Jim’s guitar number
The tune Jim Lindsey plays for Bobby Fleet is not an actual song, he is simply improvising on what is known as a 12-bar blues pattern. Every jazz and rock-and-roll musician knows the 12-bar blues pattern, which is why they were all able to join in without difficulty. It is used in many thousands of songs, perhaps the most recognizable being Rock Around the Clock. Paul Mulik >>> Any ideas on the name of the song jim lindsey supposedly plays in the episode, "Guitar Player"? I have an inquiring mind. Emmett Clark Them timers are tricky chapter>>> ___ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://www.wbmutbb.com/
NPR show
Ron and Clint Howard were the guest stars on NPR’s quiz show Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me! over the weekend. You can listen to the episode at waitwait.npr.org (their part comes about 20 minutes in). Paul Mulik ___ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://www.wbmutbb.com/
Frank Myers’ finances
The episode ends with Andy basically tricking the bank manager into giving Frank a loan. In other words, he still had just as much debt as always, but at least his house got fixed up at no cost to him. Paul Mulik >>> Did Andy say that Frank had money to pay off his taxes after the bank >>> president revealed that the Confederate Bond was worthless? If I'm correct >>> then where did Frank Myers get his money? Thank you Holland ___ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://www.wbmutbb.com/
Helen’s Past
>>> It really burns me up that Andy took that news clipping out of Helen's box. Like Opie said at the end of the episode, he could have just asked her about it. >>> The thing that annoys me about this episode is the fact that the newspaper makes Andy wait for days each time they give him a bit of information. Surely every article they ran on the subject appeared in consecutive days. Why aren’t all of these back issues stored together in the same place? It’s bad writing. Paul Mulik ___ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://www.wbmutbb.com/
Lists of favorites
I put not stock whatsoever in these so-called “best shows / actors / whatever of all time” lists. A number of years ago one of the cable channels did a special about the 50 greatest child actors of all time. Not only did Ronny Howard not even make the list AT ALL, but their pick for the “greatest child actor” was the three adult actors who perform the voices of the kids on the Simpsons. I’m more than shocked! I’m outraged! Paul Mulik Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPhone ___ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://www.wbmutbb.com/
Brand names
For its entire 8-year run, The Andy Griffith Show was sponsored by General Foods, maker of Post cereals and many other fine products. Naturally, the sponsor would have been very displeased if their competitors’ products or logos had appeared on the show. But it did happen at least once. In Opie’s Newspaper, when Opie and Howie are in the garage, trained noticers will observe a Cheerios carton complete with the General Mills “Big G” logo on it, and also a Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes carton. The Coors beer truck seen in Goober Goes to an Auto Show is another well-known example. Coors wasn’t supposed to be sold on the east coast at that time, at least according to Smokey & the Bandit. Paul Mulik Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPhone ___ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://www.wbmutbb.com/
The Darlings’ truck
>>> Does anyone know what happened to the Darling truck after the series ended?>>> It appeared in an episode of Gomer Pyle – USMC entitled Home on the Range, and Gomer blew it up with a “bazooker.” Paul Mulik ___ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://www.wbmutbb.com/
Remshaw House
Believe it or not, the Remshaw House was right next door to Andy’s house. If you were to walk out Andy’s front door and turn left, you’d be right there. In other episodes, it was used as Mayor Stoner’s house (The Bed Jacket) and Mrs. Wiley’s house (My Fair Ernest T. Bass). They just dressed it up differently to make it look abandoned. Like all the others on the street, it was a facade and not a complete house. It was originally built as Aunt Pittypat’s house in Gone With the Wind. It was also used as Black Widow’s house in an episode of Batman. Paul Mulik >>> TAGS fans, Have any of you ever seen the Rimshaw house in any other show? Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPhone ___ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://www.wbmutbb.com/
First one thing and then another
I’ve gotten a few days behind in reading my email, but let me answer a few questions from earlier this week. A: When Barney is talking to a girl on the phone and he says to her, “you wear your uniform, I’ll wear my uniform,” he is talking to Juanita, not Thelma Lou. I can’t at this moment recall which episode this is. 2: Gomer does say that Barney has been “out with waitresses and even a registered nurse,” but this is no reason to conclude that Thelma Lou is a nurse or a waitress. Barney may have dated any number of girls that we never saw. We are never told what Thelma Lou does for a living. The only clue comes in the episode Man in the Middle, when Barney asks her “how’s everything at the office?” and she replies “I dropped everything at the office to come over and find out ...• and that’s when Helen comes in, and Thelma Lou says (twice) “I have to get back to the office.” And she is never seen in any kind of uniform either. She is likely a secretary or receptionist but we just don’t know for sure. c: Andy accidentally calls Goober “Gomer” in the episode Goober’s Contest. It happens on the sidewalk outside the courthouse right after Goober tells Floyd there is no $200 prize. Goober asks “What am I gonna do?” and Andy answers, “I don’t know Gomer, I just don’t know.” Paul Mulik Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPhone ___ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://www.wbmutbb.com/
Clara’s last name
Johnson was Clara’s MARRIED name. In The Pickle Story, she mentions how much Mr. Johnson loved her pickles. Apparently she either reverted to her maiden name of Edwards after his death, or married again to a Mr. Edwards. To add to the confusion, she was also called Bertha (in Andy and Opie, Housekeepers). Paul Mulik >>>> While watching the color episode about the Battle of Mayberry, Clara Edwards shows Opie a sword belonging to her ancestor, Col. Edwards, which would imply she never married. Now in Mayberry time, several years before this episode (b/w) when Clara convinced Aunt Bee to give Andy and Helen more time to be alone, she said something about her son, Gale. That's a brain teaser, or a fact overlooked or forgotten. Then there is the brief time she was Clara Johnson. Who's got a bucket to put on their head to think about that tangled web? Elizabeth in Ga >>>> ___ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://www.wbmutbb.com/
Barney repeating names
Oh Virgil, Virgil, Virgil! Jubal. Jubal, Jubal, Jubal. Juuu-bal? Leonard Blush, Leonard Blush, is that all you can think about, Leonard Blush? Those are the first three that came to mind. Paul Mulik >>>I can think of 3 episodes where Barney recited a character's name >>>repeatedly- once in a state of puzzlement and twice in exasperation at Andy- >>>any guesses??Eric Swolgaard<<< ___ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://www.wbmutbb.com/
Could be spiders
Silly me, I forgot to include one of the mentions of spiders. Opie misunderstands the word “tortilla,” thinking South Americans eat them great big spiders. Paul Mulik ___ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://www.wbmutbb.com/
Damp under there!
