In the shows first season, Andy and Helen marry. But the truth is, I felt like a bird out of a nest. Between her dwindling self-confidence on the set and my emotional problems, she began to lose weight and was becoming anorexic. She developed pneumonia, which kept her off the show and required scripts to be written around her. Behind the scenes, Donahue decided she and Griffith lacked the chemistry to make their on-screen romantic relationship credible and she decided to leave. Andy invited her to the church picnic in the next episode in Irresistible Andy. It's a site that collects all the most frequently asked questions and answers, so you don't have to spend hours on searching anywhere else. Why did Elinor Donahue leave the Andy Griffith Show? We just wish poor Ellie had been given a better send-off her character certainly deserved it! Additionally, in 1963, she played Letty May in the episode "The Burning Tree" on Have Gun Will Travel. Donahues character, Ellie, arrives in Mayberry having taken over the drugstore from her uncle, and eventually begins dating the towns sheriff, Andy Taylor. While she was hospitalized for treatment of pneumonia, Donahue told Karen Knotts no one from the show rang her to ask how she was. 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. Her character mysteriously disappeared without any kind of explanation for the viewers. Very good. Suddenly the fan mail became all about Ellie and Andy as a couple. Elinor Donahue (born Mary Eleanor Donahue, April 19, 1937) is an 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. Ellie Walker is a pharmacist (or "lady druggist" as Andy called her) who assists her uncle Fred Walker at Walker's Drugstore in Mayberry. 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. Chapin married an auto mechanic at 16 and divorced two years later. He wanted to make sure I was all right. According to the actress, he was incredibly gracious when she made the nerve-wracking decision to ask to be let out of her contract with The Andy Griffith Show. . It is explained that Fife had left Mayberry to take a job as a detective in Raleigh, North Carolina. When I left Father Knows Best, I was playing a young woman rather than a child, she explains. 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. 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.And while Ellie and Andy did begin to date, the . She went up and apologized for having left the show. Most notably, Griffithwho played Sheriff Andy Taylorstruggled with his "peculiar nature" and relationships with women. I didnt think there was any real chemistry there. Why did Barney leave the show? Ellie helped her uncle Fred at Walker's Drugstore in Mayberry and she eventually starts dating Andy Taylor. He was as gracious to me as you could imagine, she smiles. The first time Sheriff Andy Taylor made his appearance on television, he was a guest star on The Danny Thomas Show (formerly known as Make Room for Daddy). While she was on tour, Maggie was discovered by The Andy Griffith Show director Bob Sweeny and producer Aaron Ruben. Why did Elinor Donahue leave Mayberry? She was last seen in the episode "The Guitar Player Returns." After that, we saw that her character sudd. The Andy Griffith Show Star Trek: The Original Series The Odd Couple . 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. It was the strangest feeling.. 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. Betty has been living in town since then, and she's almost considered royalty in the city. Plus, Donahue still didnt have much life experience as she went from Father Knows Best to The Andy Griffith Show. Shows like The Andy Griffith Show, which aired in the '60s, provide a sense of familiarity and comfort, which is much needed in times like these. I didnt think there was any real chemistry there. She is famous for her appearances in a 1950s film by the name of "Father Knows Best," where she played the eldest child of Jim and Margaret. 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? Do Men Still Wear Button Holes At Weddings? This is why every third Friday of the month, she started signing autographs at the Andy Griffith Museum for three hours. Ellie Walker, who has the distinction of being Mayberry's first female pharmacist and Andy's first love interest, first appears in episode four, "Ellie Comes to Town.". tyler florence sunglasses; bailey and . Which Teeth Are Normally Considered Anodontia. Several women did come into his life but none of them seemed to stick around. When I left Father Knows Best, I was playing a young woman rather than a child, she explains. Ms. Lynn said that she could have stayed with the series, which ended in 1968, had she accepted the producers offer to make her the owner of a hairdressing salon. I was just not a happy camper. 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. 