He said they just didnt know how to write for me. 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.. In fact, in a YouTube video, we learn that the writers had a lot of trouble writing lines for Andy because he "had so much trouble in a romantic setting." But I felt that it was because I was so terrible.. Long-time fans of The Andy Griffith Show fans probably enjoyed the relationship between Sheriff Taylor and Ellie Walker. She is played by actress Elinor Donahue in twelve episodes of the first season of The Andy Griffith Show, during which she becomes Andy Taylor's girlfriend. They tried other women periodically, but then Aneta Corsaut came in. It was just very sweet.. After twelve appearances in the first season, Ellie disappeared with no explanation offered to the audience. Her career was put on hold as she battled heroin addiction, which landed her in and out of prison, rehabilitation centers and mental institutions. Elinor Donahue is the stage name for American actress Mary Eleanor Donahue. 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. The first time Sheriff Andy Taylor made his appearance on television, he was a guest star on The Danny Thomas Show (formerly known as Make Room for Daddy). Donahue is one of the show's cast members who is still alive today. She played the part of Lorraine, Luther Van Dam's girlfriend, in season five of Coach in the early 1990s. Behind the scenes, Donahue decided she and Griffith lacked the chemistry to make their on-screen romantic relationship credible and she decided to leave. He is a motorcycle collector and businessman. 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 . She began her career as a dancer during her childhood and found roles on stage, in vaudeville, and feature films. Why did Elinor Donahue leave the Andy Griffith Show? The magazine added part of the reason was due to a strike of the Writers Guild of America lasted from January to June 1960. He was buried in the Griffith family cemetery on the island within five hours of his death. COPYRIGHT 2023, WOMG. There was no point in my trying to continue with it, she continued. 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. 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. Chapin married an auto mechanic at 16 and divorced two years later. judy norton children; court ordered community service california Okay, thats it. I said, What? He faked me out, because he knew how nervous I was, andthatwas the take that they used. Howard Morris, a character actor in the Golden Age of television best known for his work with Sid Caesar and for his brief, memorable role as the manic hillbilly poet Ernest T. Bass on The Andy Griffith Show, died on Saturday at his home in Los Angeles. Then he said, Oh, that was very nice. I didnt sing anymore, so I avoided it like the plague, she admits. If anything, Griffith felt bad that he couldnt do more. Just a rehearsal. We started singing and sang through the whole thing. 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.". Thankfully, still-single Barney and now-single Thelma Lou were reunited and married in 1986s Return to Mayberry movie. 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. Elinor Donahue. People are so good to me," she said. Sheriff Andy liked to call her the lady pharmacist. Ellie even ran for City Council. I have always wondered why he was uncomfortable around women. She went up and apologized for having left the show. 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. 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. According to celebritynetworth.com, Betty Lynns net worth is estimated to be around $3 million. She was a pharmacist who helped her uncle. However, when Don Knotts became such a popular favorite as Deputy Barney Fife, Griffith decided for . In The Andy Griffith Shows only Christmas episode, Ellie and Andy sang a duet, Away in the Manger. Andy talked to some of his friends who were reluctant to vote for a woman (this was 1960, after all). The only person who called me from the show was your dad, the actor said. Don't miss a story! In retrospect, from things that people have said to me very lovely things I was doing OK. In 1968, she wed Tom Gallagher, a businessman, a marriage that lasted until his death in 2000. The happy years that followed Donahue's time in Mayberry were filled with countless acting roles. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. 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. She then accepted the role of Ellie on the series but soon felt undermined when some of the funnier lines in the scripts were given to Don Knotts by Griffith. She guest-appeared on Star Trek in the second-season episode "Metamorphosis" (1967) as commissioner Nancy Hedford. She later rejoined the original cast forThe Father Knows Best Reunionin 1977. 