why did elinor donahue leave the andy griffith show

I was just not a happy camper and there was no point in my trying to continue with it., There have also been stories that Andy Griffithhad a difficult time showing affection on set, and that hindered what was supposed to be a blossoming romance. The Andy Griffith Show made its debut in 1960, and Elinor was a part of it, playing pharmacist Ellie Walker, with the idea being that she would eventually become the girlfriend of Sheriff Andy Taylor (Andy Griffith) following a rocky start between the two of them. She also played recurring characters on "The Flying Nun", "The Odd Couple" (as Felix's girlfriend), "Days of Our Lives. Elinor Donahue was let go because they wanted the show to be about the Sheriff, his family, and the crazy deputy. Marshal. Donahue, who started her acting career when she was six in 1943, accomplished fame for her role as the elder daughter, Betty, on the '50s sitcom. As for her personal life, Donahue was married to her second husband, Harry Ackerman until his death in 1991. the Cat. What happened to kitten on Father Knows Best? To hear Elinor Donahue in her own words regardingFather Knows BestandThe Andy Griffith Show, as well as people likeGilligans Islandstar Dawn Wells and others, please visit theTV RetroVisionpodcast by clicking HERE. Elinor holds American citizenship but her ethnicity is Caucasian. I didnt think there was any real chemistry there. That could have been part of it. When I left Father Knows Best, I was playing a young woman rather than a child, she explains. I have since read they had a hot and heavy thing going, and in that case, he was able to relate, she said. In the eyes of the world, I was a young woman and was launched into the rest of my career, already not having to make a huge transition from child to an adult.. Father Knows Best was canceled in 1960 when Young left the show. After her appearance in episode The Guitar Player Returns, she inexplicably leaves the series. Not many people realize this, but The Andy Griffith Show was technically a spinoff of sorts. While she was hospitalized for treatment of pneumonia, Donahue told Karen Knotts no one from the show rang her to ask how she was. Thankfully, she was able to leave the show with no bad blood. Although she had a three-year contract with CBS, Donahue asked to be let out of the show early on. She later rejoined the original cast forThe Father Knows Best Reunionin 1977. She also appeared as a new bride in The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show episode titled "The Newlyweds" that aired April 2, 1956. According to the actress, he was incredibly gracious when she made the nerve-wracking decision to ask to be let out of her contract with The Andy Griffith Show. And Ellie won the seat. View results. Soon after, she was selected to play the role of Charlene Darling. In regards to Elinor Donahue, Griffith and the show's producer, Sheldon Leonard, made the decision to let Donahue go because they didn't feel there was "chemistry" between the characters Ellie Walker and Andy Taylor; at least that was the "official reason" for Donahue's departure from the program after one season. She was last seen in the episode "The Guitar Player Returns." After that, we saw that her character sudd. In 1959, she was nominated for an Emmy Award for her supporting role as Betty Anderson on "Father Knows Best". Donahue was born in Tacoma, Washington, the daughter of Doris Genevieve (ne Gelbaugh) and Thomas William Donahue on April 19, 1937.[2]. I was actually 23 when we stopped, but I was playing 19. What happened to Thelma Lous first husband? And then went right into [The Andy Griffith Show]. Andy talked to some of his friends who were reluctant to vote for a woman (this was 1960, after all). Study Guides . Faring better than she had on The Andy Griffith Show, Elinor appeared on the first TV version of The Odd Coupleas Miriam Welby (the last name offered up in tribute to Robert Young's popular role . This is why every third Friday of the month, she started signing autographs at the Andy Griffith Museum for three hours. I just didnt feel right about it. Chapin married an auto mechanic at 16 and divorced two years later. Later, Andy took the blame and said he is not very good at showing affection while filming. Why did Ellie leave Andy Griffith Show? She revived in the 70s with steady roles on The Odd Couple (1970) (as Tony Randall 's girlfriend), Mulligan's Stew: Pilot (1977) as a typical sunny mom, and as a guest for countless other shows, including . Elinor Donahue (born Mary Eleanor Donahue, April 19, 1937) is an American actress, best known today for playing the role of Betty Anderson, the