Indianapolis Times, Volume 41, Number 295, Indianapolis, Marion County, 21 April 1930 — Page 8

PAGE 8

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Amos ’n’ Andy—what are they like in person; how do they live; what do they do; how do they prepare their broadcasts? The New York Telegram, Scripps-lloward newspaper, assigned Douglas Gilbert to interview i the famous radio team and find out. The result is a series of absorbing articles, the ninth of which follows. nun BY DOUGLAS GILBERT Nrw York Tflfjnm Staff Writer '(Cooyrieht. 1930, ter The New York Telegram Corporation. Reproduction in whole of in part forbidden.) You’ve pulled out the gadget that establishes your con- , tact. The screen above your radio in the darkened living room glows with the intensity of a stage’s spotlight. The orchestra, “visible” in the pit, beats out the strain of a 1932 musical comedy and some Helen Morgan—advance model—croons an equivalent “Why Was I Born?” An act from a Broadway hit is sent hurtling into space to perch precisely on the set of a Nebraska crossroads storekeeper—to entertain the punchers making camp in the Sioux country after a hard day’s roundup—to point the after dinner hour for the guests of a millionaire on a Long Island ' North Shore estate. A ranger north of Saskatoon, challenging the mockery , of his comrades, sets his dial, and the magic fire of Wagner’s ‘Walkure” suffuses the panel above the radio as Wotan mouths the bass of his “Lebewohl.”

And in a studio, let’s say at 6 p. m., some ‘Bill Hay” has just finished: “Amos ’n’ Andy in person” . . . while two men, Freeman F. Gosden and Charles J. Correll, begin . . . How? Blackface? Costumed? In a “real” Fresh Air Taxicab Company of America, Incorpolated, office? Television! It is a certain development, Gosden believes. In a couple of years television—the great home talkie movie—will be the current entertainment of the nation's millions, offering a problem of the greatest concfrn to the boys—a problem that now they are giving all their efforts toward meeting. Vitality of Act Now Uunseen The vitality, the essence of their act now is that they are unseen. As Gosden so graphically pictured it at the start, it is the voice inflection of the boys that carries the emotion that requires the listener mentally to conjure up his own picture of their “sitchiations.” That is the great current surge and pull of their broadcasting. “Good-by, sweetheart. . . Amos’ farewell to Ruby en route for Chicago to see her sick “poppo” is effective over the air because of the intense pleading note of Gosden’s voice. Will the “sight” of Amos on the television screen enhance or mitigate its effectiveness? The boys do not know, are not sure. They believe their act is something more than an audible comic strip. It has, intelligent commentators say. the earmarks of anew art. Probably they will have to develop anew technique to keep it so. And they believe that they will. Sees Great Television Future “We have grown up with radio during its remarkable development,” Gosden said. “We believe that within the next two years television will be as great a medium for entertaining and instructing as the radio now is.

“Just how this will affeci our broadcasting we do not know. We hope to be able to cope with the situation. It is very apparent that it will mean a lot more work. Unless the pictures are faked—and we certainly wouldn’t ‘fake’ them—it will mean memorizing our lines each night. This, of course, isn't necessary now. Television will be a problem for us, but I think we shall be able to meet it." If it’s a matter of acting the boys have little to fear. They have put on their blackface skits in theater chains across the country. The S. R. O. turnouts that greeted them, it is true, were mostly inspired by a radio audience's desire to aee them “in person.” Know Their Stage Stuff But the thousands who saw them perform, according to their applauding testimony, came away also with the idea that the boys knew their stage stuff as well as their radio act. Their long training in the theater is responsible for this. Years of professional coaching, of appearances in musical shows and in their own skits, have developed the showman lmtinct —the asset with which they started. This “showmanship” in the boys, the greatest example of their technique. is apparent in what is called “the continuity of • interest" they have built into their Amos ’n’ Andy episodes. “It isn't a ‘wise-cracking* program," Correll said in analyzing their success and the effect of television on their act Has Touch of Pathos “People don’t listen in because of the jokes told. In fact, the program at times has a decided touch of pathos. Amos ’n’ Andy are very human. They have more than their share of faults, and they have many likable characteristics. “They always are blundering into scrapes and getting out of them. In other words, they are doing what any one is likely to do in the same circumstances. The comedy is human. The Negro character and dialect merely point it more.” “It may be that we can hold this pathta. this humanity, better with the aid of television,” put in Gos-

