In Remembrance: Betty Lynn
If you have not heard, TAGS star Betty Lynn died October 16th at the age of 95. She played Thelma Lou on TAGS. Betty Lynn was an amazing person and lived in Mount Airy, NC, talking to fans and signing autographs. I was lucky enough to get an autograph but unfortunately I was not able to meet her due to the pandemic.
New Ron Howard Memoir
Ron Howard and his brother Clint Howard have just released a new book called "The Boys: A Memoir of Hollywood and Family", in which they discuss what it was like to grow up on TV.
Actress Glenn Close said about the book, "How can the complexities of husband and wives, parents and children, brother to brother be contained between the pages of one book? It’s impossible and yet The Boys touched me in such a way that the Howards’ story---Rance, Jean, Ron and Clint—will continue, for a long time, to settle on my heart like soft rain. It is about life and show business and how one, famous family connected both--with passion, loyalty, respect and, most of all, love.”
Available on Amazon, October 12, 2021.
Josie Lloyd 1940-2020
According to Norman Lloyd's obituary published in The Washington Post [1], his daughter, Susanna Baird, who had acted under the name Josie Lloyd, died in 2020. Her date of death has not been published. Little is publicly known about her life following her 1960's acting career. According to Wikipedia [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josie_Lloyd
My Top 5 Favorite Episodes
Here are my top 5 favorite episodes of The Andy Griffith Show:
1. A Feud Is a Feud
2. The Christmas Story
3. Andy and Opie Housekeepers
4. Jailbreak
5. Andy and Barney in the Big City
Do you get The Ebullet?
Hey everyone, I have been having a slow week so I decided I would talk about The Ebullet. The Ebullet is a TAGS newsletter. You can get information like Mount Airy events, information of celebrites, and information about joining a chapter. You can have the Ebullet sent to your email by going to http://tagsrwc.com/the_ebullet/
I'm going to be taking a break for awhile
Hello everybody! I just wanted everyone to know that I am going to be taking some time off from Mayberry Wiki :( I am usally on everyday but I have decided to take some time off. I will be on every now and then. Between my farm and other activites I need to put more time into that than I do being online. Luckily we have so many great people who contribute so much to Mayberry Wiki like Andlaw, Gbsales, and Queen Buffy.
- Have fun everyone...
Iwannaliveinmaybery1960 A.K.A Riggy
HELP! The Andy Griffith Show is going off Netflix!! :(
Believe it or not, I have had Netflix since the days when they only rented out DVD's. Now as a streaming service The Andy Griffith Show has been on there as long as I can remember. For at least eight years I have watched the Andy Griffith Show that I've paid good money to watch on Netflix. I am sad to learn that on July first it will be taken off. UGHH come on Netflix! It's my go to show!!
My Jim Nabors Records
The other day I was in an antique mall and I found two Jim Nabors records. I paid only three dollars for both of them. I figured they would go good with my Andy Griffith Show collection. I plan on listening to them soon on my record player. The albums are Jim Nabors How Great Art Thou and Jim Nabors Sings The Lords Prayer and Other Scared Songs.
Civility and "Don't you have homework to do"
There are two areas I'd like to document with the series.
I'm not sure how prevalent it will be but I'd like to find out. You notice in one of the first few episodes that, when Andy and Opie meet a lady on the street, Andy tells Opie, "take your had off and say hello". I suspect there might be a number of other similar instances of these lost traditions. Modesty also stands out in conversation. Barney will say something, which we wouldn't blink at today but he will apologize to a lady in the room for having said it.
The other thing that seems to stretch throughout the series is Andy's lack of ability to explain some of the tougher subjects to Opie. When he starts to stumble we always here, "don't you have some homework to do", and Opie obi…
Happy 60th TAGS
This year TAGS will be celebrating it's 60th anniversary!! WOW I only wish I could have been around for it's debut!
