<Tr> <Th> Occupation </Th> <Td> Pharmacist </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Family </Th> <Td> Fred Walker, uncle </Td> </Tr> <P> Elinor "Ellie" Walker is a fictional character in the American television sitcom The Andy Griffith Show . She is notable for being Andy Taylor's first regular girlfriend seen on the show . Ellie makes 12 appearances in the first season . Despite the paucity of her appearances, she was intended as a series regular . Unlike girlfriends that would follow, her portrayer, Elinor Donahue, is given opening credit billing, alongside Andy Griffith . </P> <P> Elinor Donahue was an established television star and had just finished her tour of duty as Betty "Princess" Anderson in the popular 1950s sitcom, Father Knows Best when she joined The Andy Griffith Show . Producers believed her name would have "drawing power" and gave her top billing in the opening credits with stars Andy Griffith, Ron Howard and Don Knotts . The only other performer to receive top billing during the course of the series' run was Frances Bavier (Aunt Bee) who began to appear in the opening credits in the 1965 - 1966 season after Don Knotts left the series . </P>

Who played ellie walker on andy griffith show