Ben Matlock
Benjamin Leighton "Ben" 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 of coming up with viable, alternative theories of the crime in question (usually murder) while sitting in his office playing the banjo or polishing his shoes. Matlock also had conspicuously finicky fashion sense, and an insatiable appetite for hot dogs. Despite his high fees and apparent wealth, he is something of a cheapskate.
Early life
In high school, Ben played baseball, and hit a home run in the 9th inning (The Umpire).
While attending Harvard Law School, Ben tried to quit law school. His professor, Erskine Tate, threatened to beat him up. Later Ben recalled that Tate was his favorite professor and that he owed the professor a lot (The Professor).
Ben Matlock's first big case was defending a black cook, Cyrus Jordan (portrayed by Stan Shaw) in 1962, who was accused of murdering the sheriff in Mt. Harlan. Ben had become dissatisfied with being a D.A., and wanted to defend people, and decided to take Cyrus' case.
Family
Ben Matlock had two daughters, Charlene and Leanne, who both became lawyers in their own right and who both worked alongside their father at one point or another. His father, Charlie Matlock was an auto repairman in Ben's hometown.
He also had a goddaughter, Laura Miller (portrayed by Laura Robbins), whom he had not seen for 11 years, since her mother's funeral. She worked at a clothing store at an Atlanta mall (The Godfather).
Legal practice
Ben Matlock had been in practice since the early 1960s, has represented over 400 criminal cases (Diary of a Perfect Murder), and chose his cases based on three criteria:
- The money
- The case interested him
- Charity work around holidays
But above all, he had to believe that his client was innocent.
His retainer was $100,000 for a case (The Umpire).
Ben Matlock had several assistants over the years, both as lawyers and private investigators. His lawyer assistants were his daughters Charlene Matlock and Leanne MacIntyre as well as Michelle Thomas and Cliff Lewis. His private investigators were Tyler Hudson, Conrad McMasters, Cliff Lewis, and Jerri Stone. His associates often walked into his house without knocking, eating with Ben, and having barbecue with him (The Confession).
At times, Matlock has taken divorce and custody cases. One such case, concerning Carla Evans and her husband, was an unusual case for Matlock because he lost. 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). Losing a case was a rarity for Matlock, but he has had the occasion to correct that, as with Lester Matthews (The Convict), when Lester was tried for murdering a fellow inmate.
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.
Songs Ben Matlock sings in Matlock
- My Buddy by Anne Murray in The Starlet accompanied on banjo.
Trivia
- Ben appeared in two episodes of sister show Diagnosis: Murder defending Dr. Jesse Travis (played by Charlie Schlatter) on a murder charge.
- Ben's favorite meal is venison stew with 2 cloves of garlic and Vidalia onions. Ben loves Vidalia onions. He said he could eat this stew every night and die a happy man (The Dare).
- One of Ben's favorite meals is country fried steak with sliced tomatoes, creamed corn, and corn bread. His mother used to make it for him (The Chef). He used to eat it while listening to the Lone Ranger on the radio.
- His favorite court-room meal is from the hot-dog vendor outside of the courthouse in Atlanta, seen in numerous episodes.
- The alarm system Ben got in The Dare had the password "Hot dog."
- On The Simpsons, Homer Simpson's father Abraham Simpson is known to be a rabid fan of Matlock, and often calls for the character by name.