matlock based on what lawyer

by Ian Gottlieb 3 min read

Channel 2 Action News confirmed that Bobby Lee Cook died Friday at his home in Cloudland. He was 94. Cook was reputed to be the inspiration for Matlock's main character, Ben Matlock, which starred Andy Griffith as a brilliant Georgia attorney. The show aired for nine seasons starting in 1986.Feb 19, 2021

Who is Matlock?

Matlock is a renowned, folksy yet cantankerous defense attorney who is worth every penny of his $100,000 fee.

Why did Matlock stop being a lawyer?

Well, the main reason for this was because Dr. Mark Sloan from Diagnosis: Murder had advised Matlock to invest his life savings in the eight-track tape industry. The industry never really took off, and this left Matlock somewhat destitute. Therefore, he could only afford cheap suits and hot dogs until his legal career picked up again.

Is Matlock based on a true story?

Matlock is reported to be based on Georgia defense attorney Bobby Lee Cook. In high school, Ben played baseball, and hit a home run in the 9th inning (The Umpire). Ben worked for nine years prior to attending Harvard Law School, and accordingly was significantly older than his law school classmates.

How does Matlock prove his client was framed?

He frequently interjects in court, knocks out the bailiff, and flees the courthouse. Ultimately, Matlock shows his client was framed for murder. The judge, citing the extreme stress Matlock's client was under, recommends a lengthy term of community services instead of the "many years" in prison his actions would usually receive.

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Is Matlock based on a real attorney?

Matlock is reported to be based on Georgia defense attorney Bobby Lee Cook.

Who was the lawyer for Matlock?

Legendary Georgia attorney Bobby Lee Cook died today at his Lookout Mountain home. He was 94. In his storied career, Cook represented moonshiners, money launderers, bootleggers and bank fraud schemers, the Chattanooga Times Free Press reports.

Why did Julie march leave Matlock?

She had a family in California that she didn't want to leave, and Griffith confirmed in an interview that there were no hard feelings when she decided not to continue on the show or make the move to Wilmington to do so. This decision ended up ending her entire acting career.

Is Bobby Lee Cook still alive?

February 19, 2021Bobby Lee Cook / Date of death

Who was the character Matlock based on?

Channel 2 Action News confirmed that Bobby Lee Cook died Friday at his home in Cloudland. He was 94. Cook was reputed to be the inspiration for Matlock's main character, Ben Matlock, which starred Andy Griffith as a brilliant Georgia attorney. The show aired for nine seasons starting in 1986.

Who was Matlock's investigator?

Conrad McMastersConrad McMasters. Conrad McMasters is a private investigator for Ben Matlock.

What was Andy Griffith worth at his death?

Andy Griffith net worth: Andy Griffith was an American actor and singer who had a net worth of $60 million at the time of his death....Andy Griffith Net Worth.Net Worth:$60 MillionDate of Birth:Jun 1, 1926 - Jul 3, 2012 (86 years old)Gender:MaleHeight:6 ft (1.83 m)2 more rows

Did Nancy Stafford like Andy Griffith?

As a six-year-old girl, she was a huge fan of The Andy Griffith Show (1960). Nancy had said on an interview that when she was just a child, she bore a resemblance of Don Knotts in The Incredible Mr.

Is Andy Griffith still alive?

Deceased (1926–2012)Andy Griffith / Living or Deceased

Who did Bobby Lee Cook represent?

In addition to criminal proceedings, Cook also took a stand by representing labor unions at a time when many in the South viewed pro-labor organizations as “Communist sympathizers.” his integrity are essential to a successful law practice.”

Who is Matlock based on?

Andy Griffith initially did not like the character due to his vanity and cheapness. Matlock is reported to be based on Georgia defense attorney Bobby Lee Cook.

Who plays Matlock in Matlock?

Benjamin Leighton Matlock is a fictional character from the television series, Matlock, played by Andy Griffith. Matlock is a renowned, folksy yet cantankerous defense attorney who is worth every penny of his $100,000 fee. Known for visiting the scene of the crime to discover clues otherwise overlooked and his down-home style ...

Why did Matlock take the case pro bono?

Five years afterward, Carla was charged with murdering her ex-husband, and Matlock took the case pro bono as a way of apologizing to Carla ( The Stripper ).

How long did it take Matlock to get out of custody?

Another one he lost was when Ken Wilson was arrested for killing his wife ( The Black Widow ). It took Matlock's client seven years for him to get out of custody. After his release, he was accused a second time, hence, his lawyer traveled to Los Angeles to reopen the case, a second time. He was found innocent.

