No television show has ever exemplified the best of American values in anywhere near the way that they were sent up in Andy Taylor's Mayberry. I was fortunate in getting to meet Mr. Griffith some 30 odd years ago; a friend of mine was appearing in the Outer Banks' long-running outdoor play The Lost Colony,... which was largely underwritten by Andy Griffith. I made it for the last show of the season and ended up at the cast party at Andy's Manteo home,..... may have been just a handshake and a couple of hasty exchanges,... but it was very special to meet someone whom you first began admiring 20 years earlier.
Watching the reruns nowadays makes me think thoughts of America's lost age of innocence,... lost golden era. Andy Griffith did more to cement those values in the minds of my generation than any politician or philosopher. He was truly one of a kind.
Andy Griffith was one of the best actors of all time. He was one of only a few actors, the others being Larry Hagman and Carroll O Connor, to play two wonderful characters on two different long running TV shows.
He was a fine actor. Many people remember him as Sheriff Andy Taylor or as the lawyer Matlock, but to me his best role was the naive, honest private in the Air Force in the film version of No Time for Sergeants.
I remember the "What It Was Was Football" comedy record he did at the start of his career. I enjoy visiting Mayberry today as much as I did in the 1960's, maybe more, given today's times. No gun, but a heart like a cannon. Thanks, Andy, for all the great roles and laughs. A great comic and straight man, too.