The Andy Griffith Show Howard's Main Event (1960–1968) Online

The Andy Griffith Show Howard's Main Event (1960–1968) Online

Howard takes an interest in a new girl in town, Millie Hutchins, who works in the bakery. After dropping in and flirting with her a few times he asks her out on a date and soon they're spending a good deal of time together. A problem arises however when Millie's old boyfriend, Clyde Plaunt, shows up in town. She's broken off with him and as far as she's concerned it's all over, but he hasn't quite accepted that yet. He takes Howard aside and tells him in no uncertain terms that it would definitely be unhealthy to continue seeing Millie and he had better not see them together again. Howard, who has never been in a fist fight in his life, is in a bit of a quandary but Andy encourages him to stand up for himself now, or he might regret it forever.

The basic plot premise of this installment- a major TAGS "milquetoast" character (here it is Howard Sprague) taking drastic & unusual measures to avoid a town bully who has threatened him- is a re-working and recycling of Season 2's "Barney's Uniform" (with the bullied character in that earlier show being Barney Fife instead of Howard). Interestingly enough, although the bullies in the two shows are completely different characters, they are in both instances portrayed by the same actor- Allan Melvin.

The movie Howard and Millie see at the theater is "Two in Love" starring Ed Olson and Viola Kern. Both the movie and the actors are fictitious.