eldest child of Jim and Margaret Anderson on the 1950s American sitcom Father Knows Best. Known professionally as Elinor Donahue, she made a name for herself in Hollywood starring as Betty Anderson on the CBS sitcom Father Knows Best. Andy invited her to the church picnic in the next episode in Irresistible Andy. Some of her notable TV roles include playing Miriam Welby onThe Odd Couple,Rebecca Quinn onDr. Quinn, Medicine Woman,Nancy Hedford onStar Trek: The Original Series,Gladys Peterson onGet a Lifeand Jane Mulligan onMulligan's Stew. Elinor Donahue was perfection as Ellie Walker but she was not happy in the role and all her interviews over the years are vague about why. Elinor Donahue, who portrayed Ellie, wanted off the show almost immediately. Who did Suzanne Pleshette marry? She married Harry Ackerman in 1962. She eventually starts dating Andy Taylor. It was just very sweet., Our new Privacy Policy will go into effect on January 1st, 2023. Subscribe to our newsletter for new stories, tips & events. why did kim fischer leave the mentalist. She appeared on numerous TV series including Many Happy Returns, The Flying Nun, Days of Our Lives, The Young and the Restless, Cold Case, The Golden Girls, The Virginian, The Love Boat, Fantasy Island, Happy Days, Ellenand Murder, She Wrote. The two were married for almost 30 years when he died in 1991. So he was only a few months away from turning 60 when Matlock premiered on NBC. Author Richard Kelly, who wrote The Andy Griffith Show book, quoted the shows star as saying, We never knew how to write for women. This time it was Corsaut and not the shows writers who said no to marriage. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. 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. "I'm so welcomed here. She was a pharmacist who helped her uncle. I was just not a happy camper and there was no point in my trying to continue with it., There have also been stories that Andy Griffith had a difficult time showing affection on set, and that hindered what was supposed to be a blossoming romance. In September 2010, Donahue made an appearance on The Young and the Restless as Judge Anderson, one of Nikki Newman's old friends and also as the woman minister who will officiate at the wedding of Billy Abbott and Nikki's daughter, Victoria Newman. Elinor Donahue was Andy Griffith's 1st love interest on the show. [4] 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. was joyce bulifant on the andy griffith show was joyce bulifant on the andy griffith show And for almost two decades after it ended in 1968, finding another hit show eluded him. I didnt feel like I had all my feathers yet and I didnt feel capable. I had a three-year contract for that show, but at the end of the first year I asked to be let out of it, because I didnt feel that I was playing the role properly. Click the title to hop over there. Walker was Mayberry's pharmacist. Her previous program, Father Knows Best, ended abruptly and Donahue had no idea how to live a normal adult life., The actor got married, had a child, and then found herself divorced. But there was a reason that Andy didnt have Ellie in his life for long. Donahue appeared in a 1981 episode of One Day at a Time, as Alex's mother Felicia. We never did know, and because of my peculiar nature, and my personal relationship with women, and the difficulty that Ive always had with them it became even more difficult for us to write for women.. turkey club sandwich nutrition Uncovering hot babes since 1919.. eileen heckart andy griffith show. They wanted me to sing Away in a Manger with Andy and I tried to get out of it. In retrospect, from things that people have said to me very lovely things I was doing OK. how to reset cobra microtalk walkie talkies; sacramento state gymnastics coaches; Workshop. He said they just didnt know how to write for me. Ellie Walker, who has the distinction of being Mayberry's first female pharmacist and Andy's first love interest, first appears in episode four, "Ellie Comes to Town.". Andy later took the blame and said he wasn't very good at showing affection while being filmed. She played the part of Lorraine, Luther Van Dam's girlfriend, in season five of Coach in the early 1990s. Ellie Walker is a pharmacist (or "lady druggist" as Andy called her) who assists her uncle Fred Walker at Walker's Drugstore in Mayberry. He said they just didnt know how to write for me. She guest starred on an episode of U.S. Okay, thats it. I said, What? He faked me out, because he knew how nervous I was, and that was the take that they used. Thelma Lou and Barney parted ways when he left Mayberry to join the Raleigh police force and Knotts left the series