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American actress (born 1937)

Elinor Donahue (born Mary Eleanor Donahue, April 19, 1937) is a retired
American actress, best known today for playing the role of Betty Anderson, the eldest child of Jim and Margaret Anderson on the 1950s American sitcom Father Knows Best.

Donahue was born in Tacoma, Washington, the daughter of Doris Genevieve (née Gelbaugh) and Thomas William Donahue on April 19, 1937. 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 was a child actress working in vaudeville and had several bit parts in movies as a teenager, including Love Is Better Than Ever (1952), starring Elizabeth Taylor and Tea for Two (1950) starring Doris Day. She played one of the daughters in Three Daring Daughters in 1948 and appeared as Mamie Van Doren's sister in Girls Town (1959).

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. 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. Donahue was a musical judge in ABC's Jukebox Jury (1953–54). While in the first season of Father Knows Best, she also appeared on The Ray Bolger Show, starring Ray Bolger as a song and dance man. Thereafter, she was cast with James Best, Ann Doran, and J. Carrol Naish in the 1956 episode "The White Carnation" of the religion anthology series, Crossroads. She guest starred on an episode of U. S. Marshal. She also appeared as a new bride in The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show episode titled "The Newlyweds" that aired April 2, 1956. She acted in the feature film Girls Town (1959 film), which she later described as "an awful picture".

Donahue played Georgiana Balanger, the niece of George and Martha Wilson, in the episode "Dennis and the Wedding" (1960) on Dennis the Menace. Donahue was also cast, in 1960, with Marion Ross in an episode ("Duet") of The Brothers Brannagan. She played Miriam Welby on ABC's The Odd Couple, Jane Mulligan on Mulligan's Stew, and evil Nurse Hunnicut on Days of Our Lives. She was part of the main cast for the first season of CBS's The Andy Griffith Show, as Andy's pharmacist love interest Ellie Walker. She was even mentioned in the opening credits before Don Knotts. After one season (1960–1961), Donahue asked for a release from her three year contract. In 1963, Donahue was cast in an episode of NBC's short lived modern Western series, Redigo, with Richard Egan as the rancher Jim Redigo. Then she played in another Western series Have Gun Will Travel as Letty May in the episode "The Burning Tree". In 1964, she appeared in the NBC TV series The Eleventh Hour, a medical drama dealing with psychiatry, starring Jack Ging and Ralph Bellamy, where she played the role of Melanie in the episode "The Secret in the Stone". In 1966, she guest starred on the TV series A Man Called Shenandoah, episode 8, "Town On Fire". In 1967, she guest appeared on Star Trek in the second season episode "Metamorphosis" as commissioner Nancy Hedford. Donahue portrayed the sister of Sister Bertrille (Sally Field) in three episodes of ABC's The Flying Nun (1968–70). She portrayed Miriam Welby in 17 episodes of The Odd Couple (1972–75). In 1977, she appeared in an episode of the ABC crime drama The Feather and Father Gang. In 1978, Donahue starred in the NBC sitcom Please Stand By. In 1979, she appeared on Diff'rent Strokes as a fiancée to Mr. Drummond in season 1. In 1981, Donahue appeared in an episode of One Day at a Time, as Alex's mother Felicia. In 1984, she made an appearance as Mrs. Broderick, the mother of a teenage drug addict on the last season of Happy Days. In 1987, she played the title character's mother in the short lived Fox series The New Adventures of Beans Baxter. In 1988, she appeared in a Newhart episode ("Courtin' Disaster"). In 1989 she appeared in an episode of The Golden Girls as the newest wife of Dorothy Zbornak's ex husband, Stan.

In 1990, she played Bridget, a Beverly Hills clothing store manager, in the film Pretty Woman. Donahue played Gladys, the mother of Chris Peterson (Chris Elliott), in all 35 episodes of the sitcom Get a Life (1990–92), and had a recurring role as Rebecca Quinn on the CBS drama series Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman. In 1991, she portrayed the "Orphanage woman" in Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare. In 1992, she voiced the mother on the Fox Kids animated series Eek! the Cat. In 1994, she made an appearance as Aunt Lillian in "The One Where Nana Dies Twice", an episode of Friends. She played the part of Lorraine, Luther Van Dam's girlfriend, in season five of Coach in the early 1990s. In 1998, Donahue published a memoir titled In the Kitchen with Elinor Donahue, in which she relived some of her memories of Hollywood along with providing more than 150 of her recipes. In September 2010, Donahue made an appearance on The Young and the Restless as Judge Anderson, one of Nikki Newman's old friends and also as the woman minister who will officiate at the wedding of Billy Abbott and Nikki's daughter, Victoria Newman. 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. In 2015, Donahue played the role of Mrs. Chumley in Judson Theatre Company's production of the Pulitzer Prize play Harvey by Mary Chase. Donahue called the role her "swan song".

