Tag: Andy Griffith

Different Old White Guy In A Red Baseball Cap

Natl Geo 6/68
Natl Geo 6/68

2PM: New Harbor, Maine menfolk swap stories and play checkers on a winter afternoon at Lester Russell’s barbershop. The horn-rimmed glasses, calendar, radio, and cans of Barbasol all make for an authentic portrait. But what’s the young man wearing? Shin guards? Rubber waders? I don’t get it.

Speaking of barber shops, today is Howard McNear’s birthday. Born in 1905, he played barber Floyd Lawson on The Andy Griffith Show. After a stroke paralyzed the left side of his body, he left the series for over a year to recover. Andy encouraged him to return to his role, but he could not walk or stand. Audiences noticed his speech was slower, as well as his movements. If you click on any post-stroke youtube videos, it’s obvious. The show’s crew accommodated his disability, filming McNear seated or standing with support. Many scenes were shot with him sitting on a bench outside the barber shop, as opposed to actively trimming hair as before. In most of his post-stroke scenes, McNear’s left hand would hold a newspaper or rest in his lap, while he moved his right arm and hand as he spoke his lines.* Well, I’ll be.

floydandy

 

*(per wikipedia)

Skillet Lickers Bilin’ Cabbage Down

America's Music by Oermann
America’s Music by Oermann

These here fellas were known as The Skillet Lickers way back in the 1920s. Now before you go thinking one of them licked too much skillet, the one with the hair like a dead man’s curve was legally blind, but Riley Puckett was quite the vocalist. Haven’t heard of of this hillbilly band from Georgia? Well, that’s probably because they were selling singles before you were born. “Down Yonder” was their biggest hit on RCA Victor, but others included “Hand Me Down My Walking Cane” and “Bile Them Cabbage Down.” They disbanded in 1931. Andy Griffith performed his more grammatically-correct version of “Boil Them Cabbbage Down” on his hit show. As an added bonus, a verse is sung by Bob Denver, aka Maynard G. Krebs and Gilligan.