As a child of the Fifties and Sixties, I watched a lot of TV. So it always saddens me to hear that stars from that era have passed away, as both Don Knotts and Darren McGavin did today.
We never missed THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW when I was growing up, and I always enjoyed watching Don Knotts playing Barney Fife. Later, after he left the series and started making movies, I remember walking to the Eagle Drive-In Theater and watching him in THE INCREDIBLE MR. LIMPET and especially THE GHOST AND MR. CHICKEN, which I saw several times over the years because the theater kept showing it on Merchant's Night (the one night a week during the summer when you could get in free with tickets that were given away at various businesses in town). Still later, in the early days of our marriage, Livia and I would usually watch THREE'S COMPANY, and while Ralph Furley was no Barney Fife, it was still good to see him working again.
Darren McGavin is probably best known for THE NIGHT STALKER, a show I liked and watched regularly, but my memories of him go back to a late Fifties Western series called RIVERBOAT, which also starred a very young Burt Reynolds. I think I saw him before that in the syndicated version of MIKE HAMMER, but I'm not sure about that. Some years later McGavin returned to playing a private eye for one season in THE OUTSIDER, which was created by Roy Huggins and is regarded by some as a sort of dry-run for THE ROCKFORD FILES. McGavin's David Ross was considerably more serious than James Garner's Rockford, or at least that's the way I remember the character. That series was also the basis for a very good tie-in novel by Lou Cameron. To me, though, even more than Mike Hammer or Kolchak, Darren McGavin will always be Ralphie's dad in A CHRISTMAS STORY, one of my favorite movies. "A major award!"
Both of these guys did great work, and they'll be missed.
Conan - Conan the Valorous
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The world is a less funny place due to the loss of these two gentlemen. Don Knotts had recently done some dinner theatre work here in Kansas City and now I really regret not getting out to see him. Private Eyes is still my favorite movie he ever made and I laugh hysterically whenever I see it. And the family still watch Andy Griffith show, mostly for the antics of Barney Fife.
As a habitual Christmas Story watcher I anticipate that this next year's viewing will be tinged with sadness knowing that Darren McGavin has passed on. He was so great in the roll of Ralphie's father...just hilarious. On a different note I am glad that both of these men lived long and fruitful lives. They have both left a legacy of quality workmanship behind.
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