Year Title Role Notes1954–60Father Knows BestBetty AndersonMain role1955Lux Video TheatreHelen RichardsEpisode: "The Life of Emile Zola"1955Letter to LorettaDebbie Waring / Janey2 episodes1956Emily Vanderlip FosterEpisode: "The Newlyweds"1956Ford TheatreKatherine CaseyEpisode: "Sheila"1958U. S. MarshalMartha WatsonEpisode: "Shoot to Kill"1960Goodyear TheatreConnie PetersEpisode: "Marked Down for Connie"1960Dennis the MenaceGeorgiana BalangerEpisode: "Dennis and the Wedding"1960Kate WarrenEpisode: "Duet"1960–61Elinor "Ellie" WalkerMain cast (season 1)1961General Electric TheaterCarol MadsenEpisode: "A Voice on the Phone"1961Fran CrowellEpisode: "Delayed Honeymoon"196377 Sunset StripLaura HoltEpisode: "Scream Softly, Dear"1963Have Gun – Will TravelLetty Mae StinchcombEpisode: "The Burning Tree"1963Dr. KildareSharon CallowayEpisode: "Ship's Doctor"1963RedigoJoanie Mae KilpatrickEpisode: "Hostage Hero Riding"1963Carole ColeEpisode: "Siege"1964MelanieEpisode: "The Secret in the Stone"1964–65Many Happy ReturnsJoan RandallMain role1965Julie WadeEpisode: "Town on Fire"1967Occasional WifeLinda SueEpisode: "Oil, Be Seeing You"1967Star Trek: The Original SeriesNancy HedfordEpisode: "Metamorphosis"1968–70Dr. Jennifer Ethrington3 episodes1969In Name OnlyEsther GarrityTV film1972Gidget Gets MarriedMedley BlaineTV film1972–75Miriam WelbyRecurring role1974If I Love You, Am I Trapped Forever?Alice BennettTV film1974Police WomanEllie TarlowEpisode: "Warning: All Wives"1974AmandaEpisode: "Blue Christmas"1975PetrocelliJoan HillerEpisode: "Vengeance in White"1976S. W. A. T. Marjorie KempEpisode: "Lessons in Fear"1977JulieEpisode: "The People's Choice"1977Betty AndersonTV film1977InsightMargaret DrillEpisode: "Christmas 2025"1977Mulligan's StewJane MulliganMain role1977Father Knows Best: Home for ChristmasBetty AndersonTV film1977Police StoryCamille TackleberryEpisode: "Ice Time"1978Police StoryJoan AndersonEpisode: "No Margin for Error"1978Doctors' Private LivesMona WiseTV film1979Please Stand ByCarol LambertTV series1979Diff'rent StrokesDiane SloaneEpisode: "The Woman"1980CondominiumAudrey AmesTV film1980Barnaby JonesJudy CorbettEpisode: "The Silent Accuser"1981Mork & MindyDr. Joni LincolnEpisode: "Mindy and Mork"1981Ellie WilliamsTV film1981One Day at a TimeFeliciaEpisode: "Alex Moves In"1981Fantasy IslandMadge Nolan / Blanche Barrens2 episodes1982 The Dukes of HazzardMarjorie DaneEpisode: "The Sound of Music Hazzard Style" 1983High School U. S. A. Mrs. FranklinTV film1983HotelLouiseEpisode: "Deceptions"1984No Earthly ReasonMrs. MorrisonTV film1984Happy DaysMrs. BroderickEpisode: "School Dazed"1984–85Days of Our LivesKate HoneycuttGuest role1986RiptideElaine WarwickEpisode: "Echoes"1987Betty AndersonEpisode: "Who Killed Maxwell Thorn? "1987Susan BaxterRegular role1988CBS Schoolbreak SpecialLaura DonovanEpisode: "Never Say Goodbye"1988NewhartIrmaEpisode: "Courtin' Disaster"1989KatherineEpisode: "Stan Takes a Wife"1989GenerationsSylvia FurthTV series1989Santa BarbaraDr. Anderson2 episodes1990Murder, She WroteConnie LewisEpisode: "The Szechuan Dragon"1990–92Get a LifeGladys PetersonMain role1992Herman's HeadMrs. FitzerEpisode: "A Charlie Brown Fitzer"1992–93Eek! The CatMomVoice1993Queen EleanoraVoice, episode: "The Jubilee"1993CoachLorraine2 episodes1993Biker Mice from MarsMunsterellaVoice, episode: "A Scent, a Memory, a Far Distant Cheese"1993–97Dr. Quinn, Medicine WomanRebecca QuinnRecurring role (seasons 2–6)1994FriendsAunt LillianEpisode: "The One Where Nana Dies Twice"1995Norma Winters2 episodes1996EllenDelores WarwellEpisode: "The Tape"1999Shake, Rattle and Roll: An American Love StoryMrs. LebowitzTV film2001Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman: The Heart WithinRebecca Quinn DickinsonTV film2005Cold CaseEsther 'Legs' DavisEpisode: "Colors"2010–11Judge Marie AndersonGuest role (4 episodes)