The reason everyone was happy on The Andy Griffith Show is that they were all single: Andy Barney Aunt Bea Helen Thelma Lou Floyd Goober Gomer Opie Warren The only one married was Otis and he was drunk all the time.
jim smith that's right. Floyd was married. The man with a mystery in the woods was married and Andy & Barney helped with the baby's birth. Claire was married but a widow (after they changed her name 😜) the n older men were married. Both mayors were each married. Andy was married prior to the show... (I always thought she passed.) Unless someone knows a different theory.
He was also then voice of Mr. Whitaker from the adventures of Oddyssey! Hal Smith voiced numerous cartoons characters. Was a great man. Rest In Peace Hal. Thanks for the laughs.
I love Adventures in Odyssey. And I love the fact that late Hal Smith was the original John Avery Whittaker! I love the other two men who done the voice of Whit too! I am glad there are others of us who are not ashamed of this too?
Appreciate the video Dave. Otis was one of my favorite characters of the show. I cannot pick one single favorite character since it took the whole cast of characters to make Mayberry, Mayberry. The sleepy little town of Mayberry itself was the main character to me and not complete if someone was missing. Some of the best episodes and scenes are of Barney and Otis getting into and argument. Whether it was a drunk test, an interrogation on the whereabouts of a still, or being deputized, those two characters always had you laughing. They went together like peanut butter and jelly.
I'm afraid you missed one of Hal Smith's greatest roles. Before he left us, Hal played one of, if not the most important role of his illustrious career. Hal was the original voice of John Avery Whittaker on Focus on the Family's -Adventures in Odyssey. As such he had the opportunity to tell millions of listeners how to find peace with GOD for all eternity. He was indeed a great man. -rg
Good evening Dave, you know the notification Bell did not ring at my house today. But that's okay because I caught this video now otherwise I would have been commenting a lot sooner. Otis Campbell was my all-time favorite character in Mayberry. I don't know what to say except that he was so so so funny! And is there is such a thing as a innocent childlike drunk, which I'm sure there isn't, but that is the way I saw Otis!! In my honest opinion, his acting ability on this show was par excellence!!! Thank you very much Dave for this video! Blessings from PA.
There was actually an ep when Otis bought a car and drove it, but Andy and Barney quickly convinced him to get rid of the car so that he would not hurt anyone while intoxicated.
Whereas I personàlly don't think his role as Otis was harmful...all the sàme, I deeply respect his own personal convictions concerning it. :) p.s. Love the episode with him about the loaded goat lol
I think the original characterization of Otis was a product of the time - and was funny. But as the audience changed, Hal Smith recognized that and was willing to change with it. I say good for him!
Julie Stevens advertisers were the reason. The network did not want to lose them over the alcoholic Otis. So, they stopped the drinking and he all but disappeared.
I loved and still love The Andy Griffith Show. The early black and white episodes were entertaining and sweet. A few of the later color shows had contrived plots where something happened that could have been easily resolved but the characters went through convolutions before the resolution, but only a few. It was feel good, clean entertainment and I wish there were shows like it now.
blanche konieczka. I agree with you blanche. it seems like most of these older black and white sitcoms were very funny and wholesome. when color came to them they sort of became too silly. the first few years of the Beverly hillbillies were classic. then came the color episodes. of course by that time many of these sitcoms had been on for quite a few years.
It should be noted that Otis did not appear in the latter seasons because the series got a new sponsor, which did not want its product associated with such a character. Otis was referred to once during the final season, by way of explaining his absence, when Andy said he now went to Mt. Pilot to drink.
I really loved the scene wete Barny attempted to give Otis a sobriety test. He went through a series of quick physical endurance exercises, but , despite Barny's lead, Otis breathlessly out did Barny, who almost collapsed from exhaustion! Ill be watching two episodes of the ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW tonight on METV @ 7:00 P.
And another 👍 & 👌 & 👏! Just happened onto your channel...love the content & subscribed! Looking 👀 forward to watching more...much more! These are the shows I grew up on...so thanks!
