IMDb user comments for
"Sanford and Son" (1972) More at IMDbPro »

Filter:

Best