Goober Pyle
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Goober Pyle is a fictional character in the American TV
sitcom A sitcom, a portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troupe may use ne ...
''
The Andy Griffith Show ''The Andy Griffith Show '' is an American situation comedy television series that aired on CBS from October 3, 1960, to April 1, 1968, with a total of 249 half-hour episodes spanning eight seasons—159 in black and white and 90 in color. The ...
'' and its sequel series ''
Mayberry RFD ''Mayberry R.F.D.'' (abbreviation for Rural Free Delivery) is an American television series produced as a spin-off continuation of ''The Andy Griffith Show''. When star Andy Griffith decided to leave his series, most of the supporting character ...
''. He was played by
George Lindsey George Smith Lindsey (December 17, 1928 – May 6, 2012) was an American actor and stand-up comedian, best known for his role as Goober Pyle on ''The Andy Griffith Show'', ''Mayberry R.F.D.'' and his subsequent tenure on '' Hee-Haw''. Life and ...
. Lindsey first read for the part of
Gomer Pyle Gomer Pyle is a fictional character played by Jim Nabors and introduced in the middle of the third season of ''The Andy Griffith Show''. A naïve and gentle auto mechanic, he became a character in the January 1963 episode, ''Man in a Hurry''. ...
, Goober's cousin, which went to actor-singer
Jim Nabors James Thurston Nabors (June 12, 1930 – November 30, 2017) was an American actor, singer, and comedian, widely known for his signature character, Gomer Pyle. Nabors was discovered by Andy Griffith while working at a Santa Monica, California, Sa ...
. The two actors had similar backgrounds; Lindsey was from
Jasper, Alabama Jasper is a city in and the county seat of Walker County, Alabama, United States. Its population was 14,352 as of the 2010 census. Named in honor of Sergeant William Jasper, an American Revolutionary War hero, Jasper was settled around 1815 and ...
, while Nabors was from
Sylacauga, Alabama Sylacauga is a city in Talladega County, Alabama, United States. At the 2020 census, the population was 12,578. Sylacauga is known for its fine white marble bedrock. This was discovered shortly after settlers moved into the area and has been ...
. The character was introduced by Andy Taylor (played by
Andy Griffith Andy Samuel Griffith (June 1, 1926 – July 3, 2012) was an American actor, comedian, television producer, southern gospel singer and writer whose career spanned seven decades in music and television. Known for his Southern drawl, his characte ...
) as Goober Beasley,season 5 episode 23 TV or Not TV but he was referred to as Goober Pyle for most of his time on the show.


Character

The cousin of
Gomer Pyle Gomer Pyle is a fictional character played by Jim Nabors and introduced in the middle of the third season of ''The Andy Griffith Show''. A naïve and gentle auto mechanic, he became a character in the January 1963 episode, ''Man in a Hurry''. ...
, Goober was initially often referred to by Gomer but never seen until his appearance in the episode " Fun Girls," which was the only ''Andy Griffith Show'' episode in which the two appeared together. Goober later appeared in an episode of ''
Gomer Pyle, USMC ''Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.''The show (and CBS) renders the title as ''Gomer Pyle – USMC''. is an American situation comedy that originally aired on CBS from September 25, 1964, to May 2, 1969. The series was a spin-off of ''The Andy Griffith Show ...
.'' Both Pyle cousins worked at Wally's Filling Station, though not together, and were the show's
comic relief Comic relief is the inclusion of a humorous character, scene, or witty dialogue in an otherwise serious work, often to relieve tension. Definition Comic relief usually means a releasing of emotional or other tension resulting from a comic episo ...
. Lindsey was hired to fill the void when Gomer was spun off to join the
United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...
. During season five, Goober was initially referred to as "Goober Beasley." To solidify the connection to Gomer, Goober's surname was changed to "Pyle." While Gomer always referenced Grandma Pyle, Goober never mentioned her. Goober was viewed as backward and not very bright. Although Goober portrayed a somewhat childlike and happy-go-lucky character, he had the ability to view life and people with a sense of wonder and goodness. And his automotive mechanical skills were exceptional, as evidenced in one episode by taking Gilly Walker's car apart and reassembling it inside the sheriff's office, and then taking it apart again and reassembling it again outside. Goober was similar to his cousin Gomer, though less animated. Both cousins shared a love for high-stepping, swing dancing, even when the music was far less dynamic. Goober's older brother Braden was a noted rocket-scientist for
NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil space program, aeronautics research, and space research. NASA was established in 1958, succeeding t ...
, and once visited ''
Mayberry R.F.D. ''Mayberry R.F.D.'' (abbreviation for Rural Free Delivery) is an American television series produced as a spin-off continuation of ''The Andy Griffith Show''. When star Andy Griffith decided to leave his series, most of the supporting character ...
'' on the 1969 episode, "Goober's Brother." Howard Sprague attributed the vast intellectual disparity between the brothers to Mendel's theory of
recessive gene In genetics, dominance is the phenomenon of one variant (allele) of a gene on a chromosome masking or overriding the effect of a different variant of the same gene on the other copy of the chromosome. The first variant is termed dominant and t ...
s.


