"There are three things I shall never forget about America:
the Rocky Mountains, Niagara Falls, and Amos ‘n' Andy."
--George Bernard Shaw
Amos Jones and Andrew H. Brown are arguably the most famous black duo
of the early twentieth century. Their radio adventures beginning in
the late 1920s and their television incarnation in the 1950s make them
prominent figures in the development of both media.
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Whether or not one takes offense at the stereotypes Charles Correll and Freeman
Gosden perpetuated through their blackface alter egos--and it is almost impossible
not to be disturbed by the show in this era of heightened cultural sensitivity--
it is wrong to ignore the series and its rightful place in radio and television
history.
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As the first serial comedy on radio, Amos 'n' Andy provides valuable insight
into the evolution of radio as a national medium, its relationship to other
media of the era, and the ways in which radio performers (and their audience)
embraced and reinforced already established cultural identities in 1930s America.