Evil or scary Andy in film - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Yong Fang · 05-30-2012, 07:45 AM

Name some features or TV films where Andy Griffith plays a villain, evil or a non friendly character? He did several of these which were the polar opposite of the kindly and wise Andy Griffith character.

A Face in the Crowd. (1957) This was a year before "No Time for Sergeants". Griffith plays Lonesome Rhodes, a sociopathic, evil, greedy human being and our first foray into what I refer to as "Evil Andy".

Savages (1974). Never saw this, but Andy plays another sociopathic character.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Savages_(1974_film)

Pray for the Wildcats (1974)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pray_for_the_Wildcats

Maybe the TV film Washington: Behind Closed Doors .

Murder in Coweta County (1983) Griffith plays another sociopath, a landowner in a rural area. the hero was Johnny Cash. I saw this when I was a kid and the only thing I remember is that Andy's character got executed vis electric chair in the end.

Daddy and Them (2001). Griffith plays the father of Billy Bob Thorton's character. Not an evil character perse, but a grumpy old southern man who was very tactiturn in nature. Griffith's character chided Thornton's character for having sex outside on the car hoods while he was trying to sleep. He did flirt with the Diane Ladd character, but Ladd is a GMILF. I do not think this film was well recieved but it is a favorite of mine and have the DVD.

Andy Griffith could play SCARY characters. I think that a majority of his work was playing bad.

I said this on this forum, but Andy had short flashes of scary anger even on TAGS. My example is when Andy hired Goober to watch the courthouse while he was gone for an afternoon on business and when he came back he saw that Goober disassembled and reassembled a car inside the courthouse. Andy was pissed. Not evil or bad, but he was not above whipping or threatening to if Opie did something wrong, but I don't think he did because Opie was an upstanding son and whatever Opie was caught up in, he was found innocent in the end.

Griffith sort of reminded me of my father. A very nice, even headed guy, but cross him as a child and watch out.

tdr · 04-02-2017, 12:37 AM

This may be an old thread, but I do remember Pray for the Wildcats. I remember it because it premiered during the year I was out of school with all my injuries (broken leg, dislocated hip, broken ribs, punctured lung) from-- a motorcycle wreck; and this TV movie was about 3 guys taking out on motorcycles for adventure in Mexico. Andy Griffith, William Shatner, and Robert Reed played "the wildcats," the men entering mididle age who wanted some adventure in their lives. Considering the actors, it's too obvious this was venue for those 3 to play characters very different from what TV viewers had come to admire them for. As for what they do in Mexico, I don't remember much, except that Andy's character was surely the most incorrigible and nasty. He got drunk and made advances to a senorita who wanted no part of him, and in the end he rides his bike over a cliff and then we see his bike in flames with him laying beside it-- presumably dead.

Retro4Life · 04-02-2017, 01:56 AM

As I recall, he was pretty horrible as an alcoholic and abusive father in 1986's "Under the Influence".

70s show watcher · 04-02-2017, 08:10 PM

he played a really nasty judge in the 1985 tv movie crime of innocince in fact its almost like he was playing sherrif taylors evil twin

tdr · 04-02-2017, 10:44 PM

I looked it up on youtube, and Pray for the Wildcats is on there. I just watched the first 25 minutes, as that is when the 4 (not 3) guys begin their trip to Baja. The premise is not exactly as I said (though that excuse is still there), that 3 guys coming into middle age just want some adventure, but AG plays a big executive (who always has things his own way) hiring an ad agency for which the 3 others work, and he won't sign on to their recommendation to use scenery from Baja unless they all go down there, on their motorcycles, to see just what "scenery" they want to use for a background. Meanwhile, Shatner's character has been fired, it's implied he is suicidal, and his extravagant wife (Lorraine Gary) doesn't know, Reed's wife (Angie Dickinson) is bored and trying for an encounter with Shatner, and the younger guy (Margoe Gortner)'s girlfriend just told him she is pregnant when things are going bad in their live-in relationship. Couldn't beat this kind of stuff back '74, could we?

[Spoilers]
ed. Now I've finished watching it, and AG is killed driving his bike over the cliff because he was trying to kill the suicidal Shatner, and the 3 still alive return across the border, and no one is happy. Griffith's body is placed in a hearse, the young guy's girlfriend says there is no baby anymore (she had lied or had an abortion, presumably), Reed's wife (Dickinson) says she wants a divorce; only Shatner and his wife (Gary) seem glad to see each other, though all is still strained with them.

treky · 04-03-2017, 02:30 AM

"MURDER IN COWETTA COUNTY" was a GREAT TV-movie and AG is GREAT as an evil millionaire. For those who have seen "DALLAS" he's just like J.R.

It's on You Tube if you want to see it-I don't think it's on DVD.

TMC · 03-13-2024, 08:22 PM

You left out 1995's Gramps alongside John Ritter.

rusty spike · 03-13-2024, 11:19 PM

Savages (TV movie-1974) is available on Freevee streaming (March 2024)

