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From the Facebook page Anita's Analysis On the final day of filming "The Andy Griffith Show" in 1968, the atmosphere on set was far from celebratory. Andy Griffith, usually composed and warm in front of the camera, quietly stepped away from the soundstage once the last scene wrapped. According to crew members who were present, he walked down the familiar corridor at Desilu Studios, turned a corner, and disappeared behind a row of trailers. Moments later, someone heard soft sobs. Griffith had broken down in private, overwhelmed by the weight of saying goodbye to a show that had defined nearly a decade of his life. For eight seasons, he had played Sheriff Andy Taylor, the calm and wise father figure of Mayberry. But the relationships that developed behind the scenes had grown even deeper than those written into the scripts. Don Knotts, who portrayed the high-strung Barney Fife, had departed the show after five seasons, but he returned occasionally and maintained a close bond with Griffith. Ron Howard, who played Opie, later recalled how Griffith became a real-life mentor. Frances Bavier, George Lindsey, and the rest of the cast had become like extended family members. Griffith's emotional connection to them was rooted not in fiction, but in shared years of long working days, laughter between takes, and the rare honesty that can exist when people create something meaningful together. The moment that triggered his tears was not a scene, but the silence that followed the final “cut.” The absence of movement on set, the way everyone slowly lowered their scripts and avoided eye contact, created an emotional vacuum. Jack Dodson, who played Howard Sprague, once shared that nobody wanted to be the first to speak. “It was as if Andy had given us the permission to feel, and then took it all with him when he walked off,” he said in a 1993 interview with "TV Guide." That day, Griffith’s dressing room remained closed for nearly an hour. Only his longtime friend and manager Richard O. Linke approached, quietly placing a hand on the door but choosing not to knock. When Griffith finally returned to the stage, his eyes were red, but he carried himself with grace. Without saying much, he moved from one cast member to the next, hugging each tightly. According to Ron Howard, who was just 14 at the time, Griffith held him the longest. “He whispered, ‘You’re going to be alright. You’ve got it in you.’ That meant more than anything,” Howard shared years later in an interview with "Entertainment Weekly." Griffith had been hesitant about ending the show, but he knew the chemistry was changing. Don Knotts had taken on film roles, Ron Howard was beginning to outgrow the Opie character, and the tone of television itself was shifting. In later years, he admitted in an interview with "The Charlotte Observer" that part of his breakdown stemmed from the fear that nothing else he did would carry the same heart. “I didn’t know if I’d ever get to feel that kind of honesty and warmth again, not just in front of a camera, but in life.” After the wrap, the cast and crew gathered for a quiet dinner at a local studio-adjacent restaurant. There were no speeches, no formal farewells. Andy Griffith kept a handkerchief in his hand the entire evening. George Lindsey would later say, “I think he was still crying on the inside. We all were. But it was his pain that showed us how much it all meant.” The next morning, Griffith did not return to the studio. He called Richard Linke from his home in Toluca Lake and asked him to collect the last few items from his dressing room. He could not face the space empty. That call, according to Linke, was the true end. When a show gives people a home, ending it does not feel like closing a chapter, it feels like walking away from a town where every soul had mattered.
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I used up my reactions. So here ya go. 😂
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Skipper Duke reacted to a post in a topic: The A-Team and Magnum P. I.
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Hobie Hartkins reacted to a post in a topic: Daisy Dukes Added to Dictionary
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"Daisy Dukes" have officially been added to the Oxford English Dictionary, 46 years after we first saw them on screen. They are among over 230 new words/terms that will now appear in the OED. The Irish Sun (national tabloid newspaper) even made it their featured addition in this article. You can see the dictionary entry here. In case you weren't sure about the definition: Daisy Dukes, noun colloquial (originally and chiefly U.S.). Brief, tight-fitting denim shorts, typically made from a pair of cut-off jeans and usually worn by women. Also as a modifier with the first element in singular form, in Daisy Duke shorts.
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The MoonShine 400 !!
Skipper Duke replied to Hobie Hartkins's topic in Dukes of Hazzard General Discussion
I'm gonna win. All I gotta do is knock out all you other drivers with a bonk on the head by my Captain Skipper hat. 😂 -
Skipper Duke reacted to a post in a topic: The MoonShine 400 !!
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Skipper Duke reacted to a post in a topic: The MoonShine 400 !!
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Skipper Duke reacted to a post in a topic: The MoonShine 400 !!
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Skipper Duke reacted to a post in a topic: dukes "timeline'
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Skipper Duke reacted to a post in a topic: dukes "timeline'
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Skipper Duke reacted to a post in a topic: What were the real ages of cast? Anyone know?
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Skipper Duke started following Amber duke
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It was Cooter's birthday in Season 3 The Canterbury Crock. He was going to a birthday Barbecue Stump Roundtree was throwing for him.
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There was Uncle Jesse's surprise birthday party at the Boars Nest in Season 6 Undercover Dukes.
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Skipper Duke reacted to a post in a topic: ages of dukes
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Skipper Duke reacted to a post in a topic: ages of dukes
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NEDRA .......do I need to elaborate?? LOL!
- Yesterday
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Santa Claus ....little kids think I'm Santa Claus with my long white beard!
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MMMMMMel tillis
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Not sure what you mean......but the Moonshine 400 is an ongoing race and I happen to be in the lead around turn 3 !
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What is the Moonshine Run for 400 Hobie?
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Right now I'm just starting to drink some AB's ( Adult Beverages) and watch Jeopardy and then I'll quickly turn it over to watch my fav. baseball team, The Atlanta Braves! What's everybody else doing?
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dukes "timeline'
Hobie Hartkins replied to joshkeith1090's topic in Dukes of Hazzard General Discussion
The one where Luke grabs a newspaper from a vendor and tells Bo to pay the man, and then he asks how come I've got all the answers and Bo's got all the questions and then Bo tells him " You're older than me". Hey there Josh Keith, it's good to see you! -
Welcome to HNet, joshkeith. The ages of the characters are never revealed (except for Abraham Lincoln Hogg by his driver's licence, and therefore his twin brother, Boss), but the subject has been discussed a few times before. Here are three threads to get you started: Ages of dukes I have a question??? What were the real ages of cast? Anyone know? Aside from the flashback episodes ('Go West, Young Dukes' and 'Happy Birthday, General Lee'), and the shown-out-of-order season 2 episodes, I think Dukes ran chronologically, although not many storylines crossed episodes or seasons. An example of this is T.C. Rogers becoming Supervisory Administrator of Hazzard County in 'People's Choice' (S2E11), but then she was never mentioned again. Of course, the 2005/2007 movies completely ignored the canon of the TV series, but that's another story!
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been rewatching episodes lately. ive always wondered is there any sort of like "timeline". like what ages are all the characters supposed to be? etc
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LUCINDA meadows
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Lucas K Duke
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Skipper Duke started following DB537
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dukes of hazzard The Dukes of Hazzard: Racing For Home
Skipper Duke replied to Skipper Duke's topic in Games General Discussion
"Throwback to non-stop gaming sessions! 😂 I was so hooked on The Dukes of Hazzard Racing For Home on Game Boy Color that I started hearing police sirens in my head even when I wasn't playing! 🚨👮♂️ Who else can relate? 🤣 #TheDukesOfHazzard #GameBoyColor #RetroGaming" -
It's been a lot hotter down here in Dixie!
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wood ( I used to work at a wood mill!!)
- Last week
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Gaylord Duke drove a JAGUAR
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IRA Grant (Hazzard Orphanage Caretaker)