The Apple Dumpling Gang (1975)

Them thar kiddies are armed and dangerous. They're loaded with winsome ways and beguiling smiles. Why, one glance at them can drive a man.... to marriage? For Mr. Donovan (Bill Bixby), that's exactly what happened. 

Mr. Russell Donovan was just passing through the town of Quake City enjoying a game of poker, when he volunteered to pick up some valuables that was coming in on the next stagecoach for an old acquaintance . Those "valuables" turned out to be three children: Bobby (Clay O'Brien), Clovis (Brad Savage), and Celia (Stacy Manning), and his old acquaintance was nowhere to be found. 

Judge McCoy (Harry Morgan) was of the mind that since Mr. Donovan accepted a down-payment for the valuables, they are rightly his. After numerous attempts to pawn of the youngens fail, Mr. Donovan reluctantly becomes a family man, but the townsfolk suddenly want to adopt the children after the little ones strike gold in an old derelict mine belonging to them. If Mr. Donovan wants to safeguard the children and their fortune, he better "find himself a wife" (the judge declares) and so Mr. Donovan grasps at a last straw and proposes marriage to one of the few single women in town, the rough and tumbled "Dusty" Clydesdale (Susan Clark).

Walt Disney Studios released The Apple Dumpling Gang in 1975, when most of the theaters were showing movies filled with violence and not many laughs. However, Disney knew what families wanted to see and this comedy-western struck gold. The picture reaped in nearly $32 million in box-office receipts and became the 11th top-grossing film of the year*. 

What made the film so entertaining was the featured comedy duo of Don Knotts and Tim Conway. This was their first pairing and the characters of Amos and Theodore ("dumb and dumber") were a boot-fit for this team. Theodore (Tim Conway) had accidentally shot Frank Stillwell (Slim Pickens) of The Stillwell Gang in the leg and so he and Amos (Don Knotts) decide to strike out on their own as the newly dubbed "Hashknife Outfit". They wanted to leave a trail of crime in every town they passed but all they were leaving was a mess. Now the giant gold nugget that the children find is sitting on display at the local bank and Amos and Theodore have their eye on stealing it!

Like most of the scripts for Walt Disney films, there are multiple stories going on at once, all of which intersect and conclude nicely during the finale. The Apple Dumpling Gang was written by Don Tait who had just started with the Walt Disney Studios in 1972 when he wrote Snowball Express. He went on to write many more scripts for the studio, including the sequel to this film, The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again (1979), which also featured Don Knotts and Tim Conway. 

Bill Bixby gives a wonderful performance (as usual) as Mr. Donovan and Susan Clark is entertaining as Dusty, but the children are the real scene-stealers. Clay O'Brien has long been a favorite of mine ever since I watched him on Saturday morning showings of The Whiz Kid series, where he played Alvin's friend Shooie. All of the children were well-cast, as were the character actors which also included David Wayne and John McGiver. 

Director Norman Tokar (Leave it to Beaver) kept the action and the entertainment at a steady pace and The Apple Dumpling Gang never becomes dull or tiresome...even after multiple viewings. The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again is equally entertaining. In fact, it is one of those rare sequels that is actually better than the original because most of the story centers on Amos and Theodore instead of Mr. Donovan and the children, and who could pass up more of Knotts and Conway?

* Based on the website The Numbers. 

Nugget Reviews - 25

The Private Eyes ( 1980 )   14k 

Scotland Yard detectives, Inspector Winship and Dr. Tart, are hired to investigate the death of Lord and Lady Morley at their English mansion. One by one all of their suspects die off, leaving Winship and Tart to face the real killer. Don Knotts, Tim Conway, Trisha Noble, Bernard Fox. The Private Eye Partners. Directed by Lang Elliott.

Don Knotts and Tim Conway were teamed up for the first time in Disney's 1975 comedy The Apple Dumpling Gang and really "clicked" together. Knotts, who always played the sidekick to Andy on The Andy Griffith Show, did a wonderful job of switching to the straight man and allowing Conway to take the laughs. The Private Eyes is a bit on the wacky side but it has its moments of humor, especially in the running gags throughout the film. 

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Blonde Fever ( 1944 ) 14k

A happily married couple who own a restaurant outside Reno finds their marriage on the rocks when a blonde bombshell who was hired as a waitress begins to split them apart. Mary Astor, Philip Dorn, Gloria Grahame, Marshall Thompson. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures. Directed by Richard Whorf.

Gloria Grahame was making her film debut - along with Marshall Thompson - in this light-hearted comedy from MGM. With their performances, both of them steal the show from the pros Mary Astor and Philip Dorn. The story, which was based on a play, was tight and the film had its moments, but overall, it is quite forgettable and not up to MGM's usual standards when it comes to comedies. However, the great character actor Felix Bressart is in the movie, and his presence alone makes it worth watching!

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Five Little Peppers and How They Grew ( 1939 ) 14k

The wealthy Mr. King wishes to buy out the poor Pepper family's 50% share in a copper mine he owns but once he gets to know the family better and comes to love them, he changes his mind and invites them to live with him in his mansion. Edith Fellows, Charles Peck, Tommy Bond, Clarence Kolb. Columbia Pictures. Directed by Charles Barton. 

