Episodes of the 1950s television comedy are available on Amos and Andy DVD in North American format for viewing on NTSC compatible television sets. They may be purchased online at auction and retail sites or they may be streamed directly from certain web sites.
The radio comedy show, Amos ‘n’ Andy, was based on a comic strip in the Chicago Tribune called ‘The Gumps’. The first radio show was broadcast in 1928. It ran nightly as a radio show until 1943, when it became a weekly radio sitcom until 1955. Between 1954 and 1960, it was broadcast nightly again as a disc-jockey program. Charles Correll and Freeman Gosden created and starred in the radio show. Joe Connally and Bob Mosher joined them on the writing team. The program was sponsored by Pepsodent Toothpaste, Campbell’s Soup, Rinso and Rexall Drugs.
The radio show was adapted for television and ran on CBS-TV between 1951 and 1953. Repeats of the 78 episodes were syndicated from 1954 to 1966. Syndication was discontinued under pressure from civil rights groups who felt that the show portrayed African-Americans in a negative light.
The stars of the television program were Spencer Williams, Alvin Childress, Tim Moore, Johnny Lee and Ernest Wade. Amos ‘n’ Andy was the first ever TV show to have an all black cast.
The role of honest, level-headed and hard-working cab driver, Amos Jones, was played by Alvin Childress (1907-1986). Born in Mississippi, Childress obtained a BA from Rust College. His other television appearances included episodes of Good Times, Sanford and Son, The Jeffersons and Perry Mason. In 1982, Childress died at the age of 78 in Inglewood, California.
The part of Andrew H Brown was played by Spencer Williams (1893-1969) from Louisiana. Before serving in the US Army during World War I, Williams studied at the University of Minnesota. An largely unsung film director, Williams was responsible for ‘The Blood of Jesus’ and ‘Go Down Death’. Both of these were described by critics as being spiritually adventurous.
Actor Tim Moore (1887-1958) played the role of scheming but henpecked George ‘Kingfish’ Stevens. Many of the episodes revolved around his character, some of which did not even involve either Amos or Andy. These episodes were packaged as a spin-off entitled, ‘The Adventures of Kingfish’. Moore was at the center of what was referred to as the ‘Roast Beef Scandal’ in January 1958. As a protest over the fact that his in-laws had eaten the last of the New Year’s roast beef dinner, Moore fired his gun in the house, leaving a bullet hole in the China cabinet. Read more about: amos and andy dvd
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