Forum Admin
Posted:
Feb 25, 2006, 3:33 PM
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Don Knotts Passed Away
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Jesse Donald "Don" Knotts passed away Friday night at the age of 81. Best known as the skinny, lovable nerd who kept generations of television audiences laughing as bumbling Deputy Barney Fife from the 1960's The Andy Griffith Show, Don was a character actor like no other before, capitalizing on his own brand of self-deprecating humor.
In animation work, Don was everywhere. He appeared twice in The New Scooby-Doo Movies, in both Guess Who's Knott Coming To Dinner and The Spooky Fog. He voiced T.W. Turtle in Turners' Cats Don't Dance, and Gee Wilikers in Filmations' Pinocchio and the Emperor of the Night. At Disney, Mr. Knott lent his voice to Mayor Turkey Lurkey in Chicken Little and the Dogcatcher in Lady and the Tramp II: Scamp's Adventure.
But in animation, Don was best remembered for his role as the title character in The Incredible Mr. Limpet. Knotts played a meek clerk who turns into a fish after he is rejected by the Navy.
Knotts died Friday night of pulmonary and respiratory complications at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Beverly Hills, said Paul Ward, a spokesman for the cable network TV Land, which airs "The Andy Griffith Show," and another Knotts hit, "Three's Company."
Knotts final appearance was his voice work on Chicken Little.
(This post was edited by Dave Koch on Feb 25, 2006, 3:49 PM)
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Research Guru / Moderator
Posted:
Feb 25, 2006, 3:58 PM
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Very sad indeed. I just spotted the news on the AP wire. 
Don was born in Morgantown, West Virginia. Unspecified health problems had forced him to cancel an appearance in his home town last August.
Don had the title role in Pilot # 1 of Jay Ward Productions' Super Chicken. The soundtrack was recorded in 1960, but it was never animated; the series finally debuted in 1967 with Bill Scott in the title role.
The Beekeeper, a 1974 episode of Wait Till Your Father Gets Home, featured Knotts as himself. That year, the Hanna-Barbera studios syndicated special The Little Troll Prince had Knotts as Professor Nidaros.
Rick Reinert Pictures' Timmy's Gift: A Precious Moments Christmas Story aired as an NBC special in 1991. Timmy, a young and somewhat inexperienced angel, is given the important job of delivering a jeweled crown to the newborn Jesus. But he's sure that they've made a mistake. Knotts portrayed Titus.
Don was in the all-star cast of Turner Entertainment's The Little Troll Prince- A Christmas Parable (1995). In the Troll world, everything is backwards, good is bad, bad is good, and no word for love exists. The once-frozen heart of the Little Troll Prince melts into joy upon receiving the greatest Christmas gift of all: God's love.
In 1997, he co-starred with Jason Alexander and Shelley Long in Jingle Bells, released by Family Home Entertainment. As the holiday season draws near on a small farm, Beth, Tommy and their parents all begin to worry because they don't have enough money to buy each other presents. With a little Christmas magic, an unforgettable sleigh ride and some help from Santa Claus, the whole family realizes that the best gifts don't come from the store -- they come from the heart. Knotts portrayed Kris the Horse.
Tom Sawyer, a 2000 direct-to-video production by MGM and Stone Canyon Entertainment, was an all-animal adaption of the classic Twain tale. Don was "Mutt Potter."
Don also portrayed Wormie in the animated TV series Hermie & Friends.
"Well, I guess to sum it up, you could say, there's three reasons why there's so little crime in Mayberry. There's Andy, and there's me, and [patting gun] baby makes three." -- Don Knotts as Deputy Barney Fife
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Directing Animator / Contributor
Posted:
Feb 25, 2006, 4:00 PM
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Don Knotts' co-star in "How To Frame A Figg" in 1971 was cartoon voice actor Frank Welker. Knotts played Figg, an mild-mannered accountant who gets framed by corrupt city officials (Edward Andrews and Joe Flynn) for embezzling funds. Welker played Prentiss, Figg's best friend who tries to help clear his name.
Knotts, Welker, Bill Dana, and Buck Owens performed on a comedy record in the 1970s parodying the country-flavored "Hee Haw" series with a Jewish humorous twist titled "Hoo Hah".
I think Knotts won 5 Emmies...one for each season he played Barney Fife on "The Andy Griffith Show". He left the show to pursue a film career. Jack Burns replaced Knotts as bumbling deputy Warren Ferguson but he only lasted one season and Sheriff Andy Taylor worked solo afterwards. Knotts was irreplacable. Knotts reunited with Andy Griffith on several episodes of "Matlock." Knotts had his own NBC variety show in the early 1970s, lasting two seasons.