This first entry in what was to become a four-film series about Margaret Sidney's Pepper family, is very unassuming and quite entertaining. It packs in quite a bit of plot in its 58-minute runtime. There is some youthful romance between the rich Mr. King's grandson Jaspar and Polly Pepper, a good deal of drama during a family bout with measles, and innocent humor from the children's activities - especially from Dorothy Ann Seese who was quite a scene-stealer. 

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The Golden Blade ( 1953 ) Elect.

The young Harun enters Baghdad seeking information about the group of men who ransacked his tribe and murdered his father. In a quaint bazaar he purchases a magic sword and discovers that Fate has led him to aid the princess Khairuzan in order to discover the group he is after. Rock Hudson, Piper Laurie, Steven Geray, George MacReady. Universal Pictures. Directed by Nathan Juran. 

"Out of Bagdad's mystic past thunders the adventure of all ages!" So proclaims the poster to The Golden Blade. The screenwriter was banking on audiences ignorance of "Bagdad's mystic past" and decided to mix medieval and Mongolian ( ?) elements into the screenplay, making the film a pastiche of styles. Nathan Juran, an art director who would later direct the Ray Harryhausen classics The 7th Voyage of Sinbad and First Men in the Moon was just learning the ropes at this time so the film is rather bland in spots but not bad for a Sunday afternoon's viewing. 

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The Pink Jungle ( 1968 ) 14k

A photographer and his model get stranded in the South American jungle when their pilot takes off without them. There, they meet an adventurer who talks them into buying a treasure map and hunting for diamonds with him. James Garner, Eva Renzi, George Kennedy, Nigel Green. Universal Pictures. Directed by Delbert Mann.  

The Pink Jungle is one of many fun adventure films that were released in the mid-late 1960s and it plays out like an American version of That Man from Rio with non-stop action and comedy. Oddly enough, it is little known today despite its great cast and witty script. James Garner was ideal for parts like this and should have made more similarly themed films. Eva Renzi, a real fashion model, and George Kennedy were also perfect. 

Nugget Reviews - 24

Alas, there be no golden nuggets among this batch of films, but some of these movies are mighty entertaining nonetheless. 

Can't Help Singing ( 1944 )  14k 

A senator's daughter joins a wagon train en route to California in the hopes of meeting up with the lieutenant she wants to marry. On the way, she falls in love with a card shark. Deanna Durbin, Robert Paige, Akim Tamiroff, Leonid Kinskey, Ray Collins, David Bruce. Universal Pictures. Directed by Frank Ryan.

After making thirteen black-and-white films, the powers-that-be at Universal Studios decided to showcase their number one box-office attraction, Winnipeg's Sweetheart, in her first Technicolor production Can't Help Singing. The film was a great success combining light-hearted comedy and romance with beautiful western locales and some lovely tunes by Jerome Kern ( which were nominated for two Oscars ). A slew of wonderful character actors also appear, including Akim Tamiroff and Leonid Kinskey, who do a great bit of schtick involving Durbin's trunk. 

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How to Frame a Figg ( 1971 ) 14k

A city accountant gets framed by crooked politicians in a $50,000 swindle and must use the new accounting computer, L.E.O, to help him prove his innocence. Don Knotts, Frank Welker, Joe Flynn, Edward Andrews, Elaine Joyce. Universal Pictures. Directed by Alan Rafkin.

Don Knotts is fun to watch in every movie he made. How to Frame a Figg isn't as memorable as The Ghost and Mr. Chicken or The Reluctant Astronaut but it has its moments...many of them highly amusing. This was the last of a series of comedies that Knotts made for Universal Pictures. Later, he would team up with Tim Conway in such Disney classics as The Apple Dumpling Gang and Hot Lead, Cold Feet. Incidentally, while Frank Welker was great as Hollis' friend Prentiss, Tim Conway would have been an even better addition to the film. 

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The Man from the Alamo ( 1953 ) 14k.

John Stroud is branded a coward when he leaves the scene of the Alamo to check on his and the other soldiers' families back at their ranches in Ox Bow, but he later gets a chance to prove his courage when he protects a wagon train being attacked by a gang of outlaws. Glenn Ford, Julie Adams, Chill Wills, Victor Jory, Hugh O'Brien. Universal Pictures. Directed by Budd Boetticher. 

Throughout the 1950s, Budd Boetticher directed a number of low-budget westerns starring Randolph Scott. The Man from the Alamo could have easily been a Scott western, but instead, it stars the delightful Glenn Ford as the downcast soldier Stroud who is branded a coward. Julie Adams, one of the busiest Western stars of the era, didn't get much of a romantic part in this movie but adds a feminine touch to a very masculine film. Little Marc Cavell is also adorable as Stroud's only friend, Carlos. Overall, it's an entertaining but not very memorable western. 

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The Unholy Intruders aka Hinter Klostermauern ( 1952 ) 14k.

