Elinor Donahue
Born
April 19, 1937 (88 years old)
Known For
Acting
Place of Birth
Tacoma, Washington, USA
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
Star Trek: Inside the Roddenberry Vault
Self
2016
The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement
Lady Palimore
2004
Cold Case
Esther 'Legs' Davis (2005) · (1 episode)
2003
Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman: The Heart Within
Rebecca Quinn Dickinson
2001
Dear God
Elinor Donahue
1996
E! True Hollywood Story
(1 episode)
1996
Friends
Aunt Lillian · (1 episode)
1994
Ellen
Delores Warwell · (1 episode)
1994
Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman
Rebecca Quinn · (9 episodes)
1993
Eek! The Cat
Mom (voice) · (112 episodes)
1992
Herman's Head
Mrs. Fitzer · (1 episode)
1991
Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare
Orphanage Woman
1991
Get a Life
Gradys Peterson · (35 episodes)
1990
Pretty Woman
Bridget
1990
Coach
Lorraine · (2 episodes)
1989
The New Adventures of Beans Baxter
Susan Baxter · (17 episodes)
1987
The Golden Girls
Katherine · (1 episode)
1985
Murder, She Wrote
Connie Lewis · (1 episode)
1984
No Earthly Reason
Mrs. Morrison
1984
High School U.S.A.
Mrs. Franklin
1983
Going Berserk
Margaret Anderson
1983
Just an Overnight Guest
1983
Hotel
(1 episode)
1982
Condominium
Audrey Ames · (2 episodes)
1980
Diff'rent Strokes
(1 episode)
1978
Police Story: No Margin for Error
1978
Doctors' Private Lives
Mona Wise
1978
Father Knows Best: Home for Christmas
Betty Anderson
1977
Mulligan's Stew
Jane Mulligan · (6 episodes)
1977
Dick Clark's Good Old Days
1977
The Love Boat
Rowena · (1 episode)
1977
The Love Boat
Betty Anderson · (1 episode)
1977
The Love Boat
Mrs. Van Buren · (1 episode)
1977
CHiPs
Elnor Donahue (uncredited) · (1 episode)
1977
Mulligan's Stew
Jane Mulligan
1977
The Father Knows Best Reunion
Betty Anderson
1977
Battle of the Network Stars
(1 episode)
1976
One Day at a Time
(1 episode)
1975
S.W.A.T.
(1 episode)
1975
Police Woman
Ellie Tarlow · (1 episode)
1974
Happy Days
(1 episode)
1974
Police Story
(2 episodes)
1973
Barnaby Jones
Judy Corbett · (1 episode)
1973
The Rookies
(1 episode)
1972
Gidget Gets Married
Medley Blaine
1972
The Odd Couple
Miriam Welby · (17 episodes)
1970
In Name Only
Esther Garrity
1969
Mr. Deeds Goes to Town
(1 episode)
1969
The Flying Nun
Dr. Jennifer Ethrington · (1 episode)
1967
Occasional Wife
(1 episode)
1966
Star Trek
Commissioner Nancy Hedford · (1 episode)
1966
Many Happy Returns
(26 episodes)
1964
Redigo
(1 episode)
1963
The Eleventh Hour
(1 episode)
1962
The Virginian
Carole Cole · (1 episode)
1962
Dr. Kildare
Sharon Calloway · (1 episode)
1961
The Andy Griffith Show
Ellie Walker · (12 episodes)
1960
The Brothers Brannagan
Diane · (1 episode)
1960
Girls Town
Mary Lee Morgan
1959
Dennis the Menace
(1 episode)
1959
Imitation of Life
Lora's Friend
1959
77 Sunset Strip
Laura Holt · (1 episode)
1958
Have Gun, Will Travel
Letty Mae Stinchcomb · (1 episode)
1957
Father Knows Best
Betty Anderson · (203 episodes)
1954
Letter to Loretta
Debbie Waring · (1 episode)
1953
Letter to Loretta
Janey · (1 episode)
1953
General Electric Theater
Carol Madsen · (1 episode)
1953
Love Is Better Than Ever
Pattie Marie Levoy
1952
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
(1 episode)
1951
Her First Romance
Lucille Stewart
1951
The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show
Emily Vanderlip Foster · (1 episode)
1950
My Blue Heaven
Mary (uncredited)
1950
Tea for Two
1950
The Happy Years
Connie Brown
1950
Singing Guns
Little Girl (uncredited)
1950
An Old-Fashioned Girl
Maud Shaw (as Mary Eleanor Donahue)
1949
Tenth Avenue Angel
Cynthia (uncredited)
1948
Three Daring Daughters
Alix Morgan
1948
The Unfinished Dance
Josie (as Mary Eleanor Donahue)
1947
Winter Wonderland
Betty Wheeler
1946
And Now Tomorrow
Janice
1944
Honeymoon Lodge
Janie Thomas
1943
Mister Big
Muggsy
1943
Girls' Town
Bit Role (uncredited)
1942