Andy the Marriage Counselor (TAGS Episode)
Contents
Episode Info
Andy, the Marriage Counselor
- S1.E18
- Filmed: 18
- Aired: 18
- Original Air Date: 1961/02/06
- Writer(s): David Adler
- Director: Gene Reynolds
Plot Summary
The battling Boones, husband and wife, are engaged in an ongoing battle royal. Andy decides to put an end to their bickering by putting them on a probationary program of daily niceties. His brilliant idea backfires when the Boones turn nasty toward the rest of the town. Finally, Andy gives in when he realizes the couple's way of expressing their love for each other is based on their freedom to fight.
Plot
Fred and Jennie Boone are relatively new to Mayberry and they get along very well with everyone in town.
But the Boone's don't get along with each other and can't communicate without yelling and fighting. Andy gets fed up with having to arrest them for disturbing the peace and comes up with an idea. Every morning, he will coach Fred and Jennie on ways to be civil with each other, and maybe even loving. Although Barney is convinced it won't work, he's amazed at the results. It doesn't take long before Fred and Jennie can tolerable one another and are getting along. Proud of the results, Andy uses the same philosophy on Opie and his friend Billy, offering them each a nickel if they can play nice without fighting.
Fred and Jennie are quite pleasant to one another, but they have become mean and hateful toward all their friends and neighbors. Opie, too, seems unhappy because he and Billy have to play nice and they say it's not fun to play together anymore.
Andy realizes what looks like fighting to one person may really be dancing to someone else. After resolving the issues with Opie and Billy, he goes over to the Boone's house and uses a little reverse psychology on them to restore the regular order of things in their household. He has the Boones fighting with each other again in no time. Their behavior toward everyone is back to where it was when the whold thing started.
Odd Facts Known by Few
- In 1967 Jesse White (Fred Boone) became the "Maytag lonely repairman" for a series of TV commercials that ran for more than twenty years.
- Actor Forrest Lewis (playing Cliff in this episode) appeared in 7 episodes of TAGS. Most famously, he appeared as Cy Hudgins, the owner of Jimmy "The Loaded Goat".
- Claudia Bryar, Jenny Boone, returned to Mayberry in the October 1965 episode The Bazaar as a character named "Ruth."
- In this episode, we find out that Barney is a student of the martial arts. The gag that he does with Andy, showing Andy his newly acquired Judo skills, will be repeated later in the season. In the epilogue to this episode, Barney sports his full Judo outfit.
- Barney is reading "The Art of Judo" written by Professor Matsumato. Both the book title and the author were created by the writer of the episode.
- In "Mayberry Man: The Series" (2024), Karen Knotts plays a character named Janet who it taking Judo and received the help of "Allan" and "Warren" to practice for her Judo tests. These sessions occur in the office of the Mayberry Township who's office looks remarkablly like the Mayberry Courthose on The Andy Griffith Show. The Judo scenes are an homage to both Karen's dad, Don, and The Andy Griffith Show itself. (Note: Writer/Director of Mayberry Man: The Series, Stark Howell is a black belt in Judo and actor Allan Newsome who plays "Allan/Floyd" is a black belt in Tae Kwon Do.)
- The "night filter" is used over the camera lens to fool viewers into thinking it's night time. This is often called "Day for Night" shooting. They used this filter throughout the black and white episodes any time they needed to portray a night time setting such as when the fellows went out on dates etc. Using the night filter allowed them to get away with shooting nighttime scenes in broad daylight. When used in conjunction with turning on headlights and porchlights etc, they hoped it would pass as night time on black and white film. At best, all it did was dim the visibility a little bit. In this episode, as Andy and Barney approach the front door of the Boones house, the director is using the night filter and has the porch light turned on, but it's cleary broad daylight and the people's shadows can be seen.
Notes
- This is the first time that the exterior of what would later become Thelma Lou's house is seen. For years, The Andy Griffith Show fans could not pinpoint this house's location on the 40 Acres back lot because it wasn't actually located there.
- Along the east side of the Desilu Studios in Hollywood ran a street called Lillian Way. Although it was in an industrial area, there were three old California-bungalow style homes across the street from the side gate, near the sound stage where The Andy Griffith Show's interior scenes were filmed. All shots of these houses were carefully cropped to ensure that the effect of a residential neighborhood was maintained. As of July 2024: Two of the three homes are still there. The one that was Thelma Lou's is gone.
- Norman Leavitt, who plays Gil, had earlier played Cal in "The Manhunt" and would later play Wally, the filling station owner, in "Lawman Barney" and "Man in a Hurry."
- Forrest Lewis, who played Cliff in this episode, also played Willie Jack in the episode "Gomer the House Guest." He also played Cy Hutchins in "The Loaded Goat," the man paying the ticket in "The Family Visit," and one of the angry husbands in "Ellie Runs For Council."
- The judo scenes were later spoofed on Andy Griffith's series, Matlock, in the episode titled "The Fighter" (1990).
More Information
Character List
- Andy Griffith - Andy Taylor
- Ronny Howard - Opie Taylor
- Don Knotts - Barney Fife
- Frances Bavier - Aunt Bee Taylor
- Claudia Bryar - Jenny Boone
- Tim Stevenson - Billy
- Jesse White - Fred Boone
- Forrest Lewis - Cliff
- Norman Leavitt - Gil
