Elinor Donahue is famous for her role on the popular TV show “Father Knows Best,” but her career didn’t stop there. She continued to work on screen and in other areas after the show ended.
Now at 86 years old, Elinor Donahue recently appeared as a guest on the soap opera “The Young and the Restless.”
On “Father Knows Best,” Elinor Donahue played Betty ‘Princess’ Anderson, a key character in the show about a happy middle-class family in the Midwest.
The show began as a radio program in 1949 and aired every Thursday until 1954. After that, CBS brought it to TV, keeping only Robert Young, who played the father, Jim Anderson.
During her six years on the popular show, which was among the top ten TV shows in America, Elinor also appeared on “Crossroads” and “The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show.” Her busy schedule was so demanding that she admitted she didn’t have time to watch her own show.
Elinor Donahue, who was born in Tacoma in 1937, worked hard on “Father Knows Best.” By the time she got home at night, she would have dinner and then prepare for the next day’s lines. This busy schedule meant she never had time to watch the show.
As a teenager, Elinor’s acting career took off, and she became the main provider for her family. She appeared in movies like *Love is Better than Ever* with Elizabeth Taylor and *Girls Town*.
Since Elinor was still a child, she needed an adult with her on set. With her father not around and her mother working full-time, her mom Doris had to quit her job to be with her.
After “Father Knows Best,” Elinor appeared on other popular shows such as “The Andy Griffith Show,” “Dr. Kildare,” “Star Trek,” and “Mork & Mindy.”
Elinor Donahue, now 86, has appeared in over 70 TV shows and movies like *Winter Wonderland* and *Pretty Woman*.
At 19, she married her first husband, hoping it would make her feel like a grown-up. She admitted to Emmy TV Legends that she felt like a teenager at that age, saying, “I was like a 13-year-old 19.” She felt she hadn’t grown up properly and thought that marriage and having a baby would help her mature.
The person she married was Richard Smith, a sound man from “Father Knows Best.” Elinor decided to marry him because she thought it was her chance to become an adult.
Elinor Donahue shared a funny story about how she got engaged. She said that after a movie date, her first husband, Richard Smith, whispered in her ear, “I love you and I’d like to marry you.” She laughed and replied, “Okay.”
Elinor had her first son, Brian, with Richard. They were married for six years before divorcing in 1961.
In 1962, she married TV producer Harry Ackerman, who was 20 years older than her. They had three sons together and were happily married for almost 30 years until he passed away in 1991.
The following year, Elinor married her third husband, Lou Genevrino, a contractor. She has been retired from acting for the past decade.
Despite never planning to be on screen, Elinor Donahue has had a remarkable and successful career. She has appeared in more than 70 TV shows and movies like *Winter Wonderland* and *Pretty Woman*. Her role as Betty Anderson on *Father Knows Best* made her a household name, and she has continued to impress audiences with her work in shows like *The Andy Griffith Show*, *Star Trek*, and *Mork & Mindy*.
Share this with all the *Father Knows Best* fans you know to celebrate her impressive achievements and enduring impact on television!
MY MIL SPENT $200 ON A HALLOWEEN COSTUME FOR HER AND HER DOG
I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw her prancing around in her elaborate witch costume, complete with a matching mini-hat and cape for *Charlie*—her beloved Shih Tzu. And don’t get me wrong, I love Halloween as much as the next person, but she dropped **five hundred dollars** on these costumes. Five hundred. Dollars. For a matching ensemble with her *dog.*
Meanwhile, here we are, carefully budgeting for groceries and figuring out how to make the most of our paycheck for the month. Yet she’s out here treating this dog like her soulmate, her little partner in crime. She even mentioned planning a photoshoot so they can have “memories of this year’s theme.” Memories?! For a dog?!
Then it hit me: she actually *does* treat him like a family member. She’s constantly calling Charlie her “baby” and talking about how he’s the “only one who truly understands her.” She even joked about putting him in her will once. I thought it was funny at first, but now I’m not so sure it’s a joke.
Now, part of me wants to laugh it off, but the other part can’t help but feel a bit resentful. Is it crazy to think there’s something a little… off here? Like, it’s fine to have fun with Halloween, but at what cost? I can’t help but feel like all this is masking something deeper—maybe she’s lonely, or maybe it’s just a quirky obsession. But no matter how I try to see it, I can’t shake the feeling that her priorities are, well, *somewhere else entirely.*
So, am I overreacting here, or does this seem just as absurd to you as it does to me? Because I can’t help but wonder what will happen next. I’m just waiting for the day she announces a full-blown dog wedding, and I’ll be expected to RSVP.
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