Podcast Summary: Harold's Old Time Radio

Episode: Amos & Andy - The Broken Clock
Date: March 28, 2026

Overview

This episode features a classic rebroadcast of "Amos & Andy" entitled "The Broken Clock." The show humorously chronicles Andy’s misadventures when, after being honored with a new electric clock for his 20 years of lodge service, he tries to get it repaired. What starts as a simple errand spirals wildly out of control, landing Andy and the Kingfish in the midst of wartime bureaucracy, mistaken espionage, and FBI interrogations—all revolving around an $8.50 clock that just won't run.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Celebrating Andy’s 20-Year Anniversary

• The episode opens with a lodge ceremony. The Kingfish delivers a comedic yet affectionate tribute to Andy for his two decades of membership, presenting him with a new electric clock.
  • Kingfish (01:16): "Before Mr. Brown applied for membership with our lodge, the census of opinion was that Andy was a bum... Now, let's look at him now...he is...well, he's a fine, healthy looking man."
• Andy, flattered, begins an epic, rambling speech about his life—which apparently lasts hours.
  • Kingfish (03:12): "Sometimes I wonder if this country ain't making a mistake by having freedom of speech."

2. The Broken Clock

• The next day, Andy attempts to plug in his new clock, but it fails to run.
  • Amos (04:05): "That's a $8.50 clock. It ought to work."
• The group discovers a "lifetime guarantee" and decide to seek satisfaction.

3. Seeking a Solution

• They return to the store, but the shopkeeper refers them to the Wilton Clock Company, now a converted war plant.
  • Shopkeeper (05:06): "That's the manufacturer's guarantee...the Wilton Clock Company is right here in New York."

4. A Case of Mistaken Identity at the War Plant

• Andy, Kingfish, and Lightning arrive at the Wilton plant, inadvertently entering a site producing sensitive military equipment. Their presence arouses suspicion from guards and workers.
  • Kingfish (06:31): "The lifetime guarantee don't mean much if they going to shoot you on the way in."
• They are told to put on coveralls to proceed, which confuses and worries them.
  • Kingfish (10:47): "Well, ain't it liable to be a little drafty in there?"

5. Disaster in the Laboratory

• Mistaking important prototype screws for ordinary hardware, Andy pockets them to fix his bathroom mirror—with the Kingfish’s encouragement.
  • Andy (12:28): "Those two little screws there...I think this size here is 10 for a nickel in the dime store."
• They scribble a note to Lightning on the back of a piece of paper not realizing it’s a set of top-secret plans.
• They’re caught red-handed, with the screws and the "plans" (13:35):
  • FBI Agent: "If we'd been 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. Lightning."

6. FBI Headquarters: The Interrogation

• Andy and Kingfish undergo an intense and farcically thorough FBI screening—fingerprinting, photographing, and questioning.
  • Andy (18:43): "We was just trying to check on a lifetime guarantee. Honest we was. We wouldn't do nothing to hurt the United States government."
  • Kingfish (18:57): "Look, I got American flag right here in my buttonhole."
• Their friends Amos, Lightning, and Henry are brought in for character assessment.
  • Amos (21:25): "They would never do anything against the federal government. I know that."
• A misunderstanding about "robbing the war plant" only deepens the confusion.
  • Amos (22:13): "When he left the cab, he said he was going into rival war plans."
  • FBI Chief (22:30): "Ah, now we've got something to go on."

7. The Lie Detector Scene

• The FBI hooks Andy and Kingfish up to a lie detector to get to the truth. Hilarity ensues as the two desperately try to explain their innocence—and dodge questions about their occupations and honesty.
  • FBI Chief (23:11): "This machine transposes your emotional vibrations into sound...when you lie, you'll hear the hum rise."
  • Andy (23:44): "Honest."
  • Kingfish (23:58): "You haven't, huh, mister, you must have a short circuit in there someplace."
• The polygraph clears them; the FBI realizes it was all an honest mistake.

8. Conclusion: The Real Problem

• Andy, exasperated, declares he has written to President Roosevelt about his ordeal, insisting the government ensure better clocks.
  • Andy (27:32): "The clock don't work, I try to get it fixed and nearly end up in the electric chair."
  • Andy (28:09): "I writ him that he ought to see that the clock companies make good clocks with good wire in them and good cogwheel and good everything else."
• The punchline arrives: Lightning reveals the clock was fine—the power in Andy’s apartment had been turned off due to unpaid bills.
  • Lightning (28:41): "You ain't paid your bill for two months and your electricity been turned off."

Notable Quotes & Moments with Timestamps

• Kingfish's ironic tribute:
  • "He is...well, he's a fine, healthy looking man." (01:16)
• Andy’s lengthy speech and jokes about freedom of speech:
  • "Sometimes I wonder if this country ain't making a mistake by having freedom of speech." (03:12)
• The clock refuses to work:
  • "That's a $8.50 clock. It ought to work." (04:05)
• Suspicion at the war plant:
  • "The lifetime guarantee don't mean much if they going to shoot you on the way in." (06:31)
• Andy mistakes secret screws for bathroom hardware:
  • "I think this size here is 10 for a nickel in the dime store." (12:28)
• Caught by the FBI:
  • "If we'd been a minute later, both the plans and the screws would have been gone." (13:35)
• At FBI HQ, Andy’s innocence:
  • "We wouldn't do nothing to hurt the United States government." (18:43)
• Kingfish’s patriotism:
  • "Look, I got American flag right here in my buttonhole." (18:57)
• Amos vouches for their loyalty:
  • "They would never do anything against the federal government." (21:25)
• Polygraph scene, comedy peak:
  • "You haven't, huh, mister, you must have a short circuit in there someplace." (23:58)
• The final twist:
  • "You ain't paid your bill for two months and your electricity been turned off." (28:41)

Important Segments (Timestamps)

• Lodge Ceremony & Gift Presentation: 00:57 – 02:18
• Clock Fails to Work: 03:32 – 04:15
• Trip to the Store/Decision to Visit Factory: 04:23 – 05:22
• Arrival at Wilton Clock Company/War Plant: 06:04 – 07:10
• Inside the Factory & Mistaken Espionage: 12:15 – 14:15
• FBI Headquarters Interrogation: 18:03 – 27:09
• Final Revelation (Unpaid Bill): 28:34 – 28:56

Tone and Style

Amos & Andy maintains its signature blend of farce, energetic wordplay, running gags, and wry commentary on bureaucracy and everyday mishaps. The dialogue flows with deadpan deliveries, misunderstandings, and gentle ribbing. The episode showcases both broad and subtle comedy, crafting an escalating farce from the most mundane of beginnings.

For New Listeners

This episode is a quintessential example of the absurdity, quick wit, and cultural snapshot that makes "Amos & Andy" enduringly popular. While the premise is simple, the resulting chaos is played for maximum comedic effect, with a biting punchline that still resonates: sometimes, the real solution is simpler (and more embarrassing) than anyone expects.

If you enjoy classic radio comedy with clever twists and snappy dialogue, "The Broken Clock" will not disappoint.