Little House on the Prairie

‘Little House on the Prairie’: How You’ll Recognize the ‘Drunk Sheriff’ in One Episode From ‘The Andy Griffith Show’

Did you ever watch an episode of “Little House on the Prairie” and think, “That actor looks like someone from ‘The Andy Griffith Show’?”

Well, there’s a reason for that. There was one actor who played a guest role in both of those beloved series. And interestingly, the actor played a “drunk” in his episodes in both of those television shows.

That actor was Hal Smith. And, according to IMDb.com, he appeared in one episode of “Little House on the Prairie” and in dozens of episodes of “The Andy Griffith Show.”

On “Little House on the Prairie,” Smith played the character Trumble in an episode that aired during 1982. That episode was titled “He Was Only Twelve (Part One).”

The plot of that episode was as follows: “During a trip to Sleepy Eye, James and Albert walk into a bank robbery staged by a nefarious gang. James is critically wounded, and the doctor tells Charles that James is expected to die. A grief-hardened Charles enlists Mr. Edwards (and later, Albert, after he disobeys a direct order to stay in Sleepy Eye) to track down the men responsible.”

Hal Smith Played Otis Campbell on ‘The Andy Griffith Show’

When he appeared on “The Andy Griffith Show,” Hal Smith played Otis Campbell in 32 episodes of the Mayberry-based sitcom. His tenure on the beloved show lasted from 1960 until 1966 – several years before he played Trumble on “Little House on the Prairie.”

Smith’s first appearance on “The Andy Griffith Show” was the 1960 episode titled “The Manhunt.” His final appearance was in the episode titled “Otis, the Deputy.” This one aired in 1966.

Interestingly, Hal Smith revived his Otis Campbell character from “The Andy Griffith Show” for a music video by a popular country music artist. That artist was Alan Jackson. And, the project Smith worked on with him was the 1991 music video for “Don Rock the Jukebox.”

You can watch that music video below. See if you can spot Hal Smith in it!

‘Little House on the Prairie’ Guest Star Played Many Other Roles During Hollywood Career

In addition to playing characters on “Little House on the Prairie” and “The Andy Griffith Show,” actor Hal Smith appeared in many other television shows during his career. These included “Gunsmoke,” “Leave It to Beaver,” “Dennis the Menace,” “The Donna Reed Show,” “Perry Mason,” “The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet,” “The Lucy Show,” and “Petticoat Junction” just to name a few.

Hal Smith also worked in cartoons. He provided voice work for several shows during his career, according to IMDb.com. These included “The Jetsons,” “The Flintstones,” “Scooby Doo, Where Are You?” “Doctor Dolittle,” and “The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh.” He was also the voice of the character Phillipe in Disney’s 1991 cartoon “Beauty and the Beast.”

Hal Smith was born on Aug. 24, 1916, in Petoskey, Michigan. He passed away on Jan. 28, 1994, in Los Angeles, California. He was 77 years old at the time of his death.

Related Articles

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Back to top button