Two Chairs No Waiting 86: Barney’s Magic Badge

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Host: Allan Newsome
Running time: 0:16:39

Two Chairs No Waiting

Tonight we look at Barney’s Magic Badge.  I say magic because it appears and disappears from his uniform often throughout the episode.

In “Andy and the Gentleman Crook”, legendary con artist Gentleman Dan Caldwell arrives for a stopover in the Mayberry jail and quickly beguiles Aunt Bee, Opie, and Barney with his charm and sophistication. When Barney is left alone to watch him, Caldwell reels him into his web, takes his gun, and manages to escape. Before he reaches the courthouse door, Andy walks in with Aunt Bee and Opie, who are able to see through Caldwell’s charismatic veneer.

Andy and the Gentleman Crook
* Filmed: 21
* Aired: 21
* Original Air Date: 1961/02/27

While waiting for the arrival of Gentleman Dan, Barney works to clean the courthouse. Somehow, during all the cleaning, Barney’s badge begins to come and go from his uniform. It first leaves as Barney goes into the back room just before Dan arrives at the courthouse (time 8:27) and remains gone until he leaves the back room (time 8:51).

Barney’s badge stays put until he has locked up Mr. Caldwell and begins to talk to him through the bars of the jail cell (time 11:01) and asks for an autograph. The badge returns as Barney finishes his conversation with Dan (time 12:04).

It isn’t until later in the episode when Dan steals Barney’s gun and it about to make a get away (time 21:02). It’s hard to see the badge missing while Barney is still standing inside the cell but when he exits (time 21:31) it is very easy to see. Finally Barney’s badge returns (time 22:44) and remains.

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Related Links:

• Two Chairs No Waiting Facebook Fan Page – Check out the images of the items mentioned on this and other episodes of Two Chairs No Waiting.
• The Mayberry Historical Society – Wiki entry about “Andy and the Gentleman Crook.” Join the Mayberry community and help us build up this wonderful resource of Mayberry knowledge by adding your own information to the wiki.
• Burke on Mayberry #24 = Andy and the Gentleman Crook – A review of the episode of The Andy Griffith Show in podcast form by host Kevin Burke. Kevin talks through the high spots of the episode in about 10 minutes so it is easy to find time to listen.

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Executive Producer of Two Chairs No Waiting Episode #86: Don & Linda Skinner

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