I think it was all in good fun, I live in a small town and there's a couple of people who usually drunk, every town has at least one! Otis was one of my favorite characters.
Thanks for this one Dave! It brings fond memories of growing up in LA and getting to meet Hal as the Pancake Man at an IHOP grand opening. I believe I have an autographed photo of him somewhere.😉❤️
Dave thank you for another very informative and interesting upload. I get so bored with the continual focus on Crime Dramas and Medical shows like Grey's Anatomy on TV now. We definitely need TV shows like The Andy Griffith Show again!
Agreed. We need more shows like The Andy Griffith Show. I just finished watching an episode called "Man in a Hurry" that another commenter suggested we watch and review. I hadn't seen it in years. Sooooo good!
Otis Campbell was my favorite character on Andy Griffith. I watched Hal Smith, as a kid, play the Pancake Man on KHJ TV Los Angeles in the early 60’s . He was doing both roles at the same time.
Outside of hitting his mother-in-law with a leg of lamb, he was a harmless drunk. We have to take the show for what it was, the times it was made in. Enjoy them, try not to analyze them nobody even heard political correctness back then .
It was in good fun. And because there were good people involved, when they realized what that fun could lead to, they showed that fun was best when you could remember all of it. And none of what you remember makes you or anyone else cringe because of foolishness or weep because of what that foolishness could produce or destroy.
As a kid, I thought Otis was very funny but It never made me want to drink. On the contrary, it made me avoid it! But I thought Otis was sweet. I especially like the episode where his brother and family come to town and they try to make it seem like he's not the town drunk. We got to see a bit more of Otis in that one. But i can totally understand why he was concerned and I think it was a good call to have him sober in the 1986 film. It showed progress in the character and let's face it: if he had been drinking all that time he would have been dead!
hal smith was the original English voice of Lord Yupa, the incredible warrior and swordmaster in Warriors of the Wind, the truncated kiddy oriented version of Studio Gibli's Nausicca and the Valley of the Wind. the dub was almost universally despised due to mass editing, but it is thrilling to hear the voice of Otis gnarled up into that of a cheerful but invincible badass!
Anyone who would be more likely to drink because of Otis glamourizing it has bigger problems in life.. He was a fun character and I'm an anti alcohol person. -scott
I was thinking that Hal Smith done voices on the Lutheran's Davy and Goliath. Which was a program I watched when younger. But he was the original voice of the character John Avery Whittaker on Focus on the Family's ADVENTURE IN ODYSSEY which is a radio broadcast that my daughter grew up with! And a radio broadcast that I love very much for the moral lessons it presents. But more importantly for the way it presents the Gospel of Jesus Christ! Being a Christian and a preacher of the Gospel of Jesus Christ I really love the way it presented the Gospel and I understand souls were actually saved as a result of ODYSSEY episodes! Plus as a preacher I consider it a very good source for sermon ideas! And both of my late wives listened to Odyssey too! I was always amazed by the fact that the late Hal Smith was the original John Avery Whittaker! Well I could go on but I think for space sake I will close!
Hal Smith also appeared on THE BRADY BUNCH as the dept. store Santa who promised Cindy that her mom, Carol, would get her voice back to sing Christmas morning.
Whitt's End home of the Imagination Station, right here in Odyssey. Hal was the voice of Whitt, on the radio and in animated videos for Focus On the Family, where we Turn Our 💕 💞 ♥ 💜 💙 🧡's toward 🏡.
Hal Smith and nothing to do with him switching him from a drunk to an ice cream man and he did Play Drunk Again in the reunions shows coming out on stage drunk. In real life how Smith wasn't a drunk at all but Andy Griffith was
No disservice from the producers of The A.G.S. . Times were changing and I'd like to say that shows as for back as the 1950's were moving into a direction we know now as "Political correctness". Otis was a hold over from a time when people cared less about the reasons a person was a public drunk and more about pointing out that keeping your drinking in the closet was better for society. In some early A.G.S. episodes Andy wakes in the middle of the night only to light a smoke and reflect on an incident earlier the day before. Smoking was SOOOooo normalized that having a smoke was as expected as napkins at the dinner table. Andy also can be found after dinner smoking on the front steps of his home in other episodes. As for the reruns of the AGS I viewed in the early 1970's on channel 43 or 61 in Akron, Ohio, Otis was the guy I didn't want to be like when I grew up. Basically a good guy with a weakness that was uncontrollable. So in that way it certainly helped me be aware of potential substance abuse issues.
