This is Why Aunt Bee Said NO to "Return to Mayberry"

[@BrianRIngram]

At least she did apologize to Andy Griffith during a phone call a few years before her death. She said she deeply regretted being difficult.

[@sewashburn0529]

If it wasn't for the Andy Griffith Show the vast majority of civilization would not know who she was. She should be grateful for the opportunity she had.

[@bradsmack1]

Sounds like therapy might have been in order long before she finally sought it!

[@djrdjr8888]

Not everyone is shallow enough to care whether they are "known". She had the career she loved destroyed. She couldn't display the talents that gave her life meaning.

[@danielthompsonmoviestravel8254]

sewashburn0529 Absolutely. She’s still well known years after she died and I’m sure she made lots of money off of the show. If she hated it that much, quit. It was her choice to stay and make the money so she should have quit her whining.

[@patrickperalta59]

@@danielthompsonmoviestravel8254 , i think the biggest issue is as a actor she wanted to grow beyond being known as Aunt Bee, as the video points out she did a role that was completely different from Aunt Bee, she played a Evil woman with kids and fans hated it. they only want to see her as sweet Aunt Bee. every actor wants to do more then be known for a popular Role.

[@danielthompsonmoviestravel8254]

closeupman I researched it. She died with a $700,000 estate.

[@mariananesi3963]

I have seen her in movies-she was never the star and was forgettable. The Andy Griffith Show is what made her a star for generations.

[@rextrek]

I never understood WHY an Actor or actress wouldn't Appreciate WHAT MADE them "endeared" to the public......I know people have to deal with the reality they're given. But when you're Famous, especially for a roll that MADE YOU A household name - WHY NOT Embrace it...? ..to Not, just makes you look Bitter and Unappreciative

[@rextrek]

that picture u have in the beginning of this of a Young aunt bea/ actres ..is Celeste Holm?

[@kituwahband]

What you described is a classic case of these people getting too big for their breeches!!

[@cherriaydelotte8327]

@rextrek.....You are so correct!!! It comes across as a bit selfish to me as well. And I was in the industry until I was 15 and I’m 58 now. I have had a beautiful, fulfilling career as a Chef and caterer. So, yes, she should’ve embraced it😉

[@williamarchibald1378]

@yandrsupreme Well, Ralph Ferley and Barney Fife were almost the same character. Some actors and actresses do get typecast

[@susanhutchings4070]

Iui bu 0p

[@sheilayoung8007]

Aunt Bea wasn't my favorite character at all, especially in the later episodes. However, my favorite episode with her was the medicine man, when she gets intoxicated. She was brilliant!

[@josephinequinn3856]

Agree. I would like to see her when she played a criminal mastermind in another show. That people so believed she was Aunt Bee, shows what a great actress she was.

[@earthbarnes6694]

They just aired that episode today 6- 19- 02

[@cherriberri7161]

Ummm the first photo of a “young Frances B” happens to be a photo of Celeste Holmes!, Terrible presentation

[@Zacdawac]

My first thought was Barbara Stanwyck but you're right, it's Celeste Holm (not Holmes).

[@jeffd1986]

Happens all the time. For years there was a photo of Gloria DeHaven being shared on FB and other sites that was said to be Frances Bavier.

[@deadstick8624]

Thank you for that. I knew it, I didn't think that was Francis -- the eyes, nose and mouth were not the same. I think she was like Wilfred Brimley, always looked the same -- old, even when she was young.

[@rickloera9468]

She didn't leave the show in 1968. She reprised the Aunt Bee role in Mayberry RFD. She was in 36 episode until its cancelation due to the rural purge back in 1970. It's too bad she didn't accept the fact that she had such a memorable role. I understand not wanting to be typecast, but at her age she had already been an actor for years. Unlike child actors who are typecast at a young age but still have to support themselves for the rest of their lives. She had work until her late sixties. She also needed to realize how lucky she was to have that role. Back then actresses who reached 40 years of age had difficulty finding work unlike their male counterparts.

[@jeffd1986]

Right, I'm surprised they left out Mayberry RFD.....and it lasted until 1971. Typecast or not, the per episode paychecks as well as residuals that can keep coming for years when shows go into syndication are something that most actors can only dream of. At the end she must have come to terms with her character; she had "Aunt Bee" inscribed on her gravestone before she died.

[@im4run]

Agreed. Ithink for her it an artistic desire to try different characters. It's difficult to breakout of an iconic role like that. It would been good if she could have come to embrace it as other actors who were in iconic roles did as the years went by.

[@CaptainSpalding72]

MAYBERRY RFD was canceled in 1971, not 70. She left a season before in 70. She played her character longer than Andy, Barney, Goober, Gomer....

