Don Knotts

American actor and stand-up comedian (1924-2006)Template:SHORTDESC:American actor and stand-up comedian (1924-2006)[[Category:**Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Pagetype/config' not found.**s with short description]]

Template:Pp-protected
Template:Use mdy dates
Template:Use American English

* Loralee Czuchna(m. 1974; div. 1983)

**Jesse Donald Knotts** (July 21, 1924 – February 24, 2006) was an American actor and comedian. He is widely known for his role as Deputy Sheriff Barney Fife on *The Andy Griffith Show*, a 1960s sitcom for which he earned five Emmy Awards.Template:R He also played Ralph Furley on the highly rated sitcom *Three's Company* from 1979 to 1984. He starred in multiple comedic films, including the leading role in *The Ghost and Mr. Chicken* (1966) and *The Incredible Mr. Limpet* (1964). In 1979, *TV Guide* ranked him number 27 on its 50 Greatest TV Stars of All Time list.

## Early life

Jesse Donald Knotts was born in Morgantown, West Virginia, the youngest of four sons born to farmer William Jesse Knotts and his wife, Elsie Luzetta Knotts (née Moore). His parents were married in Spraggs, Pennsylvania. His English paternal ancestors emigrated to America in the 17th century, originally settling in Queen Anne's County, Maryland. Knotts' brothers were named Willis, William, and Ralph "Sid".Template:R

Don's mother was 40 at the time of his birth and his father suffered from mental illness. Afflicted with schizophrenia and alcoholism, he sometimes terrorized Don with a knife, causing Don to turn inward at an early age. The elder Knotts died of pneumonia when Don was 13 years old. Don and his brothers were then raised by their mother, who ran a boarding house in Morgantown. She died in 1969 at age 84. Her son William preceded her in death in 1941 at age 31. They are buried in the family plot at Beverly Hills Memorial Park in Morgantown. Don graduated from Morgantown High School. After enlisting in the United States Army and serving in World War II, Don earned a bachelor's degree in education with a minor in speech from West Virginia University in Morgantown, graduating in 1948. He was a member of Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity and Alpha Psi Omega Honor Society while at WVU.

## Career

### Early career

Before he entered high school, Knotts began performing as a ventriloquist and comedian at various church and school functions.Template:R After high school, he traveled to New York City to try to make his way as a comedian but returned home to attend West Virginia University when his career failed to take off. After his college freshman year, Knotts joined the U.S. Army and spent most of his service entertaining troops. He toured the western Pacific Islands as a comedian as part of a G.I. variety show called "Stars and Gripes". His ventriloquist act in "Stars and Gripes" included a dummy named Danny, which Knotts grew to hate, eventually throwing it overboard according to his friend and castmate, Al Checco.Template:R

Knotts served in the U.S. Army from June 21, 1943, to January 6, 1946, in the Army's 6817th Special Services Battalion. He was discharged at the rank of Technician Grade 5, which was the equivalent then of a corporal. During his military service, Knotts was awarded the World War II Victory Medal, the Philippine Liberation Medal, the Asiatic–Pacific Campaign Medal (with 4 bronze service stars), the American Campaign Medal, the Army Good Conduct Medal, the Army Marksman Badge (with an M1 Carbine) and the Honorable Service Lapel Pin.Template:R

Knotts returned to West Virginia University after being demobilized and graduated in 1948. He married Kay Metz and moved back to New York, where connections he had made while in the Special Services Branch helped him break into show business. In addition to doing stand-up comedy at clubs, he appeared on the radio, eventually playing the wisecracking, know-it-all character "Windy Wales" on a radio Western called "Bobby Benson and the B-Bar-B Riders".

