Mayberry Goes Hollywood (TAGS Episode)

Episode Info

Mayberry Goes Hollywood

• S1.E13
• Filmed: 13
• Aired: 13
• Original Air Date: 1961/01/02
• Writer(s): Benedict Freeman and John Fenton Murray
• Director: Bob Sweeney

Plot Summary

A Hollywood producer visits Mayberry and, taken with the town's charm, decides to use it as the setting of a new film. The town members become screen-struck and busily go about giving Mayberry a face-lift, changing everything the producer liked. Just before the citizens are about to cut down a landmark oak tree, the producer stops them and tells them what Mayberry's appeal was to him: the townspeople's simple, honest, down-to-earth ways.

Plot

When a Hollywood producer wants to film his latest movie project in Mayberry, the Town Council is suspicious of his motives. They are concerned that he may just want to make fun of the town, its "little fat mayor," and its people.

Andy takes the producer, Mr. Harmon, on a tour of Mayberry in order to size up his intentions. Once Andy realizes that Mr. Harmon means no harm, he convinces the council and they agree to let Mr. Harmon film in Mayberry.

The Mayberry Gazette prints the story under a banner headline and Hollywood fever strikes Mayberry. The town loafers who are always sitting around town on the benches buy themselves three-piece suits. Businesses offer everything thing from Carey Grant haircuts to Hollywood funerals. It seems that everyone, except Andy, including Barney, Aunt Bee, and Opie catch the Hollywood film bug. The Mayor, the Town Council, and the rest of the town become convinced that they should fundamentally alter themselves in order to live up to Hollywood's expectations.

When Mr. Harmon returns with his crew, he is astounded to find that the simple, pure Mayberry he wanted to film has morphed into some sort of southern Babylon. Exasperated, he explains that he wanted to film Mayberry in its natural state, not all gussied up and phony looking. Mr. Harmon scolds the town, stopping them just before they destroys part of the towns heritage by cutting down a landmark tree. A bit embarrassed, the mayor and townsfolk come to their senses and return Mayberry to normal.

Odd Facts Known by Few

• Mr. Harmon calls Floyd Mr. Colby as he and Andy leave to continue their tour of the town after they stop and talk to him for a few minutes. This is confirmed by the name "COLBY'S TONSORIAL PARLOR" inside a large design on the upper center of the front window of his shop. After the "Hollywood hysteria" has died down, the COLBY design is gone and "Floyd's BARBER SHOP" is back in the lower left corner of the window, as in episode 12, Stranger in Town.
• Floyd learned to cut hair on cats. He's not much with people, but he's a great cat barber.
• The Landmark Oak Tree which was saved from being cut down was never seen again on The Andy Griffith Show.
• Daughter of the Mayor, Juanita Pike, sings "Flow Sweetly Sweet Afton" at the Welcome ceremony for the Hollywood visitors.
• Actor Dan Frazer played the part of "Capt. Frank McNeil" in 69 episodes of "Kojak".
• Howard McNear appeared in two Elvis Presley movies.
• Josie Lloyd is the daughter of well-known character actor Norman Lloyd, well-known to fans of '80's TV as Dr. Daniel Auschlander on "St. Elsewhere." He also was a favorite of Alfred Hitchcock, appearing in several Hitchcock films and serving as associate producer and occasional director of "Alfred Hitchcock Presents."

Notes

• While cleaning inside one of the jail cells (which we later find out Barney has accidentally locked them in while the key is in another cell door) Barney describes in great detail how someone from Mayberry named Gordon Bellfield went to Hollywood. While there, he took one of those guided tours past the stars' houses, and got off the bus and the woman that was sitting next to them on the bus picked up Gary Cooper's newspaper and got told by Cooper's maid to get off the grass. This is the exact same event that occurred in season 6's "The Taylors in Hollywood". The only difference is in season 6's episode, it was Andy, Opie, and Bee, and the house belonged to Cesar Romero.
• This episode marked the first appearance of Floyd Lawson (Howard McNear) as Floyd the barber. However, his last name is Colby, not Lawson. (Floyd's "Hollywood" name for his shop is Colby's Tonsorial Parlor)
• Actors Gary Cooper, George "Gabby" Hayes and Rock Hudson are all mentioned in this episode.

Character List

• Andy Griffith - Andy Taylor
• Ronny Howard - Opie Taylor
• Don Knotts - Barney Fife
• Frances Bavier - Aunt Bee Taylor
• Howard McNear - Floyd Colby/Lawson
• Dick Elliott - Mayor Pike
• Jonathan Hole - Orville Monroe
• Dan Frazer - Mr. Harmon
• Josie Lloyd - Juanita Pike