Aunt Bee's Medicine Man

John Dehner (Col. Harvey) highlights a hilarious episode. The Col would sell an Eskimo an icecube. He's cocky all the way through. Even meeting the ladies auxiliary in jail. Not the least embarrassed, or concerned. Funny scenes when he's touting his elixir to the townspeople, and spreading it on thick to mesmerized Opie.

Funny epilougue but strange Andy would scare Barney about his health. Might be a bit cruel for a jokes sake.

John Dehner plays Colonel Harvey, a snake-oil salesman who invades Mayberry. He has a license and does that gimmicky fast talking thing. Bee, who has some ailments, falls for his pitch when it makes her feel younger. Actually, she is snockered. She gets her friends involved and they have similar fate. Normally, I'm not big on episodes that feature Aunt Bee, but this one is pretty good.

This episode starts out with Aunt Bee feeling depressed about an acquaintance who passed away and was close to Aunt Bee in age. Andy suggests a visit to the doctor but she dismisses the idea saying that Doc Andrews wouldn't understand. On her way home, she encounters a street peddler who is pushing a special tonic that is supposed to give you a boost and revitalize your energy. Aunt Bee buys a couple bottles and also invites the charismatic pitchman over for dinner. Later, Andy and Barney also encounter the "medicine man" and they both become immediately suspicious. However, he has the necessary paperwork for street peddling and they leave him alone for the time being. In the meantime, Aunt Bee is home cooking dinner and has already sampled the tonic. When Andy and Barney get to the house, they fine Aunt Bee bouncing up and down playing the piano and singing with Opie. They immediately notice her erratic behavior (Barney tells Andy "I think she's tiddly") They then find the tonic bottles and decide Barney should take one of them to the local doctor for analysis. By this time Colonel Harvey arrives for dinner. Aunt Bee and Opie are charmed by his talk and magic tricks however Andy already has him figured out as a boorish and pompous double talker. Veteran character actor John Dehner is flawless in the role as Aunt Bee's medicine man. Frances Bavier turns in another great performance as Aunt Bee while under the influence of the Colonel's Charm and his tonic. Director Bob Sweeney also deserves props for how he framed each scene in this episode to emphasize the visual humor ( e.g. Aunt Bee bouncing up and down on the piano stool and spinning around to greet Andy and Barney. Also, the Colonels entrance to the Taylor house when he discovers Andy is Aunt Bee's nephew.) Its also good to see Andy and Barney working together as a team without Barney doing something inept. Another good example of TAGS in its prime.

Maybe the title's government agency doesn't work in S. Carolina. It was established to basically shut down magic potions that couldn't prove effectiveness or were harmful. Also, if his stuff is just concentrated alcohol, then it's sale is taxed by the feds. The peddler in this show should have been immediately arrested, not after getting the old ladies drunk. I know, I know! It's just a show.

Aunt Bee's friend passes away who is exactly Bee's age. She begins to feels down, inexplicably, and does not want to hear the family doctor's explanation that "we're not spring chickens anymore". This is exactly the same complaint my own mother once had about our family doctor, in addition to his ever popular "life isn't a bowl of cherries".

So I do have an affinity for this episode. But Frances Bavier does, as usual, a very creditable job in her role. She convincingly plays her character in an alcohol uplifted mood. I think she is quite underrated. It should not be taken too seriously, but there is a lesson to be learned here. Questions of the morality of alcohol aside, this represents a pretty historical portrayal of the snake oil salesmen of the traveling shows.

It's interesting to wonder how bad a person the Colonel is. He definitely imbibes in his product, or a similar form of beverage

Overall, the show is very well done.