Knotts got his first major break on television in the soap opera *Search for Tomorrow* where he appeared from 1953 to 1955. He came to fame in 1956 on Steve Allen's variety show, as part of Allen's repertory company, most notably in Allen's mock "Man in the Street" interviews, always as an extremely nervous man. He remained with the Allen program through the 1959–1960 season. From October 20, 1955, through September 14, 1957, Knotts appeared in the Broadway play version of *No Time for Sergeants*, in which he played two roles, listed on the playbill as a Corporal Manual Dexterity and a Preacher. In 1958, Knotts appeared for the first time on film with Andy Griffith in the film version of *No Time for Sergeants*. In that film, Knotts reprises his Broadway role and plays a high-strung Air Force test administrator whose routine is disrupted by the hijinks of a provincial new recruit.

### *The Andy Griffith Show*

 File:Andy Griffith Don Knotts 1960.JPG
 File:DonKnotts1961.jpg
In 1960, Andy Griffith was offered the opportunity to headline his own sitcom, *The Andy Griffith Show* (1960–1968). Knotts took the role of Barney Fife, the deputy—and originally cousin—of Sheriff Andy Taylor (portrayed by Griffith). Knotts's portrayal of the deputy on the popular show earned him five Emmy Awards for Best Supporting Actor in a Television Comedy.

A summary of the show from the website of the Museum of Broadcast Communications describes Deputy Barney Fife:

Template:Blockquote

When the show first aired, Griffith was intended to be the comedic lead with Knotts as his straight man, similar to their roles in *No Time for Sergeants*. However, it was quickly discovered that the show was funnier with the roles reversed. As Griffith maintained in several interviews, "By the second episode, I knew that Don should be funny, and I should play straight."

Knotts believed remarks by Griffith that *The Andy Griffith Show* would end after five seasons, and he began to look for other work, signing a five-film contract with Universal Studios. In his autobiography, Knotts admitted that he had not yet signed the contract when Griffith announced his decision to continue the series; but he had made up his mind to move on, believing he would not get the chance again. Knotts left the series in 1965. His character's absence on the show was explained by Deputy Fife's having finally made the "big time," joining the Raleigh, North Carolina, police force.

### Post-Mayberry film career

 File:Andy Griffith Ernie Ford Don Knotts Andy Griffith Special 1967.JPG
Knotts went on to star in a series of film comedies that drew on his high-strung persona from the television series: he had a cameo appearance in United Artists' *It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World* (1963), and starred in Warner Bros.' *The Incredible Mr. Limpet* (1964). Knotts then began his Universal five-film contract with *The Ghost and Mr. Chicken* (1966), *The Reluctant Astronaut* (1967), *The Shakiest Gun in the West* (1968), *The Love God?* (1969) and *How to Frame a Figg* (1971).Template:R Knotts reprised his role as Barney Fife several times in the 1960s: he made five guest appearances on *The Andy Griffith Show* (gaining him another two Emmy Awards), and he later appeared once on the spin-off *Mayberry R.F.D.*, where he was present as best man for the marriage of Andy Taylor and his longtime love, Helen Crump.

After making *How to Frame a Figg*, Knotts's five-film contract with Universal finished. He continued to work steadily, though he did not appear as a regular on any successful television series until his appearance on *Three's Company* in 1979. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Knotts served as the spokesman for Dodge trucks and was featured prominently in a series of print ads and dealer brochures. On television, he went on to host a variety show/sitcom hybrid on NBC, *The Don Knotts Show*, which aired Tuesdays during the fall of 1970, but the series was low-rated and short-lived, and Knotts was uncomfortable with the variety show format.Template:R He also made frequent guest appearances on other shows such as *The Bill Cosby Show* and *Here's Lucy*. In 1970, he appeared as a Barney Fife-like police officer in the pilot of *The New Andy Griffith Show*. In 1972, Knotts voiced an animated version of himself in two episodes of *The New Scooby Doo Movies*: "The Spooky Fog of Juneberry", in which he played a lawman resembling Barney Fife, and "Guess Who's Knott Coming to Dinner". He appeared as Felix Unger in a stage version of Neil Simon's *The Odd Couple*, with Art Carney as Oscar Madison, and toured in the Neil Simon comedy *Last of the Red Hot Lovers*.Template:R

