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. Ellie Walker is a pharmacist (or "lady druggist" as Andy called her) who assists her uncle Fred Walker at Walker's Drugstore in Mayberry. Her co-stars were Robert Young, Jane Wyatt, Billy Gray as her . 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. She needed to take a break for her emotional health. She played lady druggist Ellie Walker on the CBS comedy for about a dozen episodes until her unexpected departure. Don Knotts' Exit From 'The Andy Griffith Show' Explained 55 Years Later, The Cast of 'Happy Days', 36 Years Later, Honor Garry Marshall, Where Did 'Man with a Plan' Daughter Emme Go? Plus, when you rewatch a show, you spot details that you may have missed the first time. 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. Author, Ed Gross, Your email address will not be published. Not many people realize this, but The Andy Griffith Show was technically a spinoff of sorts. Elinor Donahue decided not to return after the first season, because she felt she had no on-screen chemistry with Andy Griffith. For instance, if you are watching Andy Griffith, you might have noticed that a particular character just, poof, disappeared. Andy Griffith was already in his mid-thirties when he began playing everyones favorite country sheriff on The Andy Griffith Show in 1960. 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 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. 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 1968, she wed Tom Gallagher, a businessman, a marriage that lasted until his death in 2000. Subscribe here: https://www.youtube.com/factsverse?sub_confirmation=1 Or, watch more videos here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLkXAntdjbcSKgHx6EQVOwNKVz1cR2hKVElinor Donahue played Ellie Walker on the first season of The Andy Griffith Show. I was actually 23 when we stopped, but I was playing 19. Part of that, she believes, was because she had more or less grown up on the former. But the truth is, I felt like a bird out of a nest. Why did Miss Ellie leave The Andy Griffith Show? In retrospect, from things that people have said to me very lovely things I was doing OK. 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. It was the strangest feeling. 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. Her career was put on hold as she battled heroin addiction, which landed her in and out of prison, rehabilitation centers and mental institutions. The two were married for almost 30 years when he died in 1991. And Ellie won the seat. why did kim fischer leave the mentalist. She wasnt in the right space during the time and was experiencing many struggles in her personal life. Plus, Donahue still didnt have much life experience as she went from Father Knows Best to The Andy Griffith Show. That could have been part of it. 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. They tried other women periodically, but then Aneta Corsaut came in. 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. 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. Walker was Mayberry's pharmacist. I did 11 episodes, just there for the first season, Donahue said in a 2006 interview with the Archive of American Television. Sheriff Andy liked to call her the lady pharmacist. Ellie even ran for City Council. 1 views . But the truth is, I felt like a bird out of a nest. 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. COPYRIGHT 2023, WOMG. 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. 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. 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 Ellie leave Andy Griffith Show? [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. In 1992, she voiced the mother on the Fox Kids animated series Eek! Id gone directly fromFather Knows Bestto having a couple of months of turmoil in my personal life that was not settled at all. Long-time fans of The Andy Griffith Show fans probably enjoyed the relationship between Sheriff Taylor and Ellie Walker. Behind the scenes, Donahue decided she and Griffith lacked the chemistry to make their on-screen romantic relationship credible and she decided to leave. Are any cast members of The Andy Griffith Show still alive? 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 really affected him. Why did Barney leave the show? He was as gracious to me as you could imagine, she smiles. I didnt sing anymore, so I avoided it like the plague, she admits. "Andy couldn . Elinor Donahue, who portrayed Ellie, wanted off the show almost immediately. 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 . She is apparently self-sufficient; her occupation is never revealed despite references to a never-seen office, yet she lives in a roomy and well-decorated house of her own. Why did Elinor Donahue leave the Andy Griffith Show? Donahue, who started her acting career when she was six in 1943, accomplished fame for her role as the elder daughter, Betty, on the '50s sitcom. Andy later took the blame and said he wasn't very good at showing affection while being filmed. And I didnt read or anything. She was a pharmacist who helped her uncle. Years later, Elinor attended an event and saw him there. Plus, the two helped bring Barney and Thelma Lou, together. "I'm so welcomed here. Edris March is an American actress who portrayed Frances Frankie Flint. Donahues character, Ellie, arrives in Mayberry having taken over the drugstore from her uncle, and eventually begins dating the towns sheriff, Andy Taylor. Click the title to hop over there. Watching it back, she seemed to blend in just fine with the show. Woodsy locales were filmed north of Beverly Hills at Franklin Canyon. [citation needed]. 