The ''real'' case of the punch in the nose: Howard McNear's accident on set

Floyd the Boxer!

September 24, 2024, 11:35AM By MeTV Staff

CBS Television Distribution

When you think of hazardous job titles, ''actor'' doesn't exactly jump to the top of the list. There are so many occupations more dangerous. Some people have to scale the sides of skyscrapers for a living. Others rush into burning buildings. You want to talk dangerous? There are security officers who have to keep fans from rushing the stage at Tom Jones concerts. People will risk it all for the right price.

But still, actors have a— perhaps unwarranted— reputation of being pampered and coddled when really they've got just as many difficulties as anyone else. Think of all those lights on top of a stage. They can fall! There's all that incredible stunt work that the Tom Cruises of the world volunteer for. It's with good reason that film studios must insure their stars. A lot can go wrong on a film set. That risk increases exponentially when you consider the scale of a stage production with shows every night. When you extend the run of a theatrical show, you also dramatically increase the potential for catastrophe. It's just a matter of numbers.

If you're a fan of The Andy Griffith Show, you may recall the plot of the episode "The Case of the Punch in the Nose." In that episode, while cleaning up the courthouse, Barney finds a long-misplaced court document from 19 years earlier. The paper reveals a dispute between Floyd the Barber and Charles Foley. Barney opens a can of worms, and before long, everybody's been punched in the nose all over again.

While the fictional violence in that episode may not have actually affected actor Howard McNear (Floyd), it turns out he did have a little experience with getting punched in his face while on the job.

In a 1961 interview with the Elwood, Indiana Call-Leader, McNear recalls the details of his early career, going through each of his favorite projects from his time before The Andy Griffith Show. One stage show, in particular, set the table for McNear's part in "The Case of the Punch in the Nose."

"I played the part of a prizefighter in 'Izatso?'," McNear recalled.

"And my opponent hit me harder than he meant to on the nose. I bled all through the next act."

You have to wonder whether the Andy Griffith Show writers were drawing from real life when they set about creating the conflict in that season 5 episode.