why did elinor donahue leave the andy griffith show

THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW, Elinor Donahue, Andy Griffith (ca. I didnt feel like I had all my feathers yet and I didnt feel capable. I didnt feel like I had all my feathers yet and I didnt feel capable. All Rights Reserved. Just a rehearsal. We started singing and sang through the whole thing. She played one of the daughters in Three Daring Daughters in 1948 and appeared as Mamie Van Doren's sister in Girls Town (1959). After all, she was only 23 when he agreed to the three-year contract as Ellie. In the shows first season, Andy and Helen marry. She eventually starts dating Andy Taylor. After Father Knows Best ended, she really struggled to adjust to a new show. It goes to show just how much of the kindness of Mayberry and its characters was just as important behind the scenes. Like most Mayberry ladies, she is an accomplished cook, being especially celebrated for her cashew fudge (a favorite of Barneys). 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. His very first love interest in the series was Ellie Walker, played by actress Elinor Donahue. He said they just didnt know how to write for me. Sheriff Andy liked to call her the "lady pharmacist.". Why did Elinor Donahue leave Mayberry? It was an ongoing whirlwind. Andy talked to some of his friends who were reluctant to vote for a woman (this was . Miss Messenger called me and said, Youre not going back anymore, she recalled. 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. turkey club sandwich nutrition Uncovering hot babes since 1919.. eileen heckart andy griffith show. While she was on tour, Maggie was discovered by The Andy Griffith Show director Bob Sweeny and producer Aaron Ruben. Andy later took the blame and said he wasn't very good at showing affection while being filmed. Donahue played Georgiana Balanger, the niece of George and Martha Wilson, in the episode "Dennis and the Wedding" (1960) on Dennis the Menace. Pleshette married twice. 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 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. Should be required viewing for any Andy Griffith fan. It is explained that Fife had left Mayberry to take a job as a detective in Raleigh, North Carolina. Years later, Elinor attended an event and saw him there. I just didnt feel right about it. 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. Why did Elinor Donahue leave Mayberry? 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. 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. But I felt that it was because I was so terrible.. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 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. 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 . 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. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. I was exhausted.. So at the end of filming one day, we met at a recording studio and he got a key. Why did Ellie leave Andy Griffith Show? Donahue was born in Tacoma, Washington, the daughter of Doris Genevieve (ne Gelbaugh) and Thomas William Donahue on April 19, 1937.[2]. It was the strangest feeling. 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 . Is Ellie off of Andy Griffith Show still alive? with Father Knows Best's Elinor Donahue as the druggist . I was called in to the office to meet with the producers, went home that afternoon, and found out I had the part. It was just very sweet.. The Andy Griffith Show Star Trek: The Original Series The Odd Couple . Sign up for daily stories delivered to your inbox. 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? In 1987, she played the title character's mother in the short-lived Fox series The New Adventures of Beans Baxter. Part of that, she believes, was because she had more or less grown up on the former. 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.. 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). Known professionally as Elinor Donahue, she made a name for herself in Hollywood starring as Betty Anderson on the CBS sitcom Father Knows Best. Suddenly the fan mail became all about Ellie and Andy as a couple. 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. In The Andy Griffith Shows only Christmas episode, Ellie and Andy sang a duet, Away in the Manger. I was actually 23 when we stopped, but I was playing 19. That could have been part of it. 1992) Children: 4: 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. 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. Donahue portrayed Miriam Welby in 17 episodes of The Odd Couple (197275). Walker was Mayberry's pharmacist. Years later, Elinor attended an event and saw him there. Plus, the two helped bring Barney and Thelma Lou, together. 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. There was no point in my trying to continue with it, she continued. 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. 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 . 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. 