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Don Knotts

American actor and comedian (–)

Don Knotts
Knotts in
Born	Jesse Donald Knotts ()July 21, ^[1]^:&#;5&#; Morgantown, West Virginia, U.S.
Died	February 24, () (aged&#;81) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Resting place	Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Alma&#;mater	West Virginia University
Occupation(s)	Actor, comedian
Years&#;active	–
Spouses	Kathryn Metz &#; &#; (m.&#;; div.&#;)&#; Loralee Czuchna &#; &#; (m.&#;; div.&#;)&#; Frances Yarborough &#; (m.&#;)&#;
Children	2, including Karen Knotts

Jesse Donald Knotts (July 21, &#;&#; February 24, ) was an American actor and comedian.

He is widely known for his role as Deputy Sheriff Barney Fife on the s sitcom The Andy Griffith Show, for which he earned five Emmy Awards.^[1]^:&#;18&#; He also played Ralph Furley on the sitcom Three's Company from to He starred in multiple comedic films, including leading roles in The Incredible Mr.

Limpet () and The Ghost and Mr. Chicken (). In , TV Guide ranked him number 27 on its "50 Greatest TV Stars of All Time" list.^[2]

Knotts was born in West Virginia, the youngest of four children. In the s, before earning a college degree, he served in the United States Army and in World War II.

While enlisted, he chose to become a ventriloquist and comedian as part of a G.I. variety show, Stars and Gripes.

After the army, he got his first major break on television on the soap operaSearch for Tomorrow, where he appeared from to He gained wide recognition as part of the repertory company on Steve Allen's variety show, where he played the "extremely nervous man" in Allen's mock "Man in the Street" interviews.

In , Knotts made his film debut in the adapted version of No Time for Sergeants.

Knotts was cast as deputy Barney Fife on television's The Andy Griffith Show, which ran from to He reprised the character on other shows, such as The Joey Bishop Show and Return to Mayberry. Knotts won five Emmy Awards for Best Supporting Actor in a Television Comedy.

Early life

Knotts was born in Morgantown, West Virginia, the youngest of four sons of farmer William Jesse Knotts and his wife Elsie Luzetta Knotts (née Moore), who were married in Spraggs, Pennsylvania. His English paternal ancestors emigrated to America in the 17th century, originally settling in Queen Anne's County, Maryland.

His brothers were named Willis, William and Ralph (who was called "Sid").^[3]

Knotts's mother was 40 years old at his birth. His father, who had schizophrenia and battled alcoholism, sometimes terrorized him with a knife, causing him to turn inwards at an early age. His father died of pneumonia when Knotts was He and his brothers were subsequently raised by their mother, who ran a boarding house in Morgantown.

She died in at age Her son William preceded her in death in at age They are buried in the family plot at Beverly Hills Memorial Park in Morgantown.^[3]

Knotts graduated from Morgantown High School. After enlisting in the United States Army and serving in World War II,^[4] he earned a bachelor's degree in education with a minor in speech from West Virginia University in Morgantown, graduating in ^[5] He was a member of Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity at WVU.^[6]

Career

Early career

Before he entered high school, Knotts began performing as a ventriloquist and comedian at various church and school functions.^[1]^:&#;5&#; After high school, he traveled to New York City to try to make his way as a comedian, but when his career failed to take off, he returned home to attend West Virginia University.

After his freshman year, he joined the U.S. Army and spent most of his service entertaining troops.^[4] He toured the western Pacific Islands as a comedian, in a G.I. variety show called Stars and Gripes.^[7] His ventriloquist act included a dummy named Danny that Knotts grew to hate and eventually threw overboard, according to friend and castmate Al Checco.^[1]^:&#;7&#;

Knotts served in the army from June 21, , to January 6, , in the Army's th Special Services Battalion.^[8] He was discharged at the rank of Technician Grade 5, equivalent at the time to corporal.^[8] During his service, he was awarded the World War II Victory Medal, the Philippine Liberation Medal, the Asiatic–Pacific Campaign Medal (with four bronze service stars), the American Campaign Medal, the Army Good Conduct Medal, the Army Marksman Badge (with an M1 Carbine) and the Honorable Service Lapel Pin.^[1]^:&#;18&#;^[8]

After being demobilized, Knotts returned to West Virginia University and graduated in He married Kay Metz and moved back to New York, where connections that he had made in the Special Services Branch helped him to break into show business.

