Andy Griffith and Don Knotts would do bits from The Andy Griffith Show at parties to entertain the guests

Would you host Barney Fife and Andy Taylor at your next party?

CBS Television Distribution

Going to a party attended by Andy Griffith and Don Knotts already seems like a dream come true, but we'll do you one better. What if you could go to a party with Sheriff Taylor and Barney Fife?

That dream could have been a reality all those years ago, according to Everett Greenbaum, a former writer for The Andy Griffith Show.

Greenbaum is quoted in Inside Mayberry: The Andy Griffith Show Handbook (written by Dan Harrison and Bill Habeeb), recalling Knotts and Griffith's friendship that spanned years. Greenbaum revealed that Taylor and Knotts weren't the sort of men to leave their characters back on set; the two would perform scenes from The Andy Griffith Show as Sheriff Taylor and Barney Fife.

"They would do them at parties," Greenbaum said. "One of their favorites was the porch scene Jim [Fritzell] and I wrote for "Barney's First Car.' They would do the scene where Barney tells Andy he is buying his parents a septic tank. They loved that. They would do it word for word. 'They're really hard to buy for, and besides it was something they could use.' 'You're a good son, Barn.' And then Barney says, 'I try.' Nobody else ever gave Don a chance to relax like this with his acting."

Obviously, as much as viewers enjoyed being entertained by antics on The Andy Griffith Show, so too were Griffith and Knotts, who had become incredibly close, both as costars and as pals. It was a bond that no doubt cemented their friendship, and made them even better actors, on screen or at parties.

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3 Comments

DS62 3 months ago
Oh that would fun to have them do some scenes at my party! Of course! Love this duo😍
JHP 3 months ago
How could those guests stand BARN's yelling?
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