THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW maintained a beautiful balance between comedy and heartfelt drama. A few episodes reached the sublime; "Mr. McBeevee," a touching parable about reason and faith, is one of them. Opie talks excitedly about his new friend, Mr. McBeevee, and describes him in fantastical terms (he walks in the treetops, wears a silver hat, has twelve extra hands, blows smoke from his ears, etc.). At first Andy and Barney accept this as childhood make-believe, but when Opie starts coming home with a series of gifts (including an Indian hatchet) supposedly from Mr. McBeevee, Andy is forced to call the fantasizing to a halt. Meanwhile, we are made privy to the fact that Mr. McBeevee is indeed real and that his whimsical quirks all have a rational explanation. Andy tells Opie he will not punish him if he denies Mr. McBeevee's existence; this scene is a high water acting mark for both Andy Griffith and Ronnie Howard, showing the depth of the father/son relationship. The payoff, when Andy finally meets Mr. McBeevee and comes back to tell Barney about it, is nothing short of cathartic. "Mr. McBeevee," more than the better-known "Opie the Birdman," wins my prize for the finest episode of the series, and it will be sure to bring a tear (and, finally, a twinkle) to your eye.
14 Reviews
heartwarming father/son relationship
mdheinze9 December 2016
Warning: Spoilers
Having lost my own father a couple years ago, long before his time (diagnosed with cancer at 55), I find I now particularly enjoy stories about fathers and in particular, the father/son relationship. As another reviewer said, this is a great story about faith vs reason and how both have their place.
It seems silly to include a spoiler warning on a 50 year old TV show but since IMDb website has warned me I'll be blacklisted if I don't: ***warning, spoilers ahead***
The episode starts off with Opie out back pretending to be a cowboy riding his imaginary horse, "blackie". Later in the day, Opie then tells Andy and Barney about his new friend, Mr. McBeevee, who they quickly judge to be yet another imaginary friend, after hearing Opie's description of him: walks around in the tree tops, wears a shiny silver hat, makes smoke come out of his ears, and has 12 extra hands that jingle when he walks.
Andy is initially unconcerned but when Opie later comes home with a hatchet he claims to have gotten from his new friend, things take a turn for the worse and Andy insists that Opie take the hatchet back to wherever he found it.
Of course, the audience has been treated with the knowledge that Mr. Mcbeevee is in fact a real person. He's up in the trees because he's working on the phone lines, the shiny hat is nothing more than his safety helmet, and his jingling extra hands are just what he calls the tools on his tool belt.
When Andy later demands Opie admit the truth, he little guy can't bring himself to do it (which is made all the more touching when you consider the fact he knows he's about to be unfairly punished for lying but he won't tell a lie even to get out of the unfair punishment).
Andy is upset at this but he has so much faith in his son that even though he can't rationally explain it, he tells Opie he believes him. When Barney and Aunt Bee question Andy about this and ask if he really believes Mr. McBeevee exists, Andy responds with what I believe to be one of the most touching lines of the whole series: "No, I don't believe in Mr. McBeevee-- But I do believe in Opie."
Andy drives out to the woods in a vain hope to learn the truth and discovers his faith in his son was well-placed.
A fantastic episode about fatherhood (and parenting in general) and a great lesson in having faith in your loved ones...Highly recommended.
It seems silly to include a spoiler warning on a 50 year old TV show but since IMDb website has warned me I'll be blacklisted if I don't: ***warning, spoilers ahead***
The episode starts off with Opie out back pretending to be a cowboy riding his imaginary horse, "blackie". Later in the day, Opie then tells Andy and Barney about his new friend, Mr. McBeevee, who they quickly judge to be yet another imaginary friend, after hearing Opie's description of him: walks around in the tree tops, wears a shiny silver hat, makes smoke come out of his ears, and has 12 extra hands that jingle when he walks.
Andy is initially unconcerned but when Opie later comes home with a hatchet he claims to have gotten from his new friend, things take a turn for the worse and Andy insists that Opie take the hatchet back to wherever he found it.
Of course, the audience has been treated with the knowledge that Mr. Mcbeevee is in fact a real person. He's up in the trees because he's working on the phone lines, the shiny hat is nothing more than his safety helmet, and his jingling extra hands are just what he calls the tools on his tool belt.
When Andy later demands Opie admit the truth, he little guy can't bring himself to do it (which is made all the more touching when you consider the fact he knows he's about to be unfairly punished for lying but he won't tell a lie even to get out of the unfair punishment).