Beginning in 1975, Knotts was teamed with Tim Conway in a series of slapstick films aimed at children, including the Disney film *The Apple Dumpling Gang* (1975) and its sequel, *The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again* (1979). They also did two independent films, the boxing comedy *The Prize Fighter* (1979), and the mystery-comedy *The Private Eyes* (1980). Knotts co-starred in several other Disney films, including *Gus* (1976), *No Deposit, No Return* (1976), *Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo* (1977) and *Hot Lead and Cold Feet* (1978).

### *Three's Company*

In 1979, Knotts returned to series television in his second most identifiable role, the wacky but lovable landlord Ralph Furley on *Three's Company*.Template:R The series, which was already an established hit, added Knotts to the cast when the original landlords, Stanley and Helen Roper (a married couple played by Norman Fell and Audra Lindley, respectively) left the series to star in their own short-lived spin-off series *The Ropers*.

On set, Knotts easily integrated himself into the already established cast who were, as John Ritter put it, "so scared" of Knotts because of his star status when he joined the cast. When Suzanne Somers left the show after a contract dispute in 1981, the writers started giving the material meant for Somers's Chrissy to Knotts's Furley. Knotts remained on the series until it ended in 1984. The *Three's Company* script supervisor, Carol Summers, became Knotts' agent and often accompanied him to personal appearances.

### Later years

In 1986, Don Knotts reunited with Andy Griffith in the made-for-television film *Return to Mayberry*, reprising his Barney Fife role.Template:R In early 1987, Knotts joined the cast of the first-run syndication comedy *What a Country!*, playing Principal Bud McPherson for the series' remaining 13 episodes. The sitcom was produced by Martin Rips and Joseph Staretski, who had previously worked on *Three's Company*.

In 1988, Knotts joined Andy Griffith in another show, playing the recurring role of pesky neighbor Les Calhoun on *Matlock* until 1992.Template:R

After that, Knotts's roles were sporadic, including a cameo appearance in the film *Big Bully* (1996) as the principal of the high school. In 1998, Knotts played a small but pivotal role as a mysterious TV repairman in *Pleasantville*.Template:R That year, his hometown of Morgantown, West Virginia, changed the name of the street formerly known as *South University Avenue* (U.S. Route 119) to *Don Knotts Boulevard* on "Don Knotts Day".Template:R Also that day, in honor of Knotts's role as Barney Fife, he was named an honorary deputy sheriff with the Monongalia County Sheriff's Department.

Knotts was recognized in 2000 with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.Template:R He continued to act on stage, but much of his film and television work after 2000 was as voice talent. In 2002, he appeared again with Scooby-Doo in the video game *Scooby-Doo! Night of 100 Frights*. (Knotts also spoofed his appearances on that show in various promotions for Cartoon Network and in a parody on *Robot Chicken*, where he was teamed with Phyllis Diller.) In 2003, Knotts teamed up with Tim Conway again to provide voices for the direct-to-video children's series *Hermie and Friends*, which continued until his death. In 2005, he was the voice of Mayor Turkey Lurkey in *Chicken Little* (2005), his first Disney movie since 1979. On September 12, 2003, Knotts was in Kansas City in a stage version of *On Golden Pond* when he received a call from John Ritter's family telling him that his former *Three's Company* co-star had died of an aortic dissection that day.Template:Citation needed Knotts and his co-stars attended the funeral four days later. Knotts had appeared with Ritter one final time in a cameo on *8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter*. It was an episode that paid homage to their earlier television series. Knotts was the last *Three's Company* star to work with Ritter.

