Remembering Amos ‘n’ Andy

By Gail Nobles

9/19/2006


Amos ‘n’ Andy was a radio comedy. Freeman Gosden and Charles Correl were the two white actors that created and started the radio version. Then it was brought to television in the 1950’s. The television series was an all black cast.



My Favorite Clip


I remember seeing clips of Amos and Andy in the 1980’s on television. I had never seen Amos ‘n’ Andy before. The comedy was made before I was ever born. They showed several clips from the series.


In one clip that I saw, there was a funny character named King Fish. He decided to sell Andy a house with land. He drove Andy by the house and land so he could get a look at it. Well, Andy liked what he saw. King Fish quickly sold Andy the lot. King Fish was a dirty and sneaky rascal. Everything was happening all too fast.



Andy got his friend Lightnin’ to help him move into the house. They walked into the front door right into a yard. They both carried chairs into the front door to sit down. When they sat down, they started stretching. Andy said, “Good ole fresh air!” Then they both heard birds singing. Andy realized that they were outside. “Holy smoke, Lightin’! We done walked right through the house into the yard.”





















Andy walked back through the door to step outside with Lightin. Lightin went back into what he thought was a house while Andy stayed outside. Lightin’ said to Andy, “Missed it again!”

Soon Andy and Lightin’ had both discovered that they were really outdoors. The house was nothing but a door and yard. Andy asked Lightin’, “What do you think, Lightin’?”


Lightin’ said, “This sho is the same house.”




















Andy went back to King Fish to threaten him. Andy grabbed King Fish by the collar and said, “If you don’t give me my money back, I’m going to punch you in each eye! I’m going to open everything that’s closed and close everything that’s open!” Andy was going to sue King Fish.


As the comedy went on, King Fish rigged up a hole in the ground on the lot to make it look like there was oil there. That made Andy keep the lot. Then King Fish wanted to buy the lot back because the Suburban Development Company wanted to buy the lot from him. They offered him more money. Andy had doubled crossed King Fish that time because he sent the company.


Conclusion


That particular clip of Amos ‘n’ Andy was my favorite clip. I never laughed at a comedy so hard in my life. I laughed until my side was hurting. I believe that it is the funniest comedy of all times. Some African Americans didn’t like Amos ‘n’ Andy because they thought it made Negroes look like clowns and crooks. I am African American. But I am from a different generation. To me, the comedy is no worse than the crazy stuff that I see on television today. Sometimes what I see on television today is just plain stupid and not funny. Amos and Andy really made me laugh. They had real humor.