Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-02-12

Two "colored" men are honored guests
in Heaven knows how many million
American homes every night except
Sunday.
Their names are Amos m Andy, and
| they come in on a wave of music lib
orally plastered with toothpaste, and
they go out on the same.
During the 10 minutes that they per-
form each night they demonstrate the
reasons for their overwhelming popu-
larity with all classes of the gigantic
radio audience.
No two listeners, however, seem
agreed upon the precise point which
accounts for the fact that these two
very human beings, as represented by
their creators, are the undoubted rage
of the hour.
us requested" is heard everywhere,
in home. street, Office, living room, bar
Der shop. "Oh, OH" is no less popu-
lar. Check and double check" is even
more SO.
The American language has been en-
riched to this triple extent-that is, the
power of expression of the average per-
son has been given added ammunition,
because every one else knows the exact
shades of meaning attached to these
almost mystic syllables.
x < X
Ask any Amos n Andy fan what is
the one quality, above all, which makes
them SO popular and he will have a
ready and instant solution.
They are so human" one says.
Surely they are. Check and double
check!
They are humorous" Yes, but far
below the set wise-cracking of the esti-
mable Two Black Crows, or even of
Gallagher and Shean.
They have enough sense to tell a
continued story, and the American
populace, bred up ON serial stories, loves
continued story above all things"
Grant that, too. These fellows are
large, they contain multitudes Every
They get $150,000 a year. or what
ever fabulous sum 1t is" says another,
with tinge of envy.
Yes, even that helps to make them
popular. In land where entertainers
of all sorts. from Babe Ruth to Alice
White. draw down monstrous sums
at least in comparison with the aver
age. run-a big salary helps lot.
Subconsciously every listener says to
himself. Those Shrewd business men
who"are sponsoring them wouldn't pay
them so much if they weren't worth
it-they must be good"
And that phrase, They must be
good" undoubtedly helps Amos m Andy
be good 1t works both ways. 1t helps
the listener drawing down his two or
three or four thousand dollars year,
boost the boys in his own mind, and
perhaps it helps the boys put buoyancy,
pep, verve and snap into their stuff.
Yes, one may rather suspect it does.
X X
Yet all of these reasons, and as many
more. cannot account for the really
gigantic vogue which these Americans
have taken in the hearts of the people
of the Nation. What is the underly-
ing fundamental reason?
Men who work in stores at night
plan to go get their supper at 7 o'clock,
not, indeed, to eat supper, but rather
to stand in front of radio shop in
order to listen to the latest adventure
of Amos m Andy.
They stand shivering in the cold
while Amos discovers his little dog or
Flossie White intrigues the Kingfish
with the old. old intriguing; they smile
with delight every time Andy solemnly
declares, Check and double check"
they writhe with interest when Pat
Pending majestically attempts to in
sert his sly hand in Amos close-held
roll
People who "eat out" are deferring