Songs in Mayberry
Did anyone mention Aunt Bee's favorite song, Chinatown, My Chinatown, written in 1910 by Jerome Schwartz? Chinatown, my Chinatown, Where the lights are low; Hearts that know no other land, Drifting to and fro. Dreamy, dreamy Chinatown, Almond eyes of brown, Hearts are light and lights are bright In dreamy Chinatown. ___ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://www.mayberry.com/tagsrwc/wbmutbb/
Barneyisms
One day Barney went to a liebarry at Peeton Place while on vacation and he read in a book by Sigmond Frood about cleptermineracks who have a stealing compellshun because of a disorder in their patubla oblagonda which may be the results of a head injury from falling off a motorcicle or falling out of a heeliocopter in which case the person may have to be in a hospital to help them deal with their apathee and where they can also work on therapetic activities like making baskets or sewing langeray because they cannot be innarculated to prevent such problems. Ken, your education was worth every penny! ___ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://www.mayberry.com/tagsrwc/wbmutbb/
Fife (as in Barney)
Fife, Scotland, has a long history of association with the monarchy of Scotland, so much so that Fifers strongly defend the right of the region to be known as the Kingdom of Fife. The kingdom is home to Dunfermline, the ancient capital of Scotland, the ancient Palace of Falkland, St. Andrews the home of golf, beautiful East Neuk of Fife, and the Howe of Fife. Dewey, I'm sending directly to your e-address a few things from our recent visit and explorations in Fife and Dunfermline. I wrote earlier to the Digest that we actually saw a Mayberry Inn or Mayberry Pub somewhere in Scotland's Kingdom of Fife, but were unable to stop there (British driving can be very stressful). I will forever wonder if there was any connection at all to our favorite hometown Mayberry. Now we need to dig a little deeper to see if our favorite Deputy Barney had any roots in Fife, Scotland. Larry in CO ___ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://www.mayberry.com/tagsrwc/wbmutbb/
Mayberry Everywhere
Several years ago a French-speaking boy from Belgium lived with us while attending a local university. We became his home and family, and he is still fondly considered to be one of our sons. Many of our family customs and characteristics were new and unfamiliar to this lad from a faraway land. Geoffrey adapted quickly and came to love some of the things that were important for us. In his recent Christmas letter, he was reminiscing about all the warm and wonderful things he remembered from his days with us. I thought you'd appreciate two of Geoffrey's sentences, reprinted below:(Did I teach him right?) And of course, I remember The Andy Griffith show and Barney Fife -- what a character! What good memories! Geoffrey was a very quiet, passive kid with little expression, but I'm here to tell you -- Barney Fife had Geoffrey rolling on the floor with laughter! As you can see, he never forgot his first exposure to Mayberry in the U.S. of A. Speaking of French, when Barney pronounces coupé, he's trying to impress us that he really knows this exotic language and coo-pay is actually the way it's said in French. Once he reminded us, You're not talkin' to a jerk, ya know.Bon jour! Larry in CO ___ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://www.mayberry.com/tagsrwc/wbmutbb/
Stuffing One's Face
To the ones who responded negatively,your train of thought amazes me.First off,I ASSUMED nothing.I merely made a statement.As far as stuffing your face,how can someone call this tacky?It is just a Southern term,get over it.You absolutely have a right to rebut anything I submit.Some of you just need to get a life and quit trying to pick something to pieces.Is that a tacky term? Dewey, here's one who agrees with you. And as far as stuffing your face is concerned, it's a saying I've heard all of my life and have always known that it was said with no harm or crudeness intended, but rather as a humorous expression of how some of us see ourselves enjoying the feast and fellowship of sacred days.I've observed that many of our favorite Mayberry characters felt free to express themselves, their thoughts, and their cliches, regardless of interpretation, so I award you that same right as a fellow Mayberrian. May you and yours enjoy a happy, healthy New Year! Larry in CO ___ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://www.mayberry.com/tagsrwc/wbmutbb/
Anniversary Trip
