Howard McNear
Encyclopedia
Howard Terbell McNear was an American
film, television and radio character actor. McNear is best remembered as Floyd Lawson
, the barber in The Andy Griffith Show
and as Doc Charles Adams in CBS Radio's Gunsmoke
(1952–1961).
to Luzetta M. Spencer and Franklin E. McNear. He worked as a theatical actor as early as 1930, and worked in radio from the late 1930s, distinguishing himself in the 1937–1940 radio serial Speed Gibson of the International Secret Police
as ace operator Clint Barlow. McNear could be effective in such authoritative roles, but he gravitated more toward character roles, often comic.
He enlisted as a private in the U.S. Army Air Corps
on November 17, 1942 during World War II
.
He created the role of Doc Charles Adams in CBS Radio's Gunsmoke
(1952–1961). McNear was under contract to CBS for many years and was featured in many of the network's radio and TV programs. From 1955 to 1960 he appeared frequently, in various quirky roles, in the popular radio detective series Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar
. He guest starred in the Thanksgiving Day episode, November 26, 1959, of NBC
's The Ford Show, Starring Tennessee Ernie Ford
.
In the television sitcom Leave It to Beaver
, McNear made an appearance as a barber named Andy, a role which proved prophetic.
McNear was best known for his performances as the vague, chatty barber Floyd Lawson
on The Andy Griffith Show
. In that role, McNear replaced actor Walter Baldwin
, who was deemed too elderly for the part. McNear later said that he didn't replace anyone, but was playing Floyd Lawson, Jr. During the third season, McNear suffered a stroke that rendered him unable to walk though his speech remained intact. Griffith, who realized how much the Floyd character added to the show's dynamic, urged that he return to the role if possible. McNear resumed the role (after being off the show for almost a year and a half), with the production crew accommodating his disability. In his appearances on the show before the stroke, he is seen standing and working in his barber shop (and also walking freely). After the stroke, he is usually seen seated (in his barber chair or a park bench, etc.). The stagehands constructed a stand for him, which allowed him to stand and appear to be working, usually to comb hair (one-handed, of course). There was an episode (after the stroke) where the sequence of camera shots made it appear that his character did indeed take some steps. His last appearance on the show was in the episode "Goober's Contest", which wrapped up the 1966-1967 season. In that final show, Floyd is seen visiting Goober's gas station in a sleek Mercury convertible that is driven to and from that scene by a double.
It has been said by his fellow cast members of The Andy Griffith Show that McNear's real-life personality was more like his character than any other cast member.
. He was interred in the Los Angeles National Cemetery
, a former U.S. Veterans Administration cemetery. Actor and old friend Parley Baer
delivered his eulogy. His wife Helen and son Christopher survived him.
, actor Eugene Levy
played McNear's Floyd the Barber
. His first appearance as Floyd the Barber was in a parody of The Godfather
, in the opening scene as Amerigo Bonasera, in which he asks the Don to hurt Opie for breaking his barber pole. The last line delivered by Floyd is "Ohh, and would you kill Howard Sprague
for me?", referring to another character from the Andy Griffith Show. His other appearance was The Merv Griffith Show (a combination parody of the Andy Griffith Show and the Merv Griffin Show), in which he is in his barber shop cutting hair and at a surprise party for Gomer.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
film, television and radio character actor. McNear is best remembered as Floyd Lawson
Floyd Lawson
Floyd Lawson was a fictional character on the American TV sitcom The Andy Griffith Show, which was inspired by a real barber in Andy Griffith's real-life hometown of Mt. Airy, North Carolina named Russell Hiatt who actually cut Andy Griffith's hair on a regular basis while Andy was young and living...