Thanks for the nice video on Hal. I think we are being too politicly correct on this . Yes it is bad now from what we know and Hal was rightfully concerned , But I enjoyed his scenes the give and take with Andy and Barney never seen him drive on the show and I think that's a good mark for the producer so it's really a toss up . Thanks again Dave Love these old great shows
Just like so much from the Golden Age of Cinema & Television, we can look back from an enlightened perspective and pick apart broad depictions of everything from sexist behaviors to drunken stereotypes. Imho, great acting is just that. If the mission was to present a humorous bumbling drunkard, then Hal Smith did just that. I'm just incredibly impressed by Smith's conscience to what he had depicted. Kudos to him and others like him, who made an effort to rectify what they saw as past errors in judgement. That said, I think that we need to quit picking on those persons from history who may have committed social wrongs in acting. What we need to remember, I think, is that we ALL benefit from a 20/20 hindsight regardless of the era in which we live. The socially conscience of today must realize that some day we'll be looked upon as being tragically archaic by our decendents.
Face it Hal Smith did a good job portraying a drunk... so did Foster Brooks... they equated being drunk with being stupid... and unlike today, back then being stupid wasn't a badge of honor.
My first thought while reading your comment was... Otis wasn't being stupid, he always got over on Barney. Then I thought wait a minute, that doesn't make him smart at all. You're right after all.
I thought Hal's portrayal of Otis Campbell was funny, but in a sad or sympathetic type of way. I felt that Otis didn't really have a lot of self-esteem so while I did not excuse his drunkenness, I understood his reasons. I felt his portrayal was never excusing being drunk and I never saw any episodes where he encouraged others to drink too much. And everyone around the character plainly was against his drinking too much. The drunkenness was played for laughs but not laughs indicating acceptance but laughs meant to indicate patience and understanding.
MY SOMETHING NEW I LEARNED TODAY, INTERESTINGLY, I'VE ON OCCASION MADE A REMARK ABOUT SOMEONE WHO DRINKS TOO MUCH, 'THE TOWN OTIS '. THANKS KINDLY FOR THE CLIP. GOD BLESS
I think it showed other people had problems with life and how some tried to solve it through drinking. It was not that bad or good but it showed how people wants to get away from weariness and be around friends to have a certain comfort because they did play checkers once in while or he had a place where he sleep it off so he could tolerate his misery. He wasn't incarcerated, just went to jail for peace and quiet time. We don't know bad his wife was to live with. Then when the movie came and quit it show he learned how handle what bothering him. Like he said he gave it up years ago. He learned to handle it in a different way.
Finally, a really insightful comment on the Otis as a drunk character. I thought it was excellent how he was treated sympathetically instead of through punishment, while he dealt with his problems using booze, and eventually learned a different way to be. The episode with his car and where he gets an award were both great examples of his evolution. I found them personally inspiring with my own issues.
There was nothing on Andy Griffith that compared to Don Knott's playing Mre Peacock in the Love God. I was shocked that any body on the show had any roles like that. It was a bit risque in a lot of the movie.The actress that played Clara is in it, Hal plays a drunk in it, Mrs Lesch is in it, Charlene is too. Don Knott wears the old tweed suit. Yeah, it's in the movie, too.
The idea of a "town drunk," or "wino," was a staple of those times....sort of a play on the "village idiot." I would say it was meant in fun. But, as times changed, the focus came more to be one of addressing the greater issue. I recall Foster Brooks, who also made a living with the drunk schtick. By the 1970s, I think I saw him on Mork and Mindy, the zeitgeist had become that this type of drunkenness, silly as it was, masked the problem of alcoholism. I wonder, if the current trope of the "stoner" or "pothead" or, worse, the "crackhead", which is basically filling that role today will follow the same path in 10 or 20 years. At which time we might see Cheech and Chong, Reverend Jim from Taxi or other such as passe.