[@rickloera9468]

@@CaptainSpalding72 I have no idea why I said 1970. Yes the last episode was aired on March 29, 1971. As much as I like all the rural shows then and now, it was a simple mistake.

[@ianmichalski7997]

@@jeffd1986 None of the Andy Griffith show cast received residuals. The idea didn't really exist at the time.

[@ProWrestlingGamer]

I'd never know who she was if it wasn't for her role in the Andy Griffith Show as Aunt Bea. Many people wouldn't either.

[@lawandascreations9110]

I watch Andy Griffith Show every single day!!! I love it!!

[@larryaldama1673]

Me too 🇺🇸

[@albertwells8503]

I never bought into this philosophy of being typecast. So many actors have gotten past it. Everybody would have swore Carroll O’Connor was typecast permanently as Archie Bunker. Remember Heat Of The Night? He got past Archie Bunker. Andy Griffith played Sheriff Andy Taylor for 8 years. He should have been typecast forever as Andy Taylor. Yet went on to star as Matlock successfully. Bob Denver was Maynard G. Krebbs, the lovable beatnick on Dobie Gillis, but went on to become Gilligan. Typecasting can be overcome. It’s been done many times.

[@markcadieux3445]

I always thought of Gilligan as Maynard G Krebs on an island. i.e. same character different name and location. Both were silly and child-like.

[@albertwells8503]

Mark Cadieux I never thought of it like that! That’s interesting!!!

[@basilmarasco1975]

But I doubt that Hollywood is consistently that fair or enlightened. Carroll O'Connor and Andy Griffith had some influence (and "pull") going into their new roles.

[@albertwells8503]

Basil Marasco Yes. You’re exactly right. I wasn’t thinking of it that way. Both were more than just actors. They were both directors and executive producers. They both had pull in Hollywood.

[@basilmarasco1975]

@@albertwells8503 Another comment said that typecasting *does* happen to younger performers. Ken Osmond, for example, said that his role as "Eddie Haskell" pretty much ended his career. But then, Natalie Wood had a busy career as a child and teen star (albeit in films) and went on to a successful career as an adult. I get the feeling that some performers who encounter apparent typecasting are insulted by having to beg or battle to keep their careers alive, and they just "take the money (their prior earnings) and run."

[@11679MRT]

It's interesting that she never changed her look. I wonder how much that played a part in her typecasting.

[@sheilayoung8007]

Interestingly I watch an old Dragnet from the 50s recently, she looked exactly how she looked on the Andy Griffith Show.

[@eperon]

Older ladies back in the ‘60s when this was filmed seldom changed their “look.”

[@gigimoore3738]

And you can't change that voice either.

[@d.e.b.b5788]

@@gigimoore3738 Sure she could; IRL she didn't sound anything like the 'sweet old aunt 'Bee'. Check out some of her other works.

[@josephinequinn3856]

That's what I was thinking. She looked the same in many TV shows & many different roles.

[@dennishudson781]

I enjoyed Frances in "The Day the Earth Stood Still." A brief but very good role.

[@BloodDude2]

I’m from the neighboring county to Siler City, NC. While I never had the opportunity to meet Frances personally, many people I know did, including my mother who met and visited with her in her hospital once while my mother was visiting with a friend in the room next door. My mother said she was very nice and was much like the “Aunt Bee” character. She even signed her autograph “Frances Bavier” and underneath that signature, “Aunt Bee”. She always spelled it “Bee” as opposed to “Bea”. But others who met her described a very different experience. They said she could be very rude and down right hateful. I read an article a few years ago that Andy and Ron Howard went to visit her once in Siler City, and she refused to open the door for them. In other articles, she and Howard Morris (Ernest T. Bass), got along like mixing oil and water, and some of their disagreements while Morris was directing some of the shows almost turned physical!

[@lwmson]

In spite of everything said in this video, I really believe the reason why she decided to pass on doing the reunion show was because she was just too old to resume work as an actress. The show aired in 1986, three years before her death and she died at 89. (On watching the show back then, I thought that she, like the Aunt Bee character of the show, was actually deceased.) That said, she was 86 when the reunion show was filmed and the rigors of working on a TV set, the incessant rehearsing, memorizing lines, and the strenuous work hour demands, would have been to much for her to endure at such an advanced age.

[@richie2044]

Andy Griffith stated in an interview that she was too sick to play the part. Him trying to cover for her is possible, but as you mentioned, she was 86 at the time.

[@jburk97035]

Yea, it was her health and age as to the real reason she declined to do the Return to Mayberry.

[@tuxitalk1World]

@@richie2044 Yes, she told him she had a heart attack and then had cancer and that she was dying.

[@josephinequinn3856]

Those are excellent points. Maybe she could not admit it to herself. It's not easy getting older.

