Opie Taylor
Encyclopedia
Opie Taylor is a fiction
al character in the American television program
, The Andy Griffith Show
which was televised on CBS
from October 3, 1960 to April 1, 1968. Opie Taylor appeared in 209 of the 249 episodes of The Andy Griffith Show, and appeared in 2 spin-off shows.
Opie is a motherless 6 year old when the series opens, who lives in the fictional and idealized small, sleepy southern community of Mayberry
, North Carolina
with his widowed father, Andy Taylor (Andy Griffith
), the sheriff of Mayberry County, and his father's spinster aunt, Beatrice "Aunt Bee" Taylor
(Frances Bavier
). Both Andy and Opie became the catalyst of the show, and even shared their own father/son issues. Opie appears once in The Andy Griffith Show spinoff Mayberry R.F.D. and also in the 1986 reunion telemovie Return to Mayberry. The character is portrayed by Ron Howard
. There are two explanations of the name's origin. One is that Opie Taylor was named by Andy Griffith after bandleader and radio actor Opie Cates
. The other is that he was named for Opie Shelton (1915–1999), a childhood friend of Griffith, who went on to become president of the Atlanta Chamber of Commerce
.
. Ron Howard was 5 years old at the time.
(October 1960), Andy's Aunt Bee returns to Mayberry via Morgantown, West Virginia at her nephew's invitation in order to manage the Taylor household after Andy's housekeeper Rose marries and departs. Opie, 6, takes an instant dislike to Aunt Bee based upon his grief at losing his beloved Rose, although he does secretly enjoy her cooking. After discovering that she can neither play baseball nor catch frogs, Opie declares that he will never love her. The final straw comes when she accidentally lets his pet bird escape, though it reappears at the end of the episode (the bird is never again mentioned). A disheartened Aunt Bee chooses to leave. However, in a surge of empathy, Opie begs his father to let her stay, as she doesn't know how to do anything on her own.
and leaves her three nestlings orphaned. Andy, underscoring the loss, open's Opies bedroom window so he will hear the chicks calling-after the mother who will never come home. Naming the birds "Wynken, Blynken, and Nod", Opie nurtures them until they are ready to be released into the wild.
Andy would sometimes misjudge Opie, suspecting him of being selfish and oblivious to the needs of the less fortunate. Andy would then discover to his chagrin that Opie had been self-sacrificing and generous. For example, in one episode, Opie forfeits a grocery store delivery job to allow a boy with an ill father to replace him. In another episode, Opie uses his savings to buy a friend a winter coat after Andy lambastes him for contributing only three cents to a charity.
When not visiting his father at the courthouse, Opie would sometimes get into jams. Some of his juvenile misdeeds include: trespassing in a neighbor's barn, selling Miracle Salve to the citizens of Mayberry; accidentally destroying Aunt Bee's prize rose; concealing an abandoned baby in his clubhouse; tricking Goober Pyle
into thinking a shaggy dog can speak, and starting his own tell-all community newspaper.
For all his boyish misgivings, Opie is always honest and truthful with his father, sometimes to his own detriment. In one episode, Opie describes a utility worker named Mr. McBeevey he met in the woods. Andy thinks it is an imaginary friend and tries to convince Opie of it; but, Mr. McBeevey is real and Opie maintains his story despite facing certain discipline from Andy. In another episode, a runaway boy tells Opie not to disclose his whereabouts. Having previously learned the value of confidentiality from Andy, Opie refuses to tell his father where the boy is rather than lie, or break a confidence, much to Andy's chagrin.
Opie's best friend through the black-and-white run is Johnny Paul Jason; in color episodes, it is Arnold Bailey, who is the Doctor's son. He also has several other friends during his childhood including Howie Pruitt. In one episode, Opie's new friend Trey Bowden provokes Opie's jealousy when Andy takes a liking to Trey and invites him along on outings. Other new friends sometimes prove unworthy. One friend, for instance, encourages Opie to throw tantrums at home to get his way.
