Andy Griffith

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Andy Griffith
Griffith in 1960, Andy Griffith Show
Born
Andy Samuel Griffith[1]

(1926-06-01)June 1, 1926
DiedJuly 3, 2012(2012-07-03) (aged 86)
Resting placeRoanoke Island, North Carolina, U.S.
Alma materUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (BMus)
Occupations
  • Actor
  • comedian
  • producer
  • singer
  • writer
  • director
Years active1946–2012
Notable work
Political partyDemocratic
Spouses
Barbara Bray Edwards
(m. 1949; div. 1972)
Solica Cassuto
(m. 1973; div. 1981)
Cindi Knight
(m. 1983)
Children2

Andy Samuel Griffith (June 1, 1926 – July 3, 2012) was an American actor, comedian, television producer, singer, and writer[2] whose career spanned seven decades in music and television. Known for his Southern drawl, his characters with a folksy-friendly personality, as well as his gruff but friendly voice, Griffith was a Tony Award nominee for two roles. He gained prominence in the starring role in director Elia Kazan's film A Face in the Crowd (1957) and No Time for Sergeants (1958) before he became better known for his television roles, playing the lead roles of Andy Taylor in the sitcom The Andy Griffith Show (1960–1968) and Ben Matlock in the legal drama Matlock (1986–1995).

Early life and education[edit]

Griffith was born on June 1, 1926 in Mount Airy, North Carolina, the only child of Carl Lee Griffith and his wife, Geneva (née Nunn).[3] As a baby, Griffith lived with relatives until his parents could afford to buy a home. With neither a crib nor a bed, he slept in dresser drawers for several months. In 1929, when Griffith was three, his father began working as a helper or carpenter and purchased a home in Mount Airy's "blue-collar" south side. Griffith grew up listening to music. By the time he entered school, he was well aware that he was from what many considered the "wrong side of the tracks". He was a shy student, but once he found a way to make his peers laugh, he began to come out of his shell and come into his own.

As a student at Mount Airy High School, Griffith cultivated an interest in the arts, and he participated in the school's drama program. A growing love of music, particularly swing, would change his life. Griffith was raised Baptist[4] and looked up to Ed Mickey, a minister at Grace Moravian Church, who led the brass band and taught him to sing and play the trombone. Mickey nurtured Griffith's talent throughout high school until graduation in 1944. Griffith was delighted when he was offered a role in The Lost Colony by Paul Green, a play about Roanoke Island still performed today. He performed as a cast member of the play for several years, playing a variety of roles until he finally landed the role of Sir Walter Raleigh, for whom North Carolina's capital is named.

He attended the University of North Carolina (UNC) in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and graduated with a Bachelor of Music degree in 1949. He began college studying to be a Moravian preacher, but he changed his major to music and became a part of the school's Carolina Playmakers. At UNC, he was president of the UNC chapter of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, America's oldest fraternity for men in music.[5] He also played roles in several student operettas, including The Chimes of Normandy (1946), and Gilbert and Sullivan's The Gondoliers (1945), The Mikado (1948) and H.M.S. Pinafore (1949).[6] After graduation, he taught music and drama for a few years at Goldsboro High School in Goldsboro, North Carolina,[7] where he taught, among others, Carl Kasell.[8] He also began to write.

Career[edit]

From rising comedian to film star[edit]

Griffith's early career was as a monologist, delivering long stories such as "What It Was, Was Football", which is told from the point of view of a naïve country preacher trying to figure out what was going on in a football game.[9] The monologue was released as a single in 1953 on the Colonial Records label, and was a hit for Griffith, reaching number nine on the charts in 1954.[10]

Griffith starred in Ira Levin's one-hour teleplay, No Time for Sergeants (March 1955) — a story about a country boy in the United States Air Force — on The United States Steel Hour, a television anthology series. He expanded that role in Ira Levin's full-length theatrical version of the same name (October 1955) on Broadway in New York City.[11] The role earned him a Tony Award nomination for "Distinguished Supporting or Featured Dramatic Actor" nomination at the 1956 Tony Awards, losing to Ed Begley. He did win the 1956 Theatre World Award, however, a prize given for debut roles on Broadway. "Mr. Griffith does not have to condescend to Will Stockdale" (his role in the play), wrote Brooks Atkinson in The New York Times. "All he has to do is walk on the stage and look the audience straight in the face. If the armed forces cannot cope with Will Stockdale, neither can the audience resist Andy Griffith."[12]

Griffith later reprised his role for the film version (1958) of No Time for Sergeants; the film also featured Don Knotts, as a corporal in charge of manual-dexterity tests, marking the beginning of a lifelong association between Griffith and Knotts. No Time for Sergeants is considered the direct inspiration for the later television situation comedy Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.[13] – a spin-off of The Andy Griffith Show.

His only other New York stage appearance was the title role in the 1959 musical Destry Rides Again, co-starring Dolores Gray. The show, with a score by Harold Rome, ran for 472 performances and more than a year. Griffith was nominated for "Distinguished Musical Actor" at the 1960 Tony Awards, losing to Jackie Gleason. He also portrayed a US Coast Guard sailor in the feature film Onionhead (1958). It was neither a critical nor a commercial success.

