A Plaque for Mayberry (TAGS Episode)
Contents
Episode Info
A Plaque for Mayberry
- S1.E25
- Filmed: 25
- Aired: 25
- Original Air Date: 1961/04/03
- Writer(s): Ben Gershman and Leo Solomon
- Director: Bob Sweeney
Plot Summary
After discovering the descendant of a local Revolutionary War hero sought for a commendation by the Women's Historical Society is none other than Otis Campbell, the mayor and town council pressure Andy to tell Otis he is no longer getting the award. Andy stands by his friend, and Otis comes through with flying colors.
Plot
In Mayberry, there's a tale of a hero from the Revolutionary War's Battle of Mayberry Bridge, Nathan Tibbs. Apparently, he has a descendant living right here in town! Two historians are on a mission to find this person and give them a plaque to honor their brave ancestor. Everyone's buzzing with curiosity about who it could be. Barney's convinced he's the one, and he's already written his acceptance speech. But guess what? The Tibbs relative turns out to be none other than our very own town drunk, Otis Campbell.
Mayor Pike is freaking out, worried that Otis will embarrass himself and Mayberry if the historians find out who he is. So, he orders Andy to keep Otis away from the ceremony. But Andy talks to Otis and realizes that even with his flaws, Otis is proud to represent the town and wants to make his wife, Rita, proud of him.
When the ceremony starts, Andy admits that he didn't find a replacement for Otis. Barney and the Mayor panic, thinking Otis is drunk and will show up to embarrass everyone. But lo and behold, Otis arrives, sober, clean-shaven, and looking sharp in a suit! He accepts the plaque, not for himself (since he didn't really do anything to deserve it), but on behalf of Mayberry.
Odd Facts Known by Few
- Andy says to Barney, "I thought your middle name was Oliver." This was the only time "Oliver" was used as Barney's middle name. In later episodes, Barney refers to himself as Barnard "P." Fife and in the episode Class Reunion, the Mayberry Union High Yearbook lists Barney's name as Bernard Milton Fife.
- The two actresses portraying the women from the Historical Society, Carol Veazie (Mrs. Wicks) and Isabel Randolph (Mrs. Bixby), both played Rob Petrie's mother on the Dick Van Dyke Show (1961).
- Actress Carol Veazie was born in Canada.
- Actress Isabel Randolph portrayed "Mrs. Abigail Uppington" on NBC Radio's "Fibber McGee and Molly" during the thirties and forties.
- Isabel Randolph, who plays one of the historical society ladies, will reappear later in the series as Mrs. Jeffreys in "Rafe Hollister Sings." The other historical lady, played by Carol Veazie, will return in the color era as the customer in the bakery without enough change in "Howard and Millie."
- Nathan Tibbs is said to have become a Revolutionary War hero because he ran eight miles through the snow to set the Mayberry bridge on fire. This act turned back the enemy and allowed George Washington and his troops to capture an entire Regiment. But Washington was never in North Carolina during the war.
- When Barney is discussing his family tree, he mentions the name "Duncan Phyfe" marrying a relative of Nathan Tibbs, the Revolutionary War hero of the episode. Duncan Phyfe was a 19th-century furniture maker.
- Andy tells Barney that Duncan Phyfe's last name is spelled "P-h-y-f-e," whereas Barney's is spelled "F-i-f-e." In reality, Duncan Phyfe's father's given name was Donald Fife, spelled just like Barney's last name.
- One of the councilmen in the show is played by Joseph Hamilton, who, ironically, most often played one of the town loafers, such as Chester Jones. He would repeat these idler roles from seasons 1-4 of The Andy Griffith Show.
- Otis tells Andy that he's given his wife some awful times. This was not the only time Otis' alcoholism would be addressed but it is typically played for humor. Otis did eventually sober up for good. In the TV Movie "Return to Mayberry" Otis tells Andy he'd been sober for ten years. Interestingly - Hal Smith was not a heavy drinker and reportedly was never drunk in his life. Smith's friends, including Andy Griffith and Don Knotts, said he did not drink in real life. Smith himself said he was a "social drinker" in a 1964 interview
- Barney is unable to recite the tongue twister: "Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers" while giving Otis' sobriety test. However, in season 5 "The Pageant" he says many toung twisters with ease. However, he did get tongue-tied on "rubber baby buggy bumpers".
- The map of Idaho, on the wall behind Andy's desk, is right-side up again as it was for the first time in the previous episode, "The New Doctor."
- Although Mayberry is a dry town, Mayor Pike serves champagne to toast Otis for being a descendant of Nathan Tibbs.
- When they make a toast at the end of the episode, there is nothing in the glasses.
More Information
Character List
- Andy Griffith - Andy Taylor
- Ronny Howard - Opie Taylor
- Don Knotts - Barney Fife
- Hal Smith - Otis Campbell
- Dick Elliott - Mayor Pike
- Isabel Randolph - Harriet Bixby
- Dorothy Neumann - Rita Campbell
- Carol Veazie - Mrs. Wicks
- Burt Mustin - Jud
- Joseph Hamilton - councilman
- Joseph Crehan - councilman