In another episode, Opie joins a secret club and is made keeper of the club's special candle. The club trespasses in a farmer's barn and, when the barn later burns to the ground, Opie is blamed. In the color episodes, Opie's best friend is a boy named Arnold Bailey but in one color episode, Opie hooks up with a boy that plays a mean trick on Goober. Both boys are taken to task by Andy for their mischief making. Opie is respectful and friendly to adults in Mayberry. He spends time at the filling station hanging out with Goober and the two often share their comic books.
Opie has several girlfriends including, in his boyhood, Karen Burgess (Ronda Jeter) and, in his teens, Mary Alice Carter (Morgan Brittany
, credited as Suzanne Cupito). He also develops crushes on Barney Fife
's sweetheart Thelma Lou
and on his father's sweetheart Helen Crump
.
On the spin-off
series Mayberry R.F.D.
, Helen and Andy marry and later on the series, Helen gives birth to Opie's half-brother, Andrew Samuel Taylor, Jr.
During his teens, Opie has a few jobs around Mayberry. He works in the drug store, and, in another episode, works as a delivery boy at the grocery store. He also plays in a rock band with his friends and has a paying gig at a teen party. In a later color episode, Opie makes college plans with dentistry as his career choice.
, Ron Howard reprised his role as a now-adult Opie. The plot was driven by his father's return to see Opie's wife give birth to their first child.
, several characters within the movie, mainly the band aid Saphire, frequently refer to the protagonist, William, as Opie. (Most memorably exlaiming "Opie must die" when three band aids conspire to volunteer to take William's virginity.) This can be attributed to the real life physical similarity between the character Opie and actor Patrick Fugit
.
Fiction
Fiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...
al character in the American television program
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
, The Andy Griffith Show
The Andy Griffith Show
The Andy Griffith Show is an American sitcom first televised by CBS between October 3, 1960, and April 1, 1968. Andy Griffith portrays a widowed sheriff in the fictional small community of Mayberry, North Carolina...
which was televised on CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
from October 3, 1960 to April 1, 1968. Opie Taylor appeared in 209 of the 249 episodes of The Andy Griffith Show, and appeared in 2 spin-off shows.
Opie is a motherless 6 year old when the series opens, who lives in the fictional and idealized small, sleepy southern community of Mayberry
Mayberry
Mayberry is a fictional community in North Carolina that was the setting for two American television sitcoms, The Andy Griffith Show and Mayberry R.F.D. Mayberry was also the setting for a 1986 reunion television movie titled Return to Mayberry...
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
with his widowed father, Andy Taylor (Andy Griffith
Andy Griffith
Andy Samuel Griffith is an American actor, director, producer, Grammy Award-winning Southern-gospel singer, and writer. He gained prominence in the starring role in director Elia Kazan's epic film A Face in the Crowd before he became better known for his television roles, playing the lead...
), the sheriff of Mayberry County, and his father's spinster aunt, Beatrice "Aunt Bee" Taylor
Aunt Bee
Beatrice Taylor is a fictional character from the 1960s American television sitcom The Andy Griffith Show. The show was televised on CBS from October 3, 1960, until April 1, 1968...
(Frances Bavier
Frances Bavier
Frances Elizabeth Bavier was an American stage and television actress. Originally from the New York theatre, Bavier worked in film and television from the 1950s...
). Both Andy and Opie became the catalyst of the show, and even shared their own father/son issues. Opie appears once in The Andy Griffith Show spinoff Mayberry R.F.D. and also in the 1986 reunion telemovie Return to Mayberry. The character is portrayed by Ron Howard
Ron Howard
Ronald William "Ron" Howard is an American actor, director, and producer. He came to prominence as a child actor, playing Opie Taylor in the sitcom The Andy Griffith Show for eight years, and later the teenaged Richie Cunningham in the sitcom Happy Days for six years...
. There are two explanations of the name's origin. One is that Opie Taylor was named by Andy Griffith after bandleader and radio actor Opie Cates
Opie Cates
Opie Cates was an American clarinet player and band leader in the 1930s and 1940s, during the swing era, who became a radio actor....
. The other is that he was named for Opie Shelton (1915–1999), a childhood friend of Griffith, who went on to become president of the Atlanta Chamber of Commerce
Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce
The Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce is the chamber of commerce for the Atlanta metropolitan area. It was founded in 1859....