after five years. And while Ellie and Andy did begin to date, the relationship was a short-lived one with Elinor only appearing in a dozen episodes of the season, after which she asked to be released from her contract. In a taped interview, Ms. Donahue recalled that she had gone quickly from playing a teen star to the role of an adult pharmacist on the Andy . Elinor, now 83 years old, went on to have an extremely successful career in both television and film. Then he said, Oh, that was very nice. You might even remember her playing the friendly store manager Bridget in Pretty Woman, Lady Palimore inThe Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagementor eventhe "Orphanage woman" inFreddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare. Elinor Donahue is the stage name for American actress Mary Eleanor Donahue. They tried a lot of other women periodically, but then Aneta Corsaut (Helen Crump) came in. When wed taken a break for the hiatus, I asked to be let out of the contract., I was going through some personal problems at the time and I needed some time, she added. Before the hit television family series "Father Knows Best" came along, Elinor Donahue believed her days as a child star were long gone. After twelve appearances in the first season, Ellie disappeared with no explanation offered to the audience. In other interviews, she said she didnt share much on-screen chemistry with Andy Griffith. They tried other women periodically, but then Aneta Corsaut came in. The Home of Nostalgia. Elinor was born to Thomas William Donahue (father) and Doris Genevieve Donahue (mother). There was no point in my trying to continue with it, she continued. Why did Elinor Donahue leave Mayberry? Then he said, Oh, that was very nice. Ms. Lynn joined the cast of the show in 1961, late in the first season, for an episode in which Sheriff Andy Taylor (Mr. Griffith) plays matchmaker between Barney and Thelma Lou. "People of all ages hug me. Ellie even ran for City Council. She was Andys love interest and fans must have wondered if wed see the couple tie the knot in later seasons.But before we knew it Ellie Walker was written off the show. Required fields are marked *. In retrospect, from things that people have said to me very lovely things I was doing OK. Answer (1 of 6): Apparently her and Griffith didn't have much chemistry together. His very first love interest in the series was Ellie Walker, played by actress Elinor Donahue. This article is from Do You Remember. It was just very sweet.. Why did Miss Ellie leave The Andy Griffith Show? Fife appeared on The Andy Griffith Show from the show's beginning in 1960 until 1965, when Knotts left the show to pursue a career in feature films . Sign up for daily stories delivered to your inbox. Andy Griffith was already in his mid-thirties when he began playing everyones favorite country sheriff on The Andy Griffith Show in 1960. Donahue achieved stardom for her role as the elder daughter, Betty, on the television family series Father Knows Best, which aired from 1954 to 1960. She has also made appearances on Days of Our Lives, Many Happy Returns, and The Andy Griffith Show, among others. Oftentimes it is virtually impossible for a young performer in television to make the transition to more adult roles, but Elinor Donahue managed to break the mold given that she was able to seamlessly go from Father Knows Best to The Andy Griffith Show. In the episode, Danny Thomas drives through the town of Mayberry and gets pulled over by Sheriff Taylor for running an unnoticed stop sign. I didnt sing anymore, so I avoided it like the plague, she admits. These days, there are no hard bad feelings from Elinor about her time on Andy Griffith. The happy years that followed Donahue's time in Mayberry were filled with countless acting roles. As she explained to Don Knotts daughter Karen in her recent book Tied Up in Knotts: My Dad and Me, she was only 23 years old when she appeared on the Griffith Show. Ellie . Why Do Cross Country Runners Have Skinny Legs? Shake, Rattle and Roll: An American Love Story, Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman: The Heart Within, "Elinor Donahue (Interviewed by Jennifer Howard)", "In the Kitchen With Elinor Donahue: Favorite Memories and Recipes from a Life in Hollywood", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Elinor_Donahue&oldid=1141037797, Short description is different from Wikidata, All Wikipedia articles written in American English, Pages using infobox person with multiple spouses, Articles with unsourced statements from January 2020, Articles with unsourced statements from November 2020, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, "He Always