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The eBullet
An Online Newsletter of “The Andy Griffith Show” Rerun Watchers Club (TAGSRWC)
Volume 12, Issue 4
September 2012
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Welcome to our fourth regular issue of The eBullet for 2012!  There’s lots going on, most notably Mayberry Days in Mount Airy…next week!  Also, check out the 2013 “Andy Griffith Show” Wall Calendar and two new licensed T-shirts honoring Andy Griffith in the Merchandise Update section below.

**** News of Cast & Crew ****

NANCY © 2012 Gilchrist. Reprinted by permission of Universal Uclick for UFS.  All rights reserved. And thank you, Guy Gilchrist!

***

Jim Nabors has recovered well from heart surgery in Hawaii on May 29.  Unable to be at the Indy 500 in person to sing “Back Home Again in Indiana,” Jim made a recording that was played on the public address system before the race. Here’s a link to a May interview with Jim.

Jim also performed with the Hawaii Symphony Orchestra in a special July Fourth concert. (See photo.)

Ron Howard has completed filming in England for the Formula 1 racing movie Rush, his latest film as director.  Ron is fun to follow on Twitter (@RealRonHoward).  He tweeted a lot during the production of Rush. The film is currently set for release on Sept. 20, 2013.

Ron also is partnering with Canon USA for a second year in a photo contest.  The theme of this year’s contest is Long Live Imagination. Learn more about “Project Imaginat10n” at YouTube.com/Imagination.

The TV production arm of Ron’s Imagine Entertainment was involved in the summer reality show “The Great Escape” for TNT. And it’s  producing “How to Live with Your Parents for the Rest of Your Life” for ABC this fall, as well as another season of “Parenthood” for NBC. Ron also directed the filming of a documentary of Jay-Z’s Budweiser Made in America music festival in Philadelphia over Labor Day weekend.

Signs are strengthening again for Ron’s ambitious production of Stephen King’s The Dark Tower.  Russell Crowe’s name keeps popping up, and the script is said to be progressing well.

Meanwhile, Ron is executive producer and narrator and is also acting on camera (!) for the resurrection of “Arrested Development” for Netflix and eventually, possibly on the big screen.

Ron also is developing Conquest, a drama about the Spanish conquering the Aztecs for Showtime. He likely will direct that project.  And his Imagine Entertainment is developing a feature film on soccer great Pelé for release in 2014.  And you never know…Ron may have another trick or two up his sleeve.

Clint Howard has several acting projects in various stages of production.  Keep an eye out for his diabolical Amdro Ant Block commercial.  (If you don’t catch it on TV, it’s on YouTube.)

Rance Howard plays a train engineer in The Lone Ranger, which has wrapped filming and is scheduled for release the week of the Fourth of July 2013.  He’s in several other movies that are about to start production. And he was in an April “Grey’s Anatomy” episode.  He and Clint also recently filmed an episode of Showtime’s “Huff.” And be sure not to miss Rance’s special story, exclusive to The eBullet, in a feature we call “At a Glance With Rance” later in this issue.

Betty Lynn continues to greet fans monthly at the Andy Griffith Museum (including Sept. 21), and is eager to welcome thousands of fans back to Mount Airy for Mayberry Days later this month.

Maggie Peterson is doing several Mayberry events this year with TV brother Rodney Dillard, and she performs regularly at the world famous Bootlegger Bistro in Las Vegas with husband Gus Mancuso.

Dean Webb is featured in a nice profile by Bill Graham  in the Mandolin Café blog. And see Floyd’s calendar above for Dean’s remaining 2012 date performing bluegrass with Missouri Boatride.

James Best was in Romania in June filming Confections of a Discarded Woman, a movie written and produced by daughter Janeen and her husband, Michael Damian.  James has also been painting a lot and making some “Dukes of Hazzard” personal appearances.

And the big news is that Return of the Killer Shrews (starring James and produced by James and wife Dorothy) gnawed its way across the red carpet for its world premiere fundraiser in Bristol, Va., on July 27. Here’s the link to the Killer Shrews website…if you dare go there!

Amid work on her memoir, Margaret Kerry (two characters in two episodes) spoke about her Disney experiences at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in July. And she has appeared recently at some Disney and animation conventions.

