The Rise and Fall of Amos ‘n’ Andy: Amos ‘n’ Andy was one of the most beloved radio and television series ever in American history. It focused on Amos Jones and Andrew Hogg Brown as they moved from rural Alabama to urban Chicago over time. Freeman Gosden and Charles Correll were two white actors who devised, wrote, voiced, and produced this show using blackface minstrel stereotypes to play their characters onscreen. It became an enormous success across racial lines; millions tuned in each week. Civil rights groups such as the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) were incensed, denouncing it as demeaning to African-Americans.
Popularity of the show gradually diminished during the 1950s and eventually it was discontinued and removed from syndication. Amos ‘n’ Andy remains contentious in its legacy; some scholars and critics maintain it had some positive aspects, such as providing employment and exposure for black actors; others maintain it reinforced negative stereotypes and hindered progress of black representation in media.
The Origins of Amos ‘n’ Andy
Table of Contents
Gosden and Correll met while both were performing radio performances on various shows and stations around Durham, North Carolina in 1920. Gosden became an experienced performer when working on Sam ‘n’ Henry on WGN in Chicago. Two friends decided to create their own comedy series based on observations of black life and culture in the South.
Adopting the dialect, intonation, and mannerisms of people they had encountered or heard about from black cultures they encountered or heard about, as well as using burnt cork for live performance, they developed Sam ‘n’ Henry; an entertaining show featuring two black men from Birmingham Alabama moving northward in search of better lives; listeners enjoyed its comic situations and dialogue between characters that took place during each show episode.
Gosden and Correll became dissatisfied with their contract at WGN, which did not allow them to syndicate their show or sell recordings of their performances. Therefore, they made the decision to leave WGN and move to another Chicago station called WMAQ, which provided more creative freedom as well as financial rewards. They also changed the title and names of their show to Amos ‘n’ Andy, as well as those of Amos Jones and Andy Brown as characters. Furthermore, a new character named George “Kingfish” Stevens who led an international con artist fraternal lodge called Mystic Knights of the Sea was introduced.
On March 19 1928, The new show made its debut and quickly became an instantaneous national sensation. Aired nightly across America on NBC radio stations from coast to coast and estimated by some sources as having attained 40 million listeners at its peak, its appeal also extended into comic strips, books, movies, records and merchandise adaptations of this beloved brand name show.
The Transition to Television
CBS made history when they debuted an all-black cast television version of Amos ‘n’ Andy in 1951 on television. Gosden and Correll no longer took part in its production or performance; they only provided scripts and managed casting decisions. They hired black actors to play Amos, Andy, Kingfish and other characters from the radio show. Alvin Childress (Amos), Spencer Williams Jr. (Andy), Tim Moore (Kingfish), Ernestine Wade (Sapphire), Amanda Randolph (Mama), Johnny Lee (Calhoun), Nick Stewart (Lightnin’), Roy Glenn (Algonquin J. Calhoun), Lillian Randolph (Madame Queen), Jester Hairston (Henry Van Porter), Horace Stewart (Shorty), Edward Brandon (Brother Crawford), Ken Christy (Mr Jackson), Tom Brown (Mr Taylor), Harriet E MacGibbon (Mrs Van Porter), Madge Blake (Mrs Blake), Elinor Donahue (Betty Blake), Jane Adams (Ruby Taylor). Many had also appeared on radio versions of this series.
The television show followed a similar format as its radio predecessor, featuring comedic plotlines involving Amos, Andy, Kingfish and their friends and families – with musical numbers performed by guest stars like Duke Ellington, Sarah Vaughan, The Mills Brothers and Cab Calloway as guest stars. The television show was popular with audiences; it ranked 13th in its first season. However, civil rights activists strongly objected to its portrayal of black people as lazy, ignorant, dishonest, and buffoonish – views which many saw as degrading their humanity and dignity.
The NAACP mounted a protest campaign against this show, alleging it as “gross libel against Negroes and distortion of truth”. They pressured advertisers and local stations to boycott it as well, eventually prompting CBS to cancel it after 78 episodes in 1953 despite continuing its circulation until sometime during the mid 1960s when NAACP pressure forced its removal from circulation; not appearing publicly again until 2012 when DVD releases made available of it again for viewing by nationwide audiences.
The Legacy of Amos ‘n’ Andy
Amos ‘n’ Andy is a complex and controversial legacy, as its legacy has been seen from various perspectives and interpretations over time. Some scholars and critics have pointed out some positive aspects to its legacy; such as providing employment to black actors otherwise limited to minor or stereotypical roles in Hollywood, depicting black characters as human rather than exotic or threatening, reflecting migration, urbanization and community; also being recognized for humor creativity craftsmanship as well as being influential on other comedy shows and genres.
Others have maintained that the show was harmful and offensive to black people, as it reinforced negative stereotypes and prejudices prevalent in American society. Some have also alleged that its creation by white men who profited by imitating and mocking black people made it exploitative and inappropriate. Furthermore, some have criticised its lack of social or political commentary or critique and its failure to address realities such as racism, discrimination and oppression faced by black people.
Debate regarding Amos ‘n’ Andy remains heated today, as different generations and groups hold differing perspectives and experiences with the show. Amos ‘n’ Andy remains an influential and divisive part of American cultural history as its themes portray both its creators’ efforts and life experiences of each character involved.
Stay tuned to CHOPNEWS for the latest scoops and updates of Business News, Sports News, Technology News, World News and Entertainment News.
