He was Mayberry’s deputy sheriff. A single shiny bullet kept safely in his pocket, a pretty girlfriend named Thelma Lou, and the memorable philosophic advice – “Nip it in the bud.”. all defined the wiry and hilarious character Barney Fife, played by none other than the irreplaceable Don Knotts. For eight seasons beginning in 1960, The Andy Griffith Show gave viewers a reprieve from the hustle and bustle of everyday living to a slow-paced, small-town way of life where problems were quickly solved, and happiness prevailed.
Generations of families have enjoyed the show that has been airing in rerun-land for over fifty years. Amazingly, young people today recognize the names Opie, Barney, Andy, Gomer, and the make-believe town of Mayberry, R.F.D.
Check out these fun facts about Howard Morris, TAGS’s Ernest T. Bass. Click here.
For one season, Don Knotts was cast as Bernard P. Fife, Andy Taylor’s cousin. People loved him, and the one-year contract quickly turned into five, but the “cousin” relationship was not continued. Over the years, as the character developed, Barney Fife repeatedly flaunted his expert knowledge of all things, only to be proven wrong each time. At the end of each episode where he was featured, he settled down to the sweet, humble guy we all loved and hoped was the real Don Knotts.
Who can forget when Barney gives Gomer a ticket for an illegal U-turn and then commits the same offense? Gomer runs across the almost deserted street hollering “Citizen’s arrest” (I wish there was a way to spell that phrase the way it’s pronounced … just drag it out in a very Southern accent as you read!). Sheriff Andy orders Barney to write himself a ticket. That sparks a reaction where the little deputy mimics Gomer’s accent perfectly as he yells back, a very Southern sounding, “Citizen’s arrest, citizen’s arrest!”
Over five seasons, Barney accidentally fired his cherished single bullet a couple of times. He was unintentionally drunk in a few episodes and even played a stand-in bride who was kidnapped by Ernest T. Bass. When asked about the character he played, Don Knotts said he met several Barney Fife(s). He continued, “I ran into one in my hometown, a perfect deputy Barney – ordering people around, acting efficient, loving his job.”
When Don Knotts left the Andy Griffith Show to pursue movie opportunities, he was definitely missed. To me, the show was never the same without him. Don Knotts was friends with Andy Griffith and called him Ange on the show and off (sort of a combination of Andy’s first and last names).
Jesse Donald Knotts was born in Morgantown, West Virginia, in 1924. His mother, Elsie L. Moore Knotts, was 40 when Donald, the youngest of four sons, was born. His father, William Jesse Knotts, was a farmer from Pennsylvania who suffered from alcoholism and schizophrenia; and who often inflicted his misery on his family.
In several interviews, Don Knotts used the term “terrorizing” when describing his father. The elder Knotts was almost bedridden by the time of Don’s birth and suffered from Hysterical blindness. The family was impoverished; the brothers shared a bedroom with a boarder while Don slept on a cot in the kitchen. Not only was his dad abusive, but his brothers, when drunk, shared in the bullying and terrorizing that was Don’s world. Don, who was always slight in stature, was 14 years younger than his youngest brother. He confessed, in interviews, to using a coping mechanism to find comfort in his daily life by filling his space with imaginary characters with whom he would act out some happy drama.
Actress Joanna Moore played Peggy on TAGS. Click here to read her story.
Knotts was quoted in the Los Angeles Times. “I felt like a loser. I was unhappy, I think, most of the time. We were terribly poor, and I hated my size.” His only friend was the ventriloquist dummy he named Danny. He started performing with Danny at an early age.
His father died when he was thirteen, ending some of the emotional pain to which he had grown accustomed. According to interviews years later with Don Knott’s daughter, things started to turn around for Don when he entered high school. He became popular and found a best friend. He was voted class president and wrote a column for the yearbook.
After his freshman year at West Virginia University, he joined the army and toured the Pacific area with the military comedy troupe Stars & Gripes. After his tour of duty was over, he returned to the University and graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Education and a Minor in Speech. He was a member of WVU’s Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity and Alpha Psi Omega Honor Society.
With $100 in his pocket, he headed for New York to begin an acting career. He found a few parts but was turned down over and over. In 1953, he landed a small role as Wilbur Peterson in the TV soap opera, “Search for Tomorrow”. Don Knotts was generally typecast as a small nervous, anxious character who was a perfect sidekick to actors and comics.
In the 1950s, his lifestyle was a combination of hypochondria, chronic insomnia, and all-night partying. Don became addicted to anti-anxiety drugs. He spent days in bed before a performance. Playing nervous, easily-spooked characters only worsened his real-life condition.
In 1955, Don Knotts met Andy Griffith while working on the Broadway play “No Time for Sergeants”. For 796 performances, the two played Cpl. John C. Brown and Pvt. Will Stockdale. They would play the same roles three years later when the movie, “No Time for Sergeants”, premiered. It was Don’s film debut.
When it came time to build the cast of the Andy Griffith Show, Andy remembered his colleague. They were to be life-long friends. Don Knotts received 5 Emmy Awards for Outstanding Performance as a Supporting Actor for his portrayal of Barney Fife.
