In a nutshell, “Mayberry Man” is an independent film in which an arrogant movie star, played by Brett Varvel, is sentenced by a judge to attend the local Mayberry Days Festival as punishment for a speeding conviction. Behind the scenes, the children of several cast members from “The Andy Griffith Show” helped make the film a reality.
The real festival, held annually in Mount Airy, North Carolina, inspired Stark Howell to write the screenplay. He and his brother Cort Howell—son of Hoke Howell, who played Dud Wash in the original series—served as executive producers.
They relied on crowdfunding to fund the G-rated family film, which Stark Howell also directed. Andy Griffith’s daughter, Dixie Griffith, also served as executive producer. Don Knott’s daughter, Karen Knotts, played herself in the film.
According to an article on MyBurbank.com, other supporters of the film include Jackie Joseph (Rowena on the “Andy Griffith Show”), Butch Patrick (Eddie Munster), Ronnie Schell (Duke Slater on “Gomer Pyle, USMC”), Jamie Farr (Corp. Klinger on “MASH”) and Clint Howard, whose brother Ron Howard played Opie on the original show. Clint also appeared on the show five times as a child.
A number of tribute actors – people who play beloved characters from the show at events – have also been cast in roles in the film, including Alabama’s Allan Newsome, who plays Floyd Lawson, according to an article by Matt Wake on AL.com.