Question
In many episodes, especially the early ones, actors will often get in the passenger side of a car and slide over to the driver's side. It seems awkward. There must be a filming reason they do this but I can't think why. Thoughts?
Letter From Burt Mustin
I was on Ebay the other day looking for some Andy Griffith Show collectibles when I came across a letter written by Burt Mustin. Just thought it was kinda cool and though I would share. Of course, I can't afford it! HAHA it's only 695.00.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/BURT-MUSTIN-HANDWRITTEN-LETTER-SIGNED-THE-ANDY-GRIFFITH-SHOW-RARE-AUTOGRAPH/173582589234?hash=item286a541d32:g:~UMAAOSwFXdbvpy7
COVID-19 is a great time to contribute to the Mayberry Wiki
As you all know, we are being plaugued by The COVID-19 Outbreak. Schools, stores, and work is closed. So in your time of social distancing why not contribute to the Mayberry Wiki? In the last couple days I have been working on adding pictures to articles and adding categories. I challenge you to see what you can do!
More than just Mayberry...
I recently joined Findagrave.com and have been searching some of my favirote actors. A great thing to do is look up some actors/actresses from The Andy Griffith show. You can find many facts about them you did not know about. For example vist Don Knotts record here.
Jack Burns (1933-2020)
Actor Jack Burns, who played Deputy Warren Ferguson on The Andy Griffith Show has died. He was an Emmy-nominated writer for "The Muppet Show" and comedy partner of George Carlin and Avery Schreiber. The Hollywood Reporter
R.I.P. Sam Bobrick 1932-2019
Writer Sam Bobrick has passed away. He co-wrote many episodes of The Andy Griffith Show and Gomer Pyle U.S.M.C. Learn more at Sam Bobrick's official site.
Helen Crump’s Jealousy
Of all the characters on The Andy Griffith Show, the most polarizing is unquestionably Helen Crump. When Helen was introduced in Season 3, Episode 23 (“Andy Discovers America”), she cemented her legacy as a no nonsense, vocal alpha. Six episodes later in “A Wife for Andy” (Season 3, Episode 29) Helen’s fate was sealed as Andy’s girlfriend and eventual wife (Mayberry RFD: Season 1, Episode 1).
Andy and Helen’s courtship began innocent and was a basic relationship for the era with dates to the movies, meals at the diner, picnics, watching TV at Helen’s, and the occasional trip to Mount Pilot for Chinese.
But we soon started seeing a different side of Helen seep out as her proverbial onion was peeled back. A jealous side of Helen first emerged …
Poll of the Week: Ernest T. Bass
Today we'll see a poll dedicated to Ernest T. Bass. Simply vote which episode you think his best moment was.
Any questions? Feel free to contact me @ Cookies & Huntee.
Color Episode Issues
I'd like to talk today about TAGS color episodes.
After Season 5, the show switched to color. Season 6 was still pretty good, but something happened after that. By Season 8, it was no longer the best TV show on the air.
What do you think happened?
Joseph Sirola R.I.P.
Joseph Sirola, who played Freddy Fleet in The Mayberry Band has passed away. He was also an accomplished actor on stage and screen. Check out this interesting article about him in The Hollywood Reporter.
Julie Adams R.I.P.
Actress Julie Adams, who played Nurse Mary Simpson on The County Nurse has passed away. She had a varied and interesting career in film and television.
Herb Ellis R.I.P.
Actor Herbert "Herb" Ellis has passed away. He was Bobby Fleet in The Guitar Player Returns and co-created the TV series "Dragnet" with Jack Webb. He had a long career in radio, television and occasional films. Click Here
Dean Webb 1937-2018
Dean Webb died in June of this year. I just came across the story. There is now only one remaining "Darling Boy", Rodney Dillard. Here is an article about Dean.
Peggy McCay 1927-2018
and Andy Griffith]]
Emmy Award winning actress Peggy McCay, who played Sharon DeSpain in the Class Reunion episode of The Andy Griffith Show, has passed away. She appeared at the 25th Annual Mayberry Days festival in Mt. Airy, North Carolina in 2014.
