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Elinor Donahue

Born · April 19, 1937 (88 years old)

Known For: Acting

Place of Birth: Tacoma, Washington, USA

Bio

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

Pretty Woman

Pretty Woman

Friends

Friends

The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement

The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement

Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare

Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare

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