Dramatic role in A Face in the Crowd (1957)[edit]

Griffith with Lee Remick (l) and Patricia Neal (r) on the set of A Face in the Crowd (1957)

In 1957, Griffith made his film debut starring in the film A Face in the Crowd. He plays a "country boy" who is manipulative and power-hungry: a drifter who becomes a television host and uses his show as a gateway to political power. The film was directed by Elia Kazan and written by Budd Schulberg and co-stars Patricia Neal, Walter Matthau, Tony Franciosa, and Lee Remick (in her film debut).

A 2005 DVD reissue of A Face in the Crowd includes a mini-documentary on the film, with comments from Schulberg and cast members Griffith, Franciosa, and Neal. In his interview, Griffith recalls Kazan prepping him to shoot his first scene with Remick's teenaged baton twirler, who captivates Griffith's character on a trip to Arkansas. Griffith also expresses his belief that the film is more popular in recent decades than it was when originally released.[14]

Television roles[edit]

Early television roles[edit]

Griffith's first appearance on television was in 1955 in the one-hour teleplay of No Time for Sergeants on The United States Steel Hour. That was the first of two appearances on that series. In 1960, Griffith appeared as a county sheriff, who was also a justice of the peace and the editor of the local newspaper, in an episode of Make Room for Daddy starring Danny Thomas. This episode, in which Thomas's character is stopped for running a stop sign in a little town, served as a backdoor pilot for The Andy Griffith Show. Both shows were produced by Sheldon Leonard.

The Andy Griffith Show (1960–1968)[edit]

Andy Griffith and Julie Adams in 1962

Beginning in September 1960, Griffith starred as Sheriff Andy Taylor in The Andy Griffith Show for the CBS television network. The show took place in the fictional town of Mayberry, North Carolina, where Taylor, a widower, was the sheriff and town sage. The show was filmed at Desilu Studios, with exteriors filmed at Forty Acres in Culver City, California.

From 1960 to 1965, the show co-starred character actor and comedian — and Griffith's longtime friend — Don Knotts in the role of Deputy Barney Fife, Taylor's best friend and comedy partner. He was also Taylor's cousin in the show at first, though later they dropped that cousin relationship and talked simply of knowing one another since boyhood. In the series premiere episode, in a conversation between the two, Fife calls Taylor "Cousin Andy", and Taylor calls Fife "Cousin Barney". The show also starred child actor Ron Howard (then known as Ronny Howard), who played Taylor's only child, Opie Taylor. It was an immediate hit. Griffith never received a writing credit for the show, but he worked on the development of every script. Knotts was frequently lauded and won multiple Emmy Awards for his comedic performances, as did Frances Bavier in 1967, while Griffith was never nominated for an Emmy Award during the show's run.

Publicity photo with Lee Meriwether for The New Andy Griffith Show, 1971

In 1967, Griffith was under contract with CBS to do one more season of the show. However, he decided to quit the show to pursue a movie career and other projects. The series continued as Mayberry R.F.D., with Ken Berry starring as a widower farmer and many of the regular characters recurring, some regularly and some as guest appearances. Griffith served as executive producer (according to Griffith, he came in once a week to review the week's scripts and give input) and guest starred in five episodes (the pilot episode involved his marriage to Helen Crump).[15] He made final appearances as Taylor in the 1986 reunion television film, Return to Mayberry, with fellow co-star, Don Knotts. Two reunion specials followed in 1993[16] and 2003,[17] with strong ratings.[18]

Matlock (1986–1995)[edit]

After leaving his still-popular show in 1968, and starting his own production company Andy Griffith Enterprises in 1972, Griffith starred in less-successful television series such as Headmaster (1970), The New Andy Griffith Show (1971), Adams of Eagle Lake (1975), Salvage 1 (1979) and The Yeagers (1980). After spending seven months in rehabilitation for leg paralysis from Guillain–Barré syndrome in 1983, Griffith returned to television as the title character, Ben Matlock, in the legal drama Matlock (1986–1995) on NBC and ABC. Matlock was a country lawyer in Atlanta, Georgia, who was known for his Southern drawl and for always winning his cases. Matlock also starred unfamiliar, struggling actors (both of whom were childhood fans of Andy Griffith) Nancy Stafford as Michelle Thomas (1987–1992) and Clarence Gilyard, Jr. as Conrad McMasters (1989–1993). By the end of its first season it was a ratings powerhouse on Tuesday nights. Although the show was nominated for four Emmy Awards, Griffith once again was never nominated. He did, however, win a People's Choice Award in 1987 for his work as Matlock.[19]

Other television appearances[edit]

Griffith also made other character appearances through the years on Playhouse 90, Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C., The Mod Squad, Hawaii Five-O, The Doris Day Show, Here's Lucy, The Bionic Woman and Fantasy Island, among many others. He also reprised his role as Ben Matlock on Diagnosis: Murder in 1997, and his final guest-starring role was in 2001 in an episode of Dawson's Creek.

