The Andy Griffith Show

The Andy Griffith Show (1960)

40 mistakes in season 4

(63 votes)

Barney's Sidecar - S4-E16

Other mistake: The safety goggles Barney wears is missing both of its lenses. While it's possible that Barney may wear the goggles just for the look, that possibility is negated when Barney states, "Every piece of equipment and wardrobe has a specific function: helmet - anti-crash; goggles - anti-foreign objects in eyes, that is gravel and/or bugs."

Super Grover

The Rumor - S4-E29

Other mistake: When Barney, Thelma Lou, Helen, and Andy are in the squad car talking about getting dinner, there's black tape on the chrome trim of the triangular vent window - presumably to prevent the camera/crew's reflections; and the vent window is shut in wide shots, but open in the closeup - also to prevent reflections.

Super Grover

The Sermon for Today - S4-E4

Visible crew/equipment: Barney shows up with the concert sign while Andy's sawing wood, and when he and Andy talk about it, the shadow of the boom pole/mic is moving around on the ground, at the lower left corner of the screen. More of the boom's shadow is visible again, when Gomer shows up and they talk about Goober. (00:14:30)

Super Grover

A Deal Is a Deal - S4-E26

Continuity mistake: At the start, Opie and his friend rush to the front door of the same house to try and sell their products - note the house next door (and the fact that it's three houses down from Andy). The kids then run across the street and have the door slammed in their faces, but then it cuts to the woman next door as she walks to her front door - note the house behind her is that first house Opie went to, even though all the boys just crossed the street a few moments ago.

Super Grover

The Rumor - S4-E29

Continuity mistake: While Barney and Thelma Lou are stalling Andy and Helen in the squad car, note the long whip antenna is missing (the empty bracket that always holds the antenna in place is over the rear passenger door) when they drive off to Andy's, but when they pull up to the house the antenna's on properly.

Super Grover

The Rumor - S4-E29

Visible crew/equipment: At the courthouse, while Barney and Thelma Lou are trying to stall for time, in the shots facing Andy and Helen when Andy says, "Steaks, chops, macaroni surprise," we can see the shadow of the boom mic moving around at the top, left side of the screen.

Super Grover

A Black Day for Mayberry - S4-E7

Plot hole: About 2/3 through the show Barney is locked inside the armored car and Gomer puts about a gallon of gas into the gun port onto Barney's shoes. After Gomer is told of his error, Barney stays inside the truck. The fumes would have killed him, not to mention the risk of explosion.

terry s

A Black Day for Mayberry - S4-E7

Character mistake: When Opie comes in at the beginning of the episode and asks where Andy is, the exchange ends with Barney asking "Something you want to see him about?" and Opie replying "No, I'll wait," which makes no sense in context. It would have made more sense if Barney had asked "Do you want to leave him a message?"

A Black Day for Mayberry - S4-E7

Factual error: An armored truck is going to Fort Knox from Denver would never go through Mayberry. Fort Knox is in Western KY south of Louisville on I-65. NC is accessible mainly by going south down I-75 to Knoxville, then heading South East along I-40 towards Asheville, NC. To get to NC from Fort Knox you would need to go up to Lexington then Knoxville/or go east across the wky fka The Green River pkwy to I-75 then to Asheville. There is no easy route; why would they go through KY to NC and turn back to KY?

The Sermon for Today - S4-E4

Visible crew/equipment: At the end, when Dr. Breen tells the very tired group, "You all look as serene and relaxed as if you'd just finished listening to a pleasant band concert," in the next shot facing the porch, the shadow of the boom mic is moving around between the two windows above Clara and Andy, at the top of the screen.

Super Grover

Gomer the House Guest - S4-E6

Continuity mistake: In earlier episodes, we are told that Gomer can't do mechanic work. He just pumps gas and air: "There's no charge for air; air is free; we don't make no charge for air." But in this episode, Gomer has become an ace master mechanic.

Rebecca Venter

Back to Nature - S4-E31

Deliberate mistake: Gomer leaves the woods after they were lost and doesn't have anything with them then when they get to the campsite he has the snare that they made.

The Haunted House - S4-E2

Continuity mistake: When Otis makes up a poem about jumping rope, Barney lets go of the rope and Andy is left holding the other end while the rope is left stretched across the floor. One second later when Opie and his friend come running in, Andy is now holding the rope in his other hand all rolled up.

Barney and the Cave Rescue - S4-E13

Plot hole: Andy and Helen go into the cave and there is a cave in. They find their way out and go into town to change, when they hear on the radio that Barney is getting the townsfolk together to form a rescue, Helen and Andy go back to the cave so barney can rescue them. This makes absolutely no sense. Once they get out of the cave why didn't they go back to tell Barney they were out, why did they have to flag down a truck for the ride back into town? Did they get to the cave with the squad car? It's hard to believe nobody saw them back in town, and how did they get to the cave?

hifijohn

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

More quotes from The Andy Griffith Show

Trivia: In Walker's Drugstore, among all the magazines by the wall there's a TV Guide magazine (from Oct 9, 1954) on the shelf, and on its cover is Lucille Ball the co-owner of Desilu Productions - which produced TAGS, and also filmed at Desilu Studios.

Super Grover

More trivia for The Andy Griffith Show

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.

More questions & answers from The Andy Griffith Show

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