The Andy Griffith Show is one of the most beloved family comedies of all time and is some of the best-known work by Andy Griffith.
This show ran from 1960 until 1968, going over the many small-town antics of Sheriff Andy Taylor, his son Opie Taylor, and his cousin Deputy Barney Fife.
With talented actors such as Don Knotts and Howard McNear, among others, The Andy Griffith Show has stood the test of time and continues to be enjoyed by families to this day.
Who Is Still Alive From The Andy Griffith Show?
The only surviving cast members from The Andy Griffith Show are Ron Howard, Elinor Donahue, Richard Keith, Clint Howard, Sheldon Collins, and Dennis Rush.
The majority of the cast members who are still alive today were children when they appeared on the iconic comedy show.
Ron Howard is one of the biggest modern stars from the star, but the actor behind Opie Taylor is now better known for his work as a director and producer.
Some of Howard’s most popular works include Parenthood starring Steve Martin, How the Grinch Stole Christmas with Jim Carrey, and The Da Vinci Code starring Tom Hanks.
Elinor Donahue played Ellie Walker for 12 episodes during the first season of The Andy Griffith Show, serving as the sheriff’s first girlfriend in the series before her character went through a slump and phased out of the show.
Donahue first began working for Universal Studios when she was only five years old after serving as a radio singer and vaudeville dancer.
In 1954, Donahue landed her breakout role as Betty Anderson and became America’s “girl-next-door” icon.
Richard Keith played Johnny Paul Jason on The Andy Griffith Show and appeared on multiple iconic television series, such as I Love Lucy and Route 66.
As Lucy and Ricky Ricardo’s young son, “Little Ricky,” Keith is the last surviving regular cast member from I Love Lucy.
Clint Howard, Ron Howard’s younger brother, made his acting debut as Leon on The Andy Griffith Show when he was only two years old.
Howard is best known for playing Uncle Ed in How to Eat Fried Worms and Johnson from the Austin Powers franchise.
Sheldon Collins played Arnold Bailey on The Andy Griffith Show and quit acting in 1972.
Collins now practices dentistry in the Colorado Springs area, spending his free time writing, camping, playing sports, enjoying music, and watching Star Trek.
How Did Andy Griffith Pass Away?
Andy Griffith passed away only 24 hours after suffering a heart attack on July 3rd of 2012 at 7:00 in the morning.
Before his death at the age of 86, Griffith had also suffered from hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and coronary artery disease.
On May 9th of 2000, Griffith underwent a quadruple bypass surgery.
Only seven years later, Griffith would have to have another surgery to fix a hip that he had broken during a fall.
Less than five hours after his death, Griffith was laid to rest on Roanoke Island at about 11:30 am.
The family was able to bury his body so swiftly because it was something that had been planned out for a long time.
Andy Griffith’s acting career began in the 1950s when he became a regular on The Ed Sullivan Show.
Griffith would make the switch from television to film in 1957 when he starred in A Face in the Crowd.
The Andy Griffith Show began in 1960 and was somewhat based on daily life in Griffith’s hometown of Mount Airy, North Carolina.
While the family comedy series was still in development, Griffith ensured that the show wouldn’t be filmed in front of a live studio audience.
Andy Griffith felt that having a live audience to entertain would put too much pressure on the actors and writers to throw out too many one-liners.
Instead, The Andy Griffith Show was filmed like a movie and allowed Mayberry to feel like its own little town.
After The Andy Griffith Show came to an end, Griffith took up the role of Ben Matlock in 1986 and continued to star in the show until 1995.
Both Ben Matlock and Andy Taylor would appear driving Ford automobiles.
Ben Matlock went on to appear in other television series, such as Dick Van Dyke’s Diagnosis Murder.
When Did Don Knotts Die?
Don Knotts died on February 24th of 2006, which is the same day that Gunsmoke actor Dennis Weaver passed away at the same age of 81.
According to his longtime manager Sherwin Bash, Knotts had been worn down by his battle with lung cancer.
Knotts first met his longtime friend Andy Griffith in the 1958 film adaptation of No Time for Sergeants and would go on to join comedic forces with Griffith to create The Andy Griffith Show only two years later.
The 1960s were a dynamic point in Don Knotts’s career, with the actor starring in films such as The Incredible Mr. Limpet, The Shakiest Gun in the West, The Reluctant Astronaut, The Ghost and the Chicken, and It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World.
By 1979, Don Knotts would make his return to television for the comedy series Three’s Company as the character Ralph Furley until the show ended in 1984.
Two years later, Knotts returned to his role as Deputy Barney Fife in the television movie, Return to Mayberry.
