Bailey's Bad Boy (TAGS Episode)

Episode Info

Bailey's Bad Boy

• S2.E15
• Filmed: 47
• Aired: 47
• Original Air Date: 1962/01/15
• Writer(s): Ben Gershman and Leo Solomon
• Director: Bob Sweeney

Plot Summary

Rich kid Ronald Bailey is jailed when he blatantly defies the law. As Bailey waits for his influential father to bail him out, Andy teaches him the lesson of self-responsibility. Bailey decides to stand on his own two feet and take care of his traffic violations himself.

Summary

The episode begins with a report from local farmer Fletch Dilbeck, whose truck was run off the road and into a ditch by a white convertible, spilling his produce. Sheriff Andy Taylor and Deputy Barney Fife track down the driver, 19-year-old Ronald Bailey, a spoiled and arrogant college student from a wealthy family, driving a 1961 Ford Thunderbird. Ronald sideswiped Fletch’s truck (a Chevrolet, distinct from the show’s usual Ford vehicles) while speeding through Mayberry. When confronted, Ronald is belligerent, treating Andy and Barney as “hicks” and boasting that his influential father, John Judson Bailey, will ensure his release and have them fired. Despite his threats, Andy arrests Ronald for reckless driving and property damage, taking him to the Mayberry jail.

At the jail, Ronald’s entitled attitude persists. He mocks the small-town setting and assumes his father’s lawyer will quickly resolve the matter. Barney, incensed by Ronald’s disrespect, wants to treat him like a serious criminal, providing comedic contrast to Andy’s calm and measured approach. Andy informs Ronald that he’ll have a chance to plead his case before the local circuit court judge, but in the meantime, he must remain in custody. The Mayberry jail’s laid-back atmosphere—complete with Otis Campbell, the town drunk, as a cellmate—confounds Ronald, who is unaccustomed to such informality.

As Ronald spends time in jail, he experiences Mayberry’s unique community. On Saturday, Andy takes Ronald and Otis fishing, a routine activity for Mayberry’s prisoners, which surprises Ronald. On Sunday, with the jail typically closed, Andy brings Ronald to the Taylor home for dinner with Aunt Bee, Opie, and Barney, as there’s no one to supervise him at the courthouse. These moments highlight Mayberry’s warmth and simplicity, contrasting with Ronald’s privileged upbringing.

A pivotal scene occurs during Sunday dinner, where Ronald observes Andy’s parenting with Opie. Opie admits to breaking a window and is tasked with paying for its replacement, demonstrating Andy’s approach to teaching responsibility through consequences rather than leniency. This interaction resonates with Ronald, who begins to reflect on his own behavior and reliance on his father’s influence to escape trouble.

The plot escalates when Arthur Harrington, Ronald’s father’s attorney, arrives in Mayberry. Harrington attempts to secure Ronald’s release by pressuring Fletch Dilbeck to falsely claim the accident was his fault, implying the fix is in. Initially, Ronald is relieved, expecting to be bailed out as usual. However, inspired by Andy’s example and his time in Mayberry, Ronald undergoes a change of heart. In a moment of growth, he admits to the judge that he was at fault for the accident, rejecting the attorney’s unethical tactics. Ronald chooses to face the consequences, marking his transformation from a spoiled youth to a more responsible individual.

The episode concludes with Ronald leaving Mayberry, humbled and appreciative of the lessons learned. Andy’s approach—using patience, community values, and moral example rather than harsh punishment—successfully teaches Ronald the importance of self-reliance and accountability.

Odd Facts Known by Few

• Bill Bixby's birth name is Wilfred Bailey Everett Bixby III.

• Bill was in two Elvis Presley movies, Clambake and Speedway.

• Guest Star: Bill Bixby - Later starred in My Favorite Martian, The Courtship of Eddie's Father and The Incredible Hulk

• Bill Bixby also starred in The Apple Dumpling Gang starring Don Knotts.

• Andy assigns Barney to watch the bicycles at the movie house. No reason is given as to why he is doing this; maybe there is a bicycle thief in Mayberry.

• In this episode, Barney spends the night at the courthouse as someone usually does when there's an overnight prisoner.

• While most of the vehicles used in the series are Ford's, Fletch Dilbeck's truck is a Chevrolet.

• The car that Ronald is driving is a 1961 Ford Thunderbird and appears to be the same car driven in "Andy and the Woman Speeder."

• If you look closely at the calendar in Otis´ cell, this episode was filmed in September 1961.

• Bill Bixby's character, Ronald, is 19 in this episode but the actor is actually 27.

• Ronald Bailey was wearing a wedding ring OR at a minimum has a ring on the lef thand where a wedding ring would be. Bill Bixby was not married at the time he filmed "Bailey's Bad Boy" in 1961 (airred in 1962). According to available information, Bixby's first marriage was to Brenda Benet in 1971, a decade later. There are no records indicating he was married in 1961.

• Andy has stayed up with Otis before. He tells the story of Jack & The Beanstalk in the episode Hot Rod Otis.

• The song Barney uses to lull Otis to sleep is the hymn, "Bringing In The Sheaves."

• The episode title is a reference to the classic 19th century play of disobedience and redemption, "Peck's Bad Boy."

• Jon Lormer, who plays 'Fletch Dilbeck,' played two other characters in two different episodes. He played 'Tate Fletcher' in "The Cow Thief" and 'Parnell Rigsby' in "Opie's Fortune."

• While Barney is reading the newspaper, he laughs and says, "Ah, that Andy Gump." Andy Gump was a character in "The Gumps," a comic strip about a middle-class family. It was created by Sidney Smith in 1917, launching a 42-year run in newspapers from February 12, 1917 until October 17, 1959.

• Ron Howard (Opie) starred in the movie " Courtship of Eddie's Father" while Bill Bixby (spoiled brat) starred in the tv show of the same name.

Character List

• Andy Griffith - Andy Taylor
• Don Knotts - Barney Fife
• Ronny Howard - Opie Taylor
• Frances Bavier - Aunt Bee Taylor
• Hal Smith - Otis Campbell
• Bill Bixby - Ron Bailey
• Jon Lormer - Fletch Dilbeck
• John Graham - Arthur Harrington