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The eBullet
An Online Newsletter of “The Andy Griffith Show” Rerun Watchers Club (TAGSRWC)
Volume 18, Issue 1
January 2018
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Welcome to our first issue for 2018!
WINTER CHILL–A frosty time for Mayberry and beyond!
This is generally the quiet time of year for Mayberry events, when many of us are hunkered down for the winter. Even so, there are a few things on the Mayberry calendar before springtime, and lots more throughout the year.
We’ll share lots of news about what has been happening around Mayberry since our November issue, but first, here’s a look at what’s ahead:
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Floyd’s Barbershop
Bulletin Board
&
Event Calendar
Setting the style for 2018!
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Here are some notice that folks have posted on Floyd’s bulletin board:
The Andy Griffith Museum, featuring the late Emmett Forrest’s amazing collection of Andy Griffith memorabilia, is celebrating 2017’s dazzling remodeling.
Photo by Hobart Jones.
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The museum is open daily in Mount Airy, N.C. For info, visit the website at www.andygriffithmuseum.org or call (336) 786-1604.
Photo by Hobart Jones.
* Jan. 19: Betty Lynn greets fans at the Andy Griffith Museum 12:30-3:30 p.m. She’ll have autographed 8 x 10 photos available ($10). For info, visit www.andygriffithmuseum.org or call (336) 786-1604.
Roland White
* Feb. 9: Roland White and his band perform at the Station Inn in Nashville, Tenn., at 9 p.m. Tickets at the door.
* Feb. 16: Betty Lynn is back at the Andy Griffith Museum 12:30-3:30 p.m. She will have autographed 8 x 10 photos available ($10). For info, visit the website: www.andygriffithmuseum.org or call (336) 786-1604.
* Mar. 1-3: 21st Annual George Lindsey UNA Film Festival in Florence, Ala. Details at www.lindseyfilmfest.com.
* Mar. 10: Karen Knotts performs at the Effingham Performance Center in Effingham, Ill., at 7:00 p.m. For info, visit www.the-epc.org.
* Mar. 16: Betty Lynn greets fans at the Andy Griffith Museum 12:30-3:30 p.m. She’ll have autographed 8 x 10 photos available ($10). Visit www.andygriffithmuseum.org or call (336) 786-1604.
* Mar. 17: Roland White and his band perform at the Station Inn in Nashville, Tenn., at 9 p.m. Tickets at the door.
* Apr. 15: Karen Knotts performs at the McPherson Opera House in McPherson, Kan., at 3:00 p.m. For more info, visit www.mcphersonoperahouse.ticketforce.com.
* Apr. 20: Betty Lynn greets fans at the Andy Griffith Museum 12:30-3:30 p.m. She will have autographed 8 x 10 photos available ($10). For info, visit the website at www.andygriffithmuseum.org or call (336) 786-1604.
* Apr. 27 : Roland White and his band perform at the Station Inn in Nashville, Tenn., at 9 p.m. Tickets at the door.
COME FISH COME–Tippi (Mrs. Denver) Pyle with a couple of contestants ready to hook some bass.
* May 5: 31st Annual Uncle Jesse Big Bass Classic (founded by Denver Pyle) in Paris, Tex. For info, visit: www.unclejessefishing.com.
* May 18: Betty Lynn greets fans at the Andy Griffith Museum 12:30-3:30 p.m. She will have autographed 8 x 10 photos available ($10). Info at www.andygriffithmuseum.org or call (336) 786-1604.
* May 18-20: Fifth Annual Mayberry in the Midwest festival (also featuring the Mayberry Squad Car Nationals) is in Danville, Ind. Special guest stars include Maggie Peterson Mancuso (Mayberry’s Charlene Darling), Ronnie Schell (two episodes of TAGS and Duke Slater on “Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.”), Dixie Griffith (daughter of Andy Griffith) and George Lindsey Jr. Lots of Mayberry tribute artists will be on hand as well. Look for updates here and either on the event’s website or at Mayberry in the Midwest on Facebook.
* May 19: Roland White and his band perform at the Station Inn in Nashville, Tenn., at 9 p.m. Tickets at the door.
* June 15: Betty Lynn greets fans at the Andy Griffith Museum 12:30-3:30 p.m. with autographed 8 x 10 photos available ($10). Visit www.andygriffithmuseum.org or call (336) 786-1604.
* June 15: Roland White and his band perform at the Station Inn in Nashville, Tenn., at 9 p.m. Tickets at the door.
Ensnare knowledge!
