Working on The Andy Griffith Show taught Frances Bavier the value of small towns
Bavier wanted that Taylor family dream.

Everyone wants to live in a town like Mayberry for real, even the actors who worked in the fictional city for years. It's true, even the folks who worked on The Andy Griffith Show longed to go fishing with Sheriff Taylor or share a meal with Barney Fife.
Francis Bavier was close to making those dreams a reality. Of course, Bavier spent years playing the maternal Aunt Bee throughout the show's duration. According to an interview with The Flint Journal, Bavier loved the experience so much that she even sought out property in a small town to live in.
Bavier settled on a small town in North Carolina, the home state of Andy Griffith himself.

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Though Bavier decided against purchasing the property in the end, her high opinion of smaller towns remained unchanged throughout the years.
"I do believe in many ways it's a better life in a small town," said Bavier. "But I worry whether you always have to be politic and polite. I think it takes skill to live in a small town, and you have to tread very gently."
Bavier wasn't one to get swept up in the glitz and glamor that fame had to offer. Rather, she sought out a relatively quiet life, keeping a realistic grip on reality.
"Television means nobody has any awe of actors today," said Bavier. "Perhaps because we're appearing in people's homes."



