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 was a pharmacist who helped her uncle. Then he said, Oh, that was very nice. As a producer, he dominated early television. He was just absolutely precious. In 1959, she was nominated for an Emmy Award for her supporting role as Betty Anderson on "Father Knows Best". Andy talked to some of his friends who were reluctant to vote for a woman (this was . He is a motorcycle collector and businessman. 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. 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.. Ellie helped her uncle Fred at Walker's Drugstore in Mayberry and she eventually starts dating Andy Taylor. Then he said, Oh, that was very nice. Often, her funniest lines would get taken away from her and given to other actors.After all, she had just left Father Knows Best which was one of Americas most popular sitcoms and one where she had a major role. Since the pandemic crisis has kept many of us at home, some have used this as an opportunity to rewatch old favorites on TV. Sign up for daily stories delivered to your inbox. 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. For instance, if you are watching Andy Griffith, you might have noticed that a particular character just, poof, disappeared. In 1984, she made an appearance as Mrs. Broderick, the mother of a teenage drug addict on the last season of Happy Days. 'The Andy Griffith Show' is one of the most revered series in history. The only person who called me from the show was your dad, the actor said. Thankfully, she was able to leave the show with no bad blood. All Rights Reserved. Elinor Donahue. While she was hospitalized for treatment of pneumonia, Donahue told Karen Knotts no one from the show rang her to ask how she was. In 2001 she wed Tom Poston, her long-ago Broadway co-star, who had also been a guest star on "The Bob Newhart Show" and a regular in Mr. Newhart's second sitcom, "Newhart," in the 1980s. 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. 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. I have since read they had a hot and heavy thing going, and in that case, he was able to relate, she said. But imposter syndrome can be difficult to manage. She went up and apologized for having left the show. But the truth is, I felt like a bird out of a nest. In retrospect, from things that people have said to me very lovely things I was doing OK. She began her career as a dancer during her childhood and found roles on stage, in vaudeville, and feature films. Andy Griffith had been a successful stand-up comedian as well as an actor before beginning the show, and he had fully expected to be the main funny character on it, and in the first few episodes even performed some of his stand-up routines, like his countrified versions of classic fairy tales. 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. But the truth is, I felt like a bird out of a nest. Walker was Mayberrys pharmacist. with Father Knows Best's Elinor Donahue as the druggist . "Nip It In the Bud": $20 'Andy Griffith Show' Tee Is a Funny, Cozy Memory. He said they just didnt know how to write for me. To hear Elinor Donahue in her own words regardingFather Knows BestandThe Andy Griffith Show, as well as people likeGilligans Islandstar Dawn Wells and others, please visit theTV RetroVisionpodcast by clicking HERE. THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW, Elinor Donahue, Andy Griffith (ca. She played the part of Lorraine, Luther Van Dam's girlfriend, in season five of Coach in the early 1990s. Elinor Donahue, who portrayed Ellie, wanted off the show almost immediately. She married Harry Ackerman in 1962. Sheriff Andy liked to call her the "lady pharmacist.". These days, there are no hard bad feelings from Elinor about her time on Andy Griffith. In the 196465 broadcast season, Donahue costarred as Joan Randall, the daughter of Walter Burnley, played by John McGiver, on the CBS sitcom Many Happy Returns about the complaint department of a fictitious Los Angeles department store. 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. 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. 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 Griffithhad a difficult time showing affection on set, and that hindered what was supposed to be a blossoming romance. Why Did Elinor Donahue Leave Andy Griffith 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. It was the strangest feeling. Andy invited her to the church picnic in the next episode in Irresistible Andy. View results. Donahue achieved stardom for her role as the elder daughter, Betty, on the television family series Father Knows Best, which aired from 1954 to 1960. Long-time fans of The Andy Griffith Show fans probably enjoyed the relationship between Sheriff Taylor and Ellie Walker. I just didnt feel right about it. After all, she was only 23 when he agreed to the three-year contract as Ellie. For The Andy Griffith Show, Peterson initially read for the role of Ellie Walker, a love interest for Sheriff Andy Taylor, but the role went to Elinor Donahue. After twelve appearances in the first season, Ellie disappeared with no explanation offered to the audience. 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 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. He said they just didnt know how to write for me. He said they just didnt know how to write for me. And of course, they were funny, and they made those two characters so rich and terrific. I didnt think there was any real chemistry there. Id gone directly fromFather Knows Bestto having a couple of months of turmoil in my personal life that was not settled at all. He was as gracious to me as you could imagine, she smiles. I have always wondered why he was uncomfortable around women. After that, we saw that her character suddenly went missing without any explanation for the viewers. turkey club sandwich nutrition Uncovering hot babes since 1919.. eileen heckart andy griffith show. This is because Elinor Donahue wished to leave the show. Elinor Donahue played Ellie Walker on The Andy Griffith Show. Why did Don Knotts leave Andy Griffith Show? While she was on tour, Maggie was discovered by The Andy Griffith Show director Bob Sweeny and producer Aaron Ruben. Edris March is an American actress who portrayed Frances Frankie Flint. That could have been part of it. 