Griffith Made A News Today : Breaking News, Live Updates & Top Stories | Vimarsana

When it went off the air it was the number-one-rated program. 20 years later, griffith made a come back as yet another southerner, this time a guitar playing lawyer, named ben matlock. >> you have no idea. he didn't think for a minute that you would kill him first. >> reporter: fans and friends are now leaving flowers at griffith's star on the hollywood walk of fame. elements of griffith's personal life would have distressed aunt bea, he was married three times. he once said he wished he could have been a little more like sheriff andy taylor. brandi hitt, abc news, new york. >> an iconic era f...

>> why are we stopping at ms. kelsey's? >> she had to go to -- >> going to check the locks, huh? >> no, we are going to take in her laundry. >> reporter: the real mayberry many believe was griffith's hometown of mt. airy in north carolina. the movie theater is a monument to his career. griffith started out as a high school music teacher and got his first break with the funny radio monologue about football. >> it was that both bunches full of them men wanted this funny looking little pumpkin to play with. >> reporter: soon griffith was appearing on broadway and in movies like "in no time for se...