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Freeman Gosden and Charles Correll made their debut on radio on Janary 12, 1926, as the blackface characters Sam 'n' Henry. The program was carried over WGN Chicago. On March 19, 1928, over WMAQ, Chicago, they introduced Amos 'n' Andy, which went on to become one of the most popular and longest running programs in radio history. The series ran six nights a week for a while, then five nights, first at 11:00 p.m. and later at 7:00 p.m. The first network broadcast was over NBC on August 19, 1929. During the height of its popularity almost the entire country listened to Amos 'n' Andy. Department stores open in the evening piped in the broadcasts so shoppers wouldn't miss an episode; movie theaters scheduled their featres to end just prior to 7:00 p.m. and to start again at 7:15 p.m.; while they piped in Amos 'n' Andy; and the program was frequently referred to in the Congressional Record.
Amos, Andy and many of the other characters belonged to the Mystic Knights of the Sea Lodge," of which George Stevens was "The Kingfish". Amos and Andy ran the Fresh-Air Taxi Company, with the more stable, married Amos doing most of the work while Andy chased girls. One of the best rememberd sequences was the time Andy almost married Madame Queen. Each year at Christmas time, Amos interpreted the the Lord's Prayer for his little girl Arbadella in a perenially popular sequence.
During the first years of its run Amos n'n Andy was a fifteen-minute program. It was sponsored by Pepsodent from 1929 to 1937 and by Campbell's Soup from 1937 to 1943.
In 1943, after 4,091 episodes, the radio program went from a 15-minute CBS weekday dramatic serial to an NBC half-hour weekly comedy. While the five-a-week show often had a quiet, easygoing feeling, the new version was a brassy Hollywoodized production, complete with studio audience, a full cast of supporting actors and a full orchestra. Many of the half-hour programs were written by Joe Connelly and Bob Mosher, later the writing team for Leave It to Beaver and The Munsters. In the new version, Amos became a minor character to the more dominant Andy and Kingfish duo. The new Amos 'n' Andy Show endured for the next twelve years as one of the most popular weekly programs on radio. The final Amos 'n' Andy radio broadcast occurred on November 25, 1960. By this time the show had transition to the Amos 'n' Andy Music Hall in which Freeman and Charles basically were DJs introducing musical numbers. For more information about the Amos 'n' Andy TV Show, click on this link.
Purchased Amos 'n' Andy on DVD.
Amos and Andy Radio Shows on CD.
Amos 'n' Andy Catch-Phrases:
I'se regusted!
Ow wah, ow wah, ow wah!
Buzz me Miss Blue!
Check and double-check
Now ain't that sumpin'?
Holy mackerel, Andy!
Freeman Gosden & Charles Correll
Amos 'n' Andy in character
