Another favorite of mine from my youth is now gone. Correct me if I am wrong, but I understand all the Marines he's marching along side with during the opening credits of Gomer Pyle were real life Marines who all died in Vietnam.
He's now up there with Frank Sutton, Roy Stuart, Barbara Stuart, and Larry Hovis in that great Marine platoon in the sky. He's also up there with Andy Griffith, Don Knotts, Anita Corsaut, Frances Bavier, George Lindsay, Jack Dodson, Hal Smith, Howard McNear and Howard Morris in that Mayberry neighbood in the sky. R.I.P. Jim Nabors.
In the 1982 musical THE BEST LITTLE WHOREHOUSE IN TEXAS, voice-over narration by Jim Nabors’ character, “Deputy Fred,” summarizes the history of the Chicken Ranch brothel before the story begins. Colin Higgins, who had previously worked with star Dolly Parton on "9 to 5" (1980), directed the film, his last. Eight songs and an orchestral track from the film's score were released on an MCA LP, which was re-issued on CD in 1987.
Both Burt Reynolds and Jim Nabors, who play law enforcement officers in the film, were the sons of Southern policemen. Here is Nabors' opening:
Burt Reynolds plays a top NASCAR driver and Jim Nabors is his mechanic, "Lugs," in 1983's STROKER ACE. It was Nabors' second film with Reynolds. Hal Needham directed the comedy. MCA Records released a 5-track mini-LP of music from the film, with four songs and one track from Al Capps' score.
Nabors' third and last film with Burt Reynolds was the cross-country road race comedy CANNONBALL RUN II. Nabors, who didn't appear in the original 1981 film, had a small part as "Pvt. Homer Lyle" in this 1984 sequel. Hal Needham directed. A soundtrack LP was released by Victor in Japan, but it is not known if it included any of Steve Dorff's score.
Nabors' third and last film with Burt Reynolds was the cross-country road race comedy CANNONBALL RUN II. Nabors, who didn't appear in the original 1981 film, had a small part as "Pvt. Homer Lyle" in this 1984 sequel. Hal Needham directed. A soundtrack LP was released by Victor in Japan, but it is not known if it included any of Steve Dorff's score.
Nice tributes to Jim, I never knew much of Nabors. Cannon Ball, Stroker Ace, like Hillerman I know very little, so i'll check them out, both were talented guys, R.I.P. brothers. Thanks.
In 1986, Nabors reprised his role of Gomer Pyle for the television movie RETURN TO MAYBERRY. Although "The Andy Griffith Show" had been broadcast on CBS, this reunion film was shown on NBC. Bob Sweeney directed the film, which was scored by Earle Hagen.
This was only the third time in the show's (and spin-off show's) history that "Gomer" and "Goober" appeared on-camera together. The other two times were "The Andy Griffith Show" (1960) in "The Fun Girls", and "Gomer Pyle: USMC" (1964) in "A Visit From Cousin Goober".
All of the soldiers in that main title sequence in "Gomer Pyle - U.S.M.C." lost their lives in Vietnam (according to Nabors in the audio commentary on an episode from the 1st season D.V.D. set).