A middle-aged man returns home from the war and, unable to find lodging for his girlfriend and child, he moves them into an abandoned convent. When the nuns return to occupy it again, he refuses to leave and his presence proves to be a thorn to the nuns. Olga Tschechowa, Philip Dorn, Katharina Mayberg, Dorothea Wieck. Delta-Venus. Directed by Harald Reinl.

Thomas and Kathrin are two protagonists that you instantly want to hate, and it is very difficult for a film to hold the attention of its audience with the presence of anti-heroes. Yet, as Thomas ( Philip Dorn ) is just about to go from bad to worse, he has a change of heart and his redemption becomes the drawing feature of the film. Olga Tschechowa, that legend of the silent era, plays the prioress in this movie with such conviction. At one time Olga was accused of being a Russian agent in Nazi Germany. She obviously knows how to play many parts well! 

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Anne of Windy Poplars ( 1940 ) 14k

Anne Shirley takes up her first position as vice-principal in the town of Windy Poplars but finds she must first win over hostile faculty and feuding citizens before she receives a welcome. Anne Shirley, James Ellison, Slim Summerville, Henry Travers, Louise Campbell. RKO Pictures. Directed by Jack Hively. 

Six years passed before RKO decided to film a sequel to Anne of Green Gables ( 1934 ) which was based on L.M. Montgomery's book series of the same name. Anne Shirley, who portrayed Anne Shirley in the original film, returns to her namesake role, this time playing an older and more mature schoolteacher. The film trots along at a gentle pace and, while it isn't anything special, there are a number of good scenes, especially those involving character actors Slim Summerville and Henry Travers. Poor Anne sure has to put up with a lot of curmudgeons in Windy Poplars, but with her gentle ways she naturally wins them over by the end of the film....and gains a daughter too. 

The Reluctant Astronaut ( 1967 )

"Boldly going where no coward has gone before!"

Buck Fleming's boy is an astronaut. He's the pride of his father, mother, sweetheart, and the entire town of Sweetwater, Missouri. "A credit to his town, to the nation, and now the entire universe," they proclaim. What Buck ( Arthur O'Connell ) and the townsfolk don't realize is Roy Fleming is not quite an astronaut...he's a WB-1074. That's the Space Administration's classification for an apprentice janitor. 

Timid Roy Fleming ( Don Knotts ) is so frightened of heights that he becomes dizzy operating the space ride at the kiddie park where he works. When he discovers that his father signed him up for the space program his first impulse is to back out. However, when Roy learns just how much his father yearns for a hero in the family, he decides to square his scrawny shoulders and brave the wonders of space for his pappy and the people of Sweetwater, proving that even a coward can become a hero when given a chance. 

The Reluctant Astronaut was the second of five feature-length comedies that Don Knotts made for Universal Pictures in the 1960s. Like its predecessor, The Ghost and Mr. Chicken ( 1966 ), the film is chock-full of Knotts and serves up a generous slice of apple pie Americana with a healthy dose of hokey humor added for sweetness. It has a script tailored made for Knotts and gave him ample opportunity to bug his eyes out, flex his spindly muscles, and flash all those Silly Putty facial expressions that made him such a top-notch comedian. 

Joan Freeman co-stars as Roy's sweetheart Ellie, a young woman who has very little interest in the frightened bean-pole until she realizes what a hero he is. Knotts' love scenes are visual wonders to behold. "I think that I shall never see a poem as lovely as a tree, a tree that..." Roy begins to recite to Ellie when she interrupts him and says that when you are trying to be romantic you don't recite poems about trees. But Roy does. When he steps out to the backyard with Ellie to have a romantic moonlight moment with her, he ends up being whacked by a swing and getting slapped in his face....resulting in a nose bleed, of course. 

Knotts funniest moments are when he steps foot onto the Apollo launchpad. He's not entirely sober from the previous night's "blast-off" binge and is still in denial of going up into space, not realizing that the crew are already strapping him into the seat. You can't imagine NASA actually doing such a hurried launch out of desperation to beat the Russians but that's what makes the whole scene so funny. Even a monkey would have received more careful training then they gave Roy Fleming and, once onboard the spacecraft, he finds that a simple tube of peanut butter can cause an awful lot of technical complications. 

Roy : [ searching his suit pockets ] I can't find my ticket! 

Mrs. Fleming : You can't find your ticket? [ fumbles through her purse ]...Oh, here it is, here's your ticket! 

Roy : I was kind of hoping it was lost. 

Mrs. Fleming : Maybe you can tell the pilot not to drive the plane too high? 

What truly makes The Reluctant Astronaut such an entertaining comedy is the Everett Greenbaum/Jim Fritzell script and the marvelous cast of character actors. These two writers penned the majority of the television scripts for The Andy Griffith Show, and they knew what a boon it was too have talented character actors in the episodes. Many of the citizens of Sweetwater resemble characters you would expect to have seen in Mayberry. Jeanette Nolan, who had a tremendous career in radio, stage, film, and television, appears as Roy's doting mother. Frank McGrath and Paul Hartman are great as Buck's old WWI pals, while Jesse White is perfect as Roy's caustic janitorial boss. Also in the cast is Leslie Nielsen as famed astronaut Major Fred Gifford. He is a genuine friend to Roy and a big man in Roy's eyes. 

