![]() Executives said they felt they would fit perfectly into their budget-priced line of old television series.Īs of June, the company had shipped more than 40,000 units, which makes “Amos ‘n’ Andy” one of its biggest sellers. Shelly Barrios-LeVeille, vice president of sales and marketing, said the company hopes this will help put the series in perspective.īridgestone-collaborating with a collector who has master tapes of most of the series’ 78 episodes-began releasing the shows about six months ago in a two-video set containing 10 episodes. To counter such concerns, Bridgestone is making available an “Amos ‘n’ Andy” documentary made in the 1970s and narrated by the late comedian George Kirby. “To bring it back without examining the content is as problematic as acting as if never existed.” “History taken out of context is inappropriate, and ‘Amos ‘n’ Andy’ has a history that is so rooted in controversy that it needs to be examined at the same time,” said USC’s Boyd. It makes no reference to the historical context of the images or the controversy surrounding the show. I don’t think there will ever be agreement on ‘Amos ‘n’ Andy.’ ”Īnd some observers have objected to the packaging of the videos by Arizona-based Bridgestone Multimedia Co., which is making the current home video push. “At times audiences are very receptive and friendly, while others find it a total turn-off. “Sometimes I will give talks on the series, and then show about five minutes of clips,” Ely said. “There is a stunning lack of consensus among black viewers when it comes to ‘Amos ‘n’ Andy,’ ” said Melvin Patrick Ely, a professor of history and black studies at the College of William & Mary in Virginia, and author of “The Adventures of Amos ‘n’ Andy: A Social History of an American Phenomenon.” The show can still provoke emotional responses from many African Americans. The president of the organization’s Beverly Hills/Hollywood chapter says “Amos ‘n’ Andy” in many respects is more dignified than many black-oriented sitcoms on the air today. It was just a slice of life of who these people are.”Įven the national NAACP, which was instrumental in getting “Amos ‘n’ Andy” off the air, has taken a hands-off position on the series this time around, declining to comment on the show’s resurgence. I go back and look at them and genuinely laugh,” said African American actress-director Anna Maria Horsford, who co-stars in the WB network’s “The Wayans Bros.” “It’s just like ‘I Married Joan’ or any other comedy during that time. “I have ‘Amos ‘n’ Andy’ in my own collection. With quite a bit of historical distance, there is a different approach that we can apply in the 1990s that we could not apply before.” ![]() “As time passes, different circumstances arise and context changes. ![]() “Most things mellow out over time, and what may have been offensive at one point is now comical,” said Todd Boyd, an African American who is assistant professor of critical studies at USC’s School of Cinema-Television. And with the growing prominence of black writers, producers and directors, as well as a greater variety of roles for blacks, some African Americans and others regard “Amos ‘n’ Andy” with less resistance than they did in the past, when the involvement of blacks in Hollywood was more stereotyped and restricted. But mixed feelings about contemporary African American sitcoms and movies containing what some observers call outrageous characters and situations have prompted more interest in seeking out “Amos ‘n’ Andy” for comparison. Director Robert Altman and entertainer Harry Belafonte have announced plans for a movie about “Amos ‘n’ Andy.” Not long before his death, he appeared on The Tonight Show with Jack Paar.But now, a home video distributor has launched an aggressive marketing campaign as it makes episodes more widely available in such major outlets as Tower Records. The actor who brought Kingfish to life would later become implicated in the Roast Beef Incident, in which he was arrested for firing a pistol when angered by his in-laws finishing the roast beef. Williams did very little work after Amos ‘n’ Andy, though he did appear in a 1958 L.A. Spencer Williams - died, 1969, Los Angeles. After playing Amos on The Amos ‘n’ Andy Show, Childress played parts in several movies and a few TV series such as Good Times and The Jeffersons. After his Amos and Andy work, Correll retired in Beverly Hills, not far from Freeman Gosden.Īlvin Childress- died, 1986, Inglewood, CA. Served as the best man at Frank Sinatra’s 1976 wedding was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, 1969, and elected into the National Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame, 1977.Ĭharles Correll- died, 1972, of a heart attack. 10, 1982, from heart failure, in Los Angeles.
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