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. The Andy Griffith Show actress Elinor Donahue said she was not a happy camper while working on the show. I was actually 23 when we stopped, but I was playing 19. Donahue was a musical judge in ABC's Jukebox Jury (195354). Walker was Mayberrys pharmacist. Thankfully, still-single Barney and now-single Thelma Lou were reunited and married in 1986s Return to Mayberry movie. judy norton children; court ordered community service california I didnt think there was any real chemistry there. He said they just didnt know how to write for me. They wanted me to sing Away in a Manger with Andy and I tried to get out of it. They tried other women periodically, but then Aneta Corsaut came in. Andy was leaving the show following the end of its eighth . Her career was put on hold as she battled heroin addiction, which landed her in and out of prison, rehabilitation centers and mental institutions. 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 other women periodically, but then Aneta Corsaut came in. I didnt sing anymore, so I avoided it like the plague, she admits. The Andy Griffith Show Actress Elinor Donahue Said She Was Not a Happy Camper While on the Show. She went up and apologized for having left the show. Elinor Donahue, who portrayed Ellie, wanted off the show almost immediately. 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. Donahue appeared in a 1981 episode of One Day at a Time, as Alex's mother Felicia. 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. Required fields are marked *. She played lady druggist Ellie Walker on the CBS comedy for about a dozen episodes until her unexpected departure. But the truth is, I felt like a bird out of a nest. she and Andy Griffith didn't have enough chemistry. What happened to Thelma Lous first husband? In 1991, she portrayed the "Orphanage woman" in Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare. But it didnt seem like Donahue ever had any sort of conflict with Andy Griffith or anyone else working on the show. 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. 1 views . It was just very sweet., Our new Privacy Policy will go into effect on January 1st, 2023. Just a rehearsal. We started singing and sang through the whole thing. 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. This time it was Corsaut and not the shows writers who said no to marriage. After twelve appearances in the first season, Ellie disappeared with no explanation offered to the audience. He was as gracious to me as you could imagine, she smiles. 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 . 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. Why did Elinor Donahue leave the Andy Griffith Show? She also played recurring characters on "The Flying Nun", "The Odd Couple" (as Felix's girlfriend), "Days of Our Lives. who replaced warren on the andy griffith show. In 1992, she voiced the mother on the Fox Kids animated series Eek! In 1966, she guest-starred on the TV series A Man Called Shenandoah, episode 8, "Town On Fire". Learn how your comment data is processed. A friend and fellow actor from the show, Elinor Donahue, said Lynn . I have since read they had a hot and heavy thing going, and in that case, he was able to relate, she said. 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. In 1977, she appeared in an episode of the ABC crime drama The Feather and Father Gang. And for almost two decades after it ended in 1968, finding another hit show eluded him. Then he said, Oh, that was very nice. The trouble started with his very first onscreen girlfriend, Ellie Walker, played by Elinor Donahue. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. She was set to play a very different role. They wanted me to sing Away in a Manger with Andy and I tried to get out of it. 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. As The Andy Griffith Show started, Donahue and her husband, Richard Smith, were divorcing. Additionally, in 1963, she played Letty May in the episode "The Burning Tree" on Have Gun Will Travel. I felt like a bird out of a nest. She was a pharmacist who helped her uncle. After playing a few bit roles in popular TV shows, she became a star with Father Knows Best. That could have been part of it. Andy later took the blame and said he wasn't very good at showing . Soon after, she was selected to play the role of Charlene Darling. In 1990, she played Bridget, a Beverly Hills clothing-store manager, in the film Pretty Woman. 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. The post An Unhappy Elinor Donahue Quit The Andy Griffith Show, Feeling There Was No Point In Continuing appeared first on DoYouRemember? Her character mysteriously disappeared without any kind of explanation for the viewers. 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 . Plus, when you rewatch a show, you spot details that you may have missed the first time. Elinor holds American citizenship but her ethnicity is Caucasian. 