"Now our most pressing problem is finding the man to take this ride...the least qualified individual you can possibly think of. In other words, the last man on earth that you would send into space."

The Reluctant Astronaut was filmed at the height of America's space race and gave audiences a sneak peek at NASA's impressive Johnson Space Center in Houston where it was filmed on location. Other scenes were shot at Cape Canaveral where, at the time of filming, the Apollo I rocket was in preparation to launch. The film crew captured the added footage of the spacecraft and featured it in the film, which premiered in Houston on January 25, 1967. Ironically, just two days later the tragic Apollo pre-flight test accident occurred in which three astronauts perished in a fire. This loss to NASA, and the country, directly affected the reception of the film and Universal Studios considered delaying its national release but decided to go ahead with its May distribution afterall. 

While the box-office receipts for The Reluctant Astronaut were not as good as The Ghost and Mr. Chicken it did not dampen Universal's excitement in promoting Don Knotts and they quickly went into production for his next picture, The Shakiest Gun in the West. 

Today, The Reluctant Astronaut is considered one of Knotts best comedies. With its great theme by Vic Mizzy, its amusing script, and the presence of our number one Astro-Knott, it's a true blast-off.

The Ghost and Mr. Chicken ( 1966 )

Ephraim Simmons murdered his wife in cold blood and then played the organ before killing himself; the keys are still stained with blood and could never be cleaned off.... even after using Bon-Ami! Or so the rumor goes. It takes a man with spunk, like Luther Heggs, to get to the bottom of the real story.
 
Heggs (Don Knotts), a timid typesetter for a small-town newspaper, boasts that he can spend the night in the old Simmons mansion where it is rumored that the ghost of Mr. and Mrs. Simmons still reside. His chance to prove his courage - and impress his sweetheart, Alma Parker (Joan Staley) - comes when he writes an article on the local "haunted house" which creates such a stir that Luther's boss (Dick Sargeant) challenges "Scoop" to spend a night in the old house and do a follow-up story. During the midnight vigil, the terrified Luther discovers a hidden staircase, the blood-stained organ mysteriously playing by itself, and a portrait painting with shears stabbed right through it.

"It was terrible. It was just terrible. I'll never get over it as long as I live!"

After his story is published, a town picnic is given in honor of Luther's courage, but he soon finds himself embroiled in a libel suit when the Simmons' nephew comes to town and demands that he retract his story or prove to the court that what he saw was not just his imagination playing tricks with him.

Don Knotts had just garnered three Emmys for his role as Barney Fife on The Andy Griffith Show from 1960-1966 and, after hearing that Griffith intended on ending the series after the fifth season, began to embark on a film career. While Knotts had a few minor roles in feature films (It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World; Move Over, Darling) it was not until 1964 that he received star billing in Warner Brother's The Incredible Mr. Limpet. This picture was received poorly at the box-office, however, Lew Wasserman screened the film over at Universal and decided that had Mr. Limpet been made by a studio with experience in family pictures it would have met with great success. Knotts was then offered a five-picture contract and given free rein to screenwriters and key personnel. Atta boy, Don Knotts!

Television screenwriters Everett Greenbaum and Jim Fritzell teamed up with Andy Griffith to create a spine-tickling film that spotlighted Knott's unique comedic flair and combined all of the homespun humor of The Andy Griffith Show. A plethora of familiar character actors portrayed the citizens of the fictional small town of Rachel, Kansas, including a motherload of Mayberry-ites such as Hal Smith (Otis) as the town drunk , Hope Summers (Clara), Ellen Corby (in an amusing sequence as Hegg's former schoolteacher) and Burt Mustin (Jud).

 

The Ghost and Mr. Chicken is packed with humorous one-liners but it is not the script that makes the film the memorable comedy classic that it is - it is these character actors and the brilliant facial expressions they display with every line. Jesslyn Fax stands out as Hegg's adorable landlady and Reta Shaw gives a beefy performance as the leader of the ladies' Psychic Occult Society ("Taro, Karo, Salome!").

"I was only two blocks away that awful night, at my sister Clara's. We were sort of... listening.. to the organ, you know... the midnight bells were ringing... I turned to Clara and said, 'Clara, the organ music sounds straaange tonight!'.....

However, Don Knotts needed no support when it came to getting an audience to laugh. His nervous speech at the town picnic is a tour-de-force of comedic timing and remains one of the highlights of the film. Another memorable scene takes place at the diner - Luther leaves his seat beside Alma for a moment and a truck driver takes it, leaving Luther to slurp his soup from a standing position. Only Knotts can portray such a lovable small-town boob (he even drives an Edsel!).