Andy is upset at this but he has so much faith in his son that even though he can't rationally explain it, he tells Opie he believes him. When Barney and Aunt Bee question Andy about this and ask if he really believes Mr. McBeevee exists, Andy responds with what I believe to be one of the most touching lines of the whole series: "No, I don't believe in Mr. McBeevee-- But I do believe in Opie."
Andy drives out to the woods in a vain hope to learn the truth and discovers his faith in his son was well-placed.
A fantastic episode about fatherhood (and parenting in general) and a great lesson in having faith in your loved ones...Highly recommended.
Family
schmenga21 May 2020
Warning: Spoilers
In a series that delivered a lot of great lines, perhaps none were warmer than Andy answering Barney's question whether he believed in Mr McBeevee by saying:
"No, but I believe in Opie"
The disbelief in Opie's magical friend, particularly on behalf of Barney, seemed a bit overdone, but it did push the plot, a simple story about belief in a child's character. When pressed by his dad, Opie could not get himself to say that he made McBeevee up, even facing a spanking. That was enough for Andy to confirm he had a great son
"No, but I believe in Opie"
The disbelief in Opie's magical friend, particularly on behalf of Barney, seemed a bit overdone, but it did push the plot, a simple story about belief in a child's character. When pressed by his dad, Opie could not get himself to say that he made McBeevee up, even facing a spanking. That was enough for Andy to confirm he had a great son
Faith
Hitchcoc3 December 2019
Andy has developed as a father. In this one, Opie, who has an active imagination. tells of a man in the trees with a silver hat. He gives Opie little gifts. Barney is furious, thinking that Opie needs to be told how ridiculous his ideas are. Andy falls into the trap, but suddenly decides he should put his adult being aside and believe in his little boy. This is such a satisfying episode.
When to believe in a child, even when it seems impossible
cashbacher8 September 2020
This is easily one of the best of the episodes of the Andy Griffith Show, because it deals with a real life dilemma. There are some comedic moments, but the thrust of the show is whether a parent should continue to believe in their child when what they are saying seems impossible.
When wandering through the forest, Opie encounters a man that is stringing power lines. He walks in the trees, wears a silver hat and has many tools that jingles. He calls those tools his extra hands. The man's name is McBeevee and he gives Opies some small gifts.
When Opie reports this to Andy and Barney, they are skeptical so Andy and Opie go out to where McBeevee was working. Not finding him there because McBeevee had to leave to pick up a co-worker, Andy is faced with a tough parental decision. Whether to believe in Opie or to punish him for lying. Frustrated and uncertain, Andy goes back out to the forest and suddenly encounters McBeevee in one of the most moving moments of the entire series.
This episode is also a look back at what was considered the social norm of child discipline at the time the show aired. Andy openly talks about giving Opie "a whipping" for lying. While that does not happen, the fact that it was casually mentioned on a wholesome family show demonstrates that such punishment was standard practice.
In response to the 8/10 review
Pvt_Ed25 March 2021
Me. I got a hatchet just like it when I was 6 or 7. (1968)
It was a different time then. We rode bikes all day, had pocket knives, jarts, no seat belts, made parachutes with dry-cleaning plastic, owned bbguns, muscle cars, and semi auto rifles with 30 rd mags were available.
Somehow, we managed to avoid weekly mass shootings or actual attempts to overthrow the govt. You had to be there.
In my Top 5 Andy G. of All Time
scorkery-762-65526527 May 2022
I heard many years ago, in the 1980's that grade schools across America used the Andy Griffith Show as a civics lesson. The "Mr. McBeevee" episode is one of the most cherished and goes a long way to teach about having faith in a child. Opie's imagination seemed to have run wild when telling his unbelieving dad and Barney about meeting a "man in the forest who walked high among the trees, had a silver hat, and jangly fingers, and could make smoke come out of his ears..." The episode boils down to a single scene near the end when an exasperated Barney thinks Andy should punish Opie for telling tall tales and maybe outright fantastic lies. Barney asks Andy, "Do you believe in this Mr. McBeevee?. To which Andy replies, "No...but I do believe in Opie..."
I won't spoil the ending but suffice it to say, it'll melt your heart.
I won't spoil the ending but suffice it to say, it'll melt your heart.
