But the truth is, I felt like a bird out of a nest. While she was hospitalized for treatment of pneumonia, Donahue told Karen Knotts no one from the show rang her to ask how she was. 2022 - 2023 Times Mojo - All Rights Reserved Long-time fans of The Andy Griffith Show fans probably enjoyed the relationship between Sheriff Taylor and Ellie Walker. I didnt sing anymore, so I avoided it like the plague, she admits. He could tell I was nervous and said, Just sit down here on the floor and Ill just noodle around with the guitar and you come in when you feel comfortable and well start. There was no point in my trying to continue with it, she continued. 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. I was actually 23 when we stopped, but I was playing 19. She was part of the main cast for the first season of CBS's The Andy Griffith Show, as Andy's pharmacist love interest Ellie Walker, she was even mentioned in the opening credits before Don Knotts; after one season (19601961), Donahue asked for a release from her three-year contract.[5]. I felt like a bird out of a nest. Gray retired from acting in 1980. In The Andy Griffith Shows only Christmas episode, Ellie and Andy sang a duet, Away in the Manger. Her character mysteriously disappeared without any kind of explanation for the viewers. Years later, Elinor attended an event and saw him there. She began her career as a dancer during her childhood and found roles on stage, in vaudeville, and feature films. In 1977, she appeared in an episode of the ABC crime drama The Feather and Father Gang. Donahue played Ellie Walker from 1960 through 1961. This article is from Do You Remember. It was the strangest feeling. That could have been part of it. She became Andy Griffith's first longstanding girlfriend on The Andy Griffith Show (1960) for one season, but then suffered a major slump. Very good. 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. She needed to take a break for her emotional health. Donahue is one of the show's cast members who is still alive today. As for her personal life, Donahue was married to her second husband, Harry Ackerman until his death in 1991. In 1988, she appeared in a Newhart episode ("Courtin' Disaster"), and she appeared in a 1989 episode of The Golden Girls as the newest wife of Dorothy Zbornak's ex-husband, Stan. THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW, Elinor Donahue, Andy Griffith (ca. And for almost two decades after it ended in 1968, finding another hit show eluded him. Her character mysteriously disappeared without any kind of explanation for the viewers. Between her dwindling self-confidence on the set and my emotional problems, she began to lose weight and was becoming anorexic. She developed pneumonia, which kept her off the show and required scripts to be written around her. She went up and apologized for having left the show. They tried other women periodically, but then Aneta Corsaut came in. 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. He was as gracious to me as you could imagine, she smiles. 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 actor told the Television Academy Foundation how she came to be cast in 1960 on The Andy Griffith Show. 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. I didnt sing anymore, so I avoided it like the plague, she admits. I didnt feel like I had all my feathers yet and I didnt feel capable. She played Miriam Welby on ABC's The Odd Couple, Jane Mulligan on Mulligan's Stew, and Nurse Hunnicut on Days of Our Lives. The Andy Griffith Show actress Elinor Donahue said she was "not a happy camper" while working on the show. 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.And while Ellie and Andy did begin to date, the . COPYRIGHT 2023, WOMG. So at the end of filming one day, we met at a recording studio and he got a key. But the truth is, I felt like a bird out of a nest. Sign up for daily stories delivered to your inbox. 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. So at the end of filming one day, we met at a recording studio and he got a key. It came as no surprise that she was then the obvious choice for a lead role in the new sitcom The Andy Griffith Show.But alas, things didnt work out as everyone had planned. They tried other women periodically, but then Aneta Corsaut came in. What happened to kitten on Father Knows Best? the Cat. 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. 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. I didnt think there was any real chemistry there. It meant the world to me at that point in time., Finally, Donahue made the decision to leave the show and take care of herself: I had my agent ask for my release, and they said OK. This is why every third Friday of the month, she started signing autographs at the Andy Griffith Museum for three hours. They wanted me to sing Away in a Manger with Andy and I tried to get out of it. But it didnt seem like Donahue ever had any sort of conflict with Andy Griffith or anyone else working on the show. Donahue was born in Tacoma, Washington, the daughter of Doris Genevieve (ne Gelbaugh) and Thomas William Donahue on April 19, 1937.[2]. And of course, they were funny, and they made those two characters so rich and terrific. In the 196465 broadcast 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. 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. 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. 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. 'The Andy Griffith Show' is one of the most revered series in history. I was very, very touched by that. Get Surfshark VPN at https://surfshark.deals/factsverse - Enter promo code FACTSVERSE for 83% off and 3 extra months for FREE!Do you remember watching the iconic The Andy Griffith Show and remember Ellie Walker from the first season? Sheriff Andy liked to call her the lady pharmacist. Ellie even ran for City Council. Father Knows Best was canceled in 1960 when Young left the show. with Father Knows Best's Elinor Donahue as the druggist . But the truth is, Donahue told Fox News in 2018. 