Andy and Don : the making of a friendship and a classic American TV show

Introduction -- Prologue: the call -- Don's demons -- Laugh, lest you cry -- The bumpkins take Broadway -- Nervous men -- Andy takes a deputy -- A Hollywood friendship -- A slight thread of insanity -- Men in a hurry -- A date for Gomer -- Andy and Barney, phfftt -- The color years -- The death of Andy Taylor -- Second chances, second wives -- The gentleman lawyer -- Death in Mayberry.;A lively and revealing biography of Andy Griffith and Don Knotts, celebrating the powerful real-life friendship behind one of America's most iconic television programs. Andy Griffith and Don Knotts met on Broadway in the 1950s. When Andy went to Hollywood to film a TV pilot about a small-town sheriff, Don called to ask if the sheriff could use a deputy. The comedic synergy between Sheriff Andy Taylor and Deputy Barney Fife ignited The Andy Griffith Show, elevating a folksy sitcom into a timeless study of human friendship, as potent off the screen as on. Andy and Don-fellow Southerners born into poverty and raised among scofflaws, bullies, and drunks-captured the hearts of Americans across the country as they rocked lazily on the front porch, meditating about the simple pleasure of a bottle of pop. But behind this sleepy, small-town charm, de VisE's exclusive reporting reveals explosions of violent temper, bouts of crippling neurosis, and all-too-human struggles with the temptations of fame. Andy and Don chronicles unspoken rivalries, passionate affairs, unrequited loves, and friendships lost and regained. Although Andy and Don ended their Mayberry partnership in 1965, they remained best friends for the next half-century, with Andy visiting Don at his death bed. Written by Don Knotts's brother-in-law and featuring extensive unpublished interviews with those closest to both men, Andy and Don is the definitive literary work on the legacy of The Andy Griffith Show and a provocative and an entertaining read about two of America's most enduring stars. A lively and revealing biography of Andy Griffith and Don Knotts, this "humorous, informative, and poignant book" celebrates the powerful real-life friendship behind one of America's most iconic television programs and "shows how the magic was created" ( Library Journal ). Andy Griffith and Don Knotts first met on Broadway in the 1950s. When Andy moved to Hollywood to film a TV pilot for a comedy about a small-town sheriff, Don called to ask if Andy's sheriff could use a deputy. The friendship and comedy partnership between Sheriff Andy Taylor and Deputy Barney Fife ignited The Andy Griffith Show, elevating the folksy television sitcom into a timeless study of human friendship. Together, they created a program with a uniquely small-town dynamic that captured the hearts of Americans across the country who watched these two men rocking on the front porch, meditating about the pleasure of a bottle of pop. But behind this sleepy charm, de Vis#233;'s exclusive reporting "captures the complexity of both men and the intimacy of their friendship with extreme detail and sensitivity" ( Publishers Weekly ), from unspoken rivalries, passionate affairs, unrequited loves, struggles with the temptations of fame, and friendships lost and regained. Although Andy and Don ended their Mayberry partnership in 1965, they remained best friends for the next half-century. Written by Don Knotts's brother-in-law, Andy and Don is "a rewarding dual biography that is also a lively look inside the entertainment industry in the latter half of the twentieth century" ( News Observer ). Entertaining and provocative, it "captures a golden moment in modern Americana. You'll not only return again to Mayberry, you'll feel as though you've never left" (Tom Shales, Pulitzer Prize#8211;winning television critic) A lively and revealing biography of Andy Griffith and Don Knotts, this "humorous, informative, and poignant book" celebrates the powerful real-life friendship behind one of America's most iconic television programs and "shows how the magic was created" ( Library Journal ). Andy Griffith and Don Knotts first met on Broadway in the 1950s. When Andy moved to Hollywood to film a TV pilot for a comedy about a small-town sheriff, Don called to ask if Andy's sheriff could use a deputy. The friendship and comedy partnership between Sheriff Andy Taylor and Deputy Barney Fife ignited The Andy Griffith Show, elevating the folksy television sitcom into a timeless study of human