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 Andy Griffith Show? . [4] 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. 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. Andy later took the blame and said he wasn't very good at showing . The post An Unhappy Elinor Donahue Quit The Andy Griffith Show, Feeling There Was No Point In Continuing appeared first on DoYouRemember? THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW, Elinor Donahue, Andy Griffith (ca. 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. It was just very sweet.. The Andy Griffith Show Actress Elinor Donahue Said She Was Not a Happy Camper While on the Show. Just a rehearsal. We started singing and sang through the whole thing. In retrospect, from things that people have said to me very lovely things I was doing OK. In 1979, she appeared on Diff'rent Strokes as a fiance to Mr. Drummond in season 1. 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. It is explained that Fife had left Mayberry to take a job as a detective in Raleigh, North Carolina. They wanted me to sing Away in a Manger with Andy and I tried to get out of it. It is explained that Fife had left Mayberry to take a job as a detective in Raleigh, North Carolina. In 1959, she was nominated for an Emmy Award for her supporting role as Betty Anderson on "Father Knows Best". So, what happened? 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. Author Richard Kelly, who wrote The Andy Griffith Show book, quoted the shows star as saying, We never knew how to write for women. 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. 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. View results. 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 Suddenly the fan mail became all about Ellie and Andy as a couple. When wed taken a break for the hiatus, I asked to be let out of the contract., I was going through some personal problems at the time and I needed some time, she added. Griffith died on July 3, 2012, from a heart attack at the age of 86 at his coastal home in Manteo, Roanoke Island, in Dare County, North Carolina. 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. She began her career as a dancer during her childhood and found roles on stage, in vaudeville, and feature films. I was called in to the office to meet with the producers, went home that afternoon, and found out I had the part. Donahue played Georgiana Balanger, the niece of George and Martha Wilson, in the episode "Dennis and the Wedding" (1960) on Dennis the Menace. She played the part of Lorraine, Luther Van Dam's girlfriend, in season five of Coach in the early 1990s. So at the end of filming one day, we met at a recording studio and he got a key. After her appearance in episode The Guitar Player Returns, she inexplicably leaves the series. For her full interview, see http://www.emmytvlegends.org/interviews/people/elinor-donahue 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. Betty Lynn, who portrayed Thelma Lou, died earlier this month at age 95. 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. 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. I was very, very touched by that. Part of that, she believes, was because she had more or less grown up on the former. So at the end of filming one day, we met at a recording studio and he got a key. Donahue played Ellie Walker from 1960 through 1961. The Andy Griffith Show: How Elinor Donahue Was Going Through Turmoil When Joining Show. Donahue played Ellie Walker from 1960 through 1961. I went pretty much immediately fromFather Knows BestintoThe Andy Griffith Showwhere I was really playing a grownup with a profession, and moxie and stuff, she says. Donahue played Gladys, the mother of Chris Peterson (Chris Elliott), in all 35 episodes of the sitcom Get a Life (199092), and had a recurring role as Rebecca Quinn on the CBS drama series Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman. It was the strangest feeling. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Several women did come into his life but none of them seemed to stick around. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Most notably, Griffithwho played Sheriff Andy Taylorstruggled with his "peculiar nature" and relationships with women. I was actually 23 when we stopped, but I was playing 19. Walker was Mayberrys pharmacist. 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.. So he would take things that were actually written for Miss Ellie and the sheriff and give them to your dad, Donahue told Karen. 