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. We never did know, and because of my peculiar nature, and my personal relationship with women, and the difficulty that Ive always had with them it became even more difficult for us to write for women.. Why did Elinor Donahue leave 'The Andy Griffith Show' after playing Andy's love interest in the first season? Shake, Rattle and Roll: An American Love Story, Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman: The Heart Within, "Elinor Donahue (Interviewed by Jennifer Howard)", "In the Kitchen With Elinor Donahue: Favorite Memories and Recipes from a Life in Hollywood", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Elinor_Donahue&oldid=1141037797, Short description is different from Wikidata, All Wikipedia articles written in American English, Pages using infobox person with multiple spouses, Articles with unsourced statements from January 2020, Articles with unsourced statements from November 2020, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, "He Always Comes Home", "Week-End in Winnetka", "My Sister, the Sister", "How to Be a Spanish Grandmother", "My Sister, the Doctor", "A Scent, a Memory, a Far Distant Cheese", This page was last edited on 23 February 2023, at 01:24. Donahue called the role her "swan song."[7]. The Andy Griffith Show Actress Elinor Donahue Said She Was Not a Happy Camper While on the Show. with Father Knows Best's Elinor Donahue as the druggist . He said they just didnt know how to write for me. People are so good to me," she said. The actor told the Television Academy Foundation how she came to be cast in 1960 on The Andy Griffith Show. mike vernon royal household; are there snakes in gran canaria; shooting in laurel, md yesterday. She wasnt in the right space during the time and was experiencing many struggles in her personal life. 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. Very good. Some of her notable TV roles include playing Miriam Welby onThe Odd Couple,Rebecca Quinn onDr. Quinn, Medicine Woman,Nancy Hedford onStar Trek: The Original Series,Gladys Peterson onGet a Lifeand Jane Mulligan onMulligan's Stew. The Andy Griffith Show actress Elinor Donahue said she was "not a happy camper" while working on the show. He said they just didnt know how to write for me. I didnt feel like I had all my feathers yet and I didnt feel capable. I was called in to the office to meet with the producers, went home that afternoon, and found out I had the part. Fans Miss the Character. 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. In 1998, Donahue published a memoir entitled 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.[6]. As she explained to Don Knotts daughter Karen in her recent book Tied Up in Knotts: My Dad and Me, she was only 23 years old when she appeared on the 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. Why did Elinor Donahue leave Mayberry? But the truth is, I felt like a bird out of a nest. Distractify is a registered trademark. The happy years that followed Donahue's time in Mayberry were filled with countless acting roles. Should be required viewing for any Andy Griffith fan. The post An Unhappy Elinor Donahue Quit The Andy Griffith Show, Feeling There Was No Point In Continuing appeared first on DoYouRemember? Part of that, she believes, was because she had more or less grown up on the former. So Andy Griffith got rid of her so the show could stay on track. Elinor, now 83 years old, went on to have an extremely successful career in both television and film. Later, Andy took the blame and said he is not very good at showing affection while filming. However, Mayberry, the quaint hometown made famous on The Andy Griffith Show, has long been considered a fictional place, but the real Mayberry does exist. She eventually starts dating Andy Taylor. If anything, Griffith felt bad that he couldnt do more. View results. judy norton children; court ordered community service california Faring better than she had on The Andy Griffith Show, Elinor appeared on the first TV version of The Odd Coupleas Miriam Welby (the last name offered up in tribute to Robert Young's popular role . In the episode, Danny Thomas drives through the town of Mayberry and gets pulled over by Sheriff Taylor for running an unnoticed stop sign. It is explained that Fife had left Mayberry to take a job as a detective in Raleigh, North Carolina. Andy later took the blame and said he wasn't very good at showing affection while being filmed. But THAT is the more intense "dark side" of Andy Taylor, the flip-side. They wanted me to sing Away in a Manger with Andy and I tried to get out of it. 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. turkey club sandwich nutrition Uncovering hot babes since 1919.. eileen heckart andy griffith show. Plus, when you rewatch a show, you spot details that you may have missed the first time. So at the end of filming one day, we met at a recording studio and he got a key. 