Elinor Donahue decided not to return after the first season, because she felt she had no on-screen chemistry with Andy Griffith. Subscribe to our newsletter for new stories, tips & events. Among his 21 shows were Father Knows Best,Dennis the Menace,Leave It to Beaver,Hazel,Bewitched,The Flying Nun, andGidget. 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. She is apparently self-sufficient; her occupation is never revealed despite references to a never-seen office, yet she lives in a roomy and well-decorated house of her own. I was actually 23 when we stopped, but I was playing 19. His very first love interest in the series was Ellie Walker, played by actress Elinor Donahue. TimesMojo is a social question-and-answer website where you can get all the answers to your questions. [citation needed]. In 1966, she guest-starred on the TV series A Man Called Shenandoah, episode 8, "Town On Fire". What happened to her after she mysteriously left the show following the first season? I didnt know that much about it except that I was going to be in the show with Andy Griffith, Donahue said. She married Harry Ackerman in 1962. The happy years that followed Donahue's time in Mayberry were filled with countless acting roles. Shake, Rattle and Roll: An American Love Story, Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman: The Heart Within, "Elinor Donahue (Interviewed by Jennifer Howard)", "In the Kitchen With Elinor Donahue: Favorite Memories and Recipes from a Life in Hollywood", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Elinor_Donahue&oldid=1141037797, Short description is different from Wikidata, All Wikipedia articles written in American English, Pages using infobox person with multiple spouses, Articles with unsourced statements from January 2020, Articles with unsourced statements from November 2020, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, "He Always Comes Home", "Week-End in Winnetka", "My Sister, the Sister", "How to Be a Spanish Grandmother", "My Sister, the Doctor", "A Scent, a Memory, a Far Distant Cheese", This page was last edited on 23 February 2023, at 01:24. Years later, Elinor attended an event and saw him there. Years later, Elinor attended an event and saw him there. It was the strangest feeling.. Which Teeth Are Normally Considered Anodontia. She became Andy Griffith's first longstanding girlfriend on The Andy Griffith Show (1960) for one season, but then suffered a major slump. Donahue played a strong female role on The Andy Griffith Show. 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. Her character mysteriously disappeared without any kind of explanation for the viewers. I did 11 episodes, just there for the first season, Donahue said in a 2006 interview with the Archive of American Television. Marshal. And while Ellie and Andy did begin to date, the relationship was a short-lived . So, what happened? Study Guides . Donahue portrayed the sister of Sister Bertrille (Sally Field) in three episodes of ABC's The Flying Nun (196870). Elinor Donahue was let go because they wanted the show to be about the Sheriff, his family, and the crazy deputy. Later, Andy took the blame and said he is not very good at showing affection while filming. 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. was joyce bulifant on the andy griffith show was joyce bulifant on the andy griffith show 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. View results. judy norton children; court ordered community service california 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. Her character mysteriously disappeared without any kind of explanation for the viewers. After twelve appearances in the first season, Ellie disappeared with no explanation offered to the audience. W.W. Answer: "All actors from the show received standard residuals as negotiated by the Screen Actors Guild at the time, generally for the original broadcast and six reruns for regular cast members," said Jim Clark, co-author of "The Andy Griffith Show Book" and "Presiding Goober Emeritus" of the show's fan club. Pleshette married twice. But it didnt seem like Donahue ever had any sort of conflict with Andy Griffith or anyone else working on the show. Just a rehearsal. We started singing and sang through the whole thing. Why did Don Knotts leave Andy Griffith Show? He was buried in the Griffith family cemetery on the island within five hours of his death. Elinor Donahue was Andy Griffith's 1st love interest on the show. 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 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. I didnt think there was any real chemistry there. This article is from Do You Remember. Gray retired from acting in 1980. After Father Knows Best ended, she really struggled to adjust to a new show. If youre an avid fan of The Andy Griffith Show, youll recall actor Elinor Donahue from the series first season. 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 was perfection as Ellie Walker but she was not happy in the role and all her interviews over the years are vague about why. Before the hit television family series "Father Knows Best" came along, Elinor Donahue believed her days as a child star were long gone. I just didnt feel right about it. 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 Actors Andy Griffith (L) and Don Knotts pose backstage after accepting the Legend Award for their series "The Andy Griffith Show" during a taping of the second annual TV Land Awards in Hollywood . I was actually 23 when we stopped, but I was playing 19. She played the part of Lorraine, Luther Van Dam's girlfriend, in season five of Coach in the early 1990s. And then went right into [The Andy Griffith Show]. "Nip It In the Bud": $20 'Andy Griffith Show' Tee Is a Funny, Cozy Memory. Born on August 29, 1926, Elizabeth Ann Theresa Lynn was a well-known actress and appeared in several films during the 1940s and 1950s. They tried a lot of other women periodically, but then Aneta Corsaut (Helen Crump) came in. He wanted to make sure I was all right. She guest starred on an episode of U.S. Donahue appeared in a 1981 episode of One Day at a Time, as Alex's mother Felicia. 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. I have always wondered why he was uncomfortable around women. In the shows first season, Andy and Helen marry. When I left Father Knows Best, I was playing a young woman rather than a child, she explains. Betty Lynn, most famously known for her portrayal of Thelma Lou on the classic "The Andy Griffith Show," has died at age 95. . 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. While she was on tour, Maggie was discovered by The Andy Griffith Show director Bob Sweeny and producer Aaron Ruben. Most notably, Griffithwho played Sheriff Andy Taylorstruggled with his "peculiar nature" and relationships with women. The series tried with other actresses, like the ones who played Peggy (Joanna Moore) and Helen (Aneta Corsaut), but it was difficult to make the relationships look natural. Plus, when you rewatch a show, you spot details that you may have missed the first time. 