With the exception of Ron Howard, I believe most of the "The Andy Griffith Show" cast is no longer with us. However, there's one actress who is still around, and she was always one of my favorites.
Elinor Donahue played Ellie Walker during the first season of the show, the "lady druggist" who would become Andy's love interest after an awkward and somewhat tumultuous period of getting to know one another. Walker, a pharmacist, was running Walker's Drug Store for her uncle Fred, and she did things her way, which didn't go over very well in Mayberry at first. Donahue was such a big deal at the time that her name was even mentioned during the opening credits, making her the only other star besides And Griffith, Howard, and Don Knotts to earn that honor during Knotts' tenure on the show. Not even good old Aunt Bee, aka Frances Bavier, received that kind of acknowledgement.
🎄Christmas with Elinor Donahue, Andy Griffith, and Don Knotts from The Andy Griffith Show pic.twitter.com/JEVmR7gfod
— Hollywood Remembered (@ridethepastlane) December 13, 2024
After that first season, Donahue's character disappeared without a trace. By season three, Andy had fallen for Opie's teacher — Helen Crump, played by Aneta Corsaut — and the rest, as they say, is history. Corsaut has said that she was only hired for one episode — the one where Opie and his pals complain about "Old Lady" Crump, but it's been said that she had great chemistry with the cast and Andy himself, so she eventually became a regular character on the series. She and Griffith also reportedly had an off-screen affair.
But what about Donahue? There have been many rumors over the years as to why she left the show abruptly, and Griffith himself has spoken on the matter, claiming it was his fault. He said there was just no chemistry there, he felt awkward doing romantic scenes on-screen, and he was uncomfortable with her age. She was just 23 at the time, while Griffith was in his mid-thirties. Many believed that Griffith fired her for those reasons, but as it turns out, she's the one who decided to walk away.
Donahue is 88 years old, and she's had quite a successful career in the entertainment business. She recently sat down for an interview with Woman's World and decided to set the record straight once and for all about why Ellie Walker disappeared without a trace. The actress had just finished her stint on another sitcom, "Father Knows Best," during which she'd played Betty "Princess" Anderson. She said going from playing a child on that show to an adult on the "The Andy Griffith Show" kind of rocked her world.
To be honest, I felt like a bird out of a nest. I didn’t feel like I had all my feathers yet and I didn’t feel capable. It was the strangest feeling. I had a three-year contract for that show, but at the end of the first year, I asked to be let out of my contract, because I didn’t feel that I was playing the role properly. I just didn’t feel right about it. In retrospect, and from things that people have said to me — very lovely things — I was doing okay. I was just not a happy camper and there was no point in my trying to continue with it.
Donahue claims there were no hard feelings, and she later saw Griffith and his manager, Dick Lank, at a party. She approached them, and they said they just didn't know how to write for her. "That could be part of it, but I didn’t think there was any real chemistry there and, fortunately, they would sporadically try other women," the actress said of that statement, adding, "When Aneta Corsaut came in, I have since read they had a hot and heavy thing going. He was able to relate to her."
Donahue still speaks highly of Griffith and his kindness during her time on the show. She recalled a time when they filmed a Christmas show, and she was nervous about singing, but he helped her through. (As a fan of the show who has seen every episode countless times, I can picture this scene perfectly in my mind.)
When we filmed the Christmas episode, he was so kind, I was very nervous about singing, I didn’t sing anymore and I avoided it like the plague. They wanted me to sing ‘Away in a Manger’ with Andy. I tried to get out of it. My mother said, ‘Oh for heaven’s sake, you sing that in church all the time, you can certainly sing that.’ But I was very nervous about it.
Donahue stopped acting during the 2010s, but as I said, she's had quite a successful career in the entertainment business over the decades. Many people knew her for her time on "Father Knows Best," a role for which she earned an Emmy nomination. She's also appeared on dozens of other TV shows and in numerous movies, including "Star Trek," "Many Happy Returns," "The Odd Couple," "The Young and the Restless," and "Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman." Personally, I enjoyed her role on "The Gold Girls" on the episode "Stan Takes a Wife."
I'll leave you with a video of that Christmas scene from Donahue's time on the show.
THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW
— Classic Movies & TV Shows (@ClassicFilmTV) December 4, 2024
“Christmas Story” (CBS, 1960)
starring Andy Griffith,
Ronny Howard, Don Knotts,
Frances Bavier and Elinor Donahue
Created by Sheldon Leonard pic.twitter.com/jVhsJlnvv6
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