Andy Griffith Show Memories : Episode #7 - Andy the Matchmaker

Andy the Matchmaker

Overview

This was the first attempt to find a girl for Barney in the series. Andy, trying to lift Barney's spirits, stages a fake robbery and tries to match his deputy with a shy seamstress.

Episode Number: 7 Season Number: 1

First Aired: November 14, 1960 Writer: Arthur Stander

Director: Don Weis

Cast/Crew/Guest Stars

• Andy Griffith (Andy Taylor)
• Ron Howard (Opie Taylor)
• Frances Bavier (Aunt Bee Taylor)
• Don Knotts (Barney Fife)
• Elinor Donahue (Ellie Walker)
• Amzie Strickland (Miss Rosemary)
• Jack Mann (Tracy Crawford)

Episode Summary

After being humiliated by a piece of humorous graffitti, Barney decides to turn in his badge because of Mayberry's lack of any real crime. Unable to change Barney's mind, Andy decides to stage a robbery at Walker's Drug Store in order to brighten Barney's mood and hopefully give him enough confidence to ask Miss Rosemary out on a date. However, Barney messes up Andy's plan by making an actual arrest in the fake robbery. While stalling for time and trying to figure out what to do, Andy runs a background check on the suspect Barney arrested and finds out he's actually a wanted man. Having captured a real crook gives Barney the confidence to ask Miss Rosemary out.

Notes/Trivia

• Barney tenders his resignation for the first time in this episode.
• Miss Rosemary (Amzie Strickland) makes her one and only appearance in this episode. However, the same actress would appear later in the series as various characters.
• Miss Rosemary was Barney's first love interest. Old Barn would move on to Hilda May a few episodes later. By the end of the first season, he was keeping steady company with Thelma Lou and sometimes sneaking out with Juanita. Despite being pretty green with girls in this episode, Barney would soon transform into quite a ladies man. Well, in his own mind anyway.
• In this episode Andy suggests that Barney take Miss Rosemary to the Snappy Lunch. The Snappy Lunch was and still is an actual diner in Andy Griffith's hometown of Mt. Airy, North Carolina and has the distinction of being the only Mt. Airy business to be mentioned on the show. They are famous for their porkchop sandwiches.
• The series was filmed entirely in Hollywood, at Desilu Productions on the former RKO Pictures lot. Mayberry exteriors were shot on the former Selznick International Pictures lot, later known as Forty Acres. The rural fishing hole that opened each episode was Franklin Canyon Lake, just north of Beverly Hills. Franklin Canyon was also the site of the show's Myers Lake and other outdoor locales.

• The whistled theme song, "The Fishin' Hole" was composed by Earle Hagen (the music coordinator and famous whistler of the show) and Herbert Spencer, with unsung lyrics by Everett Sloane. Hagen also wrote the music for the series.

Written on the Wall of the Bank:

There once was a deputy named Fife

Who carried a gun and a knife

The gun was all rusty

The knife was all dusty

Cause' he never caught a crook in his life.

Barney was convinced that Opie had written the above poem. Andy was able to clear him with the simple defense that Opie doesn't know how to write yet.

More From Mayberry

Come join in the fun of The Andy Griffith Show Online Hangman Game. It's therapetic! Just take the link below:

The Andy Griffith Show Online Hangman Game

Also see:

Episode #1 - The New Housekeeper

Episode #2 - The Manhunt

Episode #3 - The Guitar Player

Episode #4 - Ellie Comes to Town

Episode #5 - Irresistible Andy

Episode #6 - Runaway Kid