wbmutbb-digest Saturday, December 18 1999 Volume 01 : Number 042
Topics in this issue:
lawn mower
corner door
Mr. O'Malley's place - - Chuck
Re: O'Malley
Andy and I want to spend more time together
Re: Mayberry Telephones with Blank Space for Rotary Dial
Re: wbmutbb-digest V1 #40
Don Knotts Autographed Book & Harver Bullock
Lawn Mower
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Date: Fri, 17 Dec 1999 07:00:13 -0600
From: "Paul Mulik" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: lawn mower
>Subject: andy and a lawn mower
Can anyone tell me if Andy owned a lawn mower. The only one I can think of
if the old timey ones with the blades that you just push.
>
In "Andy Saves Gomer," we learn that one of Opie's regular jobs is to mow
the lawn every Saturday morning (in this episode, Gomer volunteers to do
it). The mower in this episode is indeed the old time manual mower with the
revolving blades out front. However, we are not told if Andy owns this
mower, or if Opie normally uses a borrowed one. It could even be that Gomer
brought that particular mower with him that day.
In an earlier episode, "Andy Forecloses," when Aunt Bee is preparing for the
rummage sale, she says, "The Wilsons bought a new lawn mower. We can get
the old one, the one you're always borrowing." Perhaps the mower was donate
to the sale, and then Andy bought it himself.
- --Paul
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 17 Dec 1999 07:10:21 -0600
From: "Paul Mulik" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: corner door
>OK, I held it in as long as I could, but you guys have me confused (a hard
thing to do after Alabama's win over Florida), but which door are you
talking about? There was a door which appeared in the early episodes near
cell No. 1 (as I would call it) you know by the windows, and then it was
sealed up later on.
>
Let's see if I can clear this up. The original poster was wondering about
the door in the corner of the courthouse, directly to the right of the front
double doors as you exit. The door is there during the entire first season.
Between the front doors and this mystery door was a blank wall (rather
strange, since on the OUTSIDE there's a large window there). BTW, as Barney
might say, that's NOT cell number one, that's cell number TWO! Maybe I'd
better write it down....
At no time do we ever see anyone open this door. Whoever said they
remembered seeing Andy put a broom in there, could it be that you've been
hittin' the old Holiday Cheer a little bit early? (ha ha). Perhaps it was
supposed to be a closet, or maybe it was supposed to be a connecting door to
Floyd's barber shop. There's no corresponding door inside the barber shop,
though. Maybe we're supposed to think there was one there at one time but
someone sealed it up and drywalled over the opening.
At the end of the first season, the courthouse interior was remodeled. The
door vanished, and a window was added.
- --Paul
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 17 Dec 1999 08:43:33 -0600
From: "Wendy Phillips" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Mr. O'Malley's place - - Chuck
About the O'Malley issue: What I have always thought is awkward is the =
way Andy sees the bus at a distance and then the next split second - - =
voila! - - Mr. O'Malley is standing two feet away! It doesn't appear to =
be any time lapse, so it looks funny. About indoor plumbing, well it =
was a cabin in the woods and by nature would be a bit rustic. It =
doesn't seem like Mr. O'Malley has another house in Mayberry, otherwise =
he would go there when he got in town, so I bet he lived in another town =
and stayed in the cabin "O"Malley's place" when he was in the Mayberry =
area. If that's so, his main house must not have been far away because =
his family's business was well-known. SO, if that's the case, why did =
he take the bus and not drive? Here's another question: when Floyd went =
to town to get groceries, doesn't it seem like he had several =
opportunities to communicate to someone that he was being "held =
hostage." It's still a great episode especially for Floyd, sitting =
there eating his banana, enjoying the music, concerned about the =
hamburgers, getting into calling Barney "Al." Maybe we should be more =
like Floyd by not giving more weight to the bad circumstances but =
enjoying life in the midst of troubles. =20
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 17 Dec 1999 09:46:58 -0500 (EST)
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: Re: O'Malley
In reference to Georgia Griffith's ponderings about O'Malley....I
believe he had a big modern house in town. This is why he would not have
had to arrange for a ride home from the bus. Andy was offering him a
ride out to his 'place', his little cabin in the woods. Don't rich folks
like to have little rustic getaways? This would explain why the pantry
wasn't stocked; O'Malley didn't live there full time . Now none of this
is gospel, mind you. It's just my own ponderings on the subject!
~the groovy MissPoovey~
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 17 Dec 1999 08:59:16 -0600
From: "Wendy Phillips" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Andy and I want to spend more time together
I think I found something but I'm not sure. The scene where Andy is =
trying to tell Barney that he wants to spend time alone with Mary is so =
funny. Barney calls Thelma Lou and tells her that they can't go over to =
Mary's tonight because he and Andy want to spend some time alone. He =
hangs up then puts the phone in front of Andy and says, "You call =
Helen." Then, with the straightest face he asks Andy what he wants to =
do and he looks so puzzled as if to say, "Gosh, what is there for us to =
do?" I have always wondered how Andy and Don could do that scene =
without cracking up because Barney looks so innocent (you have to love =
him). Well, the other night I re-wound that scene several times to just =
enjoy it and I tried to watch every move Barney made with his face and I =
noticed that RIGHT before the camera switches to Andy's face, the ends =
of Barney's mouth go up. It's the very last split second - - so close =
that I've not noticed it before. I don't think that was Barney smiling; =
I think it was Don smiling. Has anyone else noticed that? What do =
y'all think? I also think that if Don Knotts was paralyzed from the =
neck down, he'd still be the best actor because he can make his face =
communicate so well by hardly moving a muscle (remember when the =
criminal in the Big House is talking about a "shake down" and you can =
tell exactly what is going through Barney's mind by the looks on his =
face). Great actor!