, the barber in The Andy Griffith Show
The Andy Griffith Show
The Andy Griffith Show is an American sitcom first televised by CBS between October 3, 1960, and April 1, 1968. Andy Griffith portrays a widowed sheriff in the fictional small community of Mayberry, North Carolina...
and as Doc Charles Adams in CBS Radio's Gunsmoke
Gunsmoke
Gunsmoke is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman MacDonnell and writer John Meston. The stories take place in and around Dodge City, Kansas, during the settlement of the American West....
(1952–1961).
Career
McNear was born in Los Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
to Luzetta M. Spencer and Franklin E. McNear. He worked as a theatical actor as early as 1930, and worked in radio from the late 1930s, distinguishing himself in the 1937–1940 radio serial Speed Gibson of the International Secret Police
Speed Gibson of the International Secret Police
Speed Gibson of the International Secret Police was a radio adventure series written by Virginia Cooke. It was centered on the adventures of Speed Gibson, a fifteen year old pilot who, through his uncle Clint Barlow, becomes a member of the International Secret Police...
as ace operator Clint Barlow. McNear could be effective in such authoritative roles, but he gravitated more toward character roles, often comic.
He enlisted as a private in the U.S. Army Air Corps
United States Army Air Corps
The United States Army Air Corps was a forerunner of the United States Air Force. Renamed from the Air Service on 2 July 1926, it was part of the United States Army and the predecessor of the United States Army Air Forces , established in 1941...
on November 17, 1942 during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
He created the role of Doc Charles Adams in CBS Radio's Gunsmoke
Gunsmoke
Gunsmoke is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman MacDonnell and writer John Meston. The stories take place in and around Dodge City, Kansas, during the settlement of the American West....
(1952–1961). McNear was under contract to CBS for many years and was featured in many of the network's radio and TV programs. From 1955 to 1960 he appeared frequently, in various quirky roles, in the popular radio detective series Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar
Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar
Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar was a radio drama of "the transcribed adventures of the man with the action-packed expense account — America's fabulous freelance insurance investigator." The show aired on CBS Radio from January 14, 1949 to September 30, 1962...
. He guest starred in the Thanksgiving Day episode, November 26, 1959, of NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
's The Ford Show, Starring Tennessee Ernie Ford
The Ford Show
The Ford Show is a half-hour comedy/variety program, starring singer and folk humorist Tennessee Ernie Ford, which aired in color on NBC television on Thursday evenings from October 4, 1956 to June 29, 1961....
.
In the television sitcom Leave It to Beaver
Leave It to Beaver
Leave It to Beaver is an American television situation comedy about an inquisitive but often naïve boy named Theodore "The Beaver" Cleaver and his adventures at home, in school, and around his suburban neighborhood...
, McNear made an appearance as a barber named Andy, a role which proved prophetic.
McNear was best known for his performances as the vague, chatty barber Floyd Lawson
Floyd Lawson
Floyd Lawson was a fictional character on the American TV sitcom The Andy Griffith Show, which was inspired by a real barber in Andy Griffith's real-life hometown of Mt. Airy, North Carolina named Russell Hiatt who actually cut Andy Griffith's hair on a regular basis while Andy was young and living...
on The Andy Griffith Show
The Andy Griffith Show
The Andy Griffith Show is an American sitcom first televised by CBS between October 3, 1960, and April 1, 1968. Andy Griffith portrays a widowed sheriff in the fictional small community of Mayberry, North Carolina...
. In that role, McNear replaced actor Walter Baldwin
Walter Baldwin
Walter Baldwin was a prolific character actor whose career spanned five decades and 150 film and television roles, and numerous stage performances.Baldwin, who was born Walter S...