RIP Rance Howard
, Ron Howard and their father Rance Howard on the set of The Andy Griffith Show]] Actor Rance Howard passed away earlier today. The legacy left by his family on the history of American entertainment will surely continue for years to come.
Mount Airy 2017
Today, my wife and I visited the Andy Griffith Museum in Mount Airy, North Carolina. Betty Lynn was there signing autographs and chatting with fans. She is such a delight to talk to. She seemed genuinely delighted to meet each of the hundred people who had waited to see her today. We also toured the museum and saw some sights around town. This was a very fun day!
George Lindsey's Grave
Here I am this rainy weekend visiting the grave of George Lindsey at Oak Hill Cemetery in Jasper, Alabama. I wasn't there very long, but I had to stop by and say "Hey to Goober!"
The Gutting of Americana
I was born in the late 1970’s. My first memories formed in the early 1980’s. Growing up during this period afforded me the luxury of witnessing the frontier of the cable explosion. As a child I recall how awesome it was to see the birth of new cable stations like WTBS, CNN, MTV, ESPN and Nickelodeon.
Being raised in a family of diehard Andy Griffith Show fans, I remember recording the show on VHS from TV so we could watch the shows any time we wanted. We even went as far as to record the show from VHS on to audio cassette tapes so we could listen to the show on road trips to see family who lived hours away. It was a magical time. We didn’t know how well we had it.
Watching The Andy Griffith Show today is still a somewhat relaxing and e…
Mr. Schwamp's identity revealed
My Dad (who raised me on TAGS along with my Mom) just sent me this story. A great Mayberry mystery has finally been solved. Mr. Schwamp's identity is finally known. He was a often used "extra" actor named Patch S. Wimmers. All details are provided in the link below. Enjoy.
https://www.facebook.com/tagsrwc/posts/373166902723578
Mayberry Southernisms
My parents sent me this link from AL.com. Most of these I knew but it's great to have a more precise definition of Mayberry verbiage.
http://www.al.com/living/index.ssf/2016/04/do_you_know_what_these_souther.html#0
Mayberry and the Art of Escapsim
It has been discussed in many arenas the importance “The Andy Griffith Show” had on the overall cultural landscape of the 1960’s. It is obvious, this was a hectic and stressful time in the United States. Our nation was in the midst of the Civil Rights Era. The Cold War was escalating. JFK, MLK, RFK and many other leaders were assassinated. The Vietnam War was just getting started. The fear of the unknown was rampant among everyone.
Although television could not make all the bad things go away, the Andy Griffith Show provided a weekly escape from all these distractions. American citizens could tune in and forget the bad things going on in their lives and around the nation. The show provided a worry free zone where watchers could be sw…
Mr. Schwamp
I have a question that is driving me crazy. For five years I have been searching the interest for the identiy of Mr. Schwamp. Surley someone knows who this gentleman was. He appear in the Andy Griffith show and on Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. It baffles me that I can not find out who he is.
Bernard Fox 1927-2016
British actor Bernard Fox has passed away. TAGS fans will never forget the indefatigable and lovable Malcolm Merriweather. Cheerio, Malcolm!
William Schallert 1922-2016
Ubiquitous character actor William Schallert has passed away at the age of 93. Best remembered as Mr. Lane on "The Patty Duke Show", he has hundreds of credits in film and TV. I will never forget him from a brief appearance as a cross-eyed judge in "The Jerk" starring Steve Martin. If you've never seen the failed 1963 pilot episode "Philbert", check it out on the "Looney Tunes Golden Collection, Vol. 3". William Schallert plays a cartoonist who's character comes to life when no one else is around.
Season 1-
- Quiet Sam
Don Keefer 1916-2014
Actor Don Keefer died at age 98. He appeared in two season 8 episodes of The Andy Griffith Show and one episode of Mayberry R.F.D.
