A Little Mayberry Nostalgia
Your parents’ and grandparents’ generations remember sitting in their living rooms in front of their black and white televisions listening to a whistled tune while a small town sheriff and his son walked along with their fishing poles. They were watching The Andy Griffith Show, which ran from 1960 to 1968. Ray and I were two of those children watching black and white televisions. I was thrilled when the real Andy Griffith Show whistler performed The Andy Griffith Show theme song at my elementary school. In the southern vernacular of the times, I thought I had really seen somebody!
Members of those generations and every generation since have enjoyed the 249 reruns of the beloved Andy Griffith Show, including my mother, who watched several every night while she was living with us.
I have written many times about our trips to festivals in Granville, a tiny town which sits alongside Cordell Hull Lake in our home county of Jackson County, Tennessee. Ray and I drove to Granville on Friday afternoon to participate in its Mayberry – Lucy Days (the town honors the careers of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, too). First, we browsed Aunt Bee’s Quilt Shop and Bakery.
Then, we walked over to the Granville United Methodist Church (Sunday attendance about 40). The church was packed. By the time the program started, it was standing room only. Living so long in a preacher family, we didn’t mind going up front, where we were grateful for a front row seat.
For an hour, Allan Newsome, an Alabama electrical engineer and Floyd the Barber tribute artist, interviewed Dixie Griffith, daughter of Andy Griffith.
We loved it. Dixie Griffith is a humble woman who cherished her daddy, cherishes his memory, and did a wonderful job of honoring him in the interview. Newsome is a talented tribute artist. If you have seen the crowdfunded movie Mayberry Man, you will recognize him as one of the lead actors in the film. Dixie served as one of its executive producers.
Dixie Griffith told stories about her famous father and her mother, Barbara Edwards Griffith. Barbara was also a performer. Before the couple were married, they both acted in the outdoor drama, The Lost Colony, which has been performed at the Fort Raleigh National Historic Site in Manteo, North Carolina (in Dare County), since 1937. This picture of a c.1949-1953 cast includes Griffith. This article has photographs of both Andy, who played the part of Sir Walter Raleigh, and Barbara, who played the part of Eleanor Dare, mother of Virginia Dare, the first English baby born in the Americas.
The couple adopted Dixie, whom they named for Barbara’s mother, and her brother Sam. The following descriptions of photos Dixie shared will give you a glimpse into the personal and family life of this famous actor.
- Andy’s parents on his and Barbara’s wedding day.
- A publicity photo for a show the young couple performed in which Andy sang and played guitar and Barbara performed modern dance. The two had an agreement that when the performance career of either of them began to blossom, the other one would step back and be in a supportive role. When Andy’s career took off, Barbara fulfilled her promise.
- Andy kneeling beside Dixie and her brother Sam who are sitting in a wagon their dad had built for them, including even its wooden wheels.
- Andy, Dixie, and Sam romping through North Carolina sand dunes.
- Andy with dogs. He loved them. In California when the family’s number of dogs rose to seven, they had to get a kennel license.
- Andy holding Dixie’s first baby.
- Andy with Dixie’s three daughters.
- Andy kneeling beside his close friend, Don Knotts (aka Barney Fife), when Knotts put his handprints in the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The two friends were so close that they talked on the phone every day until Knotts passed away.
- Andy and Dixie with President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush when Andy received the Presidential Medal of Freedom. When President Bush reached to put his arm around Dixie for the picture, the awed Dixie turned to the First Lady and asked, “Is it okay to touch him?”
Over the last 48 years, I have watched Ray bravely ask several famous people for their autographs, so it wasn’t surprising when I saw him asking Dixie Griffith for hers. I walked up just as she started to sign his little slip of paper. When she asked if she should make the autograph for me, too, I said yes. When I told her my name, she asked, “Like Charlene Darling?” That was fun. (In case you aren’t an Andy Griffith fan, Charlene Darling was the only female member of a hillbilly family who drove into Mayberry sometimes).
As Ray and I stood at the back of the crowded church with Andy’s humble daughter, she told us, “I’m not that famous.” I asked if I could share photos from the interview; she graciously said I could. However, I didn’t think to be specific and ask if I could share the photos I took of her slideshow, so I decided to share only the photo above that I took of Dixie and Allan Newsome. Here is a different photo of Griffith receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom. It is a copyright-free download from the National Archives.
President George W. Bush presents the Presidential Medal of Freedom to actor Andy Griffith,
Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2005, during ceremonies in the East Room of the White House.
Photo by Paul Morse, Courtesy of the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum.
When I thought about our experience last Friday, I thought of a lesson I learned that I could share with you. Andy Griffith loved what he did. He worked hard, and he expected hard work from the others on the show. However, he made it a a pleasant experience for the other actors and for the crew. He formed lifelong friendships and won the respect of his coworkers.
Benefits of homeschooling include helping your children grow into careers that give them joy, the blessing of knowing they are doing a good job, and character that makes them able to lead or be part of a team.
Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us;
And confirm for us the work of our hands;
Yes, confirm the work of our hands.
Psalm 90:17