I think that Otis Campbell was funny he had an argument with Barney Fife because Otis went into jail and he wasn't drunk and Barney was asking him why you going into jail why you locking yourself up he wants to do his time before he gets arrested when he does get drunk I think it was funny
I think it was in good fun, but later on Hal Smith brought up a valid point about the young impressionable audience watching the show, They should have addressed the. negligent discharges of Barney's weapon when he would re- holster, this to me was never funny, knowing the dangerous deadly nature of firearms.
The reason everyone was happy on The Andy Griffith Show is that they were all single:
Andy
Barney
Aunt Bea
Helen
Thelma Lou
Floyd
Goober
Gomer
Opie
Warren
The only one married was Otis and he was drunk all the time.
Shannon Pace
That is an excellent point that I have never thought of. It made me laugh. 😂
Oh gosh! And the married couple weren't happy unless they were yelling and throwing stuff at each other!! "Morning,...HONEY!" "Morning,... DEAR!"
Floyd was married, just never mentioned his wife much.
jim smith that's right. Floyd was married. The man with a mystery in the woods was married and Andy & Barney helped with the baby's birth. Claire was married but a widow (after they changed her name 😜) the n older men were married. Both mayors were each married. Andy was married prior to the show... (I always thought she passed.) Unless someone knows a different theory.
Don't forget Emmet and the Fix-it Shop! He replaced Floyd in the Barber Shop and Emmet was married.
He was also then voice of Mr. Whitaker from the adventures of Oddyssey! Hal Smith voiced numerous cartoons characters. Was a great man. Rest In Peace Hal. Thanks for the laughs.
Hal Smith was the voice of John Avery Whittaker on Adventures in Odyssey on Christian Radio Stations.
I love Adventures in Odyssey. And I love the fact that late Hal Smith was the original John Avery Whittaker! I love the other two men who done the voice of Whit too!
I am glad there are others of us who are not ashamed of this too?
The original voice until his death in 1994. In the later shows Whit was voiced by Paul Herlinger.
Appreciate the video Dave. Otis was one of my favorite characters of the show. I cannot pick one single favorite character since it took the whole cast of characters to make Mayberry, Mayberry. The sleepy little town of Mayberry itself was the main character to me and not complete if someone was missing. Some of the best episodes and scenes are of Barney and Otis getting into and argument. Whether it was a drunk test, an interrogation on the whereabouts of a still, or being deputized, those two characters always had you laughing. They went together like peanut butter and jelly.
You are so right!
I'm afraid you missed one of Hal Smith's greatest roles. Before he left us, Hal played one of, if not the most important role of his illustrious career. Hal was the original voice of John Avery Whittaker on Focus on the Family's -Adventures in Odyssey. As such he had the opportunity to tell millions of listeners how to find peace with GOD for all eternity. He was indeed a great man. -rg
Great info! Thanks for sharing. I had no idea that Hal was involved in anything related to "Focus on the Family".
Well you also have to remember that Otis also effectively showed that if you're drunk in public you go to jail. don't forget that part !
Another valuable lesson learned!
No he use to walk himself there and let himself in the cell to avoid his wife
Good evening Dave, you know the notification Bell did not ring at my house today. But that's okay because I caught this video now otherwise I would have been commenting a lot sooner. Otis Campbell was my all-time favorite character in Mayberry. I don't know what to say except that he was so so so funny! And is there is such a thing as a innocent childlike drunk, which I'm sure there isn't, but that is the way I saw Otis!! In my honest opinion, his acting ability on this show was par excellence!!! Thank you very much Dave for this video! Blessings from PA.
I just think it was all in good fun nothing more nothing less
There was actually an ep when Otis bought a car and drove it, but Andy and Barney quickly convinced him to get rid of the car so that he would not hurt anyone while intoxicated.
RandomNest he sold the car before he got drunk.
