Andy & Don: The Making of a Friendship and a Classic American TV Show

by Daniel de Visé

A lively and revealing biography of Andy Griffith and Don Knotts, celebrating the powerful real-life friendship behind one of America's most iconic television programs.

Andy Griffith and Don Knotts met on Broadway in the 1950s. When Andy went to Hollywood to film a TV pilot about a small-town sheriff, Don called to ask if the sheriff could use a deputy. The comedic synergy between Sheriff Andy Taylor and Deputy Barney Fife ignited The Andy Griffith Show, elevating a folksy sitcom into a timeless study of human friendship, as potent off the screen as on. Andy and Don -- fellow Southerners born into poverty and raised among scofflaws, bullies, and drunks -- captured the hearts of Americans across the country as they rocked lazily on the front porch, meditating about the simple pleasure of a bottle of pop.

But behind this sleepy, small-town charm, de Vise's exclusive reporting reveals explosions of violent temper, bouts of crippling neurosis, and all-too-human struggles with the temptations of fame. Andy and Don chronicles unspoken rivalries, passionate affairs, unrequited loves, and friendships lost and regained. Although Andy and Don ended their Mayberry partnership in 1965, they remained best friends for the next half-century, with Andy visiting Don at his death bed.

Written by Don Knotts's brother-in-law and featuring extensive unpublished interviews with those closest to both men, Andy and Don is the definitive literary work on the legacy of The Andy Griffith Show and a provocative and an entertaining read about two of America's most enduring stars.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, Audiobook, History, Tv, Biography Memoir, Memoir

320 pages, Hardcover

First published November 3, 2015

About the author

Daniel de Visé is a writer and journalist. His books have been translated into Spanish, German, Dutch, Italian, and Estonian. A graduate of Wesleyan and Northwestern universities, he has worked at The Washington Post, USA Today, the Miami Herald and four other newspapers. He shared a 2001 team Pulitzer Prize and garnered more than two dozen other national and regional journalism awards. His investigative reporting twice led to the release of wrongly convicted men from life terms in prison. His first book, I Forgot To Remember (with Su Meck, Simon & Schuster, 2014), began as a front-page article de Visé wrote for the Washington Post in 2011. His second book, Andy & Don (Simon & Schuster, 2015), began as a journalistic exploration into the storied career of his late brother-in-law, Don Knotts. Andy & Don is now in its eleventh paperback printing. His third book, The Comeback (Grove Atlantic, 2018), rekindled a childhood obsession with professional cycling and the sport's forgotten hero, Greg LeMond. The Comeback inspired Congress to award LeMond its highest civilian honor, the Congressional Gold Medal, in December 2020. His fourth book, King of the Blues, honors a lifelong passion for collecting, performing and writing about music. King of the Blues was longlisted for the 2022 PEN America award in biography. King of the Blues inspired his fifth book, The Blues Brothers, a jubilant return to his hometown of Chicago.

Daniel is married to Sophie Yarborough, an editor at The Washington Post​. They and their children live in Maryland. Contact Daniel at ddevise [at] gmail.com

Reviews

[☆Angel☆ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I grew up watching The Andy Griffith Show with my parents and I still watch it to this day. Something has to be said for a TV show that has never been off the air since its premiere. I believe the fascination is based on the down-home feel, those simpler days, and of course the comedic timing of Andy Griffith and Don Knotts.

If you have read any of my reviews before, you know that I like it when the book I am reading mentions a place I have been before or my home state of West Virginia. This book has both of those aspects. Don Knotts is from Morgantown, West Virginia and I have been to Mt. Airy, North Carolina a couple of times. I was there just this summer, taking my parents to the Andy Griffith Museum and to do the squad car tour. I highly recommend taking part in those and going downtown to see all the Andy Griffith related shops, if you're in the vicinity of Mt. Airy. Also, a little fact I didn't know before reading this book, Don's father was sent to the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum in Weston, WV, which I also visited this past summer.

Biographies give us the stories of the people behind the image that is portrayed on screen, or on stage. We sort of place them up on a pedestal and admire the character they play, but when you start to read about their real life, who they really were, sometimes it bursts the perfect bubble we placed around them. This book is no different. So if you want to keep you're fabricated ideas of who Andy Griffith and Don Knotts were based on their characters, you probably shouldn't read this book.

My favorite part of this book was the stories of their childhoods. There were a lot of similarities, even though they didn't know each other then. It was almost as if they were destined to become friends when they took the stage together in No Time for Sergeants. They worked well together because of their chemistry off camera. Their friendship would last a lifetime.

The book started to taper off a little when the only thing being discussed were the movie and stage appearances they were making. Although I did learn of a couple of titles I had never heard before. I also learned a few new things such as Andy could hold a grudge like nobody's business and Don took Barney's last name from Fife St. in Morgantown.

I have to commend the author for his thorough research and interviews, citing every piece of information at the end of the book. Andy and Don has served its purpose. It's informative. It made me laugh and caused me to tear up. Most of all, it shows us that although no one is perfect, you can have a friendship that's close to it.

I greatly recommend this book to fans of the show!