, who was deemed too elderly for the part. McNear later said that he didn't replace anyone, but was playing Floyd Lawson, Jr. During the third season, McNear suffered a stroke that rendered him unable to walk though his speech remained intact. Griffith, who realized how much the Floyd character added to the show's dynamic, urged that he return to the role if possible. McNear resumed the role (after being off the show for almost a year and a half), with the production crew accommodating his disability. In his appearances on the show before the stroke, he is seen standing and working in his barber shop (and also walking freely). After the stroke, he is usually seen seated (in his barber chair or a park bench, etc.). The stagehands constructed a stand for him, which allowed him to stand and appear to be working, usually to comb hair (one-handed, of course). There was an episode (after the stroke) where the sequence of camera shots made it appear that his character did indeed take some steps. His last appearance on the show was in the episode "Goober's Contest", which wrapped up the 1966-1967 season. In that final show, Floyd is seen visiting Goober's gas station in a sleek Mercury convertible that is driven to and from that scene by a double.
It has been said by his fellow cast members of The Andy Griffith Show that McNear's real-life personality was more like his character than any other cast member.
Death
On January 3, 1969 McNear died of complications from pneumonia due to the effects of a strokeStroke
A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
. He was interred in the Los Angeles National Cemetery
Los Angeles National Cemetery
The Los Angeles National Cemetery is a United States National Cemetery in West Los Angeles, at the intersection of Wilshire Boulevard and Sepulveda Boulevard. The cemetery was dedicated in 1889. Interred there are war veterans, from the Spanish-American war, World War I, World War II, Korean War,...
, a former U.S. Veterans Administration cemetery. Actor and old friend Parley Baer
Parley Baer
Parley Edward Baer was an American actor in film, television, and radio.-Radio:Born in Salt Lake City, Utah, Baer had a circus background, but began his radio career at Utah station KSL...
delivered his eulogy. His wife Helen and son Christopher survived him.
Tribute
In two episodes of the comedy sketch program Second City TelevisionSecond City Television
Second City Television is a Canadian television sketch comedy show offshoot from Toronto's The Second City troupe that ran between 1976 and 1984.- Premise :...
, actor Eugene Levy
Eugene Levy
Eugene Levy, CM is a Canadian actor, comedian, television director, producer, musician, and writer. He is known for his work in Canadian television series, American movies, and television movies. He is the only actor to have appeared in all eight of the American Pie films, as Noah Levenstein...
played McNear's Floyd the Barber
Floyd Lawson
Floyd Lawson was a fictional character on the American TV sitcom The Andy Griffith Show, which was inspired by a real barber in Andy Griffith's real-life hometown of Mt. Airy, North Carolina named Russell Hiatt who actually cut Andy Griffith's hair on a regular basis while Andy was young and living...
. His first appearance as Floyd the Barber was in a parody of The Godfather
The Godfather
The Godfather is a 1972 American epic crime film directed by Francis Ford Coppola, based on the 1969 novel by Mario Puzo. With a screenplay by Puzo, Coppola and an uncredited Robert Towne, the film stars Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Robert Duvall, Sterling Hayden, John Marley, Richard...
, in the opening scene as Amerigo Bonasera, in which he asks the Don to hurt Opie for breaking his barber pole. The last line delivered by Floyd is "Ohh, and would you kill Howard Sprague
Howard Sprague
Howard Sprague is a fictional character on the CBS television sitcom The Andy Griffith Show , and its spin-off Mayberry R.F.D. He was played by Jack Dodson from 1966-71....
for me?", referring to another character from the Andy Griffith Show. His other appearance was The Merv Griffith Show (a combination parody of the Andy Griffith Show and the Merv Griffin Show), in which he is in his barber shop cutting hair and at a surprise party for Gomer.
