Gone With or Without fanfare

[JackFavell]

I thought he was wonderful in waitress, Robert. It made me long to see him in more movies.

[Robert Regan]

Alas, Wendy, he gave his heart to television.

[MissGoddess]

Last year we lost the marshal, this year a sheriff. Yikes! No law left in town.

Taylor was a superb talent, I'd love to have seen him perform live (I enjoyed hearing his recordings---he killed me with his Shakespeare renditions). Not since Will Rogers did anyone tap so gently yet incisively into the rural/small town "American". In a society now cluelss of history much less folk history, he never had to resort to condescension to get a laugh. I appreciate that, and what his fatherly example to "Opie" represented---not a holier-than-thou plaster saint, but a normal guy doing the best he can.

[RedRiver]

He kept things in order. He was somehow part of them but separate

Some of the best comedic characters are like that. Van Dyke's Rob Petrie is a normal guy. A bit gullible, perhaps. Eager to serve. But basically like you and me. He just happens to be surrounded by fruitcakes! Poor Cary Grant stumbles through a Hawks film with everything but a lampshade on his head. It's not he who commits the lunacy. It's thrust upon him.

Classic theatre relied on this element. There's a play called AN ITALIAN STRAW HAT. The main character must suffer all forms of insanity for three acts merely to retrieve a missing hat! This is an effective device, which, as has been observed, worked well for Andy Griffith.

[RedRiver]

not a holier-than-thou plaster saint, but a normal guy doing the best he can.

"Pa" was wrong more than a few times. He'd come to that realization, then offer the lesson that fathers and sheriffs aren't perfect; that we assume responsibility for our mistakes and rectify them. There was quite some depth to this little show.

[MissGoddess]

"Pa" was wrong more than a few times. He'd come to that realization, then offer the lesson that fathers and sheriffs aren't perfect; that we assume responsibility for our mistakes and rectify them. There was quite some depth to this little show.

I loved those moments, when Opie would innocently point out some inconsistency in what his Pa was saying (vs. what he was practicing). They way Griffith handled that was never cloying or fake, it was funny, modest and human more than once brought tears to my eyes.

[CineMaven]

Sorry to hear about ANDY GRIFFITH.



He gave a searing performance in "A FACE IN THE CROWD."

[MissGoddess]

Just saw TCM's "remembrance" for Griffith...can anyone tell me what movie the last clip is from, where he's holding the girl? Is it No Time for Sergeants?

[JackFavell]

I am pretty sure it's No Time for Sergeants. Thanks for posting it, MissG.

[movieman1957]

It couldn't be "No Time For Sergeants." He is in the Air Force in that film.

I checked imdb and it looks like "Onionhead." They refer to him as being a Coast Guard cook.

[MissGoddess]

Thank you, Chris.

[movieman1957]

You are welcome.

[Sue Sue Applegate]

Such wonderful comments and remembrances of Andy Griffith. I have been so sad all day about this. But reading this thread has cheered me up!

[moirafinnie]

I am so glad that Robert mentioned Waitress (2007), which I have had in my netflix queue forever! I will get that one next now.

I'm glad to see that the charming Hearts of the West (1975) is being shown on TCM as part of the tribute. It may be one of Andy's best supporting performances as a Hollywood veteran writer who is not entirely likable but a valuable man to know, (and many thanks to Lynn for turning me onto this movie years ago).

If you can snag a copy, Rustler's Rhapsody (1985) is also fun, as it re-imagines a traditional Western cliche-ridden plot seen through contemporary eyes. Andy plays evil cattle baron Colonel Ticonderoga! [Gratuitous comment #1897: Tom Berenger is both beautiful to look at and hilarious as a singing cowpoke with the brains of Dick Foran's characters in those B Westerns from the '30s and '40s]

[JackFavell]

I've never seen Rustler's Rhapsody, I'll be on the lookout for it. I couldn't agree more about Hearts of the West - I used to see it on TV when I was young and just loved it.