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. who replaced warren on the andy griffith show. His very first love interest in the series was Ellie Walker, played by actress Elinor Donahue. Andy was leaving the show following the end of its eighth . Click the title to hop over there. Why did Miss Ellie leave The Andy Griffith Show? TimesMojo is a social question-and-answer website where you can get all the answers to your questions. Years later, Elinor attended an event and saw him there. Griffith later admitted that it was his own fault, because he had a hard time showing affection on-screen, and as a result, the relationship didn't appear real or believable. It was an ongoing whirlwind. The actor told the Television Academy Foundation how she came to be cast in 1960 on The Andy Griffith Show. After starring on the popular show for six seasons, Donahue went on to appear in other shows likeDennis the Menacebefore landing the role of Andy Griffith's love interest Ellie on the first season of The Andy Griffith Show. When Ellie Walker came on she was an instant hit and their romance was an instant hit with fans. It was the strangest feeling.. Most notably, Griffithwho played Sheriff Andy Taylorstruggled with his "peculiar nature" and relationships with women. In the below interview, Elinor shares what a magnificent time she had on set, and how much she loved working with everyone. 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. 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. It was the strangest feeling. This is why every third Friday of the month, she started signing autographs at the Andy Griffith Museum for three hours. Later, Andy took the blame and said he is not very good at showing affection while filming. Andy Taylor (Andrew Jackson Taylor played by Andy Griffith) In Season One, Elinor "Ellie" Walker came to Mayberry in 4th episode, Ellie Comes to Town; she was a graduate of Barnard University, and a pharmacist. I just didnt feel right about it. I did 11 episodes, just there for the first season, Donahue said in a 2006 interview with the Archive of American Television. Her co-stars were Robert Young, Jane Wyatt, Billy Gray as her . 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. Donahue played Gladys, the mother of Chris Peterson (Chris Elliott), in all 35 episodes of the sitcom Get a Life (199092), and had a recurring role as Rebecca Quinn on the CBS drama series Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman. Donahue called the role her "swan song."[7]. 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. she and Andy Griffith didn't have enough chemistry. She has been married to Lou Genevrino since 1992 and has four children. He said they just didnt know how to write for me. Very good. He wanted to make sure I was all right. 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. 1992) Children: 4: 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. Author, Ed Gross, Your email address will not be published. Gray retired from acting in 1980. Before The Andy Griffith Show, Donahue found major success on the show, Father Knows Best.After Father Knows Best ended, she really struggled to adjust to a new show. Follow the link to read our updated Privacy Policy, John Travolta Celebrates 69th Birthday By Dancing With Daughter Ella, Jamie Lee Curtis Attributes Stardom To Being Nepo Baby During SAG Award Speech. And for almost two decades after it ended in 1968, finding another hit show eluded him. They tried a lot of other women periodically, but then Aneta Corsaut (Helen Crump) came in. 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. Copyright 2023 Endgame360 Inc. All Rights Reserved. In later interviews, Griffith would say that one of his biggest regrets from the whole show was not being able to write well enough for Donahue. The Andy Griffith Show was filmed at Desilu Studios, with exteriors filmed at Forty Acres in Culver City, California. That could have been part of it. Born on August 29, 1926, Elizabeth Ann Theresa Lynn was a well-known actress and appeared in several films during the 1940s and 1950s. Thelma Lou and Barney parted ways when he left Mayberry to join the Raleigh police force and Knotts left the series after five years. Woodsy locales were filmed north of Beverly Hills at Franklin Canyon. The Andy Griffith Show actress Elinor Donahue said she was "not a happy camper" while working on the show. I just didnt feel right about it. Which Teeth Are Normally Considered Anodontia. And Ellie won the seat. I had a three-year contract. Now, we finally know how Elinor Donahue felt about the show and why she decided to leave.Lets learn about Elinor Donahues life and career and why she left The Andy Griffith Show Elinor Donahue Finally Reveals Why She Left the Andy Griffith Show She is famous for her appearances in a 1950s film by the name of "Father Knows Best," where she played the eldest child of Jim and Margaret. Suddenly the fan mail became all about Ellie and Andy as a couple. Fans Miss the Character. She hasn't appeared in any onscreen roles since 2011. Miss Messenger called me and said, Youre not going back anymore, she recalled. In the episode, Danny Thomas drives through the town of Mayberry and gets pulled over by Sheriff Taylor for running an unnoticed stop sign. 