Indianapolis Times, Volume 41, Number 290, Indianapolis, Marion County, 15 April 1930 — Page 15

—O , .vy

Amos n’ Andy—what are they like in person: how do they live: what do th"' do: how do they prepare their broadcasts? The New York Telegram, a Siripps-Howard newspaper, assigned Druglas Gilbert to interview the famous radio team and find out. The result was a series of absorbing articles, the fourth of which follows: BY DOUGLAS GILBERT. New York Telegram Staff Writer. ‘'(Copyright IS3O bv The New York Telegram Corporation. Reproduction in whole or in part forbidden, i TT was a lovely evening—Aug. 19 of last year, to be precise. •*- Tempering breezes swept in across Lake Michigan, Chicago, that great, burly farm boy of American towns, had shed its coat, stepped into its Ford and beat it for Riverside. Two young men, too obviously jaflntv to veneer the apprehension they sought to hide, entered an elevator of the Daily News building and shot to the studio floor of WMAQ, on the roof, about 9:35. Five minutes later they were in the studio, coatless, collarless, sweating, despite the wine-cool weather. They were on time—Amos ’n’ Andy always enter the studio twenty minutes before they broadcast. Except once, which is a tale to come.

It's their invariable rule, fixed by them as a necessity “to get into character, the spirit of the episode,” before they go on the air. This night it came harder. The control man was monkeying with his gadgets, plugging, testing listening. Freeman F. Gosden and . Charles J. Correll for the first time were to spread the plaintive tenor of Amos, the bumptious bass of Andy over a nation-wide hookup for the National Broadcasting Company. Announcer Is Nervous Bill Hay, their announcer, looked over his reading lines, noted the nervousness of the boys, curbed his own slight trepidation to migrate their feelings. Here in New York. M. H. Aylesworth, president of the NBC, dialed in W.JZ on his own set, con- _ fident, unaware of the uneasiness a ' thousand miles away. A great showman himself, he had picked these boys as super-radio artists, mentally predicting what has happened. Eleven o'clock, E. D T. Strains of "The Perfect Song” filtered through his speaker. The boys in Chicago were going to bat for him. They didn't get to first, base in the east —in the newspaper reviews. Mercilessly the professional listeners tragically transposed Amos’ pathetic "ain't dat sumpin’? into * just “ain’t nuthin.’ ” Ncv York Scoffs Here is a sample of New York's reaction: "Are the people of Chicago and the middle west who have gone into guffaws over this duo just stupid or have they been giving better stuff throughout the last few years that Amos 'n' Andy reserved for semi-national consumption?” Aylesworth never wavered in his confidence. The peculiar basillus of the boys' act, now so pleasantly victimizing half the nation, had not had a chance to spread its infection over the Atlantic seaboard. But the boys did some grade A pondering. Never cocky, without an ounce of swagger, they listened to what proved the report of-the minutest minority. They traced back over their stuff, analyzed their situations, pored over their episodes to find what they had never had to seek out before—a possible flaw. News Clippings Barred Chagrined, a little hurt, for six weeks they never read a news clipping. But the old morale was still there. The Fresh Air Taxicab Company., Incorpolated. moved into Harlem: the boys set up “residence” in the plantation sector; opened the beauty parlor for Madame Queen, fixed the lodge rooms of the Mystic Knights of the Sea-KUrectly storming the town's bastions in a make or break sortie. About a week thereafter results came in. The infection had spread. The Amos n' Andy bacillus was doing its work. The entire east had broken out with this peculiar radio ra.ffi. now the beneficent malady of a nation. Trucks backed up to the NBC offices here and in Chicago with ton after ton of "fan" mail. New York. New England. New Jersey. Pennsylvania. Delaware. Washington. D. C., had come down with the "disease.” Fame at Last Judges, senators, siate officials, capitalists, bankers and the great yeomanry of the entire hitherto rather snooty district succumbed en masse. Fame at last! The Fresh Air Taxicab Company, Incorpolated. shared the news with United States Steel. Jurors, anxiously consulting watches, delayed or hurried verdicts to join the rendezvous millions now keep at 6 and 10:30 p. m. Flushing at their own severity, magistrates throughout the country sentenced culprits to a week, a fortnight, without Ames n’ Andy. In Richmond. Gosden's home town, twins were christened and Andy. An eastern rabbi declared that "Amos 'n' Andy reached more hearts than the pulpits of the nation.” The learned court at the recent Doheny trial in Washington. Justice Hitz. thus charged the jtiry: “I gather that you have borne your isolation with Christian resignation but that you do entertain some resentment that you have teen separated from Amos ‘n’ Andy.” Negroes Are Booster So it goes throughout the country’. The Negro race is their biggest booster. Never do they belittle these folk in their continuity. "Is regusted,” "Ain't dat sump-