[TL *Humaning the Best She Can* · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now, in all honesty.. I've only seen The Andy Griffith Show a few times when I was younger and don't really remember it all too well. My dad was the one who was a big fan and he would watch it every time it would be airing on the TV.

He's not a reader but I know he would love the audio version of this.

Before anyone gets their underwear twisted, I do plan on re-visiting it one day, but it won't be anytime soon most likely... I'm way behind on the shows I do watch now (Part of the problem of being a bookworm, getting your nose out long enough ;-) haha).

That being said, this was a wonderful book both about the making of the show but also of a wonderful friendship between two talented and special men, with the world they grew up and maneuvered in.

(Bad grammar but oh well :-P)

There were a few moments that had me tearing up during the course of the book, but plenty of laughs sprinkled in as well. I felt like I got to know these two alot better over the course of the narrative, including a few things I'm sure my dad didn't even know.

Makes me wish Time Machines were real so I could put these two on the list of People I Would Love to Meet and just spend a day soaking in the atmosphere of the set, maybe see them perform live as well.

Each certainly had their own demons and problems but were good guys at heart. Their journey from humble beginnings was amazing to read and you had to admire them for what they accomplished.

At times I wanted to give Don a big hug.

Of the two, I think Don and me would have gotten along fairly well... Andy not sure. Not meant as a bad thing, genuinely not sure how he and I would have gotten along.

The part at the end with Daniel de Vise briefly speaking was a nice touch and had me smiling a bit.

Would recommend, a truly fascinating, interesting, and respectful read:)
My fingers are already itching to re-read certain parts again.

Happy reading!

[Jessie · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first 5 star rating of 2016!

Andy Griffith show has always been my favorite show. My favorite part is the relationship between the characters of Andy and Barney.

So when I saw this book I had to read it.

The book goes over the real life friendship between Andy Griffith and Don Knotts which lasted for 51 years. It shows how they first met and acted together in the broadway play No Time for Sergeants until the passing of Don Knotts. Andy was one of the last people at Don's bedside before he passed away. The book also goes over the careers of both men, marriages and the time they both cherished working together on The Andy Griffith show.

It was nice to see a true friendship existed between two great comedy legends. Though they both had very successful careers apart, I believe they were happiest when they were working together.

A great read for everyone.

[Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

www.melissa413readsalot.blogspot.com

Well I just cried at the ending of this book.....

I used to watch The Andy Griffith Show as a kid all the way up into my adult years. I even saw an episode last week, which is kind of funny that I read the book right after :)

This book was written by Don Knott's brother-in-law and I think he did a really great job. There are so many things you find out about people that you never even knew. I would love to read a memoir or journal of each person I have ever known and know now, it doesn't matter if your famous, I just love to read about people.

Andy and Don met on broadway in the 1950's. But The Andy Griffith Show didn't debut until October of 1960 and has never been off the air!! But let me back track a little.



The book starts with Don's life as a child and then moves on to Andy's. He tells their life from childhood all the way up until their deaths. Now you know not EVERYTHING is in the book, but so many important things about their lives are in the book.

I was very saddened to read about Don's life as a child. I don't want to give out too many spoilers, but I will say that he grew up poor because his father fell ill before he was born and his mother did everything she could to take care of all of them including Don's brothers. There were things that Don's father did to him that just breaks my heart. Not to mention things in life that got to Don, but there were many good things to go along with the bad. There was a lot of bad behavior on both Don and Andy's part, but who doesn't have that, right?

Then it moves to Andy's childhood, his wasn't as bad as Don's but they were not well off either. The story moves back and forth in between their lives through growing up and what they made of their careers.

I really enjoyed the things I read about Andy and Barney.. the whole gang. I loved that show and still do, when you get down and out with the corrupt world, just find an episode of The Andy Griffith Show. My favorite episode was The Haunted House and Aunt Bee's Pickles :) But The Haunted House was hilarious and I love anything with a spooky vibe so that won number one for me.



When it came to the parts about their deaths, I cried and cried. Especially the in depth look into the days leading up to Don's death, I thought I was going to fall off my couch.. it was so sad. And then when I get over that, here comes Andy's death and I start all over again.

Needless to say, anyone that loved the show should read this book. I'm going to be buying this one when it comes out.



They will always keep me laughing and in some shows crying, but I digress :)

*I would like to thank NETGALLEY AND SIMON & SCHUSTER for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.*

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a must-read for anyone who is a fan of the Andy Griffith show. The book not only covers the lives of Andy and Barney, but many of the additional cast member- Opie, Aunt Bea, Goober, Gomer and many more. It is obvious that Daniel de Vise did a great deal of research and interviewed surviving members of the cast and their families. There are many photos included in the book.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are a TAGS fan, this is a must read.

[Brian Eshleman · Rating 4 out of 5]

How does this get four stars when some highly regarded tomes get three? As Leo says on the west wing in defense of his capriciousness, I'm unpredictable. My standard is, does the author hit what he or she aims for, hold reader attention for as long as requested? He does.

