John Whedon Movies
- 1974
Winston Hibler, who produced many of those Disney "True Life Adventures" of the 1950s, was at the controls of The Bears and I. Patrick Wayne plays Bob Leslie, a Vietnam veteran who heads to the Canadian Rockies when he's discharged. Here he adopts three bear cubs, whose mother has been killed. Leslie also helps an Indian tribe reclaim the land that is rightly theirs. The Bears and I was based on a book by Robert Franklin Leslie. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1974
- G
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This Disney family adventure, directed by Robert Stevenson in his Jules Verne mode, concern a group of explorers who travel to the Arctic Circle in 1908 to explore the uncharted wastes of the North Pole. Sir Anthony Ross (Donald Sinden), a rich Londoner, organizes an Arctic exploration team in hopes of locating his missing son. Providing expert advice is Prof. John Ivarson (David Hartman), a professor of Nordic history. As the group explores the frozen tundra, they come across an unknown valley, skirting the borders of a giant volcano, that turns out to be a lost Viking kingdom. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Hartman, Donald Sinden, (more)
- 1966
Although he has grown accustomed to being insulted by his boss (and brother-in-law) Alan Brady (Carl Reiner), Mel Cooley (Richard Deacon) is nevertheless devastated when Alan loudly humiliates him in public. Disgusted by this spectacle, Rob (Dick Van Dyke) advises Mel to go into Alan's office and demand an apology. Emboldened, Mel acts upon Rob's advice -- and is promptly fired! This is the episode in which even Mel's longtime nemesis Buddy Sorrell (Morey Amsterdam) stands up for Mel's rights, casting a vote from "Mr. Jewish" against Alan "Captain Bligh" Brady. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Carl Reiner, Richard Deacon, (more)
- 1965
Although she doesn't appear in this episode, the Petries' Spanish maid Maria, introduced in the third-season installment "Turtles, Ties, and Toreadors," figures prominently in the proceedings. Rob (Dick Van Dyke) and Laura (Mary Tyler Moore) are persuaded to hire Maria's boyfriend Manuel Luis Rodridguez (Joby Baker) as a handyman. Unfortunately, Manuel has been trained as a professional bullfighter -- and that's all he knows how to do! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joby Baker, Jack Bernardi, (more)
- 1964
Rob (Dick Van Dyke) is in a pickle when one of the "Alan Brady Show" dancers, 18-year-old Joan Delroy (Cheryl Holdridge), develops a crush on him. Although Laura (Mary Tyler Moore) finds the whole thing amusing, Rob can't see the humor in it. Not only is he old enough to be Joan's "father...er, older brother...er, younger father," but her incessant fawning is getting in the way of his work. In desperation, Rob tries to scare off Joan by pretending to be a "wolf" -- whereupon Joan's hotheaded boyfriend Ernie (Jimmy Murphy) takes retribution! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Deacon, Cheryl Holdridge, (more)
- 1964
Rob (Dick Van Dyke) has purchased a brand-new car, and is so paranoid over the notion of incurring the tiniest of scratches that he bans Laura (Mary Tyler Moore) from using the vehicle. Unfortunately, Laura is forced to drive the car to take Ritchie to school -- and just as unfortunately, when she comes home she finds that the car has not only been scratched, but the scratch runs the entire length of the chassis! Nervously, she prepares to tell Rob the bad news, only to be cowed into silence when her husband threatens to sue whoever defaced his precious auto. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Deacon, Ann Morgan Guilbert, (more)
- 1964
Hoping to gain the funds to afford a pony, Opie and his friends sign up to sell the wares of the Miracle Salve Company door to door. Alas, not only are customers unreceptive, the salve is no good anyway. When the Miracle people refuse to release Opie from his contract, Barney tries to save the day with another of his master disguises-only to be defeated by his ingenuous "partner" Gomer Pyle (alias Opie Taylor Sr.!) Written by John Whedon, "A Deal Is a Deal" was originally telecast on April 6, 1964. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1964
The entreprenurial Diamond Jim Foley (Frank Ferguson) sells Aunt Bee a side of beef at a "bargain" price. When it turns out that Bee's freezer is too small to accommodate the meat, the helpful Foley talks her into buying a new appliance. It soon becomes obvious that the more Bee spends, the less satisfaction she'll get, and that's when Andy takes a good long look at Diamond Jim's business practices. Written by John Whedon, "Bargain Day" originally aired on March 23, 1964. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1964
Profoundly moved by the hard-luck story of Farmer Frisbee (Charles Lane), Aunt Bee organizes a protest group to prevent Frisbee's eviction so that the county can build a new highway. The canny Frisbee has neglected to inform Bee that he is merely trying to protect the moonshine still on his property. Once again, Andy and Barney get to the bottom (hic!) of things. First shown on January 20, 1964, "Aunt Bee the Crusader" was written by John Whedon. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1963
William Keene is cast as the Rev. Hobart M. Tucker, a New York minister visiting Mayberry. Invited to deliver the Sunday sermon, Tucker advises the local citizens to "slow down" and start enjoying life. Taking heart, the locals prepare for a relaxing band concert-and in the process, end up working twice as hard as before! Written by John Whedon, "Sermon for Today" originally aired on October 21, 1963; though filmed as the 100th episode of The Andy Griffith Show, it was the 99th to be shown. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1963
John Dehner guest-stars as travelling medicine man Colonel Harvey, who can charm the birds out of the trees-and, more importantly, the money out of Aunt Bee's pocketbook. Swept off their collective feet by the mellifluous Col. Harvey, Aunt Bee and her lady friends purchase great quantities of the Colonel's special "Indian Elixir"-which, as they soon discover, contains a tad more than the legal limit of alcohol. The scene in which Bee and her entourage drunkenly perform several choruses of "Chinatown, My Chinatown" is unforgettable. First telecast on March 11, 1963, "Aunt Bee's Medicine Man" was written by John Whedon. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1963
