Howard McNear


Howard Terbell McNear was an American stage, screen, and radio character actor. McNear is best remembered as Floyd Lawson, the barber on The Andy Griffith Show.

Career

McNear was born in Los Angeles to Inzetta M. Spencer and Franklin Ellis McNear. He studied at the Oatman School of Theater and later joined a stock company in San Diego. McNear also worked in radio from the late 1930s, distinguishing himself in the 1937–1940 radio serial Speed Gibson of the International Secret Police as ace operator Clint Barlow. McNear could be effective in such authoritative roles, but he gravitated more toward character roles, often comic.
He enlisted as a private in the United States Army Air Corps on November 17, 1942, during World War II.
He created the role of Doc Charles Adams in CBS Radio's Gunsmoke. McNear was under contract to CBS for many years and was featured in many of the network's radio and TV programs. From 1955 to 1960 he appeared frequently, in various roles, in the popular radio detective series Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar. McNear made his film debut in an uncredited role in the 1953 film Escape from Fort Bravo. In 1955, he appeared in an episode of the first season of the TV show "Gunsmoke." In a 1958 episode of Leave it to Beaver, McNear made a TV appearance as a barber named "Andy", who gave Wally his first shave. Over the course of his career, he would appear in over one hundred film and television guest spots. In 1959, McNear portrayed Dr. Dompierre in the film Anatomy of a Murder, who testified about collecting evidence of a rape.
In a 1960 episode of Peter Gunn, titled "A Slight Touch Of Homicide", McNear played Mr. Barnaby, with the manners he later used as Floyd the barber, except that he was a happy-go-lucky crazy chemist who killed 15 mobsters by blowing them up as community service.
In 1961, McNear was cast as the vague, chatty barber Floyd Lawson on The Andy Griffith Show. During the show's run, he suffered a stroke that rendered the left side of his body nearly paralyzed. He left the series for nearly a year and a half to recover. Andy Griffith asked McNear to return to the series, to which McNear agreed despite being unable to walk or stand, and the production crew accommodated him accordingly, as Floyd was usually seen onscreen either seated, or standing with support. Many scenes were shot with him sitting on a bench outside the barber shop, as opposed to trimming hair as before. In most of his post-stroke scenes, McNear's left hand would be holding a newspaper or resting in his lap, while he moved his right arm and hand as he spoke his lines. In a 1964 episode, "Otis Sues the County", and a 1967 episode, "Goober's Contest", McNear's character is heard, but not seen, walking into the courthouse. The next scene shows Floyd already seated in a chair. According to Jack Dodson, who played Howard Sprague on The Andy Griffith Show, McNear began having difficulty remembering his lines and became anxious and frustrated. He left the series in 1967.

Death

On January 3, 1969, McNear died of complications from pneumonia following a stroke at San Fernando Valley Veterans Hospital in Sylmar, California. He was interred in the Los Angeles National Cemetery. Actor Parley Baer delivered his eulogy.. Baer had played the second Mayor to appear on the Andy Griffith Show, Mayor Roy Stoner. McNear also portrayed Doc Adams in the radio version of Gunsmoke, often interacting with Baer's character, Chester Proudfoot.

