jane Mulligan on Mulligan's Stew, and Nurse Hunnicut on Days of Our Lives.
She was featured in 12 episodes of CBS's The Andy Griffith Show as pharmacist Ellie Walker, even getting a mention in the opening credits. The character was intended to be a love interest for Sheriff Andy Taylor, but after one season (1960β1961), Donahue decided to ask for a release from her three-year contract.
In 1963, Donahue was cast in an episode of NBC's short-lived modern Western series, Redigo, with Richard Egan as the rancher Jim Redigo; then in 1964, she appeared as Melanie in "The Secret in the Stone" in the NBC medical drama dealing with psychiatry, The Eleventh Hour, starring Jack Ging and Ralph Bellamy.
Additionally, on February 9, 1963, she played Letty May in the episode "The Burning Tree" on Have Gun Will Travel.
In the 1964β65 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. She guest-appeared on Star Trek in the second-season episode "Metamorphosis" (1967) as commissioner Nancy Hedford.
In 1966, she guest starred on the TV series A Man Called Shenandoah, episode 8, "Town On Fire."
Filmography
all 81
TV Shows 45
Movies 36
self 4
![Cold Case](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/65077-cold-case.jpg)
Cold Case (2003)
![Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman: The Heart Within](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/51357-dr-quinn-medicine-woman-the-heart-within.jpg)
Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman: The Heart Within (2001)
![Dear God](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/56475-dear-god.jpg)
Dear God (1996)
![Friends](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/11538-friends.jpg)
Friends (1994)
![Ellen](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/53277-ellen.jpg)
Ellen (1994)
![Herman's Head](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/62925-herman-s-head.jpg)
Herman's Head (1991)
![Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/639-freddy-s-dead-the-final-nightmare.jpg)
Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare (1991)
![Get a Life](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/73890-get-a-life.jpg)
Get a Life (1990)
![Pretty Woman](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/7501-pretty-woman.jpg)
Pretty Woman (1990)
![The New Adventures of Beans Baxter](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/586485-the-new-adventures-of-beans-baxter.jpg)
The New Adventures of Beans Baxter (1987)
![The Golden Girls](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/11117-the-golden-girls.jpg)
The Golden Girls (1985)
![Murder, She Wrote](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/70228-murder-she-wrote.jpg)
Murder, She Wrote (1984)
![No Earthly Reason](https://images.moviefit.me/default-images/t/o.jpg)
No Earthly Reason (1984)
![High School U.S.A.](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/14145-high-school-u-s-a.jpg)
High School U.S.A. (1983)
![Going Berserk](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/19348-going-berserk.jpg)
Going Berserk (1983)
![Condominium](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/145542-condominium.jpg)
Condominium (1980)
![Doctors' Private Lives](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/377149-doctors-private-lives.jpg)
Doctors' Private Lives (1978)
![Father Knows Best: Home for Christmas](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/303390-father-knows-best-home-for-christmas.jpg)
Father Knows Best: Home for Christmas (1977)
![Mulligan's Stew](https://images.moviefit.me/default-images/t/o.jpg)
Mulligan's Stew (1977)
![The Love Boat](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/73178-the-love-boat.jpg)
The Love Boat (1977)
![CHiPs](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/27465-chips.jpg)
CHiPs (1977)
![Mulligan's Stew](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/727303-mulligan-s-stew.jpg)
Mulligan's Stew (1977)
![The Father Knows Best Reunion](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/117833-the-father-knows-best-reunion.jpg)
The Father Knows Best Reunion (1977)
![Police Woman](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/101424-police-woman.jpg)
Police Woman (1974)
![Gidget Gets Married](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/103676-gidget-gets-married.jpg)
Gidget Gets Married (1972)
![The Odd Couple](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/99076-the-odd-couple.jpg)
The Odd Couple (1970)
![In Name Only](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/250947-in-name-only.jpg)
In Name Only (1969)
![The Flying Nun](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/86940-the-flying-nun.jpg)
The Flying Nun (1967)
![Star Trek](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/8943-star-trek.jpg)
Star Trek (1966)
![Many Happy Returns](https://images.moviefit.me/default-images/t/o.jpg)
Many Happy Returns (1964)
![Redigo](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/557509-redigo.jpg)
Redigo (1963)
![The Virginian](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/71511-the-virginian.jpg)
The Virginian (1962)
![Dr. Kildare](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/40295-dr-kildare.jpg)
Dr. Kildare (1961)
![The Andy Griffith Show](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/18301-the-andy-griffith-show.jpg)
The Andy Griffith Show (1960)
![Girls Town](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/139565-girls-town.jpg)
Girls Town (1959)
![Imitation of Life](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/24409-imitation-of-life.jpg)
Imitation of Life (1959)
![Father Knows Best](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/117835-father-knows-best.jpg)
Father Knows Best (1954)
![Letter to Loretta](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/116541-letter-to-loretta.jpg)
Letter to Loretta (1953)
![General Electric Theater](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/120272-general-electric-theater.jpg)
General Electric Theater (1953)
![Love Is Better Than Ever](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/74398-love-is-better-than-ever.jpg)
Love Is Better Than Ever (1952)
![Her First Romance](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/96397-her-first-romance.jpg)
Her First Romance (1951)
![The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/23604-the-george-burns-and-gracie-allen-show.jpg)
The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show (1950)
![My Blue Heaven](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/108393-my-blue-heaven.jpg)
My Blue Heaven (1950)
![The Happy Years](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/49752-the-happy-years.jpg)
The Happy Years (1950)
![Singing Guns](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/43991-singing-guns.jpg)
Singing Guns (1950)
![An Old-Fashioned Girl](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/250929-an-old-fashioned-girl.jpg)
An Old-Fashioned Girl (1949)
![The Arkansas Swing](https://images.moviefit.me/default-images/t/o.jpg)
The Arkansas Swing (1948)
![Tenth Avenue Angel](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/86079-tenth-avenue-angel.jpg)
Tenth Avenue Angel (1948)
![Three Daring Daughters](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/137308-three-daring-daughters.jpg)
Three Daring Daughters (1948)
![The Amazing Mr. Nordill](https://images.moviefit.me/default-images/t/o.jpg)
The Amazing Mr. Nordill (1947)
![Winter Wonderland](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/137134-winter-wonderland.jpg)
Winter Wonderland (1946)
![Honeymoon Lodge](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/136279-honeymoon-lodge.jpg)
Honeymoon Lodge (1943)
![Mister Big](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/93933-mister-big.jpg)
Mister Big (1943)
![Girls' Town](https://images.moviefit.me/default-images/t/o.jpg)
Girls' Town (1942)
Ratings
Gallery
![Elinor Donahue](https://images.moviefit.me/p/o/8567-elinor-donahue.jpg)
![Elinor Donahue](https://images.moviefit.me/p/o/8567-elinor-donahue.jpg)
![Elinor Donahue](https://images.moviefit.me/p/o/8567-elinor-donahue.jpg)
![Elinor Donahue](https://images.moviefit.me/p/o/8567-elinor-donahue.jpg)
![Elinor Donahue](https://images.moviefit.me/p/o/8567-elinor-donahue.jpg)
![Elinor Donahue](https://images.moviefit.me/p/o/8567-elinor-donahue.jpg)
Information
Known ForActing
GenderFemale
Birthday1937-04-19 (87 years old)
Birth PlaceTacoma, United States of America
CitizenshipsUnited States of America
Also Known AsMary Eleanor Donahue
This article uses material from Wikipedia.
Last updated:
- Elinor Donahue
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