Episode Summary: "Amos & Andy - Leroy's Two Week Visit"

Podcast: Harold's Old Time Radio
Air Date: March 25, 2026
Episode Length: ≈29 minutes (excluding ads)

Main Theme & Purpose

This classic episode of "Amos & Andy" revolves around domestic chaos and comic schemes, sparked by the two-week stay of Sapphire’s brother, Leroy, at the Kingfish's apartment. The central plot features Kingfish’s increasingly desperate attempts to profit from a radio quiz show’s "Secret Melody" contest – and to rid himself of his troublesome brother-in-law once and for all. Woven throughout are memorable community moments, catchy musical interludes, and a satirical look at get-rich-quick schemes, radio culture, and mid-century American life.

Key Discussion Points & Episode Breakdown

1. Family Turmoil: Leroy’s Visit

• [01:46] Sapphire is worried Leroy hasn’t come home, setting the scene for Kingfish’s grievances about his brother-in-law’s extended stay.
• Leroy’s nitpicking—complaining about starch in shirt collars—sets Kingfish over the edge.
• Quote [02:18]:
  Kingfish: “That's the last straw. That goofy brother of yours has got to get out of here.”

2. Leroy Gets a Job – More Trouble for Kingfish

• [02:22] Sapphire reveals Leroy is now a janitor, which Kingfish sees as an embarrassment rather than a solution.
• Quote [02:34]:
  Kingfish: “They gonna say, if one of them bums can get a job, why can't the other?”

3. The Secret Melody Contest

• Kingfish’s latest "business" is obsessively listening to a radio quiz ("Secret Melody") for a $2,000 prize.
• Comic banter with Henry about the chances of winning, poking fun at Kingfish’s lack of industry and intelligence.
• Quote [03:02]:
  George Stevens (Sapphire): “Well, a fat panther dumbbell like you has of ever winning anything like that.”

4. A Scheme is Hatched: Approaching the Musician

• [05:05] Kingfish and Henry conspire to trick Charlie Jackson, a banjo player in the contest’s orchestra, by pretending to be talent scouts from the Metropolitan Opera.

• This sequence is rich in role-playing humor and flawed improvisation, exposing their ineptitude.

• Quote [05:54]:
  Kingfish: “We was passing [Tibbet]’s house one day, heard him singing in the shower bath. We rushed in, signed him up right then and there!”

• Jackson sees through the ruse when they press for the song’s title:

• Quote [08:35]:
  Charlie Jackson: "Oh, so that's what you fellas was after. I knew there was something fishy about this. Listen, you big bum, get out of here!"

5. Leroy’s New Leverage

• [08:45] Leroy reenters, now working as a janitor at the radio station – and knows the Secret Melody’s name.
• He offers to sell the answer to Kingfish for $100 (he can’t enter the contest himself).
• Quote [09:37]:
  Leroy: “I'll let you have it for a hundred bucks.”

6. Desperate Fundraising

• [14:03] Kingfish tries (and fails) to borrow $100 from Shorty, sparking a hilarious riff on friendships and loans.

• Kingfish then schemes to trick Andy into donating under the false pretense of collecting campaign funds for presidential candidates.

• Quote [17:03]:
  Kingfish: “We sent [Truman] six bucks and he bought Margaret a pair of brass knuckles.”

• Andy falls for the trick, writes a check, but is quickly warned by Amos and tries to cancel payment.

• Quote [20:09]:
  Andy: "But Andy, you is crazy. That Kingfish ain't got nothing to do with no campaign fun. He just ji you out of $100."

7. Double-Crosses and the Secret Melody Answer

• Leroy sells the answer to Andy instead when Kingfish’s plan collapses.
• Kingfish learns Andy paid Leroy $100 for the answer.
• Kingfish then tries to discourage Andy by concocting stories about tax laws and the government taking 100% of contest winnings.
• Quote [24:38]:
  Kingfish: “The tax now is 100%, maybe more. All the cash money that is won in these contests goes straight down to Washington.”

8. The Big Reveal & Final Twist

• Kingfish submits the contest answer, expecting the windfall.
• [27:36] The radio show representative arrives to announce that Kingfish guessed correctly—but since Leroy sold the answer to 225 people, the prize is only $8.79.
• Quote [27:46]:
  Radio Rep: "Your share is $8.79."

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Kingfish's frustration over household changes for Leroy:
  [02:18] “That goofy brother of yours has got to get out of here.”

• Comedic banter about job shame:
  [02:34] “If one of them bums can get a job, why can't the other?”

• The Metropolitan Opera ‘audition’ farce:
  [06:48] “We rushed him right down to the Metropolitan.”
  [08:35] “I knew there was something fishy about this.”

• Kingfish’s campaign fund scam:
  [17:03] “We sent him six bucks and he bought Margaret a pair of brass knuckles.”

• Taxes on prizes satire:
  [24:38] “The tax now is 100%, maybe more...”

• Final moment of defeat:
  [27:46] “Your share is $8.79.”

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Timestamp | Segment / Highlight | |------------|-------------------------------------------------------| | [01:46] | Domestic troubles with Leroy’s visit | | [02:22] | Leroy becomes a janitor; Kingfish bemoans the shame | | [03:00] | Secret Melody contest introduced | | [05:05] | Kingfish and Henry “visit” Charlie Jackson | | [08:35] | Scheme backfires; musician throws out the pair | | [09:37] | Leroy offers contest answer for $100 | | [14:03] | Kingfish fails to borrow money from Shorty | | [16:12] | Kingfish cons Andy out of $100 for “campaign funds” | | [20:09] | Amos warns Andy; attempts to stop the check | | [21:13] | Leroy’s double-cross: sells answer to Andy | | [24:38] | Kingfish discourages Andy with invented tax story | | [27:36] | Kingfish learns the prize has been split: $8.79 |

Episode Tone, Style & Original Flavor

The episode is a fast-paced, gag-packed comedy radiating the irreverent, quippy tone of classic "Amos & Andy." The back-and-forth banter, elaborate con schemes, and musical numbers highlight the slapstick and playfully cynical worldview. The dialogue is rife with wordplay, social satire, and gentle mockery of radio-era America, employment woes, and politics.

Takeaways

• Classic radio comedy: “Leroy’s Two Week Visit” delivers a comic send-up of easy money schemes and family squabbles—timeless themes, played with unbeatable chemistry by the cast.
• Clever satire: From radio contests and fast-talking hucksters to contemporary politics, the episode lampoons the trust and gullibility of the public as well as the reckless dreams of quick fortune.
• Memorable twist: The much-hyped $2,000 prize is split so thin that it lampoons both the folly of mass-market contests and the get-rich-quick attitude of the era.

For listeners and fans of radio’s golden age, this episode is a charming blend of sharp humor, inimitable performances, and a glimpse into the dreams and schemes that animated American households around the radio.