Opie's Opus
December 27, 2022
Ron
"The Andy Griffith Show" is a first-rate, era-defining situation comedy which ran from 1960-1968 on CBS and co-starred Ronny Howard and Don Knotts. And while few shows from the era capture the charm and essence of rural American life in the early 1960s quite like "The Andy Griffith Show", Ron Howard says that the show was, even in its own time, reaching back for the nostalgia of yet another era in Mount Airy, N.C. where Andy had grown up in the thirties.
What I can tell you for sure from direct memory is that growing up in my neck of the woods in deep southeast Texas in the 1960s, Sheriff Andy Taylor was about the best role model you could hope to find outside your own good Sheriff — and we had a mighty fine Andy Taylor-like Sheriff in our own Curtis Humphreys. And just as Andy Taylor's girlfriend, Helen Crump, had been Opie's teacher, Curtis' wife had been my second grade teacher — and she was superb. I loved her; what a proficient educator she was. Her classroom shared a hallway and a set of bathrooms with the classroom where my grandmother taught, and it was the safest, most exciting, most illuminating time of my life because I had an inside view of the people who, to all the other kids, were these revered teaching machines systemizing and co-ordinating among themselves to mold creative, thinking children and to imprint them with discipline and respect. And knowledge. Mrs. Franks ripped you away from mommy's bosom in first grade and shook you up good (she was tough) and taught you to read and then passed you off to Mrs. Humphreys or my grandmother who taught you to connect the dots, and then they'd pass you off in third grade to Mrs. Kennedy or Ms. Farr who taught you to expand your mind. And on it went through the grades. These were old-school craft-masters who were literally born to teach, and man-oh-man were they top-drawer. I had such reverence for these old country didacts that they were like celebrities to me. Almost like deities. I was awestruck by their presence and their efficacy.
Sheriff Humphreys had literally grown up in law enforcement having had a father who long years before had also been our Sheriff (from 1922-1932), and who had died in the line of service in the very courthouse where Curtis would serve for 24 distinguished years, keeping young hoodlums like my parents safe so that they could grow up and bear more rugrats like me. This magnificent cathedral to justice (below) was my playground as a child, and we covered it from basement to bell tower on the weekends, often with Curtis chasing us out of dangerous situations (I remember one time when I was about six or so that Curtis caught us climbing the rickety old ladder up to the bell tower, and he nearly had a heart attack).
As legend had it, Curtis' dad had been killed at the foot of the winding staircase that went from the jury chambers down to the floor below where the cells were situated in a melee with prisoners who were attempting an escape, and I was particularly intrigued by that winding staircase, sneaking in there to re-enact the scene every chance I could get. Curtis caught me back there on those stairs one time and I asked him to tell me about the murder, and he led me through the infamous scenario step-by-step. In my memory Curtis was very like Andy Taylor — just a good, decent, honest man.
The fictional Sheriff Andy Taylor, as embodied by Andy Griffith, was moral, ethical, and respected, too. And playful. And wise. Some of the father/son moments in "The Andy Griffith Show" between Andy and Opie still take your breath away in their sincerity and impact.
I've just finished reading "The Boys: A Memoir of Hollywood and Family" by Ron Howard and Clint Howard and it's a wonderful homage to their family life as the children of working class actors. Ron and Clint themselves, as children, became real working class actors, too — household names to us, of course, playing the iconic archetypes that informed so many of our young minds. Opie Taylor and Richie Cunningham each represent an epoch, and that's a lot of cultural power for one freckled, red-headed dude from Burbank. I'm sure it's why Ronny the actor had to expand into Ron the director in order to channel all that energy coming through to him. And what's so interesting about the book is that it constructs exactly the valentine you want it to.
Ron Howard is an excellent movie maker, of course, and he knows how to create a story in your head without a lot of Hollywood sham, and so this narrative is very straight-forward and un-beguiling and yet really entertaining; both he and Clint are very engaging story tellers. All the people associated with Ron and Clint's show biz lives are exactly who you expect them to be in real life, too, as it turns out. For the industry enthusiasts, there's a ton of professional pearls, as well. But the unsung star of the book is Ron's dad, Rance Howard, who apparently really was one of those old-fashioned, truly integral, patient, super-hero miracle dads who was just a simple good Oklahoma man with impeccable ethics who taught his sons very well how to be functional human beings and artisans in a notoriously fickle business. It meets all the expectations you ever imagined for Opie Taylor, and Ron Howard gives you the life-defining ah-ha moments that influenced him as an artist and that guided his trajectory as a very public human being.
Clint Howard Behind-the-Scenes on "The Andy Griffith Show"
[Ron Howard, Don Knotts, Jim Nabors and the entire cast]
STUNNING MOMENTS
"Away in a Manger" — Andy Griffith, Elinor Donahue and the cast of "The Andy Griffith Show"
[It helps to know, if you aren't familiar with the episode from which this clip is taken, that the old man staring into the courthouse from the outside is a Scrooge-like character in this Christmas episode (S1E11) aptly titled "The Christmas Story" which aired on December 19, 1960 . It's a very moving episode and one of the iconic moments in a classic-filled series.]
