The Medical College - Page 28
den even put out a book (All About Amos 'n Andy
and
Their Creators Correll and Gosden) to satisfy
Chicago
listeners' curiosity. Within a short time NBC
was offer-
ing Correll and Gosden $100,000 a year, and on
August
19, 1929, Pepsodent toothpaste began sponsoring
Amos
'n Andy on NBC's Red network.
Amos 'n Andy became network radio's first
huge
success. Within a few years, Correll and Gosden
had
moved to California, where they appeared in
movies,
published books of Amos 'n Andy dialogue, and
lived
the life of Hollywood stars. Despite protests
about the
racial stereotyping of Amos 'n Andy, especially
from
the African American press, Correll and
Gosden's show
remained popular throughout the Great
Depression and
into the 1940s. Short, stocky, and dark haired
(later
gray), Correll became the relaxed, gregarious
half of
the partnership, balancing Freeman Gosden's
more
tempermental, difficult, and creative
personality.
Correll enjoyed his success. He bought a large,
lav-
ish home in Beverly Hills; he indulged in
expensively
stylish clothes and became an enthusiastic
golfer. After
a divorce from his first wife, Marie Janes
(whom he
married in 1927), he married the dancer
Alyce
Mercedes McLaughlin in 1937. They eventually
had
four children.
With World War II, listenership began to drop.
In
February 1943, after changing networks and
sponsors
several times, Amos 'n Andy left the air. In
October it
returned as a half-hour weekly variety program
featur-
ing guest stars, an orchestra, outside writers,
and a stu-
dio audience. This show continued with NBC
until
1948, when Correll and Gosden, along with
Jack
Benny and other stars, left NBC. For $2.5
million Cor-
rell and Gosden sold CBS the rights to Amos 'n
Andy
for the next 20 years, and they also received
star
salaries to play the chief parts.
Within a few years, television ended the
success of
their variety show, but from 1954 into the
1960s, Cor-
rell and Gosden stayed on CBS radio with a new
show,
The Amos and Andy Music Hall, mixing skits
with
popular records. On November 25, 1960, they
left the
air permanently.
In the mid-1950s, CBS developed a situation
com-
edy based on Amos 'n Andy characters. Correll
and
Gosden were creative consultants, but the cast
was
entirely African American. The show had modest
suc-
cess with audiences, but it was embroiled in
constant
racial controversy. The NAACP protested the
show
vehemently, and the cast had frequent problems
with
the scripts. Neither Correll nor Gosden was
prepared
for the kind of bitterness that the TV show had
engen-
dered, and both men, especially Gosden, felt
deeply
wounded by some accusations.
After the TV series ended and their last radio
show
was over, Correll and Gosden remained friends,
living
near each other in quiet retirement in their
Beverly
Hills homes. Correll continued throughout his
life to
maintain warm and friendly connections with his
mid-
western roots, and returning to Chicago, he
died there
at the age of 82.
25.
Which of the following is supported by
the
passage?
A.
Correll's interest in vaudeville
came
through his mother and father, both
of
whom were performers.
B.
Correll was independently wealthy
and
took up vaudeville because he could
find
nothing else that interested him.
C.
Correll's interest in vaudeville began
when
he was an usher in a vaudeville
house.
D.
Correll preferred his father's profession
of
bricklaying to show business, but he
was
better at entertainment than at
bricklaying.
26.
According to the passage, which quality
more
characterizes Gosden than it does
Correll?
A.
He was more even-tempered.
B.
He was more temperamental.
C.
He was a better pianist.
D.
He was the funniest.
27.
What event marked the beginning of the
first
decline of popularity of the Amos 'n
Andy
Show?
A.
The Great Depression
B.
The arrival of Correll's first
child.
C.
Gosden's hospitalization.
D.
World War II.
28.
What does the passage indicate happened to
the
Sam 'n Henry Show after Correll and
Gosden
left radio station WGN?
A.
They carried their show with them to
rival
station WMAQ.
B.
WGN retained rights to the show and
con-
tinued it without Correll and
Gosden.
C.
Correll and Gosden retained rights to
the
show but changed its name to the Amos
'n
Andy Show.
D.
The show was canceled.
29.
From the Great Depression onward, the Amos
'n
Andy Show was criticized for its racial
stereo-
typing. According to the passage, which of
the
Adapted from "Charles James Correll," VCU, 1995
and used
with permission of Dr. Nicholas
Sharp.
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