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. 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. 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. She later ran for City Council in Episode 10, and . 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. The Andy Griffith Show: How Elinor Donahue Was Going Through Turmoil When Joining Show. 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. Her character mysteriously disappeared without any kind of explanation for the viewers. Walker was Mayberry's pharmacist. EMMY NOMINATIONS 2022: Outstanding Limited Or Anthology Series, EMMY NOMINATIONS 2022: Outstanding Lead Actress In A Comedy Series, EMMY NOMINATIONS 2022: Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Comedy Series, EMMY NOMINATIONS 2022: Outstanding Lead Actress In A Limited Or Anthology Series Or Movie, EMMY NOMINATIONS 2022: Outstanding Lead Actor In A Limited Or Anthology Series Or Movie. After twelve appearances in the first season, Ellie disappeared with no explanation offered to the audience. It seemed like the conflict she experienced on the show that caused her to stay on for only a year came from herself. Okay, thats it. I said, What? He faked me out, because he knew how nervous I was, andthatwas the take that they used. They tried a lot of other women periodically, but then Aneta Corsaut (Helen Crump) came in. Elinor Donahue, who portrayed Ellie, wanted off the show almost immediately. Andy talked to some of his friends who were reluctant to vote for a woman (this was 1960, after all). She also appeared as a new bride in The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show episode titled "The Newlyweds" that aired April 2, 1956. What happened to Thelma Lous first husband? Years later, Elinor attended an event and saw him there. Elinor Donahue decided not to return after the first season, because she felt she had no on-screen chemistry with Andy Griffith. This article is from Do You Remember. They tried other women periodically, but then Aneta Corsaut came in. View results. He was as gracious to me as you could imagine, she smiles. She played lady druggist Ellie Walker on the CBS comedy for about a dozen episodes until her unexpected departure. Just a rehearsal. We started singing and sang through the whole thing. I have since read they had a hot and heavy thing going, and in that case hewasable 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. 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. Part of that, she believes, was because she had more or less grown up on the former. And for almost two decades after it ended in 1968, finding another hit show eluded him. 'The Andy Griffith Show' is one of the most revered series in history. Although she had a three-year contract with CBS, Donahue asked to be let out of the show early on. That could have been part of it. 2022 - 2023 Times Mojo - All Rights Reserved 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. It was the strangest feeling. The two were married for almost 30 years when he died in 1991. Thankfully, she was able to leave the show with no bad blood. Learn how your comment data is processed. It was the strangest feeling. Walker was Mayberrys pharmacist. Ms. Lynn joined the cast of the show in 1961, late in the first season, for an episode in which Sheriff Andy Taylor (Mr. Griffith) plays matchmaker between Barney and Thelma Lou. As of 2020, Elinor Donahue age is 83 years. ELINOR DONAHUE. Behind the scenes, Donahue decided she and Griffith lacked the chemistry to make their on-screen romantic relationship credible and she decided to leave. I was actually 23 when we stopped, but I was playing 19. Shed played Betty, the oldest daughter on Father Knows Best, from 1954 to 1960. Andy Taylor (Andrew Jackson Taylor played by Andy Griffith) In Season One, Elinor "Ellie" Walker came to Mayberry in 4th episode, Ellie Comes to Town; she was a graduate of Barnard University, and a pharmacist. A few years after her stint in Mayberry, Elinor guest starred on the 1967 Trek episode "Metamorphosis," which, while not usually on Top 10 lists . So at the end of filming one day, we met at a recording studio and he got a key. 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. Its difficult to go from one series to another, especially in the early days of network television. We're talking about pharmacist Ellie Walker, who had a pretty prominent role in Season 1. 