In addition to doing stand-up comedy at clubs, he appeared on radio, eventually playing the wisecracking, know-it-all character "Windy Wales" on a radio Western called Bobby Benson and the B-Bar-B Riders.^[9]

Knotts got his first break on television on the soap opera Search for Tomorrow, where he appeared from to He came to fame in on Steve Allen's variety show as part of Allen's repertory company, most notably in Allen's mock "Man in the Street" interviews, always playing an extremely nervous man.

He remained with Allen through the – season.

From October 20, , through September 14, , he appeared with Andy Griffith in the Broadway stage version of No Time for Sergeants, in which he played two roles, listed in the Playbill as a Corporal Manual Dexterity and a Preacher.^[10] In , he made his movie debut with Griffith in the film version of No Time for Sergeants, in which he reprised his Broadway role, playing a high-strung Air Force test administrator whose routine is disrupted by the hijinks of a provincial new recruit.^[11]

The Andy Griffith Show

In , Andy Griffith was offered the opportunity to headline his own sitcom, The Andy Griffith Show (–).

Knotts took the role of Barney Fife, the deputy—and originally cousin—of Sheriff Andy Taylor (portrayed by Griffith). Knotts's portrayal of the deputy on the popular show earned for him five Emmy Awards for Best Supporting Actor in a Television Comedy.^[12]

A summary of the show from the website of the Museum of Broadcast Communications describes Deputy Barney Fife:

Self-important, romantic, and nearly always wrong, Barney dreamed of the day he could use the one bullet Andy had issued to him, though he did fire his gun on a few occasions.

He always fired his pistol accidentally while still in his holster or in the ceiling of the courthouse, at which point he would sadly hand his pistol to Andy. This is why Barney kept one very shiny bullet in his shirt pocket. In episode #, Andy gave Barney more bullets so that he would have a loaded gun to go after a bad guy that Barney unintentionally helped escape.
Frances bavier
The andy griffith show don knotts biography death
Don knotts
While Barney was forever frustrated that Mayberry was too small for the delusional ideas he had of himself, viewers got the sense that he couldn't have survived anywhere else. Don Knotts played the comic and pathetic sides of the character with equal aplomb and he received three Emmy Awards during the show's first five seasons.^[13]

When the show first aired, Griffith was intended to be the comedic lead with Knotts as his straight man, similar to their roles in No Time for Sergeants.

However, it was quickly discovered that the show was funnier with the roles reversed. As Griffith maintained in several interviews, "By the second episode, I knew that Don should be funny, and I should play straight."^[14]

Knotts believed remarks by Griffith that The Andy Griffith Show would end after five seasons, and he began to look for other work, signing a five-film contract with Universal Studios.

In his autobiography, Knotts admitted that he had not yet signed the contract when Griffith announced his decision to continue the series; but he had made up his mind to move on, believing that he would not get the chance again. Knotts left the series in His character's absence on the show was explained by Deputy Fife having finally made the "big time", joining the Raleigh, North Carolina, police force.^[15]

Post-Mayberry film career

Knotts went on to star in a series of film comedies that drew on his high-strung persona from the television series.

He had a cameo appearance in United Artists' It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (), and starred in Warner Bros.' The Incredible Mr. Limpet (). Knotts began his Universal five-film contract with The Ghost and Mr. Chicken (), followed by The Reluctant Astronaut (), The Shakiest Gun in the West (), The Love God? () and How to Frame a Figg ().^[1]^:&#;11&#;

Knotts reprised his role as Barney Fife several times in the s.

He made five guest appearances on The Andy Griffith Show (earning another two Emmy Awards), and he appeared once on the spin-off Mayberry R.F.D., in which he was present as best man for the marriage of Andy Taylor and his longtime love, Helen Crump.^[16] He continued to work steadily, although he did not appear as a regular on any successful television series until , when he took the part of landlord Ralph Furley on Three's Company.^[17]

In the late s and early s, Knotts served as the spokesman for Dodge trucks and was featured prominently in a series of print ads and dealer brochures.