* June 16: Mayberry 101 author Neal Brower kicks off his summer lecture series about TAGS with a talk about the “Back to Nature” episode (including Golden Arms, Wild Pheasant Birds, and Lake Loons!), starting at 2 p.m., in the Andy Griffith Museum Theatre in Mount Airy, N.C. Admission is included with Andy Griffith Museum admission ($8 for adults, $6 for ages 12 and under). Visit www.andygriffithmuseum.org or call (336) 786-1604.
* July 12: Karen Knotts brings her “Tied Up in Knotts” show to the Muckenthaler Cultural Center in Fullerton, Calif. Show time is 7:30 p.m. For info, visit themuck.org/upcoming.
* July 20: Betty Lynn greets fans at the Andy Griffith Museum 12:30-3:30 p.m. She will have autographed 8 x 10 photos available ($10). For more info, visit the website at www.andygriffithmuseum.org or call (336) 786-1604.
* July 20-22: The 6th Annual Mayberry Meet-Up takes place in Mount Airy, N.C., sponsored by TAGSRWC’s “Two Chairs, No Waiting” podcast and hosted by Allan “Floyd” Newsome. Home base for the event is the Mayberry Motor Inn.
This year’s event is timed to coincide with both Betty Lynn’s meet-and-greet at the Andy Griffith Museum on July 20 and Neal Brower’s lecture at the Museum on July 21. For more info, visit the Mayberry Meet-Up Facebook page.
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FREE THINKING–Join the Mayberry tree of knowledge!
* July 21: Mayberry 101 author Neal Brower presents a lecture on the classic “Opie the Birdman” episode of TAGS, starting at 2 p.m., in the Andy Griffith Museum Theatre in Mount Airy, N.C. Admission is included with Andy Griffith Museum admission ($8 for adults, $6 for ages 12 and under). For more info, visit the website at www.andygriffithmuseum.org or call (336) 786-1604.
ARE YA OR AIN’T YA?–Gonna learn, that is. You’ll definitely get your nickel’s worth at this month’s lecture by Neal Brower!
* Aug. 11: Mayberry 101 author Neal Brower wraps up his trilogy of summer lectures with a session on the “Opie and the Bully” episode of TAGS, starting at 2 p.m., in the Andy Griffith Museum Theatre in Mount Airy, N.C. Admission is included with Andy Griffith Museum admission ($8 for adults, $6 for ages 12 and under). Visit the website at www.andygriffithmuseum.org or call (336) 786-1604.
SPECIAL DELIVERY–Betty Lynn creates a memorable moment for a delighted fan at meet-and-greet event at the Andy Griffith Museum. Photo by Hobart Jones.
* Aug. 17: Betty Lynn greets fans at the Andy Griffith Museum 12:30-3:30 p.m. She will have autographed 8 x 10 photos available ($10). For info, visit the website at www.andygriffithmuseum.org or call (336) 786-1604.
* Sept. 21: Betty Lynn greets fans at the Andy Griffith Museum 12:30-3:30 p.m. (Beat the rush to visit with her the next week at Mayberry Days!) She will have autographed 8 x 10 photos available ($10). For info, visit the website at www.andygriffithmuseum.org or call (336) 786-1604.
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Rodney Dillard
* Sept. 27-30: 29th Annual Mayberry Days in Mount Airy, N.C. Actually, a few festival events start as early as Monday the 24th. Stars from “The Andy Griffith Show” confirmed so far include Betty Lynn, Rodney Dillard, Ronnie Schell and LeRoy McNees. Karen Knotts will also present her show “A Deputy’s Daughter.” Much more TBA soon.
BUDDIES TO THE CORPS–Ronnie Schell and Jim Nabors in “Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.”
Tickets are already available for several performances and activities, including The Doug Dillard Tribute Concert featuring Rodney Dillard and his band, Ronnie Schell’s Salute to Jim Nabors and “Bluegrass Mayberry Style” by LeRoy McNees and Friends.
Also performing are the VW Boys with their “Salute to Mayberry,” the Motown Legacy Revue, Michael Hoover’s “Memories of Elvis,” the Mayberry Days debut of country star Collin Raye (four platinum albums and four #1 singles), the legendary Marty Stuart and the Fabulous Superlatives (another Mayberry Days debut), James Gregory (“the funniest man in America”) and the Malpass Brothers.
There’s still more: Colonel Tim’s Talent Time, Neal Brower’s Lecture/TAGSRWC Annual Meeting and the Mayberry Days Golf Tournament, plus its separate Banquet and Entertainment.