[Ken wrote:] My wife and I are celebrating our 39th anniversary tomorrow. I was trying to think of something special to get her . . . . I finally decided that for our 39th anniversary I am going to take her to Ireland. Then on our 50th I plan to go back and get her. I've been meaning to jump in here to honor Ken's 39th anniversary a couple of days ago. Congratulations! Of course, I don't always know when Ken is being serious and when he's funning us. Based on what he's written, I guess he'll be making a return trip to Ireland in Year 2020! Which leads me to a serious note for real: My wife and I just celebrated our 36th anniversary and I took her to England Scotland (for real) and, Ken, I did bring her back home with me, just for the record. First of all, we spent quite a bit of time exploring historic sites in Scotland's County of FIFE and wondered if Barney's ancestors may have originated in this faraway land. Secondly, we were muddling through the streets of a quaint town -- British driving is very stressful -- and noticed in the distance a white building over which a sign read, Mayberry Pub. I blinked my eyes a couple of times, wondering if I had read it accurately. Sure 'nuff, it did say Mayberry. My nerves in that kind of driving were just about as high as Barney's when he's on a case, and there was no turning back, turning around, or forcing our little rental car down a one-way street going the wrong way, so the brief glimpse of the Mayberry Pub had to stick in my mind as a once-and-only sighting.I think I was scratching my head for a day or two with the amazing reality that in the Kingdom of Fife was something named Mayberry!Guess the world is never too large to be without a distant reference to Mayberry our Hometown. Larry in CO ___ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://www.mayberry.com/tagsrwc/wbmutbb/
Return to Mayberry
[Thelma Lou wrote:] That's why Return to Mayberry is so important -- it brings Barney's story full circle. He is once more in his home town with his friends, including Andy. He and Thelma Lou are finally married, and all is right with the world. Barney is back where he belongs, which is how we will always remember him. Bravo, Thelma Lou! That's the missing link! That's the happy ending of the Barney story that I needed to hear! Larry in CO ___ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://www.mayberry.com/tagsrwc/wbmutbb/
Mayberry Front Porches
One of my favorite things to do while watching all the various episodes of TAGS is to pay special attention to all the front porches that are on the homes within Mayberry. 'Twas a wonderful dissertation on the importance of the front porch, Ken. It reminded me poignantly of my growing-up years on our small Midwestern farm. The front porch was a gathering place during daytime and nighttime hours alike. We had the homemade ice cream, strawberry shortcake, friends and family coming and going, and all the rest. Then, after curfew, the porch became my sleeping place during hot, humid summer nights, with my dog beneath my canvas army cot. Our only neighbors during those hours were fireflies (we called them lightning bugs), June bugs, nighttime insect symphonies of sound, lonely distant coyotes, and occasional thunder. I don't know if the good folk of Mayberry ever slept on their front porches, but I think Gomer might have tried it if it hadn't been for them spiders down there. The trouble nowadays is that people feel they need to retreat to inner sanctums, either inside their homes or within high fences of back yards and patios for safety, security, and privacy. And besides, I wistfully ask, who has time to sit anymore anyway? Front porch sitters symbolically have their arms and hearts opened to the world, or at least to their community. They are ready to receive, accept, and enjoy their neighbors and even strangers who pass by. Surely that is the Mayberry Spirit we cherish and actively promote.At least, maybe it's the simple Mayberry way of life we'd like to reclaim and relive. It is a moment in time that my kids may never know. Long live Mayberry and its front porches, spiders included. Larry in CO ___ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://www.mayberry.com/tagsrwc/wbmutbb/
(1) Inconsistencies; (2) Earle Hagen
Harriet . . . . Loved your article about inconsistencies! Very clever writing. As I've said before and again, people creating our wonderful Mayberry in the 1960s never could have imagined that way down the road, in a whole 'nother century, we'd be watching and rewatching and analyzing bit by bit every detail in slow motion, rewind, zoom, and frame-by-frame stop action. I'll betcha all those fascinating inconsistencies of the show weren't even noticed on Grandma's snowy blue-and-white picture tube, especially as they were spread over weeks, months, and years. Some things change and some don't. Some of us are holding on for dear life, trying to preserve some of the values and ideals of Mayberry life. If you look very closely, you'll notice that not everything was perfect even in Mayberry, nor in my small hometown of Mound City (as close to Mayberry as you can get), but the wondrous elements we remember are the things that helped shape us into the solid, responsible citizens we are today. Aren't we glad that we actually lived some Mayberry moments first-hand, and aren't we glad that we can relive the good parts whenever we choose through the miracle of television and DVD technology? Thank you to all of our Mayberry citizens who have written such profound, touching, memorable tributes to Earle Hagen. Being a career musician myself, I am deeply appreciative of Mr. Hagen's work and ability to capture the mood and essence of each show and each setting for which he composed. His TAGS theme song has already become a classic, and Earle's music for the show's characters and actions set the stage for proper emotions, identity, and state of mind.Earle Hagen is but another in a long list of creative geniuses that all came together just at the right moment in entertainment history to make The Andy Griffith Show something very unique, special, and lasting. For many of us, it is Mayberry -- past, present, and forever -- our hometown.And now, from a musician who can't whistle worth beans, I wish lots of luck to you and yours! Larry in CO ___ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://www.mayberry.com/tagsrwc/wbmutbb/
