Elinor Donahue Biography (1937-) - Film Reference

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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

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