http://abcnews.go.com/Ent...id=1662550

LOS ANGELES Feb 25, 2006 (AP)— Don Knotts, the skinny, lovable nerd who kept generations of television audiences laughing as bumbling Deputy Barney Fife on "The Andy Griffith Show," has died. He was 81.

Knotts died Friday night of pulmonary and respiratory complications at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Beverly Hills, said Paul Ward, a spokesman for the cable network TV Land, which airs "The Andy Griffith Show," and another Knotts hit, "Three's Company."

Unspecified health problems had forced him to cancel an appearance in his native Morgantown in August 2005.

The West Virginia-born actor's half-century career included seven TV series and more than 25 films, but it was the Griffith show that brought him TV immortality and five Emmies.

The show ran from 1960-68, and was in the top 10 of the Nielsen ratings each season, including a No. 1 ranking its final year. It is one of only three series in TV history to bow out at the top: The others are "I Love Lucy" and "Seinfeld." The 249 episodes have appeared frequently in reruns and have spawned a large, active network of fan clubs.

As the bug-eyed deputy to Griffith, Knotts carried in his shirt pocket the one bullet he was allowed after shooting himself in the foot. The constant fumbling, a recurring sight gag, was typical of his self-deprecating humor.

Knotts, whose shy, soft-spoken manner was unlike his high-strung characters, once said he was most proud of the Fife character and doesn't mind being remembered that way.

His favorite episodes, he said, were "The Pickle Story," where Aunt Bea makes pickles no one can eat, and "Barney and the Choir," where no one can stop him from singing.

"I can't sing. It makes me sad that I can't sing or dance well enough to be in a musical, but I'm just not talented in that way," he lamented. "It's one of my weaknesses."

Awwww shit!!!

R.I.P

My son is going to be so upset. They show repeats of The Andy Griffith Show here every morning. Justus watches before he goes to school. He's also seen Don Knotts on Matlock.

When people that have been in the public eye ALL of your life pass away it brings up so many memories. Memeories of watching Mr. Knotts as Barney Fife while laying in bed with my now gone grandma; memories of watching him on 3's Company with my friends; memories that my son will now associate with watching Mr. Knotts during his own childhood.

RIP Barney!

I just saw this on AOL.
R.I.P. Mr. Furley!

R.I.P

Byron said:

Now that's just wrong! Funny, but wrong?

Terilicious said:

I agree.
I was first like Then like now I'm like and




edit
[Edited 2/25/06 17:01pm]

This is so sad. RIP Mr. Knotts

mr furley..... i love you man

Long live Bernard P. Fife

very sad, he was cool.

incredible mr. limpet, you will be missed

he's one of those guys I thought died years ago.

bkw said:

why does that sound insulting?

AsianBomb777 said:

Back when I first posted these photos, I did so in tribute to the guy cuz I truly love Don Knotts (ask those who know me well, I have a DVD set of the Andy Griffith Show..lol)...most people thought the photos looked ugly and disgusting because of his face in them. They laughed, but still thought that...

Now, I post the same photos for the same reason, and people think it's insulting? As if commenting on how "ugly" the man was while still alive was ok..

I stand by the photos...they put him as part of the Org invasions...even make him an honorary Orger.

And you know he's laughing his butt off right now as he sees them..lol *smile*

Mr. Ferley was the best damn landlord Jack and Crissy ever had.
He was way better than Mr. Roper


I wouldn't even watch an episode if Furley wasn't on it.

Bye-bye bug-eyed stranger...
[Edited 2/25/06 18:18pm]

Byron said:

I'll always have fond memories of being an Ange to your Barn.


tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431

To the guy that played the most lovable Deputy in all of the Television world...



...and the Love God himself, Don Knotts.


Barney Fife had a wealth of information on that Deputy cap.

Barney on law enforement...

Boys, when that steel door slams shut, that's the end of the happy days. No more fishin', no more ball playin', no more peanut butter sandwiches.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Listen here, Ernest T. Bass! This is Deputy Fife! I'm armed and if you don't go home, I might just take a shot at you.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Now here at the Rock we have two rules. Memorize them until you can say them in your sleep. Rule number one: obey all rules. Rule number two: no writing on the walls.


Barney Fife child rearing...

Barney Fife: Well, today's eight-year-olds are tomorrow's teenagers. I say this calls for action and now! Nip it in the bud! First sign of youngsters going wrong, you've got to nip it in the bud.
Andy Taylor: I'm going to have a talk with them. What else do you want me to do?
Barney Fife: Well, don't just mollycoddle them.
Andy Taylor: I won't.
Barney Fife: Nip it! You go read any book you ant on the subject of child discipline and you'll find every one of them is in favor of bud-nipping.


Barney on "gun control"...

