The Andy Griffith Show

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

Deputy Otis - S2-E31

Visible crew/equipment: After Otis admits to Andy the reason why his brother thinks that he works at the courthouse Otis walks back to the cell, but when Andy calls him back and gets up, just as Andy walks around the desk we can briefly see two actor's marks where they will stand momentarily.

Super Grover

Three's a Crowd - S2-E27

Visible crew/equipment: When Barney and Thelma Lou leave Mary's house the curved chalk actor's mark is visible on the floor by the door. Then Barney shows up again with his drum, and we can see a chalk T-mark on the floor. That same T-mark is also there in a later scene, when Barney barges in with the letter he found behind the file cabinet.

Super Grover

Crime-Free Mayberry - S2-E7

Visible crew/equipment: Right after Mrs. Williamson leaves the barbershop upset about the carp killing, when the mayor says that they have more important things to talk about - which is the celebration, we can see the curved chalk actor's marks where Williamson had been standing.

Super Grover

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The Taylors in Hollywood - S6-E8

Revealing mistake: While Andy, Aunt Bee, and Opie are at the Hollywood studio watching a scene being filmed, when Andy mistakenly stands up and interrupts the filming we can see the wall and shelves behind the director, and it should look familiar because it's the wall and shelves from Floyd's shop in Mayberry.

Super Grover

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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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