Starring Andy Griffith...
With Ronny Howard.
Also starring Don knotts.
I promise I will never reveal
any of the secrets of the wildcats.
I promise I will never reveal
any of the secrets of the wildcats.
I will not even tell anyone
there is such a club as the wildcats.
I will not even tell anyone
there is such a club as the wildcats.
Not even my paw?
Not anybody.
And if I ever do,
I will be struck down by the curse of the claw.
Come on, you've got to say it.
And if I ever do,
I will be struck down by the curse of the claw.
You are now an official member of the wildcats
forever and ever.
Okay, the ceremony is over.
Open the door.
Now that he's a wildcat,
we've gotta give him a job.
I know.
I've got one for him.
Opie, everybody in the wildcats
has gotta have an important office.
Know what you're going to be?
Keeper of the flame.
Oh, boy...
What's keeper of the flame?
You're in charge of the sacred candle.
It's your job
to bring it to every meeting,
and you must never lose it
because it's a sacred candle.
But what happens
when the sacred candle gets all used up?
We go down to the dime store and buy another sacred candle.
Hey, you guys!
Old man foster's comin'!
Come on!
Come on, let's get out of here!
Remember, this is a secret hiding place.
Don't ever tell anybody about it
or you know what'll happen.
I'll get the curse of the claw?
That's right.
Get out of here, now!
Didn't I tell you to get out of here?!
Darn pests.
Hi, paw! Hi, Barney!
- Oh, hi, son. - Hi, ope.
How's everything?
Fine.
Well, don't you look happy?
I declare, I believe if you grinned any wider,
your teeth'd fall out.
He sure looks pleased.
Don't he, though?
I am. Guess where I been!
Why, I give up. Where?
I can't tell you, but you know what I did?
I joined a club.
Well, that's fine.
What club was that?
I can't tell you.
You're kind of secret, ain't you?
Uh-huh. Know where we meet?
No, where?
I can't tell you.
I got a job in the club, too.
You have?
Know what it is?
No, what?
I can't tell you.
Well, doggone it, why can't you tell us?
Well, I can't tell you why I can't tell you.
Well, for heaven's sakes, why not?
'Cause somethin' would happen to me.
What would happen to you?
I can't tell you.
Well, so long.
I just thought I'd come by and tell you.
Oh, I almost forgot.
I'm gonna have to pay dues in this club.
How much are the dues?
I know, you can't tell me.
That's right... What I wanted to ask was,
could I do a job or somethin' for you
so's I can earn some money for dues?
Oh, well, let's see.
Yeah, I guess there is one thing you could do.
Take that waste basket out there in the back
and empty it.
Thanks, paw.
That oughta earn you a few pennies.
Thanks, Barney.
They sure come up with the durndest ideas, don't they?
Yeah. We all went through it, though.
Didn't you belong to a secret club
when you was little?
I can't tell you.
Sheriff?
I come here to make a complaint.
It must be a pretty good-sized one, Mr. Foster,
for you to come tearin' in here like this.
What's the trouble?
It's them young'uns.
Now, you've got to keep them
from trespassin' on my property, you hear?
Young'uns?
They done any damage?
Well, no... No damage.
Anything been stolen?
Well, no, nothin' stolen.
But there's gonna be stealin' and damage
if you don't stop them from comin' on my property.
Now, you got to keep them off my property, off.
You keep 'em off!
All right, jubal, we'll keep a eye out.
Make a note of that, Barney.
Keep an eye out on the jubal foster place, I got it.
You can just set your mind at ease, jubal.
It'll be taken care of.
Yeah, well, it better be.
Because if it ain't...
Why, there's one of 'em right now.
That's right.
That's one of the bothersome brats
I seen on my property.
Ain't you?!
Now, wait a minute, foster!
Don't be comin' in here,
scarin' my boy half to death.
But he... And I don't appreciate you
callin' him a bothersome brat, either.
You made your complaint. You can leave.
You heard the high sheriff, out!
Well, some sheriff's office this is.
He sure is a miserable crank, ain't he?
He sure is.
If he'd a said one more word,
I'd a been forced to get physical with him.
He would, too.
Well, why should we move from here?
It took us long enough to find this place.
I think it'd be safer.
It's safe as long as no one blabs, right, fellas?
Right. Sure. Yeah.
Then it's settled... We don't move.
If we ain't got anything else to talk about,
then the meeting is closed.
Everybody give the growl.
Okay, open the door.
Oh, don't forget the candle.
I won't.
Hey, you guys!
Old man foster's comin'!
Hey, you guys, hurry up!
You get out of here!
Get out of here, you kids!
Didn't I tell you to keep off of here?!
Doggone you!
Kids.
Stickin' their noses where they hadn't oughta be.
