The Darlings
Encyclopedia
The Darlings were a fictional family of musically-inclined hillbillies
in the American
TV sitcom The Andy Griffith Show
.
The Darlings (usually pronounced Darlin's) lived in a mountain shack somewhere in the mountains neighboring Mayberry
. The good-natured, but trouble-making Appalachian
clan, led by patriarch
Briscoe Darling
(played by Denver Pyle
) usually came into town when they had some sort of problem that Sheriff Andy Taylor
had to resolve. Briscoe was the widowed father of five grown children (four sons and one daughter) who all lived together, and each had a different musical talent. All together, the members of the family formed a jug band
. They had their own set of values and rules and had little concern for matters that went on outside of their family. Due to their secluded lifestyle, their lack of social grace, and their superstitious belief in mountain lore, they were perceived by the people of Mayberry as being somewhat backward. Their arrival in town usually meant trouble for Sheriff Taylor and Deputy Barney Fife
, despite their friendly relationship with the family.
The Darlings made their first appearance on The Andy Griffith Show in episode #88, "The Darlings Are Coming." In their second appearance, episode #94, "Mountain Wedding," Andy and Barney must pay a visit to the Darlings' home to rid the family of "Ernest T. Bass
," a pesky neighbor with an affinity for rock throwing, who was intent on marrying Briscoe's daughter Charlene. Andy asked Briscoe if he and "the boys" couldn't take care of Ernest themselves to which Briscoe laconically replied, "Well...we thought about killing him...but we didn't want to take it that far." Their appearance on the show was always supplemented by a song (provided by bluegrass
band The Dillards
, who played the Darling boys), usually with Andy accompanying them on guitar.
The Darlings made their final appearance on The Andy Griffith Show in episode #193, "The Darling Fortune." They made a total of six appearances throughout the show's run.
The Darling family (sans Dud) returned in the 1986 reunion movie, Return to Mayberry
.
Hillbilly
Hillbilly is a term referring to certain people who dwell in rural, mountainous areas of the United States, primarily Appalachia but also the Ozarks. Owing to its strongly stereotypical connotations, the term is frequently considered derogatory, and so is usually offensive to those Americans of...
in the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
TV sitcom 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...
.
The Darlings (usually pronounced Darlin's) lived in a mountain shack somewhere in the mountains neighboring Mayberry
Mayberry
Mayberry is a fictional community in North Carolina that was the setting for two American television sitcoms, The Andy Griffith Show and Mayberry R.F.D. Mayberry was also the setting for a 1986 reunion television movie titled Return to Mayberry...
. The good-natured, but trouble-making Appalachian
Appalachian Mountains
The Appalachian Mountains #Whether the stressed vowel is or ,#Whether the "ch" is pronounced as a fricative or an affricate , and#Whether the final vowel is the monophthong or the diphthong .), often called the Appalachians, are a system of mountains in eastern North America. The Appalachians...
clan, led by patriarch
Patriarch
Originally a patriarch was a man who exercised autocratic authority as a pater familias over an extended family. The system of such rule of families by senior males is called patriarchy. This is a Greek word, a compound of πατριά , "lineage, descent", esp...
Briscoe Darling
Briscoe Darling Jr.
Briscoe Darling Jr. was a character from The Andy Griffith Show, an American situation comedy from the 1960s that aired on CBS. The character was portrayed by actor Denver Pyle, best known for his role as Buck Webb on The Doris Day Show and Uncle Jesse on The Dukes of Hazzard...
(played by Denver Pyle
Denver Pyle
Denver Dell Pyle was an American film and television actor. He is best remembered for playing Uncle Jesse in The Dukes of Hazzard .-Early life:...
) usually came into town when they had some sort of problem that Sheriff Andy Taylor
Sheriff Andy Taylor
Sheriff Andrew "Andy" Jackson Taylor is the principal character on The Andy Griffith Show, an American sitcom which aired on CBS, . The character made a few appearances in the show's spinoff Mayberry R.F.D. and appeared in a reunion telemovie Return to Mayberry...
had to resolve. Briscoe was the widowed father of five grown children (four sons and one daughter) who all lived together, and each had a different musical talent. All together, the members of the family formed a jug band
Jug band
A Jug band is a band employing a jug player and a mix of traditional and home-made instruments. These home-made instruments are ordinary objects adapted to or modified for making of sound, like the washtub bass, washboard, spoons, stovepipe and comb & tissue paper...
