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 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 a musical judge in ABC's Jukebox Jury (1953–54). 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. 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 U.S. 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 Menace.[5] Donahue was also cast, in 1960, with Marion Ross in an episode ("Duet") of The Brothers Brannagan. She played Miriam Welby on ABC's The Odd Couple, Jane Mulligan on Mulligan's Stew, and Nurse Hunnicut on Days of Our Lives. She was featured in 12 episodes of CBS's 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 (1960–1961), Donahue decided to ask for a release from her three-year contract.[6] 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. Additionally, on February 9, 1963, she played Letty May in the episode "The Burning Tree" on Have Gun Will Travel. In the 1964–65 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 guest-appeared on Star Trek in the second-season 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."
No data available
No data available
No data available
| Organization | Category | Movie |
|---|
Father Knows Best
as Betty Anderson
Episodes: 203
First Aired: Oct 03, 1954
Eek! The Cat
as Mom (voice)
Episodes: 112
First Aired: Sep 11, 1992
Get a Life
as Gradys Peterson
Episodes: 35
First Aired: Sep 23, 1990
The Odd Couple
as Miriam Welby
Episodes: 17
First Aired: Sep 24, 1970
The New Adventures of Beans Baxter
as Susan Baxter
Episodes: 17
First Aired: Jul 18, 1987
The Andy Griffith Show
as Ellie Walker
Episodes: 12
First Aired: Oct 03, 1960
Mulligan's Stew
as Jane Mulligan
Episodes: 6
First Aired: Oct 25, 1977
Condominium
as Audrey Ames
Episodes: 2
First Aired: Apr 06, 1980
Coach
as Lorraine
Episodes: 2
First Aired: Feb 28, 1989
Murder, She Wrote
as Connie Lewis
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Sep 30, 1984
Star Trek
as Commissioner Nancy Hedford
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Sep 08, 1966
Ellen
as Delores Warwell
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Mar 29, 1994
The Love Boat
as Rowena
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Sep 24, 1977
Friends
as Aunt Lillian
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Sep 22, 1994
The Golden Girls
as Katherine
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Sep 14, 1985
The Flying Nun
as Dr. Jennifer Ethrington
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Sep 07, 1967
Cold Case
as Esther 'Legs' Davis (2005)
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Sep 28, 2003
General Electric Theater
as Carol Madsen
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Feb 01, 1953
The Virginian
as Carole Cole
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Sep 19, 1962
Dr. Kildare
as Sharon Calloway
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Sep 27, 1961
Letter to Loretta
as Debbie Waring
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Sep 20, 1953
The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show
as Emily Vanderlip Foster
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Oct 12, 1950
The Love Boat
as Betty Anderson
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Sep 24, 1977
Letter to Loretta
as Janey
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Sep 20, 1953
CHiPs
as Elnor Donahue (uncredited)
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Sep 15, 1977
The Brothers Brannagan
as Diane
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Sep 24, 1960
The Love Boat
as Mrs. Van Buren
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Sep 24, 1977
Police Woman
as Ellie Tarlow
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Sep 13, 1974
Herman's Head
as Mrs. Fitzer
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Sep 08, 1991
Have Gun, Will Travel
as Letty Mae Stinchcomb
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Sep 14, 1957
77 Sunset Strip
as Laura Holt
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Oct 10, 1958
Barnaby Jones
as Judy Corbett
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Jan 28, 1973
Many Happy Returns
Episodes: 26
First Aired: Sep 21, 1964
Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman
Episodes: 8
First Aired: Jan 01, 1993
Police Story
Episodes: 2
First Aired: Mar 20, 1973
The Rookies
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Sep 11, 1972
Diff'rent Strokes
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Nov 03, 1978
E! True Hollywood Story
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Aug 21, 1996
Hotel
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Aug 21, 1982
Happy Days
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Jan 15, 1974
Redigo
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Sep 24, 1963
The Eleventh Hour
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Oct 03, 1962
Dennis the Menace
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Oct 04, 1959
Battle of the Network Stars
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Nov 13, 1976
S.W.A.T.
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Feb 24, 1975
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Oct 05, 1951
Occasional Wife
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Sep 13, 1966
Mr. Deeds Goes to Town
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Sep 26, 1969
One Day at a Time
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Dec 16, 1975
Popularity History
| Year | Month | Avg | Max | Min |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 6 | 8 | 12 | 5 |
| 2024 | 7 | 13 | 20 | 6 |
| 2024 | 8 | 12 | 23 | 5 |
| 2024 | 9 | 10 | 23 | 5 |
| 2024 | 10 | 8 | 25 | 4 |
| 2024 | 11 | 11 | 43 | 3 |
| 2024 | 12 | 7 | 13 | 3 |
| 2025 | 1 | 12 | 24 | 6 |
| 2025 | 2 | 5 | 12 | 1 |
| 2025 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 1 |
| 2025 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2025 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 2025 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 2025 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2025 | 8 | 6 | 13 | 0 |