Howard Morris, 85; Director and Actor Was Ernest T. Bass on ‘The Andy Griffith Show’
LA Times
Howard Morris, the comedic actor who provided memorable support for Sid Caesar on the landmark “Your Show of Shows” in the 1950s and later played rock-throwing hillbilly Ernest T. Bass on “The Andy Griffith Show,” has died. He was 85. Morris, who had heart problems in recent years, died Saturday at his home in Hollywood, said his son David, who was with him when he died.
During his 60-year career in show business, Morris worked as an actor, director and voice-over artist. Morris directed such feature films as the comedies “With Six You Get Eggroll,” starring Doris Day; “Who’s Minding the Mint?,” starring Jim Hutton; and “Don’t Drink the Water,” starring Jackie Gleason.
He also directed episodes of numerous television series, including the pilot for “Get Smart,” and he was a Clio Award-winning director of commercials.
As a voice-over artist, Morris was the longtime voice of the Qantas Airlines koala. He also provided the voice of Gerald McBoing-Boing in Columbia cartoons in the 1950s, and he was the voice of television’s Atom Ant in “The Atom Ant Show,” Beetle Bailey and General Halftrack in “Beetle Bailey and His Friends,” and Jughead Jones and Big Moose Mason in “The Archie Show.”
As a character actor, he appeared in films such as “Boys’ Night Out,” starring Kim Novak; Jerry Lewis’ “The Nutty Professor”; and Mel Brooks’ “High Anxiety,” “Life Stinks” and “History of the World: Part I.”
Morris first came to national attention when he joined Caesar, Imogene Coca and Carl Reiner on “Your Show of Shows,” the live, 90-minute comedy-variety program that ran on NBC from 1950 to 1954.
More Howard Morris at Amazon.com
