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Speaker 1: Lamothnandy, written by Bill Connelly and Bob Moser, with Ed Murrow,

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Bill hay Bing Crosby, Jack Benny Lowell, Thomas Jeff Alexander's

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music You're Suly Harlow Wilcox and starring in their own

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life story, Freeman Gosden and Charles Carrell Amos and Andy. The

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ten thousand independent rex Al Druggists salute Amos and Andy as

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they start their second quarter of a century on the

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air tonight by bringing you their life story tomorrow with

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the start of a special Amos and Andy sale. Yes, tomorrow, dozens,

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literally dozens the rex Al products will be sold at

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exactly half price. Later in the program we will list

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many of these half price items, So friends, make up

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your minds right now to stock up, because every time

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you buy, you say at the Amos and Andy sailed

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It starts tomorrow and goes on for two weeks at

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Rexall drug stores everywhere and here to introduce the life

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story of Freeman Gosden, Charles Carrell, Amos and Andy is

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one of America's most distinguished commentators. Good Evening, Ladies and gentlemen,

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missus Edmurole. Tonight, we of the Columbia Broadcasting System paid

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tribute to Amos and Andy. For twenty five years, Amos

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and Andy have been a familiar part of the American scene.

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But who are Amos and Andy? Where did they come from? Tonight,

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for the first time, the creators of these beloved characters

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step out from behind the mass of their famous portrayals

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to dramatize their own story, the story of Freeman Gosden

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and Charles Corral. I know of no one but had

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qualified to help tell you this story than the voice

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so long associated with the history of Amoson handy good evening,

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This is Bill hay In Where did Freeman Gosden and

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Charles Corell first meet? One rainy night in Durham, North Carolina?

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Right after World War One? Young Peoria born Charlie Correll

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had been sent down from Chicago to stage your local

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amateur show. The cast was rehearsing on the second floor

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of the Elks Lodge, and Charlie, at the piano, was

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having his trouble with the chorus. All right, kids, here

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we go again, Why free what hold it? Hold it?

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Hold it you there, Dotty on the end, You're a

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cuter than a barrel of monkeys. But would you do

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your uncle Charlie a favor and try to remember your

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left foot from your right. That's right, that's the one.

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Excuse me, you want to see me? Sorry to interrupt you,

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but you are Correl, aren't you? That's right, Arlie Correll.

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Can I do something for you? I'm Freeman Gosden. I

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just started with the company producing shows and they set

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me down to pick up some scripts and music. Oh yeah,

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so you're Gosdin. Be right with your kids, are you, Freeman?

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But I got all this stuff back at the hotel.

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Say you're putting the same show on over in Elizabeth City,

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North Carolina, aren't you, Yeah, that's right. We start rehearsals Monday. Well,

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then listen, how about getting up in front of these

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kids and showing them this step. I've got my hands

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full with the piano. Be glad to Charlie. Listen, folks,

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this is my new partner, Freeman Gosden. Oh. Now he

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knows this number and he's going through it with you.

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So watch him. Girls. All right, girls, here we go

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one two three, one two three turned two three.

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Speaker 2: Now you have a one.

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Speaker 1: And thus the beginning of a partnership was formed. For

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the next few years, they traveled all over the South

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producing amateur shows, learning working together. Those were lean years,

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the hard years. The boys did everything, produced, directed growth,

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and even performed in some of the shows. Then one

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night in New Orleans, they were talked into appearing on

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a strange view device radio.

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Speaker 3: Say this is something that with guys.

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Speaker 1: The fellow says, we into this big megaphone here. Do

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you think anybody will actually hear us? Well, one of

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the followers here was telling me this morning they got

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a phone call from a woman who lives a mile

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away from the station. No fooling. That followed the earphones

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is waving us again time by You're on the air. Okay,

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Charlie hit it the largest largest everyone knows. They tell

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your gargers gargees from your head to your clothes.

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Speaker 2: And you well, while, well.

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Speaker 1: Wow, you are pretty damned. But look at you, Charlie,

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what look?

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Speaker 2: You're simply gorgeous.

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Speaker 1: Yes, that was their first appearance on radio, but outside

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of a call from the woman who lived a mile

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away from the station, nothing came of it. Two years

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later found them working in Chicago, still waiting for that

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abusive big break. Hello, Charlie, this is guys, Well where

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are you? I've been waiting for you. I got us

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a date. Two girls from Evanstone. One of their fathers

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owns the restroom. Well, Charlie, I just left five O'Neal's office.