Films (including television films)[edit]

Patricia Neal and Griffith in A Face in the Crowd (1957)

For most of the 1970s, Griffith starred or appeared in many television films, including The Strangers in 7A (1972), Go Ask Alice (1973), Winter Kill (1974) and Pray for the Wildcats (1974), which marked his first villainous role since A Face in the Crowd. Griffith appeared again as a villain in Savages (1974), a television film based on the novel Deathwatch (1972) by Robb White. He appeared as The Father in a 1976 PBS television adaptation, directed by Stacy Keach, of Luigi Pirandello's Six Characters in Search of an Author. Griffith received his only Primetime Emmy Award nomination as Outstanding Supporting Actor – Miniseries or a Movie for his role as the father of a murder victim in the television film Murder in Texas (1981) and won further acclaim for his role as a homicidal villain in the television film Murder in Coweta County (1983), co-starring music legend Johnny Cash as the sheriff. He also appeared in several television miniseries, including the television version of From Here to Eternity (1979), Roots: The Next Generations (1979), Centennial (1978), and the Watergate scandal-inspired Washington: Behind Closed Doors (1977), playing a former president loosely based on Lyndon B. Johnson.

Most of the television movies in which Griffith starred were also attempts to launch a new series. Winter Kill (1974) launched the short-lived Adams of Eagle Lake, which was canceled in 1975 after only two episodes. A year later, he starred as a New York City attorney for the DA's office in Street Killing, which also failed to launch a new show. Two television films for NBC in 1977, The Girl in the Empty Grave and Deadly Game, were attempts for Griffith to launch a new series featuring him as Police Chief Abel Marsh, a more hard-edged version of Andy Taylor; despite strong ratings, both were unsuccessful in leading to a new TV show.

During this period, Griffith also appeared in two feature films, both of which flopped at the box office. He co-starred with Jeff Bridges as a crusty old 1930s western actor in the comedy Hearts of the West (1975), and he appeared alongside Tom Berenger as a gay villainous colonel and cattle baron in the Western comedy spoof Rustlers' Rhapsody (1985).

Following another short-lived return to series television, playing a family patriarch in the Dynasty-inspired The Yeagers in 1980, Griffith continued to make guest appearances in several hit series, including Hotel, Fantasy Island, where he played a fictional version of western figure Judge Roy Bean featured in an aspiring singer's fantasy, and an episode of The Love Boat, which featured a memorable appearance by pop icon Andy Warhol. He also appeared as an attorney in the NBC miniseries Fatal Vision (1984), which is considered a precursor to his role in Matlock.

Griffith stunned many unfamiliar with his A Face in the Crowd work in the television film Crime of Innocence (1985)...wherein he portrayed a hateful and vindictive judge who routinely sentenced juveniles to hard prison time, followed by lengthy and equally-torturous probation. Also noteworthy in Griffith's darker roles was his character in Under the Influence (1986), a TV movie in which Griffith played an alcoholic, abusive patriarch. He further surprised audiences with his role as a dangerous and mysterious grandfather in the television film Gramps (1995) co-starring John Ritter. He also appeared as a comical villain in the spy movie spoof Spy Hard (1996) starring Leslie Nielsen. In the television film A Holiday Romance (1999), Griffith played the role of Jake Peterson. In the film Daddy and Them (2001), Griffith portrayed the patriarch of a dysfunctional southern family.

In the feature film Waitress (2007), Griffith played a crusty diner owner who takes a shine to Keri Russell's character. His last appearance was the leading role in the romantic comedy, independent film Play the Game (2009) as a lonely, widowed grandfather re-entering the dating world after a 60-year hiatus. The cast of Play the Game also included Rance Howard, Ron Howard's real-life father, who had made appearances in various supporting roles on The Andy Griffith Show, and Clint Howard, Ron's younger brother, who had the recurring role of Leon (the kid offering the ice cream cone or peanut butter sandwich) on The Andy Griffith Show.

Singing and recording career[edit]

Griffith sang as part of some of his acting roles, most notably in A Face in the Crowd and in many episodes of both The Andy Griffith Show and Matlock. In addition to his recordings of comic monologues in the 1950s, he made an album of upbeat country and gospel tunes during the run of The Andy Griffith Show, which included a version of the show's theme sung by Griffith under the title "The Fishin' Hole". In later years, he recorded successful albums of classic Christian hymns for Sparrow Records. His most successful was the release I Love to Tell the Story: 25 Timeless Hymns (1996), which was certified platinum by the RIAA.[20] The album won Grammy Award for Best Southern, Country or Bluegrass Gospel Album at the 1997 Grammy Awards.[21]

Griffith appeared in country singer Brad Paisley's music video "Waitin' on a Woman" (2008).[22]

Name dispute[edit]

