Elinor Donahue Movies
Elinor Donahue's mother, a theatrical costumer, moonlighted as a department store saleswoman in order to pay for her daughter's dancing lessons. Appearing in dancing-chorus film roles from the age of five, Donahue was at one point a ballet-school classmate of future Fred Astaire partner Barrie Chase. Striking out on her own at 12, Donahue attained work as a Las Vegas showgirl at 14; the fact that she was underage was discreetly covered by her agent and her co-workers, who took a paternal interest in the impressionable young dancer's career. Breaking her ankle at 16, Donahue decided to forego dancing in favor of acting; she was almost immediately cast in the role of sensitive teenager Betty Anderson in the long-running (1954-60) sitcom Father Knows Best. It was the first of many TV stints for Donahue; over the next three decades she would appear as a regular on such series as The Andy Griffith Show, Many Happy Returns, The Odd Couple, Mulligan's Stew, Please Stand By and Doctor's Private Lives. She became a special favorite of writer/director Savage Steve Holland, who cast Donahue as the ditsy mother of a teen-aged secret agent on the 1987 Fox network series The New Adventures of Beans Baxter, and as the voice of a suburban mom who spends her waking hours trying to learn an indecipherable foreign language on Holland's cartoon series Eek! The Cat. This fey, eccentric quality was carried over into Donahue's performance as the eternally bathrobe-clad wife of Bob Elliot and mother of 30-year-old paperboy Chris Elliot on the 1990 Fox sitcom Get a Life. Donahue's film appearances have been less frequent; when she showed up in a cameo as a department store clerk in Gary Marshall's Pretty Women (1987), there was an audible appreciative sigh of recognition from movie audiences everywhere. Elinor Donahue was the wife of Columbia TV executive Harry Ackerman from 1961 to Ackerman's death in 1991. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide- 1942
In this WW II-era drama, an over-ambitious beauty contestant's single-minded pursuit of movie stardom causes her to step upon the people who love her the most. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Edith Fellows, June Storey, (more)
- 1943
Honeymoon Lodge is a musical variation on the old Awful Truth plotline. Divorce-bound Bob and Carol Sterling (David Bruce, June Vincent) make a last-ditch attempt to avoid their legal breakup by restaging their mountain-resort honeymoon. Things get complicated when a rancher named Big Boy (Rod Cameron, in a Ralph Bellamy-style "sap" role) shows up at the resort in ardent pursuit of Carol, while Lorraine Logan (Harriet Hilliard) sets her cap for Bob. Though it has more plot than usual for a film of this kind, Honeymoon Lodge is worth seeing only for its musical highlights, including a few delightful numbers teaming Harriet Hilliard with her real-life bandleader husband Ozzie Nelson. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Bruce, June Vincent, (more)
- 1943
Drama students rebel in this musical set in a tiny drama school. The trouble begins when the students begin complaining to the school's proprietor that they should be doing more than just the classics. The kids are more interested in performing swing-type entertainment. When the owner takes a trip, the students decide to overcome the difficulties and put on their own show. They work hard, and manage to pull the whole thing off and prove to the owner that new music and dance has value too. Songs include: "This Must Be a Dream," "Kittens with Their Mittens Laced," "Things I Want to Say," "Spirit Is in Me," "Rude, Crude, and Unattractive," "Thee and Me," "We're Not Obvious," "Moonlight and Roses." ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gloria Jean, Donald O'Connor, (more)
- 1944
In this melodrama, a doctor returns to his home town to set out his shingle. He was born on the poor side of town and so has had a life-long anger towards the town's wealthiest family. When the daughter of this family comes in for treatment, he finds himself faced with a dilemma. A bout with meningitis has left her deaf. He has a new drug that can cure deafness. Will he use it, or will he let his anger prevent him from helping her? ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Loretta Young, Alan Ladd, (more)
- 1947
An aspiring ballerina begins following a prima ballerina hoping that she will become her replacement. Unfortunately, another dancer is chosen, causing the determined twinkle-toes to cause a little accident to destroy the usurper's career. It works and the hapless ballerina's career is destroyed. In the end, the conniving one atones for her treachery and the two become fast friends. Danny Thomas makes his feature film debut in this musical. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Margaret O'Brien, Cyd Charisse, (more)
- 1947
Though Republic's Winter Wonderland sounds like a vehicle for the studio's resident skating star Vera Hruba Ralston, she's nowhere to be seen in this 71-minute comedy. Instead, Lynne Roberts plays heroine Nancy Wheeler, the daughter of a farmer (Roman Bohnen) whose property is in close proximity to a posh skiing lodge. Nancy falls in love with the lodge's handsome ski instructor Steve Kirk (Charles Drake), leading somewhat circuitously to a series of skating exhibitions, sled races and even a ski ballet. Eric Blore goes through his paces as the droll lodge owner, while the heroine's daughter is played by future Father Knows Best co-star Elinor Donahue. Winter Wonderland was co-written by Arthur Marx, son of Groucho. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lynne Roberts, Charles Drake, (more)