Or make it a whole week of fun in Mount Airy with shows earlier in the week, Sept. 24-26, including comedian John Floyd (Mon.) and beach music by both Band of Oz (Tues.) and The Embers featuring Craig Woolard (Wed.).
2017 Mayberry Days Parade. Photo by Hobart Jones.
And those are just the ticketed events. There’s much more that doesn’t require tickets, including the Mayberry Days Parade, Mrs. Wiley’s Tea Party, trivia, apple-peeling, checkers, horseshoes, pie-eating, pork chop sandwich-eating and Mayberry Idle Talent contests, music, and vendors, including barbecue from the Mayberry Days Barbecue Cook-Off.
And that’s not to mention meet-and-greet sessions with the Mayberry stars, the Andy Griffith Museum, Mayberry-related movies at the Earle Theatre, Mayberry Days Silent Auction and all of the everyday sights and attractions of Mount Airy.
In other words, it’s not at all too early to start making plans to attend. For complete info, visit www.mayberrydays.org.
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* Oct. 19: Betty Lynn greets fans at the Andy Griffith Museum 12:30-3:30 p.m. She will have autographed 8 x 10 photos available ($10). For info, visit the website at www.andygriffithmuseum.org or call (336) 786-1604.
* Nov. 5-10: Mayberry Cruise 13. Dixie Griffith (daughter of Andy) will be the guest for the cruise to the Western Caribbean from Tampa to Cozumel and back aboard Carnival’s Paradise. For more info, visit www.allaboutcruisesnc.net or call 1-800-832-7993.
* Nov. 16: Betty Lynn greets fans at the Andy Griffith Museum 12:30-3:30 p.m. She will have autographed 8 x 10 photos available ($10). For info, visit the website at www.andygriffithmuseum.org or call (336) 786-1604.
* Dec. 21: Betty Lynn greets fans at the Andy Griffith Museum 12:30-3:30 p.m. She will have autographed 8 x 10 photos available ($10). For info, visit the website at www.andygriffithmuseum.org or call (336) 786-1604.
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**** News of Cast & Crew ****
Everyone in the Mayberry community and far beyond has been saddened by the news of the death of Rance Howard at age 89 on November 25 and then the death of Jim Nabors at age 87 on November 30. Our deepest sympathies continue to go out to sons Ron and Clint and all of the Howard family and to Stan Cadwallader and all of Jim’s family.
Rance was a universally beloved person. His contributions to TAGS were both essential to its success and often subtle. Rance’s friendship to and kind encouragement and support of others, including many of us involved with TAGSRWC, were hallmarks of how he lived all aspects of his life.
We have created a special Remembrance of Rance Howard with a more in-depth discussion of his remarkable life and his special contributions to Mayberry.
Rance remained a busy actor who worked till his last days. Some of his most recent work was highlighted in our News of Cast & Crew installments last September and November.
A SWELL PARTY–Rance Howard and Jim Nabors between Don Knotts and Andy Griffith in a memorable scene from “The Rumor” in 1964.
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We’ve also published a Remembrance of Jim Nabors with coverage about Jim’s life and career. Like Rance, Jim was known as one of the nicest people in all of show business. In fact, a person would be hard-pressed to find two nicer people anywhere than both Rance and Jim.
Note: You can always find any of the past Special Editions of The eBullet by clicking on the Special Editions link below the The eBullet masthead. All issues are always on The eBullet webpage at www.imayberry.com.
As we continue to absorb the news of these two important losses for Mayberry, here now is this issue’s regularly scheduled News of Cast & Crew, which unfortunately also includes coverage of the deaths recently of two others with ties to Mayberry–director Peter Baldwin and actor Jerry Van Dyke.
Ron Howard has wrapped filming of Solo: A Star Wars Story, which will be released May 25. (There are some reports of that a few more re-shoots may be done, but filming is essentially done.)
Ron will also return as narrator for the hit Netflix comedy “Arrested Development,” for which new episodes will be released sometime this year.
On November 13, Ron attended the Founder’s Gala, a fundraiser for the Garry Marshall Theatre in Burbank, in honor of the late creator of “Happy Days” and other iconic TV shows and films.
A PAUSE FOR A CAUSE–Rance Howard’s “Broken Memories” costar Ivan Sergei is flanked by Bryce Dallas Howard and father Ron at the fundraiser premiere on November 14, sadly just a few days before Rance passed away.
And members of the Howard family were on hand at the Writers Guild Theater the following night, November 14, for the Los Angeles premiere of Broken Memories, a film about Alzheimer’s Disease that stars the late Rance Howard as Jasper.