Michael Gibson haha ya i was about to say that. He wasnt convinced by andy or barney to sell the car.
he also bought that cow lol
I'm hoping you'd do an entire video on the _Return To Mayberry_ movie in the future... 😎👍
It was in good fun, I was about 10 when I watched this show and never gave it any thought. He was funny and oh yes, I still watch it when I can!
Whereas I personàlly don't think his role as Otis was harmful...all the sàme, I deeply respect his own personal convictions concerning it. :) p.s. Love the episode with him about the loaded goat lol
In real life, Hal Smith was a teetotaler. No alcohol!
My favorite episode is when the jail was full and Andy put Aunt Bee in charge of Otis for the day. He was a changed man by the time Andy got home 😅😅😅
Just discovered your channel and love the behind the scenes info with a positive message. Thank you.
Thanks Erik! I appreciate the kind words. 🙂
Thanks Dave for another great video! I can’t get enough of the Andy griffin show I watch it every chance I get and other old shows too !! Thank you
You are most welcome, Michael!
Just subscribed to the channel. I really enjoy the content.
Thanks for subscribing, Toothmother!
I think the original characterization of Otis was a product of the time - and was funny. But as the audience changed, Hal Smith recognized that and was willing to change with it. I say good for him!
Julie Stevens advertisers were the reason. The network did not want to lose them over the alcoholic Otis. So, they stopped the drinking and he all but disappeared.
Young man a great video. From Los Angeles California. Good Day
He truly cared about the influence he had with the viewing public.
Yes. He really did!
I loved and still love The Andy Griffith Show. The early black and white episodes were entertaining and sweet. A few of the later color shows had contrived plots where something happened that could have been easily resolved but the characters went through convolutions before the resolution, but only a few. It was feel good, clean entertainment and I wish there were shows like it now.
blanche konieczka. I agree with you blanche. it seems like most of these older black and white sitcoms were very funny and wholesome. when color came to them they sort of became too silly. the first few years of the Beverly hillbillies were classic. then came the color episodes. of course by that time many of these sitcoms had been on for quite a few years.
It should be noted that Otis did not appear in the latter seasons because the series got a new sponsor, which did not want its product associated with such a character. Otis was referred to once during the final season, by way of explaining his absence, when Andy said he now went to Mt. Pilot to drink.
That is really interesting information that maybe I should have known...but did not. Thanks for sharing!
I really loved the scene wete Barny attempted to give Otis
a sobriety test.
He went through a series of quick physical endurance exercises, but , despite Barny's lead, Otis breathlessly out did Barny, who almost collapsed from exhaustion!
Ill be watching two episodes of the ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW tonight on METV @ 7:00 P.
So funny!
And another 👍 & 👌 & 👏!
Just happened onto your channel...love the content & subscribed!
Looking 👀 forward to watching more...much more! These are the shows I grew up on...so thanks!
Talent from MI. Right where I roam
We all watch this back in the seventies when we were kids, and we never wanted to be drunks
I think it was all in good fun, I live in a small town and there's a couple of people who usually drunk, every town has at least one! Otis was one of my favorite characters.
Tonya, I'm sorry about the tragedy of those people's lives that led to their alcoholism. Have a nice day.
Hal Smith was the kind of inspiration that today's kids are so lacking.
Thanks for this one Dave! It brings fond memories of growing up in LA and getting to meet Hal as the Pancake Man at an IHOP grand opening. I believe I have an autographed photo of him somewhere.😉❤️
Oh look Otis quit drinking!!! Now he sales Ice cream!!!
Guess I'll quit drinking too!!
😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣
Dave thank you for another very informative and interesting upload. I get so bored with the continual focus on Crime Dramas and Medical shows like Grey's Anatomy on TV now. We definitely need TV shows like The Andy Griffith Show again!
Agreed. We need more shows like The Andy Griffith Show. I just finished watching an episode called "Man in a Hurry" that another commenter suggested we watch and review. I hadn't seen it in years. Sooooo good!
eljay345 That canned laughter doe
i watched this when i was a kid, i thought otis was a riot!!! i never thought about being a drunk . clean fun.
Otis Campbell was my favorite character on Andy Griffith. I watched Hal Smith, as a kid, play the Pancake Man on KHJ TV Los Angeles in the early 60’s . He was doing both roles at the same time.
