Recordings from early to mid-1930's
In the vain of Amos n' Andy, Beulah, Johnson Family, Sam n' Henry, the
Black Crows (Mack and Moran) were a renowned blackface
vaudeville act. Originally, "The Two Black Crows"
was a novel about two African-American men who fought in
WWI.
This old time radio show makes no mention of this previous soldier
or war topic and refers specifically to racial stereotypes of the time. Radio shows of this type are particularly fascinating in
that the performers could not rely on visually racist mannerisms,
costumes, or make-up on which minstrel shows were initially
dependant. Like other well-known minstrel acts, the two
Black Crows lived in the rural south and the character roles
were preformed with a "black-stage" dialect.
See also: article on the history of Minstrel Shows and Old Time Radio.
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