[@brendafife3253]

It's sad to hear, she had a blessed life , but never found joy. That was on her.

[@Bill-py1fn]

Highly sensitive artistic people can suffer for their art...and in life. They are my kindred.

[@janetlieb2507]

Yes!

[@JMD1965]

It's sad she could never even acknowledge the joy she gave to so many through her performance as that character. I hope she has finally found the peace that obviously so eluded her in life.

[@tiredlawdog]

It's a shame that someone as great as her let her ego get in the way of her career. I always enjoyed her performances on the Andy Griffin show.

[@lwmson]

I agree. I can't understand why she would have felt embittered after she left TAGS. She started working on the show in 1960 when she 60, and remained a regular cast member for eight years. Add to that, she was a regular on the spin-off series Mayberry RFD for there years. That's 11 seasons total, which I think is a highly successful run for a TV actress and few have such longevity. After the Mayberry series ended, she was 71 and subsequently retired, which is what most people that do at that age anyway, many even earlier. I would say that she had a highly successful acting career and she should have felt blessed.

[@thefonzkiss]

You missed something - she was approached to play Aunt Harriet on Batman66 but she wasn’t available so suggested her friend Madge Blake.

[@sdickie2659]

She was everyone’s favorite aunt. It’s sad she didn’t see the happiness she gave everyone and she lives forever with Andy & Opi!

[@A2D4]

S Dickie She was actually my LEAST favorite character. Had an underlying mean streak that came out in character once in awhile. She changed accents over the years. . Thankfully I never had an aunt like that. My favorite character was Goober🤗

[@josephperkins4080]

😊Aunt Bee was always my fave character 🤗

[@leesyrjanen3947]

By the way the picture at 3:05 is actress Gloria DeHaven, not Francis Bavier.

[@thomasgray2920]

I believe there was more health reasons that played into Bavier's decision not to do the reunion movie. Griffith in a later interview said that she gave him her blessings to recast her role with someone else, but he said that if she couldn't do it, then no one else would. So hence the scene in the Cemetery at the beginning of the reunion movie.

[@josephmaloney3140]

This video needs to be pulled down or drastically reworked. Her appearance on The Lone Ranger came 5 years before she started playing Aunt Bee! She continued playing the part in the follow-up series for an additional two years. She was angry because she wasn't the central focus of The Eve Arden show!! She didn't want to be connected to the Aunt Bee character after she retired, if that's true why did she move to Siler City in North Carolina!!! She was almost 70 years old when she stopped playing the part, she had worked 4 different series beginning in 1954, she had a hell of a career, what's to complain about. She may have been having cognitive issues for years prior to Return to Mayberry, which would help explain a lot of these comments.

[@markcadieux3445]

She was upset that she wasn't the central character on a show with another actress name as the title!

[@unclebillmusic]

Aunt Bee was great in "The Lone Ranger" episode !!! The Sheriff in that episode was named TAYLOR !!!

[@markcadieux3445]

@@unclebillmusic It was the lone ranger, not long ranger. A lot of us made that mistake when we were kids.

[@unclebillmusic]

@@markcadieux3445 Thank you for correcting me. I did just edited it. I watch The Lone Ranger 6 days a week on the FETV channel. The other day my favorite episode was on, "Texas Draw" An angry Doctor that blamed another doctor for not saving his father, became a fast draw so he could someday kill that doctor. He told the Lone Ranger that he believed that nobody could beat him. The Long Ranger said to him "You can't beat me". Then Kimosabe (I hope I spelled Kimosabe right) shot the doctors gun from his hand !! I am 71, and have seen all the westerns and cowboy movies there is. The Long Ranger IS the FASTEST GUN OF THEM ALL !!! And that also goes for "The Sons Of Will Sonnett" (both sons and Walter Brennan( and he was fast too) "no brag, just fact" !!!

[@lisaredford6462]

I never saw her in another role. She did a tremendous job as Aunt Bea. The show would not have been what it was with out her

[@MrParkerman6]

She was in The Original Benji the dog Movie as one of Benji's unoffical "owners". Try and ketckup, yu froot loop!!!!!!

[@ceoa]

I saw her in The Day The Earth Stood Still.

[@eugenekozma2697]

Frances bavier was gifted.brought soul to the show.a splendid part of the show she was.they needed her.

[@MW222-s8u]

For return to mayberry I actually thought the actress/diva was dead like her character was

[@benschlechter]

Ms. Bavier didn't pass until 1989(3 years after the movie aired). Janet Waldo does the voiceover at Aunt Bee's grave.

[@pamelaharnage]

The actress that played Aunt Bea is dead in real life

[@markcadieux3445]

@@pamelaharnage If she wasn't, she'd be 114 yrs old.

