Mary Eleanor Donahue (born April 19, 1937), credited as Elinor Donahue, is an American actress, best remembered today for playing the role of Betty Anderson, the eldest child of Robert Young and Jane Wyatt, on the 1950s American sitcom Father Knows Best.
Donahue achieved stardom for her role as the elder daughter, Betty, on the television family series Father Knows Best. 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.
Donahue was a musical judge in ABC's Jukebox Jury (1953–54). 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. 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. She guest starred on an episode of U.S. Marshal. She also appeared as a new bride in the George Burns and Gracie Allen Show episode titled "The Newlyweds" that aired April 2, 1956.
She played Georgiana Balanger in the episode "Dennis and the Wedding" (1960) on Dennis the Menace.[5] Donahue was also cast, in 1960, with Marion Ross in an episode ("Duet") of The Brothers Brannagan. She played Miriam Welby on ABC's The Odd Couple, Jane Mulligan on Mulligan's Stew, and Nurse Hunnicut on Days of Our Lives.
She was featured in 12 episodes of CBS's The Andy Griffith Show as pharmacist Ellie Walker, even getting a mention in the opening credits. The character was intended to be a love interest for Sheriff Andy Taylor, but after one season (1960–1961), Donahue decided to ask for a release from her three-year contract.[6]
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.
Additionally, on February 9, 1963, she played Letty May in the episode "The Burning Tree" on Have Gun Will Travel.
In the 1964–65 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. She guest-appeared on Star Trek in the second-season episode "Metamorphosis" (1967) as commissioner Nancy Hedford.
In 1966, she guest starred on the TV series A Man Called Shenandoah, episode 8, "Town On Fire."
Año | Título | Personaje | Valoración |
---|---|---|---|
2004 | Princesa por sorpresa 2 | Lady Palimore | ★★★☆☆ |
2003 | Caso abierto | Esther 'Legs' Davis (2005) | ★★★★☆ |
2001 | Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman: The Heart Within | Rebecca Quinn Dickinson | ★★★★☆ |
1996 | Un timador con alas | Elinor Donahue | ★★★☆☆ |
1996 | E! True Hollywood Story | ★★★★☆ | |
1994 | Friends | Aunt Lillian | ★★★★☆ |
1994 | Ellen | Delores Warwell | ★★★☆☆ |
1993 | La doctora Quinn | ★★★★☆ | |
1992 | Eek! The Cat | Mom (voice) | ★★★☆☆ |
1991 | Pesadilla final: La muerte de Freddy (Pesadilla en Elm Street 6) | Orphanage Woman | ★★★☆☆ |
1991 | Herman's Head | Mrs. Fitzer | ★★★☆☆ |
1990 | Pretty Woman | Bridget | ★★★★☆ |
1990 | Búscate la vida | Gradys Peterson | ★★★★☆ |
1987 | The New Adventures of Beans Baxter | Susan Baxter | ★★★☆☆ |
1985 | Las chicas de oro | Katherine | ★★★★☆ |
1984 | No Earthly Reason | Mrs. Morrison | ☆☆☆☆☆ |
1984 | Se ha escrito un crimen | Connie Lewis | ★★★★☆ |
1983 | Lío en la universidad | Mrs. Franklin | ★★★☆☆ |
1983 | Para volverse loco | Margaret Anderson | ★★★☆☆ |
1982 | Hotel | ★★★☆☆ | |
1980 | Condominium | Audrey Ames | ★★☆☆☆ |
1978 | Doctors' Private Lives | Mona Wise | ☆☆☆☆☆ |
1978 | Police Story: No Margin for Error | ☆☆☆☆☆ | |
1978 | Arnold | ★★★★☆ | |
1977 | The Father Knows Best Reunion | Betty Anderson | ★★★☆☆ |
1977 | Father Knows Best: Home for Christmas | Betty Anderson | ★★★★☆ |
1977 | Mulligan's Stew | Jane Mulligan | ☆☆☆☆☆ |
1977 | Dick Clark's Good Old Days | ☆☆☆☆☆ | |
1977 | Vacaciones en el mar | Rowena | ★★★☆☆ |
1977 | Mulligan's Stew | Jane Mulligan | ★★★★☆ |
1977 | Vacaciones en el mar | Mrs. Van Buren | ★★★☆☆ |
1977 | Vacaciones en el mar | Betty Anderson | ★★★☆☆ |
1977 | CHiPs | Elnor Donahue (uncredited) | ★★★☆☆ |
1976 | Battle of the Network Stars | ★★★★☆ | |
1975 | Los hombres de Harrelson | ★★★☆☆ | |