in’?” "Awa, awa, awa,” "Doan mess wid dat.” have become national colloquialisms. From 6 to 6:15 p. m. the telephone company is authority for the statement that there is a 50 per cent diminution in calls. Their power to influence or ruin is as authentic as it is widespread. On Mother's day last year florists wired the NBC in Chicago their business had doubled because of some sentimental reference in an episode. Andy had mentioned a bouquet for Madame Queen. Their predominating type of listener is the homespun, cottage-living, homeowning backbone electorate. In their few theatrical appearances they play to wheel chair au-diences—shut-ins brought to the theater in cabs, cripples yearning for closer relationships. Visitors at Hospital Alex Robb, concert artist manager for NBC in Chicago, related a characteristic anecdote of the pair, heretofore unpublished. In St. Paul they were doing seven shows a day. Nearby Is Ft. Snelling. a site of a hospital for wounded veterans. Their last appearance was at 10 p. m.—lights out then for the boys in the wards. By phone and mail requests had come in for a personal visit. So the boys phoned out asking that the restrictions be waived for this night, that they might motor out and visit the invalided service men. In every veterans’ institution throughout the west cots are equipped with head phones so that the patients may tune in for Amos 'n' Andy. For their service to the veterans the boys enjoy gold membership insignias, the presentation of the American Legion. So stupendous has become the national reaction to their broadcast they’ have become social prenomena. Yet the boys, modest and affable, genial and kindly, are still “Curly” Gosden and "Charlie” Correll, unchanged, unspoiled, except for their keen realization of what their act has meant and is meaning. Never Edited on Air Their exhibition of taste and discrimination in this reaction, intelligent observers say% is unparalleled so far as they can find comparable situation to match the acclaim. No Hollywood star, no Broadway idol, not even Maude Adams in her palmiest days, had the nation at her feet as have these two thoroughly likable, intensely sincere young men. Asa mark of the confidence reposed in them the attitude of the NBC is testimony. Os all the acts broadcast theirs is the only one that is never subjected to scrutiny, never edited on the air. They give the utmost care to the composition of the episodes. They use no "gags” or wisecracks. Occasionally one creeps in. for the boys in their ordinary conversation are quickwitted and kid constantly with each other. But it never gets

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When it comes to i big business propalition. like moving a keg, Andy deft) is right there with plenty of theory, but Amos, alon the air—X-ed out before broadcasting. They chose the toothpaste product as a advertising medium because, Gosden said, "it’s a clean product and a necessity of life.” Act Bans Advertising Yet they never mention Pepsodent in any of their episodes, tiffs by contract agreement. “Our act is entirely separate from the advertising continuity and always will be,” Gosden explained. "We have had a number of offers to mention certain products in our broadcasts or certain events of an advertising nature. These we have always turned down.” "But the juveniles of the nation, the boys and girls for whom Amos ’n’ Andy have dismissed Little Jack Horner and Bo Peep of Mother Goose, soon may trot out an honest-to-goodness cab of the Fresh' Air Taxicabo Company, Incorpolated. In June a toy manufacturing company will bring it out, one of the few authentic indorsements Amos’n’ Andy have granted. Amos drives, Andy, lording it as though lolling in a limousine, beside him. The car winds, runs for a few feet, then stops and shakes like a onelunged 1913 car, 'They Just Get Over How do they “get over” their act; what have they got; what is it that

