About
"The second episode was called 'Manhunt' and I knew by that episode that Don should be the comic and I should play straight for him. That made all the difference. Then Mayberry became a living town. We had all the comic characters that came on, and I played straight for them. So Mayberry really was the star of 'The Andy Griffith Show.'"
In his two-and-a-half-hour interview, Andy Griffith (1926-2012) talks about his breakout comedy debut, "What It Was, Was Football" and his first success on Broadway in No Time for Sergeants. He recalls appearing on early television in The U.S. Steel Hour, The Steve Allen Show, and Playhouse 90. He fondly remembers his long association with Sheldon Leonard, as well as the creation, production, and eight-season run of The Andy Griffith Show. He also speaks of many television movies and miniseries he appeared in, and his successful crime series Matlock. Michael Rosen conducted the interview on May 5, 1998 in Manteo, NC.
Highlights
Andy Griffith on the pilot for The Andy Griffith Show, which aired as an episode of The Danny Thomas Show
Andy Griffith on the legacy of The Andy Griffith Show, and on the characters of the show
Andy Griffith on a typical workweek on The Andy Griffith Show, and on working with one camera
Andy Griffith on appearing on The United States Steel Hour in "No Time for Sergeants", and on the first time he saw television
Andy Griffith on improving upon MatIock scripts
Andy Griffith on performing his early comedy act, including material about Shakespeare
Full Interview
Chapter 1
On his early life and influences; on his early interest in and success with music, and on his parents; on radio and movies he enjoyed while growing up
On getting into performing; on his first time in front of an audience, and on becoming a "class clown"; on appearing in plays in Roanoke, VA
Chapter 2
On appearing in the play "Egypt Land", and on developing his comedy act; on performing his early comedy act, including material about Shakespeare; on appearing on The Ed Sullivan Show, and on his feelings about New York City
On appearing on The United States Steel Hour in "No Time for Sergeants," and on the first time he saw television; on the production of "No Time for Sergeants" for The United States Steel Hour, and how it impacted his career
Chapter 3
On giving advice to Don Knotts; on starring in Elia Kazan's feature "A Face in the Crowd" and various other features; on appearing on various variety shows and on returning to Broadway in "Destry Rides Again"
On how The Andy Griffith Show came about with producers Danny Thomas and Sheldon Leonard, and on Don Knotts being cast as "Barney Fife"; on the pilot for The Andy Griffith Show, which aired as an episode of The Danny Thomas Show; on deciding to play straight man to Don Knotts, and on the input of producer Sheldon Leonard
On The Andy Griffith Show producer Aaron Ruben; on a typical workweek on The Andy Griffith Show, and on working with one camera; on the town of Mayberry on The Andy Griffith Show
Chapter 4
On Sheldon Leonard as producer of The Andy Griffith Show, and on the CBS rural purge of 1971; on the use of music on The Andy Griffith Show, and on where ideas for the show came from; on the morality of The Andy Griffith Show, and on Ron Howard as "Opie Taylor"
On The Andy Griffith Show spin-off Gomer
Pyle - USMC, starring Jim Nabors; on the end of The Andy Griffith Show and the start of Mayberry RFD; on starring on various short-lived series and in the television movie Murder in Texas; on Return to Mayberry
On being cast on MatIock, and how television
had changed since his first series; on the character of "Ben Matlock" on Matlock, and on the show moving to ABC; on his later music career
Chapter 5
On the legacy of The Andy Griffith Show, and on the characters of the show; on the then-best of television, and on the then-future of television; on various people with whom he worked in his career
Shows
Andy Griffith Show, The
