Actor Andy Griffith, known as "America's Favorite Sheriff" for his role on The Andy Griffith Show, died Tuesday morning in Dare County, North Carolina. He was 86.
Griffith died at his Manteo, N.C. home on Roanoke Island at about 7 a.m., said former University of North Carolina president Bill Friday, a close friend of the actor.
Griffith was portrayed by Jay Johnston in Ronny Ron Ronald, a 2010 episode of Mary Shelley's Frankenhole.
His most famous series, in which he portrayed slow-talking, fast-thinking Sheriff Andy Taylor, ran from 1960 to 1968. Set in fictional Mayberry, N.C., it led to several spin-off programs.
He also produced and starred in the TV series Matlock.
Andrew Samuel Griffith was born on Mount Airy, N.C. on June 1, 1926. Attending Mount Airy High School, he earned a music degree at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His first job after college was choral director at Goldsboro High School.
In 2005, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2005 from President George W. Bush.
His first two marriages, to Barbara Bray Edwards from 1949 to 1972 and to Solica Cassuto from 1975 to 1981, ended in divorce.
Griffith and Edwards adopted a son, Sam, and a daughter, Dixie Nan, 1972. Sam died in 1996 after years of alcoholism.
Andy Griffith is survived by Cindi Knight, his wife since 1983.
Re: Andy Griffith, "America's Favorite Sheriff," dies
[In reply to]
I read this online this morning before I went to work--I wish I hadn't. I loved The Andy Griffith Show. My dad and I would often watch it together.
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"Homer,we just brought Flanders back from the dead. Did you use the notebook to make a flock of penguins peck him to death?" Marge-"Murder He Wrote"-a Simpsons Comic story.
Re: Andy Griffith, "America's Favorite Sheriff," dies
[In reply to]
The opening episode of the 1963-64 season, "Opie the Birdman," displayed a great deal of pathos, as well as superb dramatic performances by Griffith and "Ronnie" Howard.
Opie accidentally kills a mother bird with his new slingshot and takes it upon himself to raise the orphaned baby birds. After adopting them with the Winkin', Blinkin', and Nod, Opie faces the difficult task of setting them free.
Griffith and Howard personally claimed that this was their very favorite episode during their eight seasons of acting together.
The story line appears to owe a great debt to The Song Of The Birds, a 1935 installment in Fleischer Studios' Color Classics series.
(This post was edited by eminovitz on Jul 4, 2012, 12:58 AM)
Re: Andy Griffith, "America's Favorite Sheriff," dies
[In reply to]
In Reply To
The opening episode of the 1963-64 season, "Opie the Birdman," displayed a great deal of pathos, as well as superb dramatic performances by Griffith and "Ronnie" Howard.
Opie accidentally kills a mother bird with his new slingshot and takes it upon himself to raise the orphaned baby birds. After adopting them with the Winkin', Blinkin', and Nod, Opie faces the difficult task of setting them free.
Griffith and Howard personally claimed that this was their very favorite episode during their eight seasons of acting together.
The story line appears to owe a great debt to The Song Of The Birds, a 1935 installment in Fleischer Studios' Color Classics series.
That is a great episode--although there is a really funny ending to that one where Barney brings over a goldfish for Opie over at the station. Andy is listening to the radio--it's inside his desk. Barney thinks the fish is talking.
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"Homer,we just brought Flanders back from the dead. Did you use the notebook to make a flock of penguins peck him to death?" Marge-"Murder He Wrote"-a Simpsons Comic story.
Re: Andy Griffith, "America's Favorite Sheriff," dies
[In reply to]
"The Spooky Fog," an episode of "The New Scooby-Doo Movies," has Scooby and the gang solving a mystery in Juneberry, where they meet an animated Don Knotts, acting as deputy sheriff of Dandy Griffith.
Re: Andy Griffith, "America's Favorite Sheriff," dies
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The pilot for "The Andy Griffith Show" came from an episode of "Make Room For Daddy" with Danny Thomas being stranded in Mayberry after his car breaks down. Sheriff Andy with a smile on his face then added a lot of fines and fees for poor Danny to pay while his car was being repaired. Danny Thomas was the executive producer of "The Andy Griffith Show".
When the Sheriff Andy concept became a series, Andy's wiley personality and fee/fine-charging ways were toned down in favor of being a rational peacemaker who uses his wits and humor to settle differences among the townspeople and within his own family and keeping law and order.
Griffith's acting debut in the film "A Face In The Crowd" was excellent... the "harmless" hayseed philosopher persona turning decidedly nasty with the power of television and high ratings.
(This post was edited by artytoons on Jul 5, 2012, 8:08 PM)