Goober's attire

Goober was distinctively attired for the show. He was generally dressed in a work shirt, breast pocket filled with pencils, pens, and tire gauges. His dark blue
Dickies Williamson-Dickie Mfg. Co. is an apparel manufacturing company primarily known for its largest brand, Dickies. The company was founded in Fort Worth, Texas, in 1922 by C. N. Williamson and E. E. "Colonel" Dickie, who began a denim bib overall co ...
work pants were hoisted high and cinched with a wide belt, giving him an Empire waistline. Work boots and a customized beanie hat or
whoopee cap A whoopee cap is a style of headwear popular among youths in the mid 20th century in the United States. It was often made from a man's felt fedora hat with the brim trimmed with a scalloped cut and turned up. In the 1920s and 1930s, such caps ...
(similar to that of the comic character
Jughead Jones Forsythe Pendleton "Jughead" Jones III is one of the fictional characters created by Bob Montana and John L. Goldwater in Archie Comics who first appeared in the first Archie story, from ''Pep Comics'' #22 (December 1941). He is the drummer of th ...
) completed his episode-to-episode wardrobe. Very occasionally, Goober would dress up for the rare formal occasion in a suit described as "an unsophisticated double-vested, brown pinstripe number with white socks" that was passed to him from his cousin Gomer. A garish tie completed the picture of the dressed-up Goober. Goober's suit was originally owned by Howard McNear (Floyd) who donated it for a friend's funeral. It was rejected and returned to the studio where it wound up in wardrobe. On two occasions, Goober also wore one of Andy's suits, which was first lent to him in Raleigh at the auto show when his suit ripped. He borrowed it again one other time. On August 27, 2010, the suit became part of the
Andy Griffith Museum The Andy Griffith Museum is a museum dedicated to the life and career of American actor, television producer, and singer Andy Griffith. The museum, which houses the world's largest collection of Andy Griffith memorabilia, is located in Griffith' ...
in
Mount Airy, North Carolina Mount Airy is a city in Surry County, North Carolina, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 10,611. History Mount Airy was settled in the 1750s as a stagecoach stop on the road between Winston-Salem, North Carolina an ...
. George Lindsey, who was 81 going on 82 that December, and rarely traveled, asked Jim Clark to appear in his place, telling the crowd, "He told me to say Goober says, 'Hey!'" Clark said Lindsey wore the suit while playing Goober on many ''Andy Griffith Show''/ "RFD" episodes as well as on ''
Hee Haw ''Hee Haw'' is an American television variety show featuring country music and humor with the fictional rural "Kornfield Kounty" as the backdrop. It aired first-run on CBS from 1969 to 1971, in syndication from 1971 to 1993, and on TNN from 199 ...
''.


