Elinor Donahue Biography (1937-)

Born April 19, 1937, in Tacoma, WA; daughter of Thomas William and Doris Genevieve (maiden name, Gelbaugh) Donahue; married Richard Smith (divorced); married Harry Stephen Ackerman (a producer), April 21, 1961 (died, 1991); marriedLou Genevrino, February 29, 1992; children: Brian Patrick, Peter Kyran, James Jay, Christopher Asher; (stepchildren) Susan, Stephen.

Nationality: American
Gender: Female
Occupation: Actress
Birth Details: April 19, 1937; Tacoma, Washington, United States

Famous Works

CREDITS
Film Appearances
Mary Lee Morgan, Girl's Town, 1942
(As Mary Eleanor Donahue) Muggsy, Mr. Big. Universal, 1943
(As Mary Elinor Donahue) Janie Thomas, Honeymoon Lodge, 1943
(Uncredited) Bessie Jo as a child, Bowery to Broadway, 1944
(Uncredited) Janice, age 4, And Now Tomorrow, 1944
(Uncredited) Little Miss Big (also known as Baxter's Millions), 1946
(As Mary Eleanor Donahue) Betty Wheeler, Winter Wonderland, 1947
(As Mary Eleanor Donahue) Josie, The Unfinished Dance, 1947
(As Mary Eleanor Donahue) Alix Morgan, Three Daring Daughters (also known as The Birds and the Bees), 1948
(Uncredited) Cynthia, Tenth Avenue Angel, 1948
(As Mary Eleanor Donahue) Maud Shaw, An Old-Fashioned Girl, 1948
(As Mary Eleanor Donahue) Toni MacGregor, Arkansas Swing, 1949
Mike Murphy's kid, Singing Guns, 1950
(Uncredited) Connie Brown, The Happy Years, 1950
(Uncredited) Lynne, Tea for Two, 1950
(Uncredited) Bratty autograph seeker, My Blue Heaven, 1950
Lucille Stewart, Her First Romance (also known as Girls Never Tell), Columbia, 1951
Pattie Marie Levoy, Love Is Better than Ever (also known as TheLight Fantastic), Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1952
Margaret Anderson, Going Berserk, Universal, 1983
Bridget, Pretty Woman, Buena Vista, 1990
Orphanage woman, Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare (also known asNightmare on Elm Street 6), New Line Cinema, 1991
Herself, Dear God, Paramount, 1996
Television Appearances
Series
Betty "Princess" Anderson, Father Knows Best (also known as I Told You So), CBS, 1954-1955, then NBC, 1955-1958, then CBS, 1958-1960
Elinore "Ellie" Walker, The Andy Griffith Show (also known as Andy of Mayberry), CBS, 1960-1961
Joan Randall, Many Happy Returns, CBS, 1964-1965
Miriam Welby, The Odd Couple, ABC, 1972-1974
Jane Mulligan, Mulligan's Stew, NBC, 1977
Carol Lambert, Please Stand By, syndicated, 1978-1979
Kate Honeycutt, Days of Our Lives (also known as DOOL and Days), NBC, 1984-1986
Mrs. Baxter, The New Adventures of Beans Baxter, Fox, 1987-1988
Dr. Anderson, Santa Barbara, NBC, 1989
Sylvia Furth, Generations, NBC, 1989
Gladys Peterson, Get a Life, Fox, 1990
Rebecca Quinn, a recurring role, Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, CBS, 1993-1998
Miniseries
Mona Welk, Doctors' Private Lives, ABC, 1978
Norma Winters, The Invaders, The WB, 1995
Mrs. Lebowitz, Shake, Rattle and Roll: An American Love Story, CBS, 1999
Movies
Esther Garrity, In Name Only, ABC, 1969
Betty, The Father Knows Best Reunion, NBC, 1977
Betty, Father Knows Best: Home for Christmas, NBC, 1977
Audrey Ames, Condominium, syndicated, 1980
Mrs. Parsons, Hear Me Cry, 1984
Rebecca Quinn, Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman: The Heart Within, CBS, 2001
Pilots
Medley Blaine, Gidget Gets Married, ABC, 1972
Alice Bennett, If I Love You, Am I Trapped Forever?, CBS, 1974
Jane Mulligan, Mulligan's Stew, NBC, 1977
No Margin for Error, 1978

