Elinor Donahue

Mary Eleanor Donahue born April 19 1937 credited as Elinor Donahue is an American actress best remembered today for playing the role of Betty Anderson the eldest child of Robert Young and Jane Wyatt on the 1950s American sitcom Father Knows Best Donahue achieved stardom for her role as the elder daughter Betty on the television family series Father Knows Best Her costars 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 a musical judge in ABCs Jukebox Jury 195354 While in the first season of Father Knows Best she also appeared on The Ray Bolger Show starring Ray Bolger as a songanddance man 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 She guest starred on an episode of US Marshal She also appeared as a new bride in the George Burns and Gracie Allen Show episode titled The Newlyweds that aired April 2 1956 She played Georgiana Balanger in the episode Dennis and the Wedding 1960 on Dennis the Menace5 Donahue was also cast in 1960 with Marion Ross in an episode Duet of The Brothers Brannagan She played Miriam Welby on ABCs The Odd Couple Jane Mulligan on Mulligans Stew and Nurse Hunnicut on Days of Our Lives She was featured in 12 episodes of CBSs The Andy Griffith Show as pharmacist Ellie Walker even getting a mention in the opening credits The character was intended to be a love interest for Sheriff Andy Taylor but after one season 19601961 Donahue decided to ask for a release from her threeyear contract6 In 1963 Donahue was cast in an episode of NBCs shortlived 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 Additionally on February 9 1963 she played Letty May in the episode The Burning Tree on Have Gun Will Travel In the 196465 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 She guestappeared on Star Trek in the secondseason episode Metamorphosis 1967 as commissioner Nancy Hedford In 1966 she guest starred on the TV series A Man Called Shenandoah episode 8 Town On Fire