 

 

Production on The Ghost and Mr. Chicken began in July 1965 and wrapped up within seventeen days, thanks to a swift television crew behind the cameras. Since the picture had a low budget most of it was filmed on the Universal backlot. The famous Simmons mansion was a long-standing structure originally built in the 1940s and used for many Universal classics including Harvey (1950). Keep an eye out for the Munster mansion next door at 1313 Mockingbird Lane.

"Calm? Do 'murder' and 'calm' go together? Calm and murder?!"

While most of the cast and crew knew what an entertaining film they were making, they did not realize just how popular it would become. Universal decided to release The Ghost and Mr. Chicken as a double-feature with Munsters, Go Home! to test the waters, not certain whether audiences wanted to watch two hours worth of Knottisms. Within one week of its release The Ghost raked in $1,500,000, nearly double its initial cost and in cities across America the film was extended for weeks to packed houses.

A sprightly ghost theme by Vic Mizzy (based on "Mr. Ghost Goes to Town") and a marvelous "haunted" organ anthem permeate this Midwestern comedy gem filled with frightfully funny moments, a chilling atmosphere, stellar character actors, and one of Don Knotts' greatest nerve-rattled performances, making it appealing for all ages and the perfect film for a Halloween night.

This is our contribution to The Universal Pictures Blogathon hosted by yours truly, Silver Scenes. To read more articles on your favorite Universal classics head on over to The Master List of guest writers. Happy Halloween!

The Andy Griffith Show ( 1960-1968 )

It's nearly time for Me-TV to unroll their summer line-up of classic television shows and to kick up the excitement for the event the Classic TV Blog Association is once again hosting the Summer of Me-TV Blogathon. Since summer is just around the bend we thought we'd celebrate that season of sunshine, moonshine and county fairs with a nostalgic look at The Andy Griffith Show and the town-folk of Mayberry. What other show captured the lazy carefree days of summer as well as The Andy Griffith Show?

The series revolved around small-town sheriff Andy Taylor, a widower, who divides his time between raising his young son Opie, and settling the problems that arise within Mayberry, a sleepy North Carolina town filled with colorful residents. Most of these problems are comedic escapades created by his hyperactive deputy Barney Fife. Andy and Opie live with Andy's Aunt Bee, who acts as a surrogate mother to the boys serving up portions of pork chops and homemade apple pie to lift their spirits when needed. 

The Andy Griffith Show was introduced as a spin-off from The Danny Thomas Show in 1960 and was such a hit with audiences that it lasted for eight seasons, always remaining on the top ten charts and winning six Emmy awards. 

Today, the show is considered to be one of the most beloved situation comedies in television history. Its down-home humor and endearing cast of characters draws the audience into each episode making us long to be fellow citizens of Mayberry. Majority of its viewers were weened upon the show and simply whistling the familiar theme-song conjures up fond memories of childhood. Even upon the series debut it had a nostalgic feel that hearkened viewers back to the easier, gentler times of the past. Griffith once said that although the series was set in the 1960s, they aimed to capture the feeling of small-town America in the 1930s. Capture it they did, for The Andy Griffith Show is 100% pure Americana bottled up on film. 

Sheldon Leonard, who helped create the series along with Danny Thomas and Andy Griffith, was the executive producer of the show for its entire 249 episode run. All of these episodes were filmed at the Desilu Studios with the exterior shots of Mayberry being filmed at a backlot in Culver City. Producer David O. Selznick owned this land at one time and Mayberry was in fact the streets of "Atlanta" that were built for Gone with the Wind ( 1939 ). The opening scenes of Andy and Opie walking to the fishing hole ( and all of the Myers Lake sequences ) were filmed at the beautiful wooded Franklin Canyon Park, north of Beverly Hills. 

Incidentally, the voice you hear on the opening credits announcing the show is Colin Male, a little-known actor who did occasional work as a voice-over artist. As for the music, "The Fishin' Hole" theme song was composed by Earle Hagen and Herbert Spencer, who also penned most of the music for the series, including "The Mayberry March" heard in the background in most episodes in different tempos and orchestrations.

Writer Aaron Ruben, who served as producer during the shows first five seasons, was also script consultant. He had a large hand in creating the overall feel of the series and keeping the episodes united throughout each season, for over the course of the series there were as many as thirty screenwriters. Some of the best episodes from the series were penned by Everett Greenbaum, a talented screenwriter who got his start writing episodes of Mister Peepers ( 1953 ) and The Real McCoys ( 1958 ). He also wrote the screenplay to that marvelous comedy Good Neighbor Sam ( 1964 ) starring Jack Lemmon.

Unlike some series at the time, The Andy Griffith Show never underwent drastic cast changes and even with the addition of new members to the series the show remained as fresh as its first season. When familiar characters left, new ones replaced them and these new faces were welcomed with open arms in Mayberry. The earlier episodes featured Ellie the druggist, portrayed by Father Knows Best regular Elinor Donahue; Nurse Peggy, a steady date for Andy; and Floyd the Barber. These characters were replaced by Gomer the mechanic, who made his debut in season three, and Helen Crump as Andy's new girlfriend. When Gomer left to join the Marines, he passed the monkey wrench to his cousin Goober, and later, when the show switched to color in 1966, Howard the clerk came to town and became a favorite visitor at the Taylor residence.