He knows what his subject is and sticks to it. He knows his audience wants to reminisce about the show and wafts the whistling for us to do so. He also knows we want assurances, as Lincoln says in a story about a chess-playing robot, of the humanity behind the grandest illusion. The author manages that also.

[Biblio Files (takingadayoff) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sheriff Andy Taylor and Deputy Barney Fife were the best of friends on TV in the fictional world of Mayberry. In real life, Andy Griffith and Don Knotts were also great friends. Andy and Don is a dual biography of the two men, told by journalist Daniel de Vise, whose wife's sister was married to Don Knotts. As Knotts' brother-in-law, de Vise had a little extra access to Knotts and other actors in their circle, but only for a short time. Knotts died only four years after marrying his third wife, who was de Vise's sister-in-law.

The two men had difficult childhoods in common, as well as both having grown up in the South. They met when they both had parts in No Time For Sergeants on Broadway. Griffith had the lead role and Knotts had a role that was a prototype for his Barney Fife character.

The childhoods and early careers are well documented here, but for my money the book doesn't really get going until both men finally make it to Hollywood. Then we get into the story of how a hit TV show is made in the 1960s. The Andy Griffith Show was an unlikely hit, with little conflict and a bucolic setting.

Griffith, unlike his even-tempered character, had an angry streak and he and his wife would often have shouting matches, sometimes coming to physical violence. Many people were unhappy witnesses to the shouting matches. When the couple were not shouting at each other, they enjoyed partying, particularly in the company of swingers. Hey, it was the 60s!

Knotts, on the other hand, liked a quieter existence when not on camera.

While de Vise goes into the post Mayberry careers and marriages of both men, right up until their deaths, the story of The Andy Griffith Show is the most interesting part of the book. This was the 1960s, but Mayberry is stuck in some kind of a time warp where the residents still make phone calls through a switchboard operator, there is no sign of hippies or rock music or the Vietnam War. This was all very deliberate on the part of the writers, and Andy Griffith had a lot of influence on the direction the show went. Many assumed that Mayberry was a pastiche of Griffith's memories as a child, but the TV Mayberry was about as realistic as a Twilight Zone episode.

I enjoyed the behind-the-scenes details and in-depth examination of how the show was made. I also liked the gossipy stories. This was a fun and informative look at 1960s television.

I also recommend A Cuban in Mayberry by Gustavo Perez Firmat, about how as a boy, Perez Firmat learned about American culture from The Andy Griffith Show when his family moved from Cuba to Miami.

(Thanks to Edelweiss and the Simon & Schuster for a digital review copy.)

[Louis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Often the actors who co-star in movies and television shows are portrayed in the press as good friends who enjoy the time spent together on the set. Almost as often this is not even remotely true. There is one great exception, though: the close friendship between Andy Griffith and Don Knotts while starring in "The Andy Griffith Show" in the early 1960s. Both men frequently admitted their close friendship during and after the making of that classic series. Daniel de Vise's book details just how the two men's relationship developed and lasted. As de Vise points out, both men were Southerners who grew up in Depression-era poverty. Each left for New York in the 1950s, struck out in their first attempts at the big time, then returned after stints back home to take the town by storm. They worked together on Broadway and in movies before getting a shot at TV stardom. These facts are public knowledge.

The two men's private lives are not so well-known. Both men grew up in unpromising circumstances. Don's West Virginia childhood in this telling takes on an almost Dickensian quality. His mentally unbalanced father frequently threatened to kill him and his much-older brothers barely cared about him. Andy, on the other hand, grew up on the wrong side of the tracks in a North Carolina town and found himself frequently bullied. Their friendship, when it comes in this telling, seems almost foreordained as both overcame so much to reach success.

As with any good biography, the personal quirks and failings of each are dealt with in this book. For instance, Don was a hypochondriac. Andy could hold a grudge like few others. Neither man would win a husband of the year award until they married their third wives. The one constant in each man's life was the friendship of the other. If I had a complaint about the book, it is that de Vise seems more sympathetic to Don. This is probably inevitable; Knotts was his brother-in-law. In the end, no matter how you may feel about either man, Griffith's sadness as his old friend lies near death will affect you in similar fashion. This enjoyable book will give all us "Andy Griffith Show" fans a new appreciation of a series that has been a constant in our lives.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

this book was written by Don Knott's brother-in-law. His third wife was sisters with the author's wife. This book is a nice dedication to Andy Griffith and Don Knotts. The book has chapters that takes turns writing about Andy and Don's life as Children. Both grew up poor. Don Knotts in West Virginia and Andy Griffith in North Carolina. it follows their lives until they meet and work together on Broadway in the play No Time for Sergeants. Andy was the star and Don had a small role. This was the beginning of a life long friendship. I was happy that the author spent a good part of the book writing about The Andy Griffith Show.Don was on there for five years when he left to do movie roles.I also liked that he author wrote about the other actors who were on The Andy Griffith show. such as Frances Bavier. Jim Nabors. Aneta Corsaut{I was surprised that Andy and Aneta had an affair}.
the author also wrote about the ups and downs about each actor. Both had three marriages. Andy's first wife have loud fights for over 20years. For each the third marriage ended up being the happiest.
The book went over the entire lives of each actor. The roles they played, the slumps in their careers. Neither actor was perfect. Andy could be moody, and you did NOT want to get on his bad side, he was known to carry life long grudges. Don was a worrier especially about his health, he always seemed to be suffering from some ailment.
I enjoyed reading this book.about Andy Griffith and Don Knotts. they were friends from the time they met until their deaths. A nice tribute to both actors.