.
First appearance
Opie makes a brief first appearance in the February 1960 backdoor pilot, "Danny Meets Andy Griffith", an episode from The Danny Thomas ShowThe Danny Thomas Show
The Danny Thomas Show is an American sitcom which ran from 1953-1957 on ABC and from 1957-1964 on CBS...
. Ron Howard was 5 years old at the time.
"The New Housekeeper"
In the first episode of The Andy Griffith ShowThe Andy Griffith Show
The Andy Griffith Show is an American sitcom first televised by CBS between October 3, 1960, and April 1, 1968. Andy Griffith portrays a widowed sheriff in the fictional small community of Mayberry, North Carolina...
(October 1960), Andy's Aunt Bee returns to Mayberry via Morgantown, West Virginia at her nephew's invitation in order to manage the Taylor household after Andy's housekeeper Rose marries and departs. Opie, 6, takes an instant dislike to Aunt Bee based upon his grief at losing his beloved Rose, although he does secretly enjoy her cooking. After discovering that she can neither play baseball nor catch frogs, Opie declares that he will never love her. The final straw comes when she accidentally lets his pet bird escape, though it reappears at the end of the episode (the bird is never again mentioned). A disheartened Aunt Bee chooses to leave. However, in a surge of empathy, Opie begs his father to let her stay, as she doesn't know how to do anything on her own.
Parent/son
Opie's relationship with his "Pa", Andy, provided plot material for many episodes. In one episode ("Opie the Birdman", September 30, 1963), Andy teaches Opie the value of responsibility and parenthood after Opie accidentally kills a mother bird with his slingshotSlingshot
A slingshot, shanghai, flip, bean shooter or catapult is a small hand-powered projectile weapon. The classic form consists of a Y-shaped frame held in the off hand, with two rubber strips attached to the uprights. The other ends of the strips lead back to a pocket which holds the projectile...
and leaves her three nestlings orphaned. Andy, underscoring the loss, open's Opies bedroom window so he will hear the chicks calling-after the mother who will never come home. Naming the birds "Wynken, Blynken, and Nod", Opie nurtures them until they are ready to be released into the wild.
Andy would sometimes misjudge Opie, suspecting him of being selfish and oblivious to the needs of the less fortunate. Andy would then discover to his chagrin that Opie had been self-sacrificing and generous. For example, in one episode, Opie forfeits a grocery store delivery job to allow a boy with an ill father to replace him. In another episode, Opie uses his savings to buy a friend a winter coat after Andy lambastes him for contributing only three cents to a charity.
When not visiting his father at the courthouse, Opie would sometimes get into jams. Some of his juvenile misdeeds include: trespassing in a neighbor's barn, selling Miracle Salve to the citizens of Mayberry; accidentally destroying Aunt Bee's prize rose; concealing an abandoned baby in his clubhouse; tricking Goober Pyle
Goober Pyle
Goober is a fictional character in the American TV sitcom The Andy Griffith Show and its later sequel series Mayberry RFD. He was played by George Lindsey. Lindsey initially read for the part of Gomer Pyle, which went to singer Jim Nabors...
into thinking a shaggy dog can speak, and starting his own tell-all community newspaper.
For all his boyish misgivings, Opie is always honest and truthful with his father, sometimes to his own detriment. In one episode, Opie describes a utility worker named Mr. McBeevey he met in the woods. Andy thinks it is an imaginary friend and tries to convince Opie of it; but, Mr. McBeevey is real and Opie maintains his story despite facing certain discipline from Andy. In another episode, a runaway boy tells Opie not to disclose his whereabouts. Having previously learned the value of confidentiality from Andy, Opie refuses to tell his father where the boy is rather than lie, or break a confidence, much to Andy's chagrin.
Pals, girlfriends, jobs
In another episode, Opie joins a secret club and is made keeper of the club's special candle. The club trespasses in a farmer's barn and, when the barn later burns to the ground, Opie is blamed. In the color episodes, Opie's best friend is a boy named Arnold Bailey but in one color episode, Opie hooks up with a boy that plays a mean trick on Goober. Both boys are taken to task by Andy for their mischief making. Opie is respectful and friendly to adults in Mayberry. He spends time at the filling station hanging out with Goober and the two often share their comic books.