Character biography

Goober was born in either 1940 or 1941 (he says he was five years old when he was a witness to Floyd punching Charles Foley on August 9, 1946 in the episode entitled "The Case of the Punch in the Nose"). He was raised in Mayberry, was trained as a mechanic in
Raleigh Raleigh (; ) is the capital city of the state of North Carolina and the seat of Wake County in the United States. It is the second-most populous city in North Carolina, after Charlotte. Raleigh is the tenth-most populous city in the Southeas ...
,
North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...
, and served a stint in the
North Carolina National Guard The North Carolina National Guard (NCNG), commonly known as the North Carolina Guard, is a component of the North Carolina Department of Public Safety and the National Guard of the United States. It is composed of Army and Air National Guard unit ...
where he picked up the phrase, " Yo." Goober worked at Wally's Filling Station, which he eventually purchased and became the proprietor of, later in the show's run. His girlfriend in four of the color episodes was Flora Malherbe, but his initial love interest was Lydia Crosswaith, who was originally from
Greensboro Greensboro (; formerly Greensborough) is a city in and the county seat of Guilford County, North Carolina, United States. It is the third-most populous city in North Carolina after Charlotte and Raleigh, the 69th-most populous city in the Un ...
,
North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...
. Goober is known for his (bad) impressions of celebrities. He impersonates
Cary Grant Cary Grant (born Archibald Alec Leach; January 18, 1904November 29, 1986) was an English-American actor. He was known for his Mid-Atlantic accent, debonair demeanor, light-hearted approach to acting, and sense of comic timing. He was one o ...
("Judy, Judy, Judy!") and Edward G. Robinson ("OK, you guys. Come on, you guys. All right, you guys. Beat it, you guys."). He could also impersonate Chester Goode's walk from ''
Gunsmoke ''Gunsmoke'' is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman Macdonnell and writer John Meston. It centers on Dodge City, Kansas, in the 1870s, during the settlement of the American West. The central character ...
'' and perform lame schtick such as simulating sewing up his fingers. The only people who were truly impressed by his talents were his cousin Gomer and the fun girls, Daphne and Skippy. He had a penchant for Super-Hero and monster comic books and sci-fi movies. Each Pyle cousin had his own peculiar dance moves. After the departure of
Don Knotts Jesse Donald Knotts (July 21, 1924February 24, 2006) was an American actor and comedian. He is widely known for his role as Deputy Sheriff Barney Fife on ''The Andy Griffith Show'', a 1960s sitcom for which he earned five Emmy Awards. He also ...
's character
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 C ...
, Goober replaced many of the shenanigans formerly attributed to Barney, such as divulging information across town that Andy preferred be kept private, or creating conflict from misunderstandings. Goober is made an emergency deputy several times when minor crime waves erupted in Mayberry. Goober is an old friend of Andy Sawyer, a native of the much larger town of Greenwood who happens to look exactly like Sheriff Andy Taylor and behave similarly to him as well; Goober visits Sawyer in Greenwood during the premiere episode of ''
The New Andy Griffith Show ''The New Andy Griffith Show'' is an American sitcom that was broadcast in the United States on CBS in 1971 on Fridays at 8:30 ET. It debuted on January 8, 1971, and ended on May 21, 1971. History Actor Andy Griffith had left his first sitcom, ...
''. After the events of ''Mayberry R.F.D.'' and ''The New Andy Griffith Show'', Goober relocates to Kornfield County and opens up a gas station of his own, where he spends the next twenty years as a cast member of the country variety revue ''
Hee Haw ''Hee Haw'' is an American television variety show featuring country music and humor with the fictional rural "Kornfield Kounty" as the backdrop. It aired first-run on CBS from 1969 to 1971, in syndication from 1971 to 1993, and on TNN from 199 ...
''. By this time, Goober had developed a substantial wit, and when a shyster (played by his brief ''Andy Griffith Show'' co-star
Jack Burns John Francis Burns (November 15, 1933 – January 27, 2020) was an American comedian, actor, voice actor, writer, and producer. During the 1960s, he was part of two comedy partnerships, first with George Carlin and later with Avery Schreiber. ...
) would attempt to con Goober out of money, Goober could always goad the shyster into a rematch and win his money back. Goober appeared on 86 episodes of ''
The Andy Griffith Show ''The Andy Griffith Show '' is an American situation comedy television series that aired on CBS from October 3, 1960, to April 1, 1968, with a total of 249 half-hour episodes spanning eight seasons—159 in black and white and 90 in color. The ...
'' from 1964 through 1968, one episode each of '' Gomer Pyle U.S.M.C.'' and ''The New Andy Griffith Show'' and then on 54 episodes of ''
Mayberry R.F.D. ''Mayberry R.F.D.'' (abbreviation for Rural Free Delivery) is an American television series produced as a spin-off continuation of ''The Andy Griffith Show''. When star Andy Griffith decided to leave his series, most of the supporting character ...
'' until its cancellation in 1971. Following that, Lindsey spent roughly 20 years playing the character on ''
Hee Haw ''Hee Haw'' is an American television variety show featuring country music and humor with the fictional rural "Kornfield Kounty" as the backdrop. It aired first-run on CBS from 1969 to 1971, in syndication from 1971 to 1993, and on TNN from 199 ...
'' from 1972 through 1992. Goober also appeared in the 1978 television pilot episode '' Goober & The Truckers' Paradise'' and the 1986 television reunion movie ''
Return to Mayberry ''Return to Mayberry'' is a 1986 American made-for-television romantic comedy film based on the 1960s sitcoms ''The Andy Griffith Show'' and '' Mayberry R.F.D.''. The film premiered on April 13, 1986, on NBC, and was the highest- rated televis ...
'' alongside his cousin Gomer for only the third time in television history (running the town's G'nG gas station and auto repair shop). The characters also appeared together in one episode of ''The Andy Griffith Show'' and one ''Gomer Pyle U.S.M.C.'' episode.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pyle, Goober Fictional characters from North Carolina Fictional mechanics The Andy Griffith Show characters Television characters introduced in 1965