Don Knotts Wrote THIS Classic ‘The Andy Griffith Show’ Scene

Some actors are mere vehicles for a writer’s genius. Don Knotts obviously excelled at that. But did you know that he was also a writer?

Don Knotts is responsible for one of the most iconic scenes in the history of The Andy Griffith Show. That scene is none other than the Preamble to the United States Constitution from the Season 4 episode “Opie’s Ill-Gotten Gain.” After boasting about his academic accomplishments to Andy, Barney glibly tells him that he can still recite the Preamble to the United States Constitution by memory.

The result? Three and a half minutes of comedy gold.

Knotts’ comedic genius is on full display throughout this entire scene. He stammers his way through every word of the speech, mussing his hair and dragging his hands down his face. Andy’s eyes twinkle with barely contained laughter as he feeds Barney hint after hint.

Griffith discussed this scene with Nashville disc jockey Ralph Emery on his “On the Record” show in 1996. He said, “It was a brilliant piece, and he [Knotts] wrote that. I mean, he didn’t write the Preamble, but it was his notion. He put it together.”

Don Knotts was a man of many talents. In fact, he got his start in show business with a ventriloquist act! Why did he give up ventriloquy? Well, you’ll have to watch the video below to find out!

Watch Next: Jim Nabors Couldn’t Stop Laughing When Filming THIS Iconic Scene from ‘The Andy Griffith Show’

^{Photo Courtesy: ‘Barney Fife The Preamble To The Constitution” @pompom3890 via YouTube}

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