A few days ago Eric posted a trivia question, namely, can you name three times spiders were mentioned on The Andy Griffith Show? I was waiting to see if anybody else would answer before I posted my answers. The most obvious one is in Sermon for Today, when Gomer is worried that there could be spiders under the bandstand. Later, he says he got a spider bite. Another one I thought of is Goober the Executive, when Opie and Goober discuss Spider-Man comic books. Another one that sort of counts is when Andy says to Sheldon Davis “Oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive,” quoting Walter Scott. Paul Mulik ___ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://www.wbmutbb.com/
Andy’s father
Andy mentions his father at least twice. In The Bank Job, he relates the time his dad got Asa to show him his gun, then Andy put it in his belt and tore the buckle off his knickers. Also, in Keeper of the Flame, he tells Opie about the time he got a whipping for playing with matches, and continues to explain how his father changed his duty to keeper of the flashlight. Paul Mulik Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPhone ___ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://www.wbmutbb.com/
Dance tune
Ben wrote: >>>In the episode "My Fair Ernest T. Bass," there were 3 different big >>>band-type songs which played, on a record player, I suppose during this >>>soiree. The first was "Undecided," followed by "Carolina In The Morning." >>>Does anyone know the name of the third tune?>>> The song played during the tag dance is “Poor Butterfly,” written by Raymond Hubble and John Golden in 1916. It’s based in a song from the Puccini opera Madame Butterfly. By an odd coincidence (or is it?), the same song is heard in Convicts at Large. It’s the record playing when Naomi smashes a vase over Floyd’s head, just like Ernest T. did to his rival. Big Maude explains, “Naomi and her husband – that was their song.” The song is also mentioned, but not heard, in a third episode, Look Paw, I’m Dancing. Floyd recommends it to Aunt Bee when she asks about records she might get to help Opie learn to dance. Paul Mulik Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPhone ___ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://www.wbmutbb.com/
Tallest building in Mayberry
In Opie Loves Helen, Andy and Barney discuss one of their old teachers, Ms. von Rhoder, who was nicknamed “the beast of the fourth floor.” Why a town as small as Mayberry would have a school with four stories remains a mystery. The Mayberry Hotel also has four stories, although most of the time the camera was positioned in such a way that the full height of the building wasn’t shown, as that would have destroyed the small-town feel. Paul Mulik Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPhone ___ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://www.wbmutbb.com/
Cute little car
>>> a very cute little car is driving down the street does anyone know the make >>>model and year of the vehicle ...John 3:16 Thelma Anderson>>> That’s a 1933 Ford cabriolet. It appears to be the very same car Otis bought (and then sold) in Hot Rod Otis, and also the car Skippy and Daphne used in The Arrest of the Fun Girls. Paul Mulik Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPhone ___ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://www.wbmutbb.com/
Birthdays
>>>Other than Otis's birthday being celebrated on Season one episode, the >>>Inspector, who else did we see celebrate birthdays on TAGS?Have a happy day, Debbie Miles>>> Aunt Bee’s in The Bed Jacket Andy’s in Opie and the Carnival Thelma Lou’s (not actually seen) in The Luck of Newton Monroe Many other birthdays are mentioned, such as “Tex” Foley’s (he thought he might get snowshoes), Arnold Winkler’s and his new Intercontinental Flyer bicycle, and the new car Earl Pike bought for his 57-year-old “boy,” but we don’t actually see any celebrating. Paul Mulik Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPhone ___ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://www.wbmutbb.com/
A Wife for Andy
>>Sitting here watching, "A Wife For Andy", and noticed something I >>hadn'treally paid attention to before. As all the ladies she coming in the house too meet with Thelma Lou, they are coming from the right side, but three steps to the porch are on to the left Curious, curious Emmett Clark>>> Here’s something else about that scene. Andy greets two of the ladies as Blanche and Rosemary, but a moment later when Lavinia greets them, their identities have swapped. Paul Mulik Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPhone ___ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://www.wbmutbb.com/
Script continuity
Script continuity is concerned with making sure everything in a shot matches when the camera angle changes. They made no attempt to keep details consistent from episode to episode. The Andy Griffith Show was shot with one camera, like a movie. Many TV shows use three cameras at once, but they didn’t do it that way on TAGS. Suppose there was a scene where Andy and Barney were talking at the courthouse. They would film the entire scene three (or more) times, once with the camera on Andy, doing it as many times as needed to get it just right; then they’d move the camera and shoot the entire scene again but this time with the camera on Barney; and then they’d shoot the whole thing one more time, with the camera positioned to film both of them at once. Then later, the editor cut and pasted all of the various bits of film together. Naturally it was very easy for mistakes to creep in. The best known example is when Barney tries to recite the preamble, and half of the time his hair is messy and the rest of the time it is neatly groomed. The job of the “script girl” was to take notes during filming so that when the camera was moved to a new angle, every person and prop visible in the shot remained the same. She might write things like “Andy’s feet are on the desk / Barney’s hat is on the table by his left hand”, and things of that nature. Then later when it came time to shoot the same scene from a different angle, they could (hopefully) make everything match up. It was especially important to make good notes when filming the scene wouldn’t be completed until hours later, or maybe even the next day. Trivial triviality: years before she played Myrt “Hubcaps” Lesch, Ellen Corby worked as a script girl on the Our Gang (Little Rascals) film series. Paul Mulik Sent from the Mayberry Courthouse ___ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://www.wbmutbb.com/
Gomer “shoplifting”
Gomer never exactly shoplifted, but he was accused of doing so (due to a misunderstanding) in an episode of GP–USMC. What happened was, a department store delivered a baby carriage to him by mistake, and he tried to do the right thing by taking it back to the store. The store gave him the runaround, and ended up accusing him of stealing it, since he didn’t have a receipt for it. Paul Mulik Sent from the Mayberry Courthouse ___ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://www.wbmutbb.com/
Skosh
>>>Does the term ?skoshi? appear in a TAGS episode? Perhaps said by Barney in >>>reference to a little bit of coffee? From the context I am assuming you mean SKOSH, which means a small amount. I don’t think this term was used on TAGS; the closest I can think of is in Barney and the Governor, when Otis says “Skoal,” (a toast, used like “cheers”), when Barney is drinking spiked spring water. Paul Mulik Sent from the Mayberry Courthouse ___ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://www.wbmutbb.com/
Amzie Strickland
>>>Paul Mulik asked a question a few weeks ago on one of the FaceBook sites >>>about Amzie Strickland. The question was about what she bought after the >>>first time of being on TAGS. I never did see the answer. So Paul could you please tell WBMUTBB the answer. Margaret >>> I’ll back up a bit since a lot of folks here probably didn’t see it. In 1995 about 20 TAGS actors gathered for the 35th anniversary celebration in Winston-Salem. Each star got a few minutes onstage alone to do more or less whatever they wanted. Some told jokes, some sang, and some recreated routines that they had done earlier in the careers. When Amzie Strickland’s turn came, she said she didn’t know how to do any of those things, so she delighted the crowd by reading aloud from the diary she had kept in 1960. I don’t remember the exact date (must have been approximately August or September of 1960), but her entry for one day was “Got a part on The Andy Griffith Show. Bought new hose.” Paul Mulik ___ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://www.wbmutbb.com/
Holler “fish”
The reason some folks are confused about Barney Fife saying “Why don’t you run up and alley and holler ‘fish’” is because Luther Heggs also utters the same line in The Ghost and Mr. Chicken. As we all know, Don Knotts was basically playing Barney Fife in that movie, even though the character wasn’t called Barney. I recently rewatched Billy Bob Thornton’s movie Sling Blade (1997) and in one of the special features he said The Ghost and Mr. Chicken was his favorite movie. Thornton was also a big fan of Andy Griffith; the two worked together a few times. Paul Mulik ___ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://www.wbmutbb.com/
Cooking show
>>>I was watching Mayberry Chef last night. I couldn't help think, why didn't >>>Aunt Bee just bring home what she made on the show each night for Andy and >>>Opie ? Patty >>> Maybe the show had a studio audience, and they and/or the TV station crew ate all of the food. Another question that comes to mind is, why didn’t Andy and Opie attend in person? You’d think they would’ve wanted to be there for encouragement. Paul Mulik P. S. I sure am glad we’re going to be getting rid of Mrs. Palmer. I just love that line from Opie. ___ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://www.wbmutbb.com/
Nita, Juanita
>>>Just now watching The Loaded Goat and it seemed to me that the tune Barney >>>plays on the harmonica sounds a lot like the song Barney sang ?Juanita? Can anyone verify that? >>> Yes, it is the same song. Many of the songs heard on The Show, including Juanita, Little Brown Church in the Vale, The Quilting Party (Seein’ Nellie Home), and good ol’ 14-A were included in a songbook* that was used in the Mt. Airy schools when Andy was a boy. He obviously had fond memories of them, and choose to use them on the show. Also, all the copyrights would had long since inspired which made it much easier from a production standpoint. Many great songs used on Gomer Pyle - USMC, were unfortunately cut out when the episodes were put on DVD, because they were NOT in public domain and somebody was too cheap to pay for the use of the songs. But I digress. Paul Mulik * The Golden Book of Favorite Songs, readily available on eBay ___ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://www.wbmutbb.com/
Trained noticed
>>>In which episode does Barney refer himself as a "Trained Noticer"? Gary A. >>>Johnson >>> That’s from episode 7, Andy the Matchmaker. It comes after Barney comments on Rosemary’s differently-colored shirtwaists, to which Miss Rosemary says, “I never thought you noticed what a body wears,” or words to that effect. For them that don’t know, a shirtwaist is a women’s blouse that is designed to resemble a man’s tailored shirt. Paul Mulik Sent from the Mayberry Courthouse ___ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://www.wbmutbb.com/
Props
>>>Does anyone know if any of the props used on TAGS (dishes, clothes, artwork, >>>tableclothes...absolutely anything) is available for sale and if so, where? >>> There really isn’t any way to get authentic screen-used props, unless by some very slim chance you can manage to contact one of the few remaining living crew or cast members who may have saved something. Props supposedly used on The Andy Griffith Show are always being offered on eBay, but they are almost certainly fake. Anybody can take any old worthless dish or pistol (or whatever) and print up a fake certificate to “prove” it is genuine, but do not be fooled. “Certificates of authenticity” are absolutely worthless. Anybody who would lie about where some item came from will not hesitate to print a phony piece of paper to go with it. Paul Mulik ___ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://www.wbmutbb.com/
Storylines that don’t make sense
>>>I don?t think this question has been asked here but: What story lines do not make logical sense?>>> I’ve brought this one up before: there is an enormous plot hole in Barney’s First Car. When Andy finally convinces Barney that the only thing left to do is return the car to Mrs. Lesch, they both get in the car, late in the day, and head to Mt. Pilot. What kind of idiotic plan is this? For one thing, they know the car is unreliable, and is almost guaranteed to break down and leave them stranded. Why didn’t one of them drive the lemon, and the other follow in the squad car? Secondly, how did they expect to find her? She didn’t give them her address, and if she had, it would have been a false one. All they had was the phone number from the newspaper ad, and that could have been a pay phone or some other public phone number she had used. Was Andy’s plan just to knock on every door in Mt. Pilot and hope one of them was hers? Why didn’t he call the Mt. Pilot sheriff and get him involved? It’s possible she didn’t even live in Mt. Pilot at all, but some other town, who knows how far away. And lastly, suppose by some miracle they were able to locate her, what then? Were they planning to walk all the way back to Mayberry in the middle of the night? It just doesn’t make any sense at all. Paul Mulik ___ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://www.wbmutbb.com/
Filling station
>>>Hudge says mayor Stoner is putting in the underpass so the road will pass >>>in front of his brothers filling station I never heard of Stoners filling >>>station only Wally?s did Mayberry have 2 filling stations? >>> Maybe Wally IS Mayor Stoner’s Brother. We are never told Wally’s last name. There is also George Safferlee’s gas station, mentioned in Stranger in Town (season one), however it is possible that this same station later became Wally’s, as we never saw or heard of Wally until Man in a Hurry (season three). Years later in Goober’s Replacement, Goober does confirm that there is only one filling station in town. Paul Mulik ___ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://www.wbmutbb.com/
Leonard Blush, Leonard Blush!
