The Andy Griffith Show

The Andy Griffith Show (1960)

54 mistakes in season 1

(63 votes)

Those Gossipin' Men - S1-E15

Visible crew/equipment: When Wilbur's in his car he thanks Andy and the rest of the men for all the shoe sales. As he drives off, the reflection of filming equipment is visible on the surface of the car, and when the car is offscreen multiple chalk marks are visible on the sidewalk, at the feet of the actors.

Super Grover

Andy the Matchmaker - S1-E7

Continuity mistake: When Barney and Andy are looking at Barney's picture on the front page of the newspaper, first, the article has nothing to do with Barney or the arrest, and second, when Barney takes the paper from Andy he folds it with the front page on the outside, and the page we see is not the same front page from the closeup.

Super Grover

Stranger In Town - S1-E12

Visible crew/equipment: While Barney's in the barber chair, Floyd starts talking about how he'd tried living at the back of the barber shop, and when the shot faces Barney we can see the reflection of a crew member's legs moving around - the only ones in the shop are Barney, Floyd, and the two men seated by the corner.

Super Grover

Opie's Charity - S1-E8

Continuity mistake: When Andy and Mrs. Silby are walking into the courthouse, in the exterior shot of Andy opening the door he's wearing the baseball mitt on his left hand, but when it cuts to the interior shot Andy's opening the door with his left hand and the mitt has vanished.

Super Grover

The New Housekeeper - S1-E1

Visible crew/equipment: While Andy's in Opie's bedroom when Opie's thinking about running away, the moving shadow of the overhead boom mic is visible, first on the wall behind Opie's headboard and then on the door. Also note, when Andy shows Aunt Bee how to hold the baseball bat and moves her into position, we can see a long white tape mark on the grass (since it's possible that Andy placed the tape, however unlikely, it's being noted here).

Super Grover

Mayberry Goes Hollywood - S1-E13

Continuity mistake: When Andy's done showing Hollywood producer Mr. Harmon around town, he says, "Here we are, right back where we started, old oak tree," then mentions climbing that tree as a boy, and later says, "You're gonna cut down the oldest oak tree in the entire town?" But viewers have seen the entire area in front of the church (season 1 "Ellie for Council") and there isn't a large old oak tree. The fake tree was placed in this episode as a plot point between the producer and the townspeople.

Super Grover

Ellie Saves a Female - S1-E27

Continuity mistake: On Flint's farm there's a cow tied to the back fence, which can be seen in exterior shots throughout the episode - when Ellie, Andy, and Barney are there. After Flint tells Barney to get off his land, in the exterior shot when Barney walks into the barn we see that cow tied to the back fence, but next shot inside the barn we see that very same cow in the stall - note the black/white markings.

Super Grover

Ellie Saves a Female - S1-E27

Continuity mistake: While Barney's on the farm trying to get Frankie, twice he heads into the barn through the right-side entrance door within the tall sliding double barn doors (about 12 ft high), but when it cuts to the interior shots he's entering through the barn's left-side entrance door, plus the fact that it's not within huge double sliding doors. (This interior set is seen again in "Barney Gets His Man.").

Super Grover

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Andy and the Gentleman Crook - S1-E21

Visible crew/equipment: When Aunt Bee is in the kitchen preparing to take a tray of food to the prisoner she momentarily walks out of the kitchen through the swinging door. As she pushes the door open, a crew member's hand and arm can be seen behind the door.

Andy the Matchmaker - S1-E7

Plot hole: When Barney's telling Andy about the poem written on the bank wall, Barney blames Opie and doesn't mention anything about Opie using chalk, but when Opie walks in Andy tells him, "Barney says there's a poem written on the wall of the bank, and that you were standin' along beside it with a piece of chalk in your hand," and then in a few moments Opie explains that some big kids pushed the chalk into his hands. So it's impossible for Andy to have known that chalk was used to write the poem, and not a marker, a pen, or a pencil.

Super Grover

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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