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. I didnt think there was any real chemistry there. Why did Don Knotts leave Andy Griffith Show? After training in vaudeville, she started getting parts in films and TV shows as a teenager likeMister BigandWinter Wonderland. Part of that, she believes, was because she had more or less grown up on the former. While she was on tour, Maggie was discovered by The Andy Griffith Show director Bob Sweeny and producer Aaron Ruben. Are any cast members of The Andy Griffith Show still alive? So Andy Griffith got rid of her so the show could stay on track. 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 . Donahue played a strong female role on The Andy Griffith Show. Actors Andy Griffith (L) and Don Knotts pose backstage after accepting the Legend Award for their series "The Andy Griffith Show" during a taping of the second annual TV Land Awards in Hollywood . She went up and apologized for having left the show. After twelve appearances in the first season, Ellie disappeared with no explanation offered to the audience. Elinor Donahue was Andy Griffith's 1st love interest on the show. I have since read they had a hot and heavy thing going, and in that case he was able 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. What happened to Thelma Lous first husband? georgetown child psychiatry; the sardine can morro bay. Was she fired from the show, or did she leave the show and how did everyone react?First, lets look into how Elinor Donahue got her start in life. [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. Sheriff Andy liked to call her the "lady pharmacist.". 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 says. Why did Elinor Donahue leave 'The Andy Griffith Show' after playing Andy's love interest in the first season? But the truth is, I felt like a bird out of a nest. DNA. He could tell I was nervous and said, Just sit down here on the floor and Ill just noodle around with the guitar and you come in when you feel comfortable and well start. 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. [citation needed]. 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. "Andy couldn . Copyright 2023 Distractify. The actor told the Television Academy Foundation how she came to be cast in 1960 on The Andy Griffith Show. Among regular cast members of The Andy Griffith Show, only the director Ron Howard, who played Opie, Sheriff Taylors son, is still alive. 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. She later rejoined the original cast forThe Father Knows Best Reunionin 1977. 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. ELINOR DONAHUE. Subscribe to our newsletter for new stories, tips & events. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Why Do Cross Country Runners Have Skinny Legs? Who did Suzanne Pleshette marry? In 1979, she appeared on Diff'rent Strokes as a fiance to Mr. Drummond in season 1. Why did Barney leave the show? THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW, Elinor Donahue, Andy Griffith (ca. Except Don Knotts. Often, her funniest lines would get taken away from her and given to other actors.After all, she had just left Father Knows Best which was one of Americas most popular sitcoms and one where she had a major role. She went up and apologized for having left the show. And Ellie won the seat. He was buried in the Griffith family cemetery on the island within five hours of his death. It's a site that collects all the most frequently asked questions and answers, so you don't have to spend hours on searching anywhere else. Elinor Donahue is the stage name for American actress Mary Eleanor Donahue. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. The Andy Griffith Show Actress Elinor Donahue Said She Was Not a Happy Camper While on the Show. The wedding took place in front of the Abbotts' new home, which just happened to be a replica of the Anderson house from Father Knows Best. I was actually 23 when we stopped, but I was playing 19. how to reset cobra microtalk walkie talkies; sacramento state gymnastics coaches; Workshop. Thelma Lou and Barney parted ways when he left Mayberry to join the Raleigh police force and Knotts left the series after five years. She also felt that her character wasnt given much importance by the shows writers. [3] 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. 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. Required fields are marked *. Get Surfshark VPN at https://surfshark.deals/factsverse - Enter promo code FACTSVERSE for 83% off and 3 extra months for FREE!Do you remember watching the ic. But I felt that it was because I was so terrible.. Don Knotts' Exit From 'The Andy Griffith Show' Explained 55 Years Later, The Cast of 'Happy Days', 36 Years Later, Honor Garry Marshall, Where Did 'Man with a Plan' Daughter Emme Go? Donahues character, Ellie, arrives in Mayberry having taken over the drugstore from her uncle, and eventually begins dating the towns sheriff, Andy Taylor. Why did Elinor Donahue leave the Andy Griffith Show? judy norton children; court ordered community service california was joyce bulifant on the andy griffith show was joyce bulifant on the andy griffith show What happened to her after she mysteriously left the show following the first season? 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. 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 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. It is explained that Fife had left Mayberry to take a job as a detective in Raleigh, North Carolina. 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. But imposter syndrome can be difficult to manage. It was just very sweet., Our new Privacy Policy will go into effect on January 1st, 2023. When I left Father Knows Best, I was playing a young woman rather than a child, she explains. Elinor was born to Thomas William Donahue (father) and Doris Genevieve Donahue (mother). This time it was Corsaut and not the shows writers who said no to marriage. 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