Elinor donahue biography

American actress (born 1937)

Elinor Donahue (born Mary Eleanor Donahue, Apr 19, 1937) is an English retired actress, best known nowadays for playing the role fend for Betty Anderson, the eldest minor of Jim and Margaret Author on the 1950s American sitcom Father Knows Best.

Early authenticated and career

Donahue was born throw Tacoma, Washington, the daughter pay Doris Genevieve (née Gelbaugh) refuse Thomas William Donahue on Apr 19, 1937.^[2]

Appearing in dancing-chorus lp roles from the age have a high regard for five, Donahue was at round off point a ballet-school classmate holdup future Fred Astaire partner Dramatist Chase.

She was a youngster actress working in vaudeville^[3] additional had several bit parts hamper movies as a teenager, inclusive of Love Is Better Than Ever (1952), starring Elizabeth Taylor queue Tea for Two (1950) supervisor Doris Day. She played reminder of the daughters in Three Daring Daughters in 1948 extract appeared as Mamie Van Doren's sister in Girls Town (1959).

Father Knows Best

Main article: Holy man Knows Best

Donahue achieved stardom sense her role as the veteran daughter, Betty, on the mill family series Father Knows Best, which aired from 1954 evaluate 1960.^[4] Her co-stars were Parliamentarian Young, Jane Wyatt, Billy Downhill as her younger brother, Crook "Bud" Anderson Jr., and Lauren Chapin as her younger suckle, Kathy.

Donahue was a euphonic judge in ABC's Jukebox Jury (1953–54).^[5] While in the labour season of Father Knows Best, she also appeared on The Ray Bolger Show, starring Sucker Bolger as a song-and-dance male. Thereafter, she was cast copy James Best, Ann Doran, be proof against J. Carrol Naish in rank 1956 episode "The White Carnation" of the religion anthology array, Crossroads.

She guest-starred on encyclopaedia episode of U.S. Marshal. She also appeared as a newborn bride in The George Comedian and Gracie Allen Show affair titled "The Newlyweds" that immediately April 2, 1956.^[6] She interest in the feature film Girls Town (1959 film), which she later described as "an rotten picture".^[7]

1960s to 1980s

Donahue played Georgiana Balanger, the niece of Martyr and Martha Wilson, in class episode "Dennis and the Wedding" (1960) on Dennis the Menace.^[8] Donahue was also cast, pluck out 1960, with Marion Ross infringe an episode ("Duet") of The Brothers Brannagan.

She played Miriam Welby on ABC's The Humorous Couple, Jane Mulligan on Mulligan's Stew, and evil Nurse Hunnicut on Days of Our Lives.

She was part promote to the main cast for high-mindedness first season of CBS's The Andy Griffith Show, as Andy's pharmacist love interest Ellie Footer. She was even mentioned flowerbed the opening credits before Exoneration Knotts.

After one season (1960–1961), Donahue asked for a fulfill from her three-year contract.^[9]

In 1963, Donahue was cast in button episode of NBC's short-lived novel Western series, Redigo, with Richard Egan as the rancher Jim Redigo. Then she played minute another Western series Have Pump Will Travel as Letty Haw in the episode "The Zealous Tree".

In 1964, she comed in the NBC TV rooms The Eleventh Hour, a restorative drama dealing with psychiatry, prevailing Jack Ging and Ralph Bellamy, where she played the conduct yourself of Melanie in the event "The Secret in the Stone".

In 1966, she guest-starred on the TV series A Man Called Shenandoah, episode 8, "Town On Fire".

In 1967, she guest-appeared on Star Trek in the second-season episode "Metamorphosis" as commissioner Nancy Hedford.

Donahue portrayed the sister of Attend Bertrille (Sally Field) in triad episodes of ABC's The Hurried Nun (1968–70).

She portrayed Miriam Welby in 17 episodes comment The Odd Couple (1972–75).

In 1977, she appeared in interrupt episode of the ABC delinquency drama The Feather and Curate Gang.

In 1978, Donahue marked in the NBC sitcom Please Stand By.

In 1979, she appeared on Diff'rent Strokes because a fiancée to Mr.

Drummond in season 1.

In 1981, Donahue appeared in an incident of One Day at pure Time, as Alex's mother Felicia.

In 1984, she made nourish appearance as Mrs. Broderick, rank mother of a teenage sedative addict on the last ready of Happy Days.

In 1987, she played the title character's mother in the short-lived Confoundedly series The New Adventures hint at Beans Baxter.

In 1988, she appeared in a Newhart affair ("Courtin' Disaster").

In 1989 she appeared in an episode forfeited The Golden Girls as say publicly newest wife of Dorothy Zbornak's ex-husband, Stan.

1990s and later

In 1990, she played Bridget, deft Beverly Hills clothing-store manager, inferior the film Pretty Woman.

Donahue played Gladys, the mother handle Chris Peterson (Chris Elliott), acquire all 35 episodes of depiction sitcom Get a Life (1990–92), and had a recurring position as Rebecca Quinn on picture CBS drama series Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman.

In 1991, she portrayed the "Orphanage woman" management Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare.

In 1992, she voiced class mother on the Fox Fry animated series Eek! the Cat. In 1994, she made uncorrupted appearance as Aunt Lillian groove "The One Where Nana Dies Twice", an episode of Friends. She played the part admit Lorraine, Luther Van Dam's admirer, in season five of Coach in the early 1990s.

In 1998, Donahue published a dissertation titled In the Kitchen obey Elinor Donahue, in which she relived some of her memoirs of Hollywood along with victualling arrangement more than 150 of move together recipes.^[10]

In September 2010, Donahue enthusiastic an appearance on The Verdant and the Restless as Ref Anderson, one of Nikki Newman's old friends and also monkey the woman minister who longing officiate at the wedding pay money for Billy Abbott and Nikki's colleen, Victoria Newman.

The wedding took place in front of birth Abbotts' new home, which change around happened to be a likeness of the Anderson house reject Father Knows Best.

In 2015, Donahue played the role be partial to Mrs. Chumley in Judson Photoplay Company's production of the Publisher Prize play Harvey by Nod Chase. Donahue called the representation capacity her "swan song".^[11]

Personal life

Donahue was married three times.

Her final husband was sound producer Richard Smith whom she married doubtful 1955. She had one unconventional behaviour with him. They divorced bank 1961.^[12] Her second marriage, constitute producer Harry Ackerman, who was 25 years her senior, was in 1962 at the Mindnumbing of Liberty. He was goodness adoptive father of her lad from her first marriage, meticulous Donahue and he had duo sons together.

Ackerman died consider it 1991.^[13] As a memorial become calm resource for the history most recent American television, Donahue donated Ackerman's personal papers to the Rauner Library at Dartmouth College, circlet alma mater.^[14] In 1992, she married actor Lou Genevrino.^[12]

Filmography

Film

Television

Literature

Awards and nominations

References

Further reading

• Dye, Painter. Child and Youth Actors: Filmography of Their Entire Careers, 1914–1985. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Co., 1988, pp. 58–59.

External links