He began appearing there in 1956 and perfected the high-strung, fidgety persona that he is known for. Don Knotts’ next major role was on The Steve Allen Plymouth Show (1951-1960). He began on radio, but then scored a role on the soap opera Search for Tomorrow from 1953 to 1955. His military connections helped him land some of his first acting gigs. Knotts later returned to West Virginia University to finish his education, graduating in 1948. The Acting Debut THE STEVE ALLEN SHOW, (from left): Tom Poston, Don Knotts, Louis Nye, Everett Collection Thank you, Don, for your service and to all the brave men and women who have served our armed forces. For his service, Knotts received the World War II Victory Medal, Philippine Liberation Medal, as well as many others. He was discharged in 1946 at Technician Grade 5 - or the equivalent of a Corporal. Knotts began performing by himself and he was a natural - the comedian we all know finally had a chance to shine. He then proceeded to tell people that Danny was missing in action. Knotts eventually decided to ditch the puppet and threw him over the side of the ship. He performed with the puppet Danny “Hooch” Matador. WAKE ME WHEN IT’S OVER, Don Knotts, 1960, TM & Copyright © 20th Century Fox Film Corp./courtesy Everett Collection He was assigned to the Special Services Branch to entertain the troops as a member of the group Stars and Gripes. The truth is that Knotts enlisted in the United States Army at the age of 19, leaving college to serve in 1943. Can you imagine Don shouting at people all of the time? Well, maybe as Barney Fife. An urban legend states that he was a drill Instructor at Parris Island in the Marine Corps, but this just isn’t true. During that time he made appearances at parties and other events in Morgantown, but eventually put his education on hold to serve in the United States Army during World War II.Ī few rumors surround Knotts’ time in the military. After graduation, he continued performing and began attending classes at West Virginia University. Knotts’ entertainment career began in high school when he performed as a ventriloquist. Don Did What During World War II? THE LAST TIME I SAW ARCHIE, Don Knotts, 1961, Everett Collection And all the difficulties that surrounded his youth helped create the dynamic Don Knotts that we know and love today. She said that he ultimately came to terms with his trauma, with the help of entertaining. And then tragedy struck again when Don’s oldest brother, Earl, passed away five years after his father due to asthma complications.ĭon’s daughter, Karen, later shared that Don spent many years in therapy working through his troubled past. After his father’s death, Don and his three brothers grew up in the boarding house operated by his mother. Don’s father passed away from pneumonia a few years later in 1937 when Don was only 13 years old. ![]() Before these outbursts, his father had been a farmer, but due to his breakdowns, he lost the land. He threatened to kill his wife on multiple occasions and also threatened Don a few times by holding a knife to his neck. Knotts’ father was an alcoholic and suffered from schizophrenia.
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