Elinor Donahue’s Remarkable 60-Year Career: How She Became a Hollywood Staple

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.”

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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.”

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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.

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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!

Why Your Siblings Are Good for Your Health

One day, siblings are awesome — and the next, they’re a real nightmare. They can be so unpredictable, yet we love them all the same. We call each other names, but if someone does that to our sibling, we’re up in arms. As surprising as it sounds, siblings can actually improve your health. So you may want to think twice before you tell your sibling to leave you alone.

Bright Side encourages you to grab your sibling and take a moment to appreciate each other.

They boost your immune system.

Healthy sibling relationships increase your ability to fight off viruses, even without symptoms. Stress hormones, catecholamines, and glucocorticoids, in particular, have a negative impact on your immune system when you’re sick. The higher your stress levels are, the worse you feel. Luckily, if you have strong social bonds with your siblings or friends, you can control your stress levels, which can help you get over an illness much faster.

Hugging your loved ones can prevent heart disease.

You can keep your blood pressure under control by hugging regularly. If you are worried sick about something, instead of taking some medicine, hug your sibling. Such practices lower blood pressure and heart rate. Even 20 seconds of hugging your loved one can help you avoid heart attacks or pain.

They help you cope with depression.

We often turn to our parents for help when we run into a brick wall in our lives. However, your sibling offers you something that your parents can’t. You open up more to your siblings, find possible solutions together, and the overall feeling of being cared for cheers you up. Your cortisol levels reduce when you have someone to talk to. Additionally, they protect you from stress when you’re a kid.

They prolong your life.

People with poor social connections are 50% more likely to die earlier than people who have tight bonds. This could be because your nearest and dearest encourage you to care about yourself. This becomes especially noticeable when you fall ill. Your siblings make a casserole for you, rub ointment on your back, and demand that you don’t die because they need you.

How many siblings do you have? Did the article make you view them differently?

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