Arthur Batanides

Tacoma, Washington, USA

Biography

Arthur Batanides (April 9, 1923 – January 10, 2000) was an American film and television actor, originally from Tacoma, Washington. He became enamored with acting after performing stand-up routines in front of fellow GIs in Europe during World War II. He was educated in dramatic art at the Actors' Lab in Los Angeles, followed by extensive stage experience. One of his more recognizable television roles was that of the unfortunate Starfleet officer/geologist D'Amato in the Star Trek episode "That Which Survives". Among his film credits are The Unearthly, Violent Road, The Leech Woman, Man-Trap, The Maltese Bippy, Evil Roy Slade and Brannigan. He also appeared as Mr. Kirkland in four of the Police Academy film series, and the sixth installment (City Under Siege) was his final acting appearance. (Source: Wikipedia)

Movies

The Andy Griffith Show is an American sitcom first televised on CBS between October 3, 1960 and April 1, 1968. Andy Griffith portrays the widowed sheriff of the fictional small community of Mayberry, North Carolina. His life is complicated by an inept, but well-meaning deputy, Barney Fife, a spinster aunt and housekeeper, Aunt Bee, and a precocious young son, Opie. Local ne'er-do-wells, bumbling pals, and temperamental girlfriends further complicate his life. Andy Griffith stated in a Today Show interview, with respect to the time period of the show: "Well, though we never said it, and though it was shot in the '60s, it had a feeling of the '30s. It was when we were doing it, of a time gone by." The series never placed lower than seventh in the Nielsen ratings and ended its final season at number one. It has been ranked by TV Guide as the 9th-best show in American television history. Though neither Griffith nor the show won awards during its eight-season run, series co-stars Knotts and Bavier accumulated a combined total of six Emmy Awards. The show, a semi-spin-off from an episode of The Danny Thomas Show titled "Danny Meets Andy Griffith", spawned its own spin-off series, Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C., a sequel series, Mayberry R.F.D., and a reunion telemovie, Return to Mayberry. The show's enduring popularity has generated a good deal of show-related merchandise. Reruns currently air on TV Land, and the complete series is available on DVD. All eight seasons are also now available by streaming video services such as Netflix.

More info
The Andy Griffith Show
1960