For whatever reason, people searching for information on Anne Ramsey and the Andy Griffith Show on Google is one of the largest avenues for visitors to find this little blog of mine, so I'm happy to oblige everyone with more Andy Griffith content.
My father and I would laugh well into the night watching Andy reruns on TBS during the late 80s and early 90s, and I'm always trying to find ways to get my child into the show as well. While I may have thought a show from 35 years before my time seemed old, trying to get my daughter to watch a show that's now 60-some odd years before her time, in black and white, in a version of America that is so far from modern existence, I don't think it's got a chance. But I will continue to try.
Generations of fans have continued tuning in to The Andy Griffith Show in the 65+ years since it began, drawn by a combination of its characters and its ability to perfectly capture small-town life. Watching The Andy Griffith Show channel on Pluto is one of my go-tos these days, and a few weeks ago, I noticed a few familiar faces.
So, I began looking into it further, and over the eight years of its television run (1960-1968), the series welcomed an impressive array of familiar names, some well-established, but most on the cusp of stardom. Most of these guest stars blended seamlessly into the quaint, small-town world of Mayberry, while others brought a bit of an "outsider" feel.
As Aunt Bee would say, sit a spell and read about the unexpected faces who pop in for a visit.
1. Buddy Ebsen
"Opie's Hobo Friend"
(Season 2, Episode 6)
Original Airdate: November 13, 1961
Just a year before striking black gold (Texas Tea) as Jed Clampett on The Beverly Hillbillies, Buddy Ebsen appeared on The Andy Griffith Show as Dave Browne. Browne was a quiet drifter who charmed the young Opie with a carefree outlook on life. This lackadaisical philosophy, complete with tales of traveling around the country without a single care in the world or responsibility to anyone, captivates the young boy. This causes Opie to begin questioning the structured guidance he receives from his father, Andy. In the end, a quiet yet meaningful conflict unfolds as Andy delicately attempts to teach Opie about responsibility and consequences.
2. Sterling Holloway
"The Merchant of Mayberry"
(Season 2, Episode 22)
Original Airdate: March 5, 1962
Although not a well-known name, I assure you that you are familiar with the voices of Sterling Holloway. Aside from appearing in over 100 films and nearly 50 different television shows, Holloway may be best known for his voice acting, most frequently in Disney films, starting in 1941 with Dumbo (where he was Mr. Stork). He is best known as the voice of Winnie the Pooh (until 1977), while providing his voice to several other famous roles, such as Kaa the snake in The Jungle Book (1967), the Cheshire Cat in Alice in Wonderland (1951), and Amos Mouse in Ben and Me (1953).
In this episode, Holloway plays Bert Miller, a weary traveling salesman who comes to Mayberry with a case full of goods to sell. Bert's demeanor and reluctance to aggressively sell his merchandise earn him a place on Sheriff Taylor and Deputy Fife's good side. The two assist him in creating a modest stand on a vacant lot to sell his wares. Their support for Bert was twofold: it helped a friendly salesman, but also challenged the local department store owner, Ben Weaver. This leads to a series of events that ultimately results in Bert landing a stable job.
3. Jerry Van Dyke
"Banjo-Playing Deputy"
(Season 5, Episode 32)
Original Airdate: May 3, 1965
Jerry Van Dyke, brother to Dick Van Dyke, is probably best known by my generation as Luther Van Dam from the sitcom Coach. In this episode, he portrays Jerry (I don't believe he was given a last name), a broke carnival musician left behind when the carnival moves on from Mayberry. Sheriff Andy feels sympathetic and invites Jerry to stay at his home until he gets back on his feet. He even offers him temporary work around the courthouse as a part-time officer.
This episode was the last black-and-white Andy Griffith Show to air before the series transitioned to color episodes at the start of the next season. The show also returned for the next season without fan-favorite Barney Fife (Don Knotts), who had left the show for a promised film deal with Universal Pictures.
4. Alan Hale Jr.
"The Farmer Takes a Wife"
(Season 2, Episode 13)
Original Airdate: January 1, 1962
Up until appearing on The Andy Griffith Show, Alan Hale, Jr. had been a journeyman actor, taking several odd jobs in both film and television (over 200), most of them Westerns. Three years after this episode, he landed a job on the sitcom Gilligan's Island, playing The Skipper, which would take his career in an entirely different direction.
In this episode, he appears as Jeff Pruitt, a well-meaning but overly zealous farmer who comes to Mayberry determined to find himself a wife. With Barney as his eager wingman, Jeff's old-fashioned courting style and lack of any subtlety cause chaos in Mayberry as he awkwardly proposes to any breathing woman in town. Hale is perfectly cast in this episode and uses the same charm and comedic instincts that he would use on Gilligan's Island.