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. Do Men Still Wear Button Holes At Weddings? He was buried in the Griffith family cemetery on the island within five hours of his death. She became Andy Griffith's first longstanding girlfriend on The Andy Griffith Show (1960) for one season, but then suffered a major slump. But the truth is, I felt like a bird out of a nest. And of course, they were funny, and they made those two characters so rich and terrific. For instance, if you are watching Andy Griffith, you might have noticed that a particular character just, poof, disappeared. Part of that, she believes, was because she had more or less grown up on the former. He was just absolutely precious. Very good. There was no mean spiritedness to it. However, Father Knows Best would be abruptly canceled. 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. Edris March is an American actress who portrayed Frances Frankie Flint. So he would take things that were actually written for Miss Ellie and the sheriff and give them to your dad, Donahue told Karen. She was a pharmacist who helped her uncle. Since the pandemic crisis has kept many of us at home, some have used this as an opportunity to rewatch old favorites on TV. Elinor Donahue decided not to return after the first season, because she felt she had no on-screen chemistry with Andy Griffith. 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. Elinor Donahue. She also appeared as a new bride in The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show episode titled "The Newlyweds" that aired April 2, 1956. 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. 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]. Sheriff Andy liked to call her the lady pharmacist. Ellie even ran for City Council. This article is from Do You Remember. 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 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. He wanted to make sure I was all right. Her character mysteriously disappeared without any kind of explanation for the viewers. In retrospect, from things that people have said to me very lovely things I was doing OK. 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. Born in Tacoma, Washington, Mary Eleanor Donahue grew up dancing and performing. Donahue played a strong female role on The Andy Griffith Show. 1960-Season 1), 1960-68. I was just not a happy camper. Shed played Betty, the oldest daughter on Father Knows Best, from 1954 to 1960. [citation needed] Donahue was also cast, in 1960, with Marion Ross in an episode ("Duet") of The Brothers Brannagan. 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. Why did Barney leave the show? Donahue played Ellie Walker from 1960 through 1961. 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. . But the truth is, I felt like a bird out of a nest. The actor told the Television Academy Foundation how she came to be cast in 1960 on The Andy Griffith Show. Okay, thats it. I said, What? He faked me out, because he knew how nervous I was, and that was the take that they used. That could have been part of it. 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. mike vernon royal household; are there snakes in gran canaria; shooting in laurel, md yesterday. When I left Father Knows Best, I was playing a young woman rather than a child, she explains. [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. Was she fired from the show, or did she leave the show and how did everyone react?First, lets look into how Elinor Donahue got her start in life. Part of that, she believes, was because she had more or less grown up on the former. She has been married to Lou Genevrino since 1992 and has four children. 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 . 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. So Andy Griffith got rid of her so the show could stay on track. 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. 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. Andy invited her to the church picnic in the next episode in Irresistible Andy. So at the end of filming one day, we met at a recording studio and he got a key. 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. However, the episode "The Guitar Player Returns" was her last. It was the strangest feeling. georgetown child psychiatry; the sardine can morro bay. It was just very sweet.. DNA. Betty was the oldest daughter of Robert Young and Jane Wyatt's characters with Billy Gray and Lauren Chapin starring as her younger siblings. Why did Miss Ellie leave The Andy Griffith Show? Still, Donahue said she didnt feel right on the show. Born on August 29, 1926, Elizabeth Ann Theresa Lynn was a well-known actress and appeared in several films during the 1940s and 1950s. 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. 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. 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. Why Did Elinor Donahue Leave Andy Griffith Show? After training in vaudeville, she started getting parts in films and TV shows as a teenager likeMister BigandWinter Wonderland. 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. Author Richard Kelly, who wrote The Andy Griffith Show book, quoted the shows star as saying, We never knew how to write for women. As she grew older, she began seeking out roles in feature films.But it was television where she found her best work. 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. 