Ronnie Schell performed at Harvey’s Improv Room in Lake Tahoe this summer, and he will be performing in Las Vegas in November.

Howard Morris‘ son, David, has his www.ErnestT.com website up and rockin’ again with some new stuff.

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We’re sad to report that we lost two Mayberry alums and character-actor legends on the same day, July 27.

Norman Alden, who played Tom Strongbow in “The Battle of Mayberry,” Episode 188, and Mt. Pilot bowling team leader Hank in “Howard the Bowler,” Episode 221, died in Los Angeles on July 27.

He performed in well over 2,000 television episodes, movies and commercials, usually as heavies, tough guys and no-nonsense officials. His roles ranged from years as the voice of the animated Aquaman in the 1970s to mechanic Lou in a long-running series of commercials for AC Delco.

Born Norman Adelberg on September 13, 1924, in Fort Worth, Tex., he studied theater at Texas Christian University and worked as a radio disc jockey after military service during World War II.  He moved to New York, where he won “Arthur Godfrey Talent Scouts,” and then headed to Hollywood. He got his start in film on “The Bob Cummings Show” in 1957. Among his hundreds of TV roles were appearances on “Rango,” “The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp,” “Hogan’s Heroes,” “Batman,” “My Three Sons,” “Gunsmoke,” “My Favorite Martian,” “The Big Valley,” “The Rockford Files,” “The Streets of San Francisco,” “Adam-12,” “Dynasty,” “The A-Team,”  “Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman,” “Charlie’s Angels” “Murder, She Wrote” “Hill Street Blues” and “JAG.”

In movies, he was the voice of Sir Kay in Disney’s The Sword in the Stone (1963), was “Horrible” Hank Hopkins Kansas City Bomber (1972) with Raquel Welch and performed in Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970), Semi-Tough (1977), Back to the Future (1985), Ed Wood (1994), Patch Adams (1998) and K-Pax (2001), among many others.  Perhaps his most notable role was starring as Andy Chadakis in Andy (1965).

Survivors include his children Brent and Ashley, his grandson Zooey and his longtime life partner, Linda Thieben.

A celebration of Norm Alden’s life is being held in Los Angeles this month and in Fort Worth in September. Donations in his name be made to TCU’s drama department, the department of cardiology at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles or the Frostig Center in Pasadena.

R.G. (Bob) Armstrong, who played Farmer Flint in “Ellie Saves a Female,” Episode 27, died July 27 in Los Angeles. He was 95.

Robert Golden Armstrong Jr. was born on April 7, 1917, in Birmingham, Ala. He graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he met Andy Griffith.  They performed together in the Carolina Playmakers campus theater group and also in the outdoor drama The Lost Colony.  Andy’s starring role in Egypt Land, a play Bob wrote as his Master’s thesis at UNC, was a crucial factor in Andy’s keen interest in acting.

Bob moved to New York to study with Lee Strasberg at the Actors Studio in the mid-1950s. He was quickly noticed by Elia Kazan and landed the role of Dr. Baugh in the original production of Tennessee Williams’s Cat on a Hot Tin Roof in 1955.  (It was Bob who recommended Andy Griffith to Kazan for role of Larry “Lonesome” Rhodes in A Face in the Crowd.) Other Broadway productions followed for Bob, including Orpheus Descending and The Miracle Worker.

Once Bob made the move to Hollywood, he became in great demand as an actor, particularly in Westerns and especially in films by writer-director Sam Peckinpah, including Ride the High Country (1962),  Major Dundee (1965) and Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid (1973).

Other film high points were with James Earl Jones in The Great White Hope (1970) and with Arnold Schwarzenegger in Predator (1987).  He was also a favorite actor of director Warren Beatty, who cast Bob in Heaven Can Wait (1978), Reds (1981) and as Pruneface in Dick Tracy (1990).

Bob’s work in television was even more extensive than his work on stage and in movies.  An especially fun TV appearance was a two-part episode of “Matlock” in 1989 called “The Hunting Party.” Bob played Sheriff Dalton Parks.  The episode was filmed on Roanoke Island, where he and Andy Griffith had worked together in The Lost Colony in the late ’40s.

R.G. Armstrong is survived by four daughters, a son and five grandchildren.

