Elinor Donahue

Elinor Donahue Headshot

Actress

Birth Date: April 19, 1937

Age: 87 years old

Birth Place: Tacoma, Washington

Elinor Donahue was thrust into show business at an early age by her stage costumer mother. She danced in vaudeville at first, then at five years old, she was given a contract with Universal Pictures. She spent most of the 1940s performing in small film roles for the studio, mainly in musicals, dramas and breezy comedies. Her star never hit in feature films, and Donahue turned to the growing industry of television for work.

In 1954, she was chosen for the role of Betty Anderson, the angst-ridden elder daughter of Robert Young's patriarch in the sitcom "Father Knows Best." The show's six-season run made her a household name, and more roles poured in. She played the pharmacist/girlfriend of Andy Griffith for 12 episodes of the family comedy "The Andy Griffith Show" and the daughter of John McGiver in the department store comedy "Many Happy Returns." She was "The Flying Nun"'s sister in the Sally Field star-maker and was opposite Tony Randall as a love interest in the sitcom "The Odd Couple" for 13 episodes in the early '70s. As she aged, Donahue was primarily cast in the role of the pleasant, concerned mother in such shows as the family comedy "Mulligan's Stew," the animated comedy "Eek! the Cat," and quite for irony in Chris Elliott's FOX comedy"Get a Life." She also had recurring parts on the popular western "Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman" and the soap "The Young and the Restless."

Credits

The Princess Diaries 2: Royal EngagementStream

Actor
Lady Palimore
Movie
2004
26%

Cold CaseStream

Guest Star
Series
2003

Doctor Quinn Medicine Woman: the Heart Within

Actor
Movie
2001

Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman: The Heart Within

Actor
Rebecca Quinn Dickinson
Movie
2001

Shake, Rattle & Roll

Actor
Show
1999

FriendsStream

Actor
Aunt Lillian
Series
1994
78%

FriendsStream

Guest Star
Aunt Lillian
Series
1994
78%

EllenStream

Guest Star
Series
1994

Dr. Quinn, Medicine WomanStream

Guest Star
Series
1993

Freddy's Dead: The Final NightmareStream

Actor
Orphanage Woman
Movie
1991
22%

Get a Life

Actor
Gladys Peterson
Series
1990
77%

Pretty WomanStream

Actor
Bridget
Movie
1990
64%

CoachStream

Guest Star
Lorraine
Series
1989

The Golden GirlsStream

Guest Star
Katherine
Series
1985

Murder, She WroteStream

Guest Star
Connie Lewis
Series
1984

Super PasswordStream

Guest
Game Show
1984

RiptideStream

Actor
Series
1984

Hotel

Guest Star
Soap
1983

High School U.S.A.Stream

Actor
Movie
1983

NewhartStream

Guest Star
Series
1982

The Dukes of HazzardStream

Guest Star
Federal Agent
Series
1979

Diff'rent StrokesStream

Guest Star
Series
1978

Mork & MindyStream

Guest Star
Series
1978
90%

Fantasy Island

Guest Star
Series
1978

Mulligan's Stew

Actor
Show
1977

The Father Knows Best Reunion

Actor
Betty Anderson
Movie
1977

Mulligan's Stew

Actor
Jane Mulligan
Movie
1977

One Day at a TimeStream

Guest Star
Series
1975

Police Woman

Guest Star
Ellie Tarlow
Series
1974

Petrocelli

Guest Star
Series
1974

The Young and the RestlessStream

Guest Star
Series
1973

Barnaby JonesStream

Guest Star
Series
1973

The Rookies

Guest Star
Series
1972

Gidget Gets Married

Actor
Medley Blaine
Movie
1972

The Odd CoupleStream

Actor
Miriam Welby
Series
1970

The Odd CoupleStream

Guest Star
Miriam Welby
Series
1970

In Name Only

Actor
Esther Garrity
Movie
1969

The Flying NunStream

Guest Star
Series
1967

Star TrekStream

Guest Star
Nancy Hedford
Series
1966
80%

A Man Called Shenandoah

Guest Star
Series
1965

Many Happy Returns

Actor
Joan Randall; Walter's daughter
Series
1964

The VirginianStream

Guest Star
Carole Cole
Series
1962

Dr. Kildare

Guest Star
Series
1961

The Andy Griffith ShowStream

Actor
Ellie Walker
Series
1960

The Andy Griffith ShowStream

Guest Star
Ellie Walker
Series
1960

Girls Town

Actor
Mary Lee Morgan
Movie
1959

U.S. Marshal

Guest Star
Martha Watson
Show
1958

77 Sunset Strip

Guest Star
Laura Holt
Series
1958

Have Gun -- Will TravelStream

Guest Star
Series
1957

Father Knows BestStream

Actor
Betty Anderson ("Princess")
Series
1954

Love Is Better Than Ever

Actor
Pattie Marie Levoy
Movie
1952

Her First Romance

Actor
Lucille Stewart
Movie
1951

Tea for Two

Actor
Lynne Smith
Movie
1950

An Old-Fashioned Girl

Actor
Maud Shaw
Movie
1949

Three Daring Daughters

Actor
Alix Morgan
Movie
1948

The Arkansas Swing

Actor
Toni MacGregor
Movie
1948

The Unfinished Dance

Actor
Josie
Movie
1947