Dear Friends,
The world has lost another incredible talent. The passing of the great Don Knotts is a gigantic shock.
When you consider the body of work and the sheer magnitude of his genius, many people would be surprised to learn how nice, gentle, and down to earth he was with everyone.
Don and my father, Howard, had become good friends over the years since appearing on The Andy Griffith Show. Howard was extremely fond of him. They worked together on and off screen. My father directed Don on The Andy Griffith Show, among others.
I met Don through my father many years ago. On a few occasions, I actually had the pleasure of driving Don to attend a monthly gathering of famous actors and comedians, a group my father had been a member of for many years. Well, when my pop introduced Don to the group, he became an instant “hit” and for obvious reasons Don was named as a lifetime member on the spot.
Over the years, we would meet up and travel together to attend various Mayberry events. Don was always very decent, and very funny. Don was quiet, and extremely smart. The fact is it takes an enormous amount of brains to realize, corral, refine, and ultimately present characters the way he did, delivering some of the funniest moments ever in the history of film and television.
Where does all of this lead to? Well, I have a sneaky feeling that Barney is once again chasing Ernest T., and that Ernest T. is driving Barney NUTS!
Don, we love and miss you!
Sincerely,
David Morris
