Clubmen, The (TAGS Episode)

Episode Info

The Clubmen

• S2.E10
• Filmed: 42
• Aired: 42
• Original Air Date: 1961/12/11
• Writer(s): Fred S. Fox and Iz Elinson
• Director: Bob Sweeney

Plot Summary

One of Andy's big-city fishing buddies invites him to join the Esquire Club, an exclusive Raleigh men's organization. Barney is also asked to join and he, of course, overreacts and alienates the entire group by trying too hard to fit in. Andy is offered membership, but Barney is not. Andy tells his fishing buddy that he must decline because he does not feel right joining a club that wouldn't let in his best friend. Before Andy can break the news to Barney, Barney assumes Andy was the one rejected and sits down to write the club a scathing letter of rejection himself.

Summary

The episode opens with Andy and Barney in their usual setting at the Mayberry courthouse, engaging in light banter. The plot begins when Andy receives an invitation from his fishing buddy, Roger Courtney (George N. Neise), to consider joining the Esquire Club, a prestigious social club in Raleigh. Andy, ever inclusive, insists on bringing Barney along, ensuring his deputy is also considered for membership. This decision sets the stage for the episode's central conflict, as Barney becomes overly excited about the prospect of joining an elite group, seeing it as a chance to elevate his social status beyond Mayberry's small-town confines.

Barney's enthusiasm leads to comedic preparation, as he tries to learn about high society, discussing topics like the stock market, golf, and even mispronouncing "Baked Alaska" (as seen in the Mayberry Wiki summary). They attend a dinner with the club's membership committee, where Barney's attempts to impress by "putting on airs" backfire, alienating the members with his phoniness. For example, he might try to discuss stocks and bonds despite not owning any, as noted in user reviews on IMDb, creating humorous moments that highlight his insecurity.

The evaluation continues, and it's revealed that the Esquire Club decides to accept Andy but not Barney, feeling Barney doesn't fit their image. This development places Andy in a dilemma, as he must break the news to his sensitive friend without hurting him. Andy, valuing loyalty and friendship, chooses to decline the membership offer, refusing to join a club that excludes Barney. This decision is not about critiquing the club's values, as previously suggested, but rather about standing by his deputy, reinforcing the show's theme of community over exclusivity.

Barney, initially thinking Andy was also refused, stands by him, showing growth in their friendship. The episode concludes on a lighthearted note, with Opie inviting both Andy and Barney to join his own club, the Tomahawks, at the courthouse. This ending underscores Mayberry's egalitarian spirit, contrasting with the Esquire Club's elitism, and provides a humorous resolution to Barney's earlier aspirations.

Odd Facts Known by Few

• Actor George Neise appeared in the 1962 films "The Three Stooges in Orbit" and "The Three Stooges Meet Hercules".

• Club member Cliff Britain was named after a teacher who taught at the same school Andy Griffith did during his brief stint as a public school teacher.

• The Stop Sign that Andy mentions to Barney, while he's trying not to laugh at the fact that Barney's barefooted, is the one from Barney's Replacement.

• Andy's sleeves are rolled up and then down. In closeups of him sitting at his desk giving Barney back his shoes the sleeves are down. His sleeves are rolled up in the wide angle shots of the scene.

• The car in the opening scene is a 1961 Ford Thunderbird convertible. This is the same car driven by Bill Bixby in "Bailey's Bad Boy" and Jean Hagen in "Andy and The Woman Speeder."

• When Roger drops Andy off after fishing, Roger parks directly in front of the courthouse. Andy then goes inside and finds Barney taking a nap. A minute later, they go outside and the squad car is now parked in front of the courthouse. It hadn't been there a minute earlier, when Andy was dropped off.

• In this episode, the door to the shop next door can be seen inside of Floyd's Barber Shop. This door would appear and disappear in different episodes up to this point. In season one, the door lead to the beauty shop next door to Floyd's. In season two, it lead to the TV repair shop.

• At the club, Barney mentions that there's nothing he likes better than hunting and a good game of golf. Outside of some fishing, Barney never does any hunting in the series.

• Although Barney continues making a fool of himself by claiming that the Baked Alaska dessert was named after Alaska became a state, it did get its name at Delmonico's in New York City after the Alaska Territory became an American possession in 1867. He was not so wrong that the other club members would be able to make that fine a distinction to the point of ridiculing him.

• Ross Elliott, who played clubman "Tom Wilson," will be forever remembered as Lucy Ricardo's director in the classic Vitameatavegamin commercial episode of I Love Lucy (1951) and as Sheriff Abbott in many segments of The Virginian (1962).

Character List

• Andy Griffith - Andy Taylor
• Don Knotts - Barney Fife
• Ronny Howard - Opie Taylor
• Frances Bavier - Aunt Bee Taylor
• Howard McNear - Floyd Lawson
• Burt Mustin - Judd
• George Neise - Roger Courtney
• Ross Elliott - Tom Wilson
• Brad Olson - George Bronson
• Bob McQuain - Jim Baker