The Andy Griffith Show: Season 1/ Episode 13: Mayberry Goes Hollywood. January 2, 1961. 5 STARS OUT OF 5 STARS.

The episode opens with a meeting in Mayor Pike’s office- the council includes Andy, Floyd Lawson the town barber [played by Howard McNear in this first appearance] and Mortician Orville Monroe. A Hollywood producer is making a pitch to make a movie in town. When the producer steps out of the meeting everyone but Andy is against the idea because they think the producer is just wanting to laugh at them. Mayor Pike is wishy washy his opinion is -whatever the opinion is of the last person talking. Andy convinces them to give it a shot and he volunteers to give the producer- Mr. Harmon a tour of the town.

The producer likes what he sees- the naturalness of the town. Meanwhile the folks in town go Hollywood and want to change everything, how they dress, how their store fronts look, the council without Andy got to cut down the old Oak Tree in town.

They have a big ceremony to welcome the producer and his assistants- a band plays, Mayor Pike’s daughter Jaunita sings- if that is what you call singing because she is awful. They go to cut down the tree and the producer stops them just in time. He explains that he wants to film Mayberry as it was- not as they are now trying to make it look and that the dressed up people should go home and get out of their trick or treat outfits. The only adult in town with any sense during all this has been Andy who doesn’t change a thing about himself. He realizes what the producer is after. He kind of sits back and watches everyone make fools of themselves. At the end of the episode everything is back to normal- with Barney locking himself in the jail cell for the third time in this episode.

I like this episode a lot because while Andy goes at times play the hayseed Andy- he is also playing the Andy we are getting to know- and will known throughout the rest of the series- the only adult in town who seems to have any common sense about things.

• Three movie stars are mentioned in this episode- Barney talks of a Mayberry native Gordon Bellfield who went to Hollywood on vacation the previous summer and went on a tour and saw Gary Cooper’s newspaper lying on his lawn- and Gary Cooper’s maid coming out to get the paper. Note- This episode aired on January 2, 1961- a little more than 4 months later and Gary Cooper would be dead. Gaby Hayes and Rock Hudson are also mentioned in the episode- Aunt Bee has a big crush on Rock.
• When the town goes ‘Hollywood’- they merchants in town change their store fronts- the cafe now has Hollywood Style Cooking, The beauty salon- Hollywood Hair Styles, Floyd is giving Cary Grant Haircuts and Orville Monroe is giving Hollywood Funerals.
• Again with all these town leaders and town people shown in this episode- no Ellie Walker sighting.
• Francis Bavier- Aunt Bee in 1952 played in a movie with Rock Hudson- Bend In The River.
• Floyd The Barber- is addressed as Floyd Colby. He will be Floyd Lawson for the rest of the series.
• Orville Monroe would would appear in only three episodes- gets a lot more work fixing televisions than he does as a mortician. The location of his funeral home would soon become a grocery store.

Cast

Sheriff Andy Taylor- Andy Griffith

Deputy Barney Fife- Don Knotts

Opie Taylor- Rony Howard

Francis Bavier- Aunt Bee Taylor

Howard McNear- Floyd Lawson

Dan Frazier- Mr. Harmon

Dick Elliott- Mayor Pike

Josie Lloyd- Juanita Pike

Jonathan Hole- Orville Monroe

Directed by Bob Sweeney

Written by Benedict Freedman and John Fenton Murray