TCNW 129: Where Opie Got His Name

* Two Chairs No Waiting - Andy Griffith Show Podcast can be found at http://www.TwoChairsNoWaiting.com

Host: Allan Newsome
Running time: 0:15:20

In episode 128, Tim Hollis mentioned that the namesake of Opie Taylor was from a fellow that appeared on the old time radio program "Lum and Abner" following having his very own radio program called "The Opie Cates Show."

As you may have picked up on, Opie Taylor got his name from band leader and radio actor Opie Cates. On "The Opie Cates Show" (1947-1948), he played a naive unsophisticated person from the country (a.k.a. a rube or hick) getting adjusted to big city life. Cates started each show by saying, "The doggonedest thing happened to me th' other day," and then he'd go on to introduce the story for the week. The show never found a sponsor and lasted only 13 weeks.

He then basically moved right over to "Lum and Abner" with the same character in 1949 where he'd tell stories about his hometown of Clinton, Arkansas. Cates appeared on a pilot episode of Lum and Abner that same year but the show wasn't picked up by the network.

Andy Griffith named Sheriff Taylor's son after Cates. Both Andy and producer Sheldon Leonard liked Opie Cates so the name was a natural fit.

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• mayberry
• lum and abner
• opie
• opie cates
• andy griffith