Back in the times, the ‘Andy Griffith Show’ was a rage among the watchers and is now considered as a classic. Recently, some insiders who worked on the show shared some incidents and funny stories that occurred in the making of the show which kept the audiences laughing for an extended period of time. The assistant directors Clint Howard and Bruce Bilson took a trip down the memory lane in the Earle Theatre.
Bilson, other than sharing some stills from the making of the show and the funny stories that went along with them, also revealed a few largely unknown facts about the show. He explained that the show wasn’t based on one location, they kept changing sets, however if there was a centre, it would be the Desilu Studios. The theme song was shot at the lake north of the Hollywood, he explained. According to Bilson, boats had to be cleaned with chlorine before they could be placed in the lake. The reason being the lake was a water source for Hollywood drinking water, so it would be better if it was kept clean. Another site, known as the “40 acres,” was used to shoot scenes which took place in the streets of downtown Mayberry.
Bilson then went on and on about some funny stories that took place during the show and it kept the audiences laughing. He presented some clips of the show to make the matters further more interesting and enjoyable.
“This is where the guard (at the studio) stood. His name was ‘Tiny,’ but he wasn’t so tiny,” laughed Bilson. “Tiny was, perhaps, the show’s biggest fan. The morning after every episode Tiny told the cast and staff “great show last night” as we entered the studio to begin work on the next week’s show”.
The Howard family was actually living at the studio. According to Bilson, this gave the child actor Ron Howard a chance to pursue his dream of being an actor while at the same time to carry on with his school and studies. Clint Howard said that their father is the reason why he and Ron grew up to be successful actors. According to Howard, his father, who was also an actor, made him and his brother students of the art of acting. “He taught us to listen and helped us understand how important it was to be prepared,” explained Howard
Howard said that his extremely supportive family put him and his brother ahead of anything else. “Dad prioritized. We came first and dad’s career came after that,” said Howard. “He sacrificed to give us our careers.”
According to Howard, he was set up for success from the very beginning of his career. “My brother is a prolific actor and film maker, but he’s even a better brother,” concluded Howard. “Dad was a teacher, and Ron was the example”, he said as he got a little bit emotional.
Well, that is quite heart warming aint it?
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