Barney's First Car

THE episode all us kids back in the day just loved, still do. Textbook defintion of Creative Writing 101, thanks to James Fritzell, who in a few years would create the DORIS DAY SHOW, later to write for MASH.

It's time for Barney to get a car, and lucky him -- he meets nice, little old lady Myrt (played to the hilt by Ellen Corby). Long before the WALTONS, Corby was a master at playing senior citizens, some with a touch of larceny. She's terrific, selling Barney a bunch of baloney how the car belonged to her late husband, and she has no choice but to tearfully part with it.

CLASSIC TV scene; Barney gives Andy and the gang a ride in the jalopy and everything goes wrong, including the insane part where the steering column unwinds in his face like a snake! The prop and production folks had some fun here.

No surprise Myrt is a car thief, sort of a "Ma Barker" type, running a gang of car thieves, assisted by Allan Melvin, who also played some bad apples in his career. In another atmospheric scene, Andy and Barney hide out in Myrt's garage and catch the gang red-handed.

10 stars for the the clever dialogue, especially Ellen Corby's part. Myrt tries to sell Barney another car when he's arresting her. OUT- Outrageous.

From SEASON 3 EPISODE 27 remastered dvd box set. Two sets; released 2005 and 2013, both with 5 dvds.

Non-stop big laughs from beginning to end. Some of TAGS best writng also. An amazing showcase for Don Knotts' comedic gift. Be impossible to list each funny moment there were so many. Some favorites- Barney near tears falling for Mrs Lesh's acting job, Barney loading up the car, don't touch the car, steering column popping up like a cobra, clanks & bangs while driving, Thelma Lou driving,, others pushing, Barneys state of shock stupor.

Very good ending highlighted by Barney fumbling with his bullet, duck walk, wanting to take Myrt's, "let's forget everything deal".

Stellar epilougue with angelic Aunt Rose (Hallene Hill) demonized by misguided Barney.

26 minutes goes by in a breeze it's so funny.

This is my third favorite episode of the show, this is another episode where Barney is center stage and it's one of his absolute best. I really like the plotline, it's one of those comedies where it's funny because it's true. It's a common consumer fear we all carry in the back of our minds, getting ripped off. Yeah some to almost all of us have been there as it's a known fact it happens every day in great numbers, to me it's watching a bad movie in the theater's or renting it out in a video store, sure it's not much money spent but all the same it is your money and you paid to see something good only to see a suck fest which makes the loss all the more painful. Which is exactly what Barney feels, yeah Barn we can feel your pain we've been there.

We pretty much see Barney gets a good deal on a good automotive, from an old widow. But as an old saying goes it's too good to be true, let alone the old widow automotive sale is one of the oldest con's ploys in the book.

It's funny how things just build up, as things get worse for Barney, they just get funnier. Really loved his reaction when he sees that horn just rise on his face for some strange reason. Or seeing Barney's face as he keeps getting worse news from Gomer.

The truck stops here for hilarity.

Rating: 4 stars

Ordinarily, it's Barney that's lecturing Andy about being more skeptical - when it comes to prisoners or strangers or just law enforcement in general.

And then one day Barney says that he has decided to buy a car. At every step of the process, Andy suggests patience, taking his time and thinking over a decision. But, no, he calls Mrs. Lesh when he sees an ad for a great deal, and swallows whole her story of a car only driven to church and back, and at half speed at that by her recently deceased husband. She plays upon Barney's sentimentality and tells him that her late husband's name was Bernard as well. Barney even refuses - her idea mind you - to take it for a test drive and have Gomer and Wally at the filling station look the car over. He gives her more money than she asks and takes possession without the title in hand, with the promise of the title coming in the mail in a few days. Barney did everything you could do wrong when buying a car. All because the seller played on his ego, haste for a good deal, and his compassion. - none of which are good traits when buying a car.

Then Barney takes Andy, Thelma Lou, Gomer, and Aunt Bea, and Opie out on a drive in it, and everything goes wrong.

Barney just isn't angry or embarrassed at this situation. He seems almost comatose, and Andy just helps him reason step by step through the process he should take to get his money back - all Barney had in the world. Besides just being a comic bit on getting taken in an auto buying transaction, it shows these two as a good team. Andy didn't mind ribbing Barney about the little things, but not the big ones.

This episode contains all the classic elements that make "The Andy Griffith Show" appealing to so many people. It centers around Barney and the decision to spend his life's savings($300)on a used car. Of course the car is a supposed one owner, pampered cream-puff that has been "handled with kid gloves". And the car owner is a supposed recently widowed "little old lady" who's husband also happened to be named Bernard. The highlight of the episode is a Sunday drive in the country in Barney's new ride with Andy, Opie, Aunt Bee, Thelma Lou and Gomer. This episode is also a perfect example of how important the incidental music (by composer Earle Hagen)was to the series (note the use of a harpsichord used in the scenes with Mrs. Lesh.) Ultimately, this episode spotlights Don Knotts who gets to display the entire range of Barney's emotions as he navigates his way through his first big purchase. One of the series' best.