Amos N'andy: Old Time Radio Shows (Orginal Radio Broadcasts Collector Series)
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Book Reviews of Amos N'andy: Old Time Radio Shows (Orginal Radio Broadcasts Collector Series)
Book Review: Some old shows don't hold up; this is one of them.
Summary: 2 Stars
The production values are excellent: the shows sound like they were recorded yesterday. And the bonus DVD with an episode each of Burns and Allen, The Great Gildersleeve, and my favorite, Our Miss Brooks were a nice treat. But the Amos 'n' Andy shows themselves were just plain boring. They elicited an occasional chuckle from me, but each show is 25 minutes long, and to only be amused once or twice in that time did not justify listening to the whole show. I've sat through several hours of shows, but there are 20 hours on the CDs and I do not see subjecting myself to any more than I already have. I will donate the collection to my local library.Book Review: Good collection
Summary: 5 Stars
These are primarily the mid-1940s episodes of the Amos and Andy radio show. At this point, the show was a close cousin to the later TV version of the 1950s (fans of the TV version will notice a number of original radio versions of some episodes). Along with Gosden and Correll as A&A, a good supporting crew such as Lou Lubin as Shorty the Stuttering Barber, Jester Hairston as henry von Porter, Johnny Lee as Calhoun the Lawyer, Ernestine Wade as Sapphire, James "Uncle Remus" Baskette as Rev. Johnson, etc. are along for the ride, as well as various Black vocal grous such as the Four Knights, the Jubilaires, and the Delta Rhythm Boys to provide a peppy Greek chorous for the goings-on.
These episodes are usually quite imaginative,amusing and entertaining with clever stories and hilarious characterizations. Unfortuantely, as the forties wind down, the series went into a rut with the "Kingfish cons Andy" theme wearing thin. But the better episodes from the early and mid 40s are here to enjoy (only a handful of the 1930s episodes survive in recordings today). Good for long drives, doing house or garage work, or sitting on your porch as the sun goes down.