Sheriff Andy Taylor - Andy Griffith ( 1926 -2012 )

Andy Griffith graduated from the University of North Carolina with a degree in music which he used to teach music and drama to high-school students in Greensboro for several years. After his monologue "What it Was, Was Football" made it to the record charts in 1954, Griffith landed a role in an episode of The United States Steel Hour entitled "No Time for Sergeants", where he made a hit as country bumpkin Will Stockdale. This teleplay was expanded into a Broadway play for which Griffith was nominated for a Tony Award. A year after Griffith's film debut in A Face in the Crowd ( 1957 ), he reprised his role as Stockdale for the film version of No Time for Sergeants, which also featured Don Knotts. 

When the concept of The Andy Griffith Show was developed by Leonard, Thomas, and Griffith, it was decided that he should reprise this character once again, making him just a little more polished to suit his role as a father and sheriff. To gauge audience response to the new series before it was launched, the producers presented a pilot episode on The Danny Thomas Show ( Ep.20 S7 - Danny Meets Andy Griffith - Feb. 15, 1960 ) where Danny has an encounter with the town sheriff while travelling with his family. It was very well received with fans writing in to ask for more episodes featuring Andy. 

Throughout the first season of The Andy Griffith Show, Andy portrayed the sheriff in a delightful carefree manner with him and Barney being a team of simpletons, much like the relationship between the Skipper and Gilligan on Gilligans Island. Visitors to Mayberry would always be amazed at how Andy could handle difficulties in such an effective and yet simple country manner. Andy gradually abandoned the "rustic Taylor" and developed the character into a patient, thoughtful and more serious man after he realized that the episodes would be funnier if he would play the straight-man to Barney and the comical characters around him. As producer Aaron Ruben recalled "in the next season he changed, becoming this Lincolnesque character". Apt words to describe the new Andy Taylor, who was now not only sheriff in town but an arbitrator to all the domestic squabbles in Mayberry. Opie turned to his pa for guidance, Barney for the final word on how to handle prisoners, and Aunt Bee for advice on her romances. It is no wonder Andy had to escape to Myers Lake upon occasion to clear his head!

While The Andy Griffith Show was still in the top ten ratings, Griffith decided to nip it in the bud and leave the series, primarily to avoid being typecast as a southern sheriff and, in the 1970s, starred in several unsuccessful television series ( including The New Andy Griffith Show also penned by Greenbaum and Ruben ) before landing the plumb role of country lawyer Ben Matlock in Matlock ( 1986-1995 ). 

Mayberry Citizens

Deputy Barney Fife - Don Knotts ( 1924 - 2006 )

"You know Barn, you beat all!" Andy was certainly right. Barney had to be the most bumbling deputy to ever wear a badge. In spite of his inept handling of criminals, he was dedicated to his duties as a deputy keeping his lone bullet sparkling clean ("Barney has the prettiest bullet in town" Asa once claimed ), his shoes polished ( especially on the back side - "that's the last people remember of you" ), memorizing the sheriff's code book and practicing the art of self-defense, making his whole body a weapon. Barney fancied himself an expert on firearms, women, child-rearing, the paranormal, and any other topic in life. He also believed he had all the answers to life's little problems and was always ready, willing, and able to pry into other's affairs to give them a helping hand, even when his "help" isn't wanted. It's a testimony to Knotts comedic ability to create a character so blundering, egotistical, gossipy and boastful, and yet make him such a beloved character, not only to television fans but to the citizens of Mayberry itself. 

Don Knotts got his start in comedy-television in the mid-1950s appearing as a member of a trio with Louis Nye and Tom Poston on The Steve Allen Show. It was Knotts who proposed to Griffith, during the developmental stage of The Andy Griffith Show, that the show needed a deputy character and Barney Fife made his first appearance on the second episode, where he was introduced as Andy's cousin, remaining in a supporting-star role until the end of season five when Barney moved to Raleigh to become a private eye. Knotts went on to pursue a career in film, making several great comedies in the mid-1960s for Universal Pictures including The Ghost and Mr. Chicken, The Reluctant Astronaut, and The Shakiest Gun in the West. Occasionally Don Knotts returned to the Griffith set for guest appearances as Barney, notably in the final season ( Ep. 21 ), where he hosts a summit meeting for Russian diplomats. Knotts most recent film appearance was in Pleasantville, where he portrayed a mysterious television repairman. For his work on The Andy Griffith Show, Knotts' received five Emmy awards. 

Aunt Bee - Frances Bavier ( 1902-1989 )

Almost everyone can associate with having a beloved Aunt Bee in their family. In our household, Aunt Bee was the spitting image of our Oma, our grandmother. It is this recognition everyone has of familiar mother-members that makes her such a welcoming presence on the show. Frances Bavier began her acting career in the mid-1920s after graduating from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. She performed in many notable plays of the 1930s and 1940s ( "On Borrowed Time", "Point of No Return" ) in a variety of different roles. Once she began acting on television, however, she found herself typecast as frontier women, mothers and aunts ( she was Arden's mother on The Eve Arden Show ). 

