Howard Morris actor who played Ernest T. Bass was also a writer on the Andy Griffith show - T or F?

[astro]

An associate swears the Howard Morristhe actor who played Ernest T Bass was a writer for the Andy Griffith show and created the character for himself to play.

In googling I can find no evidence that he was a writer on the show and created the character for himself. He was a prolific actor and voiceover artist and did write some children’s shows (which he voiced) a bit later in his a career, but I see nothing re Andy Griffith. but My associate insists this is true and was in a book about the show he read when younger.

Any truth to this assertion?

[RealityChuck]

The IMDB does give writing credits, but not for Andy Griffith. Morris was one of the stars of Your Show of Shows and has writinh credits on Ceasar’s Hour. He may have contributed some lines, but does not appear to be credited for Griffith.

[barefootcrazy]

Morris was credited as director on many episodes I’ve seen, as well as writing.

[Sampiro]

@barefootcrazy

Morris was credited as director on many episodes I’ve seen, as well as writing.

Hijack, but:
Frances Bavier hated Howard Morris, and most of it went back to to a relatively innocent comment he made in an episode he was directing in which he was trying to reblock a shot and said something like “let’s move Frances over here”. It struck her as if he were referring to her as an inanimate object he was about to send a guy with a handtruck to move, and even those who liked her (which was not everybody) remember Bavier as being intensely hypersensitive and this triggered a huge tantrum and she and Morris never got along.

[aceplace57]

Morris explains how he developed the character. He used their script.

Long post, I only quoted the intro. Morris does mention the poetry Ernest spoke came from him.

It’s Me!

In 1963, I got a call from Aaron Ruben, one of the original writers from Sid Caesar’s “Your Show of Shows.” Aaron was now a producer of the Andy Griffith Show. He told me about a script they had been working on that included a new character. Turned out they were having some difficulty with development. Aaron continued to describe the character, and eventually popped the question if I was interested in pursuing it as an actor, and if I could find a way to relate to the character in the script, much in the way as your fans have done.

[aceplace57]

I discovered even more personality elements using poetry. This occurred by pure accident. Each silly line came to me on set as the cameras rolled.

So, to answer the OP’s question. Morris improvised some of his lines. But didn’t write the Ernest T Bass part.

[Wings_Over_Your_Wits]

@Sampiro

Hijack, but:
It struck her as if he were referring to her as an inanimate object he was about to send a guy with a handtruck to move, and even those who liked her (which was not everybody) remember Bavier as being intensely hypersensitive and this triggered a huge tantrum and she and Morris never got along.

Thanks, I had heard that but forgotten it. It seems like even those who got along with Ms. Bavier were still a bit on eggshells around her. IIRC Aneta Corsaut referred to her as a “spooky lady.”