Who played Ben Matlock?

TV Actor Andy Griffith portrayed Ben Matlock for the duration of the Matlock television series. He also portrayed Charlie Matlock, Ben's father, in flashbacks.

Who is Ben Matlock's father?

His father, Charlie Matlock, was an auto repairman in Ben's hometown.

Who was the third person Matlock lost to?

The third case he lost was to Dave Travis ( The Pro ), who was then convicted for killing Victor Tomasio. There was also ( The Brothers) where Matlock lost the case when he got the other brother to admit to being involved in the murder and subsequently telling where the defendant was and his involvement.

How much did Matlock charge for each case?

Now, Matlock may have led a frugal lifestyle, but he was anything but cheap if you wanted to put him on retainer. His fee for each case was $100,000, not exactly a small amount. You would often hear his clients complain about his fees, but his retort was always that when he wins, “He’s considered a bargain.”.

When did Matlock come out?

Matlock first aired in 1986 as a 2-hour feature on NBC, and was re-shown in Cleveland, Ohio, by an NBC affiliate in 2013. This was a year after Griffith’s death. This was done because he had been left out of the In Memoriam segment during the Oscars that year.

Why does Matlock eat hot dogs?

Well, the main reason for this was because Dr. Mark Sloan from Diagnosis: Murder had advised Matlock to invest his life savings in the eight-track tape industry. The industry never really took off, and this left Matlock somewhat destitute. Therefore, he could only afford cheap suits and hot dogs until his legal career picked up again. However, it became a habit for him to live frugally throughout the series.

What issues did Andy Griffith have with Matlock?

He wanted his character to be much darker, and not the moral compass that Andy Taylor had been in “The Andy Griffith Show.” He wanted Matlock to have some darker qualities, and deal with some cases that were less morally compatible with the image the show wished to portray . This desired image was not necessarily a wholesome one, but the cases he was involved in were considered safe topics by the studio.

What is a Matlock spinoff?

Spinoff series. Matlock actually worked to launch two spinoff series, basically a spinoff from a spinoff. In 1986, it introduced the spinoff series “Jake and the Fatman” which revolved around a crime solving duo named J.L. “Fatman” McCabe and Jake Styles, who were played by Joe Penny and William Conrad.

What car did Matlock drive?

Matlock always had a grey Crown Victoria, and Taylor always drove Galaxie 500 sedans. Clearly Ford knew the importance of good product placement, specifically in shows with a large audience. Every couple of years, the model of Ford was updated for the show, which reflected Ford’s new line for the models portrayed.

What was the plot of Matlock?

The storyline was that Matlock had to defend a big Hollywood producer accused of murder. The character of ALF, who had his own wildly successful series, showed up at the end of the episode to testify against the producer. It’s still unclear if ALF was supposed to be a real alien, or a puppet on the episode.

Storyline

In this legal drama, Andy Griffith plays Ben Matlock, a criminal-defense lawyer based in Atlanta. Matlock typically identifies and confronts the perpetrator in a dramatic courtroom scene. His goal, most often, is to prove reasonable doubt of his client's guilt.

Did you know

In 1997, two years after the end of the series, Andy Griffith reprised the role of Matlock on a two part episode of Diagnosis Murder (1993). This would mark his final appearance in the role, and the only time the Matlock character was seen on CBS. In the episode, it is explained that Dr.

Who is the main character in Matlock?

Channel 2 Action News confirmed that Bobby Lee Cook died Friday at his home in Cloudland. He was 94. Cook was reputed to be the inspiration for Matlock’s main character, Ben Matlock, ...

How old was Andy Griffith when Ben Matlock was on?

He was 94. Cook was reputed to be the inspiration for Matlock’s main character, Ben Matlock, which starred Andy Griffith as a brilliant Georgia attorney. The show aired for nine seasons starting in 1986.

Who was the man who arranged the death of Sara?

Cook represented hundreds of accused murderers over the years, including Fred Tokars, who was convicted of arranging the death of his wife Sara in the 1980s and Savannah antiques dealer Jim Williams, whose case was the basis for the best-selling book “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.”

Who was the person who tried to win a new trial for Wayne Williams?

Cook was also part of a team who unsuccessfully tried to win a new trial for Wayne Williams, who was convicted in the deaths of 29 people in the Atlanta “murdered and missing” child cases.

What episode does Matlock ask Matlock to defend his widow from murder charges?

