Early life and career

Early life and career

George Lindsey was born in Fairfield in populous Jefferson County, Alabama, and reared in the small town of Jasper, Alabama. Lindsey graduated from Walker High School in 1946 and then attended Kemper Military School in Boonville, Missouri, and Florence State College in Florence (now the University of North Alabama), from which he received a Bachelor of Bioscience in 1952.^[2] Upon graduation from college he joined the US Air Force stationed at Ramey Air Force Base in Puerto Rico. After discharge from the Air Force, he taught public school for one year at Hazel Green High School in Hazel Green, Alabama , near Huntsville, Alabama, while awaiting acceptance to the American Theater Wing in New York City in 1956. Upon graduation from American Theater Wing he began his professional career on Broadway, appearing in the musicals “All American” and “Wonderful Town.” He moved to Los Angeles in 1962 after "All American" closed.

[edit] The Andy Griffith Show, as "Goober Pyle" (1964)

In 1964, he got his big break as the slow-witted but kindly "Goober Beasley" on the now legendary The Andy Griffith Show. His character was eventually renamed "Goober Pyle" to retain the same name as his cousin Gomer Pyle, another slow-witted yokel played by Jim Nabors, another Alabamian. Goober's antics frequently included his exaggerated "Goober Dance" and his comically bad Cary Grant impression ("Judy, Judy, Judy").
As Lindsey started his portrayal as Goober, he also had a minor role in the Walter Brennan series The Tycoon on ABC. Lindsey also had a role in Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea entitled Submarine Sunk Here. He played a blackmailing taxicab driver in the "Bed of Roses" episode of The Alfred Hitchcock Hour.^[3]

[edit] Mayberry R.F.D., other acting work

After Griffith left his television show, CBS retooled it as Mayberry R.F.D. and Lindsey played the same character, until CBS cancelled R.F.D. in 1971. Later in the 1970s, Lindsey guest starred on"M*A*S*H as Roy Dupree, a Southern surgeon working at the 8063rd Unit who switched places at the 4077th with Hawkeye Pierce.
In 1972, Lindsey portrayed Charlie, one of a pair of highwaymen in the Gunsmoke episode "Blind Man's Buff," and an escaped convict, "The Dove," in an episode of The Rifleman. Disney used his talents in a few projects, both as comedy support in features and voiceovers for a few of their animated characters. Three Disney animated features that presented the voice of Lindsey were The Aristocats (1970), Robin Hood (1973) and The Rescuers (1977). He also appeared in the 1967 Gunsmoke episode "Mad Dog" as one of the Watson Brothers.

[edit] As "Goober" on Hee Haw (1972–1992)

Lindsey in 1982

Lindsey as Goober in The Andy Griffith Show

Lindsey put on his "Goober" act for the third and last time on the syndicated country music variety show Hee Haw, playing a more rustic version of the character. He appeared on that show from 1972 to 1992.
Following Hee Haw, George "Goober" Lindsey had a short cameo in the Rose Bowl episode of NewsRadio, he was called as a witness in a consumer fraud civil case (where Mr. James bought what he thought was actual movie memorabilia from a teenage kid, but was actually fake) and was asked to identify and authenticate one of the items. Lindsey was asked only one question: "Mr. Lindsey, is this your skull?" He then took the skull in hand, examining it carefully, and said, "no." At that point he was dismissed. He is also seen at the end of the episode buying those same fake artifacts from Mr. James, who was trying to pawn them off as actual set pieces and movie memorabilia from popular films, including, once again, Lindsey's own supposed skull.