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One fascinating thing about the show is that some characters are so strong you think they were in scores of episodes, yet, in reality, they were in very few. Ernest T. Bass comes to mind. This character portrayed by Howard Morris was only on five episodes, although Morris appeared on one other as a television repairman. His voice was on two different episodes. The character was so strong people assumed he was on many more.


Of the 249 episodes (250 if you count the Pilot, which I do) filmed, only Andy himself appeared in all of them. Surprisingly, Ron Howard came in second with 202 (plus 41 credits only, plus the Pilot) appearances. Frances Bavier ("Aunt Bee") appeared on 175 (including the Pilot plus 13 credits only), while Don Knotts was on 142 (plus 21 credits only). Surprisingly, no other character reached the 100-show mark. George Lindsey, Howard McNear, and Aneta Corsaut were the only ones to appear in at least 50 episodes. Jack Dodson, Hope Summers, and Hal Smith made over 30 appearances. Betty Lynn made 26 and Jim Nabors 23 episodes. All others were fewer than 20 episodes, including "Emmett Clark," "Ellie Walker" and "Warren Ferguson." Even "Ernest T. Bass" and "The Darlings" made fewer than ten episodes. The writing, casting, and directing were so flawless that it makes you think they were on most of the episodes.


It all started as an episode of Make Room For Daddy with Danny Thomas in an episode entitled "Danny Meets Andy Griffith," which aired on February 15, 1960. This show introduced the world to Mayberry, North Carolina, widower Sheriff Andy Taylor, and his son Opie. Francis Bavier also appeared in this episode but not as "Aunt Bee." She was "Henrietta Perkins." Others later appearing on The Andy Griffith Show include Will Wright, Frank Cady, and Rance Howard. This pilot episode was the true beginning of the show.


During the shows run, many actors and actresses that went on to star in movies and television shows appeared, including Barbara Eden, Buddy Ebsen, Edgar Buchanan, Don Rickles, Bob Denver, Alan Hale, Jr., Frank Cady, Alvy Moore, Sid Melton, Mary Grace Canfield, Hank Patterson, Howard Hesseman (credited as Don Sturdy), James Best, William Christopher, Jamie Farr, Gavin MacLeod, Julie Adams, Dabbs Greer, Rob Reiner, Denver Pyle, Bo Hopkins, Lee Van Cleef, Helen Kleeb, Mary Jackson, Dub Taylor, Richard Bull, Karl Swenson, Ellen Corby, Arte Johnson, Dick Haynes, Terri Garr, Elinor Donahue, and Ronnie Schell, George Nader and Casey Adams (aka Max Showalter). Even Jack Nicholson made two appearances on the show! Actors Howard Morris "Ernest T. Bass" and Richard Crenna directed eight TAGS episodes.


Barbara Griffith, Andy Griffith's first wife, appeared in one episode. Andy's father, Carl Lee Griffith, appears as "The man with the brown paper package" in the episode "The Farmer Takes a Wife." Ron Howard's father, Rance, and brother, Clint, appeared in some episodes.


My list only includes the announcer Colin Male for his appearance onscreen as a forest ranger on the show. Colin Male was the announcer for over 90 of the early episodes. I consider the announcer similar to a crew member, director, etc., but not a cast member. That is just my personal view, and others no doubt will disagree.


Over 600 actors appeared on the show, not counting "Dolly the Horse" or "Old Sam the Fish." Close to 500 had "credited" roles. Scores of "extras" would likely push the list up much higher. Many unknown extras are shown in various group scenes during the show, such as Barney returning and the class reunion show.


The names below with ** after them have exemplars shown herein. The following is a list of cast members on at least five episodes, excluding Colin Male. I thought about Thomas Jacobs and Joe Crehan since they were primarily extras, but I have left them on the list.  Jacobs is listed with 72 episodes but credited in only two of those.  Crehan was in at least 13 episodes, but like Jacobs credited only in two.

The number of episodes below are on screen only.  For example, Don Knotts is credited with 162 episodes but was only seen in 141 of those.  He was named in the credits of 21 episodes that he did not appear in.  I have only used the 141 that he was actually seen.    Ron Howard is more complicated since technically in the opening credits he and Andy appear in all the episodes.   He is credited in 243 episodes but only appears on screen in 202.  He is credit only in 41 episodes.

