Monday, July 27, 2009

I Heart Andy Griffith



I glommed on a Mayberry RFD marathon recently, and it reminded me why I have always loved Andy Griffith.
  • He was easy on the eyes.
  • Andy ("Ang" to friend Barney Fife) was a stand up guy. He meant what he said and said what he meant.
  • Totally dependable. And cool-headed.
  • That opening theme song with the whistling!
  • He dearly loved his momma, Aunt Bea.
  • Andy wasn't flashy, but he always looked suave.
  • What's not to like about a man in uniform?
  • His consummate parenting abilities.
  • Andy was kind to everyone -- Otis the town drunk, that annoying Howard Spraig, Floyd the barber, durned ol' Goober, crazy Ernest T. Bass and his tree-dwelling clan, and especially his unlikely sidekick, the bumbling Deputy Barney Fife.
  • Mr. Griffith knew how to treat a lady.
  • He had an unconventional family arrangement and made it work.
  • No matter how trying Barney was, Andy was always patient and a true friend.
  • Andy was humble and selfless.
  • Great gene pool. I mean, look at Opie!

Can ya add to the list? Got an old tv star you admire?

36 comments:

Jessica Nelson said...

Well, none of this makes sense to me. When I was a kid, everytime this show came on I flipped the channel because I didn't want to watch something that was black and white. LOL! Glad you enjoyed him though. :-)

Rebecca Nazar said...

I love Samantha Stevens, Hawkeye Pierce, and Maxwell Smart--Montgomery, Alda, and Adams respectively. Great viewing.

Eileen Astels Watson said...

I vaguely recall this show. I really liked Pa on Little House on the Prairie myself.

Angie Ledbetter said...

Jessica - LOL.....guess it helps if you're old enough to remember when tv was only or mostly all B&W and you only got 3 channels. :)

Becca - good ones! I think Montgomery came from Baton Rouge.(She and Ellie Mae from the Bev. Hillbillies.) Alice Cravitz, Hotlips Hoolihan, Agent 99 -- all greats.

Eileen - I never watched LHOTP much. Maybe it was on when I was in high school. :)

Diane Buccheri said...

Andy Griffith lives about 1/2 an hour away from me! He's a terrific man.

Terri Tiffany said...

I can't believe you remember so much about him! I didn't love him as much as some other actors back then. Yes, Pa on Little House I think I loved more too:) He was much cuter and loved his humor.

Stephanie Faris said...

Andy knew how to treat a lady but I swear, how long was he dating that one woman. Did he ever marry her??? I always wonder when I watch that show why a man that age has a "girlfriend." It seems odd. (This from a 38-year-old woman with a "boyfriend" of over a year!)

Angie Ledbetter said...

Diane, how cool is that? If you run into him, please extend my greetings and appreciation. :)PS Loved the summer edition of OCEANS!

LOL, Terri. Guess it's good we're not fighting over the same star.

Stephanie - I think Andy was dating only until Opie was out of the house. *grin*

Thanks for the back-up, Carrie.

Rosaria Williams said...

Mayberry has come to represent our collective hunger for all things country,simple, homey and pure. We all watched the show, still do now and then, soaking its melange.

Melissa Amateis said...

I think Andy Griffith is perfect husband material! ;-)

Angie Ledbetter said...

So true, lakeviewer.

Melissa - rock solid. :)

Robyn Campbell said...

Barney was my favorite. He made me laugh every time I watched. I still watch it every chance I get. :)

I also loved Gomer Pyle, and Bewitched. I love Lucy too. :) Oh and don't let me forget about The Beverly Hillbillies. :) Thanks for taking me down memory lane!

Pseudo said...

I loved this show too when I was a kid. Also loved Father Knows Best and My three Sons...

Janet said...

Angie - I heart Andy too!! Whenever something happens in our area that comes across as "small town" - we call it our Mayberry!! Andy reminds me so much of my dad, who has many of his traits. Honest, kind, good judgement and true character....I wish our world was still like this!! Andy Griffith is one of my favs!! Thanks for bringing good memories!!

Suldog said...

Great TV show. What a fantastic ensemble cast! Very few of those episodes I couldn't watch over and over.

Unknown said...

That's sweet. I think we each have characters that we look up to fondly, either TV characters or characters from books. That's part of the power of stories.