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 17 Dec 1999 14:25:17 EST
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: Re: Mayberry Telephones with Blank Space for Rotary Dial
Sarah told me to write this: Someone asked about the telephones seen in
Mayberry where there is a blank space where a rotary dial would usually
exist. The Mayberian who responded with the "mass production" theory was
surely correct.
I grew up in my own little Mayberry in Linn County, Kansas. When my
hometown (Mound City) still had wooden, hand-cranked wall telephones in the
farmlands and black "number please" telephones in town, the larger town
nearby (Pleasanton) was installing and using these very telephones you refer
to. For three or five years those phones had the blank space asked about,
and customers would pick up the receiver and tell Sarah what number they
wanted. Usually the customers would just ask for their called party by name:
"Sarah, please give me Ben Weaver." Then, one day when progress rattled
at their doors, Pleasanton converted those black "number please" telephones
and their blank spaces were filled in with rotary dials. A few years later,
my little hometown also put dial telephones into daily use. Ah, dial
telephones in the farmlands and small communities of mid-America! What
next?? But that also meant there was now no Sarah to talk with.
By the way, the old, original, wooden, hand-cranked farm telephone that
my mom and dad used since my earliest days now hangs on the wall of our
family room. When the crank is turned, the bells still jingle. Sadly now,
there is no Sarah on the other end asking, "number please." Progress and
technology have bypassed Sarah, but her era and Mayberry still live in our
hearts. That's the great thing about getting older -- you don't lose all
the other ages you've been.
To all my brothers and sisters in Mayberry, Brenda & I hope you have the
most wonderful, warm, caring, blessed Christmas you've ever had. Don't
forget the reason for the season. And God Bless your New Year 2000 too!
Lots of luck to you and yours! Larry Gillum
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 17 Dec 1999 15:50:10 EST
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: Re: wbmutbb-digest V1 #40
To reply to Gulywhumpr who asked the other day why the phone company would
make a phone with a place for a dial, but no dial:
In other, larger, less-fortunate areas of the country who didn't have Sarah's
able hand on the switchboard, they were forced to wear their fingers to nubs
by dialing their own numbers, the poor things! Therefore, whoever was
making phones in those days, probably Western Electric, made them dial-ready,
to accommodate those poor folks who were gonna have to dial for their
ownselves. The phone housing was the same, whether the insides were hooked
up to a dial, or just went quick-as-a-flash straight to Sarah.
I don't know all this as a total fact, but I'll bet I'm pretty close to the
truth. My dear beloveded always said if I didn't know something, I'd make it
up, and he was just about right.
Anybody else got a better explanation? Have a Merry Mayberry Christmas, all
you sweet folks. -- Romeena
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 17 Dec 1999 20:33:10 EST
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: Don Knotts Autographed Book & Harver Bullock
Folks,
Just as a heads up......the autographed edition of Don's book "Barney Fife
and Other Characters I Have Known" is getting low in number at Weaver's.
There were only 500 of them to begin with and now there are only about 100
left. If you want an autographed copy.....you better hurry.
http://www.mayberry.com/tagsrwc/weavers/
I'm sorry if I've been pushing Weaver's the last few days but with Christmas
fast aproaching I figured a few reminders might be nice.
Also, y'all remember to email me your notes of encouragement for Harvey!!!
We had several notes today that I passed along to his daughter and I'm sure
they will help lift his spirits but I'd like to have a supply everyday to
forward to her. Send 'em to me at:
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
and I'll pass them along. Ain't it neat that a writer from TAGS is reading
our writing?!! He's a prince of a feller too.
Allan
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 18 Dec 1999 07:22:57 -0600 (CST)
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (crystal)
Subject: Lawn Mower
Shelby, the person that you met while shopping is right. Andy didn't
have a lawn mower...he always borrowed the neighbor's.
We know this from the episode where Andy and Barney are trying to save
the Scobies home from Ben Weaver. Andy suggests to Aunt Bee that she
organize a rummage sale. Aunt Bee is enthusiastic and begins to name
all the things that she can ask the neighbors to donate. She mentions
to Andy the neighbor's lawn mower that "you always borrow" or something
to that extent.
While I am writing, I want to comment on one of my favorite episodes
"The Christmas Story". It is such a touching episode and I cannot watch
it without a box a tissues on hand. Even someone as mean as old Ben
Weaver needs love, compassion and mercy. Seeing old Ben looking in the
window, longing for what Andy and the gang have, tugs at my heart. Even
if someone is mean, they usually want something better. They need
kindness and of course, good old Andy was willing to give show some love
and kindness.
Let's not forget the reason for the season. Let's not forget that Jesus
came and gave himself to us, even though we, like old Ben, didn't
deserve His love. Let's remember to go out and share that love. It is
so easy to get wrapped up with friends and family and forget to share
that love with others. There are a lot of people out there, like Ben,
that have no one to spend Christmas with. It can be a lonely,
depressing time for them. Find someone that needs some love and share a
little bit of Christmas with them. It will make this Christmas your
best ever!!!
Thanks for letting me put my two cents in. I hope you all have a
wonderful and blessed Christmas. You all are the greatest and bring a
smile to my face everyday.
Merry Christmas,
Crystal Neal
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End of wbmutbb-digest V1 #42
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