THURSDAY THIRTEEN #178

THIRTEEN FACTS ABOUT THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW

1)   The theme song does have lyrics: "Well now, take down your fishing pole and meet me at the fishing hole/We may not get a bite all day, but don’t you rush away/What a great place to rest your bones and mighty fine for skipping stones/You’ll feel fresh as a lemonade a-setting in the shade/Whether it’s hot, whether it’s cool/Oh, what a spot for whistling like a fool …"

2)   Andy Taylor was introduced on The Danny Thomas Show. The episode where the small-town sheriff stops Andy for a traffic violation served as the pilot for CBS.

3)   Frances Bavier appears in the pilot but not as Aunt Bee. Instead she’s an unhappy customer complaining about the local dept. store.

4)   Don Knotts does not appear in the pilot. Barney was added after Knotts suggested himself for the role. He knew Andy Griffith because they had recently appeared together on Broadway.

5)   Aunt Bee officially arrives in the first episode. She takes the bus to Mayberry from West Virginia to help Andy and Opie out after their housekeeper, Rose, leaves to get married.

6)   Barney Fife was proud of the septic tank he bought his parents for their anniversary (it was steel reinforced)  

7)   Aunt Bee was proud of her cucumbers, even though Andy and Barney referred to them as “Kerosene Cucumbers” behind her back

8)   In 1967 a young actor named Jack Nicholson appeared as a young drifter just traveling through Mayberry.

9)   Mayberry appeared in an episode of Star Trek. Capt. Kirk travels back in time and wanders up and down a Depression-era street. The set used was the Andy Griffith Show’s. The sign for Floyd’s Barber Shop is visible.

10)   Andy's son Opie is named after Opie Cates, an Arkansas born musician and radio performer from the 1940s. Both Andy Griffith and producer Sheldon Leonard were big fans.

11)  Andy and Barney always drove Ford Galaxies. The cars were donated by a local dealership and returned (and presumably repainted and resold) when the new models became available.

   

12)   Don Knotts won several Emmys for playing Barney Fife, and Francis Bavier was awarded one for her role as Aunt Bee.

13)    Andy Griffith was never even nominated for his role as Andy Taylor. He was, however, nominated in the 1980s for a role in a made-for-TV movie.

For more information about the Thursday Thirteen,

or to play yourself, click here.

Special July 4 Wednesday Sunday Stealing

Sunday Stealing: The Imaginary Meme, Part Eight

141. What's the difference between Stealing and other memes that you do? The author is a Beatle fan of the highest order. And, to borrow a phrase, you know that can't be bad. (WOOO!)

142. Best cartoon show ever? Rocky and Bullwinkle.

143. Does it matter to you if your significant other smokes? Yes.

144. Do you ever use your full name? Yes.

145. Do you get annoyed easily? Yes. Especially in this fucking heat.

146. Indecent proposal: Would you sleep with an attractive billionaire for millions of $? Yes. No. I'd do him because you stipulated I find him attractive, not because of the money. (That, dear sir, is the difference between a slut and a whore.)

147. Where do you draw the line? Between two points.

148. Have you ever been on a road trip? Yes.

149. What’s your favorite drink? Vodka. It goes with everything.

150. Which is better, amazing eyes or an amazing smile? Why? They both sound good. I like being amazed.

151. What was your first thought this morning? "Please don't let the power be out." It was. But it came back on, thank God. It's 100-fucking-degrees here.

152. Have you ever wanted to go to sleep and not wake up? When it's 100-fucking-degrees here. I really suffer in this heat.

153. Would you try to take over the world? I think the world would be better for it.

154. What is the most romantic thing someone of the preferred sex has done for you? Told me that he wished he had written Bob Dylan's "Emotionally Yours" for me.

155. Have you ever been asked to do something disgusting? No

156. How much cash do you have right now? $26 in my wallet, about $10 in quarters for laundry, and $60 tucked away in case of emergencies.

157. Tell us something totally random about yourself. I used to be afraid of Mark Harmon. No, really. He was so convincing as Ted Bundy in The Deliberate Stranger and I had a hard time getting past that. Here's a link to a clip. I warn you, he's very good at very bad. http://youtu.be/-1BWr2gjVvc

158. What really turns you off? Religious intolerance.

159. Has anyone ever said you looked like a celebrity? Back when we were both young, I heard that I looked like Julie from The Love Boat.

