Elinor Donahue
Acting
Born: April 19, 1937 (age 89) · Tacoma, Washington, USA
Highest Rated
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 (1953–54). 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.[5] 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 (1960–1961), Donahue decided to ask for a release from her three-year contract.[6] 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 1964–65 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."
Known for
Friends
1994
Pretty Woman
1990
The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement
2004
Star Trek
1966
Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare
1991
Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman
1993
Murder, She Wrote
1984
Cold Case
2003
The Golden Girls
1985
Imitation of Life
1959
Happy Days
1974
Diff'rent Strokes
1978
Photos (6)
Movies (33)
Pretty Woman
Bridget
The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement
Lady Palimore
Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare
Orphanage Woman
Imitation of Life
Lora's Friend
Going Berserk
Margaret Anderson
Dear God
Elinor Donahue
My Blue Heaven
Mary (uncredited)
In Name Only
Esther Garrity
High School U.S.A.
Mrs. Franklin
The Happy Years
Connie Brown
Tea for Two
1950
Singing Guns
Little Girl (uncredited)
Gidget Gets Married
Medley Blaine
Girls Town
Mary Lee Morgan
Doctors' Private Lives
Mona Wise
Tenth Avenue Angel
Cynthia (uncredited)
An Old-Fashioned Girl
Maud Shaw (as Mary Eleanor Donahue)
Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman: The Heart Within
Rebecca Quinn Dickinson
Dick Clark's Good Old Days
1977
Three Daring Daughters
Alix Morgan
Love Is Better Than Ever
Pattie Marie Levoy
And Now Tomorrow
Janice
The Father Knows Best Reunion
Betty Anderson
Police Story: No Margin for Error
1978
The Unfinished Dance
Josie (as Mary Eleanor Donahue)
Just an Overnight Guest
1983
Her First Romance
Lucille Stewart
Honeymoon Lodge
Janie Thomas
Mister Big
Muggsy
Father Knows Best: Home for Christmas
Betty Anderson
Girls' Town
Bit Role (uncredited)
Winter Wonderland
Betty Wheeler
Mulligan's Stew
Jane Mulligan
TV Shows (49)
Friends
Aunt Lillian · 1 eps
The Love Boat
Rowena · 1 eps
The Love Boat
Betty Anderson · 1 eps
The Love Boat
Mrs. Van Buren · 1 eps
The Andy Griffith Show
Ellie Walker · 12 eps
Star Trek
Commissioner Nancy Hedford · 1 eps
Cold Case
Esther 'Legs' Davis (2005) · 1 eps
Murder, She Wrote
Connie Lewis · 1 eps
Coach
Lorraine · 2 eps
The Golden Girls
Katherine · 1 eps
The Virginian
Carole Cole · 1 eps
Father Knows Best
Betty Anderson · 203 eps
Have Gun, Will Travel
Letty Mae Stinchcomb · 1 eps
Happy Days
1 eps
Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman
Rebecca Quinn · 9 eps
One Day at a Time
1 eps
Ellen
Delores Warwell · 1 eps
Dr. Kildare
Sharon Calloway · 1 eps
The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show
Emily Vanderlip Foster · 1 eps
Hotel
Louise · 1 eps
Barnaby Jones
Judy Corbett · 1 eps
The Flying Nun
Dr. Jennifer Ethrington · 1 eps
Police Woman
Ellie Tarlow · 1 eps
The Odd Couple
Miriam Welby · 17 eps
Police Story
2 eps
77 Sunset Strip
Laura Holt · 1 eps
The Rookies
1 eps
Dennis the Menace
1 eps
Eek! The Cat
Mom (voice) · 112 eps
Petrocelli
Joan Hiller · 1 eps
Herman's Head
Mrs. Fitzer · 1 eps
Battle of the Network Stars
1 eps
CHiPs
Elnor Donahue (uncredited) · 1 eps
Get a Life
Gradys Peterson · 35 eps
S.W.A.T.
1 eps
The Eleventh Hour
1 eps
Occasional Wife
1 eps
General Electric Theater
Carol Madsen · 1 eps
Letter to Loretta
Debbie Waring · 1 eps
Letter to Loretta
Janey · 1 eps
The New Adventures of Beans Baxter
Susan Baxter · 17 eps
Redigo
1 eps
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
1 eps
Diff'rent Strokes
1 eps
E! True Hollywood Story
1 eps
The Brothers Brannagan
Diane · 1 eps
Mr. Deeds Goes to Town
1 eps
Many Happy Returns
26 eps
Condominium
Audrey Ames · 2 eps
