Elinor Donahue facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Elinor Donahue
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Donahue in 1960
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| Born |
Mary Eleanor Donahue
April 19, 1937 Tacoma, Washington, U.S.
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| Other names | Mary Elinor Donahue |
| Occupation |
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| Years active | 1942–2011 |
| Known for | Father Knows Best Many Happy Returns The Andy Griffith Show Star Trek: The Original Series Metamorphosis The Odd Couple Pretty Woman Days of Our Lives |
| Spouse(s) |
Richard Smith
(m. 1955; div. 1961)Harry Ackerman
(m. 1962; died 1991)Lou Genevrino
(m. 1992) |
| Children | 4 |
Elinor Donahue (born Mary Eleanor Donahue on April 19, 1937) is an American actress who is now retired. She is most famous for her role as Betty Anderson. Betty was the oldest child in the popular 1950s TV show Father Knows Best.
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Early Life and First Roles
Elinor Donahue was born in Tacoma, Washington. Her parents were Doris Genevieve and Thomas William Donahue. She started acting very young.
She began appearing in movies as a dancer when she was only five years old. As a child actress, she worked in vaudeville, which was a type of live stage entertainment. She also had small parts in movies when she was a teenager. One of these was Love Is Better Than Ever (1952), starring Elizabeth Taylor. She also played a daughter in Three Daring Daughters in 1948.
Starring in Father Knows Best
Elinor Donahue became a big star because of her role as Betty Anderson. Betty was the older daughter in the TV family series Father Knows Best. This show was on TV from 1954 to 1960. Her co-stars were Robert Young and Jane Wyatt. Billy Gray played her younger brother, Bud. Lauren Chapin played her younger sister, Kathy.
While she was on Father Knows Best, she also appeared on other TV shows. She was a judge on Jukebox Jury (1953–54). She also guest-starred on The Ray Bolger Show. In 1956, she was in an episode of the religious show Crossroads. She also played a new bride on The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show.
Later TV and Movie Roles
After Father Knows Best, Elinor Donahue continued acting in many TV shows and movies. In 1960, she played Georgiana Balanger on Dennis the Menace.
She was also in 12 episodes of the first season of The Andy Griffith Show. She played Ellie Walker, the pharmacist. Her character was meant to be a girlfriend for Sheriff Andy Taylor. However, she left the show after one season. She needed a break from acting because of personal reasons.
Elinor Donahue also appeared in an episode of Star Trek in 1967. She played Commissioner Nancy Hedford in the episode called "Metamorphosis". From 1972 to 1975, she played Miriam Welby in 17 episodes of The Odd Couple.
In the 1980s, she appeared in shows like One Day at a Time. She also played the title character's mother in The New Adventures of Beans Baxter in 1987. In 1989, she was in an episode of The Golden Girls. She played the new wife of Dorothy Zbornak's ex-husband, Stan.
In 1990, Elinor Donahue had a role in the famous movie Pretty Woman. She played Bridget, a manager in a clothing store. She also played Gladys Peterson in the sitcom Get a Life from 1990 to 1992. She had a recurring role as Rebecca Quinn on the drama series Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman.
In 1994, she made a guest appearance on Friends. She played Aunt Lillian in the episode "The One Where Nana Dies Twice". She also voiced the mother on the animated series Eek! the Cat.
In 1998, Donahue wrote a book called In the Kitchen with Elinor Donahue. In the book, she shared memories from her time in Hollywood. She also included over 150 of her favorite recipes.
In 2010, she appeared on the soap opera The Young and the Restless. She played Judge Anderson. In 2015, she acted in a play called Harvey. She called this role her "swan song," meaning her last performance.
Her Life Off-Screen
Elinor Donahue has been married three times. Her first husband was Richard Smith, a sound producer. They married in 1955 and had one son. They divorced in 1961.
Her second marriage was to producer Harry Ackerman in 1962. He was 25 years older than her. Harry adopted her son from her first marriage. Elinor and Harry also had three sons together. Harry Ackerman passed away in 1991.
In 1992, she married actor Lou Genevrino.
