Amos & Andy – “The Broken Clock”

Podcast: Harold's Old Time Radio
Episode Date: September 27, 2025
Original Air Date: 1940s (exact date unknown)

Episode Overview

In this classic episode, “The Broken Clock,” Amos & Andy find themselves entangled in a comic misadventure all stemming from a broken electric clock, a well-intentioned gift meant to honor Andy’s 20 years of service at the lodge. Their attempts at getting the clock fixed spiral out of control, leading to misunderstandings with a war plant, a close call with national security, and an interrogation by the FBI. The episode is filled with slapstick, clever dialogue, and satirical takes on bureaucracy and wartime paranoia, all set within the context of 1940s America.

Key Discussion Points and Story Beats

1. Lodge Ceremony & The Broken Clock (00:57–04:43)

• The story opens during a lodge celebration, honoring Andy for 20 years of membership with a speech by Kingfish.
  • Kingfish: “Before Mr. Brown applied for membership with our lodge, the census of opinion was that Andy was a bum… Now look at him now… he’s a fine, healthy looking man. So, Brother Andrew, on behalf of the membership, we present you… this brand new genuine electric clock which set us back $8.50.” (01:16)
• Andy, overwhelmed, attempts to give a lengthy speech about his life (to the gentle exasperation of his friends).

2. The Clock Won’t Work (03:09–04:43)

• The next day, Andy tries to set up the gift, but the clock won’t run despite being properly plugged in and set.
  • Andy: “Well, I got it plugged in and I done turned a starter. What else can you do?” (04:11)
• They find a lifetime guarantee and decide to seek satisfaction from the store and manufacturer.

3. To the Clock Company—War Profiteering Paranoia (05:00–08:01)

• At the store, the proprietor informs them the guarantee is from the manufacturer, whose plant is now converted to war production, setting up a mix of civilian confusion amid wartime policies.
• When they arrive, they’re met with suspicion and awkward security, hinting at the cultural atmosphere of the home front during WWII.

4. Inadvertent Espionage? Mistaken Identity at the War Plant (08:16–14:15)

• Inside the plant, advancements in precision instruments for the war effort are discussed. Two unique screws and top-secret plans for an altimeter clock are mentioned as being critically sensitive.
• Andy and Kingfish are mistaken for wartime contractors, told to don coveralls, and left unattended in a work room.
• Andy, not understanding the significance, pockets the two unique screws for his bathroom mirror, and they scribble a note for Lightning on the back of what turn out to be the top-secret plans.
  • Kingfish (about the screws): “Slip them in your pocket there. They must have millions of them.” (12:45)
• They are immediately apprehended, accused of theft and espionage.
  • Mr. Wilton: “A minute later, both the plans and the screws would have been gone. And look what they’ve got written on the back of these plans.” (14:01)

5. FBI Interrogation & Classic Comedy (18:04–26:58)

• The pair are brought to FBI headquarters and subjected to extensive questioning, fingerprinting, and a lie detector test.
  • Kingfish: "You know, Andy, I get mighty sick of putting my clothes on and off here." (18:24)
  • Andy (deadpan): "Yeah, we should’ve come out in our bathrobes today." (18:29)
• Their friends are also brought in and questioned about their character, with Lightning unintentionally worsening things by saying Andy told him he was "going to rob the war plant" (22:13).
• The lie detector failings about Kingfish's “honesty” is a comic highlight.
  • FBI Agent: “Did the Kingfish ever do anything dishonest?”
    Andy: “Well... I did. Well, what I was gonna say is I know the Kingfish is honest. All right. Well, that is, I think he is. Well, what I mean is, he’s honest most of the time… maybe we better get off this question before we blow the fuse here.” (26:07–26:38)
• Ultimately, they're cleared of wrongdoing:
  • Agent: "No guilty reaction on any of the key questions, sir." (26:51)
  • Agent: "Well, boys, I guess you’ve been telling the truth about the clock. Looks like we were up the wrong street." (26:54)

6. Resolution and the Final Twist: The Real Problem (27:32–28:41)

• Andy, still incensed, claims he's written a letter to President Roosevelt complaining about faulty clocks and government inefficiency.
• Lightning delivers the real punchline:
  • Lightning: “Well, Ms. Andy, I took the clock over to the electric company and they said ain't nothing wrong with the clock. It's you." (28:34)
  • Andy (bewildered): "Me?"
  • Lightning: "Yeah. You ain't paid your bills for two months and your electricity been turned off." (28:42)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Kingfish (on Andy’s early reputation): "Before Mr. Brown applied for membership… the census of opinion was that Andy was a bum." (01:16)
• Amos (on Andy's long speech): "When I hear Andy get wound up…I wonder if this country ain't making a mistake by having freedom of speech." (03:12)
• Wilton Plant Security: "This is a war plant." (06:10)
• Andy (tension with security): “Excuse me for protruding, but did you say something about taking off your clothes?” (10:28)
• Kingfish (on bureaucratic process): "Taking advantage of a lifetime guarantee ain't as easy as a lot of people think it is." (11:38)
• FBI scene, Andy (while being photographed): "Miss, you ain't got to take our pictures." (19:07)
• Lightning (explaining the clock issue): "You ain't paid your bills for two months and your electricity been turned off." (28:42)
• Andy (frustrated rant): "I get electric clock with a lifetime guarantee. The clock don't work. I try to get it fixed and nearly end up in the electric chair." (27:32)

Key Timestamps for Major Segments

| Timestamp | Segment/Theme | |--------------|--------------------------------------------------| | 00:57-02:18 | Lodge ceremony, Andy honored, electric clock gift| | 03:09-04:43 | Clock fails, discovery of guarantee | | 05:00-06:18 | Store visit, directed to manufacturer | | 06:18-08:04 | Arrival at war plant, mix-ups begin | | 08:16-14:15 | Entering plant, confusion, screws/plans taken | | 18:04-26:58 | FBI headquarters, lie detector test, exoneration | | 27:32-28:42 | Lightning reveals real cause—unpaid bill |

Style & Tone

The episode features classic screwball humor with misunderstandings, wordplay, and social satire, all told in the warm, slightly exaggerated manner characteristic of radio’s golden age. The dialogue is lively, quick, and skillfully timed, with authentic period slang and phrasing.

Summary

“The Broken Clock” is a quintessentially madcap misadventure of Amos & Andy: a simple appliance malfunction launches the characters into a bureaucratic labyrinth, fueled by wartime security, mistaken identities, and their own comic misunderstandings. The episode humorously lampoons both the red tape of American institutions and the foibles of its protagonists—climaxing in the ultimate gag that the real issue was unpaid electricity, not mechanical failure or grand conspiracy. An outstanding example of Golden Age radio comedy’s blend of satire, social commentary, and laugh-out-loud farce.