The bug eyes and the nervous disposition...Knotts' trademarks.
(This post was edited by artytoons on Feb 25, 2006, 5:33 PM)
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Forum Admin
Posted:
Feb 25, 2006, 4:50 PM
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Arty- thanks for the additional. And Ethan, I should know better than to try and tread on your domain!
But a sad day indeed. Funny guy.
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Dave Koch
Big Cartoon DataBase
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Supervising Animator
Posted:
Feb 25, 2006, 5:07 PM
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No! Not Barney! First Grandpa-and now Barney! I loved Barney. Andy Griffith was an awesome show-and as Barney-Knotts was hillarious! My dad and I loved him as Barney Fife. He also had a role in the movie "Pleasantville" as the creepy T.V. repairman.
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Bugs Bunny cartoons are not supposed to feature a lisping Viking rabbit hunter enthusiastically professing his operatic love for a bunny in drag.
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Inbetweener
Posted:
Feb 25, 2006, 5:11 PM
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I absolutely loved Don Knotts, and actually got to see him perform live in the play "Last of the Red Hot Lovers" around 10 years ago. He's really done all he could have in television, movies, plays, cartoons, and comedy in general. I'm very saddened by his passing.
Rest in peace, Don, and know how much happiness you brought to so many people.
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-Chauncey
Click here for my creation, Retro Wrestling Games(tm)
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Director / Contributor
Posted:
Feb 25, 2006, 5:42 PM
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I grew up with Don Knotts being Mr. Furley on Three's Company. Yes, I concur with what everyone here has said. He was easily one of the greatest comedic actors of all time. Truly an underrated genius. I'm certainly glad a part of that greatness was captured on film before his passing.
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http://exposure.cbc.ca/video/hansel-und-gretel
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Inbetweener
Posted:
Feb 25, 2006, 7:18 PM
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Very sad indeed. I just spotted the news on the AP wire.
Don was born in Morgantown, West Virginia. Unspecified health problems had forced him to cancel an appearance in his home town last August. Don had the title role in Pilot # 1 of Jay Ward Productions' Super Chicken. The soundtrack was recorded in 1960, but it was never animated; the series finally debuted in 1967 with Bill Scott in the title role. The Beekeeper, a 1974 episode of Wait Till Your Father Gets Home, featured Knotts as himself. That year, the Hanna-Barbera studios syndicated special The Little Troll Prince had Knotts as Professor Nidaros. Rick Reinert Pictures' Timmy's Gift: A Precious Moments Christmas Story aired as an NBC special in 1991. Timmy, a young and somewhat inexperienced angel, is given the important job of delivering a jeweled crown to the newborn Jesus. But he's sure that they've made a mistake. Knotts portrayed Titus. Don was in the all-star cast of Turner Entertainment's The Little Troll Prince- A Christmas Parable (1995). In the Troll world, everything is backwards, good is bad, bad is good, and no word for love exists. The once-frozen heart of the Little Troll Prince melts into joy upon receiving the greatest Christmas gift of all: God's love. In 1997, he co-starred with Jason Alexander and Shelley Long in Jingle Bells, released by Family Home Entertainment. As the holiday season draws near on a small farm, Beth, Tommy and their parents all begin to worry because they don't have enough money to buy each other presents. With a little Christmas magic, an unforgettable sleigh ride and some help from Santa Claus, the whole family realizes that the best gifts don't come from the store -- they come from the heart. Knotts portrayed Kris the Horse. Tom Sawyer, a 2000 direct-to-video production by MGM and Stone Canyon Entertainment, was an all-animal adaption of the classic Twain tale. Don was "Mutt Potter." Don also portrayed Wormie in the animated TV series Hermie & Friends.
In addition, his image was allegedly captured by Thora Birch(although it was really Sophie Crumb), in the 2001 cult classic Ghost World(http://imdb.com/title/tt0162346/).
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Timmy Turner: "Every time something cool happens in my life, EVERY TIME, Vicky ruins it! Well, I'm not gonna let her ruin anything else!"
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Research Guru / Moderator
Posted:
Feb 25, 2006, 9:24 PM
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In 1998, it was announced that Jim Carrey would star in a remake of The Incredible Mr. Limpet. Knotts responded: "I'm just flattered that someone of Carrey's caliber is remaking something I did. Now, if someone else did Barney Fife, THAT would be different."
