RKO produced Check and Double Check, a pre-Code comedy, based on the popular Amos ‘n’ Andy radio show.
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Theatrical release poster
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Directed by Melville W. Brown, from a screenplay by Bert Kalmar, J. Walter Ruben, and Harry Ruby, it starred Charles Correll and black-faced Freeman Gosden, as Andy and Amos, respectively, in roles they had created for the radio show.
The film also features Duke Ellington and his “Cotton Club Band.”
The Premise:
Amos and Andy run the “Fresh Air Taxicab Company, Inc.” named for their topless cab. When their old vehicle breaks down, John Blair and wife, on their way to meet a family friend at the train station, get caught in the traffic jam, leading to all kinds of complications.
Check and Double Check, title derives from a catchphrase used in the show, was one of 1930’s top-grossing films.
Credits:
Directed by Melville W. Brown
Produced by William LeBaron
Written by Bert Kalmar, J. Walter Ruben, Harry Ruby
Cinematography William Marshall
Edited by Claude Berkeley
Production and distribution: RKO Radio Pictures
Release date: October 25, 1930
Running time: 77 minutes.
Budget: about $ 1 million
Box office $1,8 million
