The Andy Griffith Show: Season 2/Episode 17: The Jinx. January 29, 1962. 4 STARS OUT OF 5 STARS.

The episode opens in Floyd’s Barber Shop- with Barney playing checkers against Floyd- before an audience. Henry Bennett is standing behind Barney- and when Barney losses the match- he blames Henry. Barney calls Henry a jinx- and the guys all chip in with examples of how Henry was a ‘jinx’ in the past. Henry gets mad and storms off. Andy is the only one to defend Henry- and he ends up going out to Henry who is getting ready to leave in his truck and invites him to join him and Barney at the Opening Day Fishing Sweepstakes- to fish with them. When Barney finds out of course he is fired up mad- Henry will only jinx them- and Barney and Andy had won the past three years.

When they get out in their boat fishing- they are having no luck- but when Andy finally hooks a big fish- the boat sinks. Then we are back to Floyd’s barber shop-and they are going over the incident and how Henry is such a jinx. Andy again defends him. When they hear Henry is approaching the barber shop they go through all kinds of superstitious rituals to help save themselves from the jinx who is about to enter. Andy isn’t going along with this but the rest of them are. When Henry comes in he is all down- and tells them he is leaving town. After he leaves Floyd’s-all the guys feel bad- they like Henry and were ribbing him about being a jinx but its went to far. They try to figure out a way to keep him from leaving town. Aunt Bee was there- and selling tickets to the church social-door prize a portable television. Andy comes up with an idea- to prove to Henry he isn’t a jinx- let’s rig the contest so Henry wins.

At the church social- the deal is- everyone will have the same number but when it is called out- no one says anything- and they let Henry claim he has the number and wins. When they draw the number no one says anything- and it turns out Henry picked out the size of the hat- not the number. Andy explains to Henry what happened-and how it was fixed for him to win- and how no one wanted him to leave and he has a lot of friends, etc. They give the prize to Henry- and Barney is to drive him back to his house with the television- of course Barney is sure the jinx is still on- he’s the one who takes it seriously throughout the episode.

In the final segment- in the jail Andy and Opie are playing checkers- when Barney comes in- standing behind Andy. When Opie wins- Andy blames Barney- saying he is a jinx. Then they all talk of going fishing- and it starts to rain outside. Again Andy blames ‘Bad Luck Barney’–

In the scene at the church social- there is a little boy in a cowboy outfit- he doesn’t speak- but it is Leon- a character who will have bit parts throughout the series- it is his first appearance in the show- the actors name is Clint Howard- Ronny Howard’s brother. By the way Ron and Clint Howard have a new book out -dealing with they’re growing up- called The Boys. Looks like a pretty good book.

Floyd’s son Norman is mentioned again- this time mentioned as being a bad baseball player.

CAST-

Andy Griffith- Sheriff Andy Taylor

Don Knotts- Deputy Barney Fife

Ronny Howard- Opie Taylor

Frances Bavier- Aunt Bee Taylor

Howard McNear- Floyd Lawson

Sherwood Keith- Sam

Frank Warren- Art Crowley

Clint Howard- Leon

John Qualen- Henry Bennett

Sherman Sanders- Sandy