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Now he runs radio station w e p H up

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at the edge one to Beach Hotel. Now he wants

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us to go on the radio as a singing team,

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and I told him we'd do it. Well, wait a minute,

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Wait a minute, kid, how much are we gonna have

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to pay? Not avent, Charlie, and get this. At midnight,

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after the station closes down, the hotel gives us a

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blue plates up for free. Yes, the boys went on

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the air nightly for w e BA. They sang songs

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when Red Robert bothering along along. They told jokes, thank god,

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I'm going home to I can give the father bath,

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give your father a vale. Of course, I've been sponging

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off the old man per year. You wrote it, and

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I'll direct it. Finally, six months and one hundred and

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thirty five blue plate suppers later, they've got that big break.

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Ben mcconnaugh, the head of the powerful Tribune station WGM,

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sent for them. Let me get this straight, mister mccenna.

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You want us to go on the air every night

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and dramatize a comic strip. That's why, boys, one of

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the comics from the Tribune, The Gump Testa and the Family.

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I wasn't not an idea. Well, well yes, mister McKenna,

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but we're a singing team. I don't think we can

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handle it. You life think going to be a great

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series for you. Well, I tell you if if that's

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the kind of a thing you're after, I got sort

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of an idea. Well what is it? Well, you see,

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I was born and raised in Richmond, Virginia, and Charlie

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has traveled all over the South. What would you think

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of us doing a couple of colored characters. Yeah, now

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there's something.

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Speaker 3: We can handle.

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Speaker 1: I don't know about that. I never thought of, mister mccanna.

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There's never been anything like it on the air. I

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tell you what, why don't you boys see if you

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can come up with a script and some characters spend

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a week it's all on it, then we can take

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it from there a week. I mister mccanna, we don't

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have a script for you the first thing in the morning,

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won't we Charlie you can bet your bottom dollar on it.

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What time is the kid, Well, it's daybreak, whatever time

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that is.

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Speaker 3: And we had a telling we'd.

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Speaker 1: Have a script in the morning. Charlie, I've been thinking

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over these comic strips. I take Mutton Jeff, and that's popular.

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Speaker 3: Yeah.

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Speaker 1: One fellow is a great big man and the other

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one's a little bit of fella. And that's what we've

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got to get. Yeah, but the people aren't going to

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say us on the radio. Well, we've got to do

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it with our voice. Is maybe if one of us

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had a high voice and the other one a little voice,

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that would give them a picture. Yeah, say, guys, you're writers,

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two rabbits, you know. Charlie, I think we are getting somewhere.

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You can get your voice down pretty low, can't you. Well, yes,

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I can get down pretty low. Keep going, get on

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lower light down here, not fair? Now, listen, he can

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put a he you can put a little dialect in it. Yeah.

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Well I'm going to stay right down here and talk

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like this year. All of this sound, brother, Gods, sounds great.

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Now you hold that voice and I'll try to get

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a high one. Yeah, I'll do that, and you get

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on up there. How does this sound up here?

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Speaker 3: We'll get up higher, get way up the.

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Speaker 2: Found up here?

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Speaker 3: Yeah, poor little dialect and a thing and pull a

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rasp in there, like.

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Speaker 1: That little fellow who worked in the drug store in Atlanta. Yeah,

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put a little rafp in there. How do you got

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found to you now? Brother, career A show sounds good

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than me? Boy, I think we've done got something here, boy,

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I sure hope though. Good e've met ladies and gentlemen.

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This is your rex Hall family druggist with a few

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of the half price specials at the Amos and Andy

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sale that begins tomorrow. These next two weeks are the

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first in the history of our rex All drug stores

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when dozens, literally dozens of guaranteed rex All products will

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be sold at exactly half price. Best of all, this

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two weeks sail is store wide. You'll find almost a

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hundred super specials, plus this unprecedented free offer. You get

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an unbreakable plastic tumbler in your choice of beautiful colors,

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absolutely free when you buy any of a dozen special items.