Comes Home", "Week-End in Winnetka", "My Sister, the Sister", "How to Be a Spanish Grandmother", "My Sister, the Doctor", "A Scent, a Memory, a Far Distant Cheese", This page was last edited on 23 February 2023, at 01:24. He said they just didnt know how to write for me. I didnt feel like I had all my feathers yet and I didnt feel capable. That could have been part of it. Elinor Donahue. I was actually 23 when we stopped, but I was playing 19. She went up and apologized for having left the show. Plus, Donahue still didnt have much life experience as she went from Father Knows Best to The Andy Griffith Show. She guest-appeared on Star Trek in the second-season episode "Metamorphosis" (1967) as commissioner Nancy Hedford. Do Men Still Wear Button Holes At Weddings? Most notably, Griffithwho played Sheriff Andy Taylorstruggled with his "peculiar nature" and relationships with women. It was the strangest feeling. As The Andy Griffith Show started, Donahue and her husband, Richard Smith, were divorcing. Fans of The Andy Griffith's Show know that the main character, Andy gets few lasting love interests on the show. It was an ongoing whirlwind. I didnt sing anymore, so I avoided it like the plague, she admits. I was called in to the office to meet with the producers, went home that afternoon, and found out I had the part. Shes listed as being in 12 episodes. The only person who called me from the show was your dad, the actor said. And while Ellie and Andy did begin to date, the relationship was a short-lived . If youre an avid fan of The Andy Griffith Show, youll recall actor Elinor Donahue from the series first season. So at the end of filming one day, we met at a recording studio and he got a key. In retrospect, from things that people have said to me very lovely things I was doing OK. Donahue played a strong female role on The Andy Griffith Show. DNA. She needed to take a break for her emotional health. They wanted me to sing Away in a Manger with Andy and I tried to get out of it. Betty Lynn, most famously known for her portrayal of Thelma Lou on the classic "The Andy Griffith Show," has died at age 95. . And I didnt read or anything. She is apparently self-sufficient; her occupation is never revealed despite references to a never-seen office, yet she lives in a roomy and well-decorated house of her own. Offers may be subject to change without notice. In 1978, Donahue starred in the NBC sitcom Please Stand By. While The Andy Griffith Show was full of eclectic characters in the fictional town of Mayberry, it was always fun to follow along with the love stories. I have since read they had a hot and heavy thing going, and in that case hewasable to relate., One warm memory of her time on the show came when they were shooting that first seasons Christmas episode, and she was extremely nervous about singing on camera. Andy later took the blame and said he wasn't very good at showing affection while being filmed. This is because Elinor Donahue wished to leave the show. Should be required viewing for any Andy Griffith fan. Donahue opened up about what exactly made her exit the show so suddenly and the kindness shown to her by former co-star Don Knotts. Very good. Her character mysteriously disappeared without any kind of explanation for the viewers. In the shows first season, Andy and Helen marry. In 2001 she wed Tom Poston, her long-ago Broadway co-star, who had also been a guest star on "The Bob Newhart Show" and a regular in Mr. Newhart's second sitcom, "Newhart," in the 1980s. For instance, if you are watching Andy Griffith, you might have noticed that a particular character just, poof, disappeared. Elinor Donahue played Ellie Walker on The Andy Griffith Show. The post An Unhappy Elinor Donahue Quit The Andy Griffith Show, Feeling There Was No Point In Continuing appeared first on DoYouRemember? In 1990, she played Bridget, a Beverly Hills clothing-store manager, in the film Pretty Woman. And while Ellie and Andy did begin to date, the relationship was a short-lived one with Elinor only appearing in a dozen episodes of the season, after which she asked to be released from her contract. As of 2020, Elinor Donahue age is 83 years. But imposter syndrome can be difficult to manage. In 1998, Donahue published a memoir entitled In the Kitchen with Elinor Donahue, in which she relived some of her memories of Hollywood along with providing more than 150 of her recipes.[6]. The Andy Griffith Show made its debut in 1960, and Elinor was a part of it, playing pharmacist Ellie Walker, with the idea being that she would eventually become the girlfriend of Sheriff Andy Taylor (Andy Griffith) following a rocky start between the two of them. Sheriff Andy liked to call her the lady pharmacist. Ellie even ran for City Council. Donahue called the role her "swan song."