Morgan Brittany
Morgan Brittany is an American film and television actress. She is possibly best known for her role in the 1980s primetime soap opera Dallas, where she portrayed Katherine Wentworth, the scheming younger half-sister of Pamela Ewing and Cliff Barnes.-Early career:Under her birth name, Brittany...
, credited as Suzanne Cupito). He also develops crushes on Barney Fife
Barney Fife
Bernard "Barney" Fife is a fictional character in the American television program The Andy Griffith Show, portrayed by comic actor Don Knotts. Barney Fife is a deputy sheriff in the slow paced, sleepy southern community of Mayberry, North Carolina...
's sweetheart Thelma Lou
Thelma Lou
Thelma Lou is a character on the American television sitcom The Andy Griffith Show . The character appeared in 26 episodes. Thelma Lou is Barney Fife's girlfriend and is portrayed by Betty Lynn.-Overview:...
and on his father's sweetheart Helen Crump
Helen Crump
Helen Crump is a fictional dramatic character on the American television program The Andy Griffith Show . Helen made her debut in the third season episode "Andy Discovers America" . Helen was a schoolteacher and became main character Sheriff Andy Taylor's girlfriend...
.
On the spin-off
Spin-off (media)
In media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...
series Mayberry R.F.D.
Mayberry R.F.D.
Mayberry R.F.D. is a spin-off and direct continuation of The Andy Griffith Show under a new title, for the same sponsor, General Foods...
, Helen and Andy marry and later on the series, Helen gives birth to Opie's half-brother, Andrew Samuel Taylor, Jr.
During his teens, Opie has a few jobs around Mayberry. He works in the drug store, and, in another episode, works as a delivery boy at the grocery store. He also plays in a rock band with his friends and has a paying gig at a teen party. In a later color episode, Opie makes college plans with dentistry as his career choice.
Opie's mother/ brother
Opie's mother is mentioned only once in the series. In "Wedding Bells for Aunt Bee", Andy tells Opie he had a love for the boy's mother similar to the love Aunt Bee feels for her beau. Other than this one mention, Opie's mother is non-existent on the show. There are no photographs of her in the house, or other souvenirs, and no one mentions a grave. She apparently has no relatives in Mayberry such as parents or siblings as Opie never mentions grandparents or aunts and uncles except those on his paternal side. In the backdoor pilot episode from The Danny Thomas Show, viewers learn Andy lost Opie's mother when the boy was "the least little speck of a baby." On a "Mayberry RFD" episode, viewer's learn that Opie's former teacher and stepmom Helen gave birth to Andy Taylor Jr, who is Christened in Mayberry.Reunion telemovie (1986)
In the 1986 made-for-TV reunion movie Return to MayberryReturn to Mayberry
Return to Mayberry is an American television reunion movie for the 1960s American sitcoms The Andy Griffith Show and, to an extent, Mayberry R.F.D. as well. The movie premiered on April 13, 1986 on NBC, and was the highest-rated telemovie of 1986. Sixteen of the original cast members reunited for...
, Ron Howard reprised his role as a now-adult Opie. The plot was driven by his father's return to see Opie's wife give birth to their first child.
Almost Famous
In Cameron Crowe's 2000 semi-autobiographical picture Almost FamousAlmost Famous
Almost Famous is a 2000 musical comedy-drama film written and directed by Cameron Crowe and telling the fictional story of a teenage journalist writing for Rolling Stone magazine while covering the fictitious rock band Stillwater , and his efforts to get his first cover story published...
, several characters within the movie, mainly the band aid Saphire, frequently refer to the protagonist, William, as Opie. (Most memorably exlaiming "Opie must die" when three band aids conspire to volunteer to take William's virginity.) This can be attributed to the real life physical similarity between the character Opie and actor Patrick Fugit
Patrick Fugit
Patrick Raymond Fugit is an American actor best known for his debut performance in the lead role of Cameron Crowe's film Almost Famous.-Career:...
.