An early Opie opus.
June 5, 2024, 10:00AM By MeTV Staff
CBS Television Distribution
It’s hard to imagine that there was a time when Ron Howard’s voice wasn’t deferred to on any set. If you have a talent like his on a project, any opinion shared would be held as gospel. But once upon a time, Howard was just a kid, starring as Opie Taylor on The Andy Griffith Show. That his ideas were still respected is a credit to his peers on that special show.
“Almost from the start I got to sit in on their story conferences, chiming in about how I thought Opie should sound,” said Howard in a 1984 interview with The Los Angeles Times.
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“I remember how excited I got one day in the second season when I suggested a different line of dialogue and they actually took me up on it.”
According to Barbera Kramer’s 1998 biography Ron Howard: Child Star & Hollywood Director, the suggestion was for a line in the second episode of season two.
In “Barney’s Replacement,” a state law official comes to learn how Andy handles the job, and Barney mistakes this all as an attempt to take his place in the small sheriff’s office. Howard said director Bob Sweeney was staging a scene in the courthouse when “I came in and was supposed to say my line and I sort of balked.” Howard further recalled the details in an interview with the Archive of American Television.
“What is it?” Sweeney asked Howard.
And young Ronny Howard gave his criticism, “I don’t think a kid my age would say it this way.” Instead of fighting the 7-year-old star, Sweeney took him seriously and said, “Well, how would [Opie] say it?” Howard said he pitched a line, and Sweeney said, “Good, why don’t you say it that way?” Howard’s response was priceless. He said, “My recollection is I just stood there and started grinning.”
Howard said he remembered “very clearly” Andy saying, “What are you grinning at, Ronny?” Howard answered, “That’s the first suggestion of mine that you’ve taken!”
“It was the first one that was any damn good,” Griffith replied.
“Now let’s go rehearse the scene.”
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