Andy: What are you doing?
Barney Fife: Gun-drawing practice, ten minutes every day. If I ever have to use this baby, I want to teach it to come to papa in a hurry.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Well, I guess to sum it up, you could say, there's three reasons why there's so little crime in Mayberry. There's Andy, and there's me, and [patting gun] baby makes three.


Barney on science...

[Reassuring Opie after releasing a group of dogs to the countryside as a thunderstorm approaches.]
A dog can't get struck by lightning. you know why? 'Cause he's too close to the ground. See, lightning strikes tall things. Now if they were giraffes out there in the field, now then we'd have trouble.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Gentlemen, I give you science in action. Proof-positive the camera does not lie; it sees all, tells all.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
They don't do things that way anymore. This is the Age of Science Know-How, electronic marvels.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Andy. There's plenty going on right now in the Twilight Zone that we don't know anything about and I think we ought to stay clear.


Barney on music...

Barney Fife: I'm surprised at you, Andy. They want people who have had musical training. Why, suppose they ask Rafe to do something he don't know? Rafe, if they asked you to sing a cappella, could you do it?
Rafe Hollister: No.
Andy Taylor: Hey, Barn, what if they was to ask you if you could sing a cappella, what would you do?
Barney Fife: Why, I'd do it!
[snapping fingers in rhythm]
Barney Fife: "A cappella, a cappella"... Well, I don't remember all the words.


Barney on diet...

Barney Fife: Man, we really packed it away, didn't we?
Andy Taylor: Yeah, boy.
Barney Fife: Fortunately, none of mine goes to fat. All goes to muscle.
Andy Taylor: Does, huh?
Barney Fife: It's a mark of us Fifes. Everything we eat goes to muscle.
[pats tummy]
Barney Fife: See there?


Barney on his social life...

Barney Fife: [while relaxing on the front porch after Sunday dinner] You know what I think I'm gonna' do?
Andy Taylor: What?
Barney Fife: I'm gonna' go home, have me a little nap, and then go over to Thelma Lou's and watch a little TV.
Andy Taylor: Mmm-hmm.
Barney Fife: Yeah, I believe that's what I'll do. Go home... have a nap... and then over to Thelma Lou's for TV.
Andy Taylor: Mmm.
Barney Fife: Yep, that's the plan. Home... little nap... then...
Malcolm Tucker: [interrupting] For the love of Mike do it!
[shouts]
Malcolm Tucker: Do it! Just do it! Go take a nap, go to Thelma Lou's for TV, just do it!


Barney on travel...

I'm a man of the world, Andy. Why, I've even been to Raleigh!


Barney Fife on fashion...

What's the matter, haven't you ever seen a man take off a dress before?
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

And he made a pretty good fish too...



...as Mr. Limpet





...


tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431
[Edited 2/25/06 18:55pm]

That sucks.

he was still alive all this time? hmm, well sorry to hear that he has passed away.
[Edited 2/25/06 20:04pm]

Awww man. Peace to his soul.

Oh my, I'm sorry to hear this. I always loved Don Knotts.

theAudience said:

To add another...


Barney on history:

Barney: "History was right up my alley.."
Andy: "It was? I don't remember that."
Barney: "Oh yeah, History was one of my best subjects."
Andy (surprised): "It was?"
Barney: "Yeah, don't you believe me??...Well ask me something. Go ahead, ask me anything!"
Andy: "Ok, um...what was...uh, what was the, um...the Emancipation Proclamation?"
Barney (laughing): "Are you kidding?...Everybody knows that."
Andy: "Well, it ought to be easy for you, then..."
Barney: "Are you kidding?? (more laughter)...That's one of the most famous proclamations in history."
Andy: "I know.."
Barney: "Um...you were asking about the, uh..."
Andy: "Emancipation Proclamation"
"Barney: Well...the Emancipation Proclamation...(clears throat)...uh...was a proclamation, is what it was..."
Andy: "What was it about?"
Barney (angrily): "About emancipation, what do you think it was about?!...'What was it about'...Use your head, man! It's common knowledge!....There was these folks...and, uh, how else were they gonna get themselves emancipated unless there was a proclamation?!...So, uh..they got themselves a proclamation...and they called it the Emancipation Proclamation!"
Andy: "Yeah?..."
Barney: "Yeah! And I'm surprised at you for not knowing that, Andy! And I'll tell you something else! I'm even more surprised that you didn't think that I knew about the Emancipation Proclamation!"
Andy: "We're still waiting for you to tell us..."
Barney (angry): "Well if you're gonna get so smart-alecky about it, maybe I'm not even gonna tell ya!"


*sigh*...

Real sad to hear that. My prayers go to his family.

I teared up when I saw this on the news earlier tonite...


RIP

He was great in Three's Company and the Andy Griffith Show. He'll be missed!

a great comedian/actor. he gave me many momentos of laughter as he did many.
my sincerest thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends...

system error...
[Edited 2/26/06 6:29am]