He was also the voice of the fries in numerous McDonald's commercials,20 years of that.
Just subscribed. Great content.
Thanks Chad!!
I adored Otis!! R.I.P. dear Sir!
Great train wrecks are me cooking anything other than Raman noodles. The other Great Train wreck was The Andy Griffith Show reunion movie.
Outside of hitting his mother-in-law with a leg of lamb, he was a harmless drunk. We have to take the show for what it was, the times it was made in. Enjoy them, try not to analyze them nobody even heard political correctness back then .
It was in good fun. And because there were good people involved, when they realized what that fun could lead to, they showed that fun was best when you could remember all of it. And none of what you remember makes you or anyone else cringe because of foolishness or weep because of what that foolishness could produce or destroy.
Love it, Shirley. Thanks for sharing your opinion!
Shirley Ford, that was well said.
Dave Sundstrom 🌷
puirYorick 🌷
As a kid, I thought Otis was very funny but It never made me want to drink. On the contrary, it made me avoid it! But I thought Otis was sweet. I especially like the episode where his brother and family come to town and they try to make it seem like he's not the town drunk. We got to see a bit more of Otis in that one. But i can totally understand why he was concerned and I think it was a good call to have him sober in the 1986 film. It showed progress in the character and let's face it: if he had been drinking all that time he would have been dead!
Good fun.
And I lived through an accident caused by an alcoholic, two died,one that day and one four days later.
I liked otis.he was funny.
Otis interacted with the cast to make them think and the watchers think
hal smith was the original English voice of Lord Yupa, the incredible warrior and swordmaster in Warriors of the Wind, the truncated kiddy oriented version of Studio Gibli's Nausicca and the Valley of the Wind. the dub was almost universally despised due to mass editing, but it is thrilling to hear the voice of Otis gnarled up into that of a cheerful but invincible badass!
Great info! Thanks for sharing.
Hal Smith also did the voice for Owl in the original Winnie the Pooh shorts.
Anyone who would be more likely to drink because of Otis glamourizing it has bigger problems in life.. He was a fun character and I'm an anti alcohol person. -scott
I was thinking that Hal Smith done voices on the Lutheran's Davy and Goliath. Which was a program I watched when younger.
But he was the original voice of the character John Avery Whittaker on Focus on the Family's ADVENTURE IN ODYSSEY which is a radio broadcast that my daughter grew up with!
And a radio broadcast that I love very much for the moral lessons it presents. But more importantly for the way it presents the Gospel of Jesus Christ!
Being a Christian and a preacher of the Gospel of Jesus Christ I really love the way it presented the Gospel and I understand souls were actually saved as a result of ODYSSEY episodes!
Plus as a preacher I consider it a very good source for sermon ideas!
And both of my late wives listened to Odyssey too!
I was always amazed by the fact that the late Hal Smith was the original John Avery Whittaker!
Well I could go on but I think for space sake I will close!
I absolutely loved Otis's character and I don't drink a drop
Hal Smith also appeared on THE BRADY BUNCH as the dept. store Santa who promised Cindy that her mom, Carol, would get her voice back to sing Christmas morning.
Loved this thoughtful bio.
Thank you, Lynn!
Subscribed! Great vid. We always referred to a friend of ours in high school as “Otis” because he drank so much.
Thanks for subscribing, PTPOP!
He also was the original voice of Mr. Whitaker on Focus on the Family's Adventures in Odyssey. Otis is one of those funny characters that is not PC.
I think it was all in fun, but those are characters that had strong moral values.
I think Hal Smith was just as funny in the episodes when he was sober. He wasn't always drunk.
Whitt's End home of the Imagination Station, right here in Odyssey. Hal was the voice of Whitt, on the radio and in animated videos for Focus On the Family, where we Turn Our 💕 💞 ♥ 💜 💙 🧡's toward 🏡.
excellent video!
Otis was a harmless drunk .he had his own cell .
