Check and Double Check (1930)

Typical Amos 'n Andy storyline has the boys trying to make a go of their "open-air" taxi business while they get caught up in a society hassle, involving driving musicians to a fancy party.... See full summary »

Director:

Melville W. Brown (as Melville Brown)

Writers:

Bert Kalmar (story/dialogue), Harry Ruby (story/dialogue)

Stars:

Freeman F. Gosden, Charles J. Correll, Sue Carol

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Freeman F. Gosden	...	Amos
Charles J. Correll	...	Andy
Sue Carol	...	Jean Blair
Irene Rich	...	Mrs. Blair
Ralf Harolde	...	Ralph Crawford
Charles Morton	...	Richard Williams (as Charles S. Morton)
Edward Martindel	...	John Blair
Rita La Roy	...	Elinor Crawford (as Rita LaRoy)
Russ Powell	...	Kingfish
Roscoe Ates	...	Brother Arthur (as Rosco Ates)
Duke Ellington Orchestra	...	The Cotton Club Orchestra (as The Cotton Club Orchestra)

Storyline

Typical Amos 'n Andy storyline has the boys trying to make a go of their "open-air" taxi business while they get caught up in a society hassle, involving driving musicians to a fancy party. All the regular characters are here (or mentioned), including the famous Mystic Knights of the Sea. The only film appearance of radio's long-running characters.

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Plot Keywords:

big band | african american | new york city | haunted house | amos and andy | 

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Taglines:

Here They Are... On the Screen... In Their First All-Talking Motion Picture

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Genres:

Comedy

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Certificate:

Passed

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 October 1930 (USA)

Also Known As:

Двойна проверка

Company Credits

Production Co:

RKO Radio Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

77 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Photophone System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.20 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Both actors that played Amos and Andy where white actors in what was known as 'blackface' makeup at the time. Blackface had been mostly abandoned by mainstream American films by 1930, unless it was diegetic (i.e. characters are performers who wear blackface as part of their act). It was decided that all African American speaking roles in this film would, for aesthetic continuity, be played by white actors in blackface; the only exceptions were Duke Ellington and his orchestra appearing in the party scene, and the occasional non-speaking extra in scenes set in Harlem.

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Quotes

Amos: [on the phone with his girlfriend] Hello, Ruby - - dis here is Amos.
Andy: Da guy wid da EGG-SHAPED HEAD.
Amos: [absent-mindedly repeating what Andy just said] Da guy wid da egg-shaped head - - I mean, I mean - - sorry, Ruby... hold da phone a sec. Andy, will you please leeme 'lone? You is getting me messed up. Sorry 'bout that, hunny - - Andy got me messed up dere... Oh, yeah, Ruby... I LIKES to dance wid YOU -...
Andy: [in a casual monotone] Da gal wid da BIG FEET.
Amos: [...]

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Connections

Followed by The Lion Tamer (1934)

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Soundtracks

Three Little Words
(Trois Petits Mots)
Music by Harry Ruby
English lyrics by Bert Kalmar
French lyrics by André Hornez
Performed by Bing Crosby, Harry Barris and Al Rinker with the Duke Ellington Orchestra

User Reviews

Not all that bad

"Check and Double Check" has been kicked around as one of the worst examples of racism extant in a film. While the characterizations are not exactly enlightening, there is some humor in the film, which would directly be related to fans of the radio series. The main problem most people have is the blackface of the lead actors from the radio show. One must remember that this was the number one radio show of it's era. Yes, the characters are portrayed as somewhat stupid bumblers, but so are a lot of white and ethnic characters from other radio and television series. Think "Gilligan's Island", "The Beverly Hillbillies", "Ma and Pa Kettle" or "Dagwood Bumstead". I have seen only a few samples of the TV series "Amos and Andy" but what I have seen is a truly funny and very warm-hearted series. Also, the characters get treated with respect by other, more sophisticated characters within the stories in both the TV and film versions. The most truly disgusting racial stereotypes I have ever seen in a film are in "Birth of a Nation," the truly appalling portrayal of the KKK as heroes in this wins hands down for me as the low point in portrayal of racial stereotype.