Andy Griffith "Andy Taylor" 249 episodes**(plus the Pilot)
Ron Howard "Opie Taylor" 202 **(plus the Pilot)
Frances Bavier "Aunt Bee Taylor" 175** (plus the Pilot)
Don Knotts "Barney Fife" 141**
George Lindsey "Goober Pyle" 86**
Howard McNear "Floyd Lawson" 80**
Tom Jacobs "Councilman" and "Mayberry Citizen" (72)
Aneta Corsaut "Helen Crump" 66**
Jack Dodson "Howard Sprague" 38**
Hope Summers "Clara Edwards" 32**
Hal Smith "Otis Campbell" 32**
Betty Lynn "Thelma Lou" 26**
Jim Nabors "Gomer Pyle" 23**
Paul Hartman "Emmett Clark) 16**
Mary Lansing "Martha Clark" 15
Burt Mustin "Jud Fletcher & others" 14**
Robert McQuain "Joe Waters & others" 14
Richard Keith "Johnny Paul Jason" 13**
Joseph Crehan "Mayberry Citizen" 13**
Elinor Donahue "Ellie Walker" 12**
Jack Burns "Warren Ferguson" 11**
Dick Elliott "Mayor Pike" 11**
Joseph H. Hamilton "Mayberry Citizen" 11**
Sheldon Collins "Arnold Bailey" 9**
Roy Engel "Mayberry Citizen" 8**
Allan Melvin "Various Parts" 8**
Dennis Rush "Howie Pruitt" 8 **
Howard Morris "Ernest T. Bass" 8**
Rhonda Jeter "Karen Burgess & others" 8
Parley Baer "Mayor Stoner" 7**
Charles P. Thompson "Old Asa" later "Doc Roberts" 7**
William Keene "Rev. Tucker" 6
Jack Prince "Rafe Hollister" 6**
Janet Stewart (Bernice and others) 6
Forrest Lewis (Cy Hudgins; Mayberry Citizen) 6**
Joy Ellison (Effie Muggins and others) 6
Cheerio Meredith "Emma Brand" 6**
Norman Leavitt ("Wally" and others) 6**
Maggie Peterson Mancuso "Charlene Darling" 6**
Denver Pyle "Briscoe Darling" 6**
Doug Dillard (Darling brother) 6**
Rodney Dillard (Darling brother) 6**
Mitch Jayne (Darling brother) 6**
Dean Webb (Darling brother) 6**
Olan Soule (Choirmaster John Masters/hotel clerk) 5**
Jason Johnson (Mr. Weaver & others) 5
Frank Ferguson (Mr. Foley, Sam Lindsey, Wilbur Pine) 5**
Amzie Strickland (Myra Tucker & others) 5**
Sherwood Keith (Sam) 5 **
Warren Parker (County Fair Judge) 5
George Cisar [NOT the baseball player with the same name] (Cyrus Tankersley) 5
Frank Warren (Art Crowley the grocer) 5
Ruth Thom (Ella Carson) 5
Maudie Prickett (Aunt Nora and Mrs. Larch) 5**
Clint Howard (Leon) 5**
Sam Edwards (Tom Bedlow & others) 5**

These figures change as I find other episodes. To make these autographs a bit easier for people to see, I will make a list of the autographs in the reply section below. That way, if you are looking for a particular individual, you can scroll down to find them in this discussion. The autographs below are people who were on at least two episodes of the show. There is another discussion for those that appeared on only one show and another for "extras."

Jack Dodson "Howard Sprague"
Hope Summers "Clara"
Sheldon Collins "Arnold"
Allan Melvin. Many roles.
James Best. "Jim Lindsey"
Joseph H. Hamilton. "Jase," "Choney," and "Chester Jones"
Mary Treen. "Rose" and "Clara Lindsey."
Jonathan Hole "Orville Monroe" in three episodes.
Richard Keith (aka Keith Thibodeaux)
Margaret Kerry
Ron Howard
Sam Edwards
Burt Mustin
Byron Foulger
Arthur Malet
Denver Pyle
Doug Dillard
Rodney Dillard
Mitch Jayne
Dean Webb
Maggie Peterson
Doodles Weaver (aka Red Marshall)
Joe Crehan
Parley Baer
Rance Howard
Emory Parnell
Joyce Jameson
Amzie Strickland
Jack Burns
Ken Lynch
Thomas Jacobs
Chubby Johnson
Arthur Hunnicutt
Richard Poston
Jon Lormer
James McCallion
Richard Collier
Paul Hartman
Dennis Rush
Sherwood Keith
Tod Andrews (AKA Michael Ames)
Robert Emhardt
Sylvia Lewis
Howard McNear
Dick Elliott
Charles P. Thompson