During this period of time, macular degeneration in both eyes caused the otherwise robust Knotts to become virtually blind. His live appearances on television were few. In 2005, Knotts parodied his Ralph Furley character while playing a Paul Young variation in a *Desperate Housewives* sketch on *The 3rd Annual TV Land Awards*. He parodied that part one final time in "Stone Cold Crazy", an episode of the sitcom *That '70s Show*. In the show, Knotts played Fez and Jackie's new landlord. This was his last live-action television appearance. His final role was in *Air Buddies* (2006), a direct-to-video sequel to *Air Bud*, voicing the sheriff's deputy dog, Sniffer.

## Personal life

Template:Expand section
Knotts's friend Al Checco said, "Don was somewhat of a ladies' man. He fancied himself something of a Frank Sinatra. The ladies loved him and he dated quite a bit."Template:R Knotts was married three times. His marriage to Kathryn Metz lasted from 1947 until their divorce in 1964, and he raised his daughter as a single parent.Template:R He married Loralee Czuchna in 1974 and they divorced in 1983. His third marriage was to Frances Yarborough, from 2002 until his death in 2006. From his first marriage, Knotts had a son, Thomas Knotts, and a daughter, actress Karen Knotts (born April 2, 1954).

Knotts struggled with hypochondria and macular degeneration. Betty Lynn, one of Knotts' co-stars on *The Andy Griffith Show*, described him as a "very quiet man. Very sweet. Nothing like Barney Fife." TV writer Mark Evanier called him "the most beloved person in all of show business".

## Death

 File:Don Knotts grave at Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in Brentwood, California,cropped-rotated-perspective.jpg
Knotts died at age 81 on February 24, 2006, at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles from pulmonary and respiratory complications of pneumonia related to lung cancer. He had been undergoing treatment at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in the months before his death, but he returned home after he had reportedly been feeling better. He was buried at Westwood Memorial Park in Los Angeles.

Knotts' obituaries cited him as a major influence on other entertainers. In early 2011, his grave's plain granite headstone was replaced with a bronze plaque that displays several of Knotts' movie and television roles. A statue honoring Knotts, created by Jamie Lester, was unveiled on July 23, 2016, in front of The Metropolitan Theatre on High Street in his hometown of Morgantown, West Virginia.

## Filmography

### Film

* *No Time for Sergeants* (1958) as Cpl. John C. Brown
* *Wake Me When It's Over* (1960) as Sgt. Percy Warren
* *The Last Time I Saw Archie* (1961) as Captain Harry Little
* *It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World* (1963) as the nervous motorist
* *Move Over, Darling* (1963) as Shoe Clerk
* *The Incredible Mr. Limpet* (1964) as Henry Limpet
* *The Ghost and Mr. Chicken* (1966) as Luther Heggs
* *The Reluctant Astronaut* (1967) as Roy Fleming
* *The Shakiest Gun in the West* (1968) as Dr. Jesse W. Heywood
* *The Love God?* (1969) as Abner Audubon Peacock IV
* *How to Frame a Figg* (1971) as Hollis Alexander Figg
* *The Apple Dumpling Gang* (1975) as Theodore Ogelvie
* *No Deposit, No Return* (1976) as Bert Delaney
* *Gus* (1976) as Coach Venner
* *Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo* (1977) as Wheely Applegate
* *Mule Feathers* (1978) as Narrator / The Mule (voice)
* *Hot Lead and Cold Feet* (1978) as Sheriff Denver Kid
* *The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again* (1979) as Theodore Ogelvie
* *The Prize Fighter* (1979) as Shake
* *The Private Eyes* (1980) as Inspector Winship
* *Cannonball Run II* (1984) as CHP Officer #2
* *Pinocchio and the Emperor of the Night* (1987) as Gee Willikers (voice)
* *Big Bully* (1996) as Principal Kokelar
* *Cats Don't Dance* (1997) as T.W. Turtle (voice)
* *Pleasantville* (1998) as TV Repairman
* *Tom Sawyer* (2000) as Mutt Potter (voice)
* *Quints* (2000) as Governor Healy
* *Chicken Little* (2005) as Mayor Turkey Lurkey (voice)
* *Air Buddies* (2006) as Sniffer (voice; final film role, posthumous release)

