Howard Morris
A versatile comic actor and director, unforgettable as the manic hillbilly Ernest T. Bass and a master of cartoon voice work.
1919–2005 (age 86)·American actor and director·Birthday: September 4·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Howard Morris was a comedian's comedian, a small man with elastic features and boundless energy who excelled in every corner of the entertainment world. He cut his teeth in the vaudeville-style crucible of 'Your Show of Shows' alongside Sid Caesar, Carl Reiner, and Mel Brooks, where his gift for wild characterizations flourished. To a national audience, he is forever etched as Ernest T. Bass, the rock-throwing, poetry-reciting 'wild man' from the mountains on 'The Andy Griffith Show,' a role he played with such chaotic perfection he became a legend in just a handful of episodes. Behind the scenes, he directed numerous television episodes and several feature films. But perhaps his most pervasive work was in animation; his voice was a staple of Saturday mornings for decades, bringing life to characters on 'The Flintstones,' 'The Jetsons,' and 'Gilligan's Island,' making him one of the most heard yet least seen performers of his generation.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
Howard was born in 1919, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Howard Was Born
The biggest hits of 1919
Howard's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1919Born
Treaty of Versailles signed; Prohibition ratified
President: Woodrow Wilson
1924Started school
First Winter Olympics held in Chamonix, France
President: Calvin Coolidge"It Had to Be You" — Isham Jones
1932Became a teenager
Amelia Earhart flies solo across the Atlantic
Gas: $0.18/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Night and Day" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: Grand Hotel
1935Could drive
Social Security Act signed into law
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,450President: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Cheek to Cheek" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: Mutiny on the Bounty
1937Could vote
Hindenburg disaster; Golden Gate Bridge opens
Gas: $0.20/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"A-Tisket, A-Tasket" — Ella FitzgeraldBest Picture: The Life of Emile Zola
1940Turned 21
The Blitz: Germany bombs London
Gas: $0.18/galHome: $2,938Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"I'll Never Smile Again" — Tommy DorseyBest Picture: Rebecca
1949Turned 30
NATO founded; Mao proclaims the People's Republic of China
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Riders in the Sky" — Vaughn MonroeBest Picture: All the King's Men
1959Turned 40
Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $12,400Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"The Battle of New Orleans" — Johnny HortonBest Picture: Ben-Hur
1969Turned 50
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1979Turned 60
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1989Turned 70
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1999Turned 80
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2005Died at 86
Hurricane Katrina devastates New Orleans; YouTube launches
Gas: $2.30/galHome: $167,500Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"We Belong Together" — Mariah CareyBest Picture: Crash
Key Achievements
- Created the iconic and chaotic character Ernest T. Bass on 'The Andy Griffith Show.'
- Was a core performer and writer on Sid Caesar's pioneering sketch program 'Your Show of Shows.'
- Directed over two dozen episodes of television, including for hits like 'The Dick Van Dyke Show' and 'Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.'
- Provided a vast array of voice roles for Hanna-Barbera cartoons, including the Beetle on 'The Flintstones' and various characters on 'The Jetsons.'
Did You Know?
He was only in five episodes of 'The Andy Griffith Show' as Ernest T. Bass, but the character remains one of its most famous.
He served in the U.S. Army during World War II in a special services unit that included fellow actor Carl Reiner.
He voiced both the neanderthal-like 'Gronk' and the sophisticated 'Jet Screamer' on 'The Jetsons.'
“You can't do comedy unless you know what's serious.”
