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 Frank Johnson on August 26, 2015 at 9:13am

This is a great topic you bring up here. I was lucky enough to meet Betty Lynn, George Lindsey, James Best, Howard Morris, Maggie Peterson, and all the Dillards back in 2002-2004 in New Castle, Indiana. During Mayberry in the Midwest events. I actually asked Betty and George this very question and neither of them knew the actors name. They told me he was very very quiet, but was a very nice man. But neither of them knew his actual name. So it has been a LONG time mystery to all of us Mayberry Die Hard fans. I hope someone can finally dig up the truth. As many of you know Danny Thomas's brother in law was an extra in many episodes. He even had a speaking part on the episode where Goober takes a car apart in the courthouse. He says "How did he do it Sheriff" or something close to that.

Permalink Reply by Scott Paul on August 26, 2015 at 9:55am

Thank you Frank. I was thinking it was Danny's brother Tom Jacobs but I may be wrong he might be the brother-in-law. I know Andy's first wife made an appearance on at least one episode. I want to winnow down the TAGS actor's list to those that had speaking parts and those that didn't. I do not think Joe Crehan had any speaking role except I think he shouts in agreement with a crowd in an episode. Bobby Dean was the boy at the county fair with a balloon in the pickle episode he was a paperboy who they put in. There is a young African American woman in one early black and white episode of TAGS in the crowd. I have not been able to determine who she was. Many were members of the extra's guild.

Permalink Reply by Frank Johnson on August 26, 2015 at 10:22am

Scott, you are 100% right. I knew it and still typed in brother in law. My fault. Good catch.

Permalink Reply by Frank Johnson on August 26, 2015 at 10:26am

Also maybe you knew this and maybe you didn't. But there is an episode that Andy's actual father walks out of a building right aw Andy walks in. I am forgetting the episode off hand but I am sure Gary W. will read this thread and tell us the episode. Gread discussion you have started here Scott. Was the African American woman in the episode where Gomer makes his UTurn. "Citizen's Arrest." I remeber her like you do but can't remember the exact episode.

Permalink Reply by Scott Paul on August 26, 2015 at 11:02am

Thank you Frank. Yes that is right Frank she was in the "Citizen Arrest" episode. No I did not know about Andy's father that is really interesting! Although someone has contacted someone close to Charles David Forrest and they said he was on the same man I would like more information. It certainly would make good sense and it would be nice to see other pictures than just the one that is on ancestry.com. It would be interesting to see pictures of Forrest in the 1960s to compare I think that would answer it. In any event Forrest did have an undeniable role as a member of the crew on TAGS. Mathew McCue was another one of the silent extras on the show. He is the old bald man in the cave rescue episode.

Permalink Reply by Elle Bee on January 18, 2016 at 8:51am

Any news on photos of Charles?

Permalink Reply by Scott Paul on January 18, 2016 at 5:25pm

Hi Elle Bee. No I wish there was. It would be really nice to know for certain who he was. It is a lot of fun to try to spot him or Tom Jacobs in the early shows.

Permalink Reply by Scott Paul on October 12, 2016 at 6:41am

I have confirmed that Charles David Forrest while he was the sound engineer on TAGS he was unfortunately not Mr. Schwump. So we may never know for certain who he was.

Permalink Reply by Elle Bee on January 18, 2016 at 8:50am

He walks past Andy and the Farmer in The Farmer Takes a Wife

Permalink Reply by Scott Paul on August 26, 2015 at 6:56pm

I was wrong Joe Crehan and Joseph H. Hamilton both have credited speaking parts playing Mayberry councilmen in "A Plaque for Mayberry." Crehan and Tom Jacobs play Mayberry councilmen in "Andy the Horse Trader." In that episode Crehan can be seen patting Barney on the back and saying "Barney that was wonderful, wonderful." At least I am pretty sure it was Crehan saying that and not Jacobs. Neither are credited in that role. Sometimes Crehan is seen in crowds with thick glasses.

Permalink Reply by Scott Paul on August 26, 2015 at 12:43pm

Frank I checked and you are correct he did say "How did he do it Sheriff?" then he looks over Andy''s shoulder as Andy goes in the court house. He is seen in at least 62 episodes of TAGS. Mostly he is just seen in a crowd or background this episode he got a credit and line! Do you remember if he speaks in any others? This makes a dilemma for me since he actually was in more episodes than Jack Dodson and was in at least 62 according to a list on The Mayberry Historical Society website. This would mean he would rank at least #8 just below Aneta Corsaut or #9 if you count announcer Colin Male as an actor.

Permalink Reply by Frank Johnson on August 26, 2015 at 1:25pm

I do believe this was the only speaking episode. I could be wrong. I know the episode where Otis has to spend his jail time at The Taylor house, Tom brings over a ladder trying to help Otis escape because Aunt Bee was working him so hard. I think that was The Big House episode if memory is correct. How many episodes was the character Jase on? I know he had another character name or maybe even two. He talks in at least two episodes that I can think of. When Gomer gets fired he is talking to Gomer about fishing and holds up the gas line. Where Tom Jacobs is in the car. I think he is playing checkers with Burt, and when Barney does the UTurn he asks Andy if he is going to make Barney write himself a ticket.