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Post by flossieskid on Jul 16, 2021 8:55:53 GMT -5
As always,Easton, you delight me ( and others I am sure) with the great photos you share. Keith with white hair?!?!? I do remember now that I heard he married a dancer. But a GRANDPA?!?!?! No friggin’ way!!! Weren’t we all just kids?!?! Thanks for taking the time to post the great photos. You always impress me!!
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Post by Easton on Jul 16, 2021 11:24:26 GMT -5
No big deal. I grew up with Little Ricky and Opie.
I assume you know, but other members here may not. Both 'I Love Lucy' and 'The Andy Griffith Show' had lyrics for their theme songs:
I Love Lucy - Sung by Desi Arnaz
The Andy Griffith Show (The Fishin' Hole) - Sung by Andy Griffith
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Post by patriciaanne on Jul 16, 2021 12:18:29 GMT -5
What a great article about Keith, Easton. I know he had some challenges for a little while. It's good to see what a nice turn his life has taken. 😊
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Post by flossieskid on Jul 17, 2021 7:39:49 GMT -5
Easton - Most people know that the “I Love Lucy” show had lyrics, but I NEVER knew “The Andy Griffith Show” did. Incredible to hear! Thank goodness Andy didn’t have Gomer sing it! Jim Nabors had a great voice but Andy’s twang hit the mark! Thanks so much for posting it.
I loved watching Andy’s show because Betty Lynn was on it. She played Barney’s girlfriend, Thelma Lou. I first met her when I was 7 or 8 when my Mom starred as Betty’s Mom in Disney’s first scripted series “Texas John Slaughter”. that aired in 1959. I was MADLY in love with gorgeous Tom Tryon, the series’ star. Too bad that Tom never embrace his sexuality in Hollywood and sadly battled alcohol for years, which he spoke about on many shows. He got bored of acting. I’m sure his unpleasant relationship with Otto Premminger, the more than difficult director on the movie “The Cardinal” didn’t help. Tom spoke often about their less than ideal working relationship. But, he was able to turn his amazing skills as a writer into incredible success. “The Other” is one of my favorite books ever! It was made into a movie starring another Waltons alum, John Ritter. Tom wrote many more successful books and novellas.
Luckily, Tom found happiness in later life living his truth, but died way too soon. For me, he will always be that gorgeous 6’3” black curly haired movie star that walked into my 8 year old life! He couldn’t have been more endearing and sweet to the daughter of his co-star. I think he was the first man that I told my parents I was going to marry!
Betty Lynn is now 94 and lives near the Mayberry Museum and has participated in lots of reunions and fan affairs. I would love to see her again.
One last note: since the series was Disney’s first, my Mom got friendly with Disney’s PR man and for the next 10 years we got Disneyland Comp tickets and they were only around $10 each. Then, when I worked for The Disney Channel in the mid-80’s I also got free tickets 4 times a year as an employee. Then, because my daughter works for IHEARTRadio, which is owned by Disney, she gets free passes to her Christmas party at the park each year. But, friends of ours just took their kids to Disneyland, before the pandemic, and it was almost $500 before they set foot in the park!! Walt must be turning over in his grave - or the cryogenic lab where his body is suppose to be!!!
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Post by Easton on Jul 17, 2021 8:44:00 GMT -5
I don't recall ever seeing Tom in anything but I read 'The Other' a long time ago. I should check at the library to see if it's there.
It was too bad about Tom having to hide his life. That happened to so many TV and film stars who had to put up a false front for the sake of their career (and their agents' pockets). Tab Hunter and Rock Hudson come to mind. Tab's 'Confidential' is so sad yet so satisfying that he was able to take charge of his own life. Rock Hudson, as I recall, didn't come out until he announced that he had AIDs. And then there's Liberace who lived his life out in the open while still hiding in the closet.
Hollywood is coming around but there is still a long way to go.
As for Andy Griffith, you're right. Andy had that twang that made the song real. As beautiful as Jim's voice is, whether singing it as himself or as Gomer, it just wouldn't have been the same.
One little story you might not know about Ron Howard when they were making the opening sequence. When Opie breaks away from Andy's hand and runs ahead to throw a stone in the pond, little Ronny didn't have enough kafoomph in his arm to throw the stone very far. He barely made it beyond the shoreline let alone far enough to hit the mark. The stone we see splashing into the pond on-screen was tossed by a crew member.
I also remember either Andy or Don talking about the little chats they often had on the veranda. Virtually all of them were ad libs. It wasn't unusual for the director to say, "Okay, guys, we need three and a half minutes." They'd set up the cameras, Andy and Don would take their seats, and away they went: three and a half minutes of some of the funniest, impromptu segments in television history. (How can anyone ever forget Don's 'Gettysburg Address' bit?) I seriously don't know how Andy managed to keep a straight face (for the most part).
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Post by patriciaanne on Jul 17, 2021 9:01:05 GMT -5
Easton, I never knew about the ad-libbing on TAGS. Are you talking about when Andy and Barney were sitting on Andy's front porch? I'm going to pay extra special attention now. I love that show. flossieskid I would love to meet Betty Lynn! I think I'm running out of time, though. I hope to get to a Mayberry Days celebration in Mount Airy one day. What a treat to have those discounted passes for Disney World. My father was in the NYPD (pretty high ranking) so we didn't have any exposure to anyone in Hollywood. But he did know the head of security for the guy who owned the best luxury box in the old Yankee stadium and we used to get tickets for the box once or twice a year. That was high living. 😊
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Post by Easton on Jul 17, 2021 12:23:20 GMT -5
^ Yes, the porch. Sorry, I called it a veranda.
Unless the scene was obviously part of that episodes, the scenes with just Andy and Don were ad libbed. When they were told how many minutes were needed, they would put their heads together to come up with an idea and improvise the whole scene.
It was actually Andy who convinced the producers to make Barney the funny man instead of himself. The original plan was for Barney to be the straight man but Andy knew Don's comedic talents would be wasted. Andy had no problem whatsoever with Don getting the laughs.
(Did you know that Andy and Don appeared in a scene together in No Time For Sergeants'? The roles were reversed with Don being the supposed straight man.
Judge for yourself:
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Post by patriciaanne on Jul 17, 2021 18:23:04 GMT -5
Lol that was pretty funny ^^^ actually, but I couldn't take that for long. It was perfect the way they had it in TAGS.
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