Kildare so these comic characters became their symbol. Blacks had no Joe Friday or Paladin or Dr. They just looked at them as a couple of funny guys. Kildare, so when they watched Ralph and Ed they didn't look at them as representatives of the white race. Whites had Joe Friday and Paladin and Dr. I think perhaps the biggest problem with Amos and Andy is that it was the only show that attempted to depict black life in America in the 1950's. However subsequent documentaries have indicated that Gosden and Correll were anything but racists themselves and were respected by their TV counterparts who went on to make the characters their own in a series that was much toned down from the radio show. That further links the show to racist stereotyping and illustrates that its genesis was certainly in the white man's view of comical black men. Perhaps a stronger reason was that the show was created and performed on radio by two white men, Freeman Gosden and Charles Correll, who had appeared on film playing the characters in blackface. However the same elements are present in later "black" shows such as "Good Times", which were not banned. So why is this show linked with Stepin Fetchit or "Rochester" as an example of black stereotyping such that it's been essentially banned from TV for four decades through the efforts of the NAACP, (ironic that Moore was banned by rightists and his show by leftists)? Firstly, while it does present an entire black community, it does use traditional elements of black humor- exaggerated dialects, references to lazy or untrustworthy characters, etc. There's something to be said for employment. Tim Moore was blacklisted, (an ironic term). Alvin Childress showed up on Perry Mason as a janitor. Spencer Williams's career basically ended. But just search the IMDb for a look at the actor's careers after this show ended. Is that harmful? I agree that the fact that the series gave black performers jobs is not an "excuse" for racial stereotyping. If the show taught me anything about blacks is that they are just like everyone else. I remember noticing that all the characters were black when I was a kid but just regarded it as a peculiarity. If the Honeymooners could be a classic, why couldn't Amos and Andy? The characters are not servants or shoe-shine boys. Things like the lodge they belong to are obvious parallels. You have the men out front, not as smart as they think they are, hatching various schemes to make their dreams come true or cover up their missteps while smarter females lecture them for their foolishness when the smoke clears. I agree with the several posters who have compared this to "The Honeymooners", which was obviously influenced by it. I too, agree that the show has something of a bad rap but I think the reasons why are interesting. I haven't seen an entire episode in decades but my memories of the show seem to be similar to others so I will trust them. For the record I am a middle-class white male, but I don't think it really matters that much. It got me thinking about this show that I watched when it was syndicated in our area 40 years ago. Also Amos' wife Ruby (Jane Adams) was added for the TV version.I've just watched a documentary on African-Americans on television which showed several clips from "Amos and Andy". And I have to mention that Charles Correll-who played Andy on radio-died in my birthtown of Chicago, Illinois on September 26, 1972. By the way, the Paul Taylor Chrous provided the "The Lord's Prayer" song and "Silent Night" on the radio version from December 22, 1944. All in all, both the radio and TV version of "The Christmas Story" are very worthy tales for the holiday season. Both Lightnin' and Kingfish provide their own brief amusements. Andy himself is more of a sympathetic character here then his usual more slightly naive portrayal. I'll stop there and mention that Alvin Childress as Amos really shines here especially when he explains to daughter Arbadella what "The Lord's Prayer" really means. There he encounters kids both kind and bratty. Her uncle Andy, despite being broke, resolves to get it for her by becoming a Santa's helper in the Globe department store. Well, actually, the TV version has an additional scene of the birth of Amos' child Arbadella (Patti Marie Ellis) who nine years later wants a talking doll for Christmas. Both are pretty much the same story word for word and scene for scene. Today, I decided to listen to the radio version and watch on Google Video the TV version of "The Christmas Story" episode of "The Amos 'n' Andy Show".
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