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. The series tried with other actresses, like the ones who played Peggy (Joanna Moore) and Helen (Aneta Corsaut), but it was difficult to make the relationships look natural. I didnt feel like I had all my feathers yet and I didnt feel capable. Elinor Donahue is the stage name for American actress Mary Eleanor Donahue. The Home of Nostalgia. And of course, they were funny, and they made those two characters so rich and terrific. 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. Andy later took the blame and said he wasn't very good at showing affection while being filmed. Before the hit television family series "Father Knows Best" came along, Elinor Donahue believed her days as a child star were long gone. But the truth is, I felt like a bird out of a nest. 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. Elinor Donahue was Andy Griffith's 1st love interest on the show. I didnt feel like I had all my feathers yet and I didnt feel capable. Before The Andy Griffith Show, Donahue found major success on the show, Father Knows Best. 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. callback interview timeline; chsaa grade eligibility rules 2022; geddy lee house; george weyerhaeuser net worth. A friend and fellow actor from the show, Elinor Donahue, said Lynn . Ellie was portrayed by Elinor Donahue, fresh off of a six-year stint as the precocious teenage daughter Betty "Princess" Anderson on CBS's Father Knows Best. I just didnt feel right about it. Okay, thats it. I said, What? He faked me out, because he knew how nervous I was, andthatwas the take that they used. Donahue was a musical judge in ABC's Jukebox Jury (195354). 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.. What makes literary nonfiction different from other nonfiction? 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. This article is from Do You Remember. He is a motorcycle collector and businessman. Very good. She later ran for City Council in Episode 10, and . And for almost two decades after it ended in 1968, finding another hit show eluded him. Donahue appeared in a 1981 episode of One Day at a Time, as Alex's mother Felicia. I didnt sing anymore, so I avoided it like the plague, she admits. 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. They tried a lot of other women periodically, but then Aneta Corsaut (Helen Crump) came in. who replaced warren on the andy griffith show. I just didnt feel right about it. 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. What happened to her after she mysteriously left the show following the first season? On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. In 1987, she played the title character's mother in the short-lived Fox series The New Adventures of Beans Baxter. Actors Andy Griffith (L) and Don Knotts pose backstage after accepting the Legend Award for their series "The Andy Griffith Show" during a taping of the second annual TV Land Awards in Hollywood . 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. She went up and apologized for having left the show. Like most Mayberry ladies, she is an accomplished cook, being especially celebrated for her cashew fudge (a favorite of Barneys). Son Gncelleme : 26 ubat 2023 - 6:36. Then he said, Oh, that was very nice. Just a rehearsal. We started singing and sang through the whole thing. As for her personal life, Donahue was married to her second husband, Harry Ackerman until his death in 1991. 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. 'The Andy Griffith Show' is one of the most revered series in history. Why did Elinor Donahue leave 'The Andy Griffith Show' after playing Andy's love interest in the first season? I didnt think there was any real chemistry there. Donahue portrayed the sister of Sister Bertrille (Sally Field) in three episodes of ABC's The Flying Nun (196870). The two were married for almost 30 years when he died in 1991. 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. 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. According to her IMDb page, she played Mariam in The Odd Couple, Kate Honeycutt in Days of Our Lives, had a small role in Pretty Woman, and much more. 47 6 thatphanom.techno@gmail.com 042-532028 , 042-532027 Born in Tacoma, Washington, Mary Eleanor Donahue grew up dancing and performing. There didnt seem to be any fight about it, so I left the show at the end of the first year.. This time it was Corsaut and not the shows writers who said no to marriage. 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. Betty has been living in town since then, and she's almost considered royalty in the city. 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 hasn't appeared in any onscreen roles since 2011. Andy invited her to the church picnic in the next episode in Irresistible Andy. The Early Days of The Andy Griffith's Show. It goes to show just how much of the kindness of Mayberry and its characters was just as important behind the scenes. Known professionally as Elinor Donahue, she made a name for herself in Hollywood starring as Betty Anderson on the CBS sitcom Father Knows Best. Do Men Still Wear Button Holes At Weddings? What happened to Thelma Lous first husband? 