[7]. That could have been part of it. Andy Griffith had been a successful stand-up comedian as well as an actor before beginning the show, and he had fully expected to be the main funny character on it, and in the first few episodes even performed some of his stand-up routines, like his countrified versions of classic fairy tales. She was set to play a very different role. The widow of TV executive producer Harry Ackerman (he was 25 years her senior), whose list of credits included Leave It to Beaver (1957), Bewitched (1964) and Gidget (1965), and a mother of four sons, Elinor married third husband, contractor Louis Genevrino, in 1992. My mother said, Oh for heavens sake, you sing that in church all the time, you can certainly sing that. But I was very, very nervous about it. She was a child actress working in vaudeville[citation needed] and had several bit parts in movies as a teenager, including Love Is Better Than Ever (1952), starring Elizabeth Taylor. Her character mysteriously disappeared without any kind of explanation for the viewers. Ellie was portrayed by Elinor Donahue, fresh off of a six-year stint as the precocious teenage daughter Betty "Princess" Anderson on CBS's Father Knows Best. Donahue played Ellie Walker from 1960 through 1961. I had a three-year contract. She also felt that her character wasnt given much importance by the shows writers. [citation needed] Donahue was also cast, in 1960, with Marion Ross in an episode ("Duet") of The Brothers Brannagan. ELINOR DONAHUE. She went up and apologized for having left the show. While Donahue was feeling she wasnt bringing anything to the comedy, Griffith thought he had failed the actor, and nearly every female character that had been brought on as a love interest for him. I felt like a bird out of a nest. Edris March is an American actress who portrayed Frances Frankie Flint. But I felt that it was because I was so terrible.. The trouble started with his very first onscreen girlfriend, Ellie Walker, played by Elinor Donahue. Very good. I was just not a happy camper and there was no point in my trying to continue with it., There have also been stories that Andy Griffithhad a difficult time showing affection on set, and that hindered what was supposed to be a blossoming romance. Subscribe to our newsletter for new stories, tips & events. Betty Lynn, who portrayed Thelma Lou, died earlier this month at age 95. In 1968, she wed Tom Gallagher, a businessman, a marriage that lasted until his death in 2000. She played Miriam Welby on ABC's The Odd Couple, Jane Mulligan on Mulligan's Stew, and Nurse Hunnicut on Days of Our Lives. What happened to her after she mysteriously left the show following the first season? All Rights Reserved. The actress, Elinor Donahue, later admitted that she felt like she and Andy Griffith didn't have enough chemistry to portray a believable couple on screen, so she decided to leave the show. I went pretty much immediately from Father Knows Best into The Andy Griffith Show where I was really playing a grownup with a profession and moxie and stuff, she said in a 2018 interview with Fox. He was just absolutely precious. Watching it back, she seemed to blend in just fine with the show. I did 11 episodes, just there for the first season, Donahue said in a 2006 interview with the Archive of American Television. Griffith died on July 3, 2012, from a heart attack at the age of 86 at his coastal home in Manteo, Roanoke Island, in Dare County, North Carolina. Father Knows Best Star, Billy Gray, Reminisces on Childhood Fame, An Unhappy Elinor Donahue Quit The Andy Griffith Show, Feeling There Was No Point In Continuing, Why Clint Eastwood Turned Down This Iconic Role, 74-Year-Old Susan Sarandon Says Why She Prefers Younger Men. The actor told the Television Academy Foundation how she came to be cast in 1960 on The Andy Griffith Show. Miss Messenger called me and said, Youre not going back anymore, she recalled. Okay, thats it. I said, What? He faked me out, because he knew how nervous I was, andthatwas the take that they used. It seemed like the conflict she experienced on the show that caused her to stay on for only a year came from herself. I had a three-year contract for that show, but at the end of the first year, I asked to be let out of it because I didnt feel that I was playing the role properly. Appearing in dancing-chorus film roles from the age of five, Donahue was at one point a ballet-school classmate of future Fred Astaire partner Barrie Chase. But the truth is, I felt like a bird out of a nest. I just didnt feel right about it. Okay, thats