### Television

* *Search for Tomorrow* (1953–1955) as Wilbur Peterson
* *The Steve Allen Show* (1956–1960) as Himself
* *The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis* (1960) as Esmond Metzger
* *The Andy Griffith Show* (1960–1968) as Barney Fife
* *The Joey Bishop Show* (1 episode 1964) as Barney Fife
* *The Red Skelton Show* (1961–1965) as Commodore of Lagoons / 'Steady Fingers' Ferguson / Horaces Horatio / Mr. Pallid / Herbie
* *The New Steve Allen Show* (1961–1963) as Regular
* *The Garry Moore Show* (4 episodes 1962–1964) as Himself
* *McHale's Navy* (Season 4, Episode 25) as Lt. Pratt
* *The Jerry Lewis Show* (1 episode 1963) as Himself
* *38th Academy Awards* (1966) as Himself (co-presenter)
* *The Don Knotts Special* (1967) as Himself (host/performer)
* *The Hollywood Palace* (1 episode #7.17 1970) as Himself
* *The Don Knotts Show* (1970–1971) as Himself (host)
* *Don Knotts' Nice Clean, Decent, Wholesome Hour* (1970) as Himself (host/performer)
* *The New Scooby-Doo Movies* (2 episodes 1972) as Himself (voice)
* *The Man Who Came to Dinner* (1972) as Dr. Bradley
* *The Flip Wilson Show* (1972–73) (2 episodes) as Himself
* *Dinah Shore: In Search of the Ideal Man* (1973) as Himself
* *I Love a Mystery* (1973) as Alexander Archer
* *Here's Lucy* (1973) (1 episode) as Ben Fletcher
* *Hollywood Squares* (4 episodes, 1974–1977) as Himself – Panelist
* *Steve Allen's Laugh Back* (1975)
* *The Captain & Tennille Show* (1976–1977) as Himself (recurring guest)
* *The Muppet Show* (1977) as Himself – Special Guest Star
* *Fantasy Island* (1978–1979) as Felix Birdsong / Stanley Scheckter
* *The Love Boat* (1979) as Herb Grobecker / Devon King
* *Three's Company* (1979–1984) as Ralph Furley
* *George Burns Comedy Week* (1985) as Himself
* *Return to Mayberry* (1986) as Barney Fife
* *What a Country!* (1987) as F. Jerry 'Bud' McPherson
* *The Little Troll Prince* (1987) as Professor Nidaros (voice)
* *Matlock* (1987–1992) as Les Calhoun
* *Newhart* (1 episode 1990) as Iron
* *Timmy's Gift: A Precious Moments Christmas* (1991) as Titus (voice)
* *The Andy Griffith Show Reunion* (1993) as Himself
* *Burke's Law* (1 episode 1994)
* *Step by Step* (1993) (1 episode) as Deputy Feif
* *101 Dalmatians: The Series* (2 episodes, 1997–1998) as Additional Voices (voice)
* *E! True Hollywood Story* (1 episode 1998) as Himself
* *Late Night with Conan O'Brien* (1 episode 1999) as Himself
* *Jingle Bells* (1999) as Kris (voice)
* *Inside TV Land: The Andy Griffith Show* (2000) as Himself
* *Biography TV Documentary* (2 episodes 2000–2002) as Himself
* *Biography*: "John Ritter: In Good Company" (2002) as Himself
* *Inside TV Land: Cops on Camera* (2002) as Himself
* *Odd Job Jack* (2003) as Dirk Douglas
* *8 Simple Rules* (2003) as Himself
* *Larry King Live* (1 episode 2003) as Himself
* *The Andy Griffith Show: Back To Mayberry* (2003) as Himself/Barney Fife
* *TV Lands Top Ten* (2004) (1 episode) as Himself
* *Johnny Bravo* (cartoon series), episode "Johnny Makeover" (2004) as Don Knotts (voice)
* *That '70s Show* (2005) as The Landlord
* *Las Vegas* (2005) as Himself
* *The 3rd Annual TV Land Awards* (2005) as Paul Young (segment "Desperate Classic Housewives")
* *Robot Chicken* as Himself
* *Hatching Chicken Little* (2006) as Himself
* *CMT: The Greatest – 20 Greatest Country Comedy Shows* (2006) as Himself