Ted Flicker 1930-2014
Theodore J. Flicker, director of 3 TAGS episodes, has died.
Ted directed the episodes:
- The Lucky Letter
- Aunt Bee's Invisible Beau
- The Arrest of the Fun Girls
Better Times
Coming from a small town like I do, Cedartown Georgia, I know how things are in these small towns. You can be standing on a street corner & Sneeze, by the time you get to another corner, somebody else will be saying "Bless you". I would love to live in Mayberry, have just one Sherriff, & Just one Deputy, riding around in the only Police car. Simpler times, you could leave your doors unlocked, not have to worry about being robbed of everything that you have.
Doug Dillard's Grave
Last Saturday, my wife and I visited Doug Dillard's grave at Harpeth Hills Memory Gardens near Nashville, Tennessee. The cemetery has placed a temporary plaque at his grave, I assume until a more permanent one is placed by his next-of-kin. His date of death is correct (May 16, 2012), but he was born in 1937, not 1987 as it reads on the card. We were told by the very helpful staff at the office that Doug's wife Vikki Sallee Dillard had died last September and was buried next to him. Her grave currently has no marker. We would have stayed longer to sing a chorus of "Dooley", but we were chased away by a ferocious swarm of gnats. For more info, be sure to check out his findagrave memorial.
Richard Bull 1924-2014
Richard Bull, Nels Oleson from "Little House on the Prairie", has died. He also appeared in episodes of TAGS and Gomer Pyle.
Don't forget TAGS marathon on Thanksgiving Day 2013!
Just a reminder that The Andy Griffith Show will be shown on TVLand, Thanksgiving day!
It will begin 12:15pm and stay on till 7:30pm (central time).
I love this time of year, especially for the TAGS marathon that comes on Turkey day!
TVLand link: TAGS schedule.
Hickman Pecan Festival
My wife and I attended the Pecan Festival in Hickman, Kentucky on Saturday, September 15 just to see Rodney Dillard and his band with Maggie Peterson. They sang "Dooley", "Salty Dog" and "There Is a Time" and performed "Doug's Tune". Of course the music was great, but the real delight was talking to them. They were both as gracious and generous with the fans as you might expect.
Andy Griffith Show Marathon for Turkey Day 2012!
From: TV Classics-R-Us on Facebook TVLand will be airing a Andy Griffith marathon in part of their Laugh More-a-thon during the Thanksgiving holiday. Please make a note of the marathon.
The Andy Griffith Show
November 22nd 2012
4:00 PM ET - 9:00 PM ET
The Andy Griffith episodes that will air on TVLand may include Thanksgiving themed episodes, while some may not.
I realize that some may already have The Andy Griffith Show in seasons on DVD/Blu-Ray.
TVLand airs on cable/satellite. Please check your local listings for TVLand, that is if you have cable/satellite. Abbreviation on your menu guide should be TVLND.
The Andy Griffith Show already airs on TVLand during various hours of the week, and a weekend block as well. Please check TVLand's schedule (…
Mayberry Days 2012 - Pics!
My dad and stepmom had the pleasure of enjoying the Mayberry Days this year (2012).
They said it was extra special since Andy Griffith had just passed.
Ron Howard even sent over a message that played over a loud speaker for the fans.
Ken Sansom Dies
Mayberry R.F.D. actor Ken Sansom has died. Best known to Disney fans as the voice of Rabbit in the "Winnie the Pooh" cartoons throughout the 1980's and 90's.
R.G. Armstrong (Farmer Flint) has passed away at 95.
Actor R.G.Armstrong who portrayed "Farmer Flint" in the Andy Griffith show passed away July 27th at the age of 95.
"Farmer Flint" had a daughter named Frances "Frankie" Flint who was "made-over" by Ellie Walker.
R.G. was a strong character actor who began working in 1954 and studied with Lee Strasberg.
Rest in Peace.