Andy Griffith on how The Andy Griffith Show came about with producers Danny Thomas and Sheldon Leonard, and on Don Knotts being cast as "Barney Fife"
Andy Griffith on the pilot for The Andy Griffith Show, which aired as an episode of The Danny Thomas Show, on deciding to play straight man to Don Knotts, and on the input of producer Sheldon Leonard
Andy Griffith on The Andy Griffith Show producer Aaron Ruben
Andy Griffith on a typical workweek on The Andy Griffith Show, and on working with one camera
Andy Griffith on the town of Mayberry on The Andy Griffith Show
Andy Griffith on Sheldon Leonard as producer of The Andy
Griffith Show, and on the CBS rural purge of 1971
Andy Griffith on the use of music on The Andy Griffith Show and on where ideas for the show came from
Andy Griffith on the morality of The Andy Griffith Show and on Ron Howard as "Opie Taylor"
Andy Griffith on The Andy Griffith Show spin-off Gomer Pyle - USMC, starring Jim Nabors
Andy Griffith on the end of The Andy Griffith Show and the start of Mayberry RFD
Andy Griffith on the legacy of The Andy Griffith Show, and on the characters of the show
Danny Thomas Show, The aka Make Room for Daddy
Andy Griffith on the pilot for The Andy Griffith Show, which aired as an episode of The Danny Thomas Show, on deciding to play straight man to Don Knotts, and on the input of producer Sheldon Leonard
Ed Sullivan Show, The aka Toast of the Town
Andy Griffith on appearing on The Ed Sullivan Show, and on his feelings about New York City
Gomer Pyle - USMC
Andy Griffith on The Andy Griffith Show spin-off Gomer Pyle - USMC, starring Jim Nabors
Matlock
Andy Griffith on being cast in MatIock, and how television had changed since his first series
Andy Griffith on improving upon MatIock scripts
Andy Griffith on the character of "Ben Matlock" on Matlock, and on the show moving to ABC
Andy Griffith on the end of Matlock
Murder in Texas
Andy Griffith on starring on various short-lived series and in the television movie Murder in Texas
Return to Mayberry
Andy Griffith on Return to Mayberry
United States Steel Hour, The
Andy Griffith on appearing on The United States Steel Hour in "No Time for Sergeants", and on the first time he saw television
Andy Griffith on the production of "No Time for Sergeants" for The United States Steel Hour, and how it impacted his career
Topics
Television Industry
Andy Griffith on the then-best of television, and on the then-future of the television
Professions
Actor
Andy Griffith on getting into performing
Performers
Andy Griffith on getting into performing
Genres
Classic Anthology Series
Andy Griffith on appearing on The United States Steel Hour in "No Time for Sergeants"
Comedy Series
Andy Griffith on The Andy Griffith Show (Part 1)
Andy Griffith on The Andy Griffith Show (Part 2)
Legal Dramas
Andy Griffith on starring on Matlock
Music Shows & Variety Shows/Specials
Andy Griffith on appearing on The Ed Sullivan Show, and on his feelings about New York City
People
Earle Hagen
Andy Griffith on Earle Hagen
Ron Howard
Andy Griffith on Ron Howard as "Opie Tayor" on The Andy Griffith Show
Elia Kazan
Andy Griffith on starring in Elia Kazan's feature "A Face in the Crowd" and various other features
Don Knotts
Andy Griffith on meeting Don Knotts
Andy Griffith on Don Knotts being cast as "Barney Fife" on The Andy Griffith Show
Sheldon Leonard
Andy Griffith on how The Andy Griffith Show came about with producers Danny Thomas and Sheldon Leonard, and on Don Knotts being cast as "Barney Fife"
Andy Griffith on the pilot for The Andy Griffith Show, which aired as an episode of The Danny Thomas Show, on deciding to play straight man to Don Knotts, and on the input of producer Sheldon Leonard
Andy Griffith on Sheldon Leonard as producer of The Andy Griffith Show
Jim Nabors
Andy Griffith on Jim Nabors
Aaron Ruben
Andy Griffith on The Andy Griffith Show producer Aaron Ruben
Danny Thomas
Andy Griffith on how The Andy Griffith Show came about with producers Danny Thomas and Sheldon Leonard, and on Don Knotts being cast as "Barney Fife"
Andy Griffith on Danny Thomas