Shocking Facts About Don Knotts

He Was No Dummy

After departing from his flourishing career as a chicken plucker, Don Knotts pursued an acting career. Before he became Barney Fife on “The Andy Griffith Show” Knotts was ventriloquist actor. He had his own act, with a dummy named Danny “Hooch” Matador.

Based off an interview in the 1970s with TV Guide, he stated that he had grown tired of the act. According to Knotts, he sentenced the dummy to death by throwing it overboard off a ship into the ocean. He said as the ship moved on that he could hear the dummy calling for help. The dummies’ whereabouts are unknown to this day.