MovieChat Forums > The Amos 'n Andy Show (1951) Discussion > We are all the poorer

We are all the poorer

posted 17 years ago by babyruth-1
6 replies | jump to latest

With nearly 60 years hindsight behind us, it is clear that the decision to remove the Amos n Andy TV series from the air in 1953 was overly sensitive and served no positive purpose for race relations. It marked the real finish to the endearing characters Gosden and Correll created back in early radio, ensuring a historical dead end to what was an entertaining and clever situation, showing viewers what African American society was like along with positive role models.

I hope that in another 100 years, we can all "get over it" and enjoy the TV and radio series for the pioneering enterprise it was. We are all the poorer for this generation being deprived of it and its legacy of hilarious comedy and positive African American images.

I have the DVD series and have watched it through over five times. I am more convinced than ever that it was the best comedy on TV at that time and that it advanced and elevated race relations into the turbulent 60s for the good. I also have about 200 episodes of the radio program and enjoy them even though Gosden and Correll were white. I have yet to find any clear denigration or stereo-typing of African Americans but rather find it representative of societies everywhere, all with successes and failures among their diverse numbers.

I trust that the next generation can lighten up and enjoy the richness of entertainment that Gosden and Correll left behind for everyone for all time in Amos n Andy.

babyruth

[–] snunes-4 17 years ago

Surely CBS has the original masters of the series, but it continues to wuss out of officially releasing the series.

The bootleg DVDs are better than nothing, but it's still a rotten shame.

[–] ristowge 17 years ago

I completely agree that A&A was the best comedy of the age. Well written, well acted and very funny. I think Sanford and Son and Good Times were more demeaning, and they were in the age "of enlightenment".
It's amazing how the creators of the series were able to find black actors who looked and sounded like the white characters on the radio show.
Political correctness prevented the video release of "Green Pastures" for a long time and still disallows Disney to release "Song of the South", and maybe has something to do with the delay of "Porgy and Bess".
Harry Lime

[–] snunes-4 17 years ago

Amos 'n' Andy is right up there with the all-time great sitcoms of the 1950s, including I Love Lucy, The Honeymooners, Leave It to Beaver, and The Phil Silvers Show.

Absolutely side-splitting, with the highlight being the two-part episode "Getting Mama Married."

I agree the seventies' black-oriented shows were more offensive than Amos 'n' Andy. It was just that there weren't other shows depicting African-American life back then, so that show came (unfairly) under attack.

[–] deloisfromil 17 years ago

as pioneers, i think the cast should be on the hollywood walk of fame, at the very least amos, andy, calhoun, lightin, and the kingfish, and lest not forget mama and sapphire

[–] ulht1 17 years ago

Confusion on Porgy and Bess re:delay(?)- it was released on DVD in 2002 (Poitier version)- just isn't currently in print (assume sales involved). A more recent version was released in 2001 and is still in print. You can find both on Amazon (older used 39.95, newer new or used 14.95).

[–] ristowge 17 years ago

The movie was never 'in print' on DVD. The version for sale on Amazon and eBay are digital transfers of old 35 mm movie. They are poor copies. If you have any information about an actual remastering of the 1959 movie released on proper DVD in any region or any country, you need to put it on this site. I don't believe such a thing exists.

Harry Lime