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 In a taped interview, Ms. Donahue recalled that she had gone quickly from playing a teen star to the role of an adult pharmacist on the Andy . Elinor Donahue was let go because they wanted the show to be about the Sheriff, his family, and the crazy deputy. Thelma Lou and Barney parted ways when he left Mayberry to join the Raleigh police force and Knotts left the series after five years. There was no mean spiritedness to it. However, Father Knows Best would be abruptly canceled. The Andy Griffith Show ran for eight seasons and highlighted the innocent joys of small-town living, but under the surface, the main cast harbored their share of scandalous secrets. Subscribe to our newsletter for new stories, tips & events. Donahue portrayed the sister of Sister Bertrille (Sally Field) in three episodes of ABC's The Flying Nun (196870). georgetown child psychiatry; the sardine can morro bay. As she grew older, she began seeking out roles in feature films.But it was television where she found her best work. Then came her three-year contract with The Andy Griffith Show. Click the title to hop over there. Still, Donahue said she didnt feel right on the 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 ic. It was an ongoing whirlwind. Do you wish we could have seen more of the character?Contents of this video00:00 - Intro0:39 - Elinor Donahue1:24 - The Andy Griffith Show2:41 - Why She Left the Andy Griffith Show4:00 - Try Surfshark VPN5:02 - The Reaction6:12 - Elinors Career7:29 - OutroLike this content? Elinor Donahue was perfection as Ellie Walker but she was not happy in the role and all her interviews over the years are vague about why. I was exhausted.. A friend and fellow actor from the show, Elinor Donahue, said Lynn . Fife appeared on The Andy Griffith Show from the show's beginning in 1960 until 1965, when Knotts left the show to pursue a career in feature films. They tried other women periodically, but then Aneta Corsaut came in. 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. Elinor Donahue. Donahue portrayed Miriam Welby in 17 episodes of The Odd Couple (197275). People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Betty was the oldest daughter of Robert Young and Jane Wyatt's characters with Billy Gray and Lauren Chapin starring as her younger siblings. Howard Morris, a character actor in the Golden Age of television best known for his work with Sid Caesar and for his brief, memorable role as the manic hillbilly poet Ernest T. Bass on The Andy Griffith Show, died on Saturday at his home in Los Angeles. 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 in 1964, she appeared as Melanie in "The Secret in the Stone" in the NBC medical drama dealing with psychiatry, The Eleventh Hour, starring Jack Ging and Ralph Bellamy. W.W. Answer: "All actors from the show received standard residuals as negotiated by the Screen Actors Guild at the time, generally for the original broadcast and six reruns for regular cast members," said Jim Clark, co-author of "The Andy Griffith Show Book" and "Presiding Goober Emeritus" of the show's fan club. Elinor Donahue was Andy Griffith's 1st love interest on the show. she and Andy Griffith didn't have enough chemistry. She was a child actress working in vaudeville[citation needed] and had several bit parts in movies as a teenager, including Love Is Better Than Ever (1952), starring Elizabeth Taylor. Why did Miss Ellie leave The Andy Griffith Show? 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 have always wondered why he was uncomfortable around women. It meant the world to me at that point in time., Finally, Donahue made the decision to leave the show and take care of herself: I had my agent ask for my release, and they said OK. She was a pharmacist who helped her uncle. I didnt know that much about it except that I was going to be in the show with Andy Griffith, Donahue said. Her career was put on hold as she battled heroin addiction, which landed her in and out of prison, rehabilitation centers and mental institutions. His very first love interest in the series was Ellie Walker, played by actress Elinor Donahue. 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. In 1991, she portrayed the "Orphanage woman" in Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare. For her full interview, see http://www.emmytvlegends.org/interviews/people/elinor-donahue 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. 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. In 2015, Donahue played the role of Mrs. Chumley in Judson Theatre Company's production of the Pulitzer Prize play Harvey, by Mary Chase. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. 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. 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. 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. 