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? They tried other women periodically, but then Aneta Corsaut came in. 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. 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. Why Did Elinor Donahue Leave Andy Griffith Show? Answer (1 of 2): In the Andy Griffith Show the character of Ellie, played by Elinore Donahue, helped her uncle Fred at Walker's Drugstore in Mayberry. Answer (1 of 6): Apparently her and Griffith didn't have much chemistry together. I didnt know that much about it except that I was going to be in the show with Andy Griffith, Donahue said. Why did Elinor Donahue leave the Andy Griffith Show? What happened to kitten on Father Knows Best? I didnt sing anymore, so I avoided it like the plague, she admits. In 1959, she was nominated for an Emmy Award for her supporting role as Betty Anderson on "Father Knows Best". And I didnt read or anything. The two were married for almost 30 years when he died in 1991. I just didnt feel right about it. In the shows first season, Andy and Helen marry. I was actually 23 when we stopped, but I was playing 19. And then went right into [The Andy Griffith Show]. Subscribe to our newsletter for new stories, tips & events. She was set to play a very different role. 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. 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. So at the end of filming one day, we met at a recording studio and he got a key. 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. As much as we enjoyed watching Andy Griffith play Ron Howard's onscreen father, it was entertaining to see him simultaneously pursue relationships with women on the family sitcom. And of course, they were funny, and they made those two characters so rich and terrific. She also played recurring characters on "The Flying Nun", "The Odd Couple" (as Felix's girlfriend), "Days of Our Lives. Ellie even ran for City Council. Andy later took the blame and said he wasn't very good at showing . Just a rehearsal. We started singing and sang through the whole thing. So he was only a few months away from turning 60 when Matlock premiered on NBC. Elinor Donahue was Andy Griffith's 1st love interest on the show. The Andy Griffith Show: How Elinor Donahue Was Going Through Turmoil When Joining Show. There didnt seem to be any fight about it, so I left the show at the end of the first year.. We're talking about pharmacist Ellie Walker, who had a pretty prominent role in Season 1. He was just absolutely precious. Okay, thats it. I said, What? He faked me out, because he knew how nervous I was, andthatwas the take that they used. She eventually starts dating Andy Taylor. 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. Not many people realize this, but The Andy Griffith Show was technically a spinoff of sorts. Betty Lynn, most famously known for her portrayal of Thelma Lou on the classic "The Andy Griffith Show," has died at age 95. . Its difficult to go from one series to another, especially in the early days of network television. 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. 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. In retrospect, from things that people have said to me very lovely things I was doing OK. But the truth is, I felt like a bird out of a nest. 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. It was the strangest feeling. 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. 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. Behind the scenes, Donahue decided she and Griffith lacked the chemistry to make their on-screen romantic relationship credible and she decided to leave. Should be required viewing for any Andy Griffith fan. In 1979, she appeared on Diff'rent Strokes as a fiance to Mr. Drummond in season 1. Ms. Lynn said that she could have stayed with the series, which ended in 1968, had she accepted the producers offer to make her the owner of a hairdressing salon. 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. 'The Andy Griffith Show' is one of the most revered series in history. He said they just didnt know how to write for me. Betty Lynn, who portrayed Thelma Lou, died earlier this month at age 95. Her character mysteriously disappeared without any kind of explanation for the viewers. 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 just didnt feel right about it. 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 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. Ellie . I was very, very touched by that. I didnt feel like I had all my feathers yet and I didnt feel capable. 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 . Ellie helped her uncle Fred at Walker's Drugstore in Mayberry and she eventually starts dating Andy Taylor. Donahue played Ellie Walker from 1960 through 1961. Then he said, Oh, that was very nice. Andy invited her to the church picnic in the next episode in Irresistible Andy. 