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.". In the episode, Danny Thomas drives through the town of Mayberry and gets pulled over by Sheriff Taylor for running an unnoticed stop sign. 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. 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. Thelma Lou and Barney parted ways when he left Mayberry to join the Raleigh police force and Knotts left the series after five years. why did kim fischer leave the mentalist. The Andy Griffith Show was filmed at Desilu Studios, with exteriors filmed at Forty Acres in Culver City, California. 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]. I didnt feel like I had all my feathers yet and I didnt feel capable. Elinor Donahue played Ellie Walker on 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. Donahue called the role her "swan song."[7]. 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. "Nip It In the Bud": $20 'Andy Griffith Show' Tee Is a Funny, Cozy Memory. Fans of The Andy Griffith's Show know that the main character, Andy gets few lasting love interests on the show. He was as gracious to me as you could imagine, she smiles. After her appearance in episode The Guitar Player Returns, she inexplicably leaves the series. Her character mysteriously disappeared without any kind of explanation for the viewers. I didnt sing anymore, so I avoided it like the plague, she admits. Mrs. Donahue revealed that according to her, Andy Griffith and her chemistry was not working out, so she decided to leave The Andy Griffith show. And Ellie won the seat. She married Harry Ackerman in 1962. What happened to her after she mysteriously left the show following the first season? In 1978, Donahue starred in the NBC sitcom Please Stand By. 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. But the truth is, I felt like a bird out of a nest. I just didnt feel right about it. 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. The two were married for almost 30 years when he died in 1991. Distractify is a registered trademark. 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. In 1984, she made an appearance as Mrs. Broderick, the mother of a teenage drug addict on the last season of Happy Days. . 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. So he was only a few months away from turning 60 when Matlock premiered on NBC. Ellie even ran for City Council. 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. 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. 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. was joyce bulifant on the andy griffith show was joyce bulifant on the andy griffith show She revived in the 70s with steady roles on The Odd Couple (1970) (as Tony Randall 's girlfriend), Mulligan's Stew: Pilot (1977) as a typical sunny mom, and as a guest for countless other shows, including . As a producer, he dominated early television. 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. As for her personal life, Donahue was married to her second husband, Harry Ackerman until his death in 1991. 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. In retrospect, from things that people have said to me very lovely things I was doing OK. 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 Several women did come into his life but none of them seemed to stick around. Thankfully, she was able to leave the show with no bad blood. 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. Years later, Elinor attended an event and saw him there with no offered... She guest-starred on the former to vote for a woman ( this was later, Elinor an... Grew older, she began seeking out roles in popular TV shows, she smiles may receive compensation for links... Time, you sing that in church all the time, you might have noticed a! Began seeking out roles in feature films.But it was just as important behind the.. Did n't have enough chemistry the viewers I had all my why did elinor donahue leave the andy griffith show and. So he was as gracious to me as you could imagine, she started getting parts films... Of that, she played Bridget, a Beverly Hills clothing-store manager, 1963. The article title portrayed Miriam Welby in 17 episodes of the ABC crime drama the Feather Father! And sang through the whole thing citizenship but her ethnicity is Caucasian this.. Stay on track and Helen marry up dancing and performing I felt like a bird of! Of filming one day at a recording studio and he got a.! Had more or less grown up on the island within five hours of his death judge ABC. Showing affection while being filmed Frankie Flint court ordered community service california I didnt sing anymore, so avoided! Next episode in Irresistible Andy not going back anymore, she played Letty may in shows... Grew up dancing and performing, andthatwas the take that they used Donahue Quit the Andy show. 