"The Andy Griffith Show" My Fair Ernest T. Bass (TV Episode 1964) Poster

(TV Series)

(1964)

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9/10
The Best of Bass
MichaelMartinDeSapio13 February 2017
"How do you do, Mrs. Wi-ley?"

The most hilarious and memorable of the episodes featuring eccentric backwoodsman Ernest T. Bass, played brilliantly by Howard Morris. In this one Ernest T. is longing for the love of a woman - any woman - but first he has to be accepted in society. So, in a parallel to the famous story of "Pygmalion" and "My Fair Lady" (the movie of which came out the year this episode was made) Andy tries to make a gentleman out of this rough rustic and pass him off at a fancy party. This re-education program leads to some very funny bits between Andy, Barney and Ernest T.

Howard Morris' layered, funny and touching characterization of Ernest T. Bass makes this episode special. Watch out too for character actress Doris Packer (you may remember her as school principal Mrs. Cornelia Rayburn on LEAVE IT TO BEAVER) as society matron Mrs. Wiley. The TAGS writers exploited this situation one more time for the episode "The Education of Ernest T. Bass."
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9/10
Smooth the Rough Edges
Hitchcoc10 December 2019
Ernest T. Bass reappears. He's still throwing rocks through windows and trying to run off with women. When he tells his hard luck story to Andy and Barney, Andy decides to do a Henry HIggins and polish him up for polite society. There are some great scenes here as the bull in the china shop tries his best to fit in.
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7/10
Ernest T gets a lady
mloessel20 May 2022
Warning: Spoilers
One of the best episodes featuring Mr. Eccentric/ Ernest T. Bass. There's something about breaking windows that amuses Bass the mighty woodsman searching for a lady. Next to Deputy Fife Bass is one of the best caricature type characters created by the Andy Griffith Show writers. Ernest T is a searching for a lady but has no social graces. Sheriff Taylor decides to clean him up a bit and attempts to pass him off as a relative from Raleigh. He and Deputy Fife take him a single social gathering. Bass does well with the one day training he received. Bass is from the hills though we never see his place. Sheriff Taylor and Deputy Fife act like they are men of the world but they are just one notch above Bass. At best they have a high school education and training in law enforcement. However that's a big notch. BAss does connect with a lovely lady who enjoys being lifted up and frolicking around with the mighty woodsman. In the end the Sheriff and Deputy chuckle as Bass and his lady skip away down the street without a care.
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10/10
Mr. Schwamp
hodgelawfirm@aol.com5 February 2021
Mr. Schwamp was a small but memorable addition to several episodes. In this one, he helpfully pinched Ernest T. Bass.

Someone in this great country knows who played the mysterious Mr. Schwamp. Perhaps a gofundme reward would coax a friend, neighbor, or relative to come forward with a back story.
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10/10
"Oh no! It's that animal! That creature!"
vitoscotti14 May 2022
A challenge to put into words. The episode is truly amazing. Every line by Ernest T Bass (Howard Morris) is a home run. One of the greatest sitcom episodes of all-time.

Of course ETB at Mrs Wiley's (Doris Packer) party is funny. But all the other scenes with ETB are also hilarious. I especially like Hoggette, "do I have the rhythm?" ,"How do you do Mrs Wiley" the only greeting ETB can use, Barney's entering a room guidance .

Who paid for ETB's suit? Andy throughout the series does a lot of personal activities on the clock. On the taxpayers dime.

A funny epilogue explaining why Ramona is so daffy.
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3/10
Didn't care much for the ET Bass episodes
kctkeller28 December 2022
For some reason I just never cared much for Earnest T. His character was way too childish. I never found him funny at all. But I love the show so much that I watched his episodes anyway. In real life he would have been thrown in jail for busting windows like that. Of course Andy Griffith wasn't real life so it worked for the show but having grown up in the 60's, and having broken a window or 3, they should have shown a bit more punishment in ETB's case.

Something of note regarding this particular episode however is that it was the episode being filmed the day that president Kennedy was shot. They stopped filming until the following week.
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Mystery man revealed
desertswan31 August 2021
Patch S Wimmers played Mr. Schwamp. So the mystery is solved! And I totally agree that this episode is hilarious.
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1/10
Hoodlum gets a reward, AGAIN
Snownoise2 March 2023
It makes me want to write a review, every time I get to encounter an episode that shows "the time" while I've been watching the Andy Griffith show. Misogyny? A harsh punishment to a child? Well, those are the days. I can swallow that easy. Besides, I could see the reviews sharing my thoughts on those episodes too, so why bother? However, after going through 3 and a half seasons, it finally came to my turn. Come on, what the heck, how could they reward a hoodlum with a good cloth and a woman even though he's a menace to a society? Smashing the windows with a rock and crushing other man's skull with a base are nothing serious? Funny thing is that Ernest gets what he wants at the end in other episodes too, well mostly. People sure took matter lightly in the past, but that doesn't mean they just ignore the crimes. It's wrong then, it's wrong now. The worst episode of the Andy Griffith show so far.
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