On Christmas Day, I received a special gift from my oldest daughter, Katie.
While browsing through an Edmond bookstore last December, Katie stumbled upon what she thought would be the perfect gift for me: “Andy and Don: The Making of a Friendship and a Classic American TV Show.”
How could she have known? Perhaps it was the numerous times I had quoted “The Andy Griffith Show” to her while attempting to impart some parental wisdom.
Or maybe it was because I had suggested that we name her little brother-to-be Opie? My wife liked that idea about as much as Andy and Barney did Aunt Bee’s pickles.
To this day, there is no television show I enjoy more than “The Andy Griffith Show.” I speak of the black-and-white episodes only, of course. The show lost its magic when Don Knotts left and “The Andy Griffith Show” started being aired in color.
I loved the gift idea, and the book didn’t disappoint. The new biography by Daniel de Vise, a former Washington Post journalist and Don Knotts’ brother-in-law, explores the lives and friendship of Griffith and Knotts, who will forever be linked because of the iconic television show.
Well-researched, the book takes a nostalgic look at the creation and making of “The Andy Griffith Show” and examines the personal and professional lives of both men.
The book reveals not only how talented they were, but how the personal lives of Griffith and Knotts were far more interesting and complex than many people realize.
In addition to relying on previously published material, the author interviewed dozens of people who knew both men: family, friends, business associates and other actors, including the former members of the show who are still around.
It turns out that Knotts was a hypochondriac who was insecure in his craft, even though he arguably created the funniest character on television. He grew up with a verbally abusive father in West Virginia and turned to comedy as a means of escape.Griffith could be tremendously generous and supportive to his friends, but if you wronged him, he forever held a grudge. He also had a few extramarital romances in real life with the actresses who played Andy Taylor’s girlfriends.
The real-life Andy and Don were as great of friends as Andy and Barney were on the show. But just like in Mayberry, their real-life relationship had some rocky moments.
It was called “The Andy Griffith Show,” but Knotts was really the star. Knotts won five Emmy awards for playing Barney Fife.
Griffith, who played the clown in the play and movie “No Time for Sergeants,” was willing to be Knotts’ straight man because it made the show better, but it did bruise his ego.
Griffith’s acting talents went unrecognized for most of his career, and he was jealous of his friend’s accolades. Griffith never won a major acting award but did win a Grammy for a gospel album.
On the other hand, Knotts was the star of “The Andy Griffith Show” but wasn’t paid like it. Griffith was one of the owners of the show and made much more money from it.
The pay issue naturally led to some resentment between the men and partly explains why Knotts left the show after five years to make movies.
“The Andy Griffith Show” endured but was never as good.
In spite of all that, they remained close friends until Knotts’ death in 2006. Griffith was one of the last people at his bedside, but when the idea was born to add a Deputy Barney Fife statue in Griffith’s hometown to join the Andy and Opie Taylor sculpture, it was Griffith who sabotaged it.
