Elinor Donahue

Elinor Donahue married her first husband Richard Smith in 1955. However, the couple separated in 1961.

After this, the actress married television producer Harry Ackerman in 1962 and had four sons with him: Brian, Peter, James, and Chris. Through this marriage she also became a stepmother to Stephen Ackerman and Susan Peterson. Ackerman died in 1991.

Donahue then went on to marry her third husband, Lou Genevrino, in 1992.

Elinor Donahue was born as Mary Eleanor Donahue on April 19, 1937 in Tacoma, Washington, USA, to Doris Genevieve and Thomas William Donahue.

At the age of two, she began performing on radio. Three years later, she was signed as a dancer and singer by the Universal Studios. She studied at the Long's Private School and learnt ballet from there.

Elinor Donahue first appeared on the silver screen in 1943, in the movie ‘Mister Big’. After this, she did the movies ‘Honeymoon Lodge’, ‘Bowery to Broadway’, ‘And Now Tomorrow’ and ‘Winter Wonderland’.

In 1947 and 1948, she appeared in the films ‘The Unfinished Dance’, ‘Three Daring Daughters’ and ‘Tenth Avenue Angel’. Then from 1950 to 1952, she got featured in the films ‘The Happy Years’, ‘Tea for Two’, ‘My Blue Heaven’ and ‘Love Is Better Than Ever’.

The actress was then cast as Betty Anderson in the sitcom ‘Father Knows Best’ in 1954, a role she played until 1960. During this time, she also guest-starred in many TV programs, such as ‘Crossroads’, ‘Lux Video Theatre’, ‘Letter to Loretta’, ‘The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show’, ’U.S. Marshal’, ‘Dennis the Menace’ and ‘The Brothers Brannagan’.

After this, she had a recurring role in the CBS’s ‘The Andy Griffith Show’. During the year 1963, Donahue guest-starred in the programs ‘77 Sunset Strip’, ‘Have Gun – Will Travel’, ‘Dr. Kildare’, ‘Redigo’ and ‘The Virginian’.

She then appeared in an episode of ‘A Man Called Shenandoah’ in 1965. Two years later, she got featured in the dramas ’Occasional Wife’ and ‘Star Trek: The Original Series’.

Elinor Donahue is best known for her role in the sitcom ‘Father Knows Best’ wherein she played the elder daughter, Betty. The series, which revolved around the lives of the members of a middle-class American family in Springfield, was a major hit and catapulted Donahue to stardom.