[@markcadieux3445]

@@malissaorr7796 in a later interview, Andy Griffith said they reconciled later. she didn't appreciate the way he and the other cast members always joked around on the set.

[@stevenbathurst7027]

She was an excellent actress, some people are meant to play certain roles and she was meant to play roles like aunt bee. She should not complain, there are people that cant find a job. Be blessed with what you have!

[@florencelinsagan7682]

I have never acted but it really annoys me when actors/actresses complain angrily about being "typecast." Surely it is much better to be remembered for something than remembered for nothing. If it "defines" your career, so what? It is preferable to being unemployed!

[@bfsgman]

Most actors get into the profession because they want to play a variety of characters, rather than the same type of character over and over. Look at Bryan Cranston. He went from the goofy dad on Malcolm in the Middle to a meth kingpin on Breaking Bad. Most actors want to show their range like that, which is understandable.

[@complimentbotd7232]

Imagine wanting to be a singer, and you start out as a country singer and than as time goes, as you change as a person and your music starts to reflect that, people lash out at you and complain about how shitty you became. Than the only way you can sell any CDs or whatever kids use these days you have to put on a facade and live a lie. It's not easy having the wirld tell you what lane you belong in, it's not easy going on like you're a shitty animatronic at Chuck E Cheese just putting on a show so unmonitored children can throw microwaved pizza on you and jam your damn circuit boards. All I'm saying is you're wrong and dumb and probably eat too many cheetos. I was like you until I went to *LHOHQ.info*

[@lindaeasley4336]

Actors should be grateful they landed an iconic role in a classic tv show . It's not likely they would have had a standout career anyway just being an actor playing different roles . Andy Griffith was the exception

[@jacktribble5253]

Many actors want to be remembered for what THEY consider to be their defining work, not what the "Masses" have decided on.

[@MrParkerman6]

@bfsgman Bryan Cranston was around for years before Malcom in The Middle, dumbass.

[@austx290]

Hmmm, sounds like everyone had to walk on "eggshells" around her. I'm from NC and I always heard she wasn't a very nice person in real life. If you can't shed a certain image, then maybe you need to be a better actor. OOOOPS. Did I say that??

[@williamarchibald1378]

Well, I don't think being a better actor would have helped her shed the Aunt Bee image. Once an actor gets typecast, regardless of how good an actor maybe, it's hard for casting directors to see said actor in any other role. But, that said, yeah she sounds like she was a total bitch and entitled.I once read where Ron Howard came to visit her at her home in NC and she had him run off.

[@stephenadamsmusicalinterpr4203]

I'm NC native, too. She did, however, make her apologies to Andy Griffith for being hard to work with.

[@davidsargent8374]

It’s very hard to take this seriously hearing “Aunt Bee”. No one ever pronounced aunt. It was Ant Bee!

[@highwaymaintainer]

totally with you on that one, did this narrarator dude ever watch the show?

[@dianaarneson6590]

and, in Andy's case, it was Aint Bee!

[@jimy0803]

Much ado over something trivial.

[@jimy0803]

@@gregorygrimm5540 If you say so...

[@DM-sg3cj]

@@jimy0803 No one asked you.

[@LarcR]

Frances was apparently unhappy about her success when she should have been grateful for it. Her Aunt Bee fame was far more than many actors can manage to get from a lifetime of work. There's just no satisfying some people.

[@eugenekozma2697]

She was dedicated to the show.stuck it out through the whole series.even did it two years on the spinoff Mayberry r.f.d..bless her.gifted actress.

[@karenpike2420]

May she rest in peace

[@andyrdavis]

There are a very few actors/actresses who can play very diverse roles and they become that character. The acting is like a totally different person. Most actors (including Ms. Bavier), are generally the same in most of their roles. They are the same person and personality, just dressed differently. The few other roles I've seen Ms. Bavier play, she even had the same hair style and affect. I once saw her in a brief role in the 1950's version of "The Day the Earth Stood Still" with Michael Rennie, the science fiction classis. She basically the same there as in her other roles, in my opinion. It was a very minor part. I saw nothing to indicate she had the reach and ability she saw in herself.

[@janetlieb2507]

Such a sweet show. Wonderful how she took care of andy and opie. I understand her frustration at being typecast.i wish she would gave returned for Return to Mayberry!

[@FactsVerse]

Couldn't agree more! Thanks for watching!

[@janetlieb2507]

@@FactsVerse thanx!❤

[@drinkinglotsofsoda]

Gave should have been have

[@MrJay197409]

She felt trapped yet never quit, after five years on the Andy Griffith show. Don Knotts quit making frequent appearances yet she kept going in seasons: 6, 7 and 8 . She even appeared in Mayberry RFD.

[@melindakinnaird]

Why did you show a picture of Celeste Holm when talking about a young Frances Bavier?

