Talk:Elinor Donahue

Untitled
In part 5 of a 7 part interview with Archive of American Television, Donahue states that she actually signed on for 3 seasons of the Andy Griffith Show as Ellie Walker. She asked to be released after the first season, mainly because of personal adversity aside from the show. She says the show agreed to release her and did not tempt her to reconsider, though she probably would have done so if she had been asked to stay. Giving reasons and taking responsibility for the contract not working out, she believes that she did not give her best work to the show and the comic element between Don Knotts and Andy Griffith clearly became the developing focus rather than a relationship for the character Andy Taylor. She also respectfully states that she does not believe Andy Griffith's public statements cited in a TV Land Interview that the "writers did not know how to write for women" on the show. She states it "Was very kind of him to say that," but she never believed that "excuse." She says her favorite episode of the lone season featuring Ellie Walker is Number 11, "The Christmas Story." She speaks very highly of her relationships with all the cast from the show. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 64.130.130.252 (talk) 07:42, 13 February 2010 (UTC)

Personal life
I see children listed as "Christopher Ackerman (May 16, 1978), James Ackerman, Brian Ackerman (1957), Peter Ackerman (1962)". I am confused by what was going on, because 1957 is during marriage to Mr. Smith; marriage to Mr. Ackerman came later. Did a child take Ackerman surname later?

Notice 1957 above. According to "Father Knows Best" on wikipedia, her character graduated from high school in 1956, and I don't know how often that character was on that show later, seeing that real life baby of 1957. Carlm0404 (talk) 09:41, 14 August 2020 (UTC)

In https://people.com/archive/elinor-donahue-of-father-knows-best-is-a-mother-to-six-plus-beans-baxter-vol-28-no-13/, from 1987, I found: "Susan, 42, is the mother of three. Steve, 39, is a film technician. Brian, 30, is a caterer. Peter, 25, is an actor and production assistant. James, 22, is a sales rep. Chris, 19, has given up heavy-metal drumming and is studying for the ministry. In sum, a typical American family." -- where Susan and Steve are from Mr. Ackerman's previous marriage Carlm0404 (talk) 09:54, 14 August 2020 (UTC)

Missing James' year of birth in the infobox. Carlm0404 (talk) 09:56, 14 August 2020 (UTC)


 * , Normally only the number of children is listed in the infobox, with names listed only for children who have their own articles. Template:Infobox person contains the guideline. Eddie Blick (talk) 00:17, 15 August 2020 (UTC)