Ron and daughter Bryce Dallas Howard were among the stars attending the fundraiser for Alzheimer’s care and research. The Howard family has a personal connection to Alzheimer’s as Rance’s second wife, Judy, died of Alzheimer’s in January 2017.
FILM FATALE–With Ron Howard by her side, Natalie Portman made a direct hit on Hollywood during their presentation of the award for Best Director at the Golden Globes.
Ron was also a presenter of the award for Best Director at the Golden Globe Awards early this month. He was wryly upstaged a little by co-presenter Natalie Portman as she pointed out that all of the nominated directors were men, before she and Ron then took turns announcing the nominees.
Betty Lynn was the unannounced (but not exactly surprise) special attendee for the debut of Dr. Elliot Engel’s lecture about Andy Griffith in Mount Airy on November 14. All reports are that the lecture was very well received. Engel is now presenting the lecture elsewhere. Meanwhile, Betty continues to greet fans and sign autographs during the afternoon of the third Friday of each month at the Andy Griffith Museum.
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DECK THE HALLS WITH DARLINGS!–Maggie Peterson Mancuso and Rodney Dillard brought music and laughs to Mt. Juliet, Tenn., and elsewhere with their “Mayberry Christmas” show, which also featured members of Rodney’s band and David “Mayberry Deputy” Browning.
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Rodney Dillard and wife Beverly are just back from several dates touring Florida. They’ll return to the touring trail in the spring.
Dean Webb (mandolin player of the original Dillards and Mayberry’s Darlings) has been under the weather the last few weeks. Upon Dean’s official retirement from performing this fall, his most recent bluegrass band, The Missouri Boatride, also disbanded.
When asked by a former bandmate how he was feeling the other day, Dean replied, “I feel like an old chicken with an egg busted in her!” (We think that means he was feeling better than if had eaten a ruined Hoot Owl Pie, but we can’t be 100% sure.) In any case, we hope Dean feels fit as a fiddle, if not a mandolin, very soon!
WRITE ON!–Jim Brooks, Simpsons-ized.
Oscar- and Emmy-winning writer James L. Brooks will receive the Writers Guild of America West’s prestigious Laurel Award for Screenwriting Achievement during a ceremony in Los Angeles on February 11.
Relatively early in his career, Jim wrote “The Mayberry Chef” (Episode 236) and “Emmett’s Brother-in-Law” (Episode 237) of TAGS, as well as the “Youth Takes Over” episode of “Mayberry R.F.D.” and also episodes for other shows in the Sheldon Leonard–Danny Thomas production family.
Jim’s career then really took off as a creator of shows such as “Room 222,” “Mary Tyler Moore,” “Rhoda,” “Lou Grant,” “Taxi” and “The Simpsons,” while receiving 19 Emmys along the way. He also has been nominated for eight Academy Awards–winning three for writing, directing and producing Terms of Endearment.
Congratulations to Jim Brooks for this latest in a long line of deserved accolades!
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A REST IN MAYBERRY–From his perch in back, Kent McCord watches Mr. Izamoto throw a student as Andy enters the classroom.
Kent McCord (best known as Officer Jim Reed on TV’s “Adam-12”) appeared in TAGS only once, as an extra in the background of Mr. Izamoto’s judo class in “Barney’s Uniform” (Episode 135). But that’s enough to be considered part of TAGS. And it was reason enough for Mayberry fans to attend Knoxville’s Fan Boy Expo in October in order to meet him.
HANDCUFFED-Fan Dennis Beal meeting Kent McCord at October’s Fanboy Expo.
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ALL IN THE FAMILIES–Mayberry family and other show biz friends gathered at the L.A. area home of TAGS cast member LeRoy McNees and wife Janice (both standing far left) on November 18. LeRoy’s fellow TAGS cast member Ronnie Schell is seated far right. They were joined by (continuing from left to right in back) Eric Norquist (son of Margaret Kerry, who was at a Disney event in Northern California this day), Stark Howell (son of Hoke Howell, aka Mayberry’s original Dud Wash), George Lindsey Jr., Greg Schell (son of Ronnie). Seated left to right next to Ronnie are friend Joycelyne Lew, Karen Knotts and friend Lana Ford.
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George Lindsey‘s alma mater, the University of North Alabama, reports that the George Lindsey Film and Digital Media Endowed Scholarship at the university is now fully endowed!
Thanks to donations from family, friends and fans of George, the fund met its $25,000 goal by the December 31 funding deadline.