>>>I believe Howard Morris provided the singing voice of mrs poultices former >>>voice student, Leonard blush ... Can Anyone confirm this? >>> Yes, and he was also the voice of the radio announcer who introduced Leonard Blush. He directed that episode (and several others) and probably chose to perform the voices himself as a cost-saving measure, instead of hiring another actor. Paul Mulik ___ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://www.wbmutbb.com/
Tea shop
A scene I would like to have seen After Aunt Bee wins a trip to Mexico, Barney decides to enter a contest too, and he wins a trip to Australia. Naturally, he invites his best friend Andy to accompany him. They arrive in Australia and spend the first morning sightseeing, and after a few hours they pay a visit to the Sisters of Mercy Orphanage. It turns out that the Sisters of Mercy operate a small tea shop, so Andy and Barney decide to have lunch there. They ask for coffee, but the nun who waits on them explains that they don't serve coffee, only tea. However, she adds, that it's the finest tea available anywhere in the world. She goes on to explain that the best tea comes from the leaves at the very tops of the trees, and that the abbey has a team of koala bears who are specially trained to climb to the tops of the trees and pick these leaves, and furthermore, the Mercy tea shop is the only tea shop in Australia with trained koala bears, which is why no other tea shop anywhere can offer tea as good as theirs. So naturally, Andy and Barney order cups of this special tea. When it arrives, Barney takes a gulp but is dismayed to see clumps of soggy tea leaves floating in his cup. So he says to Andy ... Wait for it ... "The koala tea of Mercy is not strained." Paul Mulik ___ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://www.wbmutbb.com/
Sue Ane Langdon
>>>I noticed that Paul Mulik caught the error in Sue Ane Langdon's name ... >>>Maybe ol' Paul has a crush on the prettiest gal to ever grace a Mayberry >>>episode. Goll-lee, I think all girls are beautiful! Paul Mulik ___ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://www.wbmutbb.com/
Nurses
>>> Absolutely correct. Nurse Mary Simpson was played by Julie Adams and >>> Sue Ann Langdon.And that was the only 2 times she appeared on the show. Umm, no, that is not absolutely correct. For one thing, it's Sue ANE, not Ann, and for another it's not necessarily the same character. Sue Ane's character is never called Mary Simpson, she's simply Mary. There are lots of nurses in town; others include Peggy McMillan, Irene Fairchild, and Nurse Oakley. And since a couple of folks have mentioned Fletch, there were multiple characters who were all called Fletch. There were Fletch Dilbeck, Fletcher Roberts, and Tate Fletcher. Paul Mulik Sent from the Mayberry Courthouse ___ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://www.wbmutbb.com/
Multiple actors
Opie's friend Johnny Paul was also played by two different actors. In Man in a Hurry, Johnny Paul was played by a boy with blond hair. After that, every other time the character appeared he was played by Keith Thibodeaux (aka Richard Keith). Paul Mulik Sent from the Mayberry Courthouse ___ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://www.wbmutbb.com/
Brand names
TAGS was sponsored during its entire run by General Foods, maker of Post cereal and many other fine products. Then and now, Post's biggest competitors were/are General Mills and Kellogg's. When Opie and Howie are printing their newspaper in Andy's garage, a close look at the stuff on the shelves will reveal cartons labeled Frosted Flakes (a Kellogg's product) and Cheerios (a General Mills product). I wonder if anybody from General Foods ever noticed those? Paul Mulik Sent from the Mayberry Courthouse ___ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://www.wbmutbb.com/
Politically incorrect
To me, the most politically incorrect moment in the series is when the men in the barbershop are ogling Ellen Brown as she gets off the bus. The mayor asks Barney, "Do you think you could handle a girl like that?" and Barney replies, "Well, I'd be inclined to treat a girl like that a little bit rough. They expect it; you know, let 'em know right off who's boss. Rough 'em up a little bit." Of course it is hard to picture Barney roughing up ANYBODY, but the scene is still in bad taste by 2016 standards. It's not surprising that it is cut out of broadcast versions. Paul Mulik ___ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://www.wbmutbb.com/
Statue
On a recent episode of American Pickers (June 22, 2016), the guys found a concrete statue of sheriff Andy Taylor. It stood about 3 feet tall. They bought it for $125. The seller insisted that the guy who made it originally made three, but that two of them got broken. It looked a whole lot better than Mayberry's statue of Seth Taylor. Paul Mulik Sent from the Mayberry Courthouse ___ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://www.wbmutbb.com/
The Lone Ranger
>>>Saw Will Wright (Ben Weaver) on the first of his 2 Lone Ranger episodes. >>>Really special because Will, at the end, got to say that famous line "Why, >>>he's the Lone Ranger!" Dan>>> This reminds me of a story I once hear Andy Griffith tell to an interviewer. Many of you have no doubt noticed that in several episodes, Andy Taylor has a little mannerism where he sort of turns his head sideways and makes a distinctive sound; it is sort of like a whistle, but just a whoosh of air without any "tune" to it if you get what I mean. One time in particular comes in Andy Discovers America, when he tells the boys the story of Paul Revere and the Minutemen. He says "... the British come prancin' along in their fancy red suits a-waving to the girls, they let 'em have it!," and at that moment he turns his head to the side and makes the whooshing sound. Anyway, in the interview, Andy Griffith revealed that he picked up that little mannerism from his father Carl Griffith, when they would listen to The Lone Ranger on the radio. At the end of each episode, someone would ask "Who was that masked man?" and they'd get the answer "That was the Lone Ranger!" and then Carl would look at young Andy and do that little mannerism. So that's where it came from. Paul Mulik Sent from the Mayberry Courthouse ___ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://www.wbmutbb.com/
Rock thrower
My sister works in a county prosector's office. I won't say which state or which county because this is not yet public record. Anyway, she told me about a case that came in yesterday in which a man was arrested for throwing rocks at a car. The car owner's name? I am not making this up — Ernest Bass. Paul Mulik Sent from the Hogwarts Owlery ___ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://www.mayberry.com/tagsrwc/wbmutbb/
The Remshaw House
>>>Beyond the episode itself, I wonder if the [Remshaw House] set had been used >>>again, either on TAGS or other TV shows. >>> The same house is used in several episodes. The art department did such an exceptionally fine job of making it look like a "haunted house" that it is hard to recognize it. I must have watched that episode 50 times before I realized that it is RIGHT NEXT DOOR to Andy's house! In The Bed Jacket episode, it is Mayor Stoner's house. He grumpily looks down from the upstairs window, still wearing his pajamas, when Andy wakes him up on Saturday morning. In My Fair Ernest T. Bass, it is Mrs. Wiley's house (the outside of the house). On Batman, it was Black Widow's hideout. In Gone with the Wind, it was Aunt Pittypat's house. I believe it was first constructed for GWTW. "Andy's house" was not built until later. For more info, see Kipp Teague's outstanding site www.retroweb.com. Paul Mulik Sent from the Hogwarts Owlery ___ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://www.mayberry.com/tagsrwc/wbmutbb/