- 1948
The combination of star Gloria Jean and director Arthur Dreifuss resulted in several pleasant if unmemorable late-1940s musicals. In An Old-Fashioned Girl, Jean is cast as Polly Milton, the poor relation of a prosperous 19th-century Boston family. Rather than accept financial support from her stuffy relatives, Polly elects to support herself as a music teacher. Mistreated and misunderstood by practically everyone she meets, our heroine at last finds true love in the arms of businessman Mr. Sydney (John Hubbard). The supporting cast includes former child star James Lydon and future adult star Elinor Donahue, as well as violin prodigy Sandra Berkova. An Old-Fashioned Girl is based on the story of the same name by Louisa May Alcott. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gloria Jean, Jimmy Lydon, (more)
- 1948
Jeanette MacDonald made her first screen appearance in five years in the MGM confection Three Daring Daughters. Looking at least ten years younger than her 48 years, MacDonald is cast as glamorous magazine editor Louise Raton Morgan. Long divorced Louise returns from a Cuban vacation with a handsome new husband in tow: None other than famed pianist Jose Iturbi, engagingly playing "himself". Louise's three daughters Tess (Jane Powell), Alix (Mary Elinor Donahue, the future "Princess" on TV's Father Knows Best) and Ilka (Ann E. Todd) are appalled by their mother's choice of husbands. Refusing to accept Iturbi as their stepdad, the girls contrive to unite Louise with Robert-whether they like it or not. Before the Three Daring Daughters come to their senses, there's opportunity aplenty from musical solos by stars Jeanette MacDonald, Jane Powell and Jose Iturbi, with an additional solo from harmonica virtuoso Larry Adler (just before he was blacklisted from Hollywood and forced to scare up film work in England). Incidentally, the actress playing the flirtatious Mrs. Smith is Moyna McGill, the real-life mother of Angela Lansbury. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jeanette MacDonald, José Iturbi, (more)
- 1950
Tea for Two is a Technicolor adaptation of the 1924 Broadway musical No No Nanette, previously filmed under its own title in 1929. Doris Day stars as Nanette, a Roaring '20s Jazz Baby with showbiz aspirations. Nanette offers to put up $25,000 if producer Billy DeWolfe will star her in a Broadway show. The girl's wealthy, and stingy uncle S.Z. Sakall agrees to advance her the money, but only on one condition; for the next 24 hours, Nanette must answer "No" to every question. Gordon MacRae co-stars as Nanette's attorney, who worships her from afar and who finally manages to win her hand with a little wager of his own. The songs, culled from several sources and written by hands ranging from Irving Caesar to George Gershwin, include "Crazy Rhythm," "Do Do Do," "I Want to Be Happy," "I Only Have Eyes for You" and the title number. In 1970, the original No No Nanette was successfully revived for Broadway, with veterans Ruby Keeler and Patsy Kelly in the cast. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Doris Day, Gordon MacRae, (more)
- 1951
Former child star Margaret O'Brien is Betty Foster, the "all growed up" heroine of Her First Romance. Hoping to rendezvous with handsome teenager Bobby Evans (Allen Martin Jr.) at a fancy summer camp, Betty bamboozles her parents into sending her there. Once she's arrived, Betty proves her devotion to Bobby by committing a robbery on his behalf. She reasons that since she's robbing her own father's safe, her crime is none too serious. Boy, is she wrong! A curious blend of comedy, melodrama and sentiment, Her First Romance failed to establish Margaret O'Brien as an adult box-office favorite, though the film itself is easy to take. Featured in the cast are Jimmy Hunt, of Invaders from Mars fame, and future TV-series perennial Elinor Donahue. Margaret O'Brien's parents are played by Ann Doran and Arthur Space, who'd later be reteamed on the weekly TVer National Velvet. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Margaret O'Brien, Allen Martin, Jr., (more)
- 1952
Though completed in 1950, Love Is Better Than Ever was held back from release until 1952, due in great part to the "political undesirability" of star Larry Parks, whose career was effectively ruined after he humbled himself before the House Un-American Activities Committee. Parks plays Broadway talent agent Jud Parker, who takes a fancy to small-town dance teacher Anastacia Macaboy (Elizabeth Taylor). Parker wines and dines Anastacia during her visit to New York for the purposes of seduction. But the girl assumes that his intentions are honorable, and sends word of her "impending" engagement to her hometown newspaper. With his reputation on the line, Parker agrees to confirm the engagement if asked, with the understanding that he doesn't really mean it. Rest assured that by fade-out time, he will mean it. Gene Kelly makes an unbilled cameo appearance in Love Is Better Than Ever, which also features such reliables as Ann Doran, Kathleen Freeman, and Dick Wessel. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Larry Parks, Elizabeth Taylor, (more)
- 1959