[@lowprofile2412]

Poor Aunt Bee, she was like an aunt to me growing up

[@zontar3x23]

I didn't like "Aunt Bee." I always figured she was the type that, behind the facade, poisoned old men and buried them in her cellar..

[@CaptainSpalding72]

Shatner once said typecasting was an excuse by lazy actors.

[@robinhartman6275]

I loved aunt bee. I’d think she would be proud to be associated like the character of Mayberry’s aunt bee

[@happygirl7258]

Its pronounced “Ain’t Bee”

[@fendermon]

Such a sad contrast to Betty Lynn's grateful outlook.

[@FactsVerse]

It really is, fendermon

[@MartinGarcia-km4qs]

I had such a crush on Thelma Lou!!!! Those eyes!!!!

[@fcontitwo]

✨I still Love ❤️’Aunt 🐝!!! 🌹🎭⚡️🇺🇸

[@janetlieb2507]

Me too! Would love to stop in Mayberry for her cooking!

[@wendybusby9415]

Hey, I'd like to know what happened to Juanita down at the Diner.

[@FactsVerse]

We'd like to know as well, Wendy

[@ameliohoward3926]

I think she did a great job if there was no aunt bee there wouldn't have been no Andy Griffith show that's my opinion

[@texasborn2720]

I love her as "Aunt Bee" but I never saw her in that role as fully kind ? We all know how she butted heads with Andy off set. But she was never really all that kind with anyone on the show even to Opie ? She seemed cold to me.

[@serenasmuckers9310]

Hollywood missed out on a treasure. I can easily see her on the Love Boat as a successful mystery writer, or the publisher of a women's magazine.

[@janetlieb2507]

Yes! She would be great in various roles! As an actress she wanted to spread her wings!

[@eugenekozma2697]

Yes she could have continued in other roles.hollywoods loss and ours.

[@Darlenem222]

I think its a shame she went through life like that. So many would have loved to have the opportunities she had and to be on such an iconic tv show with such great actors. It is one of my favorite shows to this day. I think she was her own worst enemy and should have embraced the beloved character that she played.

[@diannbajewicz8952]

That lady that played aunt bee should have been more grateful to get a long standing roll as aunt bee at least she was a working actress

[@stflaw]

Bavier had kinda lost her marbles by the time of the TV movie. Griffith and Howard came to her front door without advance warning to ask her to participate in the movie and Bavier refused to let them inside. She had become a recluse and was occupying just a couple of rooms in her large house. She had dozens of cats in the home, and had converted the basement into one large litter box. After she died, people who entered the home said the entire home reeked of cat piss.

[@GodReignsForever321]

At minute three, that looks like Celeste Holm, not Frances Bavier.

[@gimlee9505]

Story I was told, my first wife's Uncle and cousin, when the latter was small and lived in Siler City, tried to trick or treat at her house. She wouldn't answer the door, stared out the window at them and finally called the cops.

[@BW-ht5ci]

Most people don't know way back before the Andy Griffith show aunt Bea was a very attractive woman

[@jamesryan6224]

She was difficult to work with and some of the cast said no. She was always complaining.

[@GlennaVan]

It was said she did not care for Andy's continuous joking around and his pranks.

[@dianaarneson6590]

Well, she did have one saving grace: she loved cats. ;)

[@renatareibuddysmama2534]

She played Aunt Bee in MAYBERRY RFD for two seasons. She didn't retire in '68 at the end of THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW.

[@eugenekozma2697]

That's true.this creator has it wrong.she retired in the early 1970s.

[@HNK222]

The actress shown at 03:11 is a young Betty Garrett who played Irene Lorenzo on All in the Family. It is NOT Frances Bavier.

[@thehighllama8101]

Frances Bavier was already 65 -years-old by the time the Andy Griffith Show went off the air, so I don't think she should have made such a big deal about being typecast. Her role on that show made her more famous, and probably more financially well off, than anything she had done before, and she was nearing retirement age anyway. Really, most actresses that age would probably be very grateful to end their careers on such a high note. I gotta say, though, Bavier was a real hottie when she was young. Va-va-voom.

[@bloqk16]

Maybe being branded with two names that denotes insects may have driven her into deliriums? Which could explain her surly behavior on-set and into retirement. After all, how many times can a person be on the receiving end of being called *Ant-Bee* before it would drive them crazy?

[@ellengauthier3430]

Lolololololololololo!!😆

[@tourcreole854]

Curious to know why a picture of Celeste Holm in Gentlemen's Agreement is identified as AHHHHHNT Bea.

[@markcadieux3445]

Ant not Ont.