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  Douglas Dillard Legacy Fund
The Douglas Dillard Legacy Fund has been established by friends of Doug as a means to  provide financial support and also to perpetuate Doug’s music and memory. Contributions should be sent to:

Douglas Dillard Legacy Fund
PO Box 90537
Nashville TN 37209

 

 

 

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Charles Dowell
1928-2012

 

Our great friend and Snappy Lunch owner Charles Dowell passed away September 4 after a long illness. He was 84.

Humble, hard-working, friendly to everyone, Charles had folks lined up down the street as much for his welcoming grin as his world-famous pork chop sandwich. He genuinely loved people and had a passion for cooking and for running Snappy Lunch. He started working at Snappy Lunch in 1943, became part owner in 1951 and sole owner in 1960.

Most Mayberry fans first heard of Snappy Lunch when Andy talks to Barney about it in “Andy the Matchmaker,” which first aired in 1960 and is the only TAGS episode in which Snappy Lunch is mentioned. That mention might’ve been our reason to visit Snappy Lunch the first time, but it was the great food and service and friendly folks, starting with Charles, that have kept us coming back time after time over the years.

Our hearts go out to wife Mary, daughter Jamie, and all of Charles’ family and the Snappy staff.

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**** Chapter Update ****

What you do as a chapter is entirely up to you. Your group can do as much or as little as you like. The idea is simply to have lots of Mayberry fun with whatever you do.

Or if you’re feeling more like a joiner than a starter, you can write to us about how to contact a chapter near you. Our mailing address is TAGSRWC, 9 Music Square South, PMB 146, Nashville TN 37203-3211. Our e-mail address is Goober@iMayberry.com.

And you can join our online “Who’s Been Messin’ Up the Bulletin Board?” chapter. (It’s really quick and easy to do. Info is at tagsrwc.com.)

Any which way, we hope you can enjoy the fun of being part of a TAGSRWC chapter!

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****At a Glance With Rance ****

When Rance Howard (Ron and Clint’s dad) shared comments for our Remembering Andy Griffith special edition of The eBullet in July, he also had a story that has a great nugget of Mayberry trivia.  It didn’t really fit for our tribute issue for Andy, but, as promised, here’s Rance’s special story.

“I have one little thing I’ve been saving to reveal. It’s how Andy Taylor got his name Taylor. When we were doing the ‘Danny Thomas’ pilot for the show, his last name was originally Hopper.” In the story, when Andy gives Danny a ticket for running a stop sign (that the town hadn’t yet been able to afford to put up), the Hopper name was a setup for a joke. Rance continues, “Danny asked Andy, ‘What’s your name?’ Andy replies, ‘Andy, Andy Hopper.’ Danny then says, ‘Well, I’m gonna hop all over you, boy!’ And that was kind of a joke.

 “During rehearsal, Sheldon Leonard, who was directing the episode, asked Andy what he thought of the name. Andy said, ‘Well, it don’t just tear me up.’ Sheldon asked him, ‘Would you like to try some other name?’ Andy allowed as how he would. So the producers and writers got together, and finally somebody came up with Andy Taylor, and Andy said, ‘Yeah, Andy Taylor. I like that.’ So that’s how Andy Taylor came to be.

“They sacrificed that joke to give Andy a name that would become synonymous with Mayberry and not make a joke out of the sheriff. That helped set the tone for the series.”

Editor’s Note: Our thanks Rance for sharing this fascinating behind-scenes-moment with us and for posterity!

**** Mayberry on the Web ****

New iMayberry Community
We’re really excited about the launch earlier this year of another Web activity hosted by TAGSRWC and organized and overseen by webmaster Allan “Floyd” Newsome.  It’s called iMayberry Community.  You can check it out and sign up for free at: http://imayberrycommunity.com/.

The iMayberry Community has been getting a great response.  It complements our other online activities, including our main www.imayberry.com page, podcasts, Facebook page, online newsletters (such as The eBullet!), weaversdepartmentstore.com and chat rooms.  Combined with TAGSRWC chapters and the various Mayberry events for all fans (from Mayberry Days to ocean cruises), not to mention enjoying the sites of Mount Airy year-round, the world of Mayberry fun keeps expanding.

