The Andy Griffith Show - General Discussion

[Browncoat]

I never thought about that, either!  Andy never mentions his parents, but since he tells Opie that Aunt Bee helped raise him, maybe they were killed in some tragic accident, and she stepped up.

[cooksdelight]

9 hours ago, Browncoat said:

I never thought about that, either!  Andy never mentions his parents, but since he tells Opie that Aunt Bee helped raise him, maybe they were killed in some tragic accident, and she stepped up.

Oh Lord, we have a whole new set of theories to explore!

[Browncoat]

39 minutes ago, cooksdelight said:

Oh Lord, we have a whole new set of theories to explore!

You're welcome?  LOL

[cooksdelight]

Andy spoke about his father a couple of times, but never his mother, so maybe that’s why Aunt Bee helped to raise him. So let’s put her in the category of died when he was little.

Episode 1 aired today, and Bee said about Opie “He’s going through such a difficult time now....” and with Rose leaving, that might be what she was referring to. I got the impression Rose was a babysitter/housekeeper who didn’t live there. 

[Maherjunkie]

On 5/5/2018 at 9:39 PM, cooksdelight said:

@Maverick, thank you for that info. It was indeed that episode I saw not long ago (again) where the special love was mentioned. 

I’d still like to know how/why she died. One of those things that will always make me wonder. I met Andy Griffith in Manteo many years ago and I should have asked him. LOL

Was he a grouch?

[cooksdelight]

No, but I could tell he didn’t want to be approached by a “fan” of the show. So I patted him on the shoulder and told him that I really couldn’t sign any autographs right now. He laughed and we had a nice conversation. He was known for being unapproachable so I figured out a way to put him at ease.

[Browncoat]

My local station showed the episode tonight where Barney gets the motorcycle.  In it, Opie has a woodburning set, and I don't think he's more than 9 or 10.  I can't imagine parents today giving their 9-year-old a woodburning set.  Do they even make woodburning sets any more? 

It's amazing that we all survived childhood.  We had a woodburning set, and lawn darts, and the pogo sticks with the exposed giant springs.  It was great fun.

[Maverick]

Yes, you can find them at craft stores.  

[curbcrusher]

Oddly enough I read this yesterday, and today while returning some items at Lowe's what do I see, a magazine on wood burning.  The name was something like Pyrotechnia.

[Nordly Beaumont]

On 5/31/2018 at 7:09 PM, Browncoat said:

It's amazing that we all survived childhood.  We had a woodburning set, and lawn darts, and the pogo sticks with the exposed giant springs.  It was great fun.

It's amazing my family survived! My little brother (who was an absolute menace) got a wood burning kit at that age and to this day I can't believe my mom allowed him to have it. She stayed with him while he used it, but I'm sure he played with it when she was at work.

Topic? I saw one the other day where Barney and Opie come out of that backroom at the courthouse, laughing together because Barney taught Opie a joke ("Pa, ask me did I take a bath this morning" "Didya take a bath?" "Why? Is there one missing?") I love that the show didn't just use Barney as the butt of jokes. He was Opie's pal, a good friend to Andy, kind to Aunt Bee and could be in on the jokes. (Compared to say, Ted Baxter on Mary Tyler Moore.)

Edited June 5, 2018 by Nordly Beaumont

[cooksdelight]

I love this.

 

[cooksdelight]

I was thinking of all the names of the various characters, and found this about Opie.

Quote

According to Howard himself, who once explained the origin of the name to Jay Leno, Opie was named after bandleader and actor Opal “Opie” Taft Cates, a popular clarinetist from swing-era Arkansas. ... The diminuative nickname of Asbjorn evolved from "Asbie" to "Obby" to "Oppy" to "Opie," which could mean "Son of Asbjorn."Jan 6, 2017

And did you know ... George Lindsay (who played Goober) originally tried out for the role of Gomer, which went to Jim Nabors.

[Tosia]

On 5/31/2018 at 6:09 PM, Browncoat said:

My local station showed the episode tonight where Barney gets the motorcycle.  In it, Opie has a woodburning set, and I don't think he's more than 9 or 10.  I can't imagine parents today giving their 9-year-old a woodburning set.  Do they even make woodburning sets any more? 

It's amazing that we all survived childhood.  We had a woodburning set, and lawn darts, and the pogo sticks with the exposed giant springs.  It was great fun.

