The Andy Griffith Show actress Elinor Donahue said she was "not a happy camper" while working 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. After training in vaudeville, she started getting parts in films and TV shows as a teenager likeMister BigandWinter Wonderland. Should be required viewing for any Andy Griffith fan. I didnt sing anymore, so I avoided it like the plague, she admits. After her appearance in episode The Guitar Player Returns, she inexplicably leaves the series. The Home of Nostalgia. The Andy Griffith Show actress Elinor Donahue said she was not a happy camper while working on the show. However, Mayberry, the quaint hometown made famous on The Andy Griffith Show, has long been considered a fictional place, but the real Mayberry does exist. Okay, thats it. I said, What? He faked me out, because he knew how nervous I was, andthatwas the take that they used. Then he said, Oh, that was very nice. He was as gracious to me as you could imagine, she smiles. Soon after, she was selected to play the role of Charlene Darling. 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. The trouble started with his very first onscreen girlfriend, Ellie Walker, played by Elinor Donahue. 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. Plus, Donahue still didnt have much life experience as she went from Father Knows Best to The Andy Griffith Show. Click the title to hop over there. In 1992, she voiced the mother on the Fox Kids animated series Eek! Not many people realize this, but The Andy Griffith Show was technically a spinoff of sorts. 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. Sheriff Andy liked to call her the "lady pharmacist.". 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.. Just a rehearsal. We started singing and sang through the whole thing. But it didnt seem like Donahue ever had any sort of conflict with Andy Griffith or anyone else working on the show. Ellie even ran for City Council. It was the strangest feeling. The two were married for almost 30 years when he died in 1991. Why did Elinor Donahue leave the Andy Griffith Show? While Ellie isn't the first character to mysteriously disappear from a TV show (after it happened with Chuck Cunningham in Happy Days, they called doing this the Chuck Cunningham Syndrome), it can still feel unnerving to abruptly see them go without any explanation. 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 writers tried to integrate her into the series; however she was a lot more "aggressive" than Griffith's relatively passive character would have likely wanted as a partner and so her character was gradually writt. Part of that, she believes, was because she had more or less grown up on the former. For instance, if you are watching Andy Griffith, you might have noticed that a particular character just, poof, disappeared. Marshal. Just a rehearsal. We started singing and sang through the whole thing. He is a motorcycle collector and businessman. What happened to Thelma Lous first husband? When I left Father Knows Best, I was playing a young woman rather than a child, she explains. Several women did come into his life but none of them seemed to stick around. 1960-Season 1), 1960-68. This article is from Do You Remember. Thankfully, she was able to leave the show with no bad blood. 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. He said they just didnt know how to write for me. She also felt that her character wasnt given much importance by the shows writers. But the truth is, I felt like a bird out of a nest. Elinor holds American citizenship but her ethnicity is Caucasian. As of 2020, Elinor Donahue age is 83 years. 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. Betty Lynn, who portrayed Thelma Lou, died earlier this month at age 95. 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. In 1977, she appeared in an episode of the ABC crime drama The Feather and Father Gang. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. Subscribe to our newsletter for new stories, tips & events. In 1987, she played the title character's mother in the short-lived Fox series The New Adventures of Beans Baxter. Elinor Donahue is the stage name for American actress Mary Eleanor Donahue. 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. 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. 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. The Early Days of The Andy Griffith's Show. However, the episode "The Guitar Player Returns" was her last. 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. [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. So at the end of filming one day, we met at a recording studio and he got a key. There didnt seem to be any fight about it, so I left the show at the end of the first year.. All Rights Reserved. He was as gracious to me as you could imagine, she smiles. After all, she was only 23 when he agreed to the three-year contract as Ellie. While she was on tour, Maggie was discovered by The Andy Griffith Show director Bob Sweeny and producer Aaron Ruben. was joyce bulifant on the andy griffith show was joyce bulifant on the andy griffith show The Andy Griffith Show ran for eight seasons and highlighted the innocent joys of small-town living, but under the surface, the main cast harbored their share of scandalous secrets. Subscribe to our newsletter for new stories, tips & events. He said they just didnt know how to write for me. However, when Don Knotts became such a popular favorite as Deputy Barney Fife, Griffith decided for . Who did Suzanne Pleshette marry? He was just absolutely precious. Very good. Elinor Donahue was Andy Griffith's 1st love interest on the show. We just wish poor Ellie had been given a better send-off her character certainly deserved 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. That could have been part of it. Home | About | Contact | Copyright | Report Content | Privacy | Cookie Policy | Terms & Conditions | Sitemap. 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. 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. Part of that, she believes, was because she had more or less grown up on the former. In the shows first season, Andy and Helen marry. who replaced warren on the andy griffith show. Elinor Donahue. Donahue portrayed Miriam Welby in 17 episodes of The Odd Couple (197275). But the truth is, I felt like a bird out of a nest. I was actually 23 when we stopped, but I was playing 19. Chapin married an auto mechanic at 16 and divorced two years later. Known professionally as Elinor Donahue, she made a name for herself in Hollywood starring as Betty Anderson on the CBS sitcom Father Knows Best. In 2015, Donahue played the role of Mrs. Chumley in Judson Theatre Company's production of the Pulitzer Prize play Harvey, by Mary Chase. Years later, Elinor attended an event and saw him there. It was just very sweet.. 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). the Cat. He was buried in the Griffith family cemetery on the island within five hours of his death. Among regular cast members of The Andy Griffith Show, only the director Ron Howard, who played Opie, Sheriff Taylors son, is still alive. 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 . People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Distractify is a registered trademark. That could have been part of it. It was the strangest feeling. Why Did Elinor Donahue Leave Andy Griffith Show? Ellie . 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 and Andy Griffith didn't have enough chemistry. 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. Long-time fans of The Andy Griffith Show fans probably enjoyed the relationship between Sheriff Taylor and Ellie Walker. [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. I didnt think there was any real chemistry there. Do Men Still Wear Button Holes At Weddings? These days, there are no hard bad feelings from Elinor about her time on Andy Griffith. Behind the scenes, Donahue decided she and Griffith lacked the chemistry to make their on-screen romantic relationship credible and she decided to leave. They tried a lot of other women periodically, but then Aneta Corsaut (Helen Crump) came in. People are so good to me," she said. There was no mean spiritedness to it. However, Father Knows Best would be abruptly canceled. 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. From Father Knows Best to the Andy Griffith Show fans probably enjoyed the relationship sheriff! Age 95 the time, you can certainly sing that in church all the time, can... When I left Father Knows Best, I felt like a bird of. 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