160. You’re having a bad day. Who do you want to talk to? My best friend

161. Have you ever studied the Bible? Yes

162. What really turns you off? Religious intolerance hasn't become more acceptable since question #158.

163. What's a goal that you'd like to achieve? I'd like lose weight so I can wear cute clothes again.

164. Name one celebrity you hate, and why. Madonna. Because she's always been a brand first and an artist second (if at all). And because I think Cher did it all first anyway.

165. What’s your favorite store? Macy's 

166. What's one goal you’d like to achieve this year? I unfortunately haven't lost an ounce since question #163.

167. What's the first thing you notice about your preferred sex? I'm a sucker for thick, soft, shiny hair. A mop top, if you will.

168. Who is your oldest friend? How long have you known them? I've known my oldest friend since autumn 1962. We were in Kindergarten.

169. Do you like photography? Yes. What's not to like?

170. Pain or no gain? Huh?

171. What's something people say that you generally find annoying? "I could care less," when they obviously mean, "I couldn't care less."

172. How often do you change your myspace/facebook/etc profile? Seldom

173. Do you ever cook? I have a George Foreman Grill. Does using that count as cooking?

174. Have you ever been on a boat? Yes

175. What do you do most when you’re bored? Memes

176. What is your favorite musical instrument? Piano, I suppose.

177. What’s your phone ringtone? The one that came programmed on my phone

178. Have you ever been in a movie? (Either amateur of professional.) Nope.

179. Describe your life currently in five words. Held hostage by the heat

180. Where did you last fly to and why? My last flight was to Chicago. Because I live here. I had to come home from vacation eventually, even though I didn't want to. 

 

 

www.wednesday

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

• What are you currently reading? Robert B. Parker's Lullaby. That's quite the title, isn't it? It's a Spenser mystery, with characters developed by the fabulous Robert B. Parker. After writing 39 Spenser books, Mr. Parker died and his estate hired author Ace Atkins to take over the franchise. I am happy (relieved) to report that the familiar characters are back, true to form, in this new mystery. I admit I was skeptical when I first picked it up, but now I'm a little more than halfway through and am thoroughly enjoying sleuthing with my fine old friends.

 
• What did you recently finish reading? Jack Kennedy: Elusive Hero by Chris Matthews. The author's voice is very familiar to me, thanks to Hardball and The Chris Matthews Show, and he writes rather like he speaks. It was as though I could hear Matthews as I read, which was kinda fun. As for the biography itself, it was interesting if not all together successful. There's not a lot new in it, but it's the prism through which Matthews looks at JFK's short life that makes it interesting. To Chris Matthews, Kennedy was, in many ways, a self-created man -- a pragmatic hero whose life was shaped by constantly confronting “the thin membrane between life and death.” If you're not familiar with John Kennedy's life, there are better books to read. If you are intrigued by the idea of a new twist on an oft-told tale, pick this one up.

• What will you read next? The Meryl Streep Movie Club by Mia March. “A novel of love, family and movie night.” It looks like chick-lit of high order and I'm anticipating a good summer read.

I Want Wednesday

I want the heat to end! Really. I feel like I'm held captive indoors on these 98º to 102º days. ENOUGH!

The versatile Mr. Griffith

I originally posted this back in 2009.  I have been so sad about the death of my Fantasy Father, Sheriff Andy Taylor, that I forgot about this movie. Andy Griffith could be a devastating villain, and in the age of Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh, his performance is even more impressive.

 

Bad Andy

Back in 1957, a virtual unknown named Andy Griffith played a virtual unknown named Larry "Lonesome" Rhodes. His easy, "aw shucks" charm covers a dark heart and massive ego. Thanks to his natural talent and a knack for knowing what the public wants, Lonesome rises rapidly from a 2-minute radio curiosity to a national TV sensation, selling his loyal audience on everything from his sponsors' products to the candidates who bribe him. He's a complete, charismatic fraud.

This movie, A Face in the Crowd, was made years before Andy Griffith became Sheriff Andy Taylor and put Mayberry on the map. It's rattling to see him as a hard drinking, coarse, cruel womanizer and opportunist. I guess I forgot he was an actor, not a small-town lawman. And the comparison between Rhodes and a certain right wing radio commentator who today is drunk with his own power and importance is inescapable.

If you get a chance to see A Face in the Crowd, don't miss it. I'm watching it on TCM right now and am hooked.