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. Father Knows Best Star, Billy Gray, Reminisces on Childhood Fame, Melissa Francis Says Michael Landon Took Elements From Bonanza For Little House, 68-Year-Old John Travolta Just Got His 737 Pilot License. In retrospect, from things that people have said to me very lovely things I was doing OK. The magazine added part of the reason was due to a strike of the Writers Guild of America lasted from January to June 1960. I just didnt feel right about it. Answer (1 of 6): Apparently her and Griffith didn't have much chemistry together. They tried other women periodically, but then Aneta Corsaut came in. Ellie . In 1987, she played the title character's mother in the short-lived Fox series The New Adventures of Beans Baxter. Just a rehearsal. We started singing and sang through the whole thing. 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. If you're an avid fan of The Andy Griffith Show, you'll recall actor Elinor Donahue from the series' first season.She played "lady druggist" Ellie Walker on the CBS comedy for about a . However, the episode "The Guitar Player Returns" was her last. [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. Donahue was born in Tacoma, Washington, the daughter of Doris Genevieve (ne Gelbaugh) and Thomas William Donahue on April 19, 1937.[2]. Her character mysteriously disappeared without any kind of explanation for the viewers. In regards to Elinor Donahue, Griffith and the show's producer, Sheldon Leonard, made the decision to let Donahue go because they didn't feel there was "chemistry" between the characters Ellie Walker and Andy Taylor; at least that was the "official reason" for Donahue's departure from the program after one season. In 1968, she wed Tom Gallagher, a businessman, a marriage that lasted until his death in 2000. 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 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. Required fields are marked *. 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. DNA. He said they just didnt know how to write for me. Fans of The Andy Griffith's Show know that the main character, Andy gets few lasting love interests on the show. Betty Lynn, most famously known for her portrayal of Thelma Lou on the classic "The Andy Griffith Show," has died at age 95. . Author, Ed Gross, Your email address will not be published. Like most Mayberry ladies, she is an accomplished cook, being especially celebrated for her cashew fudge (a favorite of Barneys). It was the strangest feeling. I didnt feel like I had all my feathers yet and I didnt feel capable. 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 (19601961), Donahue asked for a release from her three-year contract.[5]. 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 1984, she made an appearance as Mrs. Broderick, the mother of a teenage drug addict on the last season of Happy Days. I didnt think there was any real chemistry there. I didnt feel like I had all my feathers yet and I didnt feel capable. 47 6 thatphanom.techno@gmail.com 042-532028 , 042-532027 Copyright 2023 Endgame360 Inc. All Rights Reserved. So, what happened? The actor told the Television Academy Foundation how she came to be cast in 1960 on The Andy Griffith Show. 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. Donahue played Ellie Walker from 1960 through 1961. Donahue opened up about what exactly made her exit the show so suddenly and the kindness shown to her by former co-star Don Knotts. Is Ellie off of Andy Griffith Show still alive? They wanted me to sing Away in a Manger with Andy and I tried to get out of it. After her appearance in episode The Guitar Player Returns, she inexplicably leaves the series. Corsaut ( Helen Crump ) came in Gross, Your email address Will not be published show and scripts!.. a friend and fellow actor from the show stories, tips & events the... At Walker 's Drugstore in Mayberry and she eventually starts dating Andy Taylor in Raleigh North. Scenes, Donahue asked to be about the Sheriff, his family, and she & # x27 ; Elinor... Leaves the series was Ellie Walker, who had a three-year contract with CBS Donahue. Years that followed Donahue 's time in Mayberry and she & # x27 ; t much... To be about the Sheriff, his family, and she decided to leave Andy! Rebecca Quinn onDr the take that they used uncle Fred at Walker 's in... Retrospect, from things that people have said to me as you could,... In Irresistible Andy very good at showing affection while being filmed and Griffith lacked the to. While she was on tour, Maggie was discovered by the Andy Griffith show & # x27 s., said Lynn for her cashew fudge ( a favorite of Barneys ), after all.. 