Other Andy Griffith Show cast members who were involved in animation:
Andy Griffith (Sheriff Andy Taylor)
Narrated the 1976 Rankin-Bass special Frosty's Winter Wonderland.
Ron (Ronny) Howard (Opie Taylor)
Reprised his role as Richie Cunningham on the 1980-81 Hanna-Barbera series Fonz and the Happy Days Gang; one of the executive producers of the 1999 Will Vinton Associates series The PJs; guested (as himself) on the Simpsons episodes When You Dish Upon a Star (1998) and Hello Gutter, Hello Fadder (1999); voiced Tom Colonic in the 2001 movie Osmosis Jones; one of the producers of the Universal Studios feature film Curious George, now in theaters.
Frances Bavier (Aunt Beatrice "Bee" Taylor)
Performed in live-action reference footage for Walt Disney Studios' 1959 feature film Sleeping Beauty.
Howard McNear (Floyd Lawson [1960-62, 1964-67])
Voice actor in the pioneering 1949 series The Tele-Comics, one of the first cartoon shows made for TV. These cartoons were not really animated, but showed still pictures with voiceovers. Guested as the Doctor in the Flintstones episodes The Split Personality (1960), The Hypnotist (1961) and Invisible Barney (1962).
Hal Smith (Otis Campbell [1960-67])
Voice actor in many, many series, especially Hanna-Barbera. Shows include The Gumby Show (1957, as Gumby), Space Angel (1962, as Taurus), The Funny Company (1963, as Dr. Todd Goodheart, Belly Laguna and Dr. Von Upp), Davey and Goliath (1963-76, as Goliath, John Hansen, Jonathan Reed and Sally Hansen), The Peter Potamus Show (1966, as Peter Potamus, Yappee and The King), Frankenstein Jr. and the Impossibles (1966, as Coil Man), Doctor Dolittle (1970, as Tommy Stubbins), Roman Holidays (1972, as Mr. Tycoonis), The All-New Popeye Hour (1981-82, as Col. Crumb), The Adventures of the Little Prince (1982, as Swiftee the Space Bird), Welcome to Pooh Corner (1983, as Winnie the Pooh and Owl), DuckTales (1987, as Gyro Gearloose and Flintheart Glomgold), The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1988, as Owl), Wake, Rattle & Roll (1990, as Blabber Mouse and Ding A Ling) and Yo Yogi (1991, as Blabber Mouse)!
Elinor Donahue (Ellie Walker [1960-61])
In the voice cast of the 1992 TV series Eek! the Cat; guested as Munsterella in "A Scent, a Memory, a Far Distant Cheese," a 1993 episode of Biker Mice from Mars.
George Lindsey (Goober Pyle [1964-68])
Appeared in the Disney animated feature films Aristocats (1970, as Lafayette), Robin Hood (1973, as Trigger) and The Rescuers (1977, as Deadeye).
Ken Berry (Sam Jones [1968])
Guested as Seymour Grey in "Never Fear," a 1997 episode of Batman: Gotham Knights.
Jack Burns (Deputy Warren Ferguson [1965-66])
Ralph Kane's voice in the 1972 comedy series Wait Till Your Father Gets Home; in the voice cast of Animaniacs (1993); guested as Edward Christian in the 1999 Simpsons episode "Beyond Blunderdome."
Howard Morris (Ernest T. Bass [1963-65])
He supplied hundreds of voices for Hanna-Barbera Studios TV series, including The Flintstones and The Jetsons. His characters for other studios' cartoon shows included Beetle Bailey, General Halftrack, Lieutenant Fuzz, Mr. Peebles, Mushmouse, Atom Ant, Jughead, Big Moose, Pops and Dilton Doiley.
(This post was edited by eminovitz on Feb 25, 2006, 9:33 PM)
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Animator
Posted:
Feb 25, 2006, 11:22 PM
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Don Knotts & his lifetime was 29,803 DAYS [4,257 WEEKS & 4 DAYS].
His birthdate of July 21st, 1924 occurred on a Monday.
*** The History landing on the Moon (Sunday, July 20th, 1969) occurred just one day before Don Knotts' 45th birthday. 63x927is58401, aka BCDB's Math-Maestro.