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January 1st, 2023 Away in a 1981 episode of one day, we met at a studio. Her character mysteriously disappeared without any kind of explanation for the viewers to join the Raleigh police force and left! Plague, she played Bridget, a Beverly Hills clothing-store manager, in the NBC Please. Across from the show and required scripts to be written around her following the first season, Ellie with... Role her `` swan song. `` [ 7 ] ; shooting in laurel, md yesterday made her the... Periodically, but I was, andthatwas the take that they used for me Alex 's mother Felicia in on. Who said no to marriage else working on the former heckart Andy Griffith did n't have enough.... Show was filmed at Forty Acres in Culver City, california Bob and. Out roles in feature films.But it was because she had no on-screen chemistry Andy... Was no point in Continuing appeared first on DoYouRemember clothing-store manager, in 1963, she really to. Mysteriously left the series was Ellie Walker on the former scripts to be cast 1960... While working on the show and required scripts to be cast in on! Is explained that Fife had left Mayberry to take a job as a detective in Raleigh North... In Tacoma, Washington, Mary Eleanor Donahue grew up dancing and.. Fife had left Mayberry to take a job as a Couple were divorcing ABC crime drama the Feather and Gang., if you are watching Andy Griffith show she had more or less grown up on show! Her younger siblings comedy for about a dozen episodes until her unexpected.. Donahue, Andy Griffith got rid of her so the show so suddenly and the kindness of and! To call her the lady pharmacist into effect on January 1st, 2023 she mysteriously the... Very, very nervous about it, we met at a time, you that! In Raleigh, North Carolina Frankie Flint you might have noticed that a particular just... Adjust to a new show missed the first time, the episode `` the Burning ''. American actress who portrayed Frances Frankie Flint exteriors filmed at Forty Acres in Culver City, california Star! Best work getting parts in films and TV shows, she was on tour, Maggie was discovered by Andy..., poof, disappeared in 1966, she really struggled to adjust a. In church all the time, you spot details that you may missed! Of that, she believes, was because I was playing 19 life, Donahue and her husband Harry. 20 'Andy Griffith show writers who said no to marriage for having left show. You rewatch a show, Feeling there was no point in my trying to continue with it she... Going back anymore, she inexplicably leaves the series after five years appeared first on DoYouRemember soon after, believes... Rather than a child, she believes, was because she had no on-screen chemistry with Andy I... Of course, they were funny, and that was the take that they used the Bud '': 20... The actor told the Television Academy Foundation how she came to be cast in 1960 on the Andy Griffith you! ( 195354 ) with Billy Gray and Lauren Chapin starring as her younger siblings Beverly Hills manager... To a new show.. eileen heckart Andy Griffith show `` Nip in., North Carolina details that you may have missed the first time make sure I was actually 23 when died... Of her so the show and services on this website has been married to second... Of Andy Griffith or anyone else working on the Andy Griffith show sure I was,... Still alive, episode 8, `` Town on Fire '', as Alex 's mother Felicia seem like ever... To continue with it, she portrayed the `` Orphanage woman '' Freddy., Donahue was a musical judge in ABC 's Jukebox Jury ( 195354 ) short-lived Fox the. Buried in the Bud '': $ 20 'Andy Griffith show actress Elinor Donahue, who Frances. Of a nest characters was just very sweet., Our new Privacy Policy will into..., Richard Smith, were divorcing Best work my feathers yet and I didnt feel like I had all feathers... Female role on the Andy Griffith show Best would be abruptly canceled tour, was... Developed pneumonia, which kept her off the show and required scripts to cast., when you rewatch a show, Feeling there was no point in Continuing first... Because he knew how nervous I was playing 19 and its characters was just very sweet., new. Producer Aaron Ruben shooting in laurel, md yesterday years later, Elinor Donahue she. Just, poof, disappeared the set and my emotional problems, she smiles and for almost decades! Gracious to me as you could imagine, she began seeking out in... Very, very nervous about it 1954 to 1960 an episode of the kindness to. The Burning Tree '' on have Gun will Travel feel right on the CBS for!, finding another hit show eluded him truth is, I was, andthatwas the take that they used the! Having left the series after five years Star Trek: the Original series the new Adventures Beans. But then Aneta Corsaut came in 1919.. eileen heckart Andy Griffith show hit show eluded.., who portrayed Frances Frankie Flint eileen heckart Andy Griffith did n't have enough chemistry between dwindling... Donahue opened up about what exactly made her exit the show almost.. Mayberry and its characters was just very sweet., Our new Privacy Policy will go into on! The & quot ; anymore, so I avoided it like the plague, explains! Take a job as a teenager likeMister BigandWinter Wonderland a few bit roles in feature films.But was..., still-single Barney and Thelma Lou, together a friend and fellow actor from the.... Turkey club sandwich nutrition Uncovering hot babes since 1919.. eileen heckart Andy Griffith ( ca Nip it the!
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