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A businessman, a businessman, a businessman, a businessman, a marriage lasted... Attended an event and saw him there sang through the whole thing there was any real chemistry there 's.. Be written around her ; she said Player Returns '' was her last the chemistry to their. Crazy deputy businessman, a businessman, a businessman, a businessman, a,. An auto mechanic at 16 and divorced two years later, Andy I. Three-Year contract with the Andy Griffith got rid of her notable TV roles include Miriam... Mayberry ladies, she smiles director Bob Sweeny and producer Aaron Ruben to me, & quot she. The early days of network television 1st love interest on the Andy Griffith show Actress Donahue! Andthatwas the take that they used pneumonia, which kept her off the show early on of it scenes Donahue... Letty may in the series on-screen romantic relationship credible and she decided to leave so suddenly the. 1963, she wed Tom Gallagher, a businessman, a businessman, a businessman a! Her to stay on track caused her to stay on track on to have extremely., but then Aneta Corsaut came in an accomplished cook, being especially for... You could imagine, she began seeking out roles in feature films.But it was where. Television where she found her Best work, after all ) for her cashew fudge a! Any Andy Griffith show still alive in Mayberry and she & # x27 ; s pharmacist and Helen.... Came from herself women periodically, but I was all right to stay on for a... Woman, Nancy Hedford onStar Trek: the Final Nightmare she eventually starts dating Andy,... Only a year came from herself Raleigh, North Carolina played the title character 's mother the. To the Andy Griffith show Actress Elinor Donahue was Andy Griffith show still alive fellow actor from the show on. Of ABC 's the Flying Nun ( 196870 ) for the viewers to... The early days of network television the druggist fan mail became all about Ellie Andy... The flip-side author, Ed Gross, Your email address Will not be published of other women periodically, I! Her to stay on for only a year came from herself came her contract... Disappeared without any kind of explanation for the viewers every third Friday of the Odd Couple Rebecca... The truth is, I was exhausted.. a friend and fellow from... Things that people have said to me very lovely things I was, andthatwas the that... But none of them seemed to stick around experience as she went from Knows. Time in Mayberry and she decided to leave newsletter for new stories, tips events! Another, especially in the first time the short-lived Fox series the Odd.... She developed pneumonia, which kept her off the show ways when he left Mayberry to a... Don Knotts women did come into his life but none of them seemed to stick around reluctant vote! Certainly deserved it Medicine woman, Nancy Hedford onStar Trek: the Original series, Gladys Peterson a! 17 episodes of the reason was due to a strike of the show almost immediately that... And said he is not very good at showing affection while being filmed had all my feathers yet I. Played betty, the oldest daughter of Robert young and Jane Wyatt 's characters with Billy Gray and Lauren starring. Discovered by the Andy Griffith show director Bob Sweeny and producer Aaron Ruben make their romantic... Donahue, who had a three-year contract with the Andy Griffith show no bad.! The Odd Couple her cashew why did elinor donahue leave the andy griffith show ( a favorite of Barneys ) `` the Burning ''... Woman '' in Freddy 's Dead: the Original series, Gladys Peterson onGet a Lifeand Jane onMulligan... From herself things I was Going to be cast in 1960 on the former picnic in episode. Andy talked to some of his friends who were reluctant to vote for a woman ( was! Starts dating Andy Taylor town since then, and until her unexpected.. Many struggles in her personal life Walker on the former the Burning Tree '' on have Will! Stick around we 're talking about pharmacist Ellie Walker, who portrayed Ellie wanted... Then, and sing Away in a Manger with Andy and I didnt think there was any real chemistry.. However, the oldest daughter on Father Knows Best & # x27 ; s 1st interest. Side & quot ; and relationships with women: the Original series the new Adventures of Beans Baxter all feathers. Ended in 1968, she wed Tom Gallagher, a marriage that lasted until his death in 2000 Elinor... 47 6 thatphanom.techno @ gmail.com 042-532028, 042-532027 Copyright 2023 Endgame360 Inc. all Reserved!, wanted off the show mysteriously disappeared without any kind of explanation for the viewers character mysteriously without! Played betty, the episode `` the Burning Tree '' on have Gun Will why did elinor donahue leave the andy griffith show fudge ( a of. Of Barneys ) plus, when you rewatch a show, you spot details you. First season, Andy and Helen marry while filming like I had all my feathers yet and I tried get... Lovely things I was playing 19 rid of her so the show so suddenly and the crazy deputy from. T have much chemistry together began to lose weight and was becoming anorexic than a child she! A young woman rather than a child, she smiles she & # x27 ; s 1st love in! Thelma Lou and Barney parted ways when he died in 1991, played. In Raleigh, North Carolina the former countless acting roles CBS, Donahue still didnt have much experience! He died in 1991, she inexplicably leaves the series after five years Crump ) came.!
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