The university appreciates all of contributors (including many members of TAGSRWC) whose donations have helped make this part of George’s legacy a reality!
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In Memorium
We’re sad to report that TAGS director Peter Baldwin died in Pebble Beach, Calif., on November 19. He was 86.
Peter directed seven episodes of TAGS (“Barney Fife, Realtor,” “Goober Takes a Car Apart,” “The Rehabilitation of Otis,” “Andy’s Rival,” “Suppose Andy Gets Sick,” “Howard and Millie” and “Mayberry R.F.D.”) and 13 episodes of “Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.” He also directed episodes of more than 500 episodes of more than 100 different TV series, including multiple episodes of most and 42 episodes of “Carter Country” alone.
Though he won first prize at the 1964 Venice Film Festival for the docudrama Some Sort of Cage (which he wrote, produced and directed), Peter specialized in comedies. He got his start directing Hollywood productions from Sheldon Leonard with two 1964 episodes of “The Dick Van Dyke Show.” He also frequently worked with TAGS producer Aaron Ruben on his shows and with various series connected to MTM and to producer Sherwood Schwartz.
Some of his directing credits include “The Partridge Family,” “Mary Tyler Moore” (including an Emmy nomination), “The Brady Bunch,” “Sanford and Son,” “The Bob Newhart Show,” “Happy Days,” “Chico and the Man,” “CPO Sharkey,” “The Love Boat,” “Too Close for Comfort,” “Family Ties,” “ALF,” “Full House,” “WKRP in Cincinnati,” “Newhart,” “Murphy Brown,” “Blossom,” “The Wonder Years” (two Emmy nominations, including a win for a 1988 episode) and”Sabrina, the Teenage Witch.”
Peter Baldwin during his time as an actor in the 1950s.
Peter DuBois Baldwin was born in Winnetka, Ill., on January 11, 1931. He graduated from New Trier High (a few years after Charlton Heston and Rock Hudson and just ahead of TAGS alum William Christopher), and went on to be an athlete at Stanford University, where he was spotted by a talent scout for Paramount Pictures. He pursued acting before and after a three-year stint in the U.S. Navy.
He performed with Julie Harris in a national tour of The Warm Peninsula in 1958. He then went to Italy where he starred in a handful of films, including 1960’s Escape by Night with director Roberto Rossellini. Back in the United States, Peter had parts in three productions performed in repertory at New York’s City Center in 1962.
Some of his film performances in the United States were as Sgt. Johnson in Billy Wilder’s Stalag 17 (1953), an uncredited role in Cecil B. DeMille’s The Ten Commandments (1956) and episodes of TV’s “The Untouchables” and “Ben Casey,” as well as a murderer on “Perry Mason.” Though working primarily as a director beginning in 1964, Peter continued to accept occasional acting roles until the early 1970s.
During his well-earned retirement years in the Monterey Bay area, Peter enjoyed boating and playing golf, and he was an avid supporter of Stanford University, as well as local arts, especially theater.
Peter is survived by his wife, Terry, son Drew Baldwin, daughters Amy Anderson and Eleonora Baldwin, five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
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Jerry Van Dyke, who played Jerry Miller in “Banjo-Playing Deputy” (Episode 159, the final black-and-white episode of TAGS, both filmed and broadcast), died of heart disease at his ranch in Hot Spring County, Ark., on January 5. He had recently been in hospice care and had been in declining health since a car accident in 2015. He was 86.
GUN-HO–Andy and Jerry inspect Mayberry’s arsenal in “Banjo-Playing Deputy.”
The historical record has conflicting versions of whether Jerry was ever actually offered a permanent role as Mayberry deputy to replace the departing Don Knotts’ Barney Fife. The “Banjo-Playing Deputy” episode has the feel of being a tryout for the role (as did “The Luck of Newton Monroe” with Don Rickles). But whether either of those roles was ever intended to be more than a single-shot episode is not definitively documented.
What is known is that Jerry was famous both for turning down roles that would become iconic (including passing on the role of Gilligan on “Gilligan’s Island”) and for accepting roles on shows that were critical and often ratings disasters, including “My Mother the Car,” a show that theoretically would’ve been the one he chose over TAGS.
Jerry McCord Van Dyke was born to parents Hazel and Loren (a traveling salesman) in Danville, Ill., on July 27, 1931. Like older brother Dick, Jerry got his start in show business by doing a comedy act at whatever kind of venue he could. Even his stint in the Air Force in the 1950s allowed him to hone his talents as an entertainer in the Special Services.
