Summary[]
The Taylors start an exciting vacation in Hollywood, including a visit to the set of a movie based on Andy's life, "Sheriff Without a Gun.
Plot[]
Mayberry goes to Hollywood! The Taylors visit Bellmont Pictures Studio, to see Andy's life story of "Sheriff Without a Gun" come to the big screen. Quickly they realize however that their reality doesn't exactly match Hollywood's version of reality.
After checking into their hotel the Piedmont Hotel, they visit the studio at Bellmont Pictures. They meet the crew and actors; for which Aunt Bee declares Bryan Bender looks nothing like Andy. Aunt Bee, Andy, and Opie sit in director chairs to watch the scenes unfold. While the storylines are far-fetched, Andy enjoys watching them and the way the stories are being told; even if they are unrealistic (just as the sets themselves are also).
Aunt Bee continues to complain and Andy keeps warning her to remain silent during the filming of scenes. Bee remains a cynic until the woman actress portraying her makes her entrance into a scene. Aunt Bee is then pleased by their choice, even though the blonde, younger woman looks and acts nothing like Bee herself.
Notes/Trivia[]
- In the Season One episode, Mayberry Goes Hollywood, Barney told Andy a story while cleaning inside one of the jail cells, which described in great detail about how someone from Mayberry named Gordon Bellfield went to Hollywood and took a star tour. He mentioned a lady on the bus once got a newspaper from Gary Cooper's lawn, only to have the maid yell at them to stay off the grass and go away. These same events basically happen to Andy, Opie, and Aunt Bee in Hollywood, when looking at Cesar Romero's newspaper from his front lawn while on a quick tour of the actor's house.
- The article "Sheriff Without A Gun" is first referenced in the season five episode "TV or Not TV." In that episode, it's the basis for a fake television series, part of a plan by would-be bank robbers to gain access to the Mayberry Security Bank. Gavin McCleod appeared in both episodes, playing different characters.
- During the Taylor's bus trip to their hotel in Hollywood, they ride down the famous Sunset Boulevard. The off-duty driver points out three landmarks (Schwabs Drugstore, Dino's Tavern, and The Whisky-a-go-go (seen in images above). This is the only time in the entire series that actual landmarks were shown. Although two of them no longer exist, The Whisky-a-go-go is still standing in Los Angeles.
- This is the only episode of the entire series that has no scenes that take place in Mayberry.
- Sid Melton is credited in this episode to play Pat Michaels, yet he is unable to be seen in any particular scene. The only character one may deduce he is portraying is maybe the criminal locked in the jail cell.
- This Hollywood themed episode is one of several within Season 6.
- The calendar on the wall in the studio is the same February calendar inside Floyd’s Barbershop.
Goofs[]
- When Andy, Aunt Bee, and Opie are watching a scene being filmed, we can see the same walls and shelves from Floyd's Barbershop.
Music[]
Quotes[]
Opie: "Hey Pa! There goes another grown up lady in trousers!"
______
Andy: “See he (Bryan Bender) has his wig on now, it looks better.”
Aunt Bee: “But he still looks nothing like you Andy.”
Andy: “Well it’s just a picture. Why do they need an actor who looks like me for?”
Aunt Bee: “Well when they made a movie of Abraham Lincoln, they found an actor
who looked like Abraham Lincoln.”
Andy: “Well that’s different, everybody knows who he is!”
______
Aunt Bee: “Andy you never smoke a cigar.”
Andy: “Shhhhhh”
Aunt Bee: “Oh Andy this is ridiculous, this never happened in Mayberry.”
Andy: (enjoying the scene) “There’s no reason it couldn’t! Shhhh.”