Celebrating the Lovable Don Knotts On What Would Be His 100th Birthday
Born on July 21, 1924, Don Knotts’ greatest success came in the 1960s on The Andy Griffith Show as the bumbling deputy Barney Fife, but in his early days, he started off as a ventriloquist while in high school. After graduating in Morgantown, West Virginia, he enrolled in college at West Virginia University in 1943 after a short stint in New York City to try to make it as a comedian. It was when America got heavily involved in World War II that he dropped out of school after his freshman year and enlisted in the Army. He served in the South Pacific in the South Pacific Theatre of Operations as a comedian and was in a GI variety troop show called “Stars and Gripes.” It was during this time that he dropped the ventriloquism and moved into straight comedy. Knotts reportedly got so annoyed with his dummy named Danny that he threw it off the ship. After being discharged from the service, Knotts returned to college, where he earned a teaching degree in 1948, and moved back to NYC to pursue acting. He found work in radio and TV, doing a stint on the soap Search for Tomorrow and on the children’s show Howdy Doody, as Tim Tremble, a nervous friend of Buffalo Bob.
While on The Andy Griffith Show, Knotts was also getting into feature films and left the show to pursue film, and he went on to spend the second half of the decade as a feature comedy star. And the rest, as they say, is history. Don Knotts passed away on Feb. 24, 2006, at age 81 from pulmonary and respiratory complications from pneumonia related to lung cancer. In honor of what would be the star’s 100th birthday, we take a look at his impressive career in TV and film.
The Steve Allen Show
He worked alongside Louis Nye and Tom Poston in the popular sketch “Man on the street” on The Steve Allen Show. It helped launch all three of their careers.
Family Life
Don Knotts, with his first wife, Kathryn Knotts, and their children, Karen Knotts and Thomas Knotts
Wake Me When It's Over
His second feature film, Wake Me When It’s Over, in 1960
Emmy Winner
1962 Emmy Award winners Don Knotts, Carl Reiner and Peter Falk.
The Gary Moore Show
With funny lady Carol Burnett, 1962.
Andy Griffith Show
Fun photo shoot with Andy Griffith and Jim Nabors in 1964.
The Incredible Mr Limpet
As a meek bookkeeper transforms into an animated fish in the 1964 The Incredible Mr Limpet.
The Ghost and Mr. Chicken
Playing a newspaper reporter in the 1966 film The Ghost and Mr. Chicken.
Red Skeleton Show
Along with Red Skelton, in 1965 on The Red Skeleton Show.
The Reluctant Astronaut
Here he plays a height fearing NASA janitor is sent into space in the 1967 The Reluctant Astronaut.
Shakiest Gun in the West
Knotts plays a bumbling dentist who gets entangled with some gunslingers in the 1968 Shakiest Gun in the West.
Kraft Music Hall
With Jimmy Durante, 1969
The Love God?
Anne Francis, Don Knotts and Johnny Seven, 1969.
The Apple Dumpling Gang
Starring in The Apple Dumpling Gang with Tim Conway in 1975. The duo reprised their roles in The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again in 1979.
The Don Knotts Show
Jill St. John in 1970.
The Sonny and Cher Show
With Cher while guest starring on The Sonny and Cher Show, 1976
Herbie Goes To Monte Carlo
In the third installment of the Herbie franchise he stars with Dean Jones in the 1977 Herbie Goes To Monte Carlo.
Three's Company
As Mr. Furley in Three’s Company along with long time friend John Ritter.
The Private Eyes
Tim Conway, 1981
Cannonball Run II
With Tim Conway in 1984
Return to Mayberry
20 years after The Andy Griffith Show ended the gang reunites in Mayberry in the 1986 TV Movie Return to Mayberry.
Matlock
He guest starred on pal Andy Griffith’s show, Matlock, numerous times.
Classic Comedy Duos
March 2021
Chuckle at television & films funniest comic duos.
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