Today, I watched a DVD of old teleplays from the 1950s. One of them was "Studio One in Hollywood: The Death and Life of Larry Benson (#6.37)". I was very shocked as I watched, as I soon noticed that this 1954 drama clearly must have inspired this episode of "The Andy Griffith Show"--albeit the Griffith episode was a lot less dark since the show was a comedy. I was even more shocked when I saw the 1943 film "The Human Comedy"--as, apparently, "The Death and Life of Larry Benson" was a ripoff of this MGM movie!! Clearly, this plot lacks originality.
Just like in "Studio One", a guy shows up in town and seems to know everyone--though no one recognizes him. The net effect is pretty .creepy and eventually the townsfolk are curious and furious that a total stranger could take such liberties as to refer to them by first names and act so familiar.
Unlike most episodes of the show, this one isn't particularly funny nor is it easy to believe. While the plot idea worked okay with "Studio One", here in a comedy it seemed to fall just a bit flat. One of the few disappointments in season one.