I told that sheriff.
I says, "keep 'em off my property."
He says, "sure. Sure."
As soon as your back is turned, they're right back here.
Bothering decent, respectable people.
I'll fix 'em.
Don't you worry.
I'll fix 'em, all right.
A man can't even
run a good, honest still without being bothered anymore.
Yeah, I'd...
I'd like to get my hands on just one of them little brats.
I'd learn 'em.
Not bad.
Not bad at all.
Wet down the rest of that hay!
It's still smolderin'!
I told him.
I told him...
To keep the kids out of here, or there'd be trouble.
Boy, she really burned to the ground.
How come you didn't call
them volunteer fire brigade?
They might have saved somethin'.
Well, there wasn't time.
Went up...
Just like that.
It was them kids.
I tell you, it was them kids.
I told you there'd be damage
if they was allowed to hang around here.
Look, I seen 'em.
I seen 'em comin' out of this Barn
and one minute later... poof!
There was a fire.
You're sure of that, now?
You're sure you saw young'uns comin' out of the Barn?
Why, sheriff, are you makin' me out a liar?
No. Barney, we're gonna have to start
an investigation.
Yeah, full-scale.
Now, we'll need names.
Who are these young'uns?
Well, I don't know their names,
but I'd know 'em again if I saw 'em.
I was tellin' you about one of 'em
in your office just the other day,
only you didn't believe me.
Now, don't start in on Opie again.
He's too little to be messin' around
with the boys you're talkin' about.
I think this calls for a lineup.
No, Barney.
We'll call in every kid in mayberry...
No, Barney. Come on.
Well, you better catch them kids quick, sheriff.
All right. Yeah, I mean, because somebody's
gotta pay for this damage.
I still think that lineup's a good idea.
Well, if the kids are lined up,
he'd have a chance...
No, Barney.
Wet that hay down! It's still smolderin'!
Come on!
Celia, let go.
I must leave for the airport.
Celia...
You mustn't go!
John, I'll promise anything.
I'll be anything, I'll do anything.
Just don't go to Beverly.
Don't ever see her again.
Not see... my wife?
Your wife?
We were married at gretna green at 4:00 this morning.
Oh, Celia, Celia, Celia...
Oh...
Men, men, men.
Aunt bee?
Anybody home?
Andy, I'm sorry.
I was upstairs
and I just didn't notice the time.
Oh, that's all right, aunt bee.
How is Celia today?
What?
Celia Gordon.
What are we gonna do about that poor woman
and all of her suffering?
Oh, stop it.
Do you reckon she'll ever find true happiness?
That brighter tomorrow, that stairway to the stars?
Oh, I just worry so much about her.
What's this?
Hmm?
This here.
Oh, I found that in Opie's room.
You give him that?
What in the world is it?
Aunt bee...
Why, is something the matter?
There was a fire out at jubal foster's today.
There was?
That's right, and he claims he saw Opie
and some other young'uns foolin' around up there.
Oh, Andy, you don't think...?
Where's Opie?
Well, he was out in the back playing a while ago.
Opie, you out there?
Yeah, paw.
Come in here.
Your aunt bee found
this candle and these matches in your room.
Suppose you tell us about 'em.
I got an explanation.
That's fine. Let's hear it.
I had the candle in my room to see when I go out at night.
You know you ain't allowed outside after dark.
Well...
When I am allowed, I want to be ready.
Uh-huh.
How come that candle's half burnt?
I been practicing,
so when I'm ready... I'll be ready.
Well, let's see if we can get at this another way.
Did you know there was a fire today at jubal foster's?
There was?
That's right... his Barn burnt to the ground,
and he claims
a gang of boys are responsible
'cause accordin' to him they been
hangin' around there a lot lately.
Now, what I want to know is
were you there and did you start that fire?
Gosh, paw, I didn't start any fire.
Were you at jubal foster's today?
That club you told me you belong to...
Is that where they meet?
At jubal foster's?
And were you there?
I can't tell you nothing about that, paw.
I can't.
Then jubal's right about what he told me.
I sure must've looked foolish standing there defending you.
Get on up to your room.
I didn't start any fire, paw.
I didn't.
Go on.
You do believe him, don't you?
Aunt bee, that boy's been playing with matches,
and he's got to get a whippin'.
He claims he didn't start the fire.
Yeah.
Say, maybe he knows who did and he's covering up for him.
Kids do that, you know.
Maybe.
Meantime, I'm going to have to pay for that Barn.
Well, why? Why you?
Because a father's responsible
for any damage his son might cause.
Well, before you pay for that Barn,
I think it'd be a good idea
if somebody else talked to the boy.
Why not let me have a go at it, Andy?
You? Well, sure.
I'm pretty good at interrogatin'.