5. Barbara Eden
"The Manicurist"
(Season 2, Episode 16)
Original Airdate: January 22, 1962
Appearing as Ellen Brown, Barbra Eden (three years before landing her iconic role on I Dream of Jeannie) plays the attractive manicurist who creates quite a stir among Mayberry's citizens when she opens a shop within Floyd's Barbershop. The town's men flock to see her, and their wives all grow suspicious, leading to the sort of small-town tension and gossip that threaten Ellen's ability to make a living. As usual, Andy steps in and helps the town see Ellen as a professional woman trying to make her way in a new place.
6. Don Rickles
"The Luck of Newton Monroe"
(Season 5, Episode 29)
Original Airdate: April 12, 1965
Rickles, the comedian famous for his insults and one-liners, sought to establish himself in Hollywood and expand his acting abilities with this role as Newton Monroe on The Andy Griffith Show. Monroe was a fast-talking traveling salesman who traveled through Mayberry to sell snake-oil all-purpose elixirs. As Sheriff Taylor catches on to his smooth-talking sales pitches, he provides honest work for Newton, hoping to set him straight. Under Andy's close watch, Rickles fumbles through several odd jobs in a bit of humorous slapstick-style comedy.
7. Ruta Lee
"Andy on Trial"
(Season 2, Episode 29),
"The Hollywood Party"
(Season 6, Episode 9)
Original Airdates: April 23, 1962, and November 8, 1965
Modern fans might not recognize the name Ruta Lee, but she appeared in over 100 television shows during the 1950s. Throughout her career, she appeared in films such as Seven Brides for Seven Brothers and Witness for the Prosecution, as well as in a memorable role in the Twilight Zone episode "A Short Drink from a Certain Fountain." She was also featured on a number of game shows, including Hollywood Squares, What's My Line?, and Match Game.
In the first episode, Ruta Lee portrays Jean Boswell, a reporter who collaborates with a newspaper publisher to challenge Andy's position as town Sheriff. In the second episode, she plays a different character, Darlene Mason, who is a (relatively) famous actress who attends a Hollywood party that Andy and Barney get invited to.
8. Denver Pyle
"The Darlings Are Coming"
(Season 3, Episode 25),
"Mountain Wedding"
(Season 3, Episode 31),
"Briscoe Declares for Aunt Bee"
(Season 4, Episode 5),
"Divorce, Mountain Style"
(Season 4, Episode 25),
"The Darling Baby"
(Season 5, Episode 12),
"The Darling Fortune"
(Season 7, Episode 6)
Original Airdates: March 18, 1963, April 29, 1963, October 28, 1963, March 30, 1964, December 7, 1964, October 17, 1966
The man who would eventually find fame on television as The Dukes of Hazzard's Uncle Jesse first appeared on The Andy Griffith Show in a recurring guest role as Briscoe Darling. Briscoe Darling was the rough-around-the-edges patriarch of the musically talented Darling family. The rugged mountain family that lived on the outskirts of Mayberry would occasionally visit town to play some bluegrass music, bringing their thick mountain accents and Appalachian values with them. Each visit to town would cause comedic chaos for Andy and Barney.
6. Ellen Corby
"Barney's First Car"
(Season 3, Episode 27)
Original Airdate: April 1, 1963
The three-time Emmy Award-winning actress (for her role as Grandma Walton on The Waltons) participates in a car-theft scam in the quaint little town of Mayberry. In this episode, Barney Fife buys his first car from a sweet little old lady named Myrtle Lesh (Corby). Unfortunately for Barney, Myrtle's nickname is "Hubcaps," and she's part of this ring of scammers. Ellen Corby is charmingly deceptive as a sweet, little old lady, Myrtle, leaving Barney (and the audience) in disbelief when it's revealed that she's part of the scheme.
10. Jack Nicholson
"Opie Finds a Baby"
(Season 7, Episode 10),
"Aunt Bee, the Juror"
(Season 8, Episode 7)
Original Airdates: November 21, 1966; October 23, 1967
In one of the famed actor's first screen appearances, at the age of 29, Nicholson plays Mr. Garland, the father of an abandoned baby. Opie and his friend Arnold discover the baby on the steps of the courthouse and attempt to find a home for the infant, fearing it would be sent to a faraway orphanage.
In the second episode, a year later, Aunt Bee receives a summons for jury duty and finds herself at odds with the rest of the jurors. She believes the defendent, Marvin Jenkins (played by Jack Nicholson) is innocent of the theft charges, and Aunt Bee fights to keep him out of jail.
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