Two Black Crows

In the vain of Amos n' Andy, Beulah, Johnson Family, Sam n' Henry, theTwo Black Crows(Mack and Moran) were a renowned blackface vaudeville act. Originally, 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. The duo frequently appeared with W.C. Fields and the Ziegfield Follies.

See also: article on the history of Minstrel Shows and Old Time Radio.

(Text used with permission from Old Time Radio.)