[Barb · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was such a pleasure to read this biography of Andy Griffith and Don Knotts. It is also kind of shocking to think I was watching the Andy Griffith show about 50 years ago as a young child.

Andy Taylor and Barney Fife were cousins and best friends on the Andy Griffith show created in the 1960's. However, the audience may not have realized the actors Andy Griffith and Don Knotts truly admired each other and were close friends until Don passed away in 2006. This biography focuses on the relationship of the two actor/comedians, both on and off-screen.

Both actors were beloved for their aw shucks characters, but we find in "Andy and Don" the more complex people they were in reality. As with most people, their lives were full of moments of self-doubt and jealousy. Both men experienced failed marriages, unemployment and losses of loved ones. However, we also see how both men stuck it out and pushed forward into successful careers, and second careers, and third careers! And, throughout, they remained friends and supporters of each other.

A very interesting telling of the lives of two men who appear on television to this day and have fans of every age. The story is told by Daniel de Vise', Don Knotts brother-in-law.

Recommended for fans of the old Andy Griffith program.

advanced copy received from Edelweiss/Above the Treeline

[♏ Gina☽ · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I look back on my childhood, many television programs immediately pop into my mind. Captain Kangaroo started the year I was born. I didn't really have Sesame Street, but I did have Romper Room.

As I grew into my preteens, shows like The Andy Griffith Show were very popular. The child of an alcoholic father, I watched young Opie and his interaction with his dad and wanted Andy Griffith to be my daddy too. Little did I know then that Andy Griffith was also fighting the demon alcohol in real life. It would have broken my heart to think that Andy wasn't exactly like Sheriff Taylor in reality.

The friendship between Sheriff Taylor and his bundling sidekick Barney Fife (one bullet in his pocket) was entertaining. In real life, the incredible Don Knotts and Andy Griffith really were best friends, which explains their on-screen chemistry a bit.

It helps that this book is authored by someone who had an inside view to the friendship (and yes, there were bad times too) - Don Knotts' brother-in-law.

When you read this book, you will find yourself yearning for some of those old programs and the times when people visited on the front porch, kids played outside with each other rather than staring at phones, and people looked out for one another.

[Sarah]

I had been taking about the Andy Giffith show so I thought it might be fun to read this book. Honestly, I got a good way into it and realized there was nothing edifying about reading it. I mean, it was well written and interesting but full of language (which, since it just reported what people actually said I could have easily overlooked), very sad childhoods, and two men who didn't seem to have much of a compass in life, I decided to stop.

I think a lot of people would enjoy this book, I just personally wasn't.

Content notes: I appreciate that the author wasn't trying to just dig up dirt, but he was honest about some of the things both men saw and did which weren't G rated.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Andy and Don is a wonderful book about two men who formed a lifelong bond over humor. They first met doing the stage play of "No Time for Sergeants" and enjoyed each other's company so much that they became fast friends. Andy had deep respect for Don's talents and never resented becoming a straight man to one of the funniest men working in Hollywood.

Both men raised in fundamental Christianity had a deep faith, but Don began to lose his as the years went by. They still enjoyed singing hymns, but their Hollywood lives took on darker elements that overshadowed their Christian faith by stepping outside of that faith with coarse humor, heavy drinking, heavy smoking, and loose sexual morals. Yet, as they aged, they gradually came back to more of that faith. For Andy, much of that faith was restored and returned to after Don passed away.

The book highlights their careers in Mayberry after describing each of their childhoods. We get a deep picture into how Mayberry really came into its own after the pilot episode when Don Knott's picked up the phone and called Andy and said, "You're going to need a deputy." From that point on, Mayberry was a different sort of program. Andy, part owner of the program, had more creative input as the star than most stars of his day. From the beginning he not only insisted on having a place at the writer's table, but also that one be given to Don Knotts, who he considered a comic genius. Don worked diligently at his craft, honing and melding a number of his characters into the guy we came to know as Barney Fife. Andy and Don would need a little filler to fill two or three minutes of a show and sit down and come up with a skit that often would be the highlight of the show.

Mayberry became a return to simpler times for folks who were struggling with the civil rights issues, the Vietnam war, and a number of other problems of the 1960's. Mayberry was stuck in the 1930's of Andy and Barney's youth and many of the storylines came from personal experiences as well as stories they had heard growing up, Soon a cast of characters surrounded Andy and Barney who added more to that feeling of one, big, semi-dysfunctonal family, with Andy serving as a sort of father figure.