Selected filmography
| Film | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
| 1953 | The Long, Long Trailer The Long, Long Trailer The Long, Long Trailer is a novel by Clinton Twiss from the 1950s, about a couple who buy a new travel trailer home and spend a year traveling across the United States.... |
Joe Hittaway | Uncredited |
| 1954 | Drums Across the River | Stilwell | |
| 1956 | You Can't Run Away from It You Can't Run Away from It You Can't Run Away from It is a 1956 Technicolor and CinemaScope musical comedy starring June Allyson and Jack Lemmon. Directed and produced by Dick Powell, the film is a remake of the 1934 Academy Award-winning film It Happened One Night.-Plot:... |
Vernon, Second proprietor | |
| 1957 | The Fuzzy Pink Nightgown The Fuzzy Pink Nightgown The Fuzzy Pink Nightgown is an American comedy film made by Russ-Field Productions and released by United Artists. It was directed by Norman Taurog from a screenplay by Richard Alan Simmons, based on a novel by Sylvia Tate.... |
John Myers | Uncredited |
| 1958 | Bell, Book and Candle | Andy White - Shep's Co-Publisher | |
| 1959 | Good Day for a Hanging Good Day for a Hanging Good Day for a Hanging is a western concerning how a town views the upcoming hanging of a young man accused of murdering the sheriff during a robbery. Directed by Nathan H. Juran, it stars Fred MacMurray as the reluctant new sheriff and Robert Vaughn as the young man accused of the crime.... |
Olson | |
| Anatomy of a Murder Anatomy of a Murder Anatomy of a Murder is a 1959 American courtroom crime drama film. It was directed by Otto Preminger and adapted by Wendell Mayes from the best-selling novel of the same name written by Michigan Supreme Court Justice John D. Voelker under the pen name Robert Traver... |
Dr. Dompierre | ||
| It Started with a Kiss | Emile | Uncredited | |
| -30- | Editor | Alternative title: Deadline Midnight | |
| 1960 | Heller in Pink Tights Heller in Pink Tights Heller In Pink Tights is a 1960 Technicolor western film adapted from Louis L'Amour's novel, Heller with a Gun. It stars Sophia Loren and Anthony Quinn and was directed by George Cukor.... |
Photographer of dead gunmen | |
| 1961 | The Last Time I Saw Archie The Last Time I Saw Archie The Last Time I Saw Archie is a 1961 comedy film set in the waning days of World War II. Robert Mitchum stars as a lazy, scheming American soldier based on Arch Hall Sr. who is in an avaition school for pilots too old to fly aircraft but not too old to fly military gliders... |
General Williams | |
| Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea is an American science fiction film, produced and directed by Irwin Allen, released by 20th Century Fox in 1961. The story was written by Irwin Allen and Charles Bennett. Walter Pidgeon starred as Admiral Harriman Nelson, with Robert Sterling as Captain Lee Crane... |
Congressman Parker | ||
| Blue Hawaii Blue Hawaii Blue Hawaii is a 1961 musical film set in the state of Hawaii and starring Elvis Presley. The screenplay by Hal Kanter was nominated by the Writers Guild of America in 1962 in the category of Best Written American Musical. The movie opened at no... |
Mr. Chapman | ||
| The Errand Boy The Errand Boy The Errand Boy is a 1961 American comedy film directed, co-written and starring Jerry Lewis.-Plot:Paramutual Pictures decides that they need a spy to find out the inner workings of their studio. Morty Tashman is a paperhanger who happens to be working right outside their window. They decide that... |
Dexter Sneak | ||
| 1962 | Follow That Dream Follow that Dream Follow That Dream is a 1962 musical film starring Elvis Presley made by Mirisch Productions. The movie was based on the 1959 novel Pioneer, Go Home! by Richard P. Powell. Producer Walter Mirisch liked the song Follow that Dream and retitled the picture... |
George | |
| 1963 | Irma la Douce Irma la Douce Irma la Douce/Irma la Dolce is a 1963 romantic comedy starring Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine, directed by Billy Wilder.It is based on the 1956 French musical Irma La Douce by Marguerite Monnot and Alexandre Breffort.-Plot:... |