1975 | One Day at a Time | ★★★☆☆ | |
1974 | Happy Days | ★★★★☆ | |
1974 | La mujer policia | Ellie Tarlow | ★★★☆☆ |
1973 | Police Story | ★★★★☆ | |
1972 | Gidget Gets Married | Medley Blaine | ★★★☆☆ |
1972 | The Rookies | ★★★☆☆ | |
1970 | The Odd Couple | Miriam Welby | ★★★★☆ |
1969 | In Name Only | Esther Garrity | ☆☆☆☆☆ |
1969 | Mr. Deeds Goes to Town | ★★★★★ | |
1967 | The Flying Nun | Dr. Jennifer Ethrington | ★★★☆☆ |
1966 | Star Trek | Commissioner Nancy Hedford | ★★★★☆ |
1966 | Occasional Wife | ★★★★☆ | |
1964 | Many Happy Returns | ★★★☆☆ | |
1963 | Redigo | ★★★☆☆ | |
1962 | The Eleventh Hour | ★★★☆☆ | |
1962 | El virginiano | Carole Cole | ★★★☆☆ |
1961 | Dr. Kildare | Sharon Calloway | ★★★☆☆ |
1960 | The Andy Griffith Show | Ellie Walker | ★★★★☆ |
1960 | The Brothers Brannagan | Diane | ☆☆☆☆☆ |
1959 | Girls Town | Mary Lee Morgan | ★★☆☆☆ |
1959 | Imitación a la vida | Lora's Friend | ★★★★☆ |
1959 | Daniel el travieso | ★★★☆☆ | |
1958 | 77 Sunset Strip | ★★★☆☆ | |
1957 | Have Gun, Will Travel | ★★★★☆ | |
1954 | Father Knows Best | Betty Anderson | ★★★☆☆ |
1953 | General Electric Theater | Carol Madsen | ★★★☆☆ |
1953 | Letter to Loretta | Debbie Waring | ★★★☆☆ |
1953 | Letter to Loretta | Janey | ★★★☆☆ |
1952 | Nunca el amor fue tan bello | Pattie Marie Levoy | ★★★☆☆ |
1951 | Her First Romance | Lucille Stewart | ★☆☆☆☆ |
1951 | Schlitz Playhouse of Stars | ★★★☆☆ | |
1950 | Años felices | Connie Brown | ★★★★☆ |
1950 | My Blue Heaven | Mary (uncredited) | ★★★★☆ |
1950 | Té para dos | ★★★☆☆ | |
1950 | La canción del bandolero | Little Girl (uncredited) | ★★★☆☆ |
1950 | The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show | Emily Vanderlip Foster | ★★★☆☆ |
1949 | An Old-Fashioned Girl | Maud Shaw (as Mary Eleanor Donahue) | ☆☆☆☆☆ |
1948 | Three Daring Daughters | Alix Morgan | ★★★☆☆ |
1948 | Tenth Avenue Angel | Cynthia (uncredited) | ★★★☆☆ |
1947 | La danza inconclusa | Josie (as Mary Eleanor Donahue) | ★★★☆☆ |
1946 | Un invierno mágico | Betty Wheeler | ★★☆☆☆ |
1944 | And Now Tomorrow | Janice | ★★★☆☆ |
1943 | Mister Big | Muggsy | ★☆☆☆☆ |
1943 | Honeymoon Lodge | Janie Thomas | ☆☆☆☆☆ |
1942 | Girls' Town | Bit Role (uncredited) | ☆☆☆☆☆ |
Año | Título | Personaje | Calificación |
---|---|---|---|
2016 | Star Trek: Inside the Roddenberry Vault | Self | ★★★☆☆ |
Películas destacadas de Elinor Donahue
Estas son las películas más destacadas en las que ha trabajdo:
Series
Las series más importantes en las que ha participado son las siguientes:
Marvin Braverman
Elinor Donahue y Marvin Braverman han colaborado 3 veces (la última el 06 de agosto de 2004) en las películas: Princesa por sorpresa 2, Un timador con alas, Pretty Woman.
Jane Wyatt
Elinor Donahue y Jane Wyatt han colaborado 3 veces (la última el 18 de diciembre de 1977) en las películas: Father Knows Best: Home for Christmas, The Father Knows Best Reunion, My Blue Heaven.
Margaret O'Brien
Elinor Donahue y Margaret O'Brien han colaborado 3 veces (la última el 04 de mayo de 1951) en las películas: Her First Romance, Tenth Avenue Angel, La danza inconclusa.
Leslie Parrish
Elinor Donahue y Leslie Parrish han colaborado 2 veces (la última el 05 de diciembre de 2016) en las películas: Star Trek: Inside the Roddenberry Vault, Police Story: No Margin for Error.
Jane Morris
Elinor Donahue y Jane Morris han colaborado 2 veces (la última el 06 de agosto de 2004) en las películas: Princesa por sorpresa 2, Un timador con alas.
Joyce Brothers
Elinor Donahue y Joyce Brothers han colaborado 2 veces (la última el 01 de noviembre de 1996) en las películas: Un timador con alas, Dick Clark's Good Old Days.
Paul Bradley
Elinor Donahue y Paul Bradley han colaborado 2 veces (la última el 23 de marzo de 1990) en las películas: Pretty Woman, Three Daring Daughters.