The discovery of other actors like Jim Nabors is discussed as well as various aspects of the business. Andy was one to hold long-lasting grudges if he felt he had been betrayed or ignored. Even as much as he loved Don Knotts, he tended to resent Don't five emmys, two of them for guest appearances AFTER he left the show. Yet, he never said such to Don. Later, he said that Don deserved every one of them. Words like genius, clever, and funny were the type of words Andy used to describe Don Knotts to everyone. The genuine friendship between these two men was deep and mutual. Don, hurt for Andy, who was constantly overlooked for awards.

Also, a dark side of these comics was explained. Andy's showbiz wife had to take a second seat to Andy's career, and this took a terrible toll on a marriage that was marked by heavy drinking, domestic abuse, and explosive arguments. During Mayberry, Andy was smoking up to four packs of cigarettes per day. Soon, both Andy and Don were involved in womanizing that would eventually destroy their marriages.

Their careers fluctuated, but anything they did together drew viewers, whether it was a variety show, or an act in Vegas.

Andy tried to reform himself as a character actor. In doing so, there were some occasions when he played bad guys. It is my recollection that several of his parts as bad guys demonstrated the type of depth he showed in "A Face in the Crowd:" which won him great acclaim, but sadly, mirrored in some ways his professional life.

The book never tries to cancel the dark sides of these men. This was enchanting to me, because I want to see the good and bad of people.

Most of all, the book glorifies the work done in Mayberry, obviously the most outstanding work the two men ever did. Since its initial airing, The Andy Griffith Show show has never been off the air, always playing in reruns in one place-or- another, always finding a new audience, and demonstrating a timeless element.

One episode in particular shares the charm of Mayberry. Andy has been charged with misuse of his office and Barney is defending him. He tells why Andy is a great sheriff. With real tears in his eyes, as Don called upon the deep feelings of his friendship, Don describes Andy as more than a sheriff, he's a friend.

The friendship of these two men, both on and off-screen is the focus of this book and it was a delight to read it. Their ups and downs in showbiz is described as some of their darker moments. Their ability to reach out and help one another at just the right moment is showcased.

If you have to read one book about Mayberry-- this is it!@

[Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having grown up watching The Andy Griffith Show and enjoying it I had to read this. I was so glad I did as it gave me a good insight into Andy and Don beyond the show and their other appearances through the years. I don’t recall seeing very much of their other work but now I know what to check out.

My only complaint with the book would be repeating things too much and occasionally making up what they might have been thinking here and there. The book was a bit too long with descriptions of some of the shows etc. I overlooked all of that as I was eager for any little peek behind the curtain of the making of the show.

I recommend reading “The Boys” by Ron and Clint Howard for more insights into the Andy Griffith Show and Andy and Don.

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Best of Friends

Andy & Don is the story of two men from humble backgrounds that worked together off & on over their lifetime. They were especially famous for the 5 yr period when they starred on the Andy Griffith Show. The show was great comedy & pictured a great friendship.
The author was the brother-in-law of Don Knotts. He chronicles the early years of both men & how they eventually crossed paths. They were & weren’t the men that stood in front of the camera. They both could be heavy drinkers (especially Andy). It is difficult to imagine Barney or Sheriff Taylor do off color skits or tell racy jokes, but they would in real life. Both would be prone to chase women while still married. (both married 3 times)
Both men were highly successful but had times of terrible low points. Their later lives seems somewhat sad. The search to always be in the spotlight, may be how many stars spend their lives after early success.
The last goodbye as Don was on his death bed , his death, & Andy’s concern for his soul was very touching.
I would recommend this to any Mayberry fan. My hope that they would be in real life more like their characters is no doubt unrealistic. So long fellows.

[Brittany · Rating 5 out of 5]

At the age of 17 when my mother told me Don Knotts had died, I cried. At the age of 28 as I sit here reading this book at the part where Don dies, I cried again. Nothing has changed. My love for Don Knotts and Andy Griffith will never change. This book opened my eyes even more to the true people that they actually were. These two men are legends that will never truly die. I want my daughter to grow up watching The Andy Griffith show just like I did as a child so that she can develop a true love for these two amazing actors. I believe that there has never been a better "time period" to grow up in. *I was born in the wrong generation* This book is hands-down AMAZING and you will not regret picking it up. WARNING: You will probably cry near the end...I cried even though I told myself I wouldn't when I started reading this.

To quote one of my favorite songs: "I miss Mayberry, sittin' on the porch drinkin' ice-cold cherry coke, where everything was black and white".

[John Yelverton · Rating 1 out of 5]

I by no means doubt the veracity of Daniel de Vise's work, yet he spends so much time writing about and highlighting the demons of these two men, that I started to really dislike two of my favorite actors. In the end, I wish I had never read this book.

[Denny · Rating 3 out of 5]

Biographies of Andy Griffith and Don Knotts. Revealed strong friendship of the two.
a must for Mayberry fans.

[Grayson Markle · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sobering but beautiful story of friendship and the reality of the raw tragedy and darkness that often lie, ironically, behind the most hopeful, comforting, and inspiring stories. The biography serves a reminder to become, not just project or appreciate, the characters we most admire. It’s a story of personal demons, haunting pasts, and the deep primal human-desire for that which is pure and good. Andy and Don’s deep, lifelong friendship and comedic-chemistry is a testament to the truth that in a wold that idolizes self-centered, self-made men, true ageless magic that captures inexplicably the imaginations and affections of humanity itself comes in the display of loving, sacrificing, caring relationships. The story exposes the artifice and hollowness of wealth and fame, and instead points us in a cautionary tale to treasure that which is often at our very fingertips, the love and joy of friendship.