William Harold Fenrick of Platteville, Wisconsin, legally changed his name to Andrew Jackson Griffith and ran unsuccessfully for sheriff of Grant County in November 2006. Subsequently, actor Griffith filed a lawsuit against Griffith/Fenrick, asserting that he violated trademark, copyright, and privacy laws by changing his name for the "sole purpose of taking advantage of Griffith's fame in an attempt to gain votes". On May 4, 2007, US District Court Judge John C. Shabaz ruled that Griffith/Fenrick did not violate federal trademark law because he did not use the Griffith name in a commercial transaction but instead in order "to seek elective office, fundamental First Amendment protected speech".[23][24]

Association with Don Knotts and Ron Howard[edit]

Don Knotts[edit]

Don Knotts (l) and Andy Griffith (r) on the set of "The Andy Griffith-Don Knotts-Jim Nabors Hour" variety special (aired on October 7, 1965)

Griffith's friendship with Don Knotts began in 1955 when they co-starred in the Broadway play No Time for Sergeants.[25] Several years later, Knotts had a regular role on The Andy Griffith Show for five seasons.[26] Knotts left the series in 1965,[27] but periodically returned for guest appearances.[28] He appeared in the pilot for Griffith's subsequent short-lived series, The New Andy Griffith Show,[29] and he had a recurring role on Matlock, from 1988 to 1992.[30] In a January 2000 interview, Griffith said of Knotts, "The five years we worked together were the best five years of my life."[31]

They kept in touch until Knotts' death in early 2006. Griffith traveled from his Manteo, North Carolina, home to Los Angeles to visit the terminally ill Knotts at Cedars-Sinai just before Knotts died of lung cancer.[32]

Ron Howard[edit]

Griffith & Howard in a 1961 publicity photo for The Andy Griffith Show

Griffith's friendship with child actor Ron Howard began in 1960 when they guest-starred in the episode of Make Room For Daddy that led to the formation of The Andy Griffith Show the same year. For eight seasons, they starred together in most of the show's episodes, portraying father and son.

They guest-starred together in the show's spin-off series Mayberry R.F.D. They appeared in an episode during which Griffith's character married his long-time girlfriend, Helen Crump,[33] and in the Gomer Pyle U.S.M.C. episode "Opie Joins the Marines", in which Howard's character, Opie, runs away from home and attempts to enlist in the US Marines.[34] They co-starred in the TV special Return to Mayberry (1986),[35] in which the now-adult Opie is about to become a father. They later appeared together in CBS reunion specials in 1993[16] and 2003.[17][18] Griffith also made a comedy cameo on the Saturday Night Live program of October 9, 1982, hosted by Howard, who was, by then, in the early years of his directing career.[36]

In October 2008, Griffith and Howard briefly reprised their Mayberry roles in an online video Ron Howard's Call to Action. It was posted to comedy video website Funny or Die. The video encouraged people to vote and endorsed Democratic candidates Barack Obama and Joe Biden.[37][38]

After Griffith's death, Howard stated:

His love of creating, the joy he took in it whether it was drama or comedy or his music, was inspiring to grow up around. The spirit he created on the set of The Andy Griffith Show was joyful and professional all at once. It was an amazing environment. And I think it was a reflection of the way he felt about having the opportunity to create something that people could enjoy. It was always with respect and passion for the opportunity and really what it could offer people in a very unpretentious and earthy way. He felt he was always working in service of an audience he really respected and cared about. He was a great influence on me. His passing is sad. But he lived a great rich life.[39]

In a 2016 interview with US Magazine, Howard recalled Griffith encouraging his scriptwriting when he was just seven years old, saying "I felt elated." Howard recounted: "Andy Griffith said, 'What are you grinnin' at, young'un?' I said, 'That's the first idea of mine they've taken.' He said, 'It's the first that was any damn good. Now let's rehearse!'"[40]

Political activities[edit]

In 2000, Griffith appeared in a last-minute campaign commercial where he endorsed then-Attorney General Mike Easley for governor of the state of North Carolina. Easley had been locked in a tight race with former Mayor of Charlotte Richard Vinroot and had been losing his lead in the polls. Easley went on to win that November, taking 52% of the vote to Vinroot's 46%. Many observers dubbed Easley's victory as the "Mayberry Miracle", and credit Griffith's endorsement for stopping his falling poll numbers.[41]

In October 2008, Griffith appeared with Ron Howard in a Funny or Die video endorsement for Barack Obama's presidential campaign.[42]

In addition to his online video with Howard in 2008, in politics Griffith favored Democrats and recorded television commercials endorsing North Carolina governors Mike Easley[43] and Bev Perdue.[44] He spoke at the inauguration ceremonies of both.[45][46] In 1989, he declined an offer by Democratic party officials to run against Jesse Helms, a Republican U.S. Senator from North Carolina.[47]

In July 2010, he also starred in advertisements about Medicare.[48][49][50]

Personal life[edit]

In 1945, while a student at the University of North Carolina, Griffith was initiated as a member of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, a national social music fraternity for men.[51]