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. She guest starred on an episode of U.S. He was as gracious to me as you could imagine, she smiles. The actor told the Television Academy Foundation how she came to be cast in 1960 on The Andy Griffith Show. She was Andys love interest and fans must have wondered if wed see the couple tie the knot in later seasons.But before we knew it Ellie Walker was written off the show. 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. 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. Ellie Walker is a pharmacist (or "lady druggist" as Andy called her) who assists her uncle Fred Walker at Walker's Drugstore in Mayberry. 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 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. 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 said in a 2018 interview with Fox. I didnt think there was any real chemistry there. Do Men Still Wear Button Holes At Weddings? 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. I didnt think there was any real chemistry there. In 1966, she guest-starred on the TV series A Man Called Shenandoah, episode 8, "Town On Fire". Its difficult to go from one series to another, especially in the early days of network television. He was buried in the Griffith family cemetery on the island within five hours of his death. 2022 - 2023 Times Mojo - All Rights Reserved What happened to her after she mysteriously left the show following the first season? 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. I was very, very touched by that. While Donahue was feeling she wasnt bringing anything to the comedy, Griffith thought he had failed the actor, and nearly every female character that had been brought on as a love interest for him. And then went right into [The Andy Griffith Show]. I had a three-year contract. 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. Subscribe to our newsletter for new stories, tips & events. But the truth is, I felt like a bird out of a nest. [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. Is Ellie off of Andy Griffith Show still alive? He was as gracious to me as you could imagine, she smiles. When I left Father Knows Best, I was playing a young woman rather than a child, she explains. In 1977, she appeared in an episode of the ABC crime drama The Feather and Father Gang. 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. Oftentimes it is virtually impossible for a young performer in television to make the transition to more adult roles, but Elinor Donahue managed to break the mold given that she was able to seamlessly go from Father Knows Best to The Andy Griffith Show. Learn how your comment data is processed. Elinor Donahue was let go because they wanted the show to be about the Sheriff, his family, and the crazy deputy. In 1992, she voiced the mother on the Fox Kids animated series Eek! Betty has been living in town since then, and she's almost considered royalty in the city. The wedding took place in front of the Abbotts' new home, which just happened to be a replica of the Anderson house from Father Knows Best. Why did Elinor Donahue leave Mayberry? 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. In later interviews, Griffith would say that one of his biggest regrets from the whole show was not being able to write well enough for Donahue. Betty Lynn, who portrayed Thelma Lou, died earlier this month at age 95. Andy Griffith was already in his mid-thirties when he began playing everyones favorite country sheriff on The Andy Griffith Show in 1960. She needed to take a break for her emotional health. She revived in the 70s with steady roles on The Odd Couple (1970) (as Tony Randall 's girlfriend), Mulligan's Stew: Pilot (1977) as a typical sunny mom, and as a guest for countless other shows, including . mike vernon royal household; are there snakes in gran canaria; shooting in laurel, md yesterday. That could have been part of it. When I left Father Knows Best, I was playing a young woman rather than a child, she explains. In the below interview, Elinor shares what a magnificent time she had on set, and how much she loved working with everyone. TimesMojo is a social question-and-answer website where you can get all the answers to your questions. She has been married to Lou Genevrino since 1992 and has four children. She played lady druggist Ellie Walker on the CBS comedy for about a dozen episodes until her unexpected departure. 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. So he would take things that were actually written for Miss Ellie and the sheriff and give them to your dad, Donahue told Karen. Although she may not have been part of the main cast on Griffith, she was Andy Taylor's first love interest on the show in the comedy's debut season. she and Andy Griffith didn't have enough chemistry. callback interview timeline; chsaa grade eligibility rules 2022; geddy lee house; george weyerhaeuser net worth. In 1990, she played Bridget, a Beverly Hills clothing-store manager, in the film Pretty Woman. 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. Donahue played Ellie Walker from 1960 through 1961. 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