[Michael Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

[Reviewed from an advance copy of the book.]

What American is there who hasn't seen THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW? TAGS (as the show's diehard fans call it) is an enduring piece of Americana, its two central characters – Sheriff Andy Taylor and Deputy Barney Fife – as indelible a pair as Don Quixote and Sancho Panza. While there have been a number of other books dealing with this television classic, ANDY AND DON is the surely first one to focus on the professional and personal relationship between Andy Griffith and Don Knotts. Griffith and Knotts had an enduring friendship that started when they met during the Broadway production of NO TIME FOR SERGEANTS in the mid-1950s. The two men immediately bonded over their shared southern backgrounds and difficult childhoods. The delightful chemistry that Andy and Don displayed on screen – worthy of the greatest comedy duos, of Laurel and Hardy or Abbott and Costello – was based in their real-life friendship.

ANDY & DON is written by Daniel de Vise', an author and journalist who is the late Don Knotts' brother-in-law. He is a sophisticated prose stylist and has given a cogent structure to his double biography, first pursuing Andy's and Don's separate strands of narrative and then bringing them together. Don's childhood was nothing short of Dickensian, with grim poverty, persistent health problems and a mentally ill father who once nearly killed him. Andy's was outwardly more comfortable, yet he too had his battles to contend with, including persistent bullying. Throughout his life Don Knotts was insecure, neurotic and anxiety-ridden, much like Barney Fife. Andy Griffith's personality was more complex, with some of Andy Taylor's magnanimity coexisting with less attractive qualities.

The most enjoyable part of the book by far is the middle portion, which chronicles the production of THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW. There are some great on-set anecdotes here, as well as character sketches of the various people involved in the show (including Howard McNear, Frances Bavier, and Jim Nabors). The latter portion of the book gets more and more depressing. After Don's departure from TAGS, the program steadily declined in quality (“An odd sort of ontological crisis gripped [TAGS] in its sixth season,” the author writes). It finally dissolved in 1968, giving way to the spinoff series MAYBERRY RFD. Neither Andy nor Don was able to rekindle the success of TAGS, though Andy made several attempts to revamp the program in different guises. Both stars were caught up in the general cultural decline of the late 1960s and 70s and took on a number of “trendy” film and television projects in order to stay active and relevant. Much of the time they struggled to find work. Eventually Andy found new success in the 1980s with MATLOCK, his popular courtroom drama. But for the most part, TAGS represented a career high that would never be recaptured.

All this is not to speak of the two men's turbulent personal lives. De Vise' does not spare us the less palatable details. Andy, as it so happens, had a violent temper and a drinking problem; both he and Don developed into great lotharios during their Hollywood years, indulging in a number of extra-marital relationships (Andy had quite a yen for “Helen Crump” actress Aneta Corsault). In fact, those who prefer to maintain an idyllic picture of Andy Griffith and Don Knotts might not enjoy parts of this book. De Vise' “spices up” his narrative with some off-color anecdotes and dialogue reconstructions which strike me as gratuitous and unnecessary. All in all, though, this is an absorbing and interesting book that fills in the gaps in our knowledge about this great comic duo.

Finally, on a side note: it is not true, as the author claims, that Otis Campbell's wife never appears on TAGS; she appears in at least three episodes that I can recall, including “A Plaque for Mayberry.”

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

In my mind I like to go to Mayberry. I want to set a spell on the porch with Aunt Bea, or on days when I'm a-feelin' a might feisty, maybe belt out a couple rounds of "Toot, Toot, Tootsie." So, I was very disappointed to learn that both Andy Griffith and Don Knotts were chain smoking, heavy drinking, foul-mouthed womanizers who committed serial adultery/fornication (and took younger, and younger wives as they aged) and that Andy beat his first wife and that Don was a God-hating apostate who literally yelled, "F--- you, God!"

While I can still admire the work of both of these actors (especially Don--who could EVER do physical comedy better than him?! He is the standard by which all other comedians must measure themselves.), I was just heartsick to know that their lives were so tawdry and unhappy and riddled with anxieties. I wish that they both could have embraced the wholesome lifestyle they served up in Mayberry in their real lives and felt secure in their gifts.

So, I dislike this book not because there is any lack in the skill of its author, or in his ability to tell a tale well, but because he had such sad material to work with. I would certainly be willing to read more of his work. I give him 5 stars, though, in telling us about the endurance and charm of the manly friendship between Don and Andy. I am grateful that they had each other.