Remember last week when I got Otis to confess
that he was drunk right out?
Got him to confess? He come crawlin' in here
on his hands and knees a-hollerin',
"close the door, there's a elephant behind me."
Now, that's not exactly what you'd call
wormin' out information.
Say your prayers?
Mm-hmm. Good.
You know, I got to go up at jubal foster's tomorrow.
You do?
Yep.
You know what I got to go up there for?
I got to go up there
and see about paying him for that burnt-down Barn of his.
See, I'm responsible
for any damage that you might've caused.
But, paw, I told you, I didn't start that fire.
I know, you told me that.
There's one other thing that I want to get clear, though.
Now, I'm gonna ask you one more time,
no beatin' around the bush,
and I want a straight answer.
Were you at jubal foster's the day his Barn burnt down?
Were you?
Yes, paw.
You're looking at the man
that's gonna have to pay for that Barn.
I just want you to know that.
Well, sheriff.
Hello, jubal.
Well, did you, uh, catch them kids yet
that started the fire?
No, but I'm here to make good on that Barn.
Oh, so you're finally willing to admit
that it was your own boy that done it, huh?
I didn't say that. And you don't have to be
so happy about it, jubal.
All right...
How much you figure the loss to be?
You, uh...
You're gonna pay
for the whole thing yourself, huh?
I said I would. How much?
Well, uh, you know, uh,
I, uh, I suffered a big loss here.
How much, jubal?
Well, let's see, I guess it must be like, uh,
two, three hundred dollars for materials.
Yeah.
Ain't only the lumber.
I got to replace the windows
and got to get shingles for the roof.
Then, of course, there's labor.
Now, come on, jubal, give me a figure,
so I can write you a check.
Now, that's what I'm here for.
What do you need to build a new Barn?
It's just the Barn I'm paying for, you know,
not a house.
Well, sheriff, I figure about, uh...
$450 ought to cover it.
All right, jubal, $450 it is.
Uh, now, just a minute, sheriff.
On second thought,
maybe, uh, $450 won't cover it.
All right, what will?
Well, I mean, you know, I left out a few items.
Andy?
Just a second, Barney.
What items?
It wasn't only the Barn that burned down,
there was the contents, too.
An-Andy... Just a second, Barney.
What are the contents, and how much?
Well, let's see.
I had my wheelbarrow in there...
Yeah. And my tools...
Yep.
And I had quite a bit of hay. Hay.
Must've had about a hundred bushels of corn.
Hundred bushels of corn.
Oh, yes, there was some irons in there
and I guess maybe, oh, two, three gallons of paint.
I figure that ought to come to...
About two, three hundred.
Andy.
What is it, Barney?
Hi.
I'm trying to tell you something.
You're trying to what?
I'm trying to tell you something that's very important.
Wait a minute.
Maybe you won't have to tell me.
Just a minute.
Jubal foster, you're under arrest.
Huh
running a still and setting fire to your own Barn.
A still?
Why, you must be crazy!
Jubal... Look, I told you
about them kids.
I mean, what still?
Jubal...
Jubal, jubal, jubal...
Ju... bal.
That must be what my deputy discovered accidentally.
Accidentally... that's right.
Well, what else would you be doing
with a hundred bushels of corn?
Ain't that the finest way
for a fire to really spread every which way?
When it hits that alcohol?
Congratulations, deputy Fife,
on an outstanding job of detective work.
Let's take the prisoner in.
Okay.
And all the time
I thought you didn't trust me enough
to tell me the truth about that fire.
Turns out I was the one didn't trust you.
I apologize for that.
Will you forgive me?
Sure. Good.
Police officer ought to know better than that.
Person is innocent till he's proven guilty.
Now, I pronounced you guilty
and then went out looking for evidence.
Sure am sorry about that.
I'm glad it's over.
Big load off my mind.
Big load off my mind, too, paw.
Well, let's me and you
just consider this case closed.
You want to?
Okay with me, paw.
Now, one other thing.
When I was your age,
I belonged to a secret club, too.
Know what my job was?
What?
Keeper of the flame.
Know what that is?
Yeah...
That's the fella that has to bring the candle
and the matches to every meeting.
Oh, is it? Mm-hmm.
Now, my pa had told me not to fool around
with candles and matches and stuff like that,
and when he found out about it,
he indicated that I ought to give up that job,
and he indicated it real good
right back there.
Oh, did he?
Mm-hmm.
Then pa come up with a outstanding idea
how we could modernize our club.
'Stead of messing around with old-fashioned
and dangerous candles and matches,
he suggested I change my title...
To keeper of the flashlight.
Why don't you try it?
It's a lot safer.
Gee, thanks, paw.
It's all right.
Hmm.
He ain't so dumb.