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The Guitar Player is the third episode of the first season of The Andy Griffith Show.


Summary[]

A gifted guitar player who has self-doubts about his musical talent gets a chance at stardom - with a little push from Andy.

Plot[]

Andy believes his friend Jim Lindsey is the best guitar player around, but can't get Jim to believe that he's good enough to be a professional.

S1E3-Fleet-Band

Bobby Fleet arrives

When Bobby Fleet and His Band with a Beat come to town, Andy cooks up a plan. He fines Bobby and his band for so many minor infractions, that they decide to take 24 hours in Jail instead. Then Andy has Barney haul Jim in for questioning and tricks him into playing for Bobby. Bobby likes him and gives him a job as the lead Guitar.

Notes/Trivia[]

  • Andy makes a veiled reference to Elvis Presley: "How 'bout that fella we see every now and then on television, shakin' and screamin' - sounds like somebody's beatin' his dog."
  • This is the first time we hear Andy call Barney "Tiger.”
  • It is implied that Jim Lindsey is illiterate (when Jim and Andy are talking in the jail cell, Andy states that it would "nice to have the 'folding' kind of money, and having folks asking for autographs. It would be worth learning how to write just for that.")
  • Jim Lindsey is playing an acoustic guitar, yet electric guitar sounds are heard being played from it.
  • Jim references that he just bought a new guitar pick from a store in Winston-Salem.
  • After Andy tells Jim he's under arrest, Jim says "again,” implying that Andy had arrested Jim before.
  • Aunt Bee cooks chicken and dumplings for lunch or as Andy refer to it, "dinner.” (Dinner is the largest meal of the day. It could be either lunch or supper.)
  • There is a little drum roll at the end of the song but only a guy banging sticks on the jail cell bars.
  • Bobby Fleet and his band are eating at the drugstore. The floor plan is open with tables- the only time the pharmacy is seen like this. It was the cafe, not the drugstore, and was shown in at least one other episode with Earnest T. Bass.
  • The scene of Andy and Barney walking from the courthouse to the diner is the first inside shot (that of the diner) ever shot on the 40-acre lot for this series. All other indoor shots were filmed at the Desilu Studios in Hollywood.
  • Barney plays part of a song on the harmonica for the first time. He plays "Jingle Bells.”
  • Andy's first arrest in the series: Jim Lindsey, disturbing the peace.

Music[]

  • Barney and Andy perform New River Train, a Blue Ridge Mountain standard first recorded by Henry Whitter in 1924.
  • Barney plays "Jingle Bells" on the harmonica.

Goofs[]

  • Jim plays an acoustic guitar, but it sounds like two electric guitars.
  • Jim's arms lose quite a lot of their hairiness when shown in one guitar-playing close-up.
  • Barney sings harmony with Andy on the song "New River Train.” He sings with a fake "hick" accent, but otherwise on key. That is contrary to later episodes where he can't carry a tune.
  • Barney also sings the wrong lyric. The line is "the same old train that brought me here is going to take me back again." But Barney says "take me home again" the first time.
  • There is a radiator beneath the bulletin board in the courthouse. It's not connected to anything and continuously travels back and forth throughout season 1.

Quotes[]

Andy: "To tell the truth, I don't know why I bothered to arrest you."

Bobby Fleet: "If they ever had a beauty contest in this town, nobody would win."

Barney: "What number are you going to play, Jim."

Andy: "You're interruptin' me in the middle of my ‘ifing.’”

Gallery[]

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