When Faith Becomes Sight
pastorpk-4132812 May 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Opie, like many young children, has an overactive imagination. Andy and Barney think this is normal until Opie brings home a hatchet that was given to him by Mr. McBeevee. Andy decides it's best that Opie bring the axe back, convinced that Opie found it. But when Opie returns with a quarter and claims Mr. McBeeVee gave him that as well, Andy begins to get perturbed. Barney decides to have Opie give him a description of this man. It all begins well enough until Opie begins to tell them about the man's twelve hands and how he walks in the trees. The climax of the episode is when Andy decides to have a talk with Opie because he's convinced the boys imagination has gone too far and has become just lies. Andy demands that Opie admit Mr. McBeeVee is just make believe. With tear filled eyes Opie tells his pa that Mr. McBeeVee is real. Andy comes downstairs to a surprised Barney and Aunt Bee. He tells them he believes Opie. When Barney asks, "so you believe in Mr. McBeeVee?" Andy answers, "No, but I do believe in Opie." It's an extremely touching scene. Maybe one of the most heartwarming ones in the whole series. Eventually Andy will meet the mysterious Mr. McBeeVee who is a lineman for the electric company. His walking in the tree and twelve hands are just ways that a young boy described the details of what he saw the man doing.
This is definitely one of the best AGS episodes. A great lesson for all of us that sometimes things aren't always as they seem, but we shouldn't always be so quick to dismiss someone, especially children.
This is definitely one of the best AGS episodes. A great lesson for all of us that sometimes things aren't always as they seem, but we shouldn't always be so quick to dismiss someone, especially children.
Gets better each time viewing
vitoscotti3 April 2022
Mr McBeevee (Karl Swenson) also was one of Eddie Haskell's fathers on Leave It to Beaver. I forget how good the episode is because of its serious moments. Don Knotts really has some hilarious scenes. For me they highlight the episode. Getting childishly mad about Blackie, and Opie's description of McBeevee. Again another outstanding epilogue. Barney again takes center stage. All the many imes I've seen this episode I can't ever remember seeing the epilogue until this viewing.
A child's view of the world
kellielulu15 August 2022
It really comes into play here as Opie describes his new friend. Sometimes you really have to look at things from the other person's perspective even and especially a child's . Andy realized this but not until after he puts his faith in Opie although initially he's rather quick to judge Opie and his story. Great funny moment when Andy finally does meet Mr McBevee.
Love this episode, but...
kacarrol-772-4454475 August 2020
I watched Mr McBeeve over and over since the 1960's. The Andy Griffith Show is one of my 5 all-time favorite TV shows. Ron Howard has got to be one of the best child actors of all time. With all that said, in this episode, why would any adult give a child a sharp hachet to run around with? Were people that different in the 1960's? Noone thought that was a strange gift(to show on TV) to place into the hands of a child who has to run home with it. It looked mighty sharp and dangerous, especially way Opie held it up in his livingroom and then in the woods, when he had to return it. Yes, it was TV, it was rubber, but it still was strange to watch, as it was portrayed as a real hatchet in the storyline.
Common script formula here
dbake-2887819 May 2024
Warning: Spoilers
From I Love Lucy all the way through to The Big Bang Theory, countless shows have featured episodes featuring the characters having a misunderstanding. It is extremely common. It happens here too. In order to have this particular script, it is necessary for Opie to be vague about who he got the hatchet and the coin from. Opie couldn't have said, "He has a tool belt or he has a hard hat and a truck. He has to use words that prolong the scenes, which are ones from the worker himself. It's tv and it works as long as you don't contrast that scenario to real life. If you were a kid facing a spanking, you would describe everything in very exact terms.
It's a bird it's a plane it's Mr McBeeVee
mloessel16 March 2022
Warning: Spoilers
As other reviewers have said Opie has an active imagination but there are times when fact and fiction collide. The very colorful character Mr McBeeVee is real (aka Karl Swenson). He is a pole climber (telephone pole) possibly working for the county. When Opie shares his excitement of meeting Mr McBeeVee Andy and Barney are not believing he is real and in a later scene Andy seriously considers giving Opie a spanking because of his unbelief. However, Opie stands by what he says and Andy, to his credit, decides to believe him. Andy goes back to the forest where Opie meets Mr McBeeVee and calls out his name. This time the man who works high in the trees is there and comes down to meet Andy shaking his hand in elation that Mr McBeeVee is the real thing. In the final episode Andy returns and attempts to convince Barney that McBeeVee is real but Barney's not accepting it calling the local shrink for an appt. Then Mr McBeeVee calls the Sheriff's office, Barney answers the phone, to confirm that he can make it to the Sheriff's house for dinner. The look of bewilderment on Barney's face is priceless. It's a bird it's a plane.
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