### Video games

* *Scooby-Doo! Night of 100 Frights* (2002) as The Groundskeeper

### Animation videos

* *Hermie and Friends* (2003–06) as Wormie

## References

1. ↑ "Don Knotts". IMDb. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0461455/awards.
2. ↑ "TV Ratings > 1980's". https://www.classictvhits.com/tvratings/1980.htm.
3. ↑ Template:Cite book
4. ↑ Template:Cite book
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Don Knotts—Marine Drill Instructor?". Snopes.com. September 24, 2015. http://www.snopes.com/radiotv/tv/knotts.asp.
6. ↑ "Academy of Distinguished Alumni". West Virginia University. https://alumni.wvu.edu/awards/academy/don\_knotts.
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Biography of Don Knotts". http://www.biography.com/people/don-knotts-9542240.
8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 T/5 Don Knotts - Military Timeline army.togetherweserved.com. Retrieved August 11, 2021.
9. ↑ "Don Knotts Obituary". http://www.legacy.com/ns/don-knotts-obituary/16845505.
10. ↑ "No Time for Sergeants: Opening Night Cast". *Playbill*. January 1956. https://www.playbill.com/playbillpagegallery/inside-playbill?asset=00000150-aea2-d936-a7fd-eef607bc0006&type=InsidePlaybill&slide=1.
11. ↑ Template:Cite book
12. ↑ Template:Cite book
13. ↑ Template:Cite book
14. ↑ "Don Knotts, star of 'The Andy Griffith Show,' dead at 81", *Los Angeles Times* (February 25, 2006).
15. ↑ Template:Cite magazine
16. ↑ "News From ME - Mark Evanier's blog". https://www.newsfromme.com/2006/02/25/don-knotts-r-i-p/.
17. ↑ "Lokale Nachrichten, Wetter, Entertainment, Wirtschaft, Politik, Sport und Shopping". NBC4.tv. http://www.nbc4.tv/entertainment/7472846/detail.html.
18. ↑ "Don Knotts Statue Unveiled in Morgantown Knotts". http://wvpublic.org/post/don-knotts-statue-unveiled-morgantown.
19. ↑ Virginian, Cliff Nichols Times West (December 1, 1969). "Against the Odds". https://www.timeswv.com/news/against-the-odds-morgantown-sculptor-jamie-lester-portrays-the-man-don-knotts-over-characters-he/article\_5d54a690-94ea-11e6-a8a5-cb6bd7e18415.html.
20. ↑ Template:Cite book

Cite error: `<ref>` tag with name "don" defined in `<references>` is not used in prior text.
## Further reading

* Template:Cite book
* "Emmy-winning comic actor Don Knotts dies at 81", *Reuters* (February 25, 2006).
* Estrada, Louie (February 25, 2006). "Don Knotts, TV's Barney Fife, Dies", *The Washington Post*.
* "Don Knotts, Actor Known As Shaky Deputy, Dies at 81", *The New York Times* (February 26, 2006).
* Heffernan, Virginia (February 27, 2006). "Don Knotts, Ever Proud to Be a Bumbler", *The New York Times*.
* Klin, Richard. "Fife and Drum". *Flagpole*, 2006.

## External links

Template:Commons category
Template:Portal

* Template:IMDb name
* Template:IBDB name
* Template:Tcmdb name
* Template:Emmytvlegends name
* The West Virginia & Regional History Center has a collection of materials related to the career or Don Knotts

Template:EmmyAward ComedySupportingActor
Template:Authority control