05-30-2012, 07:45 AM	#1
Yong Fang Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Aug 04, 2009 Location: Memphis Tennessee Posts: 3,073	Evil or scary Andy in film Name some features or TV films where Andy Griffith plays a villain, evil or a non friendly character? He did several of these which were the polar opposite of the kindly and wise Andy Griffith character. A Face in the Crowd. (1957) This was a year before "No Time for Sergeants". Griffith plays Lonesome Rhodes, a sociopathic, evil, greedy human being and our first foray into what I refer to as "Evil Andy". Savages (1974). Never saw this, but Andy plays another sociopathic character. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Savages_(1974_film) Pray for the Wildcats (1974) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pray_for_the_Wildcats Maybe the TV film Washington: Behind Closed Doors . Murder in Coweta County (1983) Griffith plays another sociopath, a landowner in a rural area. the hero was Johnny Cash. I saw this when I was a kid and the only thing I remember is that Andy's character got executed vis electric chair in the end. Daddy and Them (2001). Griffith plays the father of Billy Bob Thorton's character. Not an evil character perse, but a grumpy old southern man who was very tactiturn in nature. Griffith's character chided Thornton's character for having sex outside on the car hoods while he was trying to sleep. He did flirt with the Diane Ladd character, but Ladd is a GMILF. I do not think this film was well recieved but it is a favorite of mine and have the DVD. Andy Griffith could play SCARY characters. I think that a majority of his work was playing bad. I said this on this forum, but Andy had short flashes of scary anger even on TAGS. My example is when Andy hired Goober to watch the courthouse while he was gone for an afternoon on business and when he came back he saw that Goober disassembled and reassembled a car inside the courthouse. Andy was pissed. Not evil or bad, but he was not above whipping or threatening to if Opie did something wrong, but I don't think he did because Opie was an upstanding son and whatever Opie was caught up in, he was found innocent in the end. Griffith sort of reminded me of my father. A very nice, even headed guy, but cross him as a child and watch out.

04-02-2017, 01:56 AM	#3
Retro4Life Accept No Substitutes Forum Veteran Join Date: Feb 04, 2009 Location: IL Posts: 6,708	As I recall, he was pretty horrible as an alcoholic and abusive father in 1986's "Under the Influence".
	__________________ Alex Reiger :[Trying to convince Louie not to antagonize Bobby] "It's not hard to make people feel bad about their lives. What's hard is making people feel good about their lives."

04-02-2017, 10:44 PM	#5
tdr Member Senior Member Join Date: Mar 23, 2001 Posts: 1,454	I looked it up on youtube, and Pray for the Wildcats is on there. I just watched the first 25 minutes, as that is when the 4 (not 3) guys begin their trip to Baja. The premise is not exactly as I said (though that excuse is still there), that 3 guys coming into middle age just want some adventure, but AG plays a big executive (who always has things his own way) hiring an ad agency for which the 3 others work, and he won't sign on to their recommendation to use scenery from Baja unless they all go down there, on their motorcycles, to see just what "scenery" they want to use for a background. Meanwhile, Shatner's character has been fired, it's implied he is suicidal, and his extravagant wife (Lorraine Gary) doesn't know, Reed's wife (Angie Dickinson) is bored and trying for an encounter with Shatner, and the younger guy (Margoe Gortner)'s girlfriend just told him she is pregnant when things are going bad in their live-in relationship. Couldn't beat this kind of stuff back '74, could we? [Spoilers] ed. Now I've finished watching it, and AG is killed driving his bike over the cliff because he was trying to kill the suicidal Shatner, and the 3 still alive return across the border, and no one is happy. Griffith's body is placed in a hearse, the young guy's girlfriend says there is no baby anymore (she had lied or had an abortion, presumably), Reed's wife (Dickinson) says she wants a divorce; only Shatner and his wife (Gary) seem glad to see each other, though all is still strained with them.
	Last edited by tdr; 04-03-2017 at 12:20 AM.

04-03-2017, 02:30 AM	#6
treky star trek fan Eternal Member Forum Fanatic Join Date: Feb 25, 2002 Location: Conshohocken, pennsylvania Posts: 14,490	"MURDER IN COWETTA COUNTY" was a GREAT TV-movie and AG is GREAT as an evil millionaire. For those who have seen "DALLAS" he's just like J.R. It's on You Tube if you want to see it-I don't think it's on DVD.
	__________________ the Clampetts are in a fancy Beverly Hills jewelry store. Granny points to a tray of rubies. Granny: "How much fer one o' them red diamonds?" clerk: "Madam, those are rubies." Granny: "OK ask her kin we buy one offa her." clerk: " The ruby I am talking about is not a lady." Granny: "Lissen, how she got them diamonds is her business. I'm just sayin' ask her kin we buy one from her."

04-02-2017, 12:37 AM	#2
tdr Member Senior Member Join Date: Mar 23, 2001 Posts: 1,454	This may be an old thread, but I do remember Pray for the Wildcats. I remember it because it premiered during the year I was out of school with all my injuries (broken leg, dislocated hip, broken ribs, punctured lung) from-- a motorcycle wreck; and this TV movie was about 3 guys taking out on motorcycles for adventure in Mexico. Andy Griffith, William Shatner, and Robert Reed played "the wildcats," the men entering mididle age who wanted some adventure in their lives. Considering the actors, it's too obvious this was venue for those 3 to play characters very different from what TV viewers had come to admire them for. As for what they do in Mexico, I don't remember much, except that Andy's character was surely the most incorrigible and nasty. He got drunk and made advances to a senorita who wanted no part of him, and in the end he rides his bike over a cliff and then we see his bike in flames with him laying beside it-- presumably dead.

04-02-2017, 08:10 PM	#4
70s show watcher Member Forum 4000 Club Member Join Date: May 20, 2008 Location: between point place and studio 8 h Posts: 4,549	he played a really nasty judge in the 1985 tv movie crime of innocince in fact its almost like he was playing sherrif taylors evil twin

03-13-2024, 08:22 PM	#7
TMC Member Forum Idol Join Date: Jan 09, 2001 Posts: 125,554	You left out 1995's Gramps alongside John Ritter.

03-13-2024, 11:19 PM	#8
rusty spike Member Senior Member Join Date: Mar 08, 2015 Location: Southwest Posts: 1,124	Savages (TV movie-1974) is available on Freevee streaming (March 2024)