Chinatown
>>>My wife reminded me that Aunt Bee also sang "Chinatown" while tiddly. Dan>>> Aunt Bee actually does that song in three separate episodes. Besides Aunt Bee's Medicine Man which Dan mentioned, who can name the other episodes? Paul Mulik Sent from the Hogwarts Owlery ___ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://www.mayberry.com/tagsrwc/wbmutbb/
Ant-Man
There's a funny scene in the movie Ant-Man, in which characters are planning to break into a facility. One is going to impersonate a security guard, and he suggests that in order to blend in, he should whistle. The other says, "No! No whistling! This is not The Andy Griffith Show." Paul Mulik Sent from the Hogwarts Owlery ___ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://www.mayberry.com/tagsrwc/wbmutbb/
Sam Becker case
An anonymous person wrote: >>> Just sitting her watching this episode. ,Andy says he is gonna call Aunt >>> Bee to come help [deliver a baby]. Wondering just how she was going to get >>> up there ? Good question. I assume Andy has a couple of temporary deputies on a sort of permanent standby, and that Aunt Bee would know to call upon one of them in cases like this. Here's another thing about this episode that has me scratching my head (I can't find my bucket): Referring to babies being delivered, Andy says, "I've seen it done a hundred times." It's extremely unlikely that he was allowed to witness even the birth of his OWN son, let alone 99 others. I guess he was just exaggerating in an attempt to calm Barney and Sam. Paul Mulik Sent from the Hogwarts Owlery ___ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://www.mayberry.com/tagsrwc/wbmutbb/
The Haunted Mansion
Most everybody has ridden, or at least heard of, the Haunted Mansion attraction featured at many various Disney parks around the world. But did you know they made a record album based on it, starring a teenaged Ronny Howard? You can listen to it on YouTube — if you dare! http://youtu.be/5UeS0cjzIj0 (If the link does. It work just search YouTube for "Haunted Mansion Record.") Paul Mulik ___ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://www.mayberry.com/tagsrwc/wbmutbb/
Larry the Cable Guy
I've been watching reruns of Larry the Cable Guy's show "Only in America." He must be a big Mayberry fan, because he inserts subtle Mayberry references into nearly every episode. In one episode I watched, a bluegrass band told him what song they were going to play, and he said "That'n makes me cry." In another episode, he went to one of those Vegas shows where performers impersonate Elton John, Aretha Franklin, Donna Summer and the like. He decided to go on this show himself, as "Leonard Blush" impersonating Larry the Cable Guy. Paul Mulik ___ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://www.mayberry.com/tagsrwc/wbmutbb/
Beatrice
>>>Even though Aunt Bee is spelled B e e. There are three episodes I've found where it is indicated that her full name is actually Beatrice. I'll start with the first one I found which is "Floyd the gay deceiver" when she is dressed as the maid they refer to her as Beatrice. There are two more episodes I can think of where she is called Beatrice. I'm open to guesses and maybe someone else will know others. Andy in Texas >>> In Aunt Bee and the Lecturer, when the professor is introduced to Aunt Bee, he asks if her name is the diminutive for Beatrice, and Aunt Bee says she hasn't been called Beatrice since she was a little girl (this is not true.) He then goes on to explain that in Latin, the name means "she who makes happy" (this also is not true). In The Cannon, when the governor comes up onto the platform, Andy introduces the local dignitaries to the governor and then adds, "... and this is my aunt, Miss Beatrice Taylor." I'm sure there's at least one episode where Floyd calls Aunt Bee "Beatrice" but at the moment I can't think of what the episode is. I seem to remember it's a color episode and there is a crowded room, maybe a party, and Floyd is trying to get her attention. Paul Mulik ___ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://www.mayberry.com/tagsrwc/wbmutbb/
Rafe's remark
>>>Then Rafe chimes in and says " _ that was me". Sounds like one thing to me >>> Yes, Rafe clearly says the h-dash-dash-dash word in that scene. There's no way it could have been printed in the script; Jack Prince obviously ad-libbed the line, and somehow nobody noticed it until years later. Paul Mulik ___ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://www.mayberry.com/tagsrwc/wbmutbb/
Seattle
Apparently not everybody believes that Andy and Barney travelled all the way to Seattle for a meeting with "the commissioner." Well, they did and I'll prove it to you. At the beginning of the episode Andy and Barney in the Big City, our two favorite lawmen our about to leave town on a business trip. Just about every viewer assumes they are going to Raleigh, however their destination in this episode is never mentioned (watch it again and see for yourself), and as a matter of fact at this point in the series it had not even been established that Mayberry was in North Carolina. But I digress. For those who don't recognize the title, this is the one where Barney thinks he is stalking a jewel thief at the hotel where they are staying, but the man he suspects is really the house detective (played by Allan Melvin). Anyway, just before they arrive at the hotel, we see an aerial shot of a large city with many tall buildings. (In TV production this is what is known as an "establishing shot.") One of the tall buildings in the establishing shot has a large sign reading OLYMPIC NATIONAL BUILDING; a quick bit of research confirmed that this was a famous building in downtown Seattle (built in 1905, demolished in 1982). I sent a screen shot to MOHAI (The Museum of History and Industry) in Seattle and they confirmed that it was definitely Seattle, due to the large number of easily recognizable Seattle buildings. Paul Mulik ___ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://www.mayberry.com/tagsrwc/wbmutbb/
Staying overnight
>>>With that wonderment, I'll add why did Andy and Barney stay >>> overnight in Raleigh when they attended the police convention? We do know >>> if you drive 25 mph and stop every half hour to let your car rest, it can >>> take hours to get from Mt Pilot to Mayberry. Harriet >>> Police convention? Andy and Barney never attended any conventions. If you are referring to that time Barney mistook the house detective for a jewel thief, in that episode they had gone out of town merely for a meeting with a commissioner, and that wasn't in Raleigh either. If they establishing shot we see of the city is to be believed, they had travelled all the way to Seattle. Paul Mulik ___ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://www.mayberry.com/tagsrwc/wbmutbb/
Why spend the night?
