Andy Griffith Show Memories : Episode #14 - The Horse Trader

The Horse Trader

Overview

Ignoring his own advice to Opie, Andy plays fast and loose with the facts when trying to sell the old town cannon.

Episode Number: 14

Season Number: 1

First Aired: January 9, 1961

Writers: Jack Elinson, Charles Stewart

Director: Bob Sweeney

Cast/Crew/Guest Stars

• Ron Howard (Opie Taylor)
• Frances Bavier (Aunt Bee Taylor)
• Don Knotts (Barney Fife)
• Andy Griffith (Andy Taylor)
• Elinor Donahue (Ellie Walker)
• Dick Elliott (Mayor Pike)
• Max Showalter (Ralph Mason)
• Pearl Cooper (Council Member #1)
• Spec O'Donald (Council Member #2)

Episode Summary

For once, Andy doesn't do the honarable thing when he cons an antique dealer into buying the town's old cannon with false tales of the cannon's historic past. Unfortunately, Opie follows his father's bad example and talks a friend of his into trading his roller skates for some "licorice seeds" that Opie got in a trade for his cap pistol. Andy makes ammends for his bad dealings after seeing his actions copied by Opie.

Notes/Trivia/Quotes

• Andy tells Barney that he could put the cannon in his front yard in front of his house. Barney's house is never seen, but we do see that he rents a room from Mrs Mendelbright and has for many years. Therefore, the reference to his house is simply a glitch in the series continuity.
• Barney shows a weakness for mixed drinks when he gets loaded on ice cream sodas at the drug store.

• Andy claims the cannon was owned and used by Teddy Roosevelt in the Battle a San Juan Hill - The Battle of San Juan Hill was the bloodiest and most famous battle of the Spanish-American War. Lt. Colonel Theodore Roosevelt led an heroic charge up Kettle Hill during the battle but as far as we know he was not on horseback nor did he carry a cannon!
• The other battles Andy mentioned was the Battle of Fort Sumter (The Battle of Fort Sumter [April 12, 1861 - April 13, 1861] was the bombardment and surrender of Fort Sumter near Charleston, South Carolina that began the American Civil War), and that Mayberry's cannon fired the first shot, hence kicking off our nations bloodiest war. However, since the Northern troops fired the first shots on Ft. Sumter that would make it a Yankee cannon and on would have to wonder how it ended up in Mayberry, North Carolina.
• 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.

Andy: Well, bucket mouth, do you know anyone that wants to buy a cannon?

Andy: Barney, I'll tell you the truth, You are a bird in this world.

More From Mayberry

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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

Episode #7 - Andy the Matchmaker

Episode #8 - Opie's Charity

Episode #9 - A Feud is a Feud

Episode #10 - Ellie for Council

Episode #11 - Christmas Story

Episode #12 - Stranger in Town

Episode #13 - Mayberry Goes Hollywood