On television, he hosted a variety show/sitcom hybrid on NBC, The Don Knotts Show, which aired on Tuesdays during autumn , but the series was low-rated and short-lived, and Knotts was uncomfortable with the variety show format.^[1]^:&#;12&#; He also made frequent guest appearances on other shows, such as The Bill Cosby Show and Here's Lucy.

In , he appeared as a Barney Fife-like police officer in the pilot of The New Andy Griffith Show. In , Knotts voiced an animated version of himself in two episodes of The New Scooby Doo Movies: "The Spooky Fog of Juneberry", in which he played a lawman resembling Barney Fife, and "Guess Who's Knott Coming to Dinner".

He appeared as Felix Unger in a stage version of Neil Simon's The Odd Couple, with Art Carney as Oscar Madison, and toured in the Neil Simon comedy Last of the Red Hot Lovers.^[1]^:&#;13&#;

Beginning in , Knotts was teamed with Tim Conway in a series of slapstick films aimed at children, including the Disney film The Apple Dumpling Gang () and its sequel, The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again ().

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They also did two independent films, the boxing comedy The Prize Fighter () and the mystery-comedy The Private Eyes (). Knotts co-starred in several other Disney films, including Gus (), No Deposit, No Return (), Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo (), and Hot Lead and Cold Feet ().

Three's Company

In , Knotts returned to series television as the wacky but lovable landlord Ralph Furley on Three's Company.^[1]^:&#;13&#; The series, which was already an established hit, added Knotts to the cast when the original landlords, Stanley and Helen Roper (a married couple played by Norman Fell and Audra Lindley, respectively), left to star in their own short-lived spin-off series The Ropers.

On the set, Knotts easily integrated himself into the already established cast, who were, as John Ritter put it, "so scared" of Knotts because of his star status. When Suzanne Somers left the show after a contract dispute in , the writers started giving the material meant for Somers's Chrissy to Knotts's Furley.^{[citation needed]} Knotts remained on the series until it ended in The Three's Company script supervisor Carol Summers became Knotts's agent and often accompanied him to personal appearances.^{[citation needed]}

Later years

In , Knotts reunited with Andy Griffith in the made-for-television film Return to Mayberry, reprising his Barney Fife role.^[1]^:&#;&#; In early , he joined the cast of the first-run syndicated comedy What a Country!, as Principal Bud McPherson, for its remaining 13 episodes.

It was produced by Martin Rips and Joseph Staretski, who had previously worked on Three's Company.^{[citation needed]} From until , Knotts joined Andy Griffith on Matlock in the recurring role of pesky neighbor Les Calhoun.^[1]^:&#;&#;

His roles became more sporadic, including a cameo appearance in the film Big Bully () as the high school principal.

In , he had a small but pivotal role as a mysterious TV repairman in Pleasantville.^[1]^:&#;15&#; That year, his hometown of Morgantown, West Virginia, changed the name of the street formerly known as South University Avenue (U.S. Route ) to Don Knotts Boulevard on "Don Knotts Day".^[1]^:&#;&#; Also on that day, in honor of Knotts's role as Barney Fife, he was named an honorary deputy sheriff with the Monongalia County Sheriff's Department.

Knotts was recognized in with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.^[1]^:&#;15&#; He continued to act on stage, but much of his film and television work after was as voice talent. In , he appeared again with Scooby-Doo in the video game Scooby-Doo! Night of Frights.

He also spoofed his appearances on that show in various promotions for Cartoon Network, and in a parody on Robot Chicken, on which he was teamed with Phyllis Diller. In , he teamed up again with Tim Conway to provide voices for the direct-to-video children's series Hermie and Friends, which continued until his death. In , he was the voice of Mayor Turkey Lurkey in Chicken Little (), his first Disney movie since

On September 12, , he was in Kansas City, in a stage version of On Golden Pond, when he received a call from John Ritter's family telling him that his former Three's Company co-star had died that day of an aortic dissection.^{[citation needed]} He and his co-stars attended the funeral four days later.

