What It Was Was Football (1997) User Reviews

This review of this short film, What It Was Was Football, is in tribute to the late Andy Griffith

[tavm · 10/10 · 4 July 2012]

With the death of 86-year-old Andy Griffith yesterday, I searched YouTube for various of his shows and films that could possibly be there. I accidentally stumbled onto this short film while doing so. It begins by showing a picture of him in his '20s with text explaining that before becoming the famous TV sheriff, he was a comedian who wasn't quite known when he did this piece for a live audience which was recorded. It sold well enough that it led him on the way to fame and fortune. More than 40 years later, a black-and-white short film, mixing actors with vintage footage of the period of the recording, was made with that young Mr. Griffith describing his first experience of being pushed by a crowd-while setting up revival tents and getting some refreshments-to going to see what he described as several men of one side against those of the other chasing each other over what he described as a "pumpkin"! He calls the referees "convicts" but the funniest part came at the end but I won't spoil it further here. Anyway, plenty of highlights would come to Mr. Griffith especially his TV show named after him but one shouldn't forget that it all started when he just wondered what all the commotion was all about with all these men just running and kicking during "the awfullest fight that I have ever seen...in my life, I did!" R.I.P. Sheriff Andy Taylor and Ben Matlock.