My son's 5th grade art teacher did it for a project.  Iv was taking a Women'sWoodworking class at the time and provided her with different scrap woods. They smell distincly different when burned. It was cool art and we still have his wood piece with a buffalo silhouette. 

Watching TAGS this summer every day.  I wanted to live in Mayberry when I was little. And eventually marry Andy. And fix up the haunted Crenshaw place.  

I thought Helen was classy and reserved like Andy.  

Loved Earnest T. Bass.

Roger Miller, the singer/songwriter was great too. So young. 

I saw John McEuen perform,  from Nitty Gritty Dirt Band , a few months ago and he talked about the Darlings being extremely accomplished musicians that were well respected by fellow pickers, except the dad, Denver Pyle (?), who was an actor.  

I love TAGS and all the actors and guest stars. 

[cooksdelight]

I just spotted Otis/Hal Smith as a drunk Santa Claus in “The Apartment”... uncredited, was only onscreen for less than a minute.

I had no idea he did so many cartoon voices. He was the Owl in all of the Winnie The Pooh cartoons.

[cooksdelight]

I just saw something funny.... the episode is on now about Burt the door-to-door salesman. He and Andy are sitting on a bench in front of the grocery store and Barney comes out. Barney is giving his nose a good wipe with his hand and then shakes hands with Burt without missing a beat. Phew!!!!

[BigBingerBro]

I wasn't sure where to put this, so I figured here would be as good as anywhere else.  Today on TVLand (or METV or similar), I was watching the episode where Andy & Barney arrest a peddler for selling out of his truck without a permit.  I believe Don Rickles played the peddler.   Anyway, there was a scene where they were shouting and arguing in the street with many town folk watching.  All the men and most of the ladies were wearing hats, including the peddler.  Of course this was very common in the 50's but I realized that Andy himself almost never wore a hat neither in or out of uniform.  In this same scene, Barney was wearing his police hat, but I don't think Andy ever wore one.   Did AG just not like hats????

[Maverick]

 Andy regularly went without his hat and the.  It was part of the character's laid back approach to policing (much to the chargrin of Barney, the mayor and others). He did get into full uniform on occasion when it was required. 

[Browncoat]

And once he wore an old beat-up fishing hat when the state inspector came.  Barney called Aunt Bee to have Opie bring a hat and tie for Andy, and that was the hat Opie brought.  That was also one episode I would have liked to have seen in color — I can only imagine the true hideousness of the tie!

[cooksdelight]

Another hat Andy wore was the one that was part of his band uniform. The episode when they had Freddy Fleet’s band help them convince the mayor that they played well enough to go to Raleigh.

[TheLastKidPicked]

On 10/8/2018 at 7:03 PM, BigBingerBro said:

Anyway, there was a scene where they were shouting and arguing in the street with many town folk watching.  All the men and most of the ladies were wearing hats, including the peddler.   Of course this was very common in the 50's . . . 

If you enjoy looking behind the scenes then you will enjoy this:

There is a bit more to your observation watching this on television.  Stage managers will be clear about,  "This is a scene shot on a Saturday afternoon, so wear what you normally wear on a Saturday afternoon."  But nobody listens.  This is their 15 minutes (or 3 seconds) of fame, so everybody wears their Sunday best when they come in to be an extra  It's just human nature.

It's pretty noticeable in some of the scenes.  Watch the extras in the background and you'll see it.

Edited October 16, 2018 by TheLastKidPicked

[cooksdelight]

I love the extras in the background when Andy is trying to convince Barney to sing in a whisper into the special microphone. That one guy was cracking up!

[OpieTaylor]

Watched an episode tonight on METV and Aunt Bee’s sister (Nora?) and her husband and their 2 sons come to visit. Strange that Nora would have such young boys - about Opie’s age, when Nora is Andy’s Aunt. The uncle even mentions having taught Andy everything he knows when Andy was growing up. They should have been the boys’ grandparents.

[cooksdelight]

Or have Nora be Andy’s cousin, Bee’s niece. I always thought that was odd, too.

[cooksdelight]

I miss all of our previous conversations. :(

You know me and my inconsisties/flubs .... today when Sam Becker’s wife was about to give birth, Andy called to tell Barney to come right away. Barney called Floyd to come and get him, as there’s only the one squad car. How Barney got there is anyone’s guess.