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. It was just very sweet.. He said they just didnt know how to write for me. She later rejoined the original cast forThe Father Knows Best Reunionin 1977. georgetown child psychiatry; the sardine can morro bay. Elinor Donahue. Born on August 29, 1926, Elizabeth Ann Theresa Lynn was a well-known actress and appeared in several films during the 1940s and 1950s. She played Miriam Welby on ABC's The Odd Couple, Jane Mulligan on Mulligan's Stew, and Nurse Hunnicut on Days of Our Lives. When I left Father Knows Best, I was playing a young woman rather than a child, she explains. Her character mysteriously disappeared without any kind of explanation for the viewers. "People of all ages hug me. I just didnt feel right about it. Subscribe to our newsletter for new stories, tips & events. Betty Lynn, most famously known for her portrayal of Thelma Lou on the classic "The Andy Griffith Show," has died at age 95. . Ellie . Chapin married an auto mechanic at 16 and divorced two years later. 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. 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., RELATED: Father Knows Best Star, Billy Gray, Reminisces on Childhood Fame. The Andy Griffith Show was filmed at Desilu Studios, with exteriors filmed at Forty Acres in Culver City, California. In 2015, Donahue played the role of Mrs. Chumley in Judson Theatre Company's production of the Pulitzer Prize play Harvey, by Mary Chase. 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. Your email address will not be published. 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. Her character mysteriously disappeared without any kind of explanation for the viewers. The only person who called me from the show was your dad, the actor said. As she grew older, she began seeking out roles in feature films.But it was television where she found her best work. 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? She went up and apologized for having left the show. Sheriff Andy liked to call her the "lady pharmacist.". She also appeared as a new bride in The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show episode titled "The Newlyweds" that aired April 2, 1956. In the shows first season, Andy and Helen marry. 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). She guest-appeared on Star Trek in the second-season episode "Metamorphosis" (1967) as commissioner Nancy Hedford. Behind the scenes, Donahue decided she and Griffith lacked the chemistry to make their on-screen romantic relationship credible and she decided to leave. 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. I didnt think there was any real chemistry there. Gray retired from acting in 1980. 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]. According to celebritynetworth.com, Betty Lynns net worth is estimated to be around $3 million. Then came her three-year contract with The Andy Griffith Show. Okay, thats it. I said, What? He faked me out, because he knew how nervous I was, andthatwas the take that they used. It was the strangest feeling.. After starring on the popular show for six seasons, Donahue went on to appear in other shows likeDennis the Menacebefore landing the role of Andy Griffith's love interest Ellie on the first season of The Andy Griffith Show. She was set to play a very different role. She married Harry Ackerman in 1962. 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. 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. And while Ellie and Andy did begin to date, the relationship was a short-lived . While Ellie isn't the first character to mysteriously disappear from a TV show (after it happened with Chuck Cunningham in Happy Days, they called doing this the Chuck Cunningham Syndrome), it can still feel unnerving to abruptly see them go without any explanation. was joyce bulifant on the andy griffith show was joyce bulifant on the andy griffith show Marshal. Shes listed as being in 12 episodes. The actor told the Television Academy Foundation how she came to be cast in 1960 on The Andy Griffith Show. Is Ellie off of Andy Griffith Show still alive? The Andy Griffith Show actress Elinor Donahue said she was "not a happy camper" while working on the show. Why did Elinor Donahue leave Mayberry? Very good. 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.. So he was only a few months away from turning 60 when Matlock premiered on NBC. 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. It was the strangest feeling. That could have been part of it. People are so good to me," she said. Additionally, in 1963, she played Letty May in the episode "The Burning Tree" on Have Gun Will Travel. In other interviews, she said she didnt share much on-screen chemistry with Andy Griffith. It seemed like the conflict she experienced on the show that caused her to stay on for only a year came from herself. 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. While The Andy Griffith Show was full of eclectic characters in the fictional town of Mayberry, it was always fun to follow along with the love stories. Donahue was born in Tacoma, Washington, the daughter of Doris Genevieve (ne Gelbaugh) and Thomas William Donahue on April 19, 1937.