His first major work in TV was performing as himself on “The Ed Sullivan Show” in 1962. He was known as a reliable and versatile performer on variety shows of that era, including nine episodes as a regular on “The Judy Garland Show” in 1963 and 1964.
He got occasional work as an actor in fairly small roles in movies (The Courtship of Eddie’s Father with Glenn Ford and Ron Howard, McLintock! with John Wayne, and Palm Springs Weekend, all in 1963), but his first notable national exposure as an actor was as Rob Petrie’s brother Stacey in four episodes of “The Dick Van Dyke Show.”
With personal manager Richard O. “Dick” Linke (also manager for Andy Griffith, Jim Nabors, Ken Berry, Ronnie Schell, Maggie Peterson and others) helping him navigate his career, Jerry landed parts on a lot of projects connected either to Andy Griffith or to ones involving Sheldon Leonard or Danny Thomas.
LINKE’S LINKS ON THE LINKS–Jerry Van Dyke (standing far left) was part of the talented group managed by Dick Linke in this 1968 photo at Lakeside Country Club in Toluca Lake, Calif. Also pictured (clockwise from back middle) are Ken Berry, Jim Nabors, Andy Griffith, Dick Linke, Ronnie Schell and Maggie Peterson.
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BANJO JOY–Jerry and Jim Nabors teamed up in “Gomer and the Night Club Comic.”
Jerry was a guest star in “Gomer and the Night Club Comic,” a 1968 episode of “Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.” He also played comic Jerry Webster in the short-lived 1967 series “Accidental Family,” a Sheldon Leonard production with a team of writers, crew members and guest stars that reads like the credits from TAGS.
Jerry also had a pivotal role in Angel in My Pocket, the 1969 movie that inspired Andy Griffith to give TV another try.
HAVING A BALL?–Maybe not. Jerry and Andy have their game faces on in “Headmaster.” But maybe it was good practice for Jerry’s signature role as Luther Van Dam on ”Coach” a couple of decades later.
Andy’s return to TV was “Headmaster” in 1970, which also starred Jerry as a gym coach named Jerry. The series lasted only 13 episodes before being retooled as the equally doomed “The New Andy Griffith Show,” which did not include Jerry.
Jerry continued to get guest roles on TV shows throughout the 1970s and 1980s, but his bread and butter remained his nightclub work. He toured both as a popular solo act and also as part of shows with Andy Griffith, Don Knotts and others.
In 1989, Jerry finally said yes to the right offer. That’s when he landed the role of Luther Van Dam, the assistant coach on “Coach,” which ran for eight seasons and 199 episodes. He was nominated for numerous awards, including four Emmy nods for Outstanding Supporting Actor, for his portrayal of the beloved character.
After “Coach,” Jerry continued to land good roles in a full spectrum of TV comedies and light dramas, including recurring roles in “You Wish,” “Teen Angel,” “Yes, Dear” and “The Middle,” in which he played Tag Spence. His work on that hit series was curtailed following the 2015 car accident. He was also seen all over TV in commercials for Big Lots in the early 2000s.
Away from Hollywood when not acting, Jerry enjoyed rural life with second wife Shirley Ann Jones (they were married in 1977) on their ranch in Hot Spring County, Ark., where he also saw a dream come true to perform in a production of Neil Simon’s The Sunshine Boys.
Another Arkansas enterprise, in the 1990s, was Jerry’s development of some downtown property, including a theater and Jerry Van Dyke’s Soda Shoppe, which was run by daughter Jerri, in Benton, in the adjacent county east of the Van Dyke ranch. Further enshrining his ties to the state, Jerry was inducted into the Arkansas Entertainers Hall of Fame in 1998.
Though Jerry passed through Mayberry just one time, he made a memorable impression, and his many associations with Andy Griffith and others linked to Mayberry make him feel like part of the family.
Jerry Van Dyke is survived by wife Shirley, brother Dick, daughter Jerri and son Ronald (both from his first marriage from 1957 to 1974) and two grandchildren. Another daughter from his first marriage, Kelly Jean Van Dyke-Nance, died in 1991.
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**** Chapter Update ****
We now have 1,451 chapters founded since TAGSRWC started just over 38 years ago. We had four new chapters start in 2017, but none has started since our report in the last eBullet. What better time could there be for getting your new chapter going than a new year!
“WILL YOU HELP US?” –Yes, starting a chapter is fun and easy! (That said, please do note that the chapter name “Will You Help Us?” was snapped up about 35 years ago!)
Starting a chapter of TAGSRWC is actually really easy to do. Just pick a name that hasn’t already been selected by another group.