den. “We are used to blackface appearances, as most everybody knows. It will mean more work and harder work, but I guess we’ll be o. k. At any rate, we’re ready to test it out anytime.” Might Have Support It would be necessary, also, unless the boys adopted hat-changing and mask tricks, to “incorpolate” a cast of characters at the advent of television. Or limit the appearance of the Kingfish, Big Boy and Llghtin’. Their radio presentation now is a perfect set-up for their art. Gosden, with his flexible voice, could simulate even Andy if Correll became ill. Correll, he admits, would have considerable difficulty playing Amos. “I don’t think there’s another person in the world who could take the part of Amos the way Gos does,” Correll said. Os course, Gos can take my part. But if Gosden ever should be taken ill, well, I’d have to do a solo as Andy, or maybe bring in a couple of minor characters. I’d never attempt to do Amos.” This recalled an incident some time ago in Chicago when the boys, for the first time, introduced a woman into their act. “She” was played by Gosden,. “But I got a cold,” continued Gosden, “and I couldn’t make the high range. We had to have her leave town right away.”

Give Censorship Views “I guess I’d have to leave town, too. if I went on as Amos,” added Correll. “or else face the broadcasting censorship.” That was an idea. What did the boys think of radio censorship? For the most part, they believe it has been an excellent thing, since the power has not been abused and has been exercised intelligently. They were reminded of Will Rogers’ broadcast Sunday night. Rogers, you will remember, paid tribute to Amos ’n’ Andy’s “clean” act and the wholesome fun they put into it. His kindly reference to the boys, by the way, was appreciated personally with a long telegram of thanks to Rogers in Beverly Hills. They are not prepared, however, to go all the way with Rogers in the gum-chewing, ex-cowpuncher’s wholehearted indorsement of censorship. Haven't Had to Face It “You’d better count us out on that,” said Gosden. “It’s a subject that we haven’t given a great deal of thought to because we haven’t had to face it ourselves. On the other hand, all strict censorship instead of being a deterrent

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■ I 3 " x I Photographers are always on the --f? ' !. ' ' job when Amos ’n’ Andy appear. ,cor Ht** J S' Here’s the Washington (D. C.) L - ooc'iy Ay camera contingent catching them h.tt—JUsi. on the steps of the state depart- - ment building on a recent visit. when acts or songs of plays or I pictures are offered whose result is fa to whet the appetite of the listener for the originaL y “But these are superficial, cursory / utw city' viewpoints, remember,” cautioned

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to the presentation of distasteful or unseemly things probably acts as a spur.” “Sure,” interrupted Correll. “If they banned ‘Mother Goose’ copies would be bootlegged to a certain part of the public who are always eager to obtain something the law says they shouldn't have. It’s the old case of ‘forbidden fruit.” Isn’t prohibition something like this? They were asked. The suggestion didn’t take. Prohibition promptly was thumbed down as a topic. Not because they haven’t ideas on the current question, but because they believe their ideas on this subject, as on a great many others, don’t mean anything to the public at large. Not Privileged to Speak “We happen to be—and for this, remember, we’re very grateful—popular entertainers. That’s our sphere,” Gosden explained. “It doesn’t give us any privilege of commenting, with all the authority that would inhere to the remarks of an economist or scholar on various phases of the American scene. “Our views might be interesting.