[@giovanniserafino1731]

I notice that the British pronunciation of Aunt is becoming more common in certain parts of the USA. In the New England states it’s the standard pronunciation. However, on the TV show it was always pronounced “Ant Bea” and that’s how it should be kept. I find the British pronunciation used here somewhat fake very annoying. That being said, it was a very good presentation on the life of a wonderful actress .

[@florencelinsagan7682]

Like it or not, it is actually the fans who decide whether a celebrity is successful or not. So, perhaps their opinion should be given more consideration

[@patrickperalta59]

Florence , that may be true but fans also tend to be picky they get so used to a actor in a certain role that Actor is typecast as the character fans love.... so when the actor tries to do a new role fans hate it and let their feelings known. to the point they refuse to see the actor doing a different role.. as seen in the video when Frances Bavier tried to do a different Role as a bad woman or evil woman. fans hated it and let her know about it.............. in my opinion that is not right Fans shouldn't think they have the right to dictate what a actor can do.............if thy don't like the actor in a new role then to bad. Actors have every right to try something different. after all they are making a living as a actor... now some actors enjoy the role they are known for........ for Example Alan Hale Jr. loved being known as the Skipper on Gilligan's Island , he would wear the Skipper hat all the time visit sick kids in the hospital as the Skipper and even had his own restruant he wore the Skipper Hat....some actors embrace the role they are well known for.

[@byronp2311]

Perhaps it is, or was, harder for a woman to break out. Andy successfully morphed into Matlock. And if you want to see him as an awful person, check out 'A Face In The Crowd, which will resonate hightly today. But if you want to see Andy as a Goddam mean , evil fucking bastard, see if you can find the TV movie 'Murder in Coweta County. With Johnny Cash. I saw it whwn it first aired and never forgot just how damn scary Andy could be, simply by smiling.

[@patrickperalta59]

@closeupman , I agree 100%

[@tonyaduncan1745]

Who else didn't know that aunt bee died... Rip Ms bee

[@MrParkerman6]

Are you stupid or somethin'? She couldn't possibly be alive as of your comment, dumbass. Humans don't live that long, dumbass.

[@MrParkerman6]

She would be like 117 now, dumbass. That is super rare.

[@tonyaduncan1745]

@@MrParkerman6 ok and I didn't know plus stop cussing at an 7 year old

[@DevilTravels]

The thing is, she had a certain look, and that look narrowed her roles that fit the range of stereotypes in society. The entertainment business loves stereotypes since they are easier to write for and appeal to audiences. Too bad she couldn't accept that and always saw herself as a far more diverse actress.

[@philasupv]

I never saw her in any other role, only Aunt Bea and she was good. Shame she didn't enjoy that role and had such a temper, which probably also kept her from getting other roles. R.I.P. 🙏🙏

[@jerryhubbard4461]

Seems she was a very selfish self-centered person.

[@dianaarneson6590]

Sounds like she wasn't a good fit for that particular cast and crew. But when the show became popular, no doubt she was heavily pressured to remain, whether or not she was happy there. They couldn't very well kill off Aunt Bee! And it probably wouldn't have worked very well to get someone else to play the role. Look at what happened when they tried to replace Barney.

[@xr6lad]

In other words, a middling actor that has got a great break has an ego and confuses the fact that she is an....actor which means you play a role and you open the role if you have few options. Recognize your limitations. At her age she could have just taken the pay cheque and gone along with it. She ‘blames’ the Andy Griffith show. Ummm no ma’am; just look in a mirror. You could have not accepted the role OR left after a year or two. It was your decision.

[@janinec4444]

Not just her age, but her weight limited her options. If she had lost weight, she may have been able to be cast in different roles.

[@bjohnson1149]

Please pronounce "aunt" the way it was pronounced on the show.

[@louh2251]

I agree. I pronounce aunt the way the narrator does but it will always be "Ant" Bee.

[@swabby429]

I always thought it was quaint to hear the players call her "Aint Bee".

[@jimy0803]

Who cares? Everybody knows what it is. The pronounciation has a lot to do with where one was raised regionally.

[@stephens1317]

Opie and Andy called her "Ain't Bea"

[@chrisgazda3315]

I absolutely loved Aunt Bee

[@Doris1888]

Actually she didn't retire after the Andy Griffith Show ended in 1968. She played Aunt Bee 36 episodes Mayberry R.F.D. and a small part in the Benji movie.

[@eugenekozma2697]

That's true.this creator got it wrong.

[@KittyKeypurr]

But..DON'T EAT THE PICKLES! 🤣

[@stevencantrellzenroom7383]

I never cared much for her...too weirdly happy

[@BjoernarEricSven]

I'm pretty certain that pic at 3:04 depicts Celeste Holm.

