Ron Howard and Imagine partner Brian Grazer were on hand as keynote speakers last month’s Toronto International Film Festival. Ron’s daughter Bryce Dallas Howard was also at TIFF promoting her directorial debut for her documentary titled Dads, which features interviews with Ron and others. It was also announced during the festival that Apple has acquired the worldwide distribution rights for the film.

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PICTURE IN A PICTURE–Ron Howard and daughter Bryce grin for their selfie while also being photographed for a publicity shot for her new Dads documentary.

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Ron will be in Rome later this month to present his Pavarotti documentary at the Rome Film Festival. The film has been well received by audiences and critics alike since its official release in June. It comes to home formats in November.

Ron is also in post-production for Hillbilly Elegy, which is expected to be released by Netflix in 2020. And he has begun filming the spy comedy series “68 Whiskey” (expected to premiere on the Paramount Network in early 2020) and is working on Rebuilding Paradise, a documentary about the 2018 Paradise fire in California. Ron is also serving as producer or executive producer for these and other projects, including National Geographic’s “Genius” (the third season of which will be about Aretha Franklin).

Clint Howard totaled his rental car while on his way to Mayberry Days. He was fortunately O.K. except for some soreness and a few kinks. He was able to participate in a few of the festival’s activities on Friday and even did this TV interview, but decided it was prudent just to rest on Saturday before heading back home. He also did this additional TV interview in Charlotte before the accident, which also threw a wrench in his plans to attend the Days of the Dead horror convention in Charlotte the day after Mayberry Days.

THE BOYS ARE ALL KEYED UP–Stark (left) and Cort Howell (sons of Hoke “Dud Wash” Howell) pose with Maggie Peterson Mancuso in the staging area for the Mayberry Days parade. The Howells, Greg Schell (son of Ronnie Schell) and others are working on a movie called Mayberry Man, a portion of which they hope to film at Mayberry Days in 2020.

In other news from Old Doc Andrews, Maggie Peterson Mancuso took a tumble while hurrying to catch an elevator while in Knoxville, Tenn., to perform with Rodney Dillard at the Tennessee Valley Fair in September. But she was back to please crowds (again performing with Rodney) at Mayberry Days. And they’re back together for a taping of “Song of the Mountains” in Marion, Va., this month, following a separate appearance by Rodney and his band earlier this month at a festival in Leadwood, Mo.

Also, look for Maggie and Rodney being joined by David “Mayberry Deputy” Browning touring with their “Mayberry Christmas” show. And Rodney and his band have several dates coming up during the remainder of the year. (Check Floyd’s Barbershop Bulletin Board and Event regularly for these and other upcoming appearances by cast members. New dates are regularly added between issues of newsletters.)

Also, Rodney Dillard expects to have a special new CD of Mayberry-inspired music released sometime during 2020. Get ready to “dance till your stockin’s are hot and ravelin’.”

HONORED–Roland White (left) and
“LeRoy Mack” McNees accept their Bluegrass Hall of Fame honor on behalf of the Kentucky Colonels. (Roland and brother Clarence White had previously been inducted individually.) Photo by Russ McNees.

Also on the music front, LeRoy McNees and Roland White were on hand at the International Bluegrass Music Association awards in Raleigh on September 26 for the induction of the Kentucky Colonels into the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame. (The Kentucky Colonels was what the Country Boys renamed themselves shortly after their 1961 episodes of TAGS.) Congratulations to Roland and LeRoy and their fellow bandmates, including TAGS alums Clarence White, Eric White and Billy Ray Latham (who was later also a post-Mayberry member of The Dillards). LeRoy Mack’s first performance after his Hall of Fame induction was fittingly the next day at Mayberry Days!

And it’s not really medical news (more mechanical, really), but Margaret Kerry‘s computer recently conked out on her. Not even Tinker Bell’s pixie dust could revive it. But she should be back online around the time this issue comes out, which will be a big relief to her many friends and followers online. Meanwhile, Margaret is back from Mayberry Days and making mostly Disney-related appearances in California.

And the big news for Margaret came when she was reunited at Mayberry Days with an old beau, whom she hadn’t seen in more that seven decades. She dated Bob Boeke in her late teens, before different career paths and geographic needs found them having to go separate ways. Both raised families and lost spouses. They reconnected by e-mail and phone this summer and saw each other in person again for the first time during September’s Mayberry Days. They currently live on opposite coasts, but at the very least, both know the way to Mount Airy, so stay tuned for updates on this rekindled special friendship!

Margaret was also once again reunited at Mayberry Days with her Mayberry daughter of two episodes, Joy Ellison, who has recently been doing dialect coaching on Waldo, an upcoming film release starring Mel Gibson.

About a week after their participation at Mayberry Days, Keith Thibodeaux and wife Kathy found themselves in Brazil for a two-week stint with their Christian ballet company, Ballet Magnificat, which also had its Mayberry Days debut this year. The world is indeed a stage!

WOW-EE IN MAUI–Jim Nabors’ home in Maui. Go nuts!

The 170-acre Maui estate (aka macadamia nut plantation) of Jim Nabors was recently listed for sale. The asking price is $4.5 million. The offering comes on the heels of his Honolulu home selling for $12 million early this year and a recent auction items of home decor and memorabilia this summer.

For the record, Mayberry cast and crew attending this year’s Mayberry Days included Betty Lynn (Thelma Lou), Bruce Bilson (assistant director for the first two seasons), Gary Nelson (director of “Malcolm at the Crossroads” in his Mayberry Days debut), Maggie Peterson Mancuso (Charlene Darling), Rodney Dillard (Rodney Darling), Keith Thibodeaux (Johnny Paul Jason), Dennis Rush (Howie), Joy Ellison (Mary Wiggins and others), Margaret Kerry (Bess Muggins and Helen Scobey), Ronnie Schell (two episodes of TAGS and Duke Slater on “Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.”), Clint Howard (Leon), LeRoy McNees (The Country Boys), Calvin Peeler (Martin in the “Youth Takes Over” episode of “Mayberry R.F.D.”) and Karen Knotts (Opie’s secretary in 1986’s Return to Mayberry movie and daughter of Don).  Gary Nelson and Calvin Peeler received Keys to the City of Mount Airy during this year’s festival.

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HEAR YE, HEAR YE–As most of the Mayberry Days guests of honor look on during the Mayor’s Proclamation ceremony, Allan “Floyd” Newsome presents TAGSRWC’s Neal Brower with the “You’re the Cat’s!” Award (sponsored by “We’re the Cat’s!” chapter of Fort Erie, Ont.). The annual award has the dual purpose of simultaneously saluting Betty Lynn and recognizing someone for his or her significant contributions to Mayberry Days, which Neal has done for more than two decades with the festival’s popular Professor Brower’s Lecture, which this year featured Bruce Bilson. Photo by Tim Bradshaw.

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