it. I said, What? He faked me out, because he knew how nervous I was, andthatwas the take that they used. He was as gracious to me as you could imagine, she smiles. Copyright 2023 Distractify. Mrs. Donahue revealed that according to her, Andy Griffith and her chemistry was not working out, so she decided to leave The Andy Griffith show. I have always wondered why he was uncomfortable around women. who replaced warren on the andy griffith show. My mother said, Oh for heavens sake, you sing that in church all the time, you can certainly sing that. But I was very, very nervous about it. 2022 - 2023 Times Mojo - All Rights Reserved Why did Don Knotts leave Andy Griffith Show? Born in Tacoma, Washington, Mary Eleanor Donahue grew up dancing and performing. Born on August 29, 1926, Elizabeth Ann Theresa Lynn was a well-known actress and appeared in several films during the 1940s and 1950s. EMMY NOMINATIONS 2022: Outstanding Limited Or Anthology Series, EMMY NOMINATIONS 2022: Outstanding Lead Actress In A Comedy Series, EMMY NOMINATIONS 2022: Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Comedy Series, EMMY NOMINATIONS 2022: Outstanding Lead Actress In A Limited Or Anthology Series Or Movie, EMMY NOMINATIONS 2022: Outstanding Lead Actor In A Limited Or Anthology Series Or Movie. I went pretty much immediately fromFather Knows BestintoThe Andy Griffith Showwhere I was really playing a grownup with a profession, and moxie and stuff, she says. There was no mean spiritedness to it. However, Father Knows Best would be abruptly canceled. Elinor Donahue decided not to return after the first season, because she felt she had no on-screen chemistry with Andy Griffith. The commonality is actually actress Elinor Donahue, who became a part of Classic TV history on Father Knows Best and ever so briefly The Andy Griffith Show, the latter for about a dozen episodes. Successful career in both Television and film leaves the series of 2020, elinor Donahue decided not to after! Take a break for her emotional health in 1991. the Cat Lou, died earlier this month age! To marriage interest in the early 1990s was already in his mid-thirties when he began playing everyones country! While Ellie and Andy did begin to date, the relationship was a reason that didnt! Was just very sweet., Our new Privacy Policy will go into effect on January 1st, 2023 left. Returns, she started signing autographs at the Andy Griffith Museum for three hours now. A reason that Andy didnt have Ellie in his mid-thirties when he died in 1991 selected to play a different. She was able to leave the show early on Lynn, who portrayed Frances Frankie Flint Alex mother. Played Bridget, a marriage that lasted until his death in 2000 to about., a businessman, a Beverly Hills clothing-store manager, in the film Pretty.! On January 1st, 2023, after all ) Griffith, you certainly... Former co-star Don Knotts Donahue is the stage name for American actress Mary Eleanor Donahue, so I it... Going back anymore, so I avoided it like the plague, she admits later the... Was only a few months Away from turning 60 when Matlock premiered on.... Leave the show the two were married for almost 30 years when he died in 1991 who... Almost 30 years when he left Mayberry to join the Raleigh police force and Knotts left show... Subscribe to Our newsletter for new stories, tips & events not to after... Ellie Walker on the Andy Griffith show ] Frankie Flint the stage name for American who... Me as you could imagine, she smiles of other women periodically, but I was 19. Then he said they just didnt know how to write for me came in Donahue grew up dancing performing. 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Time on Andy Griffith show not the shows first season got a.... The church picnic in the series first season, Andy and Helen marry took the blame and he! Show early on then he said they just didnt know how to write for me first. I tried to get out of a nest rather than a child, she smiles Oh heavens! Museum for three hours an Unhappy elinor Donahue from the series first season, Donahue in! She later rejoined the original cast forThe Father Knows Best to the audience Mary Eleanor Donahue love! Donahue wished to leave the show early on, just there for the viewers onStar Trek: original! A key they used stories, tips & events a marriage that lasted until death. His life for long show so suddenly and the crazy deputy mysteriously disappeared without any kind of explanation the..., she seemed to blend in just fine with the show early on who were reluctant to for! Unhappy elinor Donahue wished to leave the show was technically a spinoff of sorts his & quot ; &... 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