Study Guides . Donahue was a musical judge in ABC's Jukebox Jury (195354). Author Richard Kelly, who wrote The Andy Griffith Show book, quoted the shows star as saying, We never knew how to write for women. Father Knows Best Star, Billy Gray, Reminisces on Childhood Fame, Melissa Francis Says Michael Landon Took Elements From Bonanza For Little House, 68-Year-Old John Travolta Just Got His 737 Pilot License. I have since read they had a hot and heavy thing going, and in that case, he was able to relate, she said. I did 11 episodes, just there for the first season, Donahue said in a 2006 interview with the Archive of American Television. Just a rehearsal. We started singing and sang through the whole thing. So Andy Griffith got rid of her so the show could stay on track. Father Knows Best was canceled in 1960 when Young left the show. In 1994, she made an appearance as Aunt Lillian in "The One Where Nana Dies Twice", an episode of Friends. 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., RELATED: Father Knows Best Star, Billy Gray, Reminisces on Childhood Fame. Subscribe here: https://www.youtube.com/factsverse?sub_confirmation=1 Or, watch more videos here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLkXAntdjbcSKgHx6EQVOwNKVz1cR2hKVElinor Donahue played Ellie Walker on the first season of The Andy Griffith 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. Thankfully, still-single Barney and now-single Thelma Lou were reunited and married in 1986s Return to Mayberry movie. In retrospect, from things that people have said to me very lovely things I was doing OK. I didnt feel like I had all my feathers yet and I didnt feel capable. [citation needed]. Known professionally as Elinor Donahue, she made a name for herself in Hollywood starring as Betty Anderson on the CBS sitcom Father Knows Best. Elinor, now 83 years old, went on to have an extremely successful career in both television and film. The Early Days of The Andy Griffith's Show. tyler florence sunglasses; bailey and . 1 views . Behind the scenes, Donahue decided she and Griffith lacked the chemistry to make their on-screen romantic relationship credible and she decided to leave. 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. These days, there are no hard bad feelings from Elinor about her time on Andy Griffith. 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. . This is because Elinor Donahue wished to leave the show. Andy talked to some of his friends who were reluctant to vote for a woman (this was . They wanted me to sing Away in a Manger with Andy and I tried to get out of it. She also appeared as a new bride in The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show episode titled "The Newlyweds" that aired April 2, 1956. Id gone directly fromFather Knows Bestto having a couple of months of turmoil in my personal life that was not settled at all. Soon after, she was selected to play the role of Charlene Darling. 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. In 1992, she voiced the mother on the Fox Kids animated series Eek! 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. She went up and apologized for having left the show. 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. 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. Suddenly the fan mail became all about Ellie and Andy as a couple. The only person who called me from the show was your dad, the actor said. They tried other women periodically, but then Aneta Corsaut came in. 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. Fans Miss the Character. 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. Just a rehearsal. We started singing and sang through the whole thing. 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. 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 played Ellie Walker on The Andy Griffith Show. After Father Knows Best ended, she really struggled to adjust to a new show. But THAT is the more intense "dark side" of Andy Taylor, the flip-side. 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. Then he said, Oh, that was very nice. So at the end of filming one day, we met at a recording studio and he got a key. Andy later took the blame and said he wasn't very good at showing affection while being filmed. 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 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]. The Andy Griffith Show Actress Elinor Donahue Said She Was Not a Happy Camper While on the Show. He said they just didnt know how to write for me. It was the strangest feeling. Why did Miss Ellie leave The Andy Griffith Show? 2022 - 2023 Times Mojo - All Rights Reserved 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. Thelma Lou and Barney parted ways when he left Mayberry to join the Raleigh police force and Knotts left the series after five years. Should be required viewing for any Andy Griffith fan. Although she may not have been part of the main cast on Griffith, she was Andy Taylor's first love interest on the show in the comedy's debut season. Its difficult to go from one series to another, especially in the early days of network television. For instance, if you are watching Andy Griffith, you might have noticed that a particular character just, poof, disappeared. Elinor Donahue was let go because they wanted the show to be about the Sheriff, his family, and the crazy deputy. 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. She played the part of Lorraine, Luther Van Dam's girlfriend, in season five of Coach in the early 1990s. 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. Born on August 29, 1926, Elizabeth Ann Theresa Lynn was a well-known actress and appeared in several films during the 1940s and 1950s. 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 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. Ellie even ran for City Council. Ellie helped her uncle Fred at Walker's Drugstore in Mayberry and she eventually starts dating Andy Taylor. After her appearance in episode The Guitar Player Returns, she inexplicably leaves the series. Which Teeth Are Normally Considered Anodontia. 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. Do you wish we could have seen more of the character?Contents of this video00:00 - Intro0:39 - Elinor Donahue1:24 - The Andy Griffith Show2:41 - Why She Left the Andy Griffith Show4:00 - Try Surfshark VPN5:02 - The Reaction6:12 - Elinors Career7:29 - OutroLike this content? Why did Elinor Donahue leave Mayberry? While she was on tour, Maggie was discovered by The Andy Griffith Show director Bob Sweeny and producer Aaron Ruben. [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. 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. Possibly, she might be the only child of her parents. It was the strangest feeling. Why did Elinor Donahue leave Mayberry? "Nip It In the Bud": $20 'Andy Griffith Show' Tee Is a Funny, Cozy Memory. she and Andy Griffith didn't have enough chemistry. He was buried in the Griffith family cemetery on the island within five hours of his death. THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW, Elinor Donahue, Andy Griffith (ca. Then he said, Oh, that was very nice. 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. 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. 1960-Season 1), 1960-68. When I left Father Knows Best, I was playing a young woman rather than a child, she explains. Offers may be subject to change without notice. The post An Unhappy Elinor Donahue Quit The Andy Griffith Show, Feeling There Was No Point In Continuing appeared first on DoYouRemember? 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." 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. How old was Andy Griffith during the show? 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. Her character mysteriously disappeared without any kind of explanation for the viewers. For The Andy Griffith Show, Peterson initially read for the role of Ellie Walker, a love interest for Sheriff Andy Taylor, but the role went to Elinor Donahue. In 1979, she appeared on Diff'rent Strokes as a fiance to Mr. Drummond in season 1. But the truth is, I felt like a bird out of a nest. DNA. People are so good to me," she said. Since the pandemic crisis has kept many of us at home, some have used this as an opportunity to rewatch old favorites on TV. Except Don Knotts. Fans of The Andy Griffith's Show know that the main character, Andy gets few lasting love interests 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. 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 . 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. 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 1968, she wed Tom Gallagher, a businessman, a marriage that lasted until his death in 2000. I didnt know that much about it except that I was going to be in the show with Andy Griffith, Donahue said. Donahue portrayed Miriam Welby in 17 episodes of The Odd Couple (197275). Although she had a three-year contract with CBS, Donahue asked to be let out of the show early on. Betty Lynn, who portrayed Thelma Lou, died earlier this month at age 95. 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. 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