[Patrick DiJusto · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some takeaways:

- Andy Griffith had a temper and used to punch his fist through doors
- Don Knotts had a massive schlong and half the female population of Hollywood pursued him at one time or another.
- Andy was no slouch in that department either.
- Don Knotts truly was a nervous hypochondriac in real life
- Both men really were close friends, both before The Andy Griffith Show and after.
- Andy Griffith owned 58 acres of North Carolina shoreline he bought in 1956 for $30,000.
- Don Knotts didn't leave the show, exactly. Both men agreed to end the show after five seasons. Knotts went out and signed a five-picture deal with Universal Studios. Griffith was going to go back to movies as well, but CBS offered him $1,000,000 a year to return to Mayberry. Griffith couldn't turn it down. Knotts offered to come back if he got an ownership stake in the show. He was expecting 4 or 5 percent, but Griffith assumed (without checking) Knotts wanted 50% and turned him down.
- Nevertheless, the two men remained close friends, with Knotts appearing in 17 episodes of Matlock.

[fuminator · Rating 3 out of 5]

Any Griffith Show is my favorite TV show. I was expecting the book to be filled with "untold funny little tales behind the scenes" but it wasn't so. The author is a brother in law to Don Knotts. I will say that discovering Andy GRIFFITH isn't really like Andy TAYLOR almost made me want to stop reading this book. That proves how much I enjoy the show and how much I am fond of the characteristics of Andy TAYLOR. Having said that, this is a book you will have read it till the end to appreciate what the author is trying to reveal through this book. In the end, I didn't care about the personal flaws of Andy GRIFFITH mentioned in this book. After all, Andy TAYLOR was a fictional character and Andy GRIFFITH is a real person just like you and me. Like Opie said it in the episode of "Opie and the Spoiled Kid", "I don't wanna say...after all he is one of my own kind."
I think the author picked the perfect title for this book. The book is really about them and not the show.

[Molly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very heartwarming book about the beautiful friendship of 2 of America's TV icons. It was very interesting as well, looking closely at how Don and Andy were both similar and different to the characters they played on TV and in movies but how their friendship really anchored them no matter what was going on either in their professional careers or in their personal lives. Mayberry is truly a timeless place loved by many generations of fans. The fact that my 11 year old daughter loves The Andy Griffith Show, even though it's been 50 years since it originally aired, is truly a testament to the show, the town and all the characters who lived there in the the simplicity of days past. If you are a fan of Don, Andy and/or The Andy Griffith Show, you will certainly enjoy this book.

[Paul Frederick · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very good book about an iconic duo but it wasn't solely about their most famous work, "The Andy Griffith Show." The book delves into both Andy and Don's early lives, romances, failures, fears, shortcomings, and follows both actors to their desths. If you are a fan of TAGS you'll enjoy this book, but it will open your eyes about it's actors. Not everything in it is flattering, but it is true to life.

[Christina DeVane · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 🌟 This book was so fun and nostalgic for me! And it was a great read after finishing Ron Howard’s memoir - The Boys

I really enjoyed the writing as it felt like a memoir with so many direct quotes. (It was written by Don Knotts brother-in-law.)

So many fun facts as the story covers their entire lives. Knotts was a ventriloquist and was chosen to put on shows in WW II for military morale. He believes this put him on the road to acting.
Griffith entered college to study for the ministry, but changed to a music major and started a singing act with his wife. He went from that to comedy, theatre, Broadway, movies and TV.
When The Andy Griffith show was first proposed Andy thought it would maybe last 2 weeks. But after the pilot Don Knotts called him and asked if the sheriff needed a deputy. It wasn’t long before they realized what a special show they had created. Don and Andy both worked on the scripts and were major contributors.
They weren’t as upstanding people as they play in the Andy Griffith show as they were each married 3 times and had their share of struggles. Andy and the Helen Crump actress actually did fall in love and were an item for bit.🫢
There is some language throughout.

I loved how they remained close friends even after Don left the show and throughout the rest of their lives. Andy visited Don right before he died and afterwards said he had just lost his best friend.🥺