And best of all, it’s all rooted in watching the show itself.  Whether through DVDs, local stations or TV Land, loving to watch the show continues to be the energy that feeds all the other Mayberry fun and activities that we enjoy.  What a wonderful thing Andy Griffith and his talented team of actors, musicians, writers and crew people created 52 years ago–for us and generations to come!

Two Chairs, No Waiting is our weekly podcast of TAGS has news, interviews and pretty much whatever happens to be going on in and around Mayberry. It’s hosted by Allan Newsome. There’s a new episode every Tuesday (and you can watch and listen live during tapings on Monday evenings). Past episodes are in an online Archives in case you want to listen to episodes you’ve missed. (There have been over 200 episodes since 2008!)

There’s a lot of info and discussions that you simply won’t find anywhere else, including rare interviews (vintage and new) with cast and crew members of TAGS. If you’ve got sound on your computer or have an iPod or similar device, you can easily tune in live or download these podcasts.

Also, check out the podcast area of our www.imayberry.com site for info about a Mayberry Bible Study Podcast, also hosted by Allan.

And there’s a Brother Figure podcast to Two Chairs, No Waiting. It’s hosted by longtime TAGSRWC member Kevin Burke, who does a super job of describing and discussing individual episodes. It’s called Burke on Mayberry. Check it out.

 

TAGSRWC’s official page on Facebook now has more than 33,000 friends! You can find us at www.facebook.com/tagsrwc. There’s a variety of comments about Mayberry, and a lively stream of fans’ favorite TAGS lines. And our Facebook page is also one of the first places we post announcements and breaking news about TAGS. If you haven’t already dropped by the page, we hope you’ll check it out sometime when you have the chance. We invite you to become a TAGSRWC Facebook Friend!

**** Chapter News ****

Many chapters are gearing up for what promises to be a most sentimental Mayberry Days.  We’ll report on all the action in our November issue.  For this issue’s sole Chapter News story, we want to put the spotlight on our friend, Dale Robinson, who passed away on August 1 at age 54.

 

He and his cousin, the late David Fernandes, wrote their two highly regarded books about Mayberry. And they were co-founders of “What Are We Gonna Do, Andy?” chapter in Jacksonville, Ill. Beyond Dale’s writing, it was the friendships that Mayberry allowed us to have with him that are most special. He was the friendliest person imaginable–truly “kind behind the eyes.”

 

Editor’s Note: We encourage any readers with chapter or event news and photos that they want to share with eBullet readers to e-mail reports and photos to Goober@iMayberry.com.

**** Merchandise Update ****

We have three brand new items in this issue!  Browse the full selection of books, apparel (get that cool new T-shirt to finish off summer and get ready for fall!), DVDs, artwork, collectibles and much more online at  Weaver’s (www.weaversdepartmentstore.com). There are lots of great vintage and rare things, too.

We appreciate your shopping at Weaver’s, especially because Weaver’s sales are the thing that helps TAGSRWC be able to support Mayberry Days and other Mayberry-connected events and charitable efforts throughout the year.

New at Weaver’s:

2013 Andy Griffith Show Wall Calendar

$15.00

Back by popular demand!  After an absence since 2010, the official “Andy Griffith Show” Wall Calendar is back for 2013.  Hooray!

We can’t tell you how many people asked about calendars the last two years, only to be disappointed that there wasn’t one.  So, we we’re thrilled that one is once again available for 2013. The calendar features black-and-white photos of Andy, Barney, Opie, Aunt Bee, Gomer, and Goober.  It measures 12 x 22 when opened for hanging.

It’s a great way to celebrate Mayberry every month and every day in 2013.

Two New T-Shirts

Here are two T-shirts paying tribute to Andy Griffith that have been officially approved and licensed by CBS.  They’re available in adult sizes Small to 3X.

Andy Griffith
In Loving Memory T-Shirt

               Thanks for the Memories T-Shirt    

This Summer’s Most Popular Item:

What Would Andy Do? T-Shirt

$18.00

This design on a preshrunk 100% cotton T-shirt in Carolina Blue or Navy poses the question whose answer will always get our attention.  (Of course, we all already know the answer…”the right thing.”)