Paranormal Episode: "The Ghost" sees the ghost of a murder victim ask Matlock to defend his widow from murder charges and find his real killer. The Perry Mason Method: You'll find Matlock regularly engaging in courtroom antics, trying to erode the credibility of a witness so he can ambush them.

What is the killer in Matlock?

The Unreveal: In a typical Matlock episode, the killer is The Unseen and exposed in the final act of the story. However, a few episodes of the show (starting with "The Judge") introduce the killer right off the bat without trying to hide their identity.

What episode does Leanne defend her husband in?

He gets her to confess in court to end an Accuse the Witness situation against someone she cared for. In the Season 8 episode "The Defendant," Leanne defends a philanthropist accused of murdering his wife, falling for him in the process.

What does Matlock say to Tommy?

Matlock tries to explain it to him in the simplest terms, suggesting Tommy consider a diminished capacity plea (that he was unaware of what he was doing and could have killed Sandra by accident). When nothing Ben says registers with Tommy, the lawyer lets out an exasperated, "Oh, Lord....".

Where does Matlock go on vacation?

Matlock goes on vacation at an Oceanside resort. Matlock ends up defending an accused murderer in court. In "The View," Matlock and Leanne attend an out-of-town wedding. Ben witnesses a murder from his hotel room, but because of conflict-of-interest, Leanne winds up representing the accused murderer.

What episode of Honest John's Dealership is about the murder of a guy who worked there?

Honest John's Dealership: The episode "The Lemon" was about the murder of a guy who worked there. Iconic Item: Aside from his suit, Matlock has a banjo that he sometimes strums on. In addition to his banjo, he also owns a ukelele and quite a few guitars. Ivy League for Everyone: Ben is a graduate of Harvard University.

What is the difference between Perry Mason and Matlock?

But there is a big difference between Mason and Matlock. Perry Mason (based in Los Angeles in most of the franchise; based in Denver for the TV movies) is always intense and menacing by nature; Matlock is old-fashioned, folksy and grandfatherly. Advertisement:

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Overview

Matlock is an American mystery legal drama television series created by Dean Hargrove, starring Andy Griffith in the title role of criminal defense attorney Ben Matlock. The show, produced by Intermedia Entertainment Company (first season only), The Fred Silverman Company, Dean Hargrove Productions (called Strathmore Productions in the first two seasons) and Viacom Productions, orig…

Premise

The show centers on widower Ben Matlock (Andy Griffith), a renowned, folksy and popular though cantankerous attorney. Usually, at the end of the case, the person who is on the stand being questioned by Matlock is the actual perpetrator and Matlock will expose him/her, despite making clear that his one goal is to prove reasonable doubt in the case of his client's guilt or to prove his client's innocence. Matlock studied law at Harvard Law School and, after several years as a publi…

Cast

• Andy Griffith as Ben Matlock
• Linda Purl (Lori Lethin in pilot) as Charlene Matlock (season 1), Ben's younger daughter who became a partner to her father before she moved to Philadelphia to set up her own law practice
• Alice Hirson as Hazel (pilot), Matlock's secretary

Changes

The series premiered with Ben Matlock having a law practice with his daughter, Charlene (played by Lori Lethin in the pilot movie; Linda Purl took over the role when the series went to air). Matlock also employed stock market whiz Tyler Hudson (Kene Holliday) as a private investigator. Tyler would often go undercover for Matlock in various guises to gather information. Matlock's mos…

Episodes

Matlock aired a total of 193 episodes across nine seasons and began with a TV-movie. 12 two-hour and 15 two-part episodes of the program were aired. Six of the episodes were clip shows with mostly minor plots that paved the way for scenes from previous stories. Although Griffith appeared in more episodes portraying Sheriff Andy Taylor in The Andy Griffith Show than Ben Matlock in Matlock (249–193), he logged more on-screen time as Ben Matlock than he did Sheri…

Program format

A few changes were made in the format of the introduction of the episodes. The introduction of characters was essentially the same, with the only changes being the actors for each season. Griffith, Purl, Holliday, Stafford, Gilyard Jr., Thayer, Sommars, Lizer, Roebuck and Huston were all featured in the intros for their seasons. The Matlock commercial screen also changed. The early episodes had a scene of Ben Matlock in front of a brown screen; around 1987, this was change…

See also

• Television portal
• United States portal
• Law portal
• 1980s portal
• 1990s portal

External links

• Matlock at IMDb
• Matlock at epguides.com
• Andy Griffith as Ben Matlock An unofficial Matlock website
• Ben Matlock at TV Acres A page dedicated to Ben Matlock, including notable case synopses and list of Simpsons quotes