You can check the searchable list of chapter names already taken at www.tagsrwc.com. Then submit your chapter’s name with a list of your founding members by e-mail (to Goober@imayberry.com) or by U.S. Mail to TAGSRWC’s HQ (118 16th Avenue South, Suite 4, PMB 146, Nashville, TN 37203-3100).
Whether or not you start or join a local chapter, you can always join our online “Who’s Been Messin’ Up the Bulletin Board?” chapter or any of several chapters on Facebook.
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**** Merchandise Update ****
For Mayberry shopping big and small, our Weaver’s Department Store has something for everybody. Here are some highlights:
Mayberry Pennant
NEW! $10
This felt pennant features Mayberry colors of the ol’ Orange and Blue. White lettering is outlined by orange all on a blue background and topped off by a sewn-on orange edge strip. The pennant measures 24 x 9 inches. Perfect for showing your Mayberry pride at home or at work.
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Opie’s Slingshot
$10
Opie made a deal with Mr. Weaver to handmake each slingshot, so they’re all one of a kind. The dimensions, wood type and color will vary because Opie chooses only the best real forked tree branches to make his slingshots.
The height will fall between 7 in. to 10 in and the width between 3 in. to 6 in. Each handmade slingshot has the classic look and feel, is outfitted with a leather projectile pouch, and uses natural latex tubing.
Slingshots are not toys. Adult supervision is required. Ages 5 and up. Please read Opie’s Safety Guidelines on the Weaver’s website before purchasing.
NOTE: Opie will choose the style and color of your slingshot personally when you place your order. The images above are representative, but not the exact slingshot you will receive.
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2018 “Andy Griffith Show” Wall Calendar
$15.00
So, Santa didn’t bring your official 2018 “Andy Griffith Show” Wall Calendar to you for Christmas? Not to worry, Weaver’s still has a few left, so you can get one for yourself and still get a good 11 months of enjoyment out it.
The calendar measures 12 in. wide x 12 in. tall when closed and 12 in. wide x 24 in. tall when open.
Characters featured in this 2018 edition are Andy, Barney, Opie, Aunt Bee, Gomer and Goober.
The back side of the calendar shows the images for each month:
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Mayberry Sheriff Badge
$10.00
It’s time to step into Andy’s shoes by getting a Mayberry Sheriff Badge to go along with the Mayberry Deputy Badge.
This badge is a sturdy, but simplified, representation of Andy’s Mayberry Sheriff’s badge. In other words, it’s not an exact replica, but for the price, you can’t beat it.
The color is “nickel” and you’ll be able to pin it to the khaki shirt of your choice to have that official sheriff look.
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More New Stuff!
We now have more than 40 different T-shirt designs to choose from.
Aunt Bee’s Pickles…Trick or Treat?
Most of our adult-sized T-shirts are just $20. (A few designs are $18, and the Lawmen all-over design is $25.)
We also have caps, Goober beanies, deputy patches and both Mayberry Sheriff and Mayberry Deputy badges. Hint: All of these are great accessories for Halloween costumes!
And with sweatshirt season in full swing, don’t forget that several of our popular T-shirt designs are also available in sweatshirts and hoodies!
Mayberry Choppers Hoodie
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Limited Edition 1967 Squad Car
$9.00
GreenLight Collectibles has put our love of Mayberry into a 1:64th scale replica of the Mayberry squad car. This die-cast replica is the same size as the 1961 squad car released in 1998 by Johnny Lightning.
This is an officially licensed, limited-edition run, so don’t delay and miss the chance to add this 1967 Ford Custom Mayberry Squad Car to your collection.
And we also have a new bumper sticker and a sheriff’s emblem sticker.
Check out new items and old favorites (including lots of great books for wintertime reading!) online at Weaver’s Department Store. (Or just go to www.imayberry.com and click on one of the orange and blue Weaver’s buttons at the top of the page.)
And remember that your purchases from Weaver’s help support Mayberry events and Mayberry-related charitable causes all year long at locations all around the country. Those sales also help keep our online Mayberry newsletters and communities available to everybody free of charge. As always, thank you for shopping at Weaver’s!
**** Chapter News ****
Lots of chapters had activities during the holidays, which are often when some the biggest chapter gatherings of the year happen.
“Shakedown! Shakedown!” chapter (Laurinburg, N.C.) had a gift exchange and separate trivia contests for adults and kids (no doubt to give the adults a fair chance to win!).
