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

0 members like this

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Scott Paul on October 31, 2016 at 9:22am

Here is Shep Houghton on left with Rance Howard on right as Treasury Agents in the episode "Black Day For Mayberry." Both men are still alive as of this posting! This is probably his biggest appearance on the show although he appears in two other episodes.

Permalink Reply by Scott Paul on September 16, 2017 at 7:03am

SHEP HOUGHTON died December 15, 2016, aged 102 years. Connie Sawyer who was born in 1912 is the oldest living TAGS actor.

Permalink Reply by Scott Paul on April 27, 2024 at 1:55pm

About a month after I wrote the above Rance Howard died on November 25, 2017. Connie Sawyer died January 18, 2018, at the remarkable age of 106. Ron Howard is the only original main cast member. As of this writing Elinor Donahue is the last top billed adult star from The Andy Griffith Show. Other adult actors and actresses that appeared on at least five episodes of the show and are still living are Doug Dillard and Rodney Dillard. Adults that did fewer episodes include Ruta Lee, Jackie Joseph, Joyce Van Patten, Ronnie Schell, Rockne Tarkington, Jamie Farr, Diahn Williams and probably a few others from later episodes. Several of the child stars are still living including Sheldon Collins. Clint Howard, Dennis Rush, Joy Ellison, David Bailey and Morgan Brittany.

Permalink Reply by Tim Henderson on January 16, 2017 at 2:04pm

Does anyone know who played the boy who was delivering laundry in aunt bee the warden?

Permalink Reply by Scott Paul on October 29, 2022 at 10:10am

MICHAEL DENNIS JEFFERS was born in England in 1899. He rose to become the President of the Screen Extras Guild fighting tirelessly for that nearly forgotten group. Jeffers appeared in at least nine episodes of TAGS as an extra. He also appeared in Mayberry R. F. D. He never had an outstanding scene on TAGS but was one of the stalwart faces that was necessary to give the show realism. Unlike Joe Crehan and Tom Jacobs, he never received a screen credit for any of the TAGS episodes he was in. This is a example of his signature from his World War II draft registration.

Permalink Reply by Frank Johnson on October 29, 2022 at 11:11am

Scott I appreciate your vast knowledge. I am learning so much from your posts. I hope one day we can view your collection on here

Permalink Reply by Scott Paul on October 31, 2022 at 4:17am

Thank you very much for the kind words, Frank. That is what I am planning on doing, trying to eventually have an exemplar of every TAGS actor I can find. I am considering adding a discussion for RETURN TO MAYBERRY and Don Knott's movie, THE GHOST AND MR. CHICKEN. The latter, while not technically from TAGS, has many former alumni in it. I wish they would release the movie ANGEL IN MY POCKET (1969) that Andy Griffith did after he left the show. That movie had lots of TAGS stars in it.

Permalink Reply by Scott Paul on November 3, 2022 at 5:30pm

Michael Jeffers as one of Ellen Corby's henchmen in the TAGS episode "Barney's First Car."