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 . Suddenly the fan mail became all about Ellie and Andy as a couple. Why did Elinor Donahue leave the Andy Griffith Show? Before The Andy Griffith Show, Donahue found major success on the show, Father Knows Best. What happened to kitten on Father Knows Best? . Do Men Still Wear Button Holes At Weddings? Your email address will not be published. As she grew older, she began seeking out roles in feature films.But it was television where she found her best work. It goes to show just how much of the kindness of Mayberry and its characters was just as important behind the scenes. It was the strangest feeling. I didnt think there was any real chemistry there. A friend and fellow actor from the show, Elinor Donahue, said Lynn . Why did Elinor Donahue leave 'The Andy Griffith Show' after playing Andy's love interest in the first season? They tried other women periodically, but then Aneta Corsaut came in. Why did Elinor Donahue leave Mayberry? 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'm so welcomed here. Ellie helped her uncle Fred at Walker's Drugstore in Mayberry and she eventually starts dating Andy Taylor. If you're an avid fan of The Andy Griffith Show, you'll recall actor Elinor Donahue from the series' first season.She played "lady druggist" Ellie Walker on the CBS comedy for about a . 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. Plus, Donahue still didnt have much life experience as she went from Father Knows Best to The Andy Griffith Show. Very good. There was no mean spiritedness to it. However, Father Knows Best would be abruptly canceled. Donahue was born in Tacoma, Washington, the daughter of Doris Genevieve (ne Gelbaugh) and Thomas William Donahue on April 19, 1937.[2]. I was called in to the office to meet with the producers, went home that afternoon, and found out I had the part. But the truth is, I felt like a bird out of a nest. 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. ELINOR DONAHUE. Her co-stars were Robert Young, Jane Wyatt, Billy Gray as her . Why did Barney leave the show? Donahue played Ellie Walker from 1960 through 1961. 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. 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. But the truth is, Donahue told Fox News in 2018. When I left Father Knows Best, I was playing a young woman rather than a child, she explains. 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.. Author, Ed Gross, Your email address will not be published. She was last seen in the episode "The Guitar Player Returns." After that, we saw that her character sudd. 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. I didnt feel like I had all my feathers yet and I didnt feel capable. 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. 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. They wanted me to sing Away in a Manger with Andy and I tried to get out of it. After her appearance in episode The Guitar Player Returns, she inexplicably leaves the series. 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. 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. 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. She has been married to Lou Genevrino since 1992 and has four children. How old was Andy Griffith during the show? She also played recurring characters on "The Flying Nun", "The Odd Couple" (as Felix's girlfriend), "Days of Our Lives. 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. Long-time fans of The Andy Griffith Show fans probably enjoyed the relationship between Sheriff Taylor and Ellie Walker. Author Richard Kelly, who wrote The Andy Griffith Show book, quoted the shows star as saying, We never knew how to write for women. Donahues character, Ellie, arrives in Mayberry having taken over the drugstore from her uncle, and eventually begins dating the towns sheriff, Andy Taylor. 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 Early Days of The Andy Griffith's Show. 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. In 1987, she played the title character's mother in the short-lived Fox series The New Adventures of Beans Baxter. why did kim fischer leave the mentalist. Father Knows Best Star, Billy Gray, Reminisces on Childhood Fame, An Unhappy Elinor Donahue Quit The Andy Griffith Show, Feeling There Was No Point In Continuing, Why Clint Eastwood Turned Down This Iconic Role, 74-Year-Old Susan Sarandon Says Why She Prefers Younger Men. 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. She went up and apologized for having left 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. He was as gracious to me as you could imagine, she smiles. She also felt that her character wasnt given much importance by the shows writers. View results. Walker was Mayberrys pharmacist. She went up and apologized for having left the show. She started performing on the radio at the age of two and was signed as a dancer and singer by Universal Studios after three years. We're talking about pharmacist Ellie Walker, who had a pretty prominent role in Season 1. It was just very sweet.. 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. Still, Donahue said she didnt feel right on the show. The actor told the Television Academy Foundation how she came to be cast in 1960 on The Andy Griffith Show. 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. 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. In 1988, she appeared in a Newhart episode ("Courtin' Disaster"), and she appeared in a 1989 episode of The Golden Girls as the newest wife of Dorothy Zbornak's ex-husband, Stan. 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. Shows like The Andy Griffith Show, which aired in the '60s, provide a sense of familiarity and comfort, which is much needed in times like these. I didnt feel like I had all my feathers yet and I didnt feel capable. 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. Just a rehearsal. We started singing and sang through the whole thing. It came as no surprise that she was then the obvious choice for a lead role in the new sitcom The Andy Griffith Show.But alas, things didnt work out as everyone had planned. Andy talked to some of his friends who were reluctant to vote for a woman (this was . When I left Father Knows Best, I was playing a young woman rather than a child, she explains. georgetown child psychiatry; the sardine can morro bay. This time it was Corsaut and not the shows writers who said no to marriage. There was no point in my trying to continue with it, she continued. In 1977, she appeared in an episode of the ABC crime drama The Feather and Father Gang. 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. But there was a reason that Andy didnt have Ellie in his life for long. 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