Farewell to Fife, Furley: TV's Don Knotts Dies
by Joal Ryan
Feb 25, 2006, 7:35 PM PT
back to story

To the end, Don Knotts and Andy Griffith were a team.

Knotts, the jittery Deputy Barney Fife to Griffith's imminently calm Sheriff Taylor for five Emmy-winning seasons on The Andy Griffith Show, died of lung cancer Friday in Los Angeles. The iconic comic actor was said to have been surrounded by family and a pair of friends--Griffith and his wife.

Knotts was 81.

The announcement of Knotts' passing was made, appropriately enough, by TV Land, the cable network specializing in shows, such as Andy Griffith, that bear up to repeated viewing.

In addition to Andy Griffith, which he starred on from 1960-65, Knotts leisure-suited up as lecherous landlord Mr. Furley on Three's Company from 1979-84. Furley was another character that, like Fife, was destined to live on in reruns.

Knotts' run as Fife was unique in that it was as celebrated as it was popular. From 1961-63, Knotts won three straight Emmys for Outstanding Performance in a Supporting Role by an Actor. In 1966 and 1967, after he'd left the series as a regular, he won two more supporting acting Emmys for his work as a special guest star. In 2003, he reteamed with Griffith, Ron "Opie" Howard and the other surviving stars for the CBS retrospective Return to Mayberry, which was a huge ratings hit.

As for Furley, Knotts was never so much as nominated for the farcical sitcom that was never a critical favorite.

Knotts was born July 21, 1924, in West Virginia. He starred in several kid-friendly comedies in the 1960s and 1970s, including The Incredibly Mr. Limpet, The Shakiest Gun in the West and The Apple Dumpling Gang.

More recently, he starred as the mysterious TV repairman responsible for turning Tobey Maguire and Reese Witherspoon into black-and-white in 1998's Pleasantville and, in his final screen credit, gave voice to Mayor Turkey Lurkey in last year's animated hit Chicken Little.

He'll be missed. Sometimes when we gig, my partner and I do a little "front porch harmony" a la Andy & Barney as a sort of tribute.

I came home from the library last night and was told by my wife that "Your guy" had passed away. Didnt take me long to figure it out. Just had recently brought home the "Best of Barney" DVD and had a lot of laughs, chuckles and even guffaws. He was one of the few actors/comedians who made me laugh just seeing him walk into the room. You can find me glued to the TV every time "The Ghost and Mr Chicken" comes on. God Bless ya Deputy Fife!!!

Another icon of the simple times is gone.  Is there a Don Knotts on TV today?  You'd be hard pressed to come up with one.

Finalannsa

RIP Don.   :<>

First remember Don as "the man in the street" always being interviewed by Louie Nye on the Steve Allen show. Don always had this "deer in the headlights" look in his eyes that was so funny. He will be missed. :<>

A true classic comedian :<>