This original black and white clip expands the story occurring 'round the song a bit more:
And here's the highlights from that episode:
RONNY'S BACKGROUND
"The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis" — "Dobie's Birthday Party" (S1E11)
[Guest starring Ronny Howard. Little dude was a veteran by 5 years old.]
HOW IT STARTED
"The Danny Thomas Show" — "Danny Meets Andy Griffith" (S7E20)
THE FIRST EPISODE
"The New Housekeeper" First Scene — "The Andy Griffith Show" (S1E1)
Opie decides to keep Aunt Bea — "The Andy Griffith Show" (S1E1)
THE NARRATIVE OF "THE BOYS" IS PRETTY MUCH CONTAINED WITHIN THE FOLLOWING CLIPS:
Ron Howard on getting cast as "Opie" on "The Andy Griffith Show"
Ron Howard on playing Opie Taylor
Ron Howard discusses working with Andy Griffith
Ron Howard On His Favorite Episode of "The Andy Griffith Show"
Ron Howard on making more money as a kid than Sandy Koufax. (1989)
RON'S LIFE TRAJECTORY
Ron Howard on the premise of "Happy Days"
Ron Howard on "Richie Cunningham" and "Fonzie" from "Happy Days"
Ron Howard discusses the cast of "Happy Days"
Ron Howard discusses "Happy Days" catchphrases
Ron Howard on becoming a director
Ron Howard on winning the Oscar for directing "A Beautiful Mind"
PLUS:
Clint Howard as Balok the Trippy Alien on "Star Trek" (1966)
EVERYONE'S FAVORITE EPISODE
Opie Kills a Bird from "Opie the Birdman" — "The Andy Griffith Show" (S4E1)
Lessons from Andy from "Opie the Birdman" — "The Andy Griffith Show" (S4E1)
QUINTESSENTIAL ANDY
Opie the sore loser from "A Medal for Opie" — "The Andy Griffith Show" (S2E19)
Indelible moments back when TV dads weren't written as bumbling idiots.
ANDY'S RECOLLECTIONS
Andy Griffith on the legacy of "The Andy Griffith Show"
Andy Griffith discusses the genesis of "The Andy Griffith Show"
Andy Griffith on the production of "The Andy Griffith Show"
Andy Griffith on early "Andy Griffith Show" episodes
Andy Griffith on working with TV son Ron Howard
Andy Griffith on the success of "The Andy Griffith Show"
Andy Griffith on how television changed
Andy Griffith discusses "No Time for Sergeants"
DON'S RECOLLECTIONS
Don Knotts on meeting Andy Griffith
Don Knotts discusses getting cast on "The Andy Griffith Show"
Don Knotts discusses creating his nervous man character
Don Knotts Nervous Man
Don Knotts discusses Barney Fife
Don Knotts discusses working with Andy Griffith on "The Andy Griffith Show"
Don Knotts discusses Ron Howard on "The Andy Griffith Show"
Don Knotts discusses leaving "The Andy Griffith Show"
And Don did, indeed, have a very successful film career in his post-Andy Griffith life with a string of hits like "The Ghost and Mr. Chicken," "The Incredible Mr. Limpet", "The Reluctant Astronaut", "The Shakiest Gun in the West", "How to Frame a Fig", "The Love God", "The Apple Dumpling Gang", and "Hot Lead and Cold Feet".
"The Ghost and Mr. Chicken" was one of my very favorite movies as a kid. Usually it came on the late show, but occasionally on Sunday matinees, and I never missed it. The music is classic.
"THE GHOST AND MR. CHICKEN" (1966)
[And a little movie trivia with Robert Osborne.]
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
"The Darlings Are Coming" — "The Andy Griffith Show" (S3E25)
["Salty Dog Blues"]
“The Andy Griffith Show” and Desilu Locations
Andy Griffith's Mayberry filming backlot and Desilu Studio
“The NEW Andy Griffith Show” (1971)
[Pilot Episode — "My Friend The Mayor" with Don Knotts]
“The Andy Griffith Show Reunion: Back to Mayberry” COMPLETELY DELIGHTFUL
PARENTHETICALLY
Desilu Studios produced “The Andy Griffith Show”, and the story of its formation is itself now Hollywood legend, with a terrific 2021 Aaron Sorkin movie depicting the fascinating journey of B-movie actress Lucille Ball and her Cuban husband as they rocket from years of struggle to the pinnacle of Hollywood power in the 1950s with the success of "I Love Lucy". Filming began at Desilu Cahuenga Studios and then Lucy and Desi's interests mushroomed to consume the old RKO Studios lot as well as Selznick International (with its vast "40 Acres" backlot, where "Gone With the Wind" had been filmed, and where exteriors for "The Andy Griffith Show" were shot). Desilu Studios was a sprawling operation consisting of enormously valuable southern California real estate snatched up just as the old studio system was imploding.
Desilu Studios, an aerial view (1958)
[Formerly RKO Studios.]
Also Desilu Studios
[Formerly The Selznick Studios]
"I Love Lucy" Soundstage
Lucie Arnaz on Desilu Studios
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