Wednesday, May 9, 2012

TVXOHOF - 05/2012(A): GOOBER PYLE


There will always be people living in Mayberry, North Carolina, over in Toobworld. But those that we actually "knew".....?



The population dropped by one the other day with the passing of George Lindsey, who played Goober Pyle on 'The Andy Griffith Show' and 'Mayberry RFD', and then returned over a decade later to the character with the 1980s TV reunion movie "Return To Mayberry".

'Gomer Pyle, USMC' got "A Visit From Cousin Goober" when he was stationed at Fort Henderson, and he traveled to Greenwood, North Carolina, with Howard Sprague and Emmett Clark to visit Mayor Andy Sawyer, the identical cousin of Andy Taylor (as seen in 'The New Andy Griffith Show'.)

Lindsey also played Goober Pyle on the syndicated variety show 'Hee Haw' (sort of a cornpone 'Laugh-In'). So this places a Goober doppleganger in the sketch comedy dimension of Skitlandia.

And my fellow crossoverist Robert Wronski has pointed out that the actor was listed in the credits for "Take This Job And Shove It" as "Man At Gas Station". Robert's theory is that this could be considered as a movie version of Goober. If so, for the Toobworld Dynamic he'd be the Goober of the Cineverse.

So that gives Goober Pyle more than enough credits to join Andy & Opie, Aunt Bee, and Barney Fife (who just joined last month!) in the TV Crossover Hall of Fame. And as is our tradition now here at Toobworld Central, when such an actor passes away, we induct their character right away.

"You're one of us now, Goob.
One of us... one of us.... one of us...."
So welcome to the Hall of Fame, Goob.

Good night and may God bless......

2 comments:

Hugh said...

George Lindsey also played Goober in an unsold (but one which aired) pilot in the 1970s, called something like "Goober and the Trucker's Paradise."

Toby O'B said...

Right! It's listed in the IMDb.com, but I just forgot to list it (plus I had no details on what it entailed.)

Thanks for letting the other visitors know about it, Hugh!