Miller and Lyles: Blackface Comedians
Despite Shuffle Along's many progressive features, the show's comedy and much of its script was based on age-old stereotypes from the 19th century era of blackface minstrelsy. Flournoy Miller, who wrote the script, along with his performing partner Aubrey Lyles, employed comic "dialect" and stereotypical situations when creating the two lead comic characters, Steve Jenkins (Miller) and Sam Peck (Lyles). Steve was the tall, lethargic, but practical half of the duo, while Sam was smaller, pugnacious, and more crafty. You can experience one of their famous routines on this excerpt from a recording that was made at the time of the show's premiere.
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Miller employed seveeral different comic techniques in this speech, including satirizing the exaggerated tone and diction of a typical political demagogue. Although his character is seeking to appear distinguished and educated, his several comic malapropisms ("I repear...my reponent...") comically reveal his puffed up sense of himself. The use of having one character interupt the other for comic effect (Steve: "I may not wear a watch and chain, but I have worn..." Sam: "Ball and chains!") was a humorous effect that Miller and Lyles introduced in vaudeville that was much copied by many other performers.
Miller and Lyle's success led to many imitators--including the very popular radio duo of Amos 'n' Andy. The creators of this radio program were white--but they lifted many of Miller and Lyle's routines and the general relationship between the two characters. Ironically, Miller and Lyles were hired to compete against the popular radio duo but could not win an audience--despite being the "real thing." Even more ironically, Miller ended up a head writer for Amos 'n' Andy on radio and television after World War II.