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IMDbPro

Elinor Donahue

  • Actress
  • Soundtrack
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Elinor Donahue
Clip: Alien
Play trailer2:36
Get a Life (1990–1992)
1 Video
67 Photos
Tap dancing at the age of 16 months, pert and pretty Elinor Donahue has been entertaining audiences for six decades. Born Mary Eleanor Donahue in Tacoma, Washington, on April 19, 1937, she appeared as a radio singer and vaudeville dancer while a mere toddler, then was picked up by Universal Studios at the age of 5.

Cast in minor child roles in such pictures as Mister Big (1943), the precocious youngster eventually moved to MGM but didn't attain the juvenile stardom of a Margaret O'Brien or Elizabeth Taylor, whom she supported in both The Unfinished Dance (1947) and Love Is Better Than Ever (1952), respectively. Still and all, Elinor's talent and wholesome appeal was recognized and the 50s brought her into the TV era.

Elinor became more accessible, finally winning nationwide "girl-next-door" notice in her late teens as the oldest daughter of "ideal" parents Robert Young and Jane Wyatt in the classic family show Father Knows Best (1954). Suffering more than her share of teen angst, she played Betty ("Princess") Anderson from 1954 to 1960.

By the time the series was finished, Eleanor was blossoming into a pretty, wholesome, romantic ingénue. She became Andy Griffith's first longstanding girlfriend on The Andy Griffith Show (1960) for one season, but then suffered a major slump. She revived in the 70s with steady roles on The Odd Couple (1970) (as Tony Randall's girlfriend), Pilot (1977) as a typical sunny mom, and as a guest for countless other shows, including Barnaby Jones (1973), Newhart (1982) and The Golden Girls (1985).

An extremely pleasant personality, she was primarily tapped into playing nice, friendly, non-flashy parts in both lightweight comedy and dramatic. Possessing a suitable voice for commercials and cartoons, she has lately found recurring roles on Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman (1993) and a few soaps, including Santa Barbara (1984) and Days of Our Lives (1965), the latter in which she played a rare malicious part.

Though she may not have had much of a chance to shine in her career, Elinor has certainly been a steady, reliable player who has not let her fans down with her obvious warmth and pleasing disposition. Into the 90's, guest appearances included "Murder, She Wrote," "Coach," "Friends," "Herman's Head," "Ellen," "Cold Case," and a recurring role as "Rebecca Quinn" on Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman (1993). Her last credits were several appearances as a judge on The Young and the Restless (1973) in 2010 and a featured role in the film The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement (2004).

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. In 1998, she published a memoir entitled "In the Kitchen with Elinor Donahue", in which she relived some of her memories of Hollywood along with providing more than 150 of her top-grade recipes.
BornApril 19, 1937
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BornApril 19, 1937
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  • Nominated for 1 Primetime Emmy

Photos67

Connie Cornell and Elinor Donahue in The Unfinished Dance (1947)
Warren Berlinger, Elinor Donahue, Ted Lange, and Lauren Tewes in The Love Boat (1977)
Warren Berlinger and Elinor Donahue in The Love Boat (1977)
Elinor Donahue, Dick Elliott, Andy Griffith, and Josie Lloyd in The Andy Griffith Show (1960)
Nick Adams and Elinor Donahue in General Electric Theater (1953)
Robert Young, Lauren Chapin, Elinor Donahue, Billy Gray, and Jane Wyatt in Father Knows Best: Home for Christmas (1977)
Robert Young, Lauren Chapin, Elinor Donahue, Billy Gray, and Jane Wyatt in Father Knows Best: Home for Christmas (1977)
Robert Young, Lauren Chapin, Elinor Donahue, Billy Gray, and Jane Wyatt in Father Knows Best (1954)
Robert Young, Lauren Chapin, Elinor Donahue, Billy Gray, and Jane Wyatt in Father Knows Best (1954)
Robert Young, Lauren Chapin, Elinor Donahue, Billy Gray, and Jane Wyatt in Father Knows Best (1954)
Conrad Bain and Elinor Donahue in Diff'rent Strokes (1978)
Robert Young, Lauren Chapin, Elinor Donahue, Billy Gray, and Jane Wyatt in Father Knows Best (1954)

Known for

Richard Gere and Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman (1990)
Pretty Woman
7.1
  • Bridget
  • 1990
Robert Englund in Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare (1991)
Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare
4.7
  • Orphanage Woman
  • 1991
Ron Howard, Frances Bavier, and Andy Griffith in The Andy Griffith Show (1960)
The Andy Griffith Show
8.4
TV Series
  • Ellie Walker
Father Knows Best (1954)
Father Knows Best
7.4
TV Series
  • Betty Anderson
  • Betty
  • Donna Stuart
  • The Angel

Credits

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IMDbPro

Actress

  • Eileen Davidson, Bryton James, Joshua Morrow, Gina Tognoni, Justin Hartley, Melissa Claire Egan, and Peter Bergman in The Young and the Restless (1973)
    The Young and the Restless
  • Cold Case (2003)
    Cold Case
  • Julie Andrews and Anne Hathaway in The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement (2004)
    The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement
  • Jane Seymour and Joe Lando in Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman: The Movie (1999)
    Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman: The Heart Within
  • Brad Hawkins and Bonnie Sommerville as Tyler and Lyne.
    Shake, Rattle and Roll: An American Love Story
  • Jane Seymour, Chad Allen, Joe Lando, and Shawn Toovey in Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman (1993)
    Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman
  • Eek! The Cat (1992)
    Eek! The Cat
    • (voice)
  • Greg Kinnear in Dear God (1996)
    Dear God
  • Ellen DeGeneres, Joely Fisher, and Clea Lewis in Ellen (1994)
    Ellen
  • The Invaders (1995)
    The Invaders
  • Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry, and David Schwimmer in Friends (1994)
    Friends
  • Biker Mice from Mars (1993)
    Biker Mice from Mars
    • (voice)
  • Coach (1989)
    Coach
  • The Legend of Prince Valiant (1991)
    The Legend of Prince Valiant
    • (voice)
  • Herman's Head (1991)
    Herman's Head

Soundtrack

  • Robert Englund in Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare (1991)
    Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare
    • (uncredited)
  • Get a Life (1990)
    Get a Life
  • Ron Howard, Frances Bavier, and Andy Griffith in The Andy Griffith Show (1960)
    The Andy Griffith Show
  • Father Knows Best (1954)
    Father Knows Best
    • (uncredited)
  • Three Daring Daughters (1948)
    Three Daring Daughters
    • (uncredited)

Videos1

Get a Life: The Complete Series DVD
Trailer 2:36
Get a Life: The Complete Series DVD

Personal details

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    • April 19, 1937
    • Tacoma, Washington, USA
    • January 4, 1992 - present
    • Brian Ackerman
  • Other works
    (1950s) TV commercial: Scot Towels.
  • Publicity listings
    • 1 Print Biography
    • 1 Interview

Did you know

Edit
  • Trivia
    The song "Ellie's Smile" by Jonathan Lore is a tribute to Elinor, and includes references to her career.

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