George Jones is played by a guy who appeared in a ton of TV shows over his career. He comes to town to get investors in a hunt for buried treasure from some Civil War soldiers. Goober and Floyd fall quickly and soon others are in there too. This is an entertaining episode because this guy lays out every warning and precaution before reeling in the locals.
4 Reviews
The Crook Gets Away with It!
zardoz-1314 June 2018
Warning: Spoilers
Roger Perry plays George Jones, and he arrives in Mayberry and sets about fleecing Goober, Floyd, and then Miss Krump and Aunt Bee, asking them to invest $100 for his get-rich-quick-scheme. Eventually, despite using his better judgement, Sheriff Andy is taken in by this smooth customer. The thing that got me about this episode is that the thief apparently got away with his crime. He was never shown in handicuffs. Moreover, Andy let himself get fleeced, too. Usually, crime doesn't pay in these episodes and we see the thieves get their just comeuppance. Unless I missed something because an episode was whittled down to make time for commercials, George Jones is never shown in cuff. I cannot sure with certainty, but I don't think the criminals were typically this lucky.
Make no mistake in Mayberry
jarrodmcdonald-117 December 2016
Warning: Spoilers
This episode has an interesting premise but it's executed wrong. First, we can believe that the naive trusting folks of Mayberry might get caught up in a get-rich-quick scheme. So it's easy to see them being swindled by a con artist passing through town, a man who bilks them each of $100. But it's not believable Andy would be just as gullible.
I think the story would have worked better if Andy had been tempted but stopped himself from throwing a hundred bucks away. The other characters were only responsible to themselves-- Bee, Helen, Floyd and Goober. But Andy was not only responsible to himself but to a young son he was raising. I sincerely doubt he would have wasted that much money on a man his gut was telling him was a swindler, especially because he'd remember bills coming due and things Opie might need that the money could be better spent on; and since Andy is that type of father, who puts providing for his son above everything else, he would not in good conscience have squandered $100.
Also, the ending of this episode doesn't ring true. When the others find out the man absconded with their dough and tell Andy, it is learned the crook was apprehended in a nearby town and all the money will be returned. When they learn another hundred dollars had been invested, it seems very out of character for Andy not to tell them he had also been conned. Andy Taylor is not that dishonest. He might make mistakes but not these kinds of mistakes.
I think the story would have worked better if Andy had been tempted but stopped himself from throwing a hundred bucks away. The other characters were only responsible to themselves-- Bee, Helen, Floyd and Goober. But Andy was not only responsible to himself but to a young son he was raising. I sincerely doubt he would have wasted that much money on a man his gut was telling him was a swindler, especially because he'd remember bills coming due and things Opie might need that the money could be better spent on; and since Andy is that type of father, who puts providing for his son above everything else, he would not in good conscience have squandered $100.
Also, the ending of this episode doesn't ring true. When the others find out the man absconded with their dough and tell Andy, it is learned the crook was apprehended in a nearby town and all the money will be returned. When they learn another hundred dollars had been invested, it seems very out of character for Andy not to tell them he had also been conned. Andy Taylor is not that dishonest. He might make mistakes but not these kinds of mistakes.
Good casting of Roger Perry
vitoscotti7 August 2022
Andy especially being law enforcement is really lax. No background check, no asking for heads-up from train & bus depots. No one was suspicious, or investigated about digging on gavernment land? No permit? Andy's vehement apprehension giving in to his greed temptation was a funny bit. Always good to see Goober (George Lindsey) and Floyd (Howard McNear) teamed up. Funniest parts were Goober imposing on the Taylors during a meal, and Floyd & Goober realizing they got conned. The money figures would be 10x in today's money. Everybody would like to hit it big. Mayberry people are no different.
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