Orville wrote: Why would they have wanted to spend the night? More than likely Colonel Tim's show was broadcast at 6:30 P.M., because that is when those locally produced shows were shown, not in prime time.That would have given Andy and Howard plenty of time to get back home. -- Perhaps everyone who appeared on the program received a free night's stay at a hotel that sponsored Colonel Tim. Kind of like at the end of many game shows where an announcer says "accommodations provided by The Horseshoe Road Inn" or some such. Paul Mulik ___ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://www.mayberry.com/tagsrwc/wbmutbb/
Alumni sighting
Recently I watched Alfred Hitchcock's excellent film Saboteur (1941). I spotted Ian Wolfe, known in Mayberry as the new pastor Aunt Bee tried to impress by wearing a blond wig. Seems to me he could've used one himself, as even back in 1941 he was bald. Maybe he lived in terror of getting caught in a sudden wind. Also starring in this film was Norman Lloyd, father of Josie Lloyd, who played three different roles on TAGS including Lydia Crosswaith. As far as I've been able to determine, Josie Lloyd is still living, though to my knowledge she has never appeared at any type of Mayberry event. Remarkably, Norman is still alive too at 100 years old. Anyway, if you like wartime mysteries, be sure to get Saboteur, it's a really good one. Paul Mulik ___ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://www.mayberry.com/tagsrwc/wbmutbb/
Books
In the opening scene of Jailbreak, Barney is reading a book entitled Penitentiary. In other episodes, he reads The Art of Judo and The Art of Unarmed Self-Defense (they are actually the same book with different words pasted on the cover). In The Bazaar, Warren claims to have read all of the Perry Mason stories It took Edith Gibson three weeks to get through The Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire BTW folks, Romeo and Juliet is not a book, it is a PLAY. Why every list of the world's greatest books includes Romeo and Juliet and Hamlet is something I will never understand. But I digress. In The Manhunt, Andy says that when it comes to fishing, Izaak Walton wrote the book. This is a reference to The Complete Angler, first published in 1653 and remarkably, still in print today. Paul Mulik ___ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://www.mayberry.com/tagsrwc/wbmutbb/
Andy sighting
Today I was watching a rerun of one of those controversial shows that attempts to debunk things like ESP and Ouija boards and stuff like that. I won't give the name of the show, but it was hosted by Penn and Teller. In this episode, which was about genetically engineered food versus organic food, they were trying to prove a point, using humor, by playing a card game of their own invention called The Greatest Person in History with a deck of cards, each card having a picture of a famous person on it, such as Albert Einstein and Winston Churchill. One of the cards was of: Andy Griffith! (In their opinion, the most important person in history was Dr. Norman Borlaug, a scientist who developed special kinds of wheat and is credited with saving the lives of one BILLION people worldwide from starvation.) Paul Mulik ___ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://www.mayberry.com/tagsrwc/wbmutbb/
Andy's wife
Now, the only bucket I have is dirty and it ain't handybut..it seems to me that Andy brings it up in two episodes. Once when Aunt Bee almost marries Mr. Goss. Opie is asking Andy about deep down love and asks if Andy had it with his (Opie's) mother. When Andy says yes, Opie responds with Well, then it's ok. Another time, is when Opie is in bed and he and Andy are talking. In response to something Opie says, Andy says he lost Opie's mother when Opie was just a wee little baby. Well yes, but what I said was Andy didn't BRING UP the subject of his wife, he replied when somebody ELSE brought up the subject. As far as the reference to when Opie was a baby, it's true that Andy brought it up in that case, but that was in the pilot episode, not in a TAGS episode. Opie's turtle was accidentally squished when Mrs. Bolivar stepped on her at the drugstore, and Andy pointed out that he (Opie) lost his pet, like when Andy lost Opie's ma when he was just the least little speck of a baby. The sadness is lifted when the boy asks, Who stepped on Maw? Paul Mulik ___ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://www.mayberry.com/tagsrwc/wbmutbb/
Andy's relations
... Andy mentioned his father and his wife. But I do not recall Andy ever mentioning his mother. Andy never brings up the subject of his wife in any episode, but he does respond when Barney and Opie raise the subject (A Wife for Andy, Wedding Bells for Aunt Bee). Andy never mentions his mother and we're never given any information about her, but he does mention his father a few times (The Bank Job, Keeper of the Flame, Class Reunion). Paul Mulik ___ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://www.mayberry.com/tagsrwc/wbmutbb/
Pet store
4. MayberryPets - don't know if there was such a store Pet shops are mentioned at least twice. In Dogs, Dogs, Dogs. Otis wants to know if Barney has his lunches made up there, and in The Fun Girls, Barney says he's tired of mending the blankets that Otis is always chewing on, and suggests going to the pet store to get Otis a rubber bone. Paul Mulik ___ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://www.mayberry.com/tagsrwc/wbmutbb/
Ken's money question
Well Ken, it looks like your math is a bit off. Even old Methuselah didn't make it to 1,000 years old. Maybe you could get Ernest T. Bass to teach you that tap dance of his. Speaking of that Swedish money, I put 2 and 2 together, added 12 and carried five, and came up with not worth a tiddly-boo. Maybe I'll ask my son Taylor; he's a financial analyst and planning a trip to Sweden in a couple of weeks. Speaking of money, on Father's Day a guy at church shared the story of the time he asked his son if he could estimate how much money he owed him after all the years of being his dad. The son responded by sending a ten trillion dollar bill from Zimbabwe, where they've been experiencing runaway inflation. That's $10,000,000,000,000 (it's them zeros that's the key to the whole thing). Paul Mulik ___ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://www.mayberry.com/tagsrwc/wbmutbb/
Missing scene
Today I watched the DVD of the Gomer Pyle — USMC episode Little Girl Blue, in which Gomer befriends a little girl who is visiting the base. Unfortunately a large part of the episode was missing, namely the scene where Gomer sings Put on a Happy Face. I guess they had to cut it due to copyright restrictions. Why the scene is included when the episode airs on TV but excluded from the DVD is a mystery to me, but then I'm no lawyer (nor have I seen all the Perry Mason episodes). Paul Mulik ___ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://www.mayberry.com/tagsrwc/wbmutbb/
Remshaw House
The other day someone mentioned that Mayberry's Remshaw House was actually right next door to Andy's house. The same house was also used in different episodes as Mayor Stoner's house, Mrs. Wiley's house, and others. I believe it was originally built for Gone With the Wind, where if served as Aunt Pittypat's house. Anyway, I've been watching Gomer Pyle — USMC on DVD, and in the second season episode Arrivederci, Gomer, Gomer visits the home of his buddy Frankie, which turns out to be the same house (the exterior only, of course). The exterior of Andy's house and the others on the street are briefly visible as well. Paul Mulik ___ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://www.mayberry.com/tagsrwc/wbmutbb/
Trivia answer
Here is the answer to my recent trivia question. In Alcohol and Old Lace, when Andy releases Rube Sloan from jail, he says, Write if you get work. This was Ray Goulding's sign-off catch phrase on the old Bob and Ray radio programs. His partner Bob Elliott (father of actor Chris Elliott) would then add Hang by your thumbs. When Bob and Ray revived their show for public radio in the 1990s, they would encourage listeners to visit their website. The catchphrases were updated to Hang by your modems and Write if you get it to work. Paul Mulik ___ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://www.mayberry.com/tagsrwc/wbmutbb/
Radio sign-off trivia
Well Ken, I'll give you extra credit for getting the Lone Ranger's catch phrase right (many people incorrectly think it was Heigh HO Silver) but that's not the answer I had in mind. For those who missed it, the challenge was to name a quote that Andy says in a TAGS episode that was the sign off catch phrase from an old radio show. Hint: Andy says it when releasing a prisoner. Paul Mulik ___ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://www.mayberry.com/tagsrwc/wbmutbb/
Trivia question
Here's a rather difficult trivia question for your potential amusement. Lately I've been listening to a lot of episodes of a certain old time radio show. This show always ended with someone signing off with a particular catch phrase. Andy once uses the very same phrase in an episode of TAGS. Who can name the radio show and the phrase? Paul Mulik ___ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://www.mayberry.com/tagsrwc/wbmutbb/
Fish
Andy later tells Floyd they caught a mess of trout and a couple catfish - seem kind of peculiar? Where are the fish?! Eric Swolgaard One possibility is they cooked the fish and ate them right after catching them. Or maybe they were too little, so they threw them back (sportsmen all the way). Paul Mulik ___ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://www.mayberry.com/tagsrwc/wbmutbb/
Mayberry in the Midwest
