Floyd was an excellent character actor, his expressions, deliveries, and getting off-task on conversations totally cracks me up. Floyd was a great addition to the show!. thank you "Floyd".
I always wanted a Floyd the Barber in my town. He was wonderful and I was truly saddened when I learned of his passing back then. It was like we all lost a friend.
howard mcnear, suffered a stroke and came back, always did his scenes sitting down, don't know if this is before or after, but what a great character, floyd the barber was a show within a show, many great characters on this show.
He suffered the stroke in 1963. I have no idea what episode this is so I can't say what year it's from or whether it was made before or after his stroke.
Howard McNear had a great career during the Golden Age of Radio. He was the first "Doc Adams" in the original radio version of "Gunsmoke" which starred William "Bill" Conrad as Marshall Dillon. He also starred in various roles in many of the most popular radio shows prior to the advent of television, where he continued his success. Howard McNear was one of the most liked Actors in radio and also his work in television. The Radio program began on April 26, 1952 and ended in 1961. Howard McNear gave an edge in a positive way to the character of "Doc Adams" that was missing from the role of "Doc Adams" as played by Milburn Stone in the television version of "Gunsmoke" which began in 1955. Both the radio and television shows ran conjunctively from 1955 until 1961 and were immensely popular. Parley Baer played the coveted role of Chester Proudfoot (changed to Chester Goode in the television show) and Georgia Ellis played the part of Miss Kitty in the radio version. William Conrad was responsible in first naming the character of Chester. Parley Baer gave Chester the middle name of Wesley. Both the radio and television shows of "Gunsmoke" were the creation of the masterful script writer, John Meston. William Conrad went on to Direct the television series of "Gunsmoke" for the first few years and also continued his role of Marshall Dillon on the radio show until it ended in 1961. William Conrad became an Executive at Warner Bros. and later had his own successful television show, "Cannon". During William Conrad's career in radio alone, he performed in over 7,500 radio shows, both in starring and co-starring roles. That is probably a record for just about any Actor either on radio or television. William "Bill" Conrad felt Howard McNear to be one of the most interesting and likable Actors in Hollywood.
One more. Parley Baer and Howard became good friends on Gunsmoke. Baer, I believe, gave the eulogy at Howard's funeral. Baer said he was on TAGS episodes mostly when Floyd wasn't in.
@@normanacree1635 Radio Archives in their Volume II Archives Treasures has 5 CD's (5 hours) of "The Story of Gunsmoke" which deals with the radio show. All the characters were alive at the time except Howard McNear. Parley Baer discusses at length Howard McNear's death and his being asked by Howard's wife to speak at the Funeral. It is quite touching, as they all loved Howard McNear. I highly recommended hearing this Documentary on the radio show which was done in the mid-1970's.
Excellent synopsis! Old Time Radio had one of the best shows ever, radio or TV: Gunsmoke, and one of the best casts ever. McNear and Conrad seemed to be everywhere on those old radio dramas. Some would be surprised to know that McNear began his radio career playing an action hero on Speed Gibson. But he developed the quirky character along the way that became his stock in trade, culminating with Floyd on TV. (I was born in 1951, so I only recently "discovered" OTR in my retirement. Great stuff indeed!)
Convicts at Large: my fave ever. Had everything: assault and battery, kidnapping, grocery shopping, ball room dancing, some actual police work! Big Maude Tyler!!! I wanna dance with Al!! LMAO
@@larrybaker5316 One time I watched an Andy Griffith marathon and they were going to tell what the all-time favorite episode was. It was that very episode....Convicts at Large
Howard McNear made Floyd Lawson an American legend. I tried to interject some of his comedic lines in college plays and absolutely no one could make them work. They would have the lines down pact, the delivery perfect, and the timing spot on, but they just didn’t work. Howard McNear had the magic, the gift as an actor to turn words on a piece of paper into a living breathing character. He became Floyd Lawson. He was an exceptional actor! Also, could someone download my favorite episode Otis Sues the County. If not the entire episode but Floyd’s most awesome part when Andy is prepping him for court. It is the most hilariously delicious scene he ever did in the show. All he has to say is He fell down the first time and I come completely apart. PLEASE?!