Griffith and Barbara Bray Edwards were married on August 22, 1949, and they adopted two children: a son named Andy Samuel Griffith Jr. (born in 1957 and better known as Sam Griffith) and a daughter named Dixie Nann Griffith.[52][53] They divorced in 1972. Sam, a real-estate developer, died in 1996 after years of alcoholism.[54] The senior Griffith's second wife was Solica Cassuto, a Greek actress. They were married from 1973 to 1981.[55] Griffith and Cindi Knight married on April 12, 1983, after they met while she was a cast member of The Lost Colony; this marriage endured until Griffith's death.[56] Griffith also had three granddaughters through his daughter Dixie.[57]

According to the 2015 book Andy & Don: The Making of a Friendship and a Classic American TV Show, Aneta Corsaut and the married Griffith had an ongoing affair throughout the five years they worked together on The Andy Griffith Show; the affair was an open secret amongst the cast and crew.[58]

Health and death[edit]

Griffith's first serious health problem was in April 1983 when he was diagnosed with Guillain–Barré syndrome and could not walk for seven months because of paralysis from the knees down.[59][60]

On May 9, 2000, he underwent quadruple heart-bypass surgery at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital in Norfolk, Virginia.[61]

After a fall, Griffith underwent hip surgery on September 5, 2007, at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.[62]

On July 3, 2012, Griffith died at his Roanoke Island home in Manteo, North Carolina, from a heart attack he had the day before; he was 86.[63][64] His death certificate listed hypertension, coronary artery disease, and hyperlipidemia as underlying health conditions.[64] In accordance with prior arrangements, no services were held at the time, and he was buried in a cemetery on the island within five hours of his death.[65]

Awards and honors[edit]

Griffith receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom from president George W. Bush (2005)

Albums[edit]

  • What It Was, Was Football (as Deacon Andy Griffith) on Capitol Records—EAP 1–498 (1953)
  • Destry Rides Again (1959 Original Broadway Cast Album, Decca Records)
  • Andy and Cleopatra on Capitol Records—T 2066 (1964)
  • Just for Laughs (1958)
  • Shouts the Blues and Old Timey Songs (1959) (album includes a guest appearance by bluesmen Brownie McGhee and Sonny Terry)
  • Songs, Themes and Laughs from the Andy Griffith Show (1961)
  • Somebody Bigger Than You and I (1972)
  • American Originals (1993)
  • Precious Memories: 33 Timeless Hymns (1995)
  • I Love to Tell the Story: 25 Timeless Hymns (1996)
  • Sings Favorite Old-Time Songs (1997)
  • Just as I Am: 30 Favorite Old Time Hymns (1998)
  • Wit & Wisdom of Andy Griffith (1998)
  • Favorite Old Time Songs (2000)
  • Absolutely the Best (2002)
  • Back to Back Hits (2003)
  • The Christmas Guest (2003)
  • Bound for the Promised Land: The Best of Andy Griffith Hymns (2005)
  • The Collection (2005)
  • Pickin' and Grinnin': The Best of Andy Griffith (2005)

Filmography[edit]

Features[edit]

Short subjects[edit]

  • Rowan & Martin at the Movies (1968)
  • What It Was, Was Football (1997)
  • Waitin' on a Woman (music video by Brad Paisley featuring Griffith) (2008)
  • Ron Howard's Call To Action – Video Short – Andy Taylor (2008)

Television work[edit]