I decided to surprise some old friends and make several new ones by taking a road trip over the weeked to the Mayberry in the Midwest festival in Danville, IN. This is the first Mayberry event I have attended this century! My wife and I attended a dozen or so events back in the mid-1990s (and I came to one or two by myself), but as our twin boys reached school age, it just wasn't feasible for us to do much traveling. Now that both boys have graduated, I promise I won't be such a stranger in town from now on. Anyway, except for a bit of rain on Saturday (nobody did anything about the weather, and for that matter nobody even complained about it), the entire event was an absolute delight. I've said it before and I'll say it again: Mayberry fans are truly the finest people you will ever meet, anywhere. Everyone was very kind to my autistic son, Carson (now almost 22), who came with me. Those of you who have family members with disabilites know that the general public are sometimes not very patient with (and sometimes downright rude to) disabled people. Carson really had a blast meeting the tribute artists; it was like Disneyland for him. In his mind he was really in Mayberry, meeting the characters he has watched on TV all his life. I'm sure at least a few of you are wondering if I won the trivia contest. They did have a trivia contest, but I chose not to enter. I just stood in the back and sort of played along in my head. It wasn't like the incredibly challenging Mayberry Days trivia contest, which I probably couldn't win nowadays. The questions were all pretty easy, such as Who does Opie live with? (Come on now, who could possibly miss that one?) and I don't know who wrote the questions, but some of the correct answers weren't correct. Still, everybody had a good time. Karen Knotts, who I met for the first time, did a wonderful program (not her usual Tied Up in Knotts show, but a different program), and she even brought her mother Kay (who of course was married to Don Knotts) with her. Rodney Dillard and the current version of the Dillard band (with special guest Maggie Charlene Peterson) were outstanding. But for me, what's even better than meeting the celebrities is meeting just regular folks who watch TAGS. To paraphase Mr. Harmon the movie producer, they're very nice people; genuine, natural, the salt of the Earth. Paul Mulik Paul Mulik ___ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://www.mayberry.com/tagsrwc/wbmutbb/
Money order
Today I waited in a LONG line at the local post office to buy a money order. Maybe folks would have used that slot machine, but they took it out a long time ago, apparently because they assumed we would all enjoy standing in line behind ten people every time we came in, all of whom wanted to buy one single stamp. Why anyone would buy ONE stamp when they could buy several, I cannot explain. But I digress. Anyway, when Mayberry postmaster Billy Ray Talbot sees Bobby Fleet's bus or station wagon or whatever you want to call it parked on the street in Mayberry, he says, I'd better get back to the post office. I might pick up some money order business. For years I have tried to figure out what led him to the conclusion that musicians are more likely to buy money orders than other folks. Any ideas? Paul Mulik ___ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://www.mayberry.com/tagsrwc/wbmutbb/
Size of Mayberry County
Regarding Holland's query about the size of Mayberry County: it is 266 2/3 square miles, which is rather small. From the map in Andy's office, we know that the county is roughly square, which means that even if you were in one corner of the state, the diagonally opposite corner would be only about 23 miles away. Even on rough unpaved roads, one should be able to drive from any point in the county to any other point in just a couple of hours. How did I calculate the size of the county? I was readin' just the other day where there's somethin' like 400 needy boys in this county alone, or one and a half boys per square mile. 400 divided by 1.5 = 266.667 square miles. Paul Mulik ___ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://www.mayberry.com/tagsrwc/wbmutbb/
Harriet
Thanks for the kind words, Harriet. I actually have been to Mayberry Days three times, but not since 1997. I'm sure I'll make it back again eventually, when my kids are all out of school. Paul Mulik Sent from my iPad ___ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://www.mayberry.com/tagsrwc/wbmutbb/
Mix tape
The May issue of WIRED magazine has a brief article about an old mix tape made in the 1980s by Kurt Cobain (of the band Nirvana). Described as the weirdest mix tape ever, it contains songs by artists such as Iron Butterfly, Sonny Cher, The Partridge Family, Oscar the Grouch, Van Halen, Dean Martin etc., as well as such stuff as Curious George Rides a Bike, a beer commercial, something from a Mercury space flight, nursery rhymes, and an argument between Rob Reiner and Carol O'Connor from an episode of All in the Family. Anyway, also included in this bizarre mashup was The Fishin' Hole (aka The Andy Griffith Show Theme). Paul Mulik P.S. The correct original title of the theme music is The Andy Griffith Theme, not The Fishin' Hole. The latter title was applied later, when Everett Jubal-Jubal-Jubal Sloane added lyrics. ___ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://www.mayberry.com/tagsrwc/wbmutbb/
Living cast members
There are only six main cast members still living: Ron Howard (Opie), Jim Nabors (Gomer), Betty Lynn (Thelma Lou), Jack Burns (Warren), Keith Thibodeaux (Johnny Paul Jason), and Elinor Donahue (Ellie Walker). By main cast I mean actors who appeared in ten or more episodes. Supporting cast members still living include Maggie Peterson (Charlene), Rodney Dillard and Dean Webb (Darling boys), Bernard Fox (Malcolm Merriweather), Dennis Rush (Howie Pruitt), and Sheldon Golomb (Arnold Bailey). By supporting cast I mean actors who played the same role in three or more episodes, but fewer than ten episodes. I have not attempted to count every living actor who appeared on TAGS, that total would probably come to 30 or 40. Paul Mulik ___ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://www.mayberry.com/tagsrwc/wbmutbb/
Another song parody
This is my favorite Mayberry parody. I don't know who the artist is, but they did a great job of matching the sound of the original tune. They also included sound clips from The Show, such as Barney saying That's impersonating an officer! That's a real serious offense! This was on an old cassette that one of you gave me at a Mayberry event twenty years ago. — Paul Mulik Do the Barney Fife Performed by unknown Tune: Walk of Life by Dire Straits Here come Barney, he's in all his glory Hey Thelma Lou, look baby, what'd I say? Here come Barney, marchin' down to the courthouse You break the law, and Barney make you pay He's quick to action, he gets the notion, Oh yeah, the boy don't play He's dedicated, got devotion, He'd arrest his mama if she got in his way And after all is said and done, we laugh about The way he handles all the trouble in his life We do the Barn, we do the Barney Fife Yeah, we do the Barney Fife Here comes Barney, gonna tell you a story Hand me down my steel-toed shoes Here comes Barney, no need to worry He's at the crime scene and findin' clues He got the action, full of the motion Oh yeah, the boy don't play He's dedicated, got devotion, He take the rocks from Ernest T. and lock him away He looks bulimic, anorexic, mighty thin But he just couldn't gain a pound to save his life That's 'cause he's Barn, That's 'cause he's Barney Fife Yeah, let's do the Barney Fife ___ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://www.mayberry.com/tagsrwc/wbmutbb/
Mayberry song parodies
Everybody who's known me for very long knows that I love old comedy records and song parodies. The other day I heard the song Windy by The Association and I was reminded of this parody that Dr. Demento used to play. I've taken the liberty of removing a line that was un-Mayberry-like. If you folks like it I'll share more Mayberry parodies later. — Paul Mulik Aunt Bee Performed by Liberty Photo Shop Crew Tune: Windy by The Association Who's walkin' down the streets of Mayberry, Waving at everybody she sees? Who's looking 'round for Andy and Opie? Ev'ryone knows it's Aunt Bee Bee, Bee, Bee, Bee Who cooks the pies, who cans all the pickles? Who bakes a bread that's lighter than air? Who cleans the house, who vacuums the carpet? Ev'ryone knows it's Aunt Bee Bee, Bee, Bee, Bee, Bee CHORUS And Aunt Bee has such big thighs Her aprons are all king-size [censored] As she walks by, I don't know why [instrumental break] Bee, Bee, Bee, Bee, Bee [Repeat chorus] Who cooks the meals to take to the courthouse? Who's like an aunt to Barney and Floyd? Who has a smile as big as a rainbow? Ev'ryone knows it's Aunt Bee [repeat verse 1 and fade out] ___ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://www.mayberry.com/tagsrwc/wbmutbb/
Trivia crack
I enjoy playing the Trivia Crack app on my phone (and I welcome all challengers). It's a bit like Trivial Pursuit, and the question are submitted by users, and are all multiple choice with four possibly answers. Today the following question came up: What character slept for 20 years and missed the American Revolution? and one of the incorrect answers was Ernest T. Bass. I didn't notice who wrote the question — perhaps s/he was one of ours? Paul Mulik ___ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://www.mayberry.com/tagsrwc/wbmutbb/
Elements trivia
- oxygen: Barney told Andy to breathe in the oxygen after the cave rescue - nickel: Opie said milk at school cost a nickel - iron: the old iron cannon - silver: Barney was protecting the silverware when Malcolm was drunk - tin: Opie kicked a tin can - gold: the gold shipment - iodine: Andy put it on Opie's cut - copper: it was mentioned that copper was used to make stills I don't recall iodine being mentioned (I think you're referring to the stuff that stings in A Wife for Andy) but the others are all correct. Paul Mulik ___ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://www.mayberry.com/tagsrwc/wbmutbb/
Elements trivia
Here is a trivia challenge I posted to one of the Facebook groups recently. Some of you no doubt saw the post and the many responses there. I thought of it while watching Breaking Bad. Name an element from the periodic table that is mentioned on TAGS. I know of 13 correct answers; there may be even more. Any context is fine, the reference need not be about actual elements. For example, if Goober mentions a comic book about a Doctor Plutonium from the planet Krypton, there's two elements right there (but I just made that up, that's not actually in any episode). Go! Paul Mulik ___ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://www.mayberry.com/tagsrwc/wbmutbb/
Mr. Potter