[@catsofsherman1316]

If she hated the role so much why would she sign on to reprise it on Mayberry RFD for 3 more years? I never understood why a matronly housekeeper from small town North Carolina would have a mid Atlantic accent like Eleanor Roosevelt. Golly. Shazam! I've often heard tales of her being difficult on set.

[@seannyd7683]

Are you sure that picture at 3:08 is Frances Bavier? It looks like Celeste Holm to me.

[@jennyrust8334]

Yeah. I think it was

[@stevenmiller5366]

Her roles on both the large and small screen were very professionally done. Although she didn't care for Andy Griffith as he was a jokester and a prankster and she felt he wasn't working up to his profession. And yes she was a looker back in the day.

[@GlennaVan]

Agreed. She likely also didn't like his adultery with his co-star while he was playing such a wholesome character.

[@cmm2145]

You are not pronouncing the word “aunt” correctly. There is no “au” sound in the Southern pronunciation of “aunt”. The “au” sound is pronounced by those in the Northeastern states. In the South, “aunt” is usually pronounced like “ant” with a short “a” sound. But on the show, Andy pronounces “aunt” as “aint” with a long “a” sound.

[@sewashburn0529]

Not so fast, my friend! In a study by Joshua Katz, NC State University, his findings show that aunt is pronounced with "ah" in Virginia, which is definitely in The South. My parents were from the Martinsville, VA area and this is how we pronounced it. And I could tell you stories regarding how "about" was pronounced too!

[@teresajeffries7611]

Its pronounced 'ant' not auhnt.

[@scottjohnson7244]

awnt is yankee talk. in 1970 my ol mans job moved us north where i was mockd evry day.

[@ericriddle3158]

Im from Mount Airy its Ant definetly, after all we are talking about the Andy Griffith Show. Has this guy ever seen it?

[@teresajeffries7611]

@z no one is talking about ants in the ground, ant hills and such It went right over your head didn't it. I was trying to spell it as it sounds. Are you so ignorant you didnt get it??? Sorry you dont have comprehension. Aunt is pronounced "ant" not auhnt. 🙄🙄🙄

[@kathypappas6867]

I can sure understand how she felt . She was great in the role , but it was a role and people kept looking at her as Aunt Bea. Wanting to act I can see wanting to play different characters .

[@daleholbert3111]

Was a looker in her younger days

[@whoofman2013]

If that was her. It looks more like Celeste Holm to me. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celeste_Holm

[@gracebland8272]

shouldn't judge people unless you walk in there shoes!!! I am glad she did the role. She was a professional in all her roles and did a great job at it. It was her job just like anybody else some of us seem to forget that, ITS A JOB I respected her decision to say no.

[@davewatson2124]

That hairstyle she had for most of her life couldn't have helped.

[@maryjobraun1101]

Wish she would have been more happy having such an iconic roll as Aunt Bee. Hard to think of her personality being the way it was. Still enjoy seeing Aunt Bee on The Andy Griffith show.

[@johnsax1445]

Why do you pronounce Aunt the way you do? On the series, it was pronounced more like “Ain’t”

[@GiftSparks]

johnsax1445 He doesn’t have a southern accent either. Is that a problem too? The narrator is using his own accent for the commentary, which is totally appropriate.

[@danbeeker280]

One inaccuracy, She did not retire after the Andy Griffith show, she continued her role in the spin off Mayberry RFD for the first two seasons.

[@eugenekozma2697]

That's true.this creator made errors.

[@conniecanas1422]

Aunt Beas pick up line to try and get a man. "When's the last time you had a home cooked meal?" Lol

[@eloiseockert6561]

So how did Ron Howard overcome this?

[@danielthompsonmoviestravel8254]

After hearing about how she acted towards the cast and that she later apologized to Andy Griffith, I’m sure she made a lot of money off of Aunt Bea.

[@captainmarvel9610]

She became the crazy cat lady. Really sad

[@karli9434]

At 3:04 - 3:12, that is NOT Frances Bavier. It's Celeste Holm. And it's not her on the left t 4:32 either. Or 5:39. I can't keep watching this.

[@calmheart1782]

I think acting parts are like a lot of other very good jobs: it’s all about who you know. The fact that she was so convincing at her part showed she was a good actress. The same is true of a lot of others in that profession. When the audience believes you are who you are portraying, because you are so convincing: to me, that is a good performer. It’s sad the industry mistreats people. But, most companies just use you and then cast you aside.

[@eugenekozma2697]

Joan Collins once said that she thinks it is a compliment when people mistake you for the character you play.melissa Sue Anderson who played Mary in little house on the prairie said in her autobiography after the two part episode depicting Mary losing her sight some viewers thought she went blind in real life.agnes Moorehead was offered to write an introduction to a book on witchcraft.she declined.she was asked why you are a witch aren't you.moorehead replied no I am just a fantasy witch.after Gilligan's Island premiered the coast guard got telegrams and phone calls to save those people.