Year Title Role Notes
1955 No Time for Sergeants Will Stockdale Griffith's television debut, nominated for Emmy for best program of the year
1960 Make Room for Daddy Andy Taylor Episode: "Danny meets Andy Griffith"
(Andy and Opie Taylor were first introduced in season seven) (1960)
1960–1968 The Andy Griffith Show Sheriff Andy Taylor 249 episodes
1966–1968 Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. Andy Taylor 2 episodes, 1 uncredited
1968–1969 Mayberry R.F.D. Andy Taylor 5 episodes
1970 Headmaster Andy Thompson 13 episodes
1971 The New Andy Griffith Show Andy Sawyer 10 episodes
1972 The Mod Squad George Carter Episode: "Big George"
1972 The Strangers in 7A Artie Sawyer TV movie
1972 Hawaii Five-O Arnold Lovejoy Episode: "I'm a Family Crook, Don't Shoot!"
1973 Go Ask Alice Priest TV movie
1974 Pray for the Wildcats Sam Farragut TV movie
1974 Winter Kill Sheriff Sam McNeill TV movie
1974 Savages Horton Madec TV movie
1975 Adams of Eagle Lake Sheriff Sam Adams 2 episodes
1976 The Bionic Woman Jack Starkey Episode: "Angel of Mercy"
1976 Street Killing Gus Brenner TV movie
1976 Six Characters in Search of an Author The Father TV movie
1976 Frosty's Winter Wonderland Narrator (voice) TV short
1977 Washington: Behind Closed Doors Esker Scott Anderson TV mini-series, 6 episodes
1977 The Girl in the Empty Grave Police Chief Abel Marsh TV movie
1977 Deadly Game Police Chief Abel Marsh TV movie
1978–1979 Centennial Professor Lewis Vernor TV mini-series, 10 episodes
1979 Salvage 1 Harry Broderick 20 episodes
1979 From Here to Eternity General Barney Slater TV mini-series, 3 episodes
1979 Roots: The Next Generations Commander Robert Munroe TV mini-series
Episode: "#1.6"
1980 The Yeagers Carroll Yeager 2 episodes
1981 Murder in Texas Ash Robinson TV movie
1982 For Lovers Only Vernon Bliss TV movie
1982 Fantasy Island Judge Roy Bean Episode: "Legends/The Perfect Gentleman"
1983 Murder in Coweta County John Wallace TV movie
1983 The Demon Murder Case Guy Harris TV movie
1984 Fatal Vision Victor Worheide TV mini-series
1985 Crime of Innocence Judge Julius Sullivan TV movie
1986 Diary of a Perfect Murder Ben Matlock TV movie
1986 Return to Mayberry Andy Taylor TV movie
1986 Under the Influence Noah Talbot TV movie
1986–1995 Matlock Ben Matlock / Charlie Matlock 181 episodes
1993 The Andy Griffith Show Reunion Himself TV special
1994 The Gift of Love Phil Doucet TV movie
1995 Gramps Jack MacGruder TV movie
1997 Diagnosis: Murder Ben Matlock 2 episodes
1998 Scattering Dad Hiram TV movie
1999 A Holiday Romance Jake Peterson TV movie
2001 Dawson's Creek Andrew Lanier Episode: "A Winter's Tale"
2003 The Andy Griffith Show Reunion: Back to Mayberry Himself TV special[26]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Andy Griffith Interview – Archive of American Television video". October 22, 2017. Event occurs at 0:33. My name is Andy. It never was Andrew.
  2. ^ "Andy Griffith to Donate Personal Collection to UNC's Southern Historical Collection". University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (Press release). September 9, 2005. Archived from the original on March 12, 2007. Retrieved January 14, 2010.
  3. ^ Robinson, D.; Fernandes, D. (2012). The Definitive Andy Griffith Show Reference: Episode-by-Episode, with Cast and Production Biographies and a Guide to Collectibles. McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers. p. 381. ISBN 978-1-4766-0187-8. Retrieved September 29, 2021.
  4. ^ "Full text of "The Player A Profile Of An Art"". Simon And Schuster. 1961. Retrieved February 11, 2013.
  5. ^ "About Us". Evansville, IN: Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia. Archived from the original on July 2, 2012. Retrieved July 3, 2012. Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia is the world's oldest and largest secret national fraternal society in music.
  6. ^ Collection Number: P0035, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Department of Dramatic Art Photographs and Related Materials, 1911-1970s", University of North Carolina Libraries, Retrieved January 20, 2012
  7. ^ "Gohisca [1951] :: North Carolina College and University Yearbooks". library.digitalnc.org. Archived from the original on September 21, 2018. Retrieved September 21, 2018.
  8. ^ "So This Is Carl Kasell!" by Joanne Kaufman, The Wall Street Journal, December 18, 2007 (Retrieved March 21, 2011)
  9. ^ "What It Was, Was Football". Carolinafan.com. September 26, 2002. Retrieved February 11, 2013.
  10. ^ "details for What It Was, Was Football—Deacon Andy Griffith". Dmdb.org. Retrieved February 11, 2013.
  11. ^ "No Time for Sergeants". Internet Broadway Database. Retrieved January 14, 2010.
  12. ^ Brooks Atkinson (October 21, 1955). "Alvin Premiere for "No Time for Sergeants". The New York Times.