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So friends, be prepared for overwhelming savings at the Amison

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Andy Sale tomorrow through February twenty eighth. At rex All

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drug stores everywhere. Well, one month later, Freeman Garden and

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Charles Correll went on the air of Salmon Henry and

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two years later it was the top program in the

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Chicago area. Success seemed to be there. Then one day

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they went to Ben mccanna with a proposition. Well, that's

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the idea, mister McKenna. We heard that one of the

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big broadcasting companies is starting a coast to coast network. Yes,

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and we'd sure like to get on that network with

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the mccanna boys. I understand your enthusiasm, but we here

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at the station want to keep Samon Henry as our

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exclusive features. But mister McKenna, we think this is the

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opportunity of a lifetime for it. I know that, boys,

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I know it. But after all, we own the name

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Salmon Henry and we don't want to make any rash

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move and take the chance of ruining the show. All right,

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mister McKenna, thank you, Just the Sam. Come on, Charlie,

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well he's trying to stand cold.

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Speaker 3: Guys, what are we gonna do?

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Speaker 1: Now? What do we do? Charlie? We quit?

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Speaker 3: Yeah, well I quit.

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Speaker 1: Quit Salmon Henry. Now look, Charlie, we can get just

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so far and no farther staying here on one station.

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Speaker 3: Yes, but God's Way could need to take Simon.

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Speaker 1: Henry with us. The newspaper owns the name. We'd have

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to start over from scratch. All right, We'll start over from.

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Speaker 3: Scratch, guys. I don't know about this.

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Speaker 1: Suppose we're a flop now, Look, Charlie, I don't know

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what it is. Call it intuition or whatever you want

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to but I just have a feeling we are doing

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the right thing. Well, if you feel a lot strong

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about it, guys, okay, let's take a crack at it.

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After all, we've come a long way from the days

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of the Blue Plate Supper. Thirty days later, their contract

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expired and the Boys signed with the network. Opening night

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was only a few weeks away, and the network was

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pressing for details on the new show. Well, thanks for calling,

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mister Johnson. Yes, but we'd rather not release the name

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of the new program yet. Oh I think about I'm

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mister Johnson. Charlie. Are getting anxious about the name of

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New York so am I I wish we had one?

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Not The name of this show means everything, yes, Charlie,

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And we've been working on it for a week and well,

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nothing seems to found as good as Sam and Henry.

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Speaker 3: Yeah. Oh, come on, guys, let's go out and get

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some supper.

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Speaker 1: We need a snappy name like Jack and Mack or

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Tim and Tommy.

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Speaker 3: Yeah. Push the elevator button, guys.

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Speaker 1: Charlie, we must have made a list of over five

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hundred names. Yeah, I know. Oh, say how about Flappy?

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Speaker 2: I'm happy?

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Speaker 1: No, I don't think so, Charlie.

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Speaker 3: Oh, here's the elevator.

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Speaker 1: I wonder if Willie is on duty. He's a character,

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isn't he. Well, well, Chucklin, Charlie and Stephen Freeman, how

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are you boys? Oh fine, Willy step right in? How

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are my two friends of the airway and say here

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you gotta new program? Yeah that's right, it starts next week. Willy,

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we're going coast to call. Well, how you like that?

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Ain't you the pair for the air blag? Well, well,

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look who's here? My football play in friend? Step right in?

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Famous Amos? How's everything going on the elevator? Will he

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having my ups and downs? Second floor going down? I'll

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move back.

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Speaker 3: Let the Canada get.

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Speaker 1: In with the deep ladder. Well, make way for my

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old friend Handy Andy. First floor. There ain't no more.

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Speaker 2: Going up.

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Speaker 1: Oh, hey, Charlie, what we need in these names is

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something that'll catch on, something that'll be easy to Uh, Charlie,

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what's the matter.

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Speaker 3: Did you hear what will he called those two fellows?

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Speaker 1: Yeah, famous Amos and Uh and the But Charlie, what

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I mean Amos and Andy? Yeah, Amos and Andy. Well,

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they are both four letter names. They're both thought of

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infonius and Amos is a biblical character.

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Speaker 3: Yeah.

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Speaker 1: And not only that. If we have a player benefit

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their list of names alphabeticla, we always be right smack

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at the top, right, Yeah. Amos and Andy started on

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the network from coast to coast fifteen minutes nightly at

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seven o'clock Eastern Timeard time, emanating from Chicago. About the

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third day, they started getting out of town newspaper clippings

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reviewing their show. Hey, Charlie, here's a review from a

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New York paper right on top.

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Speaker 3: Oh boy, what's your sake yet?

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Speaker 1: Well, it's uh. You'd better read the headline yourself, Charlie. Yeah,

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Amos and Andy, Radio's biggest.

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Speaker 3: Flop has a riot that.

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Speaker 1: Much, Harold and Amos and Andy made its debut on

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the airwaves last night at seven o'clock with a thud.

