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EXTRAS WHO APPEARED ON THE SHOW

I have changed the title of this from MR. SCHWUMP THE SILENT ACTOR to the above title. I am going to try to include here actors and actresses who appeared in mostly (but not all) in uncredited roles on the show. If anyone has exemplars for these please feel free to post them. It is a work in progress trying to find out what episodes they were on so help with that is appreciated also. Some appear many times other just once. Any help that can be given will be greatly appreciated by me.

Perhaps the most famous silent actor (or extra) on The Andy Griffith Show was a so far unknown actor who played "Mr. Schwump" the man with the toupee and false teeth. He is acknowledged in the series yet he never speaks. Jack Dodson in an interview mentions the extra as having been very nervous on camera. He is seen in as many as 26 episodes but never speaks. None of the actor's seemed to recall the man's real name and he was not a friend of Andy Griffith as has been suggested. Griffith, Dodson, Knotts and even Richard O. Linke could remember the name. He was probably a member of the Screen Extras Guild and he appeared in two episodes of Gomer Pyle: U.S.M.C. An April Fools joke on Facebook made up the name "Patch S. Wimmers" and many have sited this. One Charles David Forrest (aka David Forrest) had been suggested, and one of his photographs somewhat resembled the TAGS character. He also was a sound engineer on 122 episodes of TAGS, but his grandson confirmed that he is not Mr. Schwump. For those who might want to refresh their memory The Mayberry Historical Society website has a lot on him and others. I call him Mr. Schwump others say Schwamp I with my hearing such as it is I may be wrong. am certain everyone will remember him from the photograph in this link:

http://www.mayberry.info/history/index.php?title=Mr._Schwamp

Tags: Schwamp, Schwump

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Scott Paul on August 26, 2015 at 4:23pm

"Jase" also known as "Jason" or "Choney" first appears as "Chester Jones" I have a cut autograph from a tax document I have it posted on here under Actors and Actresses who appeared on TAGS. He is is extremely rare. His name was Joseph H. Hamilton he was in 11 episodes and spoke in a majority of them I think He and Roy Engel were somewhat of a team against Barney on in several episodes. He died in 1965 about a year after his last appearance in the Barney's Sidecar episode. This is the link to the autograph on here:

http://live.autographmagazine.com/forum/topics/actors-and-actresses...

Permalink Reply by Scott Paul on October 12, 2016 at 6:20am

CHARLES DAVID FORREST is NOT Mr. Schwump. Sadly a good theory has been laid to rest when the grandson of TAGS sound engineer Charles David Forrest confirmed that he was not "Mr. Schwump." I am going to be starting a new discussion on crew members of the show and will detail information about Mr. Forrest's amazing career.

Permalink Reply by Frank Johnson on October 12, 2016 at 8:37am

Scott I appreciate the work you have put in to try and find out Mr. Schwump's true identity. I am just guessing here, I do not think he is some type of extra or former actor. He just didn't look very comfortable on camera. In my opinion anyway. I have wondered if he may of also been a relative/friend of Danny Thomas or even a relative of a certain writer or director. I hate to say this, but we may never know. Sadly more and more people that worked on the show is passing away. If someone ever gets to North Carolina and meets Betty Lynn she may have a clue.

Permalink Reply by Scott Paul on October 12, 2016 at 10:44am

Thank you Frank I appreciate that. It is my understanding that all of the major stars had been asked about his identity and none could remember a name. They all seemed to remember him but not the name. I also think he could very well be someone's father-in-law etc. I certainly might be worth asking Betty Lynn but I doubt she would know. On another board someone thought Andy Griffith might have known but liked the mystery of it. I doubt this very much I think he probably knew at the time but look at how many extras and minor characters there were. To recall all of them would be nearly impossible. I have problems remembering people I went to school with. I know Richard O. Linke, Don Knotts and Andy Griffith were all asked. I think Jack Dodson discusses him in an interview about the guy with the bad toupee and false teeth who got nervous trying to deliver a line. He did not know the man's name. I am just glad to put to end the speculation it was Mr. Forrest. His grandson knew his grandfather and told me that was definitely not his grandfather. I am going to do another discussion on non-actors on TAGS and will include information on Mr. Forrest. He is credited at the end as David Forrest on most of the early episodes.

