Andy Griffith Ailing

StarPulse ^ | 15/09/2006

[stainlessbanner]

Beloved TV star Andy Griffith is reportedly fighting for his life after breaking his hip in a fall. The 80-year-old actor had hip surgery on September 5 and has been in hospital in Los Angeles ever since, where he's being monitored for heart problems, according to reports that have not been confirmed by his publicist.

Griffith is a high-risk patient because he has suffered from heart problems and underwent quadruple heart bypass surgery in 2000.

A source tells the Globe, "He's in a lot of pain right now, but he's just trying to tough it out so he can get back on his feet... He's pretty frail."

Griffith is best known for his namesake family show, which was a TV favorite in America throughout the 1960s, and spin-off "Mayberry R.F.D."

[DemforBush]

Griffith's performance* in A Face in The Crowd should be required viewing.


*Griffith plays a lying, cheating, womanizing scoundrel from Arkansas whose slick charm convinces people he's a great guy with their best interests at heart.

[stainlessbanner]

Oh yeah, that's a classic. Mash here for the comic strip version

Gotta hear Andy tell the story, though.

[smartymarty]

In the 1953 monologue, Griffith tells how he wondered through the woods and came upon a stadium (had to be Kenan at Chapel Hill) that he called a cow pasture. He said convicts in striped shirts ran up and down the field watching men hit each other and throw each other to the ground. Police stood by and watched the mayhem and did nothing, he said. And at one point, Griffith said, "I spilled my big orange drink,'' Griffith said.

[stainlessbanner]

Thanks for the link. You beat everything.

[smartymarty]

Thanks for the link.

[Tail Gunner John]

Ever notice how much cigarette smoking was going on in 1950s and early 60s TV? I recently bought a Perry Mason DVD and I kid you not there was a minimum of two cigarettes burning in every scene. When Andy smoked he seemed rather awkward with the cigarette prop. I doubt he was a regular smoker.

[txroadkill]

I remember watching this on Fox News when Bush gave him that, you could clearly read Griffith's lips saying "I voted for you and your daddy".

[NautiNurse]

[freedumb2003]

. I doubt he was a regular smoker.

He (probably) wouldn't have made it to 80 if he was.

[mdittmar]

Damn,I grew up watching The Andy Griffith Show

[SE Mom]

Are you serious? Did he REALLY?

[Tail Gunner John]

"lying,cheating,womanizing scoundrel from Arkansas whose slick charm convinces people he's a great guy with their best interests at heart"

I think I saw that. No, on second thought I believe what I saw was the Bill Clinton story.

[butternut_squash_bisque]

Darned close, cc. Best family-oriented, Conservative-producedm show, IMO, too.

Don't forget 'Life of Riley', 'I Love Lucy', 'Mary Tyler Moore' (early years), 'Dick Van Dyke Show', 'Father Knows Best', 'Leave It To Beaver', 'Lassie', 'Donna Reed Show', etc etc etc. I could go on and on...

Jerry Springer? Housewives? Reality Shows? etc etc etc?

Please shoot me!

[Tax-chick]

Praying for a smooth recovery.

[rlmorel]

Yup. Say what you want about President Bush, the guy has class. You never, ever hear the personal attacks from him, rebuttals or anything. How he does it, I do not know.

[stainlessbanner]

I only remember a couple of episodes where he smoked. One was after he delivered a baby at a farm house, and one right before a guy he locked up years before returned to "square up with him".

The funnier episodes were when Barney got snookered......"Why Barney, you're gassed!"

[epow]

Sheriff Taylor in serious condition?? Say it ain't so Barney!

Yes, I'm old enough to remember Andy Griffith when his first record named "What it Was Was Football" came out in the mid '50s. I was in HS at the time and all of us guys on the football team thought it was a riot. Next thing we knew he was in Hollywood starring in "No Time for Sergeants".

I don't keep up with the goings on in Hollywood and I never did, so I don't know anything about his political views. But AFAIK he hasn't been part of the "hate America" Hollywood bunch. Hope he pulls through and can go home soon, a hospital is not a fun place to be even if you're rich enough to buy the joint.

[butternut_squash_bisque]

I didn't know *that*, MrS. Sorry to hear that about him...

[Tuscaloosa Goldfinch]

Does anyone remember the Anthony and Cleopatra recording and this line,

"As sure as the vine twines around the stump, you are my darlin sugar lump." ?

[epow]

Here is he, giving a Medal of Freedom Award to a guy who had endorsed, and given money to John sKerry in the 2004 election.

Griffith is probably one of those lifelong southern Democrats who can't bring himself to abandon his family's traditional party even after the old Democrat party is dead and buried. There are still quite a few of that type in places like Andy's home state NC and here in GA. Zell Miller is still a registered Democrat and votes in the Democrat primaries here, but I seriously doubt that he gave any money to sKerry.