Sort of like a rebus puzzle or the old “Concentration” TV game show, this shirt might give passersby a slight pause before they break into a knowing grin and nods of agreement.

This is a shirt that makes a statement without every saying (or even spelling!) a word. It seems that its message is hitting home with folks now more than ever.

And here’s a favorite for the Election season that all parties can enjoy. (“How I vote, mister, is my business.”)

Re-Elect Deputy Barney Fife T-Shirt

Big Sale Item (really big…big-big):

The Incredible Mr. Don Knotts
ON SALE THROUGH OCT. 3!

$27.00 $15.00

This over-sized 320-page hardcover book (coffee-table style) is compiled by Steve Cox and Kevin Marhanka.  The thoroughly researched book has lots of interviews with people who worked with Don Knotts and has more than 200 photos, including a 16-page section of color photos.

It’s a great gift for any Barney Fife and Don Knotts fan to give or receive.  And best of all (and just for a little while), in celebration of the 88th Anniversary of Don’s birthday of July 21, 1924, we’ve got it brand new for $15.  That’s $12.00 off the cover price and a discount of more than 44%, which “cautious” Barney Fife would surely love!

We had planned to run this sale for just a few days around Don’s birthday in July, and we had hoped for eBullet and Weaver’s Newsletter subscribers to be the first to hear about it, but with the delays in our normal newsletter publication schedule because of special editions of our newsletters, that didn’t happen.  So, we’ve extended the sale period to make sure all Weaver’s regulars get a chance at this super deal.  It’ll be back up to our everyday discounted price of $22 soon, so if you’ve been on the fence about getting this book, now’s an outstanding time to hop off that fence!

Special Rare Item:

Goober in a Nutshell

by George Lindsey
Foreword by Ernest Borgnine

This 1995 autobiography by George Lindsey has been out of print for a few years, but George’s family has graciously provided us with a few copies, which George had kept safe all these years, to use as fundraisers for some charitable causes that meant a lot to George.

The copies we have are still pristine, carefully preserved by George since publication. The 210-page paperback covers highlights of George’s fascinating life from childhood in rural Alabama to New York and Hollywood to Mayberry and Kornfield Kounty. It’s filled with wonderful photos and many adventures, both hilarious and poignant.

All proceeds from the sale of this book will go toward TAGSRWC’s support of the George Lindsey UNA Film Festival in Florence, Ala.

Choice of either plain ($25) or a special copy autographed  by George ($100).

 

Or say you just want to sit back watch TAGS episodes.  Two great choices are the Complete Series DVD Set (if you’re really serious about having a collection of all the episodes and more) for $101 off the original list price, and the 50th Anniversary DVD Set with 17 favorite episodes, the “Danny Thomas” pilot and Return to Mayberry movie for just $22!

Find these and much more at www.weaversdepartmentstore.com, or just click on the Weaver’s button at the top of the page whenever you’re visiting www.imayberry.com.

 **** Post Note ****

If you ever miss receiving an issue of The eBullet, you can always catch up by reading it in the eBullet Archives in the Newsletters section at iMayberry.com. Each issue is usually placed in the Archives within about a week or so of its being distributed to subscribers.

Between issues of The eBullet, keep up with the goings-on in Mayberry with the daily Who’s Been Messin’ Up the Bulletin Board? (aka WBMUTBB) Digest. It’s a free subscriber list that consists entirely of comments, newsflashes, and questions and answers from subscribers. You can sign up for that list by going to the Mailing Lists link at tagsrwc.com. WBMUTBB also has its own Archives where you can follow the ongoing stream of messages.

And TAGSRWC publishes Weaver’s Newsletter in more-or-less alternate months to The eBullet. Like The eBullet, the Weaver’s Newsletter is free. Its focus is mainly on new Mayberry merchandise and collectibles and quick newsflashes. To sign up, go to: Weaver’s Newsletter Sign-Up.

TAGSRWC’s other main vehicle for Mayberry information is simply our website at www.tagsrwc.com (and its sister site www.iMayberry.com). Both sites have extensive content and links for just about everything a Mayberry fan might be looking for.

The next issue of The eBullet is scheduled for November, and the next Weaver’s Newsletter is planned for October.  Till then, happy Mayberry watching!

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