Howard Morris, 85; Director and Actor Was Ernest T. Bass on 'The Andy Griffith Show'

Howard Morris, the comedic actor who provided memorable support for Sid Caesar on the landmark "Your Show of Shows" in the 1950s and later played rock-throwing hillbilly Ernest T. Bass on "The Andy Griffith Show," has died. He was 85.

Morris, who had heart problems in recent years, died Saturday at his home in Hollywood, said his son David, who was with him when he died.

During his 60-year career in show business, Morris worked as an actor, director and voice-over artist.

Morris directed such feature films as the comedies "With Six You Get Eggroll," starring Doris Day; "Who's Minding the Mint?," starring Jim Hutton; and "Don't Drink the Water," starring Jackie Gleason.

He also directed episodes of numerous television series, including the pilot for "Get Smart," and he was a Clio Award-winning director of commercials.

As a voice-over artist, Morris was the longtime voice of the Qantas Airlines koala. He also provided the voice of Gerald McBoing-Boing in Columbia cartoons in the 1950s, and he was the voice of television's Atom Ant in "The Atom Ant Show," Beetle Bailey and General Halftrack in "Beetle Bailey and His Friends," and Jughead Jones and Big Moose Mason in "The Archie Show."

As a character actor, he appeared in films such as "Boys' Night Out," starring Kim Novak; Jerry Lewis' "The Nutty Professor"; and Mel Brooks' "High Anxiety," "Life Stinks" and "History of the World: Part I."

Morris first came to national attention when he joined Caesar, Imogene Coca and Carl Reiner on "Your Show of Shows," the live, 90-minute comedy-variety program that ran on NBC from 1950 to 1954.

"The thing about Howie that's most interesting is the extent of his talent," Reiner told The Times on Monday, saying that Morris could do everything from slapstick to Shakespeare.

Added Reiner, who first met Morris at a New York City radio workshop in 1940 and who later gave Morris his first directing job, on "The Dick Van Dyke Show": "For such a short guy, he was carrying more hyphens than anyone I know."

Morris' stature landed him his first job with Caesar in 1949 on "The Admiral Broadway Revue," the Caesar and Coca TV program that preceded "Your Show of Shows."

An actor who was small enough for Caesar to pick up by the lapels in a sketch was needed.

And, as Morris later recalled, when producer Max Liebman introduced him to Caesar, "He grabbed me by the lapels and lifted me up in the air and said, 'Max! Him! Get!' And that was my audition for 'The Admiral Broadway Revue.' "