. They had their own set of values and rules and had little concern for matters that went on outside of their family. Due to their secluded lifestyle, their lack of social grace, and their superstitious belief in mountain lore, they were perceived by the people of Mayberry as being somewhat backward. Their arrival in town usually meant trouble for Sheriff Taylor and Deputy Barney Fife
Barney Fife
Bernard "Barney" Fife is a fictional character in the American television program The Andy Griffith Show, portrayed by comic actor Don Knotts. Barney Fife is a deputy sheriff in the slow paced, sleepy southern community of Mayberry, North Carolina...
, despite their friendly relationship with the family.
The Darlings made their first appearance on The Andy Griffith Show in episode #88, "The Darlings Are Coming." In their second appearance, episode #94, "Mountain Wedding," Andy and Barney must pay a visit to the Darlings' home to rid the family of "Ernest T. Bass
Ernest T. Bass
Ernest T. Bass was a fictional character on the American TV sitcom The Andy Griffith Show. He was played by Howard Morris.Ernest T. was an ignorant and obstreperous mountain man with a penchant for troublemaking, particularly vandalous rock throwing, which wreaked havoc on the otherwise sedentary...
," a pesky neighbor with an affinity for rock throwing, who was intent on marrying Briscoe's daughter Charlene. Andy asked Briscoe if he and "the boys" couldn't take care of Ernest themselves to which Briscoe laconically replied, "Well...we thought about killing him...but we didn't want to take it that far." Their appearance on the show was always supplemented by a song (provided by bluegrass
Bluegrass music
Bluegrass music is a form of American roots music, and a sub-genre of country music. It has mixed roots in Scottish, English, Welsh and Irish traditional music...
band The Dillards
The Dillards
The Dillards are an American bluegrass band from Salem, Missouri, consisting of Douglas Flint "Doug" Dillard The Dillards are an American bluegrass band from Salem, Missouri, consisting of Douglas Flint "Doug" Dillard The Dillards are an American bluegrass band from Salem, Missouri, consisting of...
, who played the Darling boys), usually with Andy accompanying them on guitar.
Darling Family members
- Briscoe Darling Jr.Briscoe Darling Jr.Briscoe Darling Jr. was a character from The Andy Griffith Show, an American situation comedy from the 1960s that aired on CBS. The character was portrayed by actor Denver Pyle, best known for his role as Buck Webb on The Doris Day Show and Uncle Jesse on The Dukes of Hazzard...
— The head of the Darling household, he acted as the spokesman for the group. He was also the leader of the family band, in which he played a ceramic jugJug (musical instrument)The jug as a musical instrument reached its height of popularity in the 1920s, when jug bands, such as Cannon's Jug Stompers were popular. The jug is just that: an empty jug played with the mouth...
. Briscoe was played by Denver Pyle, who was best known for his roles as "Buck Webb" on The Doris Day ShowThe Doris Day ShowThe Doris Day Show is an American sitcom that was originally broadcast on the CBS network from September 1968 until September 1973. In addition to showcasing Doris Day, the show is remembered for its many abrupt format changes over the course of its five-year run...
and "Uncle Jesse" on The Dukes of HazzardThe Dukes of HazzardThe Dukes of Hazzard is an American television series that aired on the CBS television network from 1979 to 1985.The series was inspired by the 1975 film Moonrunners, which was also created by Gy Waldron and had many identical or similar character names and concepts.- Overview :The Dukes of Hazzard...
.
- Charlene Darling later Mrs. Dudley A. Wash — Briscoe's only daughter was one hot number played by Maggie PetersonMaggie PetersonMaggie Peterson Mancuso is an American television actress. She is best known for playing Charlene Darling on The Andy Griffith Show...
. She was an attractive but naïve young, blonde woman who often caused trouble for Sheriff Taylor and his family with her flirtatious behavior and her belief in mountain lore. She was also the original object of desire for Ernest T. Bass. She loved her husband, "Dud," but once attempted to get a divorce because he looked at another woman. She later had a baby daughter named "Andelina," whom she tried to betrothe to Andy's son OpieOpie TaylorOpie Taylor is a fictional character in the American television program, The Andy Griffith Show which was televised on CBS from October 3, 1960 to April 1, 1968...
