Actor Don Knotts Dies at 81; also Darrin McGavin, and Dennis Weaver

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SUMMARY

Don Knotts, renowned for his role as Deputy Barney Fife on "The Andy Griffith Show," passed away at the age of 81. Alongside Knotts, actor Darren McGavin, known for his comedic roles and appearances in "A Christmas Story" and "The X-Files," also died at 83. The discussion highlights Knotts' close friendship with Ron Howard during the filming of the show and reflects on the impact of their work on television and film. The conversation also touches on Dennis Weaver's contributions to environmentalism and his unique home built from recycled materials.

PREREQUISITES
  • Familiarity with classic television shows, particularly "The Andy Griffith Show."
  • Understanding of the cultural significance of actors in the 1960s and 1970s.
  • Knowledge of the environmental movement and sustainable building practices.
  • Awareness of the myth that celebrities often die in threes.
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the impact of "The Andy Griffith Show" on American television culture.
  • Explore the filmography of Darren McGavin, focusing on his roles in "A Christmas Story" and "The X-Files."
  • Investigate Dennis Weaver's contributions to environmentalism and sustainable architecture.
  • Examine the phenomenon of celebrity deaths occurring in threes and its psychological implications.
USEFUL FOR

Fans of classic television, film historians, environmental advocates, and anyone interested in the legacies of Don Knotts, Darren McGavin, and Dennis Weaver.

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Don Knotts, the skinny, lovable nerd who kept generations of television audiences laughing as bumbling Deputy Barney Fife on "The Andy Griffith Show," has died. He was 81.
AP

Knotts was a favorite comedian. He is well-known from the Andy Griffith Show in which he played a bumbling deputy sheriff, Barney Fife - http://www.mayberry.com/tagsrwc/wbmutbb/anewsome/private/barnbio.htm . He also did many comedic movies. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0461455/

Also on a sad note, actor Darren McGavin, who also did comedy, died on Saturday at 83.
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0569000/
 
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Oh no! Barney and The Night Stalker, both in one weekend. :frown:

It turns out that not only Andy Griffith and Knotts, but also Ron Howard and Knotts were great friends. While doing the AG show in the sixties, Knotts would take Howard aside and do things like play ball with him in an effort to provide some sense of a normal childhood. Howard described him as being like a second father. He has always been described as a great person in any context that I've ever seen.

Don't know much about McGavin personally, but I always enjoyed his semi-slapstick manner. He was fun to watch.
 
And Dennis Weaver makes three.

You all know about the myth that actors die in threes? Funny enough, this often seems to happen.

Weird too, Tsu and I were talking about Weaver last night. A movie called The Car was on the Sci-Fi channel, which reminded me of the movie Dual which starred Weaver and was directed by Spielberg.
 
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That was sad news, being a fan of all three. I was looking at the lists of movies and show that they did..wow! I enjoyed so many of them.

I wish, I wish, I wish I were a fish...Henry Limpet ...smooth sailing Don
 
I loved Gentle Ben. I wanted a bear like Ben.

...which, in addition to Weaver, starred Ron Howard's brother.

Weaver built a home in New Mexico, I think... that was constucted from old tires, bottles, and other useful garbage. It was a beautiful and terribly efficient house. He played a leading role in various aspects of the environmental movement here in the US.
 
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hypatia said:
http://www.dennisweaver.com/

I'm waiting for the price to drop to 3.6 million. :rolleyes:

Oh, I know why I was thinking of New Mexico - the adobe style interior. He probably had to do this as a way to include the volume of material used in the walls.
 
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Or it could be that the architect was from Taos NM. But what a place!
 
hypatia said:
That was sad news, being a fan of all three. I was looking at the lists of movies and show that they did..wow! I enjoyed so many of them.

I wish, I wish, I wish I were a fish...Henry Limpet ...smooth sailing Don
The Incredible Mr Limpet has always been one of my favorite movies.
 
  • #10
A test of my mortality is the passing of my generation.

What was the story behind the melancholy Limpet? I rarely see the reel on TV, but recall his longings from the waterfront. His transformation seemed almost religious.
 
  • #11
hypatia said:
Or it could be that the architect was from Taos NM. But what a place!

:smile: Perhaps!

This is a common technique used to resolve the extra space required by alternative building materials. For example, almost all hay bale homes have the look of adobe.

Oh yes, and mud is a fairly environmentally friendly building material. :biggrin:
 
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  • #12
I'm going to watch "Chirstmas Story" just to pay my respects. Fragile...It must be Italian.
 
  • #13
How about some classic Barney Fife moments? Here is one where he seems to be having a http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/df/Knotts_as_Barnie.jpg :smile:
 
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  • #14
Loren Booda said:
What was the story behind the melancholy Limpet? I rarely see the reel on TV, but recall his longings from the waterfront. His transformation seemed almost religious.

I remember that movie, but can't claim to recall the details. This synopisis refreshes my memory. It was noted on this ref.

Set in World War II, bookkeeper Henry Limpet loves fish with an ardent passion. Rejected by the navy and downcast, he falls off a pier, while out on a walk with his friends, and turns into a fish.

The animated fish-like Limpet, complete with his signature spectacles, then uses his new-found abilities to assist the Navy in tracking down German U-boats, becoming one of America's greatest naval heroes.

The choice of the name Limpet for the main character is somewhat ironic, as while limpets are aquatic, in their adult form, they are nearly immobile mollusks that cling to rocky shorelines.

Here's an http://www.sergioleone.net/mm-11.jpg in one of his more romantic moments.
 
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  • #15
When I was a kid I got to see The Incredible Mr. Limpet two or three times, and loved it. It was a lot easier for kids to appreciate than Barney Fife. (I mostly watched Andy Griffith to follow the exploits of Opie. The adults were all beyond my concern.)

Darren McGavin did a great job as a guest star in two episodes of The X-Files, as the former partner of Muldur's father. I also loved him as the father in A Christmas Story.
 
  • #16
zoobyshoe said:
Darren McGavin did a great job as a guest star in two episodes of The X-Files, as the former partner of Muldur's father.

It seems to be a trend these days for new shows to pay homage to old shows of the same genre; thinking of The Night Stalker here who was a 70's version of Muldur.

I happened to catch an episode of the new Superman which is called Smalltown...I think. Apparently they had Christopher Reeve as a billionare teaching the young Clark Kent about life or his powers...something to that effect. I only caught a bit at the end, but in the show they announced his death as part of the plot.
 
  • #17
Ivan Seeking said:
thinking of The Night Stalker here who was a 70's version of Muldur.
He was, yes, now that you mention it, but the style and tone of the two shows is so different that I never made any connection between those two characters. The tabloid reporter was such a light character compared to Muldur. It didn't occur to me that Darren McGavin on the X-files was a reference to The Night Stalker, but it could be Chris Carter meant him to be.

Anyway, I liked the episode with him where they went back into the Film Noir 50's flashbacks with Muldur's father as a young man.
 

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