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I might add, don't read a kid, it'll make you sick.

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Here's another one. This one is in Washington, DC.

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Speaker 3: URIs was to.

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Speaker 1: Say Amos and Andy disappointing after he build up of

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two weeks by network. Amos and Andy followed a sad

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organ theme with something about a fresh air taxicab. This

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type of program has no place in radio. Only mackerel

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looking at another one, and they're all bad. Yeah, boy,

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Simon Henry looks awful good right now, doesn't it. Charlie.

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There's no two ways about it. We're a flop. But

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what makes me feel so bad about it is if

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I talked you into it. Well, now wait a minute,

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wait them and it don't feel that way. We both

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went into the thing and with her eyes open. Well,

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it's just and I got so enthusiastic at the time, Charlie,

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I wonder if you'd excuse me. I I think I'll

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go out and walk around by myself.

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Speaker 3: Well, I guess he wants to be alone. But even

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if the kid doesn't know it, I'm out there walking

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right with him.

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Speaker 4: When you look at all the items I've marked in

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the Wrexall magazine, ads the items that go on sale

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for just half price at the Amos and Andy sale tomorrow.

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Speaker 1: Yes, indeed, ma'am. This advertisement in Life Look, Colliers, Saturday

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Evening Post and Farm Journal gives all the half price

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items in the sale.

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Speaker 4: I've marked a d and things my family needs right now,

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like rex Al cold tablets and cost syrups and Vitamin

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B twelve.

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Speaker 1: You'll find several other rex Al vitamin products at half

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price too, rex Al, Theremons, Alpha Cats, Polydrops and Polycats.

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Speaker 4: And I'm going to get both of the caron known

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beauty specials, the lipstick and one of the creams at

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half price.

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Speaker 1: You will find stag tooletries for men at have price too,

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and don't forget the free tumblers and all the other

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magnificence specials throughout the rex Al drug store. I won't.

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Speaker 4: In fact, I'm going to make several shopping trips to

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the Amos and Andy sail.

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Speaker 1: Well, ma'am. It continues for two full weeks tomorrow through

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February twenty eight at rex Al drug stores everywhere. Amos

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and and Andy continued on the network for the second week.

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There was no fan mail, and most of the critics

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had reviewed the show unfavorably. This, I believe was the

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lowest point in the lives of Fleemon, Gosden and Charles Correll.

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Then one morning, to get their minds off the program,

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the boys decided to play golf at the Tamashandraw Golf

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Club in Chicago. Well, get on your shoes, Charlie, and

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let's get out and play nine holes anyway. And I

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hope we don't run into anybody, you know how they

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are when they think your show isn't going so well. Yeah,

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well let's get going. Yeah. Oh, look who's coming to

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the locker room?

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Speaker 3: That young father that sings with Paul Whiteman being Crawdley and.

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Speaker 1: He sees us hi things, Yeah, hello, bing hi fellas

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last that rubber around a bit? Huh Yeah, we're gonna

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play nine holes. I get hey. By the way, I

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caught your last three shows. Oh you did? Huh? Well,

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you know, I think that little opera you got this

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is gonna catch on.

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Speaker 3: What do you mean, I don't know.

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Speaker 1: There's something there that makes you want to listen tomorrow night.

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I really think you got something boys, And I like

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that that Andy when he says I was regusted, Well,

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thank you bang. That makes us feel pretty good. Then

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a few days later, on Michigan Boulevard, the boys ran

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into a man they had met a few years before

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in New York. Well, Freeman and Charlie. All right, boys,

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Well Jack, Benny, nice to see you.

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Speaker 3: Jack.

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Speaker 1: I hear you open tomorrow night over at the Palace Theater.

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Speaker 3: Yes, I got in from New York yesterday.

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Speaker 1: Say, they're all talking about that radio show of yours

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back there, Uh talking about it?

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Speaker 5: Yeah, you know, to tell you the truth. At first,

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I don't know. I didn't like it, but after a

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few times, it kind of grows on you, you know

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what I mean. Even the kids backstage are listening to it.

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Speaker 1: Well, thanks a lot, Jack.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, well we sure hope it catches on.

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Speaker 5: Yes, boys, I really think you've got something there.

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Speaker 1: Well, a lot of other people began to feel the

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way Jack and Bing did. The fan mail began to

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trickle in the boy's spirits lifted. They worked harder, the

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experimental with their voices and created new characters. First, they

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added a great favorite with the listeners. Lighteners. I ask

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the mos MARZAO, wh're right on over there? It's a

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social man about town. Henry Van Porter well, now, if

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you'd excuse me, Japan, I'm having a fitting with my tailor.