That started me to thinking. Did Mayberry have a Mr Potter? Interesting question. I'd have to say no. Mayberry had it's share of bad guys, but in the end they all saw the error of their ways, and (hopefully) attempted to be better people after Andy straightened them out. But Bedford Falls' Mr. Potter wasn't like that. He was just nasty through and through, and he never made any attempt to repent from his evil ways. What's more, he got away with everything! Notice how he was never made to repay the $8000 he more or less stole from George Bailey? Paul Mulik ___ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://www.mayberry.com/tagsrwc/wbmutbb/
Hunting trivia
Nice job coming up with various birds and animals hunted by folks in Mayberry. Remember, hunting does not necessarily include shooting, it can include trapping, or simply searching for an animal with no intention of killing or even capturing it. I'm not certain if shooting at crows and rats technically qualifies as hunting, but I'll allow those answers. Note that Barney did not catch anything in his snare, but he did hope to ensnare a pheasant, so that counts as pheasant hunting in my book. Here's what we have so far: Crow Black bear Fox Man/woman Mockingbird Rat Pheasant Northern honker (goose) Squirrel Duck Possum Baboon (metaphorically) I'm thinking of five more that no one has named yet. Two fly (insects don't count), two are small and furry, and the fifth is neither mammal nor bird. At least one is actually hunted by Aunt Bee, believe it or not. Paul Mulik ___ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://www.mayberry.com/tagsrwc/wbmutbb/
Hunting trivia
Here is a new trivia question for your potential amusement: name an animal that folks from Mayberry are known to hunt. Shooting, trapping, or even snatching with bare hands all qualify as hunting. Fishing does not count, we've already covered that topic. To be considered correct, you must present evidence that someone from the Mayberry area actually did the hunting. For example, when Opie is feeding baby birds, Barney mentions that hunters setting tiger traps must be careful not to touch the bait with their hands. This does not count, unless you can show that someone from Mayberry actually went tiger hunting at some point. And...Go! Paul Mulik ___ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://www.mayberry.com/tagsrwc/wbmutbb/
Character trivia
Now that this characters playing other characters thread seems to have wound down, I will share what I thought would have been the most obvious one: Barney playing Santa Claus. I don't recall anyone mentioning that one; if they did I missed it. Paul Mulik ___ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://www.mayberry.com/tagsrwc/wbmutbb/
Floyd actors
Please stop me if this has been covered before, but I thought I saw a fellow in a barber's smock sitting out in front of Floyd's who was neither our beloved Howard Mcnair, nor the first Floyd (who's name escapes me) in the the episode where Opie was sweet on Thelma Lou, did anyone else notice if there were more than two actors who've portrayed Floyd? The first actor to play Floyd was Walter Baldwin, but he couldn't cut it and was replaced by the real Floyd, Howard McNear after just one episode. There wasn't a third actor to play Floyd, but a stand-in (double) was used for Howard McNear in many scenes, such as when the character was required to drive a car. It's common practice for every major character in most shows to have a stand-in, so the stars can take a break in scenes, for example, where their back is to the camera for an entire scene. Paul Mulik ___ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://www.mayberry.com/tagsrwc/wbmutbb/
Characters playing other characters
Well, people wearing disguises or imitating other Mayberryites isn't exactly what I had in mind, but it's all good fun. Many good answers have been given and there are still a few more. Paul Mulik ___ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://www.mayberry.com/tagsrwc/wbmutbb/
Ken's solo
Ken, you always were known as the kind of guy who spreads it on thicker than anybody else. Paul Mulik I will have you know that back when I was a young guy I actually sang a solo of Santa Lucia at the opening of the Clark County Annual Manure Spreaders Convention. I understand people are still talking about it. -- Ken Anderson ___ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://www.mayberry.com/tagsrwc/wbmutbb/
Characters playing characters trivia
Here is a new trivia challenge for your potential amusement: name an instance when a CHARACTER (not an actor) in Mayberry is seen playing another character in Mayberry. Let me clarify this. I do not mean when an ACTOR played more than one role, for example Jack Dodson first appeared as insurance man Ed Jenkins and then later played Howard Sprague. I mean when a Mayberry CHARACTER played a character. Here is an example: in The Pageant, we see Aunt Bee playing Lady Mayberry. Get it? Go! Paul Mulik ___ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://www.mayberry.com/tagsrwc/wbmutbb/
Another Andy / Barney reference
In this week's episode of Better Call Saul, a character named Mike is hauled in for questioning (what kinda questioning? We'll figure out some), so he calls in his lawyer, Jimmy. Jimmy shows up at the police station in his Matlock suit, and the dialogue goes like this: Jimmy: James McGill, here to see my client. Detective: You look like Matlock. Jimmy: No, I look like a young Paul Newman dressed as Matlock. (The detective takes him into the interrogation room) Detective: (indicates Mike) Say hello to Barney Fife. Jimmy: Wrong show, but thanks for playing. Paul Mulik ___ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://www.mayberry.com/tagsrwc/wbmutbb/
Andy Griffith sighting (sort of)
I've been enjoying the new series Better Call Saul on AMC. It's a spinoff/prequel of Breaking Bad. Anyway, in this week's episode of Better Call Saul, the main character, Jimmy (a struggling lawyer), hopes to increase his business by making himself more appealing to senior citizens. How does he do this? By watching an old videotape of Matlock, and attempting to copy Matlock's look. So in a roundabout way, Andy Griffith appears in an episode of Better Call Saul. Paul Mulik ___ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://www.mayberry.com/tagsrwc/wbmutbb/
Stoplight
Secondly, Andy mentions the stoplight when giving directions to Brisco Darling. I was under th impression that Mayberry had no stoplights. is this the only stoplight in town? was there ever mention of the stoplight(s) in any other episodes? That is indeed the only mention in the entire series of a stoplight in Mayberry (and we never see said stoplight). While we're on the subject, can anybody make head of tail out of Andy's directions? The center of town has to be the courthouse/barber shop/drugstore area, right? Andy's house is half a block from the courthouse, but according to the directions he gives Malcolm, one must travel several blocks from Andy's house to reach the center of town! Paul Mulik On Mar 1, 2015, at 11:00 AM, wbmutbb-requ...@wbmutbb.com wrote: Secondly, Andy mentions the stoplight when giving directions to Brisco Darling. I was under th impression that Mayberry had no stoplights. is this the only stoplight in town? was there ever mention of the stoplight(s) in any other episodes? ___ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://www.mayberry.com/tagsrwc/wbmutbb/
Bench seats
Over the years several folks here have chimed in on the subject of why people in cars in Mayberry, even the drivers, get out of the car on the passenger side. This was apparently a common practice in the days when cars had wide bench seats in the front. You see, it was much safer to get out on the side away from traffic, rather than to step out into the street and risk getting struck by an oncoming car. There was even a little jingle which went curbside, safe side; street side, suicide. It ranks right up there with walk on the left side after dark, or you'll wind up playin' a harp. Just now I was watching Family Visit (no, we don't see the squad car's radio in this episode) and Ollie gets riled up when Andy opens his driver's side door when a car is approaching. But if that ain't the consensus view, let's put her to a vote. I'm votin' for yours truly. Yours truly, Paul Mulik ___ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://www.mayberry.com/tagsrwc/wbmutbb/
Squad car radio
Janet correctly answered my question, which was concerned with the only time (to my knowledge) that we ever see the squad car's two-way radio. It happens in Barney's Replacement, while Barney unhelpfully demonstrates the equipment to Bob Rogers, saying, You talk in here, and you listen here. That's the explanation. Years ago when I was putting my squad car together, I showed that clip to an old-timer at the local Motorola dealer. He confirmed that it was a Motorola, but was unable from that very brief clip to identify the exact model (this was before the days of DVD and Netflix and the like). He even found an old non-working radio from the era and gave it to me for free. Wasn't that a nice man? Paul Mulik ___ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://www.mayberry.com/tagsrwc/wbmutbb/
Radio trivia
Aunt Bee listens to a soap opera on the radio in one episode (I can't tell ya which one, and I can't tell ya why I can't tell ya). Otis leaves his transistor radio in the courthouse, and Andy uses it to play a joke on Barney in Opie the Birdman Goober buys a transistor radio from Newton Monroe in The Luck of Newton Monroe Andy and Helen hear a report about the cave-in on the radio in Barney and the Cave Rescue Skippy and Daphne bring a radio to the courthouse in Arrest of the Fun Girls There's a police radio on Barney's desk, seen in too many episodes to count The state police use walkie-talkies (that's a kind of radio) in Barney Gets His Man Opie, Goober, and Tommy use walkie-talkies in Man's Best Friend The squad car has a radio which is used quite often. To my knowledge we only SEE it one time — who knows when? Just seeing the microphone part doesn't count. Paul Mulik ___ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://www.mayberry.com/tagsrwc/wbmutbb/
Things that don't make sense