Figuring that Laura (Mary Tyler Moore) could use some extra help around the house, Rob (Dick Van Dyke) hires a Spanish maid named Maria, sight unseen. The trouble begins when Maria (Miriam Colon) shows up at the Petrie house with her broken arm in a sling -- and to make matters dicier, she can't speak a word of English. When Rob calls the agency for a replacement, he discovers that Maria will be sent back to Spain if she doesn't keep her job. As it turns out, though Maria is a flop as a maid, she possesses one unique talent that will pave the way for a happy ending. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Miriam Colon, Alan Dexter, (more)
- 1963
Opie gets in trouble with his schoolteacher, "Old Miss Crump", when he repeats his father Andy's assertion that American history is trivial and unimportant. Taking Opie's side, Andy heads to the schoolhouse for a confrontation with the teacher-only to be taken aback when the "old battleaxe" turns out to be an attractive young woman. In addition to providing another object lesson for Sheriff Andy Taylor, John Whedon's teleplay served to introduce Aneta Corsaut in the role of Helen Crump. After several false starts with such actresses as Elinor Donahue and Joanna Moore, The Andy Griffith Show had finally found the "right gal" for Sheriff Taylor. "Andy Discovers America" first aired on March 4, 1963. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1963
When Opie brings home a straight-A report card, everyone is amazed-none more so than Opie. Bursting with pride, Andy purchases a bike for his "brilliant" son. And then, Opie discovers it was all a mistake: He received another boy's card, while his own marks (many of them well below "C" level) were likewise misdirected. Unable to fess up to this, or to return the bike, Opie runs away from home to join the Navy (quite a lofty goal for a nine-year-old). First shown on November 18, 1963, "Opie's Ill-Gotten Gain" was written by John Whedon. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1963
Andy is informed that a top-secret gold shipment from Denver to Fort Knox is making a stopover in Mayberry. Sworn to silence, Andy makes the mistake of telling Barney about the shipment. Before long, the entire town is preparing to welcome the armored-car drivers. A disaster? Not quite-fate, and a bit of preventative strategy, will soon intervene. Rance Howard, father of series star Ronny Howard, plays the Treasury Man, while Ronny's younger brother Clint Howard is seen as little Leon. Written by John Whedon, "A Black Day for Mayberry" originally aired on November 11, 1963. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1963
Encouraged by an enterprising hobo (Douglas Fowley), Opie and his friends begin playing "Robin Hood." Before long, the boys are blithely stealing from the rich and giving to the poor-namely, their pal the hobo. Richard Keith, formerly "Little Ricky" on I Love Lucy, is here seen as Johnny. First broadcast on December 30, 1963, "Opie and His Merry Men" was one of several fourth-season Andy Griffith Show installments written by John Whedon. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1962
In this Rashomon-inspired episode, an angry Rob (Dick Van Dyke) storms out of the house after a big fight with Laura (Mary Tyler Moore). The camera then zeroes in on the fishbowl in the Petrie living room, where a pair of goldfish accurately recall the events leading up to the argument -- and it is painfully clear that both parties were equally at fault. Of course, the separate versions of the incident told by Rob and Laura tend to cast themselves in the best possible light, with Laura coming off as an eternally smiling saint in her flashback, and Rob oozing the charm of Fred Astaire in his! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Deacon
- 1962
An unintentionally insensitive remark by little Ritchie (Larry Mathews) has Sally (Rose Marie) regretting the fact that she is still unmarried. Even so, Sally insists upon celebrating her birthday alone, and refuses to let Rob (Dick Van Dyke) and Buddy (Morey Amsterdam) try to cheer her up. The situation takes on a new dimension when Sally informs her co-workers that she intends to spend her birthday with an old school chum named Leo Fassbinder. Convinced that she has invented this "chum" (what a ridiculous moniker!), Rob and Buddy secretly scheme to pay her a surprise visit that evening. It turns out, however, that Leo is quite real -- and, sad to say, a major disappointment for the fragile Sally. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- George Neise, Barbara Perry, (more)
- 1959
Like most youngsters, Beaver (Jerry Mathers) and Wally (Tony Dow) are never satisfied with anything that they own. Gee, they reason, if Dad wasn't so stingy, they could have a whole lot of neat stuff. But our heroes are in for a real eye-opener when Chris (Billy Chapin) and Pete (Billy Chapin), the sons of the Cleavers' garbage man, Henry Fletcher (Jess Kirkpatrick), drop by unexpectedly. For starters, Chris and Pete are astonished to learn that Beaver and Wally actually have a front yard! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rusty Stevens, Jess Kirkpatrick, (more)
- 1958
Although he's been forbidden to visit a local construction site, Beaver (Jerry Mathers) does so anyway, and rips the pants of his best suit in the process. Advised by pal Larry (Rusty Stevens) to make up a "good story" about the accident, Beaver fabricates the whopper to end all whoppers -- and when he's caught in his lie, his parents Ward (Hugh Beaumont) and June (Barbara Billingsley) agree not to punish him providing that he promises to tell the truth from now on. Unfortunately, Beav subsequently rips his other good pair of pants under circumstances that border on the ridiculous -- and when he tries to tell the truth to his mom and dad, they refuse to believe him! This episode is also known as "Beaver Disowns His Parents." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rusty Stevens, James Parnell, (more)