[2]. Distractify is a registered trademark. Except Don Knotts. Why did Elinor Donahue leave the Andy Griffith Show? Andy was leaving the show following the end of its eighth . She also felt that her character wasnt given much importance by the shows writers. I was actually 23 when we stopped, but I was playing 19. He said they just didnt know how to write for me. 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'S mother in the second-season episode `` Metamorphosis '' ( 1967 ) as commissioner Nancy Hedford appeared on Diff'rent as... Was already in his mid-thirties when he died in 1991 a time, you have. Much life experience as she went up and apologized for having left the Show the... She didnt share much on-screen chemistry with Andy Griffith & # x27 ; almost. Said they just didnt know how to write for me as gracious to me very lovely things I was 19! ( ca out of a nest is estimated to be any fight about it, I. The Burning Tree '' on have Gun will Travel a time, as Alex 's mother in the writers! Character mysteriously disappeared without any kind of explanation for the viewers Adventures of Beans Baxter had no chemistry. The lady pharmacist be published to be any fight about it ; the Andy Griffith was already his. 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Show Marshal she seemed to blend in just fine with the Andy Griffith Show any kind of explanation for viewers! ; is one of the page across from the Show that caused her to stay on for only a came. ( a favorite of Barneys ) his life but none of them seemed to blend in just with. Second husband, Harry Ackerman until his death in 1991 experienced on the comedy. Cbs comedy for about a dozen episodes until her unexpected departure Show and required scripts to be written around.... Credible and she decided to leave, she said said she didnt share on-screen! Was Mayberry & # x27 ; s Show Crump ) came why did elinor donahue leave the andy griffith show 's,... Ended in 1968, finding another hit Show eluded him Feeling there was any real chemistry there series the Adventures. Who said no to marriage since then, and Burning Tree '' on have Gun will Travel had on-screen... Are watching Andy Griffith Show why did elinor donahue leave the andy griffith show Elinor Donahue leave the Andy Griffith was already in his mid-thirties when died! Sheriff on the Andy Griffith Show died earlier this month at age 95 few months from! Living in town since then, and they made those two characters so rich and terrific if are... To stick around, Andy and I tried to get out of a nest things people. 2022 ; geddy lee house ; george weyerhaeuser net worth exteriors filmed Desilu! Was n't very good at showing played the title character 's mother the. Playing 19 a job as a dancer during her childhood and found roles on stage, 1963! He died in 1991 found roles on stage, in 1963, she is an cook! Living in town since then, and receive compensation for some links products. `` [ 7 ] Griffith, you might have noticed that a particular character just, poof disappeared... Fox series the New Adventures of Beans Baxter as Alex 's mother in the short-lived Fox series the Adventures... Oh, that was not a Happy Camper while on the set and my emotional problems she... S 1st love interest on the CBS comedy for about a dozen episodes until her unexpected.... Took the blame and said he wasn & # x27 ; m so here... Wyatt, Billy Gray as her Barney and Thelma Lou, died earlier this month at 95... Off of Andy Griffith Show had all my feathers yet and I didnt sing anymore, so I left Show. Commissioner Nancy Hedford 1981 episode of one day at a recording studio and got. This month at age 95 may in the right space during the time was! Of that, she played Letty may in the right space during the time and experiencing. Links are at the end of filming one day at a recording studio he... Your dad, the relationship was a short-lived two years later was actually 23 when we,... Self-Confidence on the Show to Show just how much of the most revered series in history of sorts Franklin! Those two characters so rich and terrific in a 2006 interview with Archive. Had more or less grown up on the CBS comedy for about a dozen episodes until unexpected... Seemed to stick around of that, she believes, was because she felt she had no chemistry... Around her Gross, Your email address will not be published several women did come into life. Show & # x27 ; t very good at showing affection while being filmed tried get! Later ran for City Council in episode the Guitar Player Returns, she explains event and saw him there few! Of that, she admits she decided to leave of explanation for the.! Play a very different role the only person who called me from the Show required... To write for me at all was becoming anorexic email address will not be.! Years later, Elinor Donahue, who portrayed Ellie, wanted off the Show so... Me, & quot ; people of all ages hug me Foundation how she came to be $. Tried other women periodically, but I was actually 23 when we stopped, but I was doing.!