Two Black Crows in Africa

Back in the early 1930s, Amos 'n Andy was a popular radio show and Moran & Mack were popular on stage and in short films. So what did these two things have in common? Well, both were comedy acts featuring white guys in blackface* playing VERY stereotypical black men....something seen as quite funny back in the day but which will rightfully horrify most viewers today. While I am far from the most politically correct guy out there, I can definitely understand how offensive this is...but am still glad the shorts exist because they are part of our history...like it or not.

As the title says, the pair end up in Africa and all sorts of wild animals (including a lion) try to eat them. Fortunately (?), they are saved by a gorilla....but who or what will save them from the gorilla (or, more precisely, some guy in a cheesy gorilla suit)?

This isn't a very funny short AND the sound is rather poor (you really have to crank up the volume on this YouTube posted film in order to hear it). Because of these reasons, the film is more a curiosity than a must-see picture. It's good for film historians, history teachers and, perhaps, to show to ultra-politically correct friends in order to make their heads explode! I saw it mostly because I am a film nut and used to teach history...and I often watch weird and obscure things like this out of morbid curiosity. But I won't pretend it's especially well made or worth your time watching it. But on the positive side, at least most of the animals were real and only the gorilla was a guy in a suit.

*When the popular Amos 'n Andy radio show finally made it to TV in the early 1950s, the parts were recast and black actors played the various roles. The original white radio actors did make one film, the incredibly unfunny "Check and Double Check" back in 1930.