When the shoe salesman came to town and everyone was auditioning, the one guy playing the mouth harp had background accompanying music. Which drove me nuts in every single Jim Lindsey episode.

[Browncoat]

I've only just found this thread again!

I had to drive to NC a week or so ago, and I pass by Pilot Mountain and Mt. Airy when I do.  I always wave at the mountain and say, "Gomer and Goober say hey!"

[Miss Chevious]

I just watched the Roger Hanover episode that was on this morning. Only saw it once years ago and forgot how annoying Roger was. Those corny sayings and stupid jokes! 

Andy’s acting was superb though. How he conveyed disdain for Roger by the flick of an eyebrow or a slight downturn of the mouth. 

What a great episode!

I just watched the Roger Hanover episode that was on this morning. Only saw it once years ago and forgot how annoying Roger was. Those corny sayings and stupid jokes! 

Andy’s acting was superb though. How he conveyed disdain for Roger by the flick of an eyebrow or a slight downturn of the mouth. 

What a great episode!

[cooksdelight]

I watched that one as well. Aunt Bee was lousy at picking men. The other guy, a handyman, he was a creep as well.

Then she changed her looks and clothes to try to be “hip” with a guy, not realizing her liked her just the way she had been. She and Clara got more snippy with each other as time went on.

[freddi]

My goodness, Andy got a lot of action!  I barely watched this show growing up, and I always thought it was Andy and Helen, always.  I had no idea of the great girlfriends in earlier seasons!

11 hours ago, Miss Chevious said:

I just watched the Roger Hanover episode that was on this morning. Only saw it once years ago and forgot how annoying Roger was. Those corny sayings and stupid jokes! 

Andy’s acting was superb though. How he conveyed disdain for Roger by the flick of an eyebrow or a slight downturn of the mouth. 

What a great episode!

Is this the one where the suitor finally sits on the porch with Andy and basically offers to leave if Andy will pay him off?  It was more subtle than that, but Andy's expression of "OH, so THAT'S your game, I KNEW IT!"  was all indicated by one adjustment of his facial muscles.  It was wonderful.  And then Andy called his bluff. 

Edited January 31, 2019 by freddi

[cooksdelight]

5 hours ago, freddi said:

Is this the one where the suitor finally sits on the porch with Andy and basically offers to leave if Andy will pay him off?

“$400 and I’ll be on the noon train. It’s JUST a loan, just for expenses.” 

[cooksdelight]

Either my hearing is bad or I just caught another goof.

In the episode with the first appearance of Malcolm Merriweather, Aunt Bee is going out of town and tells Andy that Mrs. Edwards is going to leave her car in their driveway and he can use it any time. Later, Andy says something about having Flora’s old car.

If anyone else knows whether or not I’m hearing things, let me know. LOL

[cooksdelight]

Aunt Bee said “That poor Mr. Frisbee that we’ve been buying eggs from all these years....”

What about her faux beau who they bought from for years? LOL

[Browncoat]

My local station just showed the episode where Barney gives a ticket to the guy (played by Allan Melvin) sweeping litter from the store into the street, who then threatens Barney's life.  Andy gets the Judo instructor to wear Barney's salt-and-pepper suit and beat the crap out of the store guy.  Then Barney gives store guy a speech about how he (Barney) should be respected regardless of what he's wearing, that he's the law.

It occurred to me as I was watching that that speech is very similar to the one Barney gives to the guys who are illegally selling produce on the side of the road in a different episode, and one of those guys is played by Allan Melvin.  I'm not sure which episode came first, but I guess Allan Melvin's characters just can't get the message.  LOL

[cooksdelight]

Allan Melvin played a lot of parts on the show, good guys and bad guys. Then he played Sgt. Hacker on Gomer Pyle, USMC.

- Howard's Main Event (1967) ... Clyde Plaunt

- Barney's Uniform (1964) ... Fred Plummer

- Andy's Vacation (1964) ... Escaped Prisoner

- Ernest T. Bass Joins the Army (1963) ... Recruiting Sergeant

- Barney's First Car (1963) ... Jake, Myrt's Accomplice

- Lawman Barney (1962) ... Neal

- Andy and Barney in the Big City (1962) ... Hotel Detective Bardoli

- Jailbreak (1962) ... Clarence 'Doc' Malloy

[LucyEth]

On 11/10/2018 at 2:38 AM, OpieTaylor said:

Watched an episode tonight on METV and Aunt Bee’s sister (Nora?) and her husband and their 2 sons come to visit. Strange that Nora would have such young boys - about Opie’s age, when Nora is Andy’s Aunt. The uncle even mentions having taught Andy everything he knows when Andy was growing up. They should have been the boys’ grandparents.

