The Amos 'n' Andy Show

N.p. N.p., Circa 1951-1953. Vintage studio still photograph from the controversial and short-lived 1951-1953 television sitcom, showing actors Alvin Childress and Spencer Williams. Printed CBS mimeo snipe affixed to the verso.

Based on the popular 1928-1960 radio show, following the misadventures of two African Americans from Georgia as they try to make it in the big city. The radio show was created and voiced by white actors Charles J. Correll and Freeman F. Gosden, who had previously performed in the minstrel tradition. Aware that viewers would expect to see Black actors in the main roles, television producers cast Spencer Williams, Alvin Childress, and Tim Moore in the main roles, but instructed the actors to keep their voices and speech patterns close to Gosden and Correll's.

Having long opposed the radio series for its stereotypical depiction of African American life, the NAACP mounted a formal protest of the show almost immediately after its release, contending that the series upheld racial prejudices and created a distorted view of African Americans. The group's pressure was a primary factor in the series' early cancellation, with CBS pulling the show from the air in 1953.

Set in Chicago.

7 x 9 inches. Very Good plus, slightly wavy.

[Book #157975]