, as was customary in her family. She occasionally sang when her father and brothers played music.
- The Darling Boys — Briscoe's four sons, played by the bluegrass group The DillardsThe DillardsThe Dillards are an American bluegrass band from Salem, Missouri, consisting of Douglas Flint "Doug" Dillard The Dillards are an American bluegrass band from Salem, Missouri, consisting of Douglas Flint "Doug" Dillard The Dillards are an American bluegrass band from Salem, Missouri, consisting of...
, almost never spoke, except when singing in the band. They had an oafish appearance but were very talented musicians. The names of the boys were somewhat contradictory from episode to episode: The original script of "Mountain Wedding" listed their names as Other , Jebbin, Ward, and Frankie, (although only Other and Jebbin were ever used onscreen), but in a later episode, Andy refers to them as Mitch, Dean, Rodney, and Doug—the real first names of the members of The Dillards. However, they are generally referred to simply as "the boys," collectively. They were characterized by their silent, emotionless presence, and by their instrumentation in the family band: banjoBanjoIn the 1830s Sweeney became the first white man to play the banjo on stage. His version of the instrument replaced the gourd with a drum-like sound box and included four full-length strings alongside a short fifth-string. There is no proof, however, that Sweeney invented either innovation. This new...
(Doug Dillard), guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
(Rodney Dillard), mandolinMandolinA mandolin is a musical instrument in the lute family . It descends from the mandore, a soprano member of the lute family. The mandolin soundboard comes in many shapes—but generally round or teardrop-shaped, sometimes with scrolls or other projections. A mandolin may have f-holes, or a single...
(Dean Webb) and bass (Mitch Jayne). When they played, one usually sang lead and the others provided harmonies, while their father played rhythm on the jug. In a running gagRunning gagA running gag, or running joke, is a literary device that takes the form of an amusing joke or a comical reference and appears repeatedly throughout a work of literature or other form of storytelling....
, Andy addresses them, and they return only a blank stare. Thus greeted in "Mountain Wedding," Andy remarked to Briscoe "The boys are talkative today." Completely missing the irony, Briscoe admitted "They's all keyed up" (over Ernest T. Bass's antics). Another time was when Charlene had a baby (Andelina) and Andy said "You boys must be proud to be uncles." They didn't respond. Briscoe answered "They all choked up." The only lines ever spoken by the Darling boys occur in the jail scene of the episode "The Darlings Are Coming." Dean can be heard to say "About to pop" and Doug says "Great beans, Aunt Bee." Another trademark was that Mitch Jayne's character always had a pipe in his mouth.
- Dudley A. "Dud" Wash — Charlene's fiance and later husband, Dud had served three years in the U.S. Army where he achieved the rank of Private First ClassPrivate First ClassPrivate First Class is a military rank held by junior enlisted persons.- Singapore :The rank of Private First Class in the Singapore Armed Forces lies between the ranks of Private and Lance-Corporal . It is usually held by conscript soldiers midway through their national service term...
. He had been betrothed to Charlene since the age of five. Dud was originally portrayed by Hoke Howell as a well-mannered country boy. However, in Dud's final appearance, episode #121, "Divorce Mountain Style," Howell was curiously replaced by Bob DenverBob DenverRobert Osbourne "Bob" Denver was an American comedic actor known for his roles as Gilligan on the television series Gilligan's Island and the beatnik Maynard G. Krebs on the 1959–1963 TV series The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis.-Early life:Denver was born in New Rochelle, New York, and raised in...
. Denver's portrayal was more along the lines of a wily, scrappy mountain man, akin to Ernest T. BassErnest T. BassErnest T. Bass was a fictional character on the American TV sitcom The Andy Griffith Show. He was played by Howard Morris.Ernest T. was an ignorant and obstreperous mountain man with a penchant for troublemaking, particularly vandalous rock throwing, which wreaked havoc on the otherwise sedentary...
, in contrast to Dud's original "good ol' boyGood ol' boyGood ol' boy is an American slang term that can have both positive and negative meanings, depending on context and usage.The term can be used for well socialized men who live in rural and generally Southern areas. If a man is humble and well thought of, he can be referred to as a "good old boy",...