Hal Smith and nothing to do with him switching him from a drunk to an ice cream man and he did Play Drunk Again in the reunions shows coming out on stage drunk. In real life how Smith wasn't a drunk at all but Andy Griffith was
No disservice from the producers of The A.G.S. . Times were changing and I'd like to say that shows as for back as the 1950's were moving into a direction we know now as "Political correctness".
Otis was a hold over from a time when people cared less about the reasons a person was a public drunk and more about pointing out that keeping your drinking in the closet was better for society.
In some early A.G.S. episodes Andy wakes in the middle of the night only to light a smoke and reflect on an incident earlier the day before. Smoking was SOOOooo normalized that having a smoke was as expected as napkins at the dinner table. Andy also can be found after dinner smoking on the front steps of his home in other episodes.
As for the reruns of the AGS I viewed in the early 1970's on channel 43 or 61 in Akron, Ohio, Otis was the guy I didn't want to be like when I grew up. Basically a good guy with a weakness that was uncontrollable. So in that way it certainly helped me be aware of potential substance abuse issues.
Thanks for the nice video on Hal. I think we are being too politicly correct on this . Yes it is bad now from what we know and Hal was rightfully concerned , But I enjoyed his scenes the give and take with Andy and Barney never seen him drive on the show and I think that's a good mark for the producer so it's really a toss up . Thanks again Dave Love these old great shows
I found Otis on The Brady Bunch. It's the episode entitled Kartoon King.
Wasn't there an episode on the old show where Otis sobered up for a while?
Just like so much from the Golden Age of Cinema & Television, we can look back from an enlightened perspective and pick apart broad depictions of everything from sexist behaviors to drunken stereotypes. Imho, great acting is just that. If the mission was to present a humorous bumbling drunkard, then Hal Smith did just that. I'm just incredibly impressed by Smith's conscience to what he had depicted. Kudos to him and others like him, who made an effort to rectify what they saw as past errors in judgement. That said, I think that we need to quit picking on those persons from history who may have committed social wrongs in acting. What we need to remember, I think, is that we ALL benefit from a 20/20 hindsight regardless of the era in which we live. The socially conscience of today must realize that some day we'll be looked upon as being tragically archaic by our decendents.
Great comment, Robert...and I totally agree. No need to pick things apart. What is important is that we continue to learn.
I AM HAPPY I QUIT DRINK FOR YEARS GO SOBER AND ON MOVING ON REST IN PACE LATE GREAT HAL SMITH ✝️✝️✝️🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🙏🙏🙏 MOTHER LOOK KIDS DRUNK DRIVING
Otis and Barney were hilarious together
Face it Hal Smith did a good job portraying a drunk... so did Foster Brooks... they equated being drunk with being stupid... and unlike today, back then being stupid wasn't a badge of honor.
My first thought while reading your comment was... Otis wasn't being stupid, he always got over on Barney. Then I thought wait a minute, that doesn't make him smart at all. You're right after all.
he played many judges too
How many seasons did he play Otis Campbell? Was he on all 8 seasons or only the Black and White episodes?
Otis stopped appearing during the later seasons due to sponsor concerns.
I wish you would have given a link to that episode of The Brady Bunch...😀
Cool, didn't know he did voice acting. Huckleberry Hound, never would have guessed....
Otis all ways had a snoot full ...Great character he makes me Crack up he Really look Drunk ...Otis was Gangster he never gave up any moonshiers
He voiced Glomgold McDuck in Ducktales too!!
A very talented man!
I thought Hal's portrayal of Otis Campbell was funny, but in a sad or sympathetic type of way. I felt that Otis didn't really have a lot of self-esteem so while I did not excuse his drunkenness, I understood his reasons. I felt his portrayal was never excusing being drunk and I never saw any episodes where he encouraged others to drink too much. And everyone around the character plainly was against his drinking too much. The drunkenness was played for laughs but not laughs indicating acceptance but laughs meant to indicate patience and understanding.
MY SOMETHING NEW I LEARNED TODAY, INTERESTINGLY, I'VE ON OCCASION MADE A REMARK ABOUT SOMEONE WHO DRINKS TOO MUCH, 'THE TOWN OTIS '.
