Don Knotts: ”there’ll be some Barney Fife” in Matlock character Les Calhoun
Andy Griffith stacked the cards in his favor by casting his friend.
Lawyer dramas are serious business, but Andy Griffith was born to make people laugh.
So, even though Matlock was always rooted in a familiar lawyer-drama format, the show was unique in its humor. That was the special blend that made it an enduring hit. It wasn’t Perry Mason, and it wasn’t The Andy Griffith Show, either. Instead, it was somewhere in between.
To perfect the balance, Griffith called in a secret weapon for Matlock’s season 3 premiere. Don Knotts was introduced as Ben Matlock’s new next-door neighbor. Les Calhoun, the retired “King of Plastics”, was embroiled in a murder scheme with two used car salesmen. He became a series regular, appearing in 17 episodes.
An October 1988 edition of the Orlando Sentinel includes reports of an NBC news conference announcing Knotts’ debut on Matlock.
“Don Knotts is the best comic actor I ever met, and I play straight for him better than any man in the business,” said Griffith.
“I can’t live without comedy. This show will always be what it is — a courtroom mystery — but what’s important to me is what happens along the way. When we can get something offbeat, that appeals to me.”
By ’88, Knotts was already an “offbeat” legend.
“Playing Barney Fife is the most fun I ever had with a character,” said Knotts.
“Barney Fife was tailored to Don Knotts and this guy Calhoun will be tailored to the same guy. There’ll be some Barney Fife in him, but he’ll be 30 years older.”