  13. ^ Debolt, A.; Baugess, J.S. (2011). Encyclopedia of the Sixties: A Decade of Culture and Counterculture [2 volumes]: A Decade of Culture and Counterculture. ABC-CLIO. p. 256. ISBN 978-1-4408-0102-0. Retrieved September 29, 2021.
  14. ^ Andy Griffith; Patricia Neal; Anthony Franciosa; Budd Schulberg; Leo Braudy; Jeff Young (2005). Facing the Past (included on A Face in the Crowd DVD) (DVD). The Criterion Collection. Event occurs at 21:00-21:30; 27:30-27:45.
  15. ^ "Full Cast and Crew for Mayberry R.F.D.. IMDb. Retrieved January 14, 2010.
  16. ^ a b King, Susan (February 7, 1993). "Nostalgia star of Andy Griffith reunion". Gainesville Sun. Gainesville, FL. p. 7D. Retrieved July 3, 2012.
  17. ^ a b Gilbert, Matthew (November 11, 2003). "Remembering the warm glow of Mayberry". The Boston Globe. Boston, MA. Retrieved July 4, 2012.
  18. ^ a b Thomas, George M. (November 28, 2003). "Ron Howard says 'The Missing' compels with story, performances". The Boston Globe. Boston, MA. Retrieved July 4, 2012.
  19. ^ "People's Choice Awards 1987". Retrieved August 1, 2013.
  20. ^ "RIAA Gold & Platinum (May 21, 2010)". Riaa.com. Archived from the original on June 26, 2007. Retrieved February 11, 2013.
  21. ^ "Winners of the 1997 Grammy Awards". The New York Times. February 28, 1997. Retrieved February 11, 2013.
  22. ^ Randy Lewis (July 3, 2012). "Brad Paisley on Andy Griffith, star of his 'Waitin' on a Woman' video". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 14, 2012.
  23. ^ "Andy Griffith Sues Former Wisconsin Sheriff's Candidate". WEAU.com. Archived from the original on July 20, 2011. Retrieved April 2, 2011.
  24. ^ Foley, Ryan J. (May 8, 2007). "Judge: Candidate named after Andy Griffith didn't harm actor". The Times-News. Hendersonville, NC. The Associated Press. p. 4C. Retrieved July 4, 2012.
  25. ^ Kinos-Goodin, Jesse (July 3, 2012). "Five things you may not have known about Andy Griffith". National Post. Toronto, ON. Archived from the original on January 29, 2013. Retrieved July 3, 2012.
  26. ^ a b "Mayberry, USA: 'Simpler time, sweeter place'". USA Today. McLean, VA. November 10, 2003. Retrieved July 3, 2012.
  27. ^ "There is a lot of Barney Fife in us all". USA Today. McLean, VA. February 27, 2006. Retrieved July 3, 2012.
  28. ^ Kelly, Richard Michael (1981). The Andy Griffith Show (Eleventh (2002) ed.). Faber U.K. pp. 59–60. ISBN 0-89587-043-6.
  29. ^ Esman, Rachael (February 27, 2006). "Farewell to Fife". The Houstonian. Huntsville, TX. Archived from the original on July 7, 2012. Retrieved July 3, 2012.
  30. ^ "Griffith, Knotts Reunited". The Victoria Advocate. Victoria, TX. September 24, 1988. p. 47. Retrieved July 3, 2012.
  31. ^ de Vise, Daniel (2015). Andy and Don: The Making of a Friendship and a Classic TV Show. New York City: Simon & Schuster. p. 247. ISBN 978-1-4767-4773-6.
  32. ^ Collins, Scott (February 25, 2006). "Don Knotts, Star of 'The Andy Griffith Show,' Dead at 81 — Knotts Died Friday Night of Pulmonary and Respiratory Complications at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Beverly Hills". Los Angeles Times (via The Morning Call). Retrieved January 14, 2010.
  33. ^ "Mayberry R.F.D. | TV Guide". TV Guide. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
  34. ^ "Gomer Pyle, USMC | TV Guide". TV Guide. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
  35. ^ Erickson, Hal. "Return to Mayberry". allmovie.com. p. 1. Retrieved June 7, 2009.
  36. ^ "SNL Archives | Episode". snl.jt.org. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
  37. ^ "Ron Howard's Call To Action". FunnyorDie.com. Retrieved July 3, 2012.
  38. ^ "Opie and Andy stump for Obama in video". News & Record. Greensboro, NC. October 24, 2008. Retrieved July 3, 2012.[permanent dead link]
  39. ^ Nikki Finke. "EXCLUSIVE: Ron Howard On Andy Griffith". Deadline. Retrieved April 16, 2014.
  40. ^ "Why Ron Howard Thought Tom Hanks Had 'No Chance in Hell' of Landing a Role in 'Splash'". US.com. November 14, 2016. Retrieved April 26, 2018.
  41. ^ Tran, Vivyan; Bergstrom, William (July 3, 2012). "Andy Griffith's political pals". POLITICO.
  42. ^ "Ron Howard brings back Opie for Obama". Archived from the original on August 21, 2012.
  43. ^ Ryanteaguebeckwith (June 21, 2008). "What It Was, Was a Debate" Archived October 24, 2008, at the Wayback Machine. Blog at The News & Observer. Retrieved January 14, 2010.
  44. ^ Ryanteaguebeck (October 27, 2008). Andy also recorded commercials with ron Howard endorsing the candidacy of Barack Obama in 2008 "Perdue's 'Whistling' Ad from Griffith" Archived February 4, 2009, at the Wayback Machine. (includes video; requires Adobe Flash). Blog at The News & Observer. Retrieved January 14, 2010.
