The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1930-04-21

ilOhbllo bllC Oeloo VI iilo 6CDC
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 4.
How? Blackface? Costumed =?
In a real" Fresh Air Taxicab
Company of America, Incor-
polated, office?
TelevisiOn!
1t is a certain development, Cos
den believes. In a couple of years
television-the great home talkie
movie-will be the current enter
tainment of the nations millions,
offering a problem of the greatest
concern 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 infection
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 Chi
cago to see her sick ''poppo" is eff
fective over the air because of the
intense pleading note of Gosden's
voice. VIII 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 some
thing more than an audible comic
strip.
It has, intelligent commentators
say, the earmarkS of a new art.
Probably they will have to develop
a new technique to keep it so. And
they believe that they will.
Sees Great Television Future
1--WE have grown up with radio
during its remarkable development %
GoSden said. I'VE believe that
within the next two years televiSion
will be as great medium for enter
tanning and inStructing as the radio
now is
"Just how this will affect our
broadcaSting We do not know. We
hope to be able to cope with the
situation. 1t is very apparent that
it will mean a lot more work.
Unless the pictures are faxed
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 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 audiences desire to see them
lin person"
Know Their Stage Stuff
But the thousands who saw them
perform, according to their ap-
plauding 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 pro-
IeSsional coaching, of appearances
in musical shows and in their own
slitS, have developed the Snowman
instinct-the asset with which they
started.
This "showmanship" in the boys,
the greatest example of their tech
nique. is apparent in what is called
"the continuity of interest" they
have built into their Amos n Andy
episodes.
q
gram" Correll said in analyzing
their success and the effect of tele-
vision on their act.
Has Touch of PathOS
People don't listen in because of
the jokes told. In fact, the program
at times has decided touch of pa
thoS. Amos n Andy are very hui
man. They have more than their
share Of faults. and they have many
likable characteristics.
They always are laundering 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 hui
man The Negro character and dis-
iect merely point it more"
at may be that We can hold this
pathoS. this humanity, better with
the aid of television," put in Cos