Merry Mayberry Christmas
If you would like to hear Elinor tell the story herself, go to the Cast Interview section of the Mayberry.com site and you can listen to an interview I did with her back in 1998 (boy I sound *country*). She will tell you there about singing Away in a Manger and other other things related to TAGS. http://www.mayberry.com/tagsrwc/wbmutbb/anewsome/private/realaudio.htm Allan, I enjoyed this interview very much. It was kind and comforting to hear Ellie's (Elinor's) voice and her feelings and observations. What a sweetheart! Sure wish she had decided that she was doing okay (or perfect) and had stayed on TAGS for several more seasons! I'd like to join the others who are writing that The Christmas Episode is one of their favorites. Before DVD, if I happened upon that show in broadcast scheduling, life in my household changed instantly. The telephone was not allowed to ring, the dog was not allowed to bark, and the modern world surrounding us stood still and held its breath. A halo of calm, peace, and Christmas love descended upon us, and my mind and emotions returned to the simpler time of my childhood. I'm a big boy, but also a very sentimental one, and wiping a few tears from my eyes was certainly not beneath my dignity. It is this one show that always leaves me with a prayer of gratitude: God bless the Mayberry Spirit that lives in our hearts and minds, now and forevermore. And thanks to Elinor for adding so beautifully to that wondrous moment. We love you, Miss Ellie.We wish for all of you a very joyous, Blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year! And so, as Tiny Tim observed, God Bless Us, Every One! Larry in CO ___ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://mail.wbmutbb.com/mailman/listinfo/wbmutbb_wbmutbb.com http://www.mayberry.com/tagsrwc/wbmutbb/
Don Knotts
I have been waiting all these days for the right words for expressing my sadness and grief over the death of our beloved Don Knotts. A week has passed and I still can't find the words. There are no words.I'm grateful I had the opportunity of seeing Don live in On Golden Pond, and I'm grateful we were able to watch him make his exit through the stage door following that performance. My wife, my brother and his wife, and I waited there for Don's appearance with fellow TAGSRWC member, Mark Hanley and his family. In my dictionary, Don Knotts was the definition of celebrity. Now that he's gone, there is a giant hole in the fabric of Americana, its entertainment industry, and its culture. The wonderful, classic TAGS shows that come to us via TVLand, and the perfect images of Mayberry that pop in and out of our DVD player with ritual regularity seem even more important to us now. We have lost another grand icon. And for those of us who come from Mayberryesque towns and communities, east, west, north, or south, and for those who've always wanted that kind of place, the dream lives on. We will keep it alive. Long live Mayberry! Larry in CO ___ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://mail.wbmutbb.com/mailman/listinfo/wbmutbb_wbmutbb.com http://www.mayberry.com/tagsrwc/wbmutbb/
Funniest Episode
Question: What's everyone's pick for the show's funniest episode? My pick for No. 1 funniest episode is Mountain Wedding. It is Ernest T's first appearance on TAGS, and the image of Barney dressed in the white, frilly, bride's dress and his mannerisms therein are priceless and permanently etched into my mind. Everytime I recall that image I smile, and sometimes just laugh right outloud!However, I do believe I have a lot of favorites and my list could go on and on. Happy New Year, Mayberry, and lots of luck to you and yours!Larry in CO ___ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://mail.wbmutbb.com/mailman/listinfo/wbmutbb_wbmutbb.com http://www.mayberry.com/tagsrwc/wbmutbb/
Mayor Stoner's tie
Maybe its just me, but as a trained noticer, I picked up on something recently. It seems odd to me that a professional like Mayer Stoner can't seem to tie a tie properly. In almost all of the episodes, he has the back tail of the tie much longer than the front. I think this might be a part of the mayor's pre-determined character image. How different this image would be if he were fastidious in attire. In this role, Mayor Stoner insists upon being authoritative and in-control, while really, he's somewhat frumpy in appearance and out-of-control. As such, he's not to be taken too seriously, and always provokes grins and chuckles, adding his own element of humor to any episode. (But, he doesn't know he's funny, and woe to the person who laughs at him!) Larry in CO ___ WBMUTBB mailing list WBMUTBB@wbmutbb.com http://mail.wbmutbb.com/mailman/listinfo/wbmutbb_wbmutbb.com http://www.mayberry.com/tagsrwc/wbmutbb/