Knotts had appeared with Ritter for the last time in in a cameo on 8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter, in an episode that paid homage to their previous television series. Knotts was the last Three's Company star to work with Ritter.^{[citation needed]}

During this period of time, macular degeneration in both eyes caused the otherwise robust Knotts to become virtually blind.^{[citation needed]} His live appearances on television were few.

In , he parodied his Ralph Furley character while playing a Paul Young variation in a Desperate Housewives sketch on The 3rd Annual TV Land Awards. He parodied that part one final time in "Stone Cold Crazy", an episode of the sitcom That '70s Show, in which he played the landlord. It was his last live-action television appearance.^{[citation needed]} His final role was in Air Buddies (), a direct-to-video sequel to Air Bud, voicing the sheriff's deputy dog Sniffer.^{[citation needed]}

Personal life

Knotts's friend Al Checco said, "Don was somewhat of a ladies' man.

He fancied himself something of a Frank Sinatra. The ladies loved him and he dated quite a bit."^[1]^:&#;11&#; Knotts was married three times. His marriage to Kathryn Metz lasted from until their divorce in They had a son, Thomas Knotts, and a daughter, actress Karen Knotts (born April 2, ).

After they divorced, Knotts raised his daughter as a single parent.^[1]^:&#;&#; He married Loralee Czuchna in ; they divorced in His third marriage was to Frances Yarborough, from until his death in ^{[citation needed]}

Knotts struggled with hypochondria and macular degeneration.^[7]^[18]Betty Lynn, one of his co-stars on The Andy Griffith Show, described him as a "very quiet man.

Very sweet. Nothing like Barney Fife."^[19] TV writer Mark Evanier called him "the most beloved person in all of show business".^[20]

Death

Knotts died at age 81 on February 24, , at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles from pulmonary and respiratory complications of pneumonia related to lung cancer.^[21] He underwent treatment at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in the months before his death but returned home after reportedly feeling better.

He was buried at Westwood Memorial Park in Los Angeles.

Knotts's obituaries cited him as a major influence on other entertainers. In early , his grave's plain granite headstone was replaced with a bronze plaque depicting several of his movie and television roles. A statue honoring him, created by Jamie Lester, was unveiled on July 23, , in front of The Metropolitan Theatre on High Street in his hometown of Morgantown, West Virginia.^[22]^[23]

Filmography

The following are Don Knotts's acting credits.^[24]

Film

Television

Video games

Bibliography

• ISBN Barney Fife and Other Characters I Have Known^[25]

Awards

The following are accolades and honors that Don Knotts received throughout his career.

References

^ ^a^b^c^d^e^f^g^hⁱ^j^k^l^mⁿ^o^pCox, Stephen; Marhanka, Kevin ().

The Incredible Mr. Don Knotts. Cumberland House. ISBN&#;.
^TV Guide Guide to TV. Barnes and Noble. p.&#; ISBN&#;.
^ ^a^bde Visé, Daniel (). Andy and Don: The Making of a Friendship and a Classic American TV Show. New York: Simon & Schuster.

pp.&#;3–7. ISBN&#;.
^ ^a^b"Don Knotts—Marine Drill Instructor?". September 24, Retrieved August 30,
^"Academy of Distinguished Alumni". West Virginia University. Archived from the original on February 22, Retrieved February 12,
^"Phi Sigma Kappa Fraternity".

University of Tennessee Knoxville. Retrieved April 16,
^ ^a^b"Biography of Don Knotts". . Retrieved February 8,
^ ^a^b^cT/5 Don Knotts - Military Timeline Retrieved August 11,
^"Don Knotts Obituary".

