Martin asked: "I have had the (Mt.) Pilot episode on VHS for years, but someone > mentioned that theirs was edited/shortened. How would I know if mine > is also?
The tape I have (recorded from Nick-at Nite in the mid '80s) is only 21:15 in length including the opening theme song and the ending credits. Surely the original show would have been 24 or 25 minutes total. Also in the end credits it lists two actors who aren't included in the broadcast, so they must have been in the deleted scenes. There are several scene breaks that seem to jump right into the middle of a conversation. Despite all this, it is still great to see the origins of our beloved Mayberry. There were a few changes made between the pilot and the start of the series. 1) Barney is not in the pilot. 2). The "Town Drunk" in the pilot is Will Hoople, played by Frank Cady (best known as Mr. Drucker in "Petticoat Junction" and "Green Acres." 3). Andy refers to his "Aunt Lucy" being his housekeeper instead of Aunt Bee. 4) Frances Bavier appears as another townsperson, Henrietta Perkins. 5) The courthouse set is quite different, with folks coming and going through a door at the back of the set. If any WMMUTBB members have the DVD version (available on the Season 5 set of The Danny Thomas Show), please let us know how long the episode is on it. I'd like to purchase it, but I don't want to waste my money if it is the same highly edited episode that I have on tape. John "Gomer" Worsham Hendersonville, Tennessee _______________________________________________ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://mail.wbmutbb.com/mailman/listinfo/wbmutbb_wbmutbb.com http://www.mayberry.com/tagsrwc/wbmutbb/