Bavier made her first appearance with Andy Griffith in the Make Room for Daddy episode that launched the series, originally playing a character named Henrietta Perkins. Throughout The Andy Griffith Show's run, Bavier had a love-hate relationship with the character and many of the crew recall her being difficult to work with. She may have felt that her dramatic talents were being overlooked, even though in the later seasons the character of Aunt Bee was given more script-coverage. However, she was the only principal actor to remain with the series when it spun off as Mayberry R.F.D, so she must have enjoyed it to some extent.

Eventually she escaped from the bustle of Hollywood to seek a real Mayberry and moved to the small town of Siler City, North Carolina, where she received respite for a time, until fans sought her out even there. In her last days, she became a recluse, driving her favorite 1966 green Studebaker Daytona sedan to Byrd's grocery store and living with her fourteen cats. 

Opie Taylor - Ron Howard ( b. 1954 ) 

Opie's mother died when the boy was the "least little speck of a baby" and so he grew up under the care of Rose the housekeeper and, later, Aunt Bee. Opie idolized his pa and often visited the courthouse after school. Opie never doubted that his father was the best sheriff in America, but Andy sometimes misjudged Opie and the reasons behind some of his ( seemingly ) irresponsible acts, not realizing what a prize young'n he had raised. Ron Howard's father Rance was an actor and at the tender age of 3, little Ronnie made his first first film appearance ( The Journey ), later guest starring in television shows such as The Twilight Zone and The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis. While he was working on The Andy Griffith Show, Ron also appeared in films, notably The Music Man ( 1962 ) and The Courtship of Eddie's Father ( 1963 ). After the series ended, Howard didn't have to wait long before he landed another role in a regular series - The Happy Days ( 1974-84 ). Today, he is best known for his work behind the camera with A Beautiful Mind, The Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons among his directorial credits. 

Thelma Lou and Helen Crump - Betty Lynn ( b. 1926 ) and Anita Corsaut ( 1933 -1995 ) 

Thelma Lou made her first appearance in season one of The Andy Griffith Show, appearing in Cyrano Andy. Later, with Helen's arrival, the two gals often double-dated with Andy and Barney and were the best of friends. Helen hailed from Kansas and arrived in Mayberry as Opie's new schoolteacher in the third season episode Andy Discovers America.  She is an independent self-reliant career woman who doesn't know a thing about cooking, but loves children and is always ready to lend a sympathetic ear to Andy's problems. Corsaut made numerous television appearances on television shows such as The Detective, Death Valley Days, and Bonanza before she landed the part of Helen. Corsaut continued to guest star in various television programs until she was later reunited with Andy Griffith on Matlock, appearing as Judge Justin for seven episodes. 

Betty Lynn was a popular actress at 20th Century Fox during the late 1940s, often in roles as teenage ingenues. She appeared in such classics as June Bride, Mother is a Freshman and Cheaper by the Dozen. In the early 1950s, she made the switch to television appearing as a regular on Ray Bolger's original series Where's Raymond? and doing the usual round of western guest appearances just like Corsaut before she got the part of Thelma Lou. Today, Thelma Lou makes monthly appearances at the Andy Griffith museum signing autographs for fans. 

The Townspeople - 

What made Mayberry such an idyllic town was its people. This broad range of southern folk included retirees, myriads of children, a handful of eligible bachelors and bachelorettes, some moonshiners, church ladies, eccentrics, bums, and a large number of hard-working average American citizens. Oddly enough, very few of your typical sitcom quad families ( father, mother, daughter, and son ) lived in Mayberry. Some of our favorite regulars include Gomer Pyle, who keeps busy as the mechanic at Wally's filling station when he isn't being sworn in by Barney as an assistant deputy; Floyd the Barber ( Howard McNear ) who is quite liberal with the witch-hazel and talcum powder, and Goober, Gomer's cousin. He does a mean imitation of Edward G. Robinson. 

Among the womenfolk there is Clara, Aunt Bee's gossiping friend who once walked crooked after spraining her back lifting the kitchen refrigerator; Ellie Walker ( Elinor Donahue ), the original lady druggist who sadly left Mayberry after only one season; Nurse Peggy ( Joanna Cook Moore ), a sweet-talkin' blonde who caught Andy's fancy until Helen arrived in town, and our favorite county nurse, the lovely Mary Simpson ( Julie Adams ) who was featured in only one episode. Then of course there were the Darlings, the singin'ist bunch of hillbillies you ever did see; little Leon ( Clint Howard ), offering peanut-butter and jelly sandwiches to every passerby he sees; Howard Sprague ( Jack Dodson )....good ol' Howie, he never could let go of his mother's apron-strings; Emmett Clark ( Paul Hartman ), the fix-it man, and Otis Campbell ( Hal Smith ), the town drunk, who was always sober enough to lock himself in jail for the night. 

