The Andy Griffith Show: Season 2/ Episode 3: Andy And The Woman Speeder: October 16, 1961. 4 1/2 STARS OUT OF 5 STARS:

Andy, Opie, Barney and Floyd are back at the car after fishing- when a woman speeds by them in her car. They estimate she was going 70 MPH in a 45 MPH zone. When they chase her down- the woman- named Elizabeth Crowley- thinks she can charm Andy out it- Andy won’t be charmed- the fine is only $10. Crowley who is from Washington, D.C.-is in a hurry and upset – she wants to see the Justice of the Peace- and is surprised when she finds out that is also- Andy. She accuses Andy of rigging things- and is fined a few times for contempt- and her fine goes up to $60. She wants to go to a higher court- so she has to be jailed overnight- to wait for Mayor’s Court- the next day before Mayor Pike.

The jail isn’t set up to have a woman- so Andy gets Aunt Bee to come down and set Elizabeth up in jail. Andy clearly isn’t happy about this situation. When Andy talks with her one one one- they both talk about being bullheaded- and seem to come to an agreement- Elizabeth says she will pay the $10- but Andy balks at that- the fine isn’t $10 it’s $25. She calls Andy bullheaded and says she will fight this all the way to the Supreme Court if she has to.

Andy lines up Floyd, Barney and Opie as witnesses for the next day- but it backfires when Elizabeth Crowley flirts it up with first Barney [telling him among other things that he looks like Frank Sinatra] and with Floyd- having him comb her hair out- and telling him he had artistic hands. Both are charmed by her.

When the Mayor’s Court starts the next day- first Floyd and then Barney- completely charmed do not want to testify against her. Andy is clearly mad- and sees what has happened to his case but he thinks he can at least count on Opie- until when Opie goes to testify he sees Opie has a baseball- autographed by all the New York Yankees that Elizabeth had given him. Mayor Pike throws the case out of court. Andy is furious. He speaks to Elizabeth about how she really pulled one over on everyone etc. Andy is clearly hurt by what she did to his friends- turning them against him- when he was clearly in the right all along.

As she goes to her car and gets ready to leave- Barney is helping her get her things in her car. Barney realizes he fell for all the sweet talk and let Andy down. Before she leaves Andy comes out- all unhappy looking and gets into his police car. Elizabeth is clearly feeling sorry for what she has done- and speeds off- Andy and Barney go after her. She quickly agrees to pay the $10 fine- but also wants to pay #25 more- saying she would feel a lot better about it all that way. Andy tells her that he feels a whole lot better about her now also- and she is always welcome to pass through Mayberry- as long as she doesn’t speed again. Before she leaves Elizabeth tells Barney- that he really does remind her of Sinatra. Of course Barney is now walking on air again and tells Andy this whole case was a ‘gas.’ In the final segment- at the jail- Barney is singing a Sinatra song ‘One For My Baby’- Andy says he doesn’t know what Barney is singing- and walks away- leaving Barney all upset!

Usually it is Barney who is the stubborn one and wants things done ‘by the book’ in this episode it’s Andy who won’t back down.

When they went fishing- Barney was the least successful one- only catching a frog.

Actress Jean Hagen who played Elizabeth Crowley -was best known for playing Lina Lamont in Singin’ In The Rain. She died in 1977 at the age of 54- of cancer.

CAST-

Andy Griffith- Sheriff Andy Taylor

Don Knotts- Deputy Barney Fife

Ronny Howard- Opie Taylor

Frances Bavier- Aunt Bee Taylor

Howard McNear- Floyd Lawson

Dick Elliott- Mayor Pike

Jean Hagan- Elizabeth Crowley

Directed by Bob Sweeney

Written by Jack Elinson and Charles Stewart.