Check and Double Check (1930)

Directed by Melville W. Brown and released in October 1930, Check and Double Check is an early American pre-Code comedy-musical produced and distributed by RKO Radio Pictures. Starring radio superstars Freeman F. Gosden and Charles J. Correll (in their famous blackface roles as Amos ‘n’ Andy), alongside Sue Carol, Charles Morton, and jazz legend Duke Ellington, this 77-minute feature was one of RKO’s largest box-office hits of the early sound era.

Plot Overview

In Harlem, early-morning entrepreneurs Amos Jones (Freeman F. Gosden) and Andrew H. Brown (Charles J. Correll) run the struggling “Fresh Air Taxicab Company of America, Incorpulated”—operating a single doorless, jalopy taxicab. While trying to make ends meet and dodge the schemes of George “Kingfish” Stevens, the duo becomes entangled in the romantic and financial troubles of a wealthy young couple, Richard Blair (Charles Morton) and Jean Blair (Sue Carol).

Richard desperately needs a missing property deed hidden in a dilapidated, reportedly haunted mansion to secure his family’s inheritance and marry Jean before his scheming rival gets there first. Sent to search the spooky, abandoned house, Amos and Andy navigate eerie dark hallways, accidental scares, and mystery intruders. Through a blend of bumbling luck and sheer panic, the pair manage to unearth the vital document, save the day for the young lovers, and earn enough money to keep their taxicab business afloat.

Cast

• Freeman F. Gosden as Amos Jones
• Charles J. Correll as Andrew H. Brown (Andy)
• Sue Carol as Jean Blair
• Charles Morton as Richard Blair
• Ralf Harolde as Ralph Williams
• Edward Martindel as John Blair
• Duke Ellington as Himself (Bandleader)
• The Rhythm Boys (including Bing Crosby) as Musical Performers

Production Notes & Trivia

• Radio Phenomenon Goes to Hollywood: At the time of production, Amos ‘n’ Andy was the most popular radio show in America, drawing tens of millions of nightly listeners. RKO paid Gosden and Correll a then-unprecedented $100,000 plus a share of the profits to bring their radio characters to the silver screen.
• Duke Ellington’s Cinematic Debut: The film features an early, legendary screen appearance by Duke Ellington and His Cotton Club Orchestra, performing classic jazz numbers including “Three Little Words” and “Old Man Blues”.
• Bing Crosby’s Uncredited Vocals: A young Bing Crosby appears uncredited as part of The Rhythm Boys vocal trio, performing alongside Duke Ellington’s band during the high-society party sequence.
• Pre-Code Cultural Artifact: The film is an important historical artifact of early 1930s popular entertainment, reflecting the prevalence of vaudeville-era minstrel tropes and blackface makeup (performed by white radio actors Gosden and Correll) that were widely accepted in mainstream media at the time.