The Production Core Of ‘The Andy Griffith Show’

On the left is director Bob Sweeney who directed the first three seasons of the show. On the right, producer Aaron Ruben who was with the show from the start, till 1966 when he left to produce the spin off, ‘Gomer Pyle, USMC’. The show was filmed at Desilu Studios, with exteriors filmed at Forty Acres in Culver City with sets that were right next to the 1939 ‘Gone With The Wind’ sets. Woodsy locales were filmed north of Beverly Hills at Franklin Canyon. If you ever wondered who the excellent whistler was on the show’s theme song (The Fishin’ Hole), it was Earle Hagen, who along with Herbert Spencer composed the melody, with lyrics written by Everett Sloane. Lyrics? Yes, there are words to the song and if you have never heard it, here’s Andy Griffith singing them…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PVUit1-0Ck

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