Floyd had some very funny lines in that episode, but my fave is, "This proves one thing, Andy....if you want a good suit you have to go to Mount Pilot." Also, his "What a nice man." The incredulous look Andy gives him after those lines is priceless.
Hal Smith had a great career playing drunks. Well into the '70s, where he played a drunk a couple of times on The Odd Couple. I can imagine a casting director reading a script and saying, "We need a drunk? Get me Hal Smith on the phone!" Easiest job in show business casting Hal Smith to play a funny drunk.
Andy said in an interview once that he had a difficult time staying in character in scenes with Floyd because sometimes he just enjoyed watching the man work.
@@jonhohensee3258 ??? I made that up?? C'mon man. what's wrong with you? What possible motivation would I have to fabricate something like that? It's out there, I've watched a bunch of the cast's interviews, and I'm not sure but I believe he said it in an interview when a bunch of the cast members were together.
He was also the storekeeper on a radio show called "Ft Laramie" with Raymond Burr as Capt. Lee Quince, captain of cavalry. Good show to listen to on youtube if you get the time.
I recently watch Howard McNear on the Steve Allen show filmed in 1957 do a man on the street skit. Howard does a character in the Floyd the Barber voice and mannerisms 3 years before Floyd showed up in Mayberry. Great stuff
Howard McNear, Floyd was the Doc on Gun smoke on the radio with Robert Conrad, as Matt Dylan, for many years. A totally different Character than Milburn Stone played on the TV Gun smoke. He played many characters on the Radio, a talented man.
Bell on door clangs, come on in Floyd observes my hairy chin Sit down, chair, don't be afraid Steamed hot towel on my face I was shaved I was shaved I was shaved...
I think I stopped watching by then. Very few episodes were worth watching after Knotts left. Andy's character changed after Barney left , as well. He became kind of a grouch and a jerk. I always assumed new writers took over around the same time that Knott's departed. Plus they added some really bad new characters: Warren, Howard Sprague, Emmet the Fix-it Man. And featured the insufferable Helen Crump and Aunt Bea much more often.
Much of what he said wasn't all that funny if anybody else said it. That was what made him so special. He was worth watching in a scene even if he wasn't directly involved in the dialogue. My favorite line: If you want a good suit, you have to go to Mount Pilot.
They asked Don Knotts in an interview how was Floyd to work with and he just looked at the interviewee Ann just said you never knew what Howard McNear As Floyd was going to say
"Oh, if Otis fell in a well, he'd be wet, ohh, and then getting him out, that would be a problem. He's a little overweight, you know, and . . . it wouldn't be like getting Barney out of a well. That would be easy. But you'd still be WET.
SHAZAM!!! Can You imagine the barbershop Floyd would of had, if he would of invented GORILLA GLUE SPRAY GLUE!!! HE could of added a few more chairs to his business!! Yessir!!! A man or a woman !! P.S I HAVE TO BE POLITICALLY CORRECT HERE, could of came in for a shave or haircut, and maybe even a glass of moonshine!!
Floyd was the shit, kids nowadays don’t know what funny is. They get on Tic Toc and make a video of themselves after a wreck, upside down in an intersection and think it’s funny. Two girls get in a rollover and first thing they think to do is do a TikTok video. Now that’s funny? Ridiculous. I much rather watch Floyd, Barney, and Andy.
I was disappointed in some of his appearances in the last season. Example: His last episode where Goober made a mistake on his cash giveaway game and owed Floyd money he couldn't afford to dish out. He was pretty nasty to Goober until Andy soothed it out. There were a few others, too. I never understood why the writers did that to him.