  45. ^ Johnson, Mark (January 7, 2009). "Yes, Andy Will Be There" Archived February 18, 2009, at the Wayback Machine. Blog at The News & Observer. Retrieved January 14, 2010.
  46. ^ Bniolet (January 10, 2009). "Oh, the Places You'll Govern" Archived February 18, 2009, at the Wayback Machine. Blog at The News & Observer. Retrieved January 14, 2010.
  47. ^ "Andy Griffith says he won't challenge Sen. Jesse Helms". Lodi News-Sentinel. Lodi, CA. June 8, 1989. Retrieved July 3, 2012.
  48. ^ "CBS News". Archived from the original on November 4, 2012.
  49. ^ Harrington, Scott (September 24, 2010). "Andy Griffith and Taxpayer Funded Political Ads". Forbes. New York, NY. Retrieved July 3, 2012.
  50. ^ Cutter, Stephanie (July 30, 2010). "Medicare and Mayberry". whitehouse.gov. Retrieved July 3, 2012 – via National Archives.
  51. ^ "Brother Andy Griffith – Dead at 86". Sinfonia.org. Archived from the original on January 10, 2013. Retrieved February 11, 2013.
  52. ^ Ostrow, Joanne (July 6, 2012)."Ostrow: Andy Griffith's Denver-based daughter Dixie reflects on life with Dad" Denver Post. Retrieved August 20, 2012.
  53. ^ Huffman, Dane (July 3, 2012)."Andy Griffith timeline" Archived January 30, 2013, at archive.today NBC 17 News. Retrieved August 20, 2012.
  54. ^ Van Derbeken, Jaxon (January 18, 1996)."Andy Griffith's Son Dies after Battling Alcoholism" Archived July 9, 2013, at the Wayback Machine Los Angeles Daily News (hosted by TheFreeLibrary.com). Retrieved January 14, 2010.
  55. ^ "The real Andy Griffith lives among us, quietly". hamptonroads.com. Archived from the original on January 15, 2012. Retrieved February 11, 2013.
  56. ^ Strickland, Sandy. "Andy Griffith's ties to the First Coast," The Florida Times-Union, July 4, 2021. Retrieved Oct. 8, 2023.
  57. ^ Ostrow, Joanne (July 6, 2012). "Andy Griffith's Denver-based daughter Dixie reflects on life with Dad". The Denver Post. Retrieved February 13, 2023.
  58. ^ De Visé, Daniel (2015). Andy & Don: The Making of a Friendship and a Classic American TV Show. New York: Simon & Schuster. pp. 146–147. ISBN 978-1-4767-4773-6. Retrieved May 14, 2023 – via Internet Archive text collection.
  59. ^ "Andy Griffith in Hospital". The Pittsburgh Press. May 17, 1983. Retrieved September 11, 2010.
  60. ^ "Andy Griffith recovering from Ailment". Lodi News-Sentinel. May 18, 1983. Retrieved September 11, 2010.
  61. ^ "Andy Griffith recovering from heart attack, bypass surgery". The Tuscaloosa News. June 14, 2000. Retrieved February 11, 2013.
  62. ^ "Griffith has hip surgery". Starpulse.com. September 15, 2006. Retrieved February 11, 2013.
  63. ^ Douglas Martin (July 3, 2012). "Andy Griffith, TV's Lawman and Moral Compass, Dies at 86". The New York Times. Retrieved July 3, 2012.
  64. ^ a b "Death certificate: Griffith died of heart attack". News.yahoo.com. Associated Press. July 5, 2012. Archived from the original on July 9, 2012. Retrieved February 11, 2013.
  65. ^ "Andy Griffith buried shortly after death, source says". CNN. Atlanta, GA. July 3, 2012. Retrieved July 3, 2012.
  66. ^ "Well, I'll be: Andy Griffith Museum opens". The Business Journal. January 13, 2010. Retrieved February 11, 2013.
  67. ^ "Timeline: Andy Griffith". Access Atlanta. July 3, 2012. Retrieved February 11, 2013.
  68. ^ Stange, Keith (January 12, 2013). "Emmett Forrest, long-time Andy Griffith friend, has died". The Mount Airy News. Archived from the original on January 31, 2013. Retrieved February 11, 2013.
  69. ^ a b "Andy Griffith". Grammy Awards. Retrieved May 29, 2022.
  70. ^ "Hall of Fame Inductees" Archived July 8, 2011, at the Wayback Machine. Country Gospel Music Hall of Fame. Retrieved January 14, 2010.
  71. ^ "Andy Griffith statue unveiled in Raleigh". Rome News-Tribune. Rome GA. October 29, 2003. p. 7B. Retrieved July 7, 2012.
  72. ^ Byerly, Wendy (February 26, 2003). "Mount Airy starts petition drive for second Andy statue in town". The Mount Airy News. Mount Airy NC. p. 1. Retrieved July 7, 2012.
  73. ^ "Griffith to unveil statue during Mayberry Days". Harlan Daily Enterprise. Harlan KY. Associated Press. September 24, 2004. p. 1B. Retrieved July 7, 2012.
  74. ^ "Citations for Recipients of the 2005 Presidential Medal of Freedom". whitehouse.gov. November 29, 2012. Retrieved April 16, 2014 – via National Archives.
  75. ^ "USA Patriotism! ... Presidential Medal of Freedom > 2005 Recipients". Usa-patriotism.com. Retrieved April 16, 2014.
  76. ^ "Listed Below are the 2007 Hall of Fame Inductees" Archived August 19, 2009, at the Wayback Machine. Christian Music Hall of Fame. Retrieved January 14, 2010.
  77. ^ "2010 Inductees". North Carolina Music Hall of Fame. Retrieved September 10, 2012.

External links[edit]