Major Oberlin, Aeromeds, syndicated, 1978
Ellie Williams, The Grady Nutt Show, NBC, 1981
Trish Carlon, Sign-On, CBS, 1981
Mrs. Franklin, High School, U.S.A., NBC, 1983
Specials
Dick Clark's Good Old Days: From Bobby Sox to Bikinis (also knownas Good Old Days), NBC, 1977
NBC team, Battle of the Network Stars, ABC, 1977
Laura Donovan, "Never Say Goodbye," CBS Schoolbreak Special, CBS,1988
30 Years of Andy: A Mayberry Reunion, TBS, 1990
Stand-Up Comics Take a Stand!, The Family Channel, 1991
Lauren Chapin: The E! True Hollywood Story (documentary), E! Entertainment Television, 1999
Herself, Andy of Mayberry: The E! True Hollywood Story (documentary), E! Entertainment Television, 2000
(In archive footage) Elinore "Ellie" Walker, The Andy Griffith Show Reunion: Back to Mayberry (documentary), CBS, 2003
Episodic
"I Want to Be a Star," Schlitz Playhouse of Stars, CBS, 1952
Debbie Waring, "He Always Come Home," Letter to Loretta, 1955
Janey, "Week-End in Winnetka," Letter to Loretta, 1955
Helen, "The Life of Emile Zola," The Lux Video Theatre, 1955
Katherine, "Sheila," The Ford Television Theatre, 1956
The Ed Sullivan Show, 1958
Georgianna Ballinger, "Dennis and the Wedding," Dennis the Menace,CBS, 1960
Connie Peters, "Marked Down for Connie," Goodyear Theatre, NBC, 1960
Kate Warren, "Duet," The Brothers Brannigan, 1960
Fran Crowell, "Delayed Honeymoon," The United States Steel Hour, 1961
Carol Madsen, "A Voice on the Phone," General Electric Theater, CBS, 1961
"The Secrets of Stella Crozier," The United States Steel Hour, 1963
Laura Holt, "Scream Softly, Dear," 77 Sunset Strip, 1963
Letty Mae, "The Burning Tree," Have Gun--Will Travel, 1963
Sharon Calloway, "Ship's Doctor," Dr. Kildare, 1963
Joanie-Mae Kilpatrick, "Hostage Hero Riding," Redigo, 1963
Carole Cole, "Siege," The Virginian, 1963
Melanie, "The Secret in the Stone," The Eleventh Hour, 1964
Julie Wade, "Town on Fire," A Man Called Shenandoah, 1965
Commissioner Nancy Hedford, "Metamorphosis," Star Trek, NBC, 1967
Linda Sue, "Oil Be Seeing You," Occasional Wife, 1967
Dr. Jennifer Ethrington, "The Hot Spell," The Flying Nun, 1968
Jennifer, "How to be a Spanish Grandmother," The Flying Nun, 1968
Dr. Jennifer Ethrington, "My Sister, the Sister," The Flying Nun,1968
Ellie Tarlow, "Warning: All Wives ... ," Police Woman, 1974
Amanda, "Blue Christmas," The Rookies, ABC, 1974
Joan Hiller, "Vengeance in White," Petrocelli, 1975
Majorie Kemp, "Lessons in Fear," S.W.A.T., 1976
Camille Tackleberry, "Ice Time," Police Story, NBC, 1977
"The People's Choice," The Feather and Father Gang, 1977
"No Margin for Error," Police Story, NBC, 1978
Diane Sloane, "The Woman," Diff'rent Strokes, 1979
Rowena, "A Funny Valentine/The Wallflower/Home Is Not a Home," The Love Boat, ABC, 1979
$weepstake$, NBC, 1979
Mrs. Marson, "Rogues to Riches/Stark Terror," Fantasy Island, ABC,1980
Judy Corbett, "The Silent Accuser," Barnaby Jones, 1980
(Uncredited) Herself, "The Great 5K Star Race and Boulder Wrap Party: Part 2," CHiPs, 1980
Madge Nolan, "Delphine/The Unkillable," Fantasy Island, 1981
Dr. Joni Lincoln, "Mindy and Mork," Mork & Mindy, 1981
Mrs. Van Buren, "He's My Brother/Zeke and Zelda/Teach Me Tonight," TheLove Boat, ABC, 1981
Miss Barrens, "Romance Times Three/Night of the Tormented Soul," Fantasy Island, ABC, 1981
Federal agent, "The Sounds of Music--Hazzard Style," The Dukes of Hazzard, 1982
Louise, "Deceptions," Hotel, 1983
Mrs. Broderick, "School Dazed," Happy Days, 1984
Herself, Our Time, 1985
Margaret Sewell, "Stand up and Cheer" (also known as "Danni Becomes a Cheerleader"), The New Gidget, 1986
Elaine Warwick, "Echoes," Riptide, NBC, 1986
Irma Brown, "Courtin' Disaster," Newhart, 1988
Katherine, "Stan Takes a Wife," The Golden Girls, NBC, 1989
Connie Lewis, "The Szechuan Dragon," Murder, She Wrote, CBS, 1990
Mrs. Fitzer, "A Charlie Brown Fitzer," Herman's Head, Fox, 1992
Lorraine, "Burden of the Burleighs," Coach, ABC, 1993
Voice of Munsterella, "A Scent, a Memory, a Far Distant Cheese," BikerMice from Mars (animated), 1993
Lorraine, "Luthario," Coach, ABC, 1993
Aunt Lillian, "The One Where Nana Dies Twice," Friends, NBC, 1994
Delores, "The Tape," Ellen, ABC, 1996
Rebecca Quinn, "The Heart Within," Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, CBS,2001
Also appeared as Felicia, One Day at a Time, CBS; in Crossroads, ABC; "Circle," Shortstories.
Television Work
Series
Additional voices, Eek! the Cat (animated; also known as Eek! and the Terrible Thunderlizards and Eek!stravaganza), Fox, 1992
Radio Appearances
Sang on KMO-Radio, Tacoma, WA, 1939.
WRITINGS
Books
In the Kitchen with Elinor Donahue, Cumberland House, 1998

Further Reference

OTHER SOURCES

Periodicals

Entertainment Weekly, November 7, 1997, p. 100

User Contributions:

Comment about this article, ask questions, or add new information about this topic:

forum