This special episode of Father Knows Best was done one behalf of the United States Treasury Department in 1959, and was never aired on television -- it was, however, widely shown on 16mm prints at schools and churches, and to civic groups, to help sell U.S. Savings Bonds. Jim Anderson (Robert Young) is chosen to run a campaign to sell Savings Bonds through the Payroll Savings Plan and the Bond-a-Month Plan, and discovers that his three children are reluctant to participate. When he realizes the depth of their apathy, he decides to prove to them the importance of Savings Bonds and what they provide, in securing peace and freedom, by making them a bet -- that for 24 hours, they will not live in America, but in "Tyrantland," where a dictator in their home will control every aspect of their lives. He and Margaret (Jane Wyatt) play their roles to the hilt, eliminating all freedom of expression and choice for them for the next night and day. Betty (linor Donahue), Bud (Billy Gray), and Kathy (Lauren Chapin) are given numbers instead of names, and put on a rigid regimen of chores and errands. In the end, the three children recognize what they risk losing and relent. Like other, similar shows done for the Treasury Department (such as "Stamp Day For Superman"), "24 Hours In Tyrantland" was never part of the official list of episodes of its parent series, and only saw official commercial release in 2008, as part of the DVD set Father Knows Best: Season One. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide
- 1959
This sexually explicit, low-budget film makes no pretensions about being anything other than offensive. There is no plot since none is especially necessary. Director Charles Haas (his last film was the following year), opens with a scene of sexually active men and women at a party. Then one of these women, Silver Morgan (Mamie Van Doren), is mistakenly accused of a crime and sent to an institution, run by Catholic nuns, for wayward young women. As it turns out, the inmates in the institution actually run it through sadistic means. One of them is even more seriously mentally disturbed than the others, and so the nuns welcome her as a novitiate, making even a non-Catholic viewer grimace. The content of this story, such as it is, is made all the worse by an accompanying disregard of the craft of filmmaking. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mamie van Doren, Mel Tormé, (more)
- 1960
The people of Mayberry tend to be a bit resistant when an "outsider" sets up shop in town. Thus, several locals look askance when Ellie May Walker (Elinor Donahue), niece of the local druggist, takes charge of Walker's Drug Store. Almost immediately, Ellie's "modern" notions rub the traditionalist townsfolk the wrong way; for example, she refuses to sell sugar pills to the town's resident hypochondriac. Attempting to straighten things out, Sheriff Andy realizes that his interest in Ellie is more than professional. Written by Jack Elinson and Charles Stewart, "Ellie Comes to Town" first aired on October 24, 1960. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1960
Sheriff Andy's male chauvinism boils over when his girlfriend Ellie Walker decides to run for town council-the first woman ever to do so. As the campaigning proceeds, Andy and Barney do everything they can to throw roadblocks in Ellie's political career. The Sheriff realizes the error of his ways when his own son Opie begins spouting anti-female propaganda. First shown on December 12, 1960, "Ellie for Council" was written by Jack Elinson and Charles Stewart. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1960
Sheriff Andy mistakenly believes he can second-guess the opposite sex in general and Ellie Walker in particular. Convinced that Ellie is trying to snare him into marriage, Andy escorts her to the church picnic and encourages three local bachelors to woo her away. When Ellie finds out what's up, she and Andy's son Opie conspire to teach the misguided Sheriff a good lesson. First broadcast on October 31, 1960, "Irresistible Andy" was written by David Adler. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1960
This classic episode of The Andy Griffith Show begins when Sheriff Andy compassionately decides not to lock up moonshiner Sam Muggins during Christmas week, so that Sam can spend the holidays with his family. But old Ben Weaver (Will Wright), who can out-Scrooge Scrooge and out-Grinch the Grinch any day, demands that Andy follow the letter of the law and throw Sam in the clink, Christmas or no Christmas. Andy does so-but in his own inimitable fashion, enabling the Muggins clan to remain together all the same. Written by David Adler, "The Christmas Story" originally aired on December 19, 1960, then was rebroadcast during Christmas week of 1962. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1961
Once again, Barney solicits Andy's aid in an affair of the heart. This time around, Barney and his sweetie Thelma Lou have quarreled (he claims that she doesn't take their relationship seriously), and Andy is expected to bring them back together again. The scheme involves Andy pretending to be a rival for Thelma Lou's affections-a scheme that backfires spectacularly. First shown on March 6, 1961, "Cyrano Andy" was written by Jack Elinson and Charles Stewart. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1961
A man named Ernest Maxwell (Hugh Marlowe) arrives in Mayberry, claiming to be a talent scout for a major record company. Armed with a tape recorder, Maxwell begins auditioning local talent, and soon everyone in town is currying the man's favor-everyone, that is, except Sheriff Andy Taylor. Suspecting that Maxwell is nothing more than a con artist, especially after the locals begin investing money in Maxwell's company. But someone is in for a big surprise-and that someone is Guess Who. Written by Benedict Freeman and John Fenton Murray, "Mayberry on Record" originally aired on February 13, 1961. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