This never made sense to me either.

[cooksdelight]

The episode is on now where Andy tries to take a week off with Barney and Gomer in charge. He tells Aunt Bee to put some things together for him, he’s going up to the mountains for a week.

How’d he get there? Barney has the squad car, Andy has no car. Hitchiked? LOL, the continuity bloopers always make me laugh. 

[cooksdelight]

Thought this was funny.

[cooksdelight]

Found the episode where Andy and Helen get married.

[cooksdelight]

That episode where Opie and his friend play a joke on Goober with the “talking dog.”.... they really screwed up. When Goober comes out from under the car, it’s clearly shown that it has California tags.

[Browncoat]

Helen's wedding dress was hideous, especially the veil.

[chessiegal]

1 minute ago, Browncoat said:

Helen's wedding dress was hideous, especially the veil.

It was the era. You should see my 1971 wedding dress and veil - it was worse!

[cooksdelight]

Watching an old episode this morning, I just realized that it was Bobby Fleet’s Band With a Beat, as well as Freddy Fleet’s Band With a Beat.

Clara had several names, as did many others. Full cast list here:

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053479/fullcredits?ref_=tt_cl_sm#cast

[SnarkySheep]

I dunno...while most people seem to like Andy with Helen (and I thought they were average) I still really liked Miss Ellie in Season 1. She really had a way with both Andy and Opie. But apparently Elinor Donahue didn't really mesh with Andy Griffith, though, so they removed the character.

[BigBingerBro]

I agree that Miss Ellie was the best match for Andy.  I saw an interview with Elinor Donahue and she made it seem like she decided to leave the show due to personal problems.  Who really knows?

I liked the Helen character, but I agree that their relationship was pretty boring.  

[Browncoat]

I liked Helen at first, but not for long, and I liked a lot of Andy's earlier girlfriends a lot better than I liked Helen.

[cooksdelight]

Andy was putting the moves on Elinor Donahue, in spite of being married, and she wasn’t falling for his charms. Same reason Joanna Moore left. He and Aneta Coursalt (Helen) had a hot affair.

”Andy & Don” is a great book about the show, well worth the read.

[cooksdelight]

In case you might be in the area...

[Gemma Violet]

On 2/20/2019 at 6:09 PM, cooksdelight said:

Allan Melvin played a lot of parts on the show, good guys and bad guys. Then he played Sgt. Hacker on Gomer Pyle, USMC.

And later, Alice's boyfriend Sam the butcher on The Brady Bunch, and Barney Hefner on All in the Family, to name a couple off the top of my head. 🙂

[BetyBee]

We've been binge watching a couple of AGS  episodes a night.  We laughed and laughed and I was surprised how many I remembered!  Sadly, we're now in the 6th season and the funny seemed to disappear just as the color appeared.  Warren is so not funny and even Goober isn't a great replacement for Gomer.  I'm guessing Howard Sprague is soon to arrive.  The biggest change of all is the lack of Barney.  Even Ange doesn't seem happy without him, just cranky all the time.  Opie can't help growing older and he remains pretty darn cute.  

[CrazyMoon]

There are a few color episodes I really like (Aunt Bee learning to drive & Howard/Millie's wedding come to mind), but overall I agree that much of the fun left when the color came. However, I'm loyal to the end....this is still the best show ever made...
Favorite episodes:
1. Briscoe Declares for Aunt Bee
2. Opie & the Spoiled Kid
3. Rafe Hollister Sings
4. A Wife For Andy
5. The Darling Baby
6. Andy Discovers America
7. The Fun Girls
8. The Rivals
9. Bailey's Bad Boy
10. Hot Rod Otis

[Maverick]

Yes, Howard will be along shortly (after a one-off stint as an insurance agent).  Howard's ok, but I hate the addition of Emmett in season 8. 

 The loss of Barney is huge in the color seasons, but beyond that the tone of the changes.  Even when Barney returns it doesn't feel the same.  Mayberry had a certain "other time" quality that made it feel removed from the era.  You never would have seen something like the episode with the very "now" school kids wanting to put on a mod show or Russians holding a summit in Mayberry in the B&W episodes.