THANKS KINDLY FOR THE CLIP.
GOD BLESS
Thanks!
All in good fun most definitely!!
Otis sobered up at the behest
Of very aggressive Aunt Bee.
I remember the episode.
He was on "Nightcourt"...
Dave could you do a video about my show
One of these days, my good doctor. One of these days. 🙂
I think it showed other people had problems with life and how some tried to solve it through drinking. It was not that bad or good but it showed how people wants to get away from weariness and be around friends to have a certain comfort because they did play checkers once in while or he had a place where he sleep it off so he could tolerate his misery. He wasn't incarcerated, just went to jail for peace and quiet time. We don't know bad his wife was to live with. Then when the movie came and quit it show he learned how handle what bothering him. Like he said he gave it up years ago. He learned to handle it in a different way.
I was happy to see that Otis had given up drinking in the "Return to Mayberry" TV movie.
@@jdsundstrom Right.
Finally, a really insightful comment on the Otis as a drunk character. I thought it was excellent how he was treated sympathetically instead of through punishment, while he dealt with his problems using booze, and eventually learned a different way to be. The episode with his car and where he gets an award were both great examples of his evolution. I found them personally inspiring with my own issues.
When was he on The Brady Bunch?
He was on at least twice. Once as Santa Claus and another time, reprising his role of "The Pancake King".
Dave Sundstrom Thanks for the information.
Good fun
The best show ever " all in fun .
Yep, it was the best.
Well Otis did buy a car at one time. And Andy and Barny freaked out. And he ended up selling it by the end of the episode.
Thank heavens!
There was nothing on Andy Griffith that compared to Don Knott's playing Mre Peacock in the Love God. I was shocked that any body on the show had any roles like that. It was a bit risque in a lot of the movie.The actress that played Clara is in it, Hal plays a drunk in it, Mrs Lesch is in it, Charlene is too. Don Knott wears the old tweed suit. Yeah, it's in the movie, too.
All in good fun.
He once drove a cow
However...Smith reprised the inebriated Otis for Alan Jackson's video "Don't Rock the Jukebox" but it was a one-shot.
Thanks for sharing.
Interesting video.
Thanks MBtV!
The idea of a "town drunk," or "wino," was a staple of those times....sort of a play on the "village idiot." I would say it was meant in fun. But, as times changed, the focus came more to be one of addressing the greater issue. I recall Foster Brooks, who also made a living with the drunk schtick. By the 1970s, I think I saw him on Mork and Mindy, the zeitgeist had become that this type of drunkenness, silly as it was, masked the problem of alcoholism. I wonder, if the current trope of the "stoner" or "pothead" or, worse, the "crackhead", which is basically filling that role today will follow the same path in 10 or 20 years. At which time we might see Cheech and Chong, Reverend Jim from Taxi or other such as passe.
It was a TV show, Otis wasn't really drunk. Just in case the the millennial couldn't tell.
GIN! Thank ya don't mind if I do..
All in good fun, can't have a show with all politically correct characters. Best show ever, in my opinion.
Just in good fun. 👍
In good fun!!!
OTIS for POTUS!!!
I'd be up for that!
I think that Otis Campbell was funny he had an argument with Barney Fife because Otis went into jail and he wasn't drunk and Barney was asking him why you going into jail why you locking yourself up he wants to do his time before he gets arrested when he does get drunk I think it was funny
And a town drunk falling and slurring for 35 years isn't a good look...good for him!
Agreed. Ironically, the actor, Hal Smith, never touched alcohol.
Otis was highlarious.
One of my faves!
I remember watching The Pancake Man( sponsored of course by International House of Pancakes)
I liked the characters acting on the original Andy Griffith Show. But I didn't care much about the characters acting on the Mayberry reunions show
Barney fife was the show. he got all the accolades and awards. once he left to go into movies, the show went bland.
I think it was in good fun, but later on Hal Smith brought up a valid point about the young impressionable audience watching the show, They should have addressed the. negligent discharges of Barney's weapon when he would re- holster, this to me was never funny, knowing the dangerous deadly nature of firearms.