friendship. Together, they created a program with a uniquely small-town dynamic that captured the hearts of Americans across the country who watched these two men rocking on the front porch, meditating about the pleasure of a bottle of pop. But behind this sleepy charm, de Visé's exclusive reporting "captures the complexity of both men and the intimacy of their friendship with extreme detail and sensitivity" ( Publishers Weekly ), from unspoken rivalries, passionate affairs, unrequited loves, struggles with the temptations of fame, and friendships lost and regained. Although Andy and Don ended their Mayberry partnership in 1965, they remained best friends for the next half-century. Written by Don Knotts's brother-in-law, Andy and Don is "a rewarding dual biography that is also a lively look inside the entertainment industry in the latter half of the twentieth century" ( News & Observer ). Entertaining and provocative, it "captures a golden moment in modern Americana. You'll not only return again to Mayberry, you'll feel as though you've never left" (Tom Shales, Pulitzer Prize–winning television critic). A lively and revealing biography of Andy Griffith and Don Knotts, celebrating the powerful real-life friendship behind one of America's most iconic television programs. Andy Griffith and Don Knotts met on Broadway in the 1950s. When Andy went to Hollywood to film a TV pilot about a small-town sheriff, Don called to ask if the sheriff could use a deputy. The comedic synergy between Sheriff Andy Taylor and Deputy Barney Fife ignited The Andy Griffith Show, elevating a folksy sitcom into a timeless study of human friendship, as potent off the screen as on. Andy and Don -- fellow Southerners born into poverty and raised among scofflaws, bullies, and drunks -- captured the hearts of Americans across the country as they rocked lazily on the front porch, meditating about the simple pleasure of a bottle of pop. But behind this sleepy, small-town charm, de Vise's exclusive reporting reveals explosions of violent temper, bouts of crippling neurosis, and all-too-human struggles with the temptations of fame. Andy and Don chronicles unspoken rivalries, passionate affairs, unrequited loves, and friendships lost and regained. Although Andy and Don ended their Mayberry partnership in 1965, they remained best friends for the next half-century, with Andy visiting Don at his death bed. Written by Don Knotts's brother-in-law and featuring extensive unpublished interviews with those closest to both men, Andy and Don is the definitive literary work on the legacy of The Andy Griffith Show and a provocative and an entertaining read about two of America's most enduring stars. A lively and revealing biography of Andy Griffith and Don Knotts, celebrating the powerful real-life friendship behind one of America’s most iconic television programs. Andy Griffith and Don Knotts met on Broadway in the 1950s. When Andy went to Hollywood to film a TV pilot about a small-town sheriff, Don called to ask if the sheriff could use a deputy. The comedic synergy between Sheriff Andy Taylor and Deputy Barney Fife ignited The Andy Griffith Show, elevating a folksy sitcom into a timeless study of human friendship, as potent off the screen as on. Andy and Don—fellow Southerners born into poverty and raised among scofflaws, bullies, and drunks—captured the hearts of Americans across the country as they rocked lazily on the front porch, meditating about the simple pleasure of a bottle of pop. But behind this sleepy, small-town charm, de Visé’s exclusive reporting reveals explosions of violent temper, bouts of crippling... When Andy Griffith Went To Hollywood In 1960 To Film A Tv Pilot About A Small-town Sheriff, His Friend Don Knotts Called To Ask If His Sheriff Could Use A Deputy. Together, Sheriff Andy Taylor And Deputy Barney Fife Elevated The Andy Griffith Show From A Folksy Sitcom Into A Timeless Study Of Human Friendship. The Program Was Fiction, But The Friendship Was Powerful And Real.--book Jacket. Prologue: The Call -- Don's Demons -- Laugh, Lest Ye Cry -- The Bumpkins Take Broadway -- Nervous Men -- Andy Takes A Deputy -- A Hollywood Friendship -- A Slight Thread Of Insanity -- Men In A Hurry -- A Date For Gomer -- Andy And Barney, Phfftt -- The Color Years -- The Death Of Andy Taylor -- Second Chances, Second Wives -- The Gentleman Lawyer -- Death In Mayberry. Daniel De Visé. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 277-289), Selective Filmography (page 275) And Index.