It has just been announced that Howard Morris, the genius behind Ernest T. Bass, passed away suddenly yesterday afternoon. Details and a letter from his son at: Ernest T. Bass/Howard Morris Passes Away (http://www.christianactivities.com/mayberry/story.asp?ID=4588)

Awww. That is so sad. I loved him as Ernest T. R.I.P. Howard. You will live forever in reruns. :(

You will live forever in reruns. :(

So true. I emailed his son and said maybe in time he could take comfort from the fact his father left a part of himself behind that would be forever young and forever brimming with talent.


Ernest T. Bass/Howard Morris Passes Away (http://www.christianactivities.com/mayberry/story.asp?ID=4588)

He was a great talent who will be sorely missed. RIP, Mr. Morris.

Lolac :bye:

Chaaaarlene........I LOVES Yuuuuuuuuu!!!

You'll be missed Howard - as a great director and as my favourite, It's Me! It's Me!! It's Ernest T.!

Comic Actor, Director Howard Morris Dies


http://ak.imgfarm.com/images/ap/thumbnails//OBIT_HOWARD_MORRIS.sff_LA101_20050523163501.jpg (http://apnews.excite.com/image/20050523/OBIT_HOWARD_MORRIS.sff_LA101_20050523163501.html?date=20050524&docid=D8A97VV00)
(AP) Comic actor Howard Morris is shown at Mayberry Days
in Mt. Airy, N.C, in this Sept. 2001, file... Full Image (http://apnews.excite.com/image/20050523/OBIT_HOWARD_MORRIS.sff_LA101_20050523163501.html?date=20050524&docid=D8A97VV00)

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Howard Morris, best known for playing poetry-spouting hillbilly Ernest T. Bass on the "Andy Griffith Show," died at his home in the Hollywood section of Los Angeles. He was 85.

Morris died Saturday of natural causes, his son David said Monday.

He enjoyed a long show business career, but is best-remembered as the love-challenged hillbilly on "Andy Griffith." His fan Web site is named for the character that appeared in just a few episodes, but made a big impact with viewers.

Morris served in the Army's entertainment unit during World War II and was stationed in Hawaii. After the war, he had a brief stint as a Shakespearian actor.

In the 1950s, he joined a comedy sketch group including Carl Reiner and Imogene Coca on several TV variety shows, including "Admiral Broadway Review,""Your Show of Shows" and "Caesar's Hour."

After his work on "The Andy Griffith Show," Morris provided the voices for several animated television show characters, including Beetle Bailey and Atom Ant. He is also credited as the "third buffalo" in a Flintstones episode that aired in 1963.

He also directed TV shows and films, including the pilot episode of the Mel Brooks series "Get Smart," the Doris Day film "With Six you get Eggroll," and the film version of Woody Allen's "Don't Drink the Water," starring Jackie Gleason. Morris was born in New York City on Sept. 4, 1919. He married and divorced five times.

TV LAND CELEBRATES THE LIFE OF COMIC ACTOR AND

FILM DIRECTOR HOWARD MORRIS

Santa Monica, CA, May 24, 2005 - TV Land will honor the life and work of
acclaimed television actor Howard Morris with a six-episode presentation of
The Andy Griffith Show on Wednesday, May 25 from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET/PT.
Morris, who passed away in Los Angeles on Saturday at the age of 85,
co-starred in The Andy Griffith Show - one of the most beloved sitcoms of
all time -- as the rock-throwing, poetry-spouting Ernest T. Bass. TV Land
has selected six memorable episodes from The Andy Griffith Show featuring
Morris to showcase on Wednesday evening.

"We are all deeply saddened by the passing of Howard Morris," explains Larry
W. Jones, President, TV Land and Nick at Nite. "Howard was one of the most
prolific comedians and directors in the entertainment industry, and we
cherish the legacy he left behind."

Morris, who was born in New York, was in his teens when he befriended the
legendary Carl Reiner. In 1951, he joined the cast of the TV comedy/variety
series Your Show of Shows alongside Sid Caesar, Imogene Coca and Reiner. He
then joined Caesar and Reiner in Caesar's Hour when Your Show of Shows was
cancelled in 1954. Among the films in which he acted included The Nutty
Professor, High Anxiety and History of the World, Part I. Although he played
Ernest T. Bass on The Andy Griffith Show for only a handful of episodes, the
role was a memorable one.

His directorial career took off when he began directing several TV programs
such as the pilot for Get Smart, Gomer Pyle USMC and The Dick Van Dyke Show.
His theatrical-film directorial credits included Who's Minding the Mint? in
1967 and Goin' Coconuts in 1978. Morris was also a fixture of the animated
cartoon voice-over world such as "Atom Ant and "Jughead" on The Archie
Comedy Hour.

The episodes in TV Land's tribute to Howard Morris are as follows (all times
ET/PT):

7p #94 - "Mountain Wedding"
Howard Morris guest stars as Ernest T. Bass as the Darling clan returns to
Mayberry with its own kind of mountain trouble.

7:30p #098 - "Ernest T. Bass Joins the Army"
Ernest T. Bass is a mountain man very disgruntled with being rejected by the
army.

8p #112 - "My Fair Ernest T. Bass"
Howard Morris, playing a mountain-bred would-be Romeo, is brought into the
sheriff's home in an effort to teach him some manners.

8:30p #131 - "The Education of Ernest T. Bass"
Ernest T. Bass goes back to school when his girl spurns him as an
illiterate. He quickly proves he won't win any gold stars for deportment of
scholarship.

9p #140 - "Andy and Helen Have Their Day"
Andy and Helen are supposed to have a day off, but are continually
interrupted at their secluded picnic spot by Barney asking questions about
his duties.
(Howard Morris guest stars as the TV Repair man, and also directed this
episode)

9:30p #174 - "Malcolm at the Crossroads"
Andy hires a rock-throwing rustic as a school crossing guard and compounds
the problem by replacing him with a bicyclist. (This was the last episode
Ernest T. Bass appeared in.)

Rest in Peace How Bass You will live on in Reruns

There is a new section up at Ernest T. Bass/Howard Morris Forum (http://p203.ezboard.com/fmayberryusafrm6) where people can post messages and tributes to be sent to the family.