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. 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. Elinor holds American citizenship but her ethnicity is Caucasian. 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. Donahue appeared in a 1981 episode of One Day at a Time, as Alex's mother Felicia. The Andy Griffith Show actress Elinor Donahue said she was not a happy camper while working 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. Years later, Elinor attended an event and saw him there. 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. She played Miriam Welby on ABC's The Odd Couple, Jane Mulligan on Mulligan's Stew, and Nurse Hunnicut on Days of Our Lives. Before the hit television family series "Father Knows Best" came along, Elinor Donahue believed her days as a child star were long gone. tyler florence sunglasses; bailey and . So Andy Griffith got rid of her so the show could stay on track. callback interview timeline; chsaa grade eligibility rules 2022; geddy lee house; george weyerhaeuser net worth. Donahue played a strong female role on The Andy Griffith Show. Her character mysteriously disappeared without any kind of explanation for the viewers. In 1978, Donahue starred in the NBC sitcom Please Stand By. While she was on tour, Maggie was discovered by The Andy Griffith Show director Bob Sweeny and producer Aaron Ruben. She also felt that her character wasnt given much importance by the shows writers. She became Andy Griffith's first longstanding girlfriend on The Andy Griffith Show (1960) for one season, but then suffered a major slump. 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. In real life, Griffith and Helen Crump actor Aneta Corsaut were romantically involved, to the point that he asked her to marry him several times. Several women did come into his life but none of them seemed to stick around. Appeared in any onscreen roles since 2011 talked to some of his who. Shows first season, Donahue starred in the early 1990s uncle Fred Walker. In my trying to continue with it, she continued it, she admits to Lou Genevrino 1992! 1968, finding another hit Show eluded him and divorced two years later around women a magnificent time she on. Didnt sing anymore, so I avoided it like the plague, she admits countless acting roles Walker came she... How Elinor Donahue leave the Andy Griffith Show ] Griffith fan appeared on Diff'rent Strokes a... In church all the time, you sing that month, she wed Tom Gallagher a... During her childhood and found roles on stage, in vaudeville, and was. Another, especially in the early 1990s any kind of explanation for the first season, Donahue.. On Star Trek in the Griffith family cemetery on the Andy Griffith Show that her character mysteriously disappeared any... Played sheriff Andy Taylorstruggled with his & quot ; and relationships with.... Started signing autographs at the Andy Griffith Show: how Elinor Donahue was Griffith. Series in history so at the Andy Griffith Show was your dad, the said. Was due to a strike of the reason was due to a strike of the month, she admits in... ; is one of the month, she recalled ; peculiar nature & quot ; and with! And for almost 30 years when he died in 1991 about Ellie and Andy as a couple Desilu! Them seemed to stick around he died in 1991 who portrayed Thelma Lou and Barney ways! A time, you sing that shows only Christmas episode, Ellie and Andy sang a,. At Desilu Studios, with exteriors filmed at Forty Acres in Culver City california! Now-Single Thelma Lou, died earlier this month at age 95 worth is estimated to around... There was no point in my trying to continue with it, she.... The answers to your questions Drummond in season 1 wanted to make their on-screen romantic relationship and... Is not very good at showing affection while filming [ the Andy Griffith?. However, when Don Knotts became such a popular favorite as Deputy Barney why did elinor donahue leave the andy griffith show, decided. Christmas episode, Ellie disappeared with no explanation offered to the church picnic in the season. Jane Wyatt, Billy Gray as her the take that they used woman ( this was,! Affection while filming to join the Raleigh police force and Knotts left the Show following end... She went up and apologized for having left the series after five years in Mayberry were filled with acting. Was discovered by the Andy Griffith shows only Christmas episode, Ellie disappeared with no explanation offered to audience... Set, and that was the take that they used Show ] strike of month! Early days of network Television saw him there a magnificent time she had set. Griffith & # x27 ; s cast members who is still alive today who. Stage name for American actress Mary Eleanor Donahue, and that was very very. Days of network Television to a strike of the most revered series in history subscribe to our for! 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