"They're Goooood"

Since General Foods was the sponsor for The Andy Griffith Show throughout its run, the principal characters were often featured in the commercials for its products, such as Sanka coffee ( "The coffee for folks who love good coffee...outstandingly good coffee!" ), Post Toasties cereal, and Jello pudding ( "for that extra creamy taste" ). These sponsor spots were as amusing as the episodes themselves and when Andy Griffith concluded these promotional plugs with a hearty declaration of "Goooood!", it made you want to run to the corner drugstore and pick up a box of vanilla pudding. That's mighty potent endorsing, by golly. 

Spin-offs & Reunions

Gomer Pyle was such a popular character in the series that Sheldon Leonard and Aaron Ruben concluded that he deserved a spin-off series of his very own and, inspired by No Time for Sergeants, it was decided that his character would join the Marine Corps. Gomer Pyle USMC aired on September 25, 1964 and Sergeant Carter continued to yell at him for five seasons with the show becoming one of the top rated comedies of the era. Even though Gomer's character wasn't quite the same, the series often overlapped with Gomer visiting Mayberry and Andy, Aunt Bee and Opie visiting Gomer at the barracks. 

In the final season of The Andy Griffith Show, Ken Berry had a recurring role as farmer Sam Jones and he too, wound up with his own spin-off, this time as the new Mayberry sheriff. Frances Bavier joined the cast for Mayberry RFD too which lasted for three seasons, ending in 1971. 

Top 5 Favorite Episodes

Most Andy Griffith fans do not list favorite episodes, rather they pick favorite seasons since there were far too many excellent episodes to choose from. My favorite seasons are the first, third and fifth. However, if it came to doing desert-island picks these would be the episodes I could watch again and again : 

Alcohol and Old Lace ( Season 1, Episode 17 )

Opie comes home talking about a "flower making machine" owned by sisters Clarabelle and Jennifer Morrison, the spinsters who run the local flower shop. Andy and Barney do a little investigating - and discover the contraption is actually a still and the kindly sisters are in the moonshine business! 

In this episode Andy is in his old lovable bumpkin characterization with Barney playing the straight-man. It's a clever spin on Arsenic and Old Lace with two sweet little old ladies running a moonshine business unaware that it is illegal since they only sell "elixir" for special occasions....like Mohammad's birthday and the Landing of Sir Walter Raleigh Day. 

The Bank Job ( Season 3, Episode 13 )

Barney becomes convinced the Mayberry bank is ripe for a robbery and tries to prove his point by staging a fake one. When he discovers a weak spot in the security system, he unknowingly relays this information to a couple of actual robbers.

Barney is all hyped up about the complete disregard Mayberry's business owners have for security precautions and, in his usual inimitable manner, tries to awaken everyone in town to this problem. However, most of the citizens saw Glenn Ford in G-Men, the latest film showing at the local theatre, and they think that Barney is just playing cops and robbers. This running gag, along with Knotts going in drag as a cleaning woman, makes this one of the funniest episodes of the third season. 

The Class Reunion ( Season 3, Episode 19  )

Andy and Barney reminisce about old flames and decide to throw a class reunion. When the big night finally comes, they both find they have a lot to learn about how much things have - and have not - changed. 

The Andy Griffith Show never preached to its viewers but each episode had a subtle moral in it. This one focuses on what people want in life. When Andy's high-school sweetheart returns to town for the class reunion sparks fly between them once again, until they realize that they have different perceptions on what they want in life and must part once again. 

Barney's First Car  ( Season 3, Episode 27 )

Barney learns that the car he's spent his life savings on is a lemon, and the little old lady he bought it from may have put one over on him. When Barney and Andy set out to return the car and arrest her, however, they find the hardest part may be just getting to her hideout.

This is undoubtedly one of the best Andy Griffith episodes created. Barney's expression is priceless when he, Thelma Lou, Aunt Bee, Opie, and Gomer hop into the newly purchased car for the first test run and Barney discovers he has been duped. When the car then breaks down on the road, even Aunt Bee and Opie have to help push it back to Mayberry. 

A Date for Gomer ( Season 4, Episode 9 ) 

Thelma Lou's bachelorette cousin is coming to Mayberry for the town dance and Barney decides to set her up with Gomer. On the big night, they all meet up at Thelma Lou's and everything seems to be going great, until Gomer suddenly disappears.

Gomer is just classic in this episode. He is a character all the way and in his efforts to make a good impression on his blind date goes out and spends over $10 buying a purple necktie ( with acorns on it ), yellow socks and brass-buckled shoes . Mary Grace Canfield, who portrayed cousin Mary Grace in the episode was often called upon to play homely roles such as these and it is a wonder that she didn't take all the ugly remarks personally. 

Runner-Up Favorites : The Pickle Story, The County Nurse, Man in a Hurry, Fun Girls, Haunted House, and Convicts-at-Large. 

Be sure to check out the other fantastic posts on your favorite television classics over at the Classic TV Blog Association . Also, don't miss out on Me-TV's Summer Schedule. Episode summaries used for this post were courtesy of the Paramount DVD set descriptions. As Andy would say, "Thank you for reading this post, I appreciate it and good night!"