The Andy Griffith Show

The Andy Griffith Show (1960)

11 mistakes in show generally - chronological order

(63 votes)

Show generally

Deliberate mistake: During scenes at Walker's Drugstore there are many magazines by the wall near the door, which have tape/paint hiding part or all of their cover titles. Examples are: all the Sports Illustrated have tape across the word "Illustrated", the House and Garden has its "House &" covered, and Time magazine's entire title is blacked out.

Super Grover

Show generally

Continuity mistake: At the "Hen Party", Jeff Pruitt says hello to Thelma Lou and she states she is going to get coffee, then goes to the kitchen. However, when Jeff walks across the room and looks back, Thelma Lou is back in the same area. She never walked back from the kitchen.

Pam-I-am

Show generally

Factual error: When you walk into the courthouse the first jailhouse to the left has a window. But the courthouse is connected to another establishment on that side. A window would be impossible.

Show generally

Factual error: The badges they wear don't match the badges on their patches. If there's a badge on the patch, it's supposed to match their actual badge.

terry s

Show generally

Continuity mistake: Scenes shot at Andy's porch have significant differences depending on the filming location, as there are two sets of Andy's porch. One is just the facade of the house in the 'town of Mayberry' in the studio's 40 Acre backlot; and the second is located in the studio's soundstage. Note in some shots the door's sidelights have vertical muntin bars, the screen door has a white handle, whereas in other shots the sidelights' muntin bars are gone and the screen door handle is black (screen door's gone season 5). Also, note the significant difference in the width of the wall between the parlor windows and the door, the height of the parlor windows from the floor, etc.

Super Grover

Show generally

Other mistake: The radio communications consoles on the side desk in the courthouse have a few pieces of black tape covering their brand name (though we know it's Motorola from the visible "M" logo).

Super Grover

Show generally

Revealing mistake: On most of the corners of the buildings, you can see seam lines running down between the different sides of the buildings. The bricks on the opposite sides usually don't line up with each other either even though they are supposed to be the same brick.

terry s

Opie's Group - S8-E9

Andy: Clara, sometimes a parent can't see what he should do, and sometimes it takes a person from the outside to show him. And I'd like to thank you.
Clara: Groovy.

Super Grover

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Convicts-at-Large - S3-E11

Question: Beginning with the "Convicts at Large" episode in season 3, full width window boxes appear at the bottom of both front windows on the inside of the Sheriff's Office. Prior to this episode, they did not exist. Window boxes are often used to display decorative plants but I don't see any plants. And if they were supposed to partially block the background, the blinds were long enough to accomplish that. I find it hard to believe that the producers would spend additional money (for material and labor) for something that seems to serve no purpose. So why were they added?

Answer: Those "boxes" are valences that used to be very common, before air conditioning. They allow for windows to be open during rain storms. They permit air circulation, without letting the rain in.

Answer: As noted in the previous answers, in real life, things like this provided wind and/or rain deflection, and also maintained a bit of privacy when blinds were raised somewhat. The interior courthouse set was located in the studio, so the "outside" Main Street didn't exist. I believe these things were added to the courthouse windows for practicality, to avoid some crew movement being visible on the opposite side of those windows. These are not "window boxes" to hold anything, as they're actually bottomless; we can see the Venetian blind's long pull cords under them. They're made of plywood and simple to build, so the "material and labor" was inexpensive. Similar variations made of different materials are in other movies/shows. In 1957's "12 Angry Men," textured chicken wire glass panels are in the jury room windows, and in "Jesse Stone: Night Passage" another type is in Jesse's office windows.

Super Grover

Answer: I suspect these were common, as to block the wind from blowing the blinds and papers on the desk.

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