Clara cleaned up the entire house in the time it took Andy Opie to go get Aunt Bee at the bus station! Pretty fast cleaning! Actually she just cleaned up the one room. All she really had to do was pick up the clutter; there would have been no need to dust, vacuum, etc. One more thing about the Nathan Tibbs business: if Otis was truly his descendant, then his brother Ralph Campbell was as well, so the ladies were in error when they concluded there was only one descendant. Who knows how many cousins, nephews, etc. Otis may have had — there could have been dozens. It is mentioned in The Case of the Punch in the Nose that Mr. Foley and Otis were kin, so maybe Foley was also a result of all that begetting. Paul Mulik ___ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://www.mayberry.com/tagsrwc/wbmutbb/
Things that just don't make sense
Here's another plot hole that has always bugged me. In A Plaque for Mayberry, two ladies from the Women's Historical Society are trying to track down the direct descendant of war hero Nathan Tibbs. They think he lives in Mayberry, because so far we haven't been able to trace him to any of the other towns. How in the world did they figure out that Nathan Tibbs even HAD a living descendant? Genealogical research always starts with the known present and then looks toward the unknown past. Did they find an old newspaper article that read 200 years from now, Nathan Tibbs will have exactly one living descendant, and he will live in North Carolina? Impossible. Paul Mulik ___ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://www.mayberry.com/tagsrwc/wbmutbb/
Things that just don't make sense
Ever notice something on TAGS that just doesn't make sense at all? I don't mean bloopers or continuity errors. Here are a couple of examples: In Andy and Barney in the Big City, Barney mistakes the hotel detective for a criminal and locks him in a hotel room closet. Who ever heard of a closet that locks that way? It's only possible purpose would be to imprison someone inside. No hotel in the world would have such a lock. And besides, the house detective would almost certainly have had a key with which to let himself out. In a different episode, Opie catches a big fish, and for some reason it gets put in the drawer of Andy's desk. A dumb place to put a fish, but I'll overlook that part. But a little bit later, Mayor Stoner reaches into the drawer to get a pencil, and pulls out the fish. The part that makes no sense is, nobody in the world, when reaching into a drawer for a pencil, would stick their hand in PALM UP. Discuss. Paul Mulik ___ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://www.mayberry.com/tagsrwc/wbmutbb/
Percussion trivia
Nice job everybody, coming up with various percussion instruments seen on TAGS. There's one more that I don't think anyone mentioned; it isn't a true musical instrument, but Howard plays a large upside-down pot as if it were a drum in Andy's Old Girlfriend. That's the color episode in which Andy, Howard, Helen, and Alice take a trip to a cabin in the woods. He plays this pot not with drumsticks, but with brushes, which drummers often use when they want a quieter, gentler sound. When it comes to percussion instruments in modern band and orchestral music, almost anything goes. Not long ago I went to a concert where one of the percussionists was banging on a drum that would never be found in a music store, but might be seen in Wally's Garage: a BRAKE drum. Paul Mulik ___ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://www.mayberry.com/tagsrwc/wbmutbb/
Percussion trivia
Here's a new trivia question for your potential amusement. There are many, many instances of folks playing musical instruments in or near Mayberry. The challenge is to name all of the PERCUSSION instruments we see on TAGS. For those who don't know, a percussion instrument is one that is played by shaking, striking, or scraping. For example, a drum and a tambourine are percussion instruments. Instruments that are blown (flute, trumpet, etc.), plucked (guitar, banjo, etc.) or bowed (as a fiddle) are NOT percussion instruments. Some consider the piano a percussion instrument, but for this quiz the piano does not count. One last thing, to keep it simple, consider a set of drums to be a single instrument; no need to name every piece, as that varies greatly from drum set to drum set. Go! Paul Mulik ___ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://www.mayberry.com/tagsrwc/wbmutbb/
Hymns in Mayberry
Here's a list of hymns that I can recall being sung or played or hummed or whistled in Mayberry: Let the Lower Lights Be Burning (aka Brightly Beams Our Father's Mercy) by Andy and Barney in The Return of Malcolm Merriweather Rock of Ages by Aunt Bee in Man in a Hurry Bringing in the Sheaves by Barney in Bailey's Bad Boy, and by the church congregation in The Church Organ Leaning on the Everlasting Arms by Andy and the Darling family in Mountain Wedding, and by the church congregation in The Church Organ There is a Fountain by Andy and Barney in The Case of the Punch in the Nose Love Lifted Me by the congregation (at an unusually fast tempo) in The Church Organ What a Friend We Have in Jesus by Andy (playing organ) in The Church Organ The Lord Bless You and Keep You by the church choir in The Church Benefactors Away in a Manger by Andy and Ellie in The Christmas Story There's also a song whose title I don't know (possibly Grant Us Our Evening Prayer), sung by the church choir in The Church Benefactors. The melody is Liebestraum by Franz Liszt. Additionally, some folks might consider The Vacant Chair and Little Brown Church in the Vale as hymns. Paul Mulik ___ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://www.mayberry.com/tagsrwc/wbmutbb/
Suitcase trivia
So since we I am on the suitcases, how many times do you remember seeing someone on TAGS carrying a suitcase? Good question. I've come up with a list but I've probably missed a few. In many instances a character is helping another character with their case, but I figure this counts as they are seen carrying a suitcase even if it's not theirs. Bailey's Bad Boy: Andy, Barney, Otis, Ron Bailey The Manicurist: Ellen, bus driver Andy and Barney in the Big City: Andy, Opie, Barney (careful, there's a bottle in there), bellhop The Pickle Story: Barney Andy on Trial: Miss Boswell (aka that college kid) Cousin Virgil: bus driver, Andy, various passengers Aunt Bee's Romance: Roger Hanover (for them that don't know, grip is another word for suitcase, and the grippe is the flu — but I digress). Banjo-playing Deputy: Andy, Jerry The Mayberry Band: Andy, Barney Those Gossiping Men: Wilbur Finch, Barney The Christmas Story: Ben Weaver, Barney The New Doctor: Dr. Benson (might have been a medical kit, not a suitcase) Andy and Opie, Housekeepers: Opie, Andy, Aunt Bee Andy and Opie, Bachelors: Opie, Aunt Bee, various passengers Andy's English Valet: Andy High Noon in Mayberry: Luke Comstock Floyd the Gay Deceiver: Floyd, Mrs. Grayson (maybe hers was more of a cosmetic case, it was rather small) Off to Hollywood: Andy, Goober, Warren Class Reunion: Andy, Barney (a trunk is a kind of suitcase, right?) Taylors in Hollywood: Andy, bellhop Gomer Pyle – USMC: Gomer Aunt Bee on TV: Andy (curiously, the cases they bring home do not appear to be the same cases they left Mayberry with) The Return of Barney Fife: Andy The Legend of Barney Fife: Barney (why in the world did it take Goober two hours to remove a fuel pump? I would think anyone with even a tiny bit of engine knowledge could do it in under ten minutes — but I digress again). Baby in the House: Daryl carries bags of baby stuff, but maybe this doesn't qualify Dinner at Eight: Goober A Visit to Barney Fife: Andy Barney Comes to Mayberry: Barney, Harold, Harriet A Trip to Mexico: Aunt Bee, Clara, Myrtle, various passengers Howard and Millie: various passengers Aunt Bee's Cousin: Bradford Howard's New Life: Andy, Opie, Howard Goober Goes to an Auto Show: Aunt Bee, Goober Paul Mulik (that's not one of the answers, I'm just signing off) ___ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://www.mayberry.com/tagsrwc/wbmutbb/
Possums and carps
All this talk about cooking possums brought to mind an old recipe for carp. If where you come from you figure you're doing folks a favor when you kill a carp, you may want to try it. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut a piece of 2x4 lumber to the same length as your carp. Season carp with lots of butter and salt and pepper (or maybe oregano) then put it on the piece of wood and bake it for an hour and a half. Take it out of the oven, throw the carp away, and eat the 2x4. Paul Mulik ___ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://www.mayberry.com/tagsrwc/wbmutbb/
Hidden money trivia
Here is a new trivia question for your potential amusement: name a place in or near Mayberry where money has been hidden. By hidden, I mean that normal places where one keeps money, such as a purse, wallet, pocket, bank, safe, or vault, do not count. There are many correct answers. Go! Paul Mulik ___ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://www.mayberry.com/tagsrwc/wbmutbb/
Grandparents trivia
Well done naming the grandparents of Mayberry. The three I was thinking of were Briscoe Darling and the two oldest named members of the Beeman family. According to Aunt Bee, they are Claude Sr., Claude Jr., Plain Claude, and Claudette. If she was reciting the names from oldest to youngest, then the first two were both grandparents. Even if that wasn't the right order, we still know for sure that two of the four are grandparents, as she specified that there were four generations all going to church together. For now those are the only three living grandparents in Mayberry that I can think of. Seems like maybe one of Opie's pals may once have mentioned something about his grandmother but I can't quite recall it at this time. Paul Mulik ___ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://www.mayberry.com/tagsrwc/wbmutbb/
Whiskey
I was standing in line at the convenience store the other day and I glanced over at a display of whiskey bottles, and noticed that one was labelled sippin' whiskey. I guess the other brands are for just plain guzzlin'. Or maybe people soak it in bread and eat it. Paul Mulik ___ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://www.mayberry.com/tagsrwc/wbmutbb/