Concierge | |
| The Wheeler Dealers The Wheeler Dealers The Wheeler Dealers is a 1963 comedy film starring James Garner and Lee Remick and featuring Chill Wills and Jim Backus... |
Mr. Wilson | Alternative title: Separate Beds | |
| 1964 | Kiss Me, Stupid Kiss Me, Stupid Kiss Me, Stupid is a 1964 American comedy film directed by Billy Wilder and starring Dean Martin, Kim Novak, and Ray Walston.The screenplay by Wilder and I.A.L. Diamond is based on Wife For a Night , an Italian film starring Gina Lollobrigida -- which was itself taken from a play by Anna Bonacci... |
Mr. Pettibone | |
| 1965 | Love and Kisses Love and Kisses (film) Love and Kisses is a 1965 American comedy film starring Ricky Nelson as a young man who tries to grow up and emancipate himself from his middle-class parents by getting married. Based on a stage play by Anita Rowe Block, the film, which is mainly a vehicle for Nelson, also features Nelson's then... |
Mr. Frisby | |
| 1966 | The Fortune Cookie The Fortune Cookie The Fortune Cookie is a 1966 film starring Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon in their first on-screen collaboration, and directed by Billy Wilder.- Plot :... |
Mr. Cimoli | Alternative title: Meet Whiplash Willie |
| Television | |||
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1955 | Waterfront | Mike Baxter | 1 episode |
| Willy | Sherman | 1 episode | |
| 1955–1958 | The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show | Mr. Jansen | 2 episodes |
| 1956 | Lassie Lassie (1954 TV series) Lassie is an American television series that follows the adventures of a female Rough Collie named Lassie and her companions, human and animal. The show was the creation of producer Robert Maxwell and animal trainer Rudd Weatherwax and was televised from September 12, 1954, to March 24, 1973... |
Professor Scott | 1 episode |
| I Love Lucy I Love Lucy I Love Lucy is an American television sitcom starring Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz, Vivian Vance, and William Frawley. The black-and-white series originally ran from October 15, 1951, to May 6, 1957, on the Columbia Broadcasting System... |
Mr. Crawford | 1 episode | |
| 1958 | The Thin Man The Thin Man (TV series) The Thin Man is a half-hour weekly television series based on the mystery novel The Thin Man by Dashiell Hammett. The 72 episodes were produced by MGM Television and shown on NBC for two seasons from 1957–1959 on Friday evening.-Overview:... |
Mr. Dingle | 1 episode |
| Playhouse 90 Playhouse 90 Playhouse 90 is an American television anthology series that was telecast on CBS from 1956 to 1960 for a total of 133 episodes. It originated from CBS Television City in Los Angeles, California... |
Bertram | 1 episode | |
| Leave It to Beaver Leave It to Beaver Leave It to Beaver is an American television situation comedy about an inquisitive but often naïve boy named Theodore "The Beaver" Cleaver and his adventures at home, in school, and around his suburban neighborhood... |
Andy the Barber | 1 episode | |
| 1959 | The Donna Reed Show The Donna Reed Show The Donna Reed Show is an American sitcom starring Donna Reed as the upper middle class housewife Donna Stone. Carl Betz appears as her pediatrician husband Alex, and Shelley Fabares and Paul Petersen as their teenage children Mary and Jeff. The show originally aired on ABC at 10 pm from September... |
Wilbur Wilgus | 2 episodes |
| The Gale Storm Show The Gale Storm Show The Gale Storm Show is an American sitcom starring Gale Storm. The series premiered on September 29, 1956, and ran until 1960 for 143 half-hour black-and-white episodes, initially on CBS and in its last year on ABC... |
Parker | 1 episode | |
| 1960 | Richard Diamond, Private Detective | Dr. Braun | 1 episode |
| The Tab Hunter Show The Tab Hunter Show The Tab Hunter Show is a 32-episode situation comedy starring former teen idol Tab Hunter. The series ran new episodes on NBC from September 18, 1960, to April 30, 1961; rebroadcasts then aired from May until September 18.-Synopsis:... |
Plumber | 1 episode | |
