Man in a Hurry

If you could pick only one episode to show someone who has never seen a single episode pf "The Andy Griffith Show", this would be a great example. The contrast between the hustling of displaced businessman Malcom Tucker and the easygoing Sunday afternoon antics of Mayberry's finest citizens demonstrates everything that's appealing about the series. It includes the great front porch scene with Barney lazily repeating his mundane afternoon itinerary to the point that it infuriates Tucker. We also learn about "adventure sleeping" and Gomer's cousin Goober (who would later replace him at the filling station). Then there are the two elderly sisters who tie up the phone line every Sunday talking to one another about their health issues. A high point from the classic era that usually ends up at the top of most viewers "Best of" lists.

Malcolm Tucker is a man in a hurry. He has the misfortune of having his car breakdown two miles out of Mayberry. He locates Andy as the town is getting out of church and he requests the location of a mechanic. But there's only one mechanic in town, Wally, and he simply does not work on Sunday. He diagnoses the problem from his front porch, but that doesn't mean he's leaving that front porch.

So Mr. Tucker ends up an unwilling victim of Mayberry Sunday hospitality. The Taylors offer to feed him - He's too worried. He wants to call some mechanic from out of town, but the town phone lines are tied up every Sunday for hours with two elderly women who can't get around anymore who are making small talk on the phone.

Such a situation is likely to either kill or cure this victim of the rat race even as it exists in 1960 North Carolina. As to what it does, watch and find out.

Note that Gomer is being described as someone who only pumps gas and does not understand automobiles at all. That characterization changes as he is considered an ace mechanic before his character leaves the show.

"Man In A Hurry" is without a doubt, one of the all time BEST episodes (if not The Very Best) ever written!... So real a presentation of a small town and their calm traditional world of daily habit and familarity... A Stand Out Comedy with incredibly funny scenes, like where two old women the up the entire city's party line talking about their feet falling asleep 😂 Everyone always acting so calm and serene while the outsider Man In A Hurry is hysterical with total non-belief... So much of this episode is Right On Target... A True Comedy Classic TV Masterpiece.

Richard Emhardt's (Malcolm Tucker) brilliant performance certainly shines. But each scene, and all the actors performances are all some of classic comedy's most memorable.

Favorite scenes- Norman Leavitt's (Wally) clogged fuel line impression, Barney's repeating nap, over to Thelma Lou's, watch a little tv, then his wonderfully offended walk, and facial expression leaving the porch. First time Gomer's "all the best to you and yours". Andys masterful laid back relaxed man playing off the stressed man in a hurry weaved a poignant story in Malcolm Tucker's mind.

There seemed to be some inconsistency as to where Barney was supposed to be. Left for a nap, then Thelma Lou's in a huff then there he is again on the porch near the end. Also, seemed odd a brand new car would get a clogged fuel line. Also enjoy seeing "The Real McCoys" set behind Gomer at the filling station.

Ironically, Robert Emhardt appeared in an episode of Alfred Hitchcock presents entitled "Road Hog" in December of 1959. In it he played a man who was NOT in a hurry, in fact he was an obnoxious road hog and so caused the death of a injured man. Later in the episode, he was now a man in a hurry as the tables were turned on him and he was desperately trying to get to a hospital before he died of poisoning. It makes you wonder if he was chosen on purpose for this episode of Andy Griffith as a tongue in cheek tribute to that episode.