Throughout the 1990s and into the early 2000s, Knotts mainly took on voice-acting roles.
He has provided voices for Dirk Douglas in Odd Job Jack, Wormie in the Hermie & Friends series, Mayor Turkey in Disney’s Chicken Little, Sniffer in Air Buddies, and Edwin Mauzer in Fatherhood.
Knotts has also appeared in shows such as That ’70s Show, Johnny Bravo, 8 Simple Rules, Garfield and Friends, The Love Boat, Here’s Lucy, and Step By Step.
Known for his cartoonish nature, it can be hard to believe that the actor behind Deputy Barney was once a Grade 5 Technician during World War II.
Knotts went from plucking chickens because he was told he could never be an actor to being one of the best-known comedic actors of all time.
How Old Was Frances Bavier When She Passed Away?
Frances Bavier, who is best known for playing Aunt Bee Taylor on The Andy Griffith Show, passed away at 86 years old.
Bavier had been spending her retirement in Siler City, North Carolina, which she had originally discovered while filming The Andy Griffith Show.
When Frances Bavier passed away, her last 1966 Studebaker Daytona caused a bidding frenzy at a car show.
Since Bavier grew up in New York City, she didn’t have to drive for nearly 50 years and decided that the only model of car she was going to drive was the 1966 Studebaker Daytona.
The actress had multiple Studebakers at one point, but she only held onto one in her dying days.
When her final Studebaker arrived at the auction, it had deflated tires, an expired license plate from 1983, and it was covered in cat hair.
Despite the state of the vintage car, bidders went wild attempting to claim Bavier’s Studebaker as their own.
Although Bavier did have a rarer model and Studebaker stopped making cars in 1966, the auction house didn’t believe that the car would fetch more than a few hundred dollars.
Most of the people who wanted the car weren’t after it because of the type of car it was.
They were fans of The Andy Griffith Show and Frances Bavier who were bidding furiously for the piece of history.
According to car historian Fred Fox’s 1990 interview with the Chicago Tribune, the car that was being auctioned off had signs of being the same vehicle that Aunt Bee drove in Mayberry R.F.D.
It’s not often that an actor will bring one of their own cars onto a television set to be used, but it makes sense that she kept the car that appeared in one of her final shows.
When Did George Lindsey Die?
George Lindsey died on May 6th of 2012 at 83 after suffering from a brief illness and will always be remembered for his role as Goober Pyle on The Andy Griffith Show.
From an early age, Lindsey knew that he had a future in comedy.
While growing up in Jasper, Alabama during the 1930s, George Lindsey spent his days with his dog, One Spot, and his lifelong friend, Clyde “Sappo” Black.
In their early years, Lindsey and Black were a local comedy duo.
Similar to his character, Lindsey spent his days at his Aunt Ethel’s gas station where he noticed that the mechanics wore caps to keep their hair back and prevent grease from getting all over their faces.
This is what inspired Lindsey to wear a beanie while playing Goober.
During his high school years, Lindsey played football and basketball.
However, he found that his true passion lay in the theater.
George Lindsey’s college years were rocky, starting with Lindsey being invited not to come back after his freshman year at Walker Junior College.
Lindsey was then sent away to Kemper Military School for his sophomore year.
For his junior year, Lindsey attempted to attend the University of Alabama, but he quickly found that the tuition was out of his budget.
Eventually, Lindsey found the University of North Alabama, where he thrived and was able to graduate in 1952 with a degree in biological science and physical education.
After graduating from college, George Lindsey joined the Air Force.
Lindsey didn’t start acting until he was given the role of Moose in All American at the prestigious Winter Garden Theatre on Broadway.
By 1962, Lindsey was relocating his growing family to California and pursuing a career in television.
Lindsey was the most iconic “tough guy” actor of the 1960s.
Did Howard McNear Have A Stroke During The Andy Griffith Show?
Yes, Howard McNear had suffered a stroke while he was still acting as Mayberry barber Floyd Lawson.
The stroke caused McNear to lose functionality in the left side of his body, but his castmates refused to let him go.
After his stroke, writers and producers made sure that McNear’s character was written into scenes where he would remain seated.
To make it seem like Floyd was busy, the production team would place things like newspapers in his nonfunctional hand.
When there was a scene that absolutely required Howard McNear to stand up, the crew created and powered a device that gave McNear the appearance of standing up without any mobility devices.
When McNear passed away in 1969 due to complications from a stroke, it was his former Gunsmoke and The Andy Griffith Show co-star Parley Baer who gave his eulogy.
McNear and Baer were on the radio show Gunsmoke after serving in World War II, with McNear portraying Doc Charles Adams.