[@xr6lad]

How to stretch 60 seconds of information into 11 minutes.....

[@Mr-pz1sl]

LMFAOO

[@tomgcooktown5019]

From other bios of Frances Bavier I gather she became very reclusive in her unfamiliar town & the quintessential 'cat lady'. A lot we will never know it seems. But, 'ANT' BEE is an enduring & endearing legacy. I adored her. TgT

[@AuntieVeraCharles50]

The past tense of 'Typecast' is 'Typecast' not 'Typecasted'. You're welcome. AND the first supposed 'young picture' of Bavier was CELESTE HOLM for Hydrogen's sake!

[@LATVERIAN1]

Boris Karloff once said that; "Being typecast as the Frankenstein monster was truly as blessing. It was the role of a lifetime that I'd always be remembered by". And he was also quoted to say, "The monster shall always be my best friend." Out of billions of people, how hard is it to actually receive such an iconic roll as Aunt Bea?? Many women would feel extremely fortunate. Sadly, Frances failed to see this all but at face value. She really should have appreciated her character much more than she did, and thanked God for blessing her with this wonderful, once in a lifetime, opportunity. Unlike most of us, she'll "always" be remembered.

[@Old-Time-Fun]

I"m with David - I can no more bear to hear this mispronunciation repeatedly than I can put up those from the east who call one of the states bordering California "Nevawda" ! There ain't no "Ahnt Bee" !

[@markcadieux3445]

Also Havaii for Hawaii.

[@giovanniserafino1731]

It is not a mispronunciation, but an alternative pronunciation based on the regional accent of the presenter. Regional accents are very much part of the American experience and extends to other countries and languages as well . There are over 30 different regional accents in England. Guess you don’t like diversity ? Must everyone sound like he’s from middle America or is a talking head on CNN?

[@farrellmcnulty909]

@@giovanniserafino1731 Beautifully said! 👍

[@A2D4]

Opie didn’t visit her grave in “Return to Mayberry”. Only Andy, who ran into Thelma Lou there........Maybe Bavier wouldn’t have received only “motherly” roles if she lost weight and updated that hair.

[@jetman80pops]

Francis was also know to a real sense of humor. I've heard it in many interviews over the years with the Andy Griffith cast. Also in a few other KZbin videos it was brought up.

[@eugenekozma2697]

Yes Elinor donahue said that Frances was comforting to her on the show.donahue said whenever she was nervous and anxious Frances was there to calm her and ease her.donahue said that she and Frances would sit on the set and chat about this and that.she heard Frances was a real pistol but never experienced that.maybe Frances bavier would have had more of an easier time had there been more women in the cast of the andy Griffith show.the show was basically a man's world.she being the only woman maybe she felt lost at sea.possibly she felt lonely alienated and isolated without other women to talk to and bond with.

[@PatrickLHawkins]

She hated the role of Aunt Bee so much that after The Andy Griffith Show ended she played the character for three more seasons on Mayberry RFD. Then moved to Siler City, NC which she said was exactly like the fictional Mayberry and bitterly complained that people really thought she was Aunt Bee.

[@ronlewis7551]

Mount Airy, NC is the town where Andy Griffith was born and raised. Mt. Airy is the actual small town Mayberry is based on, not Siler City. If you ever get the chance to go you will find "Mayberry"... beautiful little town located within the Blue Ridge Mountains. Floyd's Barber shop, The Bluebird Diner, The old Courthouse are be all there and open for Business. The People are so kind, Just Wonderful Folks who know the meaning of "Southern Hospitality".

[@PatrickLHawkins]

@@ronlewis7551 I didn't say Mayberry was based on Siler City. I said Frances moved to Siler City which she said was exactly like the fictional Mayberry.

[@ronlewis7551]

@@PatrickLHawkins Please forgive me, I'm actually Ron's wife Peg. I need to slow down when I read and new glasses wouldn't hurt🤐

[@basilmarasco1975]

@@PatrickLHawkins But a place called "Siler City" *was* occasionally referred to on the AGS.

[@PatrickLHawkins]

@@basilmarasco1975 So what?

[@lwmson]

It's truly sad how star actors of hit TV sitcoms become victims of their own success. You play a role so well and become so popular that the character you play sticks with you until the day you die and people only associate you with that particular character. That's why if I were an actor, I would never accept a role in a TV series. You either fail or if you succeed with the character you play, you'll never work again.

[@jackanthony976]

But you do work again, its just that people only remember you for that one role.

[@gdotone1]

she was an "Ant B". have you ever seen the show?

[@jondoes8222]

It was her dresses. Even before Andy, they had her dress that way...When people saw her no matter what she played because of her wardrobe clothes people saw Aunt Bea