This article is from Do You Remember. I had a three-year contract. Donahue was a musical judge in ABC's Jukebox Jury (195354). Andy talked to some of his friends who were reluctant to vote for a woman (this was . 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. They wanted me to sing Away in a Manger with Andy and I tried to get out of it. 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. 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. georgetown child psychiatry; the sardine can morro bay. Years later, Elinor attended an event and saw him there. DNA. 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. why did kim fischer leave the mentalist. But the truth is, Donahue told Fox News in 2018. 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. Marshal. I was just not a happy camper. 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. Study Guides . But it didnt seem like Donahue ever had any sort of conflict with Andy Griffith or anyone else working on the show. Elinor Donahue played Ellie Walker on The Andy Griffith Show. 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 iconic The Andy Griffith Show and remember Ellie Walker from the first season? Sheriff Andy liked to call her the "lady pharmacist.". 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. Donahue portrayed the sister of Sister Bertrille (Sally Field) in three episodes of ABC's The Flying Nun (196870). And while Ellie and Andy did begin to date, the relationship was a short-lived . It was the strangest feeling. She married Harry Ackerman in 1962. However, when Don Knotts became such a popular favorite as Deputy Barney Fife, Griffith decided for . Betty Lynn, most famously known for her portrayal of Thelma Lou on the classic "The Andy Griffith Show," has died at age 95. . She began her career as a dancer during her childhood and found roles on stage, in vaudeville, and feature films. 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. And I didnt read or anything. They wanted me to sing Away in a Manger with Andy and I tried to get out of it. Learn how your comment data is processed. "People of all ages hug me. Andy talked to some of his friends who were reluctant to vote for a woman (this was 1960, after all). Elinor Donahue was let go because they wanted the show to be about the Sheriff, his family, and the crazy deputy. Just a rehearsal. We started singing and sang through the whole thing. 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. After her appearance in episode The Guitar Player Returns, she inexplicably leaves the series. I just didnt feel right about it. In retrospect, from things that people have said to me very lovely things I was doing OK. I just didnt feel right about it. 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. Offers may be subject to change without notice. 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. Donahue played a strong female role on The Andy Griffith Show. Sheriff Andy liked to call her the lady pharmacist. Ellie even ran for City Council. Part of that, she believes, was because she had more or less grown up on the former. However, the episode "The Guitar Player Returns" was her last. . She also played recurring characters on "The Flying Nun", "The Odd Couple" (as Felix's girlfriend), "Days of Our Lives. I have always wondered why he was uncomfortable around women. That could have been part of it. Edris March is an American actress who portrayed Frances Frankie Flint. Then came her three-year contract with The Andy Griffith Show. If anything, Griffith felt bad that he couldnt do more. At least now we know what happened. Answer (1 of 2): In the Andy Griffith Show the character of Ellie, played by Elinore Donahue, helped her uncle Fred at Walker's Drugstore in Mayberry. 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 . Why did Miss Ellie leave The Andy Griffith Show? But imposter syndrome can be difficult to manage. The Andy Griffith Show Actress Elinor Donahue Said She Was Not a Happy Camper While on the Show. 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. It was just very sweet.. After twelve appearances in the first season, Ellie disappeared with no explanation offered to the audience. Click the title to hop over there. Donahue played a strong female role on The Andy Griffith Show. I just didnt feel right about it. People are so good to me," she said. So at the end of filming one day, we met at a recording studio and he got a key. Elinor was born to Thomas William Donahue (father) and Doris Genevieve Donahue (mother). Andy later took the blame and said he wasn't very good at showing . 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. In the episode, Danny Thomas drives through the town of Mayberry and gets pulled over by Sheriff Taylor for running an unnoticed stop sign. So he was only a few months away from turning 60 when Matlock premiered on NBC. 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. So at the end of filming one day, we met at a recording studio and he got a key. Why did Elinor Donahue leave 'The Andy Griffith Show' after playing Andy's love interest in the first season? Her co-stars were Robert Young, Jane Wyatt, Billy Gray as her . 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. 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. 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. COPYRIGHT 2023, WOMG. He said they just didnt know how to write for me. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. 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. Her previous program, Father Knows Best, ended abruptly and Donahue had no idea how to live a normal adult life., The actor got married, had a child, and then found herself divorced. the Cat. So at the end of filming one day, we met at a recording studio and he got a key. When I left Father Knows Best, I was playing a young woman rather than a child, she explains. In real life, Griffith and Helen Crump actor Aneta Corsaut were romantically involved, to the point that he asked her to marry him several times. 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 went up and apologized for having left the show. In other interviews, she said she didnt share much on-screen chemistry with Andy Griffith. We're talking about pharmacist Ellie Walker, who had a pretty prominent role in Season 1. 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. It was just very sweet., Our new Privacy Policy will go into effect on January 1st, 2023. ELINOR DONAHUE. Her character mysteriously disappeared without any kind of explanation for the viewers. The two were married for almost 30 years when he died in 1991. Ellie helped her uncle Fred at Walker's Drugstore in Mayberry and she eventually starts dating Andy Taylor. 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. The commonality is actually actress Elinor Donahue, who became a part of Classic TV history on Father Knows Best and ever so briefly The Andy Griffith Show, the latter for about a dozen episodes. What happened to Thelma Lous first husband? Do Men Still Wear Button Holes At Weddings? Before The Andy Griffith Show, Donahue found major success on the show, Father Knows Best.After Father Knows Best ended, she really struggled to adjust to a new show. Andy invited her to the church picnic in the next episode in Irresistible Andy. In retrospect, from things that people have said to me very lovely things I was doing OK. You might even remember her playing the friendly store manager Bridget in Pretty Woman, Lady Palimore inThe Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagementor eventhe "Orphanage woman" inFreddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare. 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