Elinor Donahue

Personal Info

Birthday

April 19, 1937

(88 years old)

Place of Birth

Tacoma, Washington, USA

Also Known As

Mary Eleanor Donahue

Elinor Donahue

Biography

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).

Known For

Friends

Star Trek

Murder, She Wrote

The Love Boat

The Andy Griffith Show

Have Gun, Will Travel

Cold Case

Coach

Filmography

2016
Star Trek: Inside the Roddenberry Vault
as Self
2004
The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement
as Lady Palimore
2001
Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman: The Heart Within
as Rebecca Quinn Dickinson
1996
Dear God
as Elinor Donahue
1991
Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare
as Orphanage Woman
1990
Pretty Woman
as Bridget
1984
No Earthly Reason
as Mrs. Morrison
1983
High School U.S.A.
as Mrs. Franklin
Going Berserk
as Margaret Anderson
1978
Doctors' Private Lives
as Mona Wise
1977
Father Knows Best: Home for Christmas
as Betty Anderson
The Father Knows Best Reunion
as Betty Anderson
1972
Gidget Gets Married
as Medley Blaine
1969
In Name Only
as Esther Garrity
1959
Girls Town
as Mary Lee Morgan
Imitation of Life
as Lora's Friend
1952
Love Is Better Than Ever
as Pattie Marie Levoy
1951
Her First Romance
as Lucille Stewart
1950
My Blue Heaven
as Mary (uncredited)
The Happy Years
as Connie Brown
Singing Guns
as Little Girl (uncredited)
1949
An Old-Fashioned Girl
as Maud Shaw (as Mary Eleanor Donahue)
1948
Tenth Avenue Angel
as Cynthia (uncredited)
Three Daring Daughters
as Alix Morgan
1947
The Unfinished Dance
as Josie (as Mary Eleanor Donahue)
1946
Winter Wonderland
as Betty Wheeler
1944
And Now Tomorrow
as Janice
1943
Honeymoon Lodge
as Janie Thomas
Mister Big
as Muggsy
1942
Girls' Town
as Bit Role (uncredited)