Rating: Summary: Good book! Review: This book was a nice, quick read. "The Andy Griffith Show" was never one of my favorite television shows, but I noticed that Don Knotts had a lot of comedic talent. I learned many things about Don that I had never known before in this book, e.g. that his first name was Jesse, etc. What I most know him for is playing Ralph Furley on "Three's Company." I was dissapointed that he only wrote three or four pages on his role on "Three's Company," but enjoyed reading about his life and about his other roles. I recommend this book to all Don Knotts fans.
Rating: Summary: Barney Fife Rules!! Review: Andy, get Barney another bullet. He missed with this one. Okay, so the guy's sweet, kind, can't get a mean word out of him. He went through two wives, he had kids, he had disapointments and missteps, and he doesn't share any insight into the pains, joys and frustrations of his life with the reader. We see a picture of his kids, and that's it. What's their names, Don? Do you love them? We hear about a divorce, thrown out like an after-thought. With what little I've been able to glean from other sources, Don Knotts is maybe the greatest missed chances for comedy, ever. Without killing himself with drugs or stupidity, Knotts blew it. True or not? I'll have to look for the answer somewhere else. He blew it with this pablum book too. Hopefully someday someone will write a biography of the man, and we can see his humanity, instead of just his brave face.
Rating: Summary: Aww, big ain't the word for it! (Unfortunately.) Review: As everyone knows, Barney Fife was a high-strung bundle of pride, petulance and braggadocio, an infuriating but lovable man-child. On the other hand, Don Knotts, the comedic genius who created one of the funniest characters in television history, is apparently the nicest, least complex actor of all time. The man doesn't have a discouraging word to say about anyone or anything, and nothing earthshaking to say about himself.This book is slighter than either Knotts or his alter ego, and that's saying something. Sure, it's interesting to read about Knotts' upbringing in depression-era Morgantown, West Virginia, his years in the service, his first taste of the limelight as a ventriloquist, and his glory years on "The Andy Griffith Show." But the book doesn't make even a token attempt to try and figure out what makes Knotts tick. After a while, the barrage of ho-hum anecdotes and warm/fuzzy show biz acknowledgements gets mighty old. Even the chapters devoted to TAGS are rather dull. Undue attention is paid to Knotts' so-so movies for Universal, particularly "The Ghost and Mr. Chicken," which Knotts dissects as if it were a screen classic. It's to his credit that Knotts didn't seize the opportunity to dish the dirt on the amazing galaxy of stars he's worked with in over fifty years as an entertainer. One gets the heartwarming impression there's nothing fake about Knotts' humility and niceness. Still, you'll find yourself wishing Knotts had lapsed into his reckless Barney persona to write a few pages he might regret.
Rating: Summary: Hey Barn!!! Review: As I am sure most readers of this book are, I am a huge Andy Griffith fan. So when I picked up this book to read, I expected a few chapters on the show itself. What a let down!! Only a few short chapters at best. Knotts has to be one of the most talented funny men in television history. The character Barney Fife in my opinion is the funniest tv charcter period. The book is carefully written with no smut what so ever. That is fine by me, however the A-G show took up 6 years of his life, and he spends more time talking about the Apple Dumpling gang then he does the show itself. The title is a classic publisher bit, making the title "Barney Fife....." has a lot of people thinking that the book is going to be about Barney and Andy and the behind the scenes tales we all want to hear about. You will get some of that, but will be left begging for MORE!!!!!
Rating: Summary: KNOTT ONLY FUNNY BUT SMART Review: Comedy is the hardest thing to do well. It takes consumate talent and impeccable timing to pull it off. In my book, Don Knotts ranks right up there with the very best, and I'm talking Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, Buster Keaton, etc. When Don has had good material to work with, as he did on the ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW, and in some of his other projects, he showed that he was a master of his craft, for he not only was funny, he set a standard that those who followed could measure themselves by. This warm memoir provides an intelligent and insightful look into the life of a great comic actor.
Rating: Summary: Good Old Barney Speaks Out Review: Don Knotts gives us insigt into his career and the characters that he created. Of course, Barney Fife is the most memorable one. The author's voice comes out in this book, as it is not overly edited. He writes as he speaks. It's straight forward and informative. I read it in one afternoon. Like Mayberry, it's fun and you feel good while you're there. CC
Rating: Summary: nipped it Review: DON knotts nipped it in the bud with this one. it was a very good book. I read it so fast because it was hard to put down. Barney Fife is the funniest man on tv! if you are a mayberry fan you will love this book.
Rating: Summary: Barney and Don Knotts are two different men! Review: I have really enjoyed reading this book, and have read some of the other reviews of it. I think Andy Griffith summed it all up in the foreword he wrote for this book, when he stated..."Don was not Barney Fife. Barney Fife was a character that Don created. I know Don to be a bright man and very much in control of himself. As everyone knows, Barney Fife had very little control of himself." Obviously Don did not write this book as Barney would have, but there are little traces of that personality hidden in it, if you infer it that way. People who buy this book expecting to hear the caustic ramblings of a Hollywood burnout will be sorely disappointed. Mr. Knotts seems as warm and fuzzy as your favorite stuffed toy, without a harsh word to say about anyone. If you want more real background information on him from a more objective standpoint, watch the excellent Biography Channel special on his life and career. Or visit the website www.interestingideas.com and look for the essay someone wrote about him, that was gritty and much more candid and philosophical. You will be fascinated! However, if you are new to watching the Andy Griffith Show, like I am, and this is the first book you read on the show, like it was for me, this book is a great way to get introduced to the show, and prepare you for the more theoretically advanced books you will read about it in the future. Especially if you are a "Trained Noticer" like me! Now, if Howard Morris (Ernest T. Bass) would just write his autobiography...
Rating: Summary: Memories... Review: I really enjoyed reading this book, it was like talking to my 5th grade teacher, always telling stories from his childhood. Reading this was very funny, like when he was talking about Andy Griffith, and a few jokes, and how Andy laughs when he really thinks somthing is funny. It's a very good book for people who think Don Knotts is a great actor, he talks about, "No Time for Sargeants", "The Andy Griffith Show" and "Three's Company" just to mention a few, but still more movies and shows he has done, not to forget his army days too!
Rating: Summary: Simple and Sweet Review: This is a very charming, simple book filled with fun stories. Nothing earth-shattering, but then it really shouldn't be. You can almost imagine this as a transcript of Barney Fife and Andy Taylor on the porch, shooting the breeze. This is a very pleasant read from a marvelous talent. Don Knotts is so good, but there is not a drop of ego to be seen, which also makes this quite refreshing.
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