Tags: Andy, Bavier, Don, Frances, Griffith, Howard, Jack, Ken, Knotts, Lynch, More…Nicholson, Ron

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Replies to This Discussion

Thanks Christopher. Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein is their best in my book. As a kid it scared me more than the original Dracula!

From the Francis and Violet Zane Collection and the Collection of George Weiss (Ed Wood's producer for Glen or Glenda of 1953).

Those are amazing images Eric.  It is too bad the Zane's did not run into Abbott and Costello later to get it signed.  I think they used to get a persons autograph then take a candid shot then later if they heard the person was in town again they would go the theater to try to get the photo signed.  I have some of their signed candid shots including a super rare one of Johnny Silver pointing at a poster of a play he was in!

Hi Scott,

Thank you! I had one signed by Lou from Zane, but sold it to a long time collector - to own it was his dream. It was mounted with a (large) Costello Brown Derby check. It was a photo of him signing!

Francis worked at a theater in California so had access to a lot of stars most that I have seen seem to be 40s and 50s especially.

It seems the cut of date for me anyway was about 1952-1955. Although Scott had some superb 1962 candid images of Judy Garland at THE Carnegie show that I purchased and wish I kept now. Color too. One with Roddy McDowell in her dressing room. Others of her performance, not all of which were disseminated by Pat McMath of the Fan Club in those years. Scott sold a lot of that too. Vintage period fan club copies.

PARLEY BAER (1914-2002)  Parley Baer is best known as "Arthur J. Henson" on six episodes of The Addams Family and as the second mayor on The Andy Griffith Show. He played Mayor Roy Stoner for seven episodes in 1962-63.  He was on two episodes of I Love Lucy and nine of Bewitched. Baer played "Buck" on three episodes of Newhart. He was "Darby" on 55 episodes of The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet. He did westerns like Bonanza, Wagon Train, and Death Valley Days. On the radio version of Gunsmoke he played "Chester" while Howard McNear (Floyd on The Andy Griffith Show) played "Doc Adams."  Baer was asked to give the eulogy at the funeral of his close friend Howard McNear.  This is a 4x6" index card part of the vast John Verzi in person collection through Tom Kramer:

TOM JACOBS [JACOB] (1903-1976) was the older brother of Danny Thomas. He appeared as an extra on The Danny Thomas Show, I Love Lucy, and The Joey Bishop Show. He is seen in at least 72 episodes of The Andy Griffith Show a familiar face when you know it. If I recall, he had one somewhat indistinct line in the episode "Goober Takes a Car Apart." My hearing is shot so it may just be in thinking that was somewhat soft.  There is another episode he says "Welcome back" to Aunt Bee, but there again not distinct.  The character Jacob[s] plays is that of a Mayberry citizen and sometimes a councilman. I have never seen an example of his signature although he may have signed some.  This is the signature on his World War II draft registration card as "Thomas J. Jacob."  He was married at least twice his first wife was Juanita and his second Helen Jacob.  His obituaries did not mention children except for a stepson.

CHUBBY JOHNSON (1903-1974) born Charles Rutledge Johnson in Indiana he was one of the great western sidekicks in both movies and television for almost 30 years. Among his movies were Calamity Jane (1953), The True Story of Jesse James (1957), Support Your Local Sheriff (1969), and Sam Whiskey (1969). He was in many television westerns though often only appearing once. Among those were Gunsmoke, Wagon Train, The Lone Ranger, Wanted Dead or Alive and Maverick. He also appeared in an episode of Thriller. One of his most beloved roles was the TAGS episode "A Feud is a Feud," playing the feuding head of the Carter clan against Arthur Hunnicutt's family the Wakefields. His autograph is rare and there are fakes. This is World War II draft registration signature.

That's awesome, Scott.

Hey there Christopher!   Thank you I always liked Chubby Johnson I wish he was not as rare as he is.

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