By FRAZIER MOORE

By FRAZIER MOORE
ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW YORK -- At 77, Andy Griffith remains a fine actor, a much-beloved star, even a folk hero.
But at heart, he is a storyteller.
That's how he broke into show business a half-century ago, tickling audiences with comedic monologues like "What It Was Was Football."
And that's the key to his signature success, "The Andy Griffith Show," as a reunion special reminds us Tuesday on CBS. This 1960s sitcom is a timeless blend of humor and parable whose homespun style seems to come straight from Griffith's own psyche.
Even chatting with a reporter, Griffith demonstrates the storyteller's touch: a leisurely sampling from his grab bag of reflections, then a yank of the drawstring to cinch his point.
And if there isn't a point, he feels obliged to confess it. On the heels of his account of a Hollywood producer's recent inquiry -- Would Griffith like to be back on TV, maybe cast as a detective? -- is a grinning admission: "I don't have a finish for this story. But I hope it happens. I'd like to do it!"
Long ago, Griffith left Los Angeles and returned with his wife, Cindi, to his native North Carolina, which is where he filmed his most recent series, the 1986-95 crime drama "Matlock." But recently he was in New York to talk about new projects.
For the coming holiday season, Griffith has recorded an album of favorite carols and spoken-word pieces called "The Christmas Guest," released (as were two previous albums) on Sparrow Records.
Going back
And he is joining former castmates for "The Andy Griffith Show Reunion: Back to Mayberry," a charming one-hour special.
"Believe it or not, it's a good show," Griffith says. "I wasn't so sure, but then finally last week I saw the final cut. I found myself" -- he pauses to identify the right word, or, maybe, just to heighten the effect -- "smiling."
As folksy as the series it commemorates, this reunion special brings Griffith together with Don Knotts (Deputy Barney Fife), Jim Nabors (Gomer Pyle) and other former Mayberry "locals." Also woven into the program are evocative clips from the "Griffith" show, which ran on CBS from 1960-68 and continues in reruns to this day on cable's TV Land.
But befitting the series' core relationship -- a father (widowed Sheriff Andy Taylor) and his son (adorable little Opie) -- the most affecting segment finds Griffith swapping memories with Ron Howard, the all-grown-up actor-turned-director who began as Opie when he was 6.
"I met Ronny -- I called him 'Ronny' for eight years, it's hard to call him Ron -- out in Franklin Canyon in the Hollywood Hills, where we did the original walk with the whistle [theme]. He and I did the walk again, and he threw another rock." Griffith chuckles. "He's a great guy. And we sat there that whole morning and talked about the show and what it had meant to us, and what that moment meant to us. And it was wonderful."
Memorable scene
Located in a wildlife refuge, the wooded setting for the show's title sequence is unchanged since it was filmed 43 years ago.
"We had this big crew, with reflectors everywhere," Griffith recalls, "and we could hear the whistling theme, which was already recorded.
"I didn't know when we were shooting it where it would lead."
The man telling this story is white-haired, a bit stooped and beset by various aches and pains. But he also is blessed: Thanks to Andy Taylor, he is immortal.
Granted, the two Andys may have their differences.
"I'm not as nice," confides Griffith, flashing his familiar grin, "and I don't think I'm as bright. But I guess you could say I created Andy Taylor. Andy Taylor's the best part of my mind. The best part of me."
XOn the Net: www.cbs.com; www.sparrowrecords.com; www.tvland.com; "The Andy Griffith Show" Rerun Watchers Club: www.mayberry.com/tagsrwc.