Customer Reviews

The Incredible Mr. Don Knotts: An Eye-Popping Look at His Movies

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What a labor of love! The authors, Stephen Cox and Kevin Marhanka, are sincere and devoted fans of Don Knotts and this look at his movies is a delight because of their enthusiasm and sincere delight in sharing them with us. They share their personal experiences with Don Knotts as fans and collectors and their interviews with his co-stars. The book is full of pictures and has a section of some very nice color photos, many of them rare or unique to this book.

The book opens with notes from the authors about why they wanted to do this book. They then provide us with a short summary of Don Knotts' life and career. Each of the 34 movies Mr. Knotts worked in is given its own section. Some of these are longer than others, but follow a similar format. We get the film info including when it was released, the producers, the writers, run time, and company it was released through. The cast lists are always interesting, too. The movie itself is discussed in a synopsis, sidelights about the making of the film, behind the scenes notes, and excerpts of reviews. Each movie usually gets a few pictures including promotional material. Obviously, the films where Don Knotts was the star get more attention than the ones where he has a small character part.

There are also many very interesting articles on co-stars that you will know and interviews with others that are always delightful.

Yes, this is a love letter to Don Knotts, so don't expect anything harsh or critical. Even "The Love God?" gets a sympathetic treatment. They authors are honest about the way he was on set and the difference between Don Knotts on screen and in real life. We also learn about why Knotts never did stunts for his movies.

I enjoyed this book as a nice break from my usual heavier reading fare. This is like a wonderful light dessert and I recommend it to anyone who enjoyed Don Knotts in any of his roles. He was a wonderful talent and created a body of work that made our lives more fun and I think him for it and the authors for providing us with this enjoyable book.

Reviewed by Craig Matteson, Ann Arbor, MI

every wonder what happened to Barney after he left Mayberry? Actually the immortal character played by Don Knotts, had a movie career as well. The Incredible Don Knotts takes us through the incredible films of Don Knotts before and after Mayberry. in fact Don Knotts was one of the earliest tv stars to make transition from small screen to big screen. and Steve Cox and Kevin Marhanka have researched and recapped each film. with great insight and commentary. Just reading the book is as fun as watching one of the movies themselves.
we are blessed that the Incredible Don Knotts has left us with such delightful fare for generations on film. and now thanks to the authors we have this fantastic text on Don Knotts film career.
Every star should have such an incredible book written about them as this.
every fan should own it. .so kudos to the two authors. you deserve the KnottBell peace prize.

Just got this book, and thumbed directly to the section on The Ghost and Mr. Chicken - my favorite Knotts film. The authors do not disappoint. This is a beautiful book - the color photos are lush - jam packed with great information. I especially like the "Whatever became of..." sections.

I'm not even 1/4 of the way through the book, and I got my money's worth.

Thank you, Steve and Kevin.

Here's another terrific book from pop culture aficionado and author, Steve Cox (with Kevin Marhanka)! THE INCREDIBLE MR. DON KNOTTS focuses on the sensational movies of the legendary comedic actor! The book is loaded with photos (color and black & white) and very informative! I highly recommend THE INCREDIBLE MR. DON KNOTTS! Order it today!

The movies and life of Don Knotts is revealed in a blend of pop culture history and survey of comedy perfect for Mayberry fans. Over 200 photos - many rare and never before published - supplement a blend of biography, TV trivia, reviews, and survey of the movies and productions featuring Don Knotts in an outstanding treasury perfect for any general-interest lending library strong in film and popular TV personalities.

With a delicious cover like this, who wouldn't buy this book? I'm crazy nuts over Don Knotts and his timeless comedy. This book did not disappoint. I love the extended chapter all about the making of his best (in my opinion) movie, "The Ghost and Mr. Chicken." Mr. Limpet is a close second. Don Knotts has many costars who share their love of working with the genius and we get a better picture of what it was to work with him in his films, rather than on the TV shows. All of his movies are covered here. A really thorough job is done by the authors who obviously love his comedy too. A beautiful book that has a deserving place on my book shelf. ECW

This book had me entertained from start to finish. I have always loved the amazing Don Knotts and this book is the only one I've seen that does his life and career justice. Because they had the cooperation of Don Knotts himself (there is a fascinating interview with him about his personal favorite film "The Ghost and Mr. Chicken"), the authors were able to present a complete volume that covers all the bases. This handsome coffee table worthy book includes all kinds of rare behind-the-scenes photos and has a heavy Mayberry slant for all those "Andy Griffith Show" fans like me. Highly recommended!

Being of that generation, I admit it, I watched Three's Company growing up. Mr. Furley is the character I most associate with Don Knotts. I've always been a fan and this book helped me remember other roles of his. The Disney movies of the 70's and especially on Scooby-Doo! Since reading this (cool cover and graphics too) I've discovered The Ghost and Mr. Chicken, a new favorite. Now, onto Mayberry...

Steve Cox and Kevin Marhanka remind us that Don Knotts was much more than THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW. Don had a talent and instinct to make us laugh with his timing, physicality, and vocal delivery & inflection. And he brought those assets to motion pictures too.

Don's film career is often considered secondary to his work on television. But it's no less entertaining, and no less important to his life and career. In small movie roles, Don stole scenes from Doris Day, Phil Silvers (no easy task) and Andy Griffith. Starring in his own films at Warner Bros, Universal and Disney, Don's films may not have been fully embraced by the critics, but the public certainly lined up at the box office for the laughs. The critics sure came around for PLEASANTVILLE though!

Cox and Marhanka highlight all this with their detailed overview of Knotts' movie career. Bit roles, starring vehicles, TV movies with Orson Welles (and even Scooby Doo)... they're all here. Candid and studio photos, trade reviews, costar/crew interviews and accounts with Tim Conway, Carol Cooke, Skip Homeier, Maggie Peterson, Barbara Rhoades, Frank Welker, selected costar profiles, more...

A highly recommended look at the life and films of the beloved actor & entertainer, Don Knotts.

The authors have poured every bit of their love for Mr. Knotts into this encyclopedia of fun facts. And readers/fans benefit from this lovefest. Finally I know the names of all the actresses who played the "lodge ladies" (Taro! Karo! Solomon!) from THE GHOST AND MR. CHICKEN, thanks to these two writers. Readers will be pleased with the layout, the copious details, the profuse photographs (including almost 50 color shots), and the depictions of who Mr. Knotts was on screen and off. It's a book well worth having! Great job, guys!