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He's put the new patch on the seat of my pants.

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The Hensack brother Crawford. I want to tell you boys

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that my wife is very unhappy and she won'ts stand

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for you. Yes, And this time went on all of

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those other warm human characters, Ruby Taylor, this blue Sapphire,

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the old battle Axe, Maat Pending, Rookie Harris, Fred Gwyndell,

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and Madame Queen, and of course the greatest character of all,

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that lovable old rascal, the Kingfish. How the marger don't

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forget me as all brothers in that que paternity of

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missus Knight of the season. Perhaps the greatest tribute of

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all paid to Freeman Gosman Charles Carrell, was one night

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at a huge benefit in New York's Madison Square Gardens.

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Lowe Thomas, the famous radio news commentator who preceded Amos

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and Andy for years on the air, was chosen to

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introduce the boy. I can think of few things like

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you to give me greater pleasure than to introduce your

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radio favorites. When I die, this would be my effetaph.

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Here lies the body of a man who is heard

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by millions of people who were waiting to hear Amos

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and Andy. Well, that was it. That was their success.

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The rest of the story is familiar to all of us.

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As the years went on, Amos and Andy made new

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changes in their program, the most significant being when they

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went from fifteen minutes to a half hour. Changes come

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and go. But I'm sure you feel as I do.

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But amoson Andy have never left that wonderful plate in

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our heart. Now, before I turn you back to Ed Muddle,

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I'd like to say once more I did for so

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many years. This is Bill Hay biding you all good

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night and get next to you all. Well, that's the

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story of Freeman Gosden and Charles Correll, the story of

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amoson Andy, two names that are sure to go down

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as part of an Erican folklore. It's only fitting that

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tonight the entire radio industry gives special recognition to these

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two men. To pay this tribute, we have an event

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unique in broadcasting history, the heads of two great networks,

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David Sarnoff of NBC and William Paley of CBS, appearing

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on the same program to pay tribute to Amoson Andy First,

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I would like to introduce the Chairman of the Board

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of the Radio Corporation of America and head of the

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National Broadcasting Company, Donald Sarner. Good evening, ladies and gentlemen.

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I am very proud to join hands with my friend

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Bill Paley, Chairman of the Board of Columbia Broadcasting System,

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in paying tribute to Freeman Gosden and Charles Correll, who

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created and portrayed the characters of Amos and Andy on

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radio for the past quarter of a century. I extending

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you boys my highest regard and esteem for your brilliant

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and important pioneer work in the progress of radio broadcasting,

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and for your faithful adherence to the highest ideals of

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good entertainment. We in the National Broadcasting Company. I'm proud

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to have introduced this program to the listeners of America

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and to have broadcasted over our coast to coast network

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for fifteen years. Congratulations to you, Freeman, and to you Charlie.

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And now the Chairman of the Board of the Columbia

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Broadcasting System, William S. Paley. I'm very happy to join

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General Soarnoff, whose leadership and contributions have meant so much

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to broadcasting in paying tribute to Freeman Gosden and Charlie Correll.

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By bringing pleasure to millions of listeners for more than

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a quarter of a century, they have firmly established themselves

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in the affections of their fellow citizens. They have also

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created a great radio institution, one which I believe will

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live forever in the folklore of America. Freeman and Charlie,

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it gives me great pleasure to.

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Speaker 6: Salute you, not only as an old friend, but also

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on behalf of the Columbia Broadcasting System and the countless

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millions of your devoted listeners throughout the country. Our warmest

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wishes go out to you both.

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Speaker 1: This is Freemon Gosden again. Before we say good night,

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Charlie and I would like to thank everyone who appeared

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on our program tonight, but most of all, we wanna

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extend our deep appreciation to you, our listeners, who have

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made it possible for us to start our twenty sixth

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year on the air. Yes, that's right, remember beginning tomorrow

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through February twenty eighth. It's the special Amos and Andy Saale,

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and be sure to be with us at the same

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time next Sunday when your rectoral Druggist will again present

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00:29:14,240 --> 00:29:18,440
the Amos and Andy Show, transcribed and directed by Cliff Powell.

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Stay tuned for the Bing Pousby Program, which follows immediately

426
00:29:22,799 --> 00:29:25,680
over most of these same stations. This is the CBS

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Radio Network WBAN in Danville, Illinois,