[Mike Cliffe · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars
It has been over 50 years since The Andy Griffith Show (TAGS) first premiered. It has nearly been 50 years since it ended, but it is still a household name. Mayberry represents a simpler time in America with sheriff Andy Taylor and deputy Barney Fife running the town. I doubt when TAGS first started, the producers did not think that in 2017 people would still be watching the show, but it's still on all the time. I'm willing to bet in another 50 years people will still be watching. The show is timeless.
This book is the story of Andy Griffith's and Don Knott's (Barney) life. From their childhood to how they each got started in show business to how they met to how TAGS came about to what happened after the show to their death, this book tells it all.
I think it was after Andy Griffith's death that I got really interested in TAGS. I had watched a few shows here and there beforehand, but after his death the reruns started running all the time and I got hooked. I've watched most episodes and love them all, so when I saw this book, I knew I wanted to read it.
Daniel de Visé (author) is Don Knott's wife's sister's husband. He started this book after Andy's death. He conducted interviews with anyone he could find to try to get a complete overview of Andy and Don's life. He does a fabulous job. Normally I'm not a fan of books like this because it seems like the author is just spitting facts at you. This is not the case here. The book reads more like a story about their lives instead of just straight quotes and facts.
It was hard for me to think of Andy Griffith as a separate person from Andy Taylor. Andy struggled with this image for the rest of his life while trying to get different parts. I have never watched Andy in anything other than TAGS (although now I want to watch Matlock). Taylor is the only Andy I knew. When you learn that Griffith did some things that Taylor would never do (cheat on his wife, punch walls, etc.) it shocks you because you thought you knew Andy Griffith, but you really only knew Andy Taylor. It was touching and sweet to learn of the real life strong friendship Andy and Don had up until Don's death. I hope one day I have a true friend like that.
One thing that bothered me was Daniel de Visé seemed a little harsher towards Andy over Don. This could be the fact that they were related (through marriage) and he had never met Andy. Also Andy's third and final wife, Cindi, would not comment for this book, so that may have played a role without a positive spin from her. It was nothing major and did not affect the book, but some things the author labeled as "egocentric" when Andy did them, were not when Don did something very similar.
Another thing was the author seemed too brutal to post-Don Mayberry. Don left TAGS after season 5 to pursue a movie career. TAGS carried on for 3 more seasons without him while remaining in the top ten. I personally am a fan of the color episodes of TAGS... well season six and seven. I will admit they are not as good without Barney in my opinion, but the author states it seems "forced" and "the jokes were flaccid, the smiles strained" and that Mayberry now looked like "sets." He went on and on about how terrible it was now that Don had left. I tend to disagree. I understand where he is coming from, some of the Mayberry magic is lost without Barney, but this gave Floyd, Howard, Goober, Aunt Bee, Opie, and the other citizens of Mayberry room to develop further. We learn more about these characters than we would not have gotten if Barney was still in Mayberry because the show often centered around Andy and Barney. I will admit in the final season (8), Andy seems tired and not into the show anymore. This book does a good job of explaining why and about Mayberry RFD.
My final complaint with this book is a very minor complaint. The author states when the show first came out in color, "Opie's hair was shockingly orange." Later "no explanation was offered for Opie's hair color." In an earlier episode of TAGS, Barney rubs Opie's head to protect him from a jinx and states he needed to rub a red-head. It wasn't like Opie's hair color was kept a secret and what explanation would you need? Obviously the hair had come from Opie's mother not Andy Taylor. Those statements just struck me as odd, unnecessary, and idiotic.
Overall though this book was excellent. I had tried to read only a chapter a day so I wouldn't get too bored with a nonfiction book (like I normally do), but I failed after a while and kept reading multiple chapters because I was so caught up in it.
I highly recommend this book to any fans of TAGS. If you are not a fan of TAGS, but still like Andy or Don for other movies/shows, I would still recommend this book, but you will find that most of it is written and referenced to fans of TAGS.
Be sure to check out my blog MikeTsBookBlog.weebly.com for other reviews!
Thanks for reading.

[David Ward · Rating 4 out of 5]

Andy and Don: The Making of a Friendship and a Classic American TV Show by Daniel de Vise (Simon & Shuster 2015) (791.4572).

Andy Griffith and Don Knotts costarred in the greatest television comedy of all time: The Andy Griffith Show, which was set in the fictional town of Mayberry, North Carolina. Andy Griffith played Sheriff Andy Taylor, and Don Knotts played Deputy Barney Fife. I've read several books that lionize the show, and I concur wholeheartedly with their premise.

However, this is a very different book. This is almost a biography of the two men, and it certainly contains some surprising information. For instance, author Daniel de Vise asserts that Andy Griffith and his first wife Barbara, to whom he was wed for over twenty years, were both raging (but mostly functional) alcoholics during their time together (though Andy was sober for many years after their divorce).

Don Knotts, on the other hand, was apparently addicted to sedatives and sleep aids off and on during his thirty-year-long period of therapy with the same psychiatrist.

One other piece of trivia disclosed in the book which I had always wondered about: the origin of the name "Opie" which was chosen for Andy's young son on "The Andy Griffith Show" was lifted from the name of a Southern band leader who was a favorite of Andy Griffith's: Opie Cates.

This book is good stuff if you're as big a fan of "The Andy Griffith Show" as I.

My rating: 7.5/10, finished 11/19/15.

Updated 11/1/20 - I purchased a used HB copy in very good condition from Amazon for $3.74 on 8/12/20.

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[patrick Lorelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful story about the friendship and the careers of Andy Griffith and Don Knotts. Both men grew up in the South and both had difficult childhoods. The author will take you through each one. He then shows you how they got into acting and how they made their way to Broadway where they would eventual meet. Eventually in a play and a movie that Andy Griffith would be known for titled “No time for Sergeants”, both the play and movie were successful. Andy would also have a few more top movies. Don Knotts would go from Broadway to doing radio shows and then moving into television when the shows were still being made in New York. When Andy was offered the idea about doing a T.V. show he came up with a sheriff in a small southern town he also thought of Don Knotts as the deputy. This made up one of the best shows but also one of the best characters in T.V. Barney Fife. He takes you through the rest of the show along with the different characters until 1965 when Don Knotts left the show and went into the movies and the author goes through those. You also get a look at the later show Matlock and of course a look at the marriages they had and Don’s death. Overall a very good book. I received this book from Netgalley.com I gave it 5 stars. Follow us at www.1rad-readerreviews.com