Andy Griffith has died at age 86 at his home on Roanoke Island in North Carolina. He was an actor, a musician, a comic, and a legend in the U.S..
Griffith came to fame as a comic with a piece called "what it was, was football" in 1953.
He showed ggreat potential as an actor as well with stand out performances that covered the most widely separated avenues imaginable, first in "No Time for Seargents" first on Broadway then in a critically acclaimed film.
He startled the nation with his performance in "A Face in the Crowd" Which seems oddly prescient when it is compared to people like Rush Limbaugh and Glen Beck.
Add this film to your queue if you haven't seen it.
Now not long after this film Andy took a guest shot on the Danny Thomas show, Make Room for Daddy, as a slightly crooked southern Sherriff. He did this spot so well that he was spun off into his own show, "Andy of Mayberry" that became "The Andy Griffith Show" by it's second season.
The show was an unqualified success and he assembled a veteran cast of talented actors to support him. The Andy Griffith Show ran until 1969 when it became Mayberry RFD and fortunately died when CBS killed of the "rural comedies".
Andy also went out of his way to promote bluegrass music with his frequent use of live musical performances in the show, one of his favorites was the Darlin's
Those of you who are musicians may note that this is being performed live on the set, proving the skills that Andy held as a musician. The show changed with the time, growing less irreverent and more socially conservative as th seasons went on. This reflected the changes in Andy's personal outlook too.
The nation will miss Andy, I know I will. The way he portrayed Andy was for me a micrcosm of what has gone wrong with our world he played the role with courtesy, respect and common sense. Unlike his foil and deputy Cousin Barney Fife. Fife was obssessed with rules and strict interpretation of laws. Played by frequent co-star in other projects Don Knotts.
Andy lived a long life, he made such a significant addition to our life and our culture that he will live on forever in the eternity of syndication.
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Comments
It's sad to see him go, for he was one of those greats in my mind. Not quite as great as James Arness or Jimmy Stewart, but still great and a part of an era in television that showed us a better world, and how better a world we could be.
Thanks for the tribute post, from a fellow fan.
r
I admired him.
He was also a stalwart for progressive causes.
r.
RIP, Andy.
r./
That aside, I never watched Griffith on TV, but I think "No Time for Sergeants" is one of the greatest film comedies of all time. A brilliant tour de force by old Andy.
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