The Incredible Mr. Don Knotts (Hardcover)

~ Stephen Cox and Kevin Marhanka (Author)
Key Phrases: lady fish, saloon man, bad penny, Don Knotts, Andy Griffith, Tim Conway (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

If there is any doubt about the genius of the late, great Don Knotts--simply ask the millions of Andy Griffith Show fans who have adored his performance as Deputy Barney Fife on television for decades. After earning five Emmy Awards for his work on the classic sitcom, the actor surrendered his bullet to the sheriff and hit the trail to make movies.

Now, author Stephen Cox and pop culture critic Kevin Marhanka have joined forces to present the complete film works of comedian Don Knotts in The Incredible Mr. Don Knotts, the very first book on Knott's movie career. The authors, who interviewed Knotts at length about specific films in which he starred, have gathered contributions from Andy Griffith, Ron Howard, Tim Conway, Ed Asner, and many co-stars from his forty feature-film career.

This "eye-popping" compendium of comedy will amaze even the die-hard Mayberry fans. Beginning with his first film with friend Andy Griffith in 1958 (No Time for Sergeants), the nervous, wide-eyed Knotts made family films that have become cult classics. Think The Incredible Mr. Limpet, The Ghost & Mr. Chicken, The Apple Dumpling Gang, and It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, just to name a few.

Featuring more than 200 photographs--many rare and never before published--behind-the-scenes images, fascinating trivia, reviews, and a fantastic 16-page full-color insert, the movies of Don Knotts are fully explored in this collector's treasury.

About the Author

Stephen Cox is the author of more than twenty books on popular culture, film, and television, including It's a Wonderful Life, The Munchkins of Oz, Here's Johnny! and One Fine Stooge. Cox is a member of the Author's Guild and lives in Los Angeles.

Kevin Marhanka, a collector of vintage film and television since he was growing up in the Midwest, has contributed to several books on popular culture. He lives in St. Louis.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 220 pages
• Publisher: Cumberland House Publishing (November 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1581826583
• ISBN-13: 978-1581826586
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 8.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #433,685 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An affectionate and delightful look at the movie career of Don Knotts, November 14, 2008

By	Craig Matteson (Ann Arbor, MI) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)

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

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars fit for fife, November 1, 2008

By	anonymous - See all my reviews

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.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Fun!, October 27, 2008

By	S. Michaels "Dearly Departed Tours" (Hollywood, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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.