. February 25, Retrieved February 8,
^"No Time for Sergeants: Opening Night Cast".
The andy griffith show don knotts biography wives and children
He also played Ralph Furley in the s sitcom "Three's Company. His father's ancestors emigrated from England to America in the 17th century, initially settling in Queen Anne's County, Maryland. Knotts' father was a farmer but lost his land due to a nervous disorder. He suffered from schizophrenia and became an alcoholic, passing away when Don was 13 years old. Don and his two brothers were raised solely by their mother.
Playbill. January Retrieved July 22,
^"No Time For Sergeants () -- (Movie Clip) Manual Dexterity". . Retrieved April 16,
^Monush, Barry ().
Frances bavier: Jesse Donald Knotts (July 21, – February 24, ) was an American actor and comedian. He is widely known for his role as Deputy Sheriff Barney Fife on the s sitcom The Andy Griffith Show, for which he earned five Emmy Awards. [1]: 18 He also played Ralph Furley on the sitcom Three's Company from to
Screen World Presents the Encyclopedia of Hollywood Film Actors: From the Silent Era to . Vol.&#;1. Hal Leonard Corporation. p.&#; ISBN&#;.
^"Don Knotts."Archived May 22, , at the Wayback Machine Museum of Broadcast Communications
^Beck, Ken; Clark, Jim (). Mayberry Memories: The Andy Griffith Show Photo Album (40&#;ed.).

Thomas Nelson Inc. p.&#;6. ISBN&#;.
^Beck, Ken; Clark, Jim (). The Andy Griffith Show Book (3&#;ed.). Macmillan. p.&#; ISBN&#;.
^Tribune, Elkin (October 18, ). "Betty Lynn, Mayberry's Thelma Lou, passes away". The Elkin Tribune. Archived from the original on November 2, Retrieved April 16,
^"Actor Norman Fell, landlord on 'Three's Company,' dies".

Deseret News. December 15, Retrieved April 16,
^Collins, Scott (February 25, ). "Don Knotts, star of 'The Andy Griffith Show,' dead at 81". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on July 5, Retrieved July 19,
^Eury, Michael (Summer ).
The andy griffith show don knotts biography book During a half-century acting career, Don Knotts appeared on seven television series and in more than 25 films, earning screen immortality for his role as the blunderheaded smalltown deputy Barney Fife on the s television hit The Andy Griffith Show. The role showcased Knotts' zany expressions, high-pitched voice, and impeccable slapstick timing, earning him legions of adoring fans and five Emmys for best supporting actor. Born in in Morgantown, West Virginia, Knotts grew up poor alongside three older brothers. As a child, he was unhappy and self-conscious about his lean-limbed appearance. He had a brother who was so thin family members called him "Shadow.
"Meet Thelma Lou: An Interview with Betty Lynn". RetroFan. No.&#;1. TwoMorrows Publishing. p.&#;
^"News From ME - Mark Evanier's blog". .
^Scott Collins (July 3, ). "Don Knotts, star of 'The Andy Griffith Show,' dead at 81". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 14,
^"Don Knotts Statue Unveiled in Morgantown Knotts".

. July 25, Archived from the original on August 4, Retrieved February 8,
^Virginian, Cliff Nichols Times West (December 1, ). "Against the Odds".
Hal smith For his role on the show, he won three Emmy Awards for outstanding performance in a supporting role in a series. Though he left The Andy Griffith Show in to pursue a film career, his periodic returns in and '67 earned him two more Emmys. Later starring in several film comedies, Knotts also was part of the cast of Three's Company until its demise. Knotts died of lung cancer on February 24, , at age 81, in Los Angeles, California. Before he entered high school, Knotts began performing as a ventriloquist and comedian at various church and school functions.
Times West Virginian. Retrieved December 12,
^"Don Knotts". . Retrieved July 11,
^"Barney Fife and Other Characters I Have Known () by Knotts, Don; Metz, Ro". Retrieved July 11,
^"Don Knotts". Television Academy. Retrieved July 11,
^"Television Hall of Fame: Actors - Online Film & Television Association".

Retrieved July 11,
^Chad (October 25, ). "Don Knotts".
The andy griffith show don knotts biography He starred in multiple comedic films, including leading roles in The Incredible Mr. Limpet and The Ghost and Mr. Chicken Knotts was born in West Virginia , the youngest of four children. While enlisted, he chose to become a ventriloquist and comedian as part of a G.
Hollywood Walk of Fame. Retrieved July 11,