Actor, director Howard Morris dead at 85

LOS ANGELES, May 24 (UPI) -- Comedic actor, director and voice-over artist Howard Morris who rose to fame in the 1950s has died at his Hollywood home at the age of 85.

Morris died Saturday after battling heart problems for the past several years, his son David told Tuesday's Los Angeles Times.

Morris worked alongside Sid Caesar on "Your Show of Shows" in the 1950s and later played rock-throwing hillbilly Ernest T. Bass on "The Andy Griffith Show."

Morris directed such feature films as the comedies "With Six You Get Eggroll" starring Doris Day and "Don't Drink the Water" starring Jackie Gleason.

He also directed episodes of numerous television series, including the pilot for "Get Smart" and was the longtime voice of the Qantas Airlines koala. He was the voice of several cartoons including Atom Ant in "The Atom Ant Show," Beetle Bailey and General Halftrack in "Beetle Bailey and His Friends" and Jughead Jones and Big Moose Mason in "The Archie Show."

In addition to his son, the five-times-divorced Morris is survived by his daughters, Gabrielle, Kim and Devra; and three grandchildren.