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"Type To You Later" & "BCDB's Math_Maestro"
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Inbetweener
Posted:
Feb 26, 2006, 5:25 AM
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Hal Smith (Otis Campbell [1960-67])
Voice actor in many, many series, especially Hanna-Barbera. Shows include The Gumby Show (1957, as Gumby), Space Angel (1962, as Taurus), The Funny Company (1963, as Dr. Todd Goodheart, Belly Laguna and Dr. Von Upp), Davey and Goliath (1963-76, as Goliath, John Hansen, Jonathan Reed and Sally Hansen), The Peter Potamus Show (1966, as Peter Potamus, Yappee and The King), Frankenstein Jr. and the Impossibles (1966, as Coil Man), Doctor Dolittle (1970, as Tommy Stubbins), Roman Holidays (1972, as Mr. Tycoonis), The All-New Popeye Hour (1981-82, as Col. Crumb), The Adventures of the Little Prince (1982, as Swiftee the Space Bird), Welcome to Pooh Corner (1983, as Winnie the Pooh and Owl), DuckTales (1987, as Gyro Gearloose and Flintheart Glomgold), The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1988, as Owl), Wake, Rattle & Roll (1990, as Blabber Mouse and Ding A Ling) and Yo Yogi (1991, as Blabber Mouse)!
Sorry to have to correct you, but Daws Butler was always
the voice of Peter Potamus, and Dallas McKennon was
Gumby's voice.
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Directing Animator / Contributor
Posted:
Feb 26, 2006, 2:40 PM
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Parley Baer who played the mayor of Mayberry was the voice of Ernie the Keebler Elf for animated tv commercials for Keebler Cookies and Crackers.
Arlene Golonka who played Ken Berry's love interest Millie Swanson in "Mayberry RFD" was the voice of Debbie in the Hanna-Barbera cartoon "Speed Buggy". Paul Luther Jr. did a voice imitation of Jim Nabors's Gomer Pyle as mechanic Tinker in the same series. Frank Welker also voiced Tinker in "Laff-a-Lympics". Roger Peltz also did a Jim Nabors impression as Deputy Goofer in Hanna-Barbera's "The Buford Files."
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"The Stones...I love The Stones...I can't believe they're still doing it all these years...I watch them whenever I can...Fred and Barney."- Steven Wright
(This post was edited by artytoons on Feb 26, 2006, 2:43 PM)
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Supervising Animator / Contributor
Posted:
Feb 27, 2006, 11:24 AM
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I just heard that Andy Griffith was at his deathbed. is that true?
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 "... when you're good and crazy, oooh, oooh, oooh, the sky is the limit."
"Because in this business reality can be *pretty* hard to come by."
- the Tick
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Research Guru / Moderator
Posted:
Feb 27, 2006, 12:56 PM
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I really doubt it. He was well enough to talk about Knotts' passing.
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"Oh boy." -- Allan Sherman
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Cartoon Aficionado / Contributor
Posted:
Feb 28, 2006, 5:17 AM
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And I enjoyed seeing him along with Tim Conway in "The Private Eyes." The duo played a pair of detectives assigned to solve a double murder in England. Hilarity ensues as they try to find the killer.
RIP. Mr. Knotts.
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"Here's to thirty years of Godzilla, Godzilla, Godzilla. And....Godzooky!"
(This post was edited by TammiToon on Feb 28, 2006, 5:17 AM)
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Inbetweener
Posted:
Feb 28, 2006, 6:00 AM
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By the way, Jeff Bennett--not Don Knotts--was the voice of
the Dogcatcher in LADY & THE TRAMP II: SCAMP'S ADVENTURE. But the character was clearly made to look
and sound like Mr. Knotts.
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Supervising Animator / Contributor
Posted:
Mar 3, 2006, 7:10 AM
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I recall the vice pricipal on Doug looked/sounded loe Knotts, but I doubt it was him.
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"... when you're good and crazy, oooh, oooh, oooh, the sky is the limit."
"Because in this business reality can be *pretty* hard to come by."
- the Tick
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Intern
Posted:
Mar 3, 2007, 7:41 PM
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Dear Toonfan
and Eminovitz,
Mr.Hal Smith also
hosted a local and nationally
syndicated kids tv show.
In 1966 Mr.Smith played
"The Pancake Man"on KHJ(Now
KCAL)TV Ch.9 in L.A.,Cal.
and in national syndication.
("The Pancake Man"was
seen weekday mornings on
WPIX TV Ch.11 in NYC in
1966)
The show had a brief run
..but it still had a following.
"The Pancke man's"(Mr.Smith's)
sponsor was"The International House
Of Pancakes".
Mr.Don Knotts worked on a
kids radio show..During the 1940's
Mr.Knotts played"Windy Wales The
Teller Of Tall Tales"on "Bobby Benson
& His B Bar Riders"on WOR Mutual
Radio in NYC and on The Mutual Radio
Network.
4CK.
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Re: Don Knotts Passed Away
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Don Knotts Passed Away
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