When Ron Howard started acting on The Andy Griffith Show, he clearly wanted to be treated just as much like a professional as everyone else. He took the job just as seriously, after all, so why should his young age make any difference in how others on the set saw him as a colleague? He was determined to be on their level, and like any kid, that meant acting like the adults.

There are stories we've told you about how Ron gave feedback on scenes, and everybody familiar with Howard's directing work knows it was during The Andy Griffith Show that he first started peering into the camera lens, too. He was soaking up on everything he saw happening on set, and that included absorbing some of Andy's mountain manners.

Even Andy Griffith, who after five years working with Howard had come to understand that the youngin' was a bit of an old soul, didn't expect little Ronny to be so mature as to start taking care and looking out for the older actor's feelings.

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Griffith described to The Argus-Leader in 1965 what we think might be the most adorable behind-the-scenes ritual we've heard yet from The Andy Griffith Show.

"After Ronny does a good scene, I try to come up afterwards and say, 'You did that well, Ronny,'" Andy explained.

"Now he's doing it to me," Griffith said. "When I finish, he runs over and says, 'You did that well, Andy.'"

Even behind the scenes, Mayberry was a place where a kid could learn to do right by others.

During those moments, Griffith was, of course, the top-billed star on the top sitcom in the country, but we have to imagine that it meant a little something extra to the titan of TV when Howard took the time to give him props after every scene.

Now, whenever Andy or Opie makes you laugh or tear up, imagine each actor after the director calls cut, saying to the other, "You did that well!"

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