| Peter Gunn Peter Gunn Peter Gunn is an American private eye television series which aired on the NBC and later ABC television networks from 1958 to 1961. The show's creator was Blake Edwards... |
Barnaby | 1 episode | |
| Laramie Laramie (TV series) Laramie is an American Western television series that aired on NBC from 1959 to 1963. Laramie was a Revue Studios production which originally starred John Smith as Slim Sherman, Robert Fuller as Jess Harper, Hoagy Carmichael as Jonesy and Robert Crawford, Jr... |
Waldo | 1 episode | |
| Have Gun - Will Travel | Samuels | 1 episode | |
| 1960-62 | The Flintstones The Flintstones The Flintstones is an animated, prime-time American television sitcom that screened from September 30, 1960 to April 1, 1966, on ABC. Produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions, The Flintstones was about a working class Stone Age man's life with his family and his next-door neighbor and best friend. It... |
Doctor (Voice) | 3 episodes |
| 1961 | Klondike Klondike (TV series) Klondike is a 17-episode half-hour Western television series that aired on NBC. The series premiered on October 10, 1960 and ran until February 13, 1961. It faced stiff competition from The Danny Thomas Show on CBS and the second half of the first-season detective series Surfside 6 starring Troy... |
Augustus Brown | 1 episode |
| Alfred Hitchcock Presents Alfred Hitchcock Presents Alfred Hitchcock Presents is an American television anthology series hosted by Alfred Hitchcock. The series featured dramas, thrillers, and mysteries. By the premiere of the show on October 2, 1955, Hitchcock had been directing films for over three decades... |
Mr. Maxwell | 1 episode | |
| Mister Ed Mister Ed Originally produced in late 1960, Mister Ed is an American television situation comedy produced by Filmways that first aired in syndication from January 5 to July 2, 1961, and then on CBS from October 1, 1961, to February 6, 1966.... |
Harry Sweetzer | 1 episode | |
| 1961–1967 | The Andy Griffith Show The Andy Griffith Show The Andy Griffith Show is an American sitcom first televised by CBS between October 3, 1960, and April 1, 1968. Andy Griffith portrays a widowed sheriff in the fictional small community of Mayberry, North Carolina... |
Floyd Lawson | 80 episodes |
| 1962 | Pete and Gladys Pete and Gladys Pete and Gladys is an American situation comedy broadcast by CBS on Monday night at 8:00pm Eastern and Pacific time for two seasons, beginning on September 19, 1960... |
Professor Sheboyan | 1 episode |
| The Wide Country The Wide Country The Wide Country is an American Western television series which aired on NBC from September 20, 1962 to April 25, 1963.-Synopsis:The series stars Earl Holliman and Andrew Prine as brothers, Mitch and Andy Guthrie, respectively, who are traveling rodeo competitors... |
Agent Carmody | 1 episode | |
| 1963 | The Twilight Zone The Twilight Zone The Twilight Zone is an American television anthology series created by Rod Serling. Each episode is a mixture of self-contained drama, psychological thriller, fantasy, science fiction, suspense, or horror, often concluding with a macabre or unexpected twist... |
Mr. Bramhoff | 1 episode - The Bard The Bard (The Twilight Zone) "The Bard" is an episode of the American television anthology series The Twilight Zone. It was the final episode of The Twilight Zone to be one hour long.-Synopsis:A bumbling screenwriter, Julius K. Moomer, is in desperate need of brilliant scripts... |
| 1965 | Honey West Honey West (TV series) Honey West is an American crime drama television series that aired on ABC during the 1965-1966 television season. The series stars Anne Francis as female private detective Honey West and John Ericson as her partner Sam Bolt.... |
Mr. Tweedy | 1 episode |
| Please Don't Eat the Daisies Please Don't Eat the Daisies (TV series) Please Don't Eat the Daisies is an American sitcom that aired on NBC from September 14, 1965 to April 22, 1967. The series was based upon the 1957 book by Jean Kerr and 1960 film starring Doris Day and David Niven.... |
Mr. Arnold | 1 episode | |