In their own words, the following is an excerpt from the book, All About Amos 'n' Andy and Their Creators Correll & Gosden 1930 authored by the creators of the show.
Andy: Domineering, a bit lazy, inclined to take credit for all of Amos' ideas and efforts. He's always "workin' on the books" or "restin' his brain," upon which (according to Andy) depends the success or failure of all of the boys' joint enterprises. He'll browbeat Amos, belittle him, order him around, but let anyone else pick on the little one-then look out!
The boys hail from Atlanta and have come to the big city to make fame and fortune. After a year in Chicago they have to their credit one broken-down topless automobile, one business enterprise the "Fresh Air Taxicab Company of America", Incorpulated, one office, one desk (not paid for), one swivel chair for the president to rest in and think, one telephone, one soap box, no pencil, no stationery, no assets save a perennial optimism, Andy's mythical brain, and Amos' very real capacity for work. The boys live together in a South State Street rooming house, where they are on the best of terms with
Fred, the Landlord: A sympathetic listener to all their troubles; and his little daughter,
Geranium: A frequent and somewhat troublesome charge for the boys when the landlord feels inclined to step out. From these centers, the office by day and the rooming house by night, radiate the ever-widening circles of social, business, and other activities which engage the boys' attention. There is, of course, high in their regard, their colored brotherhood, "The Mystic Knights of the Sea," presided over by
The Kingfish: A born organizer and a committee appointer, an authority on the bylaws, and a hound on over-due assessments and backward members. He is ably abetted in his efforts to keep the Mystic Knights in line by his brother officers, the Mackerel, the Shad, the Whale, and the Swordfish.
The business of the Taxicab Company of course keeps the boy pretty busy by day. Amos, as chief mechanic's mate, fixer of automobiles, head driver of the company, and chief business getter, has his hands full. And Andy, "workin on the books" or "layin down to think," finds his days pretty well occupied also. But at night the boys find time to slick up a bit and step out in the colored society of the neighborhood. Here enter complications, for Amos, disappointed in love, is soon smitten by the charms of
Ruby Taylor: Pretty, sweet, intelligent, the daughter of the well-to-do owner of a local garage. And Andy, the hard-boiled, the all-knowing, is soon in the clutches of
The Widow Parker (alias Snookems): Practiced in the arts of love, graduate of five (financially) successful marriages, who soon teaches Andy the point of the old saw, "Do right and fear no man, don't write and fear no woman." For the artful widow soon inveigles Andy into written declarations of his love, from which ensues the famous breach of promise suit. At the present writing, Andy has been safely wrested from the clutches of the law, but the widow still pursues him-and he likes it. No review of the cast of characters in this real-life comedy would be complete without a doffing of the hat to
Sylvester: Loyal and lovable friend of the boys. It is Sylvester who was instrumental in cornering the men who robbed the garage safe and in disposing of Amos' chief opponent for the hand of the lovely Ruby Taylor. And it is Sylvester who links us again with past. For Sylvester is almost Snowball to the life, the colored boy who was raised in the Gosden Virginia home, the real life prototype of some of the characters that appear in "Amos 'n' Andy," including even Amos himself.
Thus as to the principal characters."
They were great.god love em.
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