Check and Double Check 1930

Taxi breakdown causes traffic jam

Amos and Andy run the Fresh Air Taxi Company and rely on their lone taxi, which has no top. The old vehicle breaks down in the street, blocking traffic and wedging the flow of cars and people. Among the stalled travelers are John Blair and his wife, who are on their way to meet Richard Williams at the train station.

Blairs miss meeting Richard; Williams heads to Blair house

Because of the jam, John Blair and his wife miss their planned meeting with Richard Williams at the station. Williams makes his own way to the Blair house and is reunited with their daughter Jean, his childhood sweetheart. The rekindled connection stirs tension with Ralph Crawford, who has his own designs on Jean.

Ralph Crawford's rivalrous ambitions

Ralph Crawford, who has been trying to win Jean's affection, grows wary of Williams' return and begins to plot how to counter him. He keeps a watchful eye on the Blair household and the unfolding love triangle. The tension between the men foreshadows trouble to come.

Kingfish hires Amos & Andy to transport Duke Ellington

That night the Mystic Knights of the Sea lodge is on, but Kingfish hires Amos and Andy to drive Duke Ellington and his Cotton Club band to a party at the Blair estate. They scramble to fit the gig into their night’s plans. The assignment foreshadows a chaotic journey.

Richard confides his feelings and business goal

Richard Williams confides in John Blair that he loves Jean and wants to marry her, but he must first build a business to support them. He explains that his family lost their money after his father's death, and he hopes to sell his grandfather's Harlem home for capital. He believes the deed to the property is hidden somewhere on the estate.

Ralph overhears the plan and plots to thwart Richard

Unbeknownst to them, Ralph Crawford eavesdrops on Richard's conversation and things are set to become more complicated. He grudgingly accepts a chance to keep Jean away from Richard and to block his future plans. The seed of conflict is planted.

Amos and Andy reconnect with Richard

Amos and Andy reunite with Richard after delivering paying fares and enjoying old camaraderie. They express their good fortune to see him again and hurry back to the lodge to keep on schedule. The encounter rekindles the sense that big changes may be ahead.

Haunted house lodge ritual begins

At the lodge's annual tradition, two members spend the night in a Harlem haunted house—the old residence once owned by Richard's grandfather—to locate a document called Check and Double Check. The setting is eerie as wind and shadows play along the hallways. The search tests nerve as much as memory.

Deed found, but it's not the right document

While rummaging, Amos and Andy stumble on the deed to the premises instead of the Check and Double Check document. They pause to consider their luck and prepare to write their lodge message on the back of the deed. Ralph and his cohorts burst in, misbelieving the pair have found the deed themselves, leading to a chaotic moment.

Ralph seizes the 'deed' while the misdirection unfolds

In the confusion, Amos and Andy hand over what they think is the lodge message, but Ralph and his men seize the object and believe they have found the deed themselves. The cabbies realize only later that they have given Ralph the 'Check and Double Check' slip instead of the actual deed. This mix-up fuels the need to recover the documents before Richard's hopes collapse.

Richard departs for the railway station

Having failed to locate the deed, Richard leaves for the railway station with the intention of returning home and rebuilding his life. Amos and Andy plan to recover the missing deed and still hope to deliver it to him the next day. The tension between romance, business, and family pressure rises.