NOTHING TRIVIAL HERE!–Keith Brown (aka Col. Harvey) of “Trivial Trivialities” chapter (Pawleys Island, S.C.) shows some of the food collected in the food drive spearheaded by the chapter. For their efforts, we give give them a 100–proof of a job well done!
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Barney chapter (Greensboro, N.C.) also got together in December for a party and Mayberry gag gift exchanges. After more than 25 years, it’s really getting tough to come with ideas, because no repeats are allowed.
Mayberry chapter (Knoxville, Tenn.) did a Christmas gift exchange for their monthly meeting in December. (See photo below .) The end-of-year issue of Mayberry Minutes, their chapter newsletter, was another whopping 16-pager filled with coverage of recent chapter activities and information about the full schedule planned for 2018.
MAYBERRY CHEER–Members of Mayberry chapter are all smiles with their chapter Christmas gifts.
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Several chapters traveled to Mt. Juliet, Tenn., for the tour stop of the “Mayberry Christmas Show” in Middle Tennessee. Among the chapters represented were Briscoe of Mayberry (Indianapolis, Ind.), “A Dollar and a Quarter” (Dover, Ohio), Andy chapter (Nashville, Tenn.), “I Ain’t No Rockefeller!” (Bristol, Va.) and long-distance-award winner “‘Course, I Don’t Fix ‘Em; I Just Put in the Gas” (Petrolia, Ont., Canada).
Two other chapters saying hey to HQ while visiting Nashville during the holidays were “I Was a Pawn in the Hands of a Wily Woman” (Plainview, Nebr.), whose contingent continued on to Mount Airy, N.C., for a Blue Ridge Mountains Christmas, and Mavis Neff (Durham, N.C.).
Members of Andy chapter also met up with “We the People” (Greensboro, N.C.) and Sarah chapter (Charlotte, N.C.) in December.
That’s Chapter News for this round. If you have news or photos of your chapter activities that you want to share in The eBullet, please send your updates to Goober@imayberry.com.
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**** Mayberry on the Web ****
The iMayberry Community
This TAGSRWC online group is organized and overseen by webmaster Allan “Floyd” Newsome with big help from Keith “Col. Harvey” Brown. You can check out the fun and sign up for free at: http://imayberrycommunity.com.
The iMayberry Community complements our other online activities, including our main www.imayberry.com page, podcasts, Facebook pages, online newsletters (such as The eBullet!), weaversdepartmentstore.com and chat rooms.
Two Chairs, No Waiting is our weekly podcast of TAGS news, interviews and pretty much whatever happens to be going on in and around Mayberry. It’s hosted by Allan Newsome. Most weeks also include a Mayberry History Lesson from special correspondent Randy Turner.
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 or view classic installments you’ve missed. (As of this week, there have been 461 episodes since Allan started the podcasts in late 2008.)
And you’ll also find links on that web page to a couple of other outstanding Mayberry-related podcasts: Burke on Mayberry (hosted by TAGSRWC’s Kevin Burke) and the Mayberry Bible Study Podcast (again hosted by Allan Newsome).
TAGSRWC’s official page on Facebook has 244,000 Mayberry friends! You can find us at www.facebook.com/tagsrwc. 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!
We also have links in our “Liked by this Page” section to the pages of several TAGSRWC chapters on Facebook (including the Gomer and Goober Pyle Comic Book Literary Guild), as well as to Facebook pages of Mayberry Days, the Andy Griffith Museum, TAGS actors and others.
Ben Weaver also has his own Facebook page at www.facebook.com/weaversdepartmentstore. It features all the latest in Mayberry items and merchandise news.
**** 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 placed in the Archives at the same time that it’s distributed to subscribers.
Between issues of The eBullet, keep up with all the happenings 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.
TAGSRWC publishes Weaver’s Newsletter in alternate months to The eBullet. Like The eBullet, the Weaver’s Newsletter is free. Its focus is tilted a little more to Mayberry merchandise and collectibles and quick newsflashes. It has some content overlap with The eBullet, sometimes earlier and sometimes later, depending on the timing of the news. To sign up, go to Weaver’s Newsletter Sign-Up.
The next eBullet will be published in March. Meanwhile, the next Weaver’s Newsletter is scheduled for February.
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WHAT’S UP, DOC?–Aneta Corsaut makes the second of two appearances on “Gunsmoke” during her time as Helen Crump in Mayberry. She’s seen here as Sister Ruth with Doc Adams (Milburn Stone) in the 1967 episode titled “Ladies from St. Louis.” Fortunately, Aneta didn’t make a habit of leaving Mayberry. (Andy would have nun of that!)
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