Permalink Reply by Scott Paul on October 18, 2016 at 8:54am

CREDITED but minor roles on The Andy Griffith Show. The following will be those who were credited on at least one episode but were mostly nonspeaking parts. The most famous of these although I discuss him elsewhere is Clint Howard the little boy "Leon" with the peanut butter and jelly sandwich. He never speaks but has more than just a minor role. Others of these were Joe Crehan, Tom Jacobs, Johnny Coons, Pearl Cooper and Spec O'Donnell. To make this easier to use please post only ones that received credit I will make another discussion for UNCREDITED.

Permalink Reply by Frank Johnson on October 18, 2016 at 10:33am

Would Ron and Clint's dad Rance count. He spoke some on the episodes he was in. But his speaking parts were minor. The three episodes i am thinking of off the top of my head are the episode where Barney thought Andy and Helen were going to get married. He speaks up near the end of the episode saying something negative about Barney. He also spoke some in the episode where Barney's cousin Virgil was supposed to be on the bus, he was the driver. If memory serves me right he was also a police man an episode. I think all 3 of the Howard's were in this episode. Not sure if you are thinking of actors like this or just ones who basically townies in the background like Burt Mustin.

Permalink Reply by Scott Paul on October 18, 2016 at 10:53am

Hey Frank! I am thinking more of ones who were extras more just in the background and if they say something it is almost like it was spontaneous like Tom Jacobs in the car episode. Specs O'Donnell receives credit along with Pearl Cooper in "Andy the Horse Trader" but neither speaks. Both I think appear in more episodes than imdb lists. I know Pearl does because she is very easy to recognize. Burt Mustin had some memorable scenes especially in "Andy Saves Barney's Morale" and in "Opie's Newspaper." I consider him more of a supporting actor than extra. Of course it is all subjective to each person. I am constantly trying to make lists of main cast, supporting cast and extras and find myself getting confused. People like Lillian Culver give me fits because she only has one appearance and line but it is a very funny line. She is the little old lady who gets arrested and turns to Barney and says "But, Barney I'm your mother!" He arrests his mother again in another episode adn the same line is used, but a different actress plays her. I find it fun to try to figure out who some of the background people are.

Permalink Reply by Scott Paul on October 18, 2016 at 11:02am

PEARL COOPER is the dark-haired older housewife that Andy tries to sell the old town cannon to in "Andy the Horse Trader." She is also the lady with the bag of groceries that Barney jails with the rest of the own in "Andy Saves Barney Morale." In "Aunt Bee the Crusader" she is one of Aunt Bee's "mob." She apparently did other bit parts in various movies including Rosemary's Baby where I think she is one of the "naked" coven members. She was was given credit for the horse trader episode.

Pearl in "Andy the Horse Trader"

Pearl in "Aunt Bee the Crusader."

Pearl in "Andy Saves Barney's Morale"

Permalink Reply by Scott Paul on October 27, 2022 at 10:21am

IMDB refuses to add to Pearl Cooper's credit list for some inexplicable reason. Clearly, she is shown in these three episode screenshots. She is on at least three episodes of TAGS and not just the one currently listed by IMDb. If anyone has an exemplar of her, please add it here. I have never seen one. There may be some studio employment document floating around out there.

Permalink Reply by Scott Paul on October 19, 2016 at 6:28am

SPEC O'DONNELL (1911-1986)appears in one credited role on TAGS as the husband of Pearl Cooper. He also played a councilman in another episode and was seen briefly in another. He had a long career as a Hollywood bit player from the early 1920 until the 1970s.

Permalink Reply by Scott Paul on October 31, 2016 at 9:44am

This is Spec O'Donnell in the episode "Mayberry Goes Bankrupt" he is the man in the front row center. Warren Parker who plays the bank president is on the far right in the front. O'Donnell is fairly easy to spot with this small eyes.

Permalink Reply by Scott Paul on October 28, 2016 at 7:03am

SHEP HOUGHTON (1914- ) is one of the last actors from THE WIZARD OF OZ. He along with Connie Sawyer are both over 100 and the oldest known living actors from the TAGS. He is a CHARTER MEMBER of both The Screen Actors Guild and the now defunct Screen Extras Guild. His first film was 1927! You may have heard of a couple movies he was in such as Gone With the Wind (1939), The Charge of the Light Brigade, The Red Badge of Courage (1951) and Inherit the Wind (1960), Spartacus, among scores of others. He appeared on The Jack Benny Show, Star Trek and many others. On The Andy Griffith Show his biggest appearance is along side Rance Howard as a treasury agent in "Black Day for Mayberry." He appeared in at least three episodes. Houghton later appeared on at least three episodes of Mayberry R. F. D. Below is a signed index card in ballpoint.