Cheers,
-TimK

Jill Kemerer said...

I love your #1: he's easy on the eyes! My criteria for many a favorite actor!

Thanks for the smiles!

Angie Ledbetter said...

Robyn - We loved the same shows. Shazayyyyam!

PHST, loved me some Uncle Charlie, and that dog Tramp, I think it was?

My pleasure, Jane. :)

Me too, Suldawg. (Maybe you can catch a few reruns in the baseball off season?)

Tim - so true!

Jill, you're welcome. :)

Elizabeth Bradley said...

I spent many hours watching Andy. I agree with you.

It's kind of creepy to admit this now, but I had a crush on Captain Kirk as a girl. William Shatner looked different back then! He really did!

Cheffie-Mom said...

Yes, I agree! I would add Dick Van Dyke to the list!

Angie Ledbetter said...

Elizabeth - two words: Priceline Negotiator! LOL

Cheffie, the Petries! Haven't thought of that show in ages. (Can you hear the theme song?)

Anonymous said...

Barney was by far the most fearless police officer in his own mind. That show had some great moments in it.

Angie Ledbetter said...

Sure did, Brian. (I think I'm related to some of Ernest T. Bass' clan.) :)

Nannette said...

And his kid makes great movies!

Unknown said...

I heart Paul Newman! Mayhaps I'll post about him? Anyway, I heart you and this fantastic, thought provoking blog!

Anonymous said...

Good role model for kids and dads to watch. This was when our TV people were not afraid to be role models.
Oren

Anonymous said...

We watch an episode every once in awhile on TV Land. I love Aunt Bea and all of her fussing but as a child I wasn't that into Andy. I was going to marry someone more exciting like Efrem Zimbalist Jr. from the FBI show. I wrote him a fan letter and everything. He sent back one of those mass produced signature B/W photos and I thought my world was complete. :>)

Midlife Roadtripper said...

I think you covered Andy pretty well. Ah, the old shows. Life depicted perfectly. Whistling. Reminds me it has been a while since I've heard my youngest whistle. He used to all the time. I'll have to ask him.

Angie Ledbetter said...

Hey, Nannette. How ya doing?

Suzanne - A Newman post would be great. And I feel the same way about your blog. One of my favorite haunts now. :)

Sadly true, Oren. (And back then, they didn't even have to try or fake it.)

JyLnC - future blog post!?

I hope your son will whistle a sweet tune for you, Midlife. :)

B.J. Anderson said...

Lol, I just started watching reruns of this show and I love it! And I'm always catching myself walking around whistling that tune. Gotta love it. BTW, thanks for that cool blog award!

Hilary said...

It was a great show and I haven't seen reruns of it for quite some time. It sure was one of the best - with its laid-back days, a helping of morals, comedy (Fife, who as Barney, kept his one bullet in his pocket - and Otis who could easily reach the key to let himself out of jail) and endering characters.. main cast and backup.

There was one episode which was particularly touching, when Opie used a sligshot to kill a bird. It was about as fine a father and son exchange as I've ever seen. Beautifully written and acted.

One more quality of the Andy character and of course the actor himself.. a fine, smooth singing voice.

Deb Shucka said...

I love Andy, too. When I was a kid, I loved James Arness - Marshall Dillon. He was soft-spoken, deeply masculine, gentle, firm, and always took care of everyone. I was always a bit disappointed that he never allowed himself to really love Miss Kitty, but on the other hand, it meant I might have a chance with him. :-)

Kathryn Magendie said...

AND! Barney was from WVA, I do believe -- also, the story of Mayberry was set in North Carolina! Not in the mountains where i live, but in the Piedmont area, I believe....

I love Andy too - and that his the ONLY whistling I can ever tolerate - all other whistling gets on my nerves...

smiling

Regina said...

My mom loves Andy Griffith! She watches him all the time in his Matlock show! And I like him, too!

The Unbreakable Child said...

lovers him!! :goes off whistling mayberry:

Anonymous said...

free sample pack of viagra generic soft tab viagra canadian viagra new viagra viagra generique can women take viagra buy viagra now viagra online uk viagra rrp australia viagra or cealis pfizer viagra what is generic viagra viagra cialis viagra prescription uk

Labels (Posts, not Peoples)

Powered By Blogger