" persona. At a 1995 convention, actor Hoke Howell explained the replacement as CBSCBSCBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
's attempt to make Bob Denver a more familiar face, in order to promote his upcoming show, Gilligan's IslandGilligan's IslandGilligan's Island is an American television series created and produced by Sherwood Schwartz and originally produced by United Artists Television. The situation comedy series featured Bob Denver; Alan Hale, Jr.; Jim Backus; Natalie Schafer; Tina Louise; Russell Johnson; and Dawn Wells. It aired for...
, despite the fact that Denver previously played Maynard G. Krebs on The Many Loves of Dobie GillisThe Many Loves of Dobie GillisThe Many Loves of Dobie Gillis is an American sitcom that aired on CBS from 1959 to 1963. The series and some episode scripts were adapted from a 1951 collection of short stories of the same name, written by Max Shulman, that also inspired the 1953 film The Affairs of Dobie Gillis with Debbie...
.http://www.mayberry.com/tagsrwc/wbmutbb/anewsome/private/35th_w_s.htm Dud was absent from the Darling's later appearances.
The Darlings made their final appearance on The Andy Griffith Show in episode #193, "The Darling Fortune." They made a total of six appearances throughout the show's run.
Episodes featuring the Darlings
| Season # | Production # | Broadcast # | Airdate | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 088 | 088 | March 18, 1963 | The Darlings Are Coming |
| 3 | 094 | 094 | April 29, 1963 | Mountain Wedding |
| 4 | 096 | 100 | October 28, 1963 | Briscoe Declares for Aunt Bee |
| 4 | 121 | 120 | March 30, 1964 | Divorce, Mountain Style |
| 5 | 139 | 139 | December 7, 1964 | The Darling Baby |
| 7 | 193 | 195 | October 17, 1966 | The Darling Fortune |
The Darling family (sans Dud) returned in the 1986 reunion movie, Return to Mayberry
Return to Mayberry
Return to Mayberry is an American television reunion movie for the 1960s American sitcoms The Andy Griffith Show and, to an extent, Mayberry R.F.D. as well. The movie premiered on April 13, 1986 on NBC, and was the highest-rated telemovie of 1986. Sixteen of the original cast members reunited for...
.
Songs performed by the Darlings
- "Salty DogSalty Dog (song)"Salty Dog Blues" is an early 1900s folk song. It is in the public domain. It has been recorded by blues, jazz, country music, bluegrass groups and other styles. The oldest recordings of the song credit Papa Charlie Jackson, who adapted the song directly from the African-American traditional for...
" (Production# 88 - The Darlings Are Coming & Production# 193 - The Darling Fortune) - "Ebo Walker"
- "Dooley"
- "There is a Time"
- "Shady Grove"
- "Boil Them Cabbage DownBoil Them Cabbage Down"Boil Them Cabbage Down" is an American folk song....
" - "Doug's Tune"
- "Stay all Night (Stay a Little Longer)Stay A Little Longer"Stay a Little Longer" is a Western swing dance tune written by Bob Wills and Tommy Duncan. The title comes from a refrain in the chorus:*Whitburn, Joel. The Billboard Book of Top 40 Country Hits. Billboard Books, 2006. ISBN 0-8230-8291-1...
" - "Low and Lonely" (Production# 96 - Briscoe Declares for Aunt Bee)
- "Banjo in the Hollow" (called "Tearin Up Your Old Clothes For Rags" on the show http://www.tv.com/the-andy-griffith-show/the-darlings-are-coming/episode/9117/summary.html)
- "Ol' Joe Clark" (Played in key of D)
- "Leaning on the Everlasting ArmsLeaning on the Everlasting ArmsLeaning on the Everlasting Arms is a hymn published in 1887 with music by Anthony J. Showalter and lyrics by Showalter and Elisha A. Hoffman. Showalter said that he received letters from two of his former pupils saying that their wives had died...
" - "Whoa Mule"
- "Dueling BanjosDueling Banjos"Dueling Banjos" is an instrumental composition by Arthur "Guitar Boogie" Smith. The song was composed in 1955 by Smith as a banjo instrumental he called "Feudin' Banjos", which contained riffs from "Yankee Doodle". Smith recorded it playing a four-string plectrum banjo and accompanied by...