Cooking Meats Can you provide your family with well-selected, well-cooked meats? Our Washington bureau has anew bulletin on How to Cook Meats that will prove helpful. Beef, veal, lamb and mutton and pork, with scores of recipes for cooking these meats in delicious dishes will be found in this bulletin. Fill out the coupon below and send for it. Cookery Editor, Washington Bureau, Indianapolis Times, 1322 New York avenue, Washington, D. C.: I want a copy of the bulletin, “How to Cook Meats, and inclose herewith 5 cents to cover return postage and handling costs. Name St. and No City State I am a reader of The Indianapolis Times. (Code No.)

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THE INDIANAPOLIS TIMES

But if we stated them we’d be starting an argument that we’re not prepared to finish. A lot of things aren’t any of our business; and those we try to steer clear of." However, both boys are convinced that the influence of the radio throughout the country, even as a medium for commercialism, has been all to the good. “The radio in my home,” said Gosden, “has been a great means of entertaining and instruction. We wouldn’t part with it, and often wonder what we did with our evenings before it reached its present perfection. Doesn’t Supplant Stage “I say this, of course, merely as just another listener without any reference to whatever professional role I may have in broadcasting.” These sentiments are shared by Correll. Moreover, as an entertaining means, radio, the boys believe, has not usurped any of the prestige of the stage or the movie. It supplements these mediums, they think. In some instances also it enhances stage and screen presentations, as

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Photographers are always on the job when Amos ’n’ Andy appear. Here’s the Washington (D. C.) camera contingent catching them on the steps of the state department building on a recent visit. when acts or songs of plays or pictures are offered whose result is to whet the appetite of the listener for the original. “But these are superficial, cursory viewpoints, remember,” cautioned Gosden. “Again you are attempting to set up as an authority on.things that we don’t know much about and haven’t given much thought to.” One thing they do give considerable time and thought to is present day music—jazz, if you will. “We still sing and play, harmonize together in’ our homes (Correll is a good pianist) and have a grand time doing it,” said Gosden. “We believe American jazz is getting somewhere. The ‘blues’ and

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Dr. Alfred C. Jordan, secretary of the dress reformers, explained the party’s program. Jordan has designed a full dress suit that combines comfort with circumspection. It has no studs and no starch. Here are the details: Silk or artificial silk Sahara brown shirt that revives the most daring feature of the peekaboo waist. Sky-blue waistcoat or vest, loosely gathered in at the waist; it has half-length sleeves or no sleeves at all. Sky-blue knee breeches or

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modern harmonic arrangements and the way the great jazz orchestras are now symphonizing these settings seem to us to be opening up anew trail in music.” “Something like this?” asked Correll. He had risen and gone to the piano. An augmented chord—“blue sounded throughout the apartment, and then the ripping introduction of Rube Bloom’s “Song of the Bayou.” . . . Gosden and the boys’ wives moved toward the player. “Charlie” was putting on a “home” act. _! And what are they like in their homes? Profiles of the boys, their diversions, characteristics and personalities will be given by Donglas Gilbert in the next interview. FRANCE WILL PROTEST CRITICISM BY TOURIST Magazine Article Held Harmful to Important Business. Bv Vnited Press PARIS, April 21.—An official protest by the French foreign office and the commissioner of tourists against an article in the Saturday Evening Post was believed likely today in view of the widespread comment that the article might be harmful to the tourist business of France. The article was written by Eleanor Russell Mac Donnell and was entitled “Plain Tales From the Tourists.” The feeling here was that it was designed to keep tourists away from France since the author said candidly: “I confine myself to France because France always has been the adored Mecca of American tourists and gets most of the tourist money, yet shows a disposition to discriminate against us.”

shorts, brown stockings and brown slippers with buckles. The waistcoat and breeches are of soft, washable material. Jordan believes it would be perfectly proper to discard the waistcoat on a warm evening, for a Sahara brown skirt could not offend even the most sensitive pei-son. The Men's Dress Reform party has almost 3,000 members in England, France, Germany and the United States. The oldest member, the Rev. D. D. Bennett, 83, wears a kilt at all times, even in the pulpit.

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.APRIL 21, 1930