Filmography

YearTitleRoleNotes
1950NBC ComicsMinor roleVoice, Unknown episodes
1952-1955Four Star PlayhouseVarious roles3 episodes
1953–1958The George Burns and Gracie Allen ShowMr. Jansen7 episodes
1954DragnetEpisode: "The Big Threat"
1954TopperJudgeEpisode: "County Fair"
1955WaterfrontMike BaxterEpisode: "The Rivals"
1955WillyVarious roles2 episodes
1955-1958The MillionaireVarious roles2 episodes
1955-1959Schlitz Playhouse of StarsVarious roles2 episodes
1956Chevron Hall of StarsTeeplesEpisode: "The Bequest"
1956The George Gobel ShowSketch ActorEpisode #2.18
1956It's a Great LifeMr. JohnsonEpisode: "The Charity Drive"
1956Screen Directors PlayhouseVarious roles2 episodes
1956LassieProfessor ScottEpisode: "Bone"
1956I Love LucyMr. CrawfordEpisode: "Little Ricky Gets Stage Fright"
1956-1957The BrothersCaptain Sam Box2 episodes
1956-1964GunsmokeVarious roles6 episodes
1956-1957December BrideVarious roles3 episodes
1957Private SecretaryEye DoctorEpisode: "Thy Name Is Sands"
1957Cavalcade of AmericaPhilEpisode: "The Last Signer"
1957The Ford Television TheatreDave CarterEpisode: "The Idea Man"
1957The Adventures of Jim BowieColonelEpisode: "Country Cousin"
1957The George Sanders Mystery TheaterBenEpisode: "The Night I Died"
1957-1958The People's ChoiceVarious roles2 episodes
1957-1961General Electric TheaterVarious roles4 episodes
1958The Thin ManMr. DingleEpisode: "Unlucky Lucky Number"
1958The Life of RileyMr. BellflowerEpisode: "Bowling Beauties"
1958Playhouse 90BertramEpisode: "No Time At All"
1958Leave It to BeaverAndy the BarberEpisode: "The Shave"
1958-1959Bachelor FatherVarious roles2 episodes
1958-1962The Real McCoysVarious roles4 episodes
1958-1959The LineupVarious roles2 episodes
1958-1960The Ann Sothern ShowVarious roles3 episodes
1958-1962The Jack Benny ProgramVarious roles7 episodes
1959The Donna Reed ShowWilbur Wilgus2 episodes
1959M SquadCarl HogansonEpisode: "Murder in C-Sharp Minor"
1959Alcoa TheatreHarryEpisode:Tom, Dick, and Harry
1959The Adventures of Ozzie & HarrietMr. FolwerEpisode: "The Nelsons Decide to Move"
1959Pony ExpressRalph WhitakerEpisode: "-The Good Samaritan"
1959The Gale Storm ShowParkerEpisode: "Spanish Souvenir"
1959-1960Peter GunnVarious roles3 episodes
1960Richard Diamond, Private DetectiveDr. BraunEpisode: "The Fine Art of Murder"
1960Man with a CameraGeorgeEpisode: "Hot Ice Cream"
1960Goodyear TheatreKramerEpisode: "Marked Down for Connie"
1960HappyMr. WilliamsEpisode: "The Wedding Anniversary"
1960Tom, Dick and HarryOwnerTelevision movie
1960OutlawsConductorEpisode: "Thirty a Month"
1960The Tab Hunter ShowPlumberEpisode: "The Matchmaker"
1960AngelMr. HopkinsEpisode: "The Maid"
1960MaverickVarious roles2 episodes
1960LaramieWaldoEpisode: "Duel at Parkison Town"
1960-1961Alfred Hitchcock PresentsVarious roles2 episodes
1960-1962The FlintstonesDoctorVoice, 3 episodes
1961KlondikeAugustus BrownEpisode: "The Golden Burro"
1961Michael ShayneRalph BealeEpisode: "Murder at the Convention"
1961Mister EdHarry SweetzerEpisode: "Pine Lake Lodge"
1961The Joey Bishop ShowEpisode: "Charity Begins at Home"
1961The Tall ManCyrus SkinnerEpisode: "A Tombstone for Billy"
1961–1967The Andy Griffith ShowFloyd Lawson80 episodes,
1962Room for One MoreMr. SommersEpisode: "The Anniversary"
1962Pete and GladysProfessor SheboyanEpisode: "Follow That Skeleton"
1962ThrillerJack PassasstroyEpisode: "Cousin Tundifer"
1962Frontier CircusJudge StuartEpisode: "Calamity Circus"
1962Calvin and the ColonelErnieVoice, 2 episodes
1962MargieSelkirkEpisode: "Margie, the Gossip Columnist"
1962Alcoa PremiereCharles BennettEpisode: "The Time of the Tonsils"
1962The Wide CountryAgent CarmodyEpisode: "Straitjacket for an Indian"
1962The Many Loves of Dobie GillisVarious roles2 episodes
1962The Twilight ZoneMitchellEpisode: "Hocus-Pocus and Frisby"
1963The Twilight ZoneBramhoffEpisode: "The Bard"
1964GunsmokeHoward RuddEpisode: “Aunt Thede”
1965Harris Against the WorldClarkEpisode: "Harris Against Anniversary Gifts"
1965Honey WestMr. TweedyEpisode: "A Nice Little Till to Tap"
1965Please Don't Eat the DaisiesMr. ArnoldEpisode: "The Leaning Tower of Ridgemont"

Footnotes