Eventually, my mom discovered
Matlock when I was already in college–so my exposure was minimal: seemed like Andy got older, graduated from law school, and moved to the Big City of Atlanta where he solved Real Crimes that didn’t happen in Mayberry. His sidekicks were (gasp!) a woman and an African American. But it was obviously a show meant for my parents.
The Andy Griffith that I grew to treasure was fleeting but indelible. I’m a classic film fan, so one night I turned on Turner Classic Movies in the middle of a movie called
A Face in the Crowd. I was mesmerized. Here was a completely different Andy Griffith–one that I could admire for his technique and in a movie that I could take something from.