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they are creating that has nationalized their fifteen minutes, that has made them the two best known men in the country and the most popular, that caused the Pepsodent Company to place a million dollar policy on their act—ssoo,ooo each? The boys dismiss the psychological factor in their analysis as too great a puzzle for "a touple of kids"—as have many of those whe know their Jung backward. But they think, and are probably correct, that it is because the personal associations, the human con-

most convinced that he ain’t a gonna do it, is the boy with muscle. This time, apparently, it’s Amos tracts, the little odds and ends of daily experiences that happen to all of us are developed and presented in their act, faithfully, humanly and honestly; divorced from a some-thing-to-sell propaganda. Their ups and downs in business, in love, in life, are for the most part the lot of us all. “We always try to introduce something that has happened to everybody,” Gosden explained. "For example, the gullibility of most of us mortals, especially when our interests are approached financially. You may remember the Kingfish’s Great Home Bank. This proved of special interest to financiers all over tile country. “Regardless of what we say, we always try to leave the right impression. The lesson in those episodes was that you’re better off putting your money in a good, sound banking institution paying reasonable interest than in fly-by-night or get-rich-quick schemes. “We had wide comment on this from bankers throughout the nation. They were kind enough to say some nice things about our obvious message and the way we put it over.” Each association, each contact, each experience, is grist for the mill of Amos ‘n’ Andy. "In a recent episode,” Gosden went on, “we were really express-

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ing something that happened to both of us. We were moving from our old apartment to another location and hired interior decorators to do a nice job for our wives. "These, with a few shadings, of course, are the interior decorators that Andy found at Madame Queen’s and whom that astute lady sought to inveigle Andy into paying for. "The same thing happened when the Pepsodent Company had us insured. Doctors were following us around all over, taking our pulses.

who is regusted. Needless to say, this picture was mad# before Amos hired Lightnin’ for a checker and began laying down the law to Andy. registering our blood pressure* and listening to our heartbeats. It was a big parade of doctors and, of course, excellent material for the episodes. You may recall how Amos was examined for insurance.” Thus are the actual persons incidental to the experience transferred to the Amos ’n’ Andy act. Though the character themselves are there, slightly camouflaged or composite types, there is one original, the happiest colored

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girl, you may well believe, in Chicago. Lillian Greer, Mrs. Gosden’s maid. She is "Aunt Lillian.” Ruby's relative, a “resident’’ of Harlem, and the mecca for Amos when Ruby is in town, the solace for him until her "poppa" gets well. Buxom, beaming, bubbling, she peeks behind the door in the Gosden home, delighted in her "part." It’s ‘Just Swell’ "And how’d you like the episode tonight, Lillian?” Gosden will ask. And if "Aunt Lillian" may have been mentioned or phoned to:— "Jus’ swell, Mist ah Gosden, jus’ swell.” It was Lillian who. aware of the invariable "twenty minutes before” rule both apply to their studio work, worried most last Tuesday night. A blizzard blanketed the entire west. Chicago, felled by a ten-inch snowfall, laid in a biting wind, was chained, helpless. Gosden with Correll started for the studio in what they thought was ample time. They had misjudged the force of the storm. “Charlie ran a mile and a half part way to our office in the Palmolive building, where we had Tuesday night’s episode, while I went on to the studio. Trolleys had stopped; taxicabs, even the fresh air variety, were unable to proceed. Rides Coal Truck “A coal truck gave him a lift for a few blocks; then a one-lunged auto, somehow braving the storm, picked him up. He got the episode and joined me just four minutes before we were to go in. It was an anxious wait I had. The first time we had such a close shave and the first time we ever had to break our pre-presentation rule.” Mrs. Gosden rose and went to the window, lowering the drapes, snapping off the brilliant light of the chandelier, leaving only the soft glow of the floor lamp. Correll smiled from an easy chair. She rejoined her husband, sitting beside him on the sofa, attentive as he and his partner launched into their reactions to their success, their hopes and plans. And what are they planning? Douglas Gilbert continues his interview with. Amos ’n’ Andy tomorrow. Alky Truck Is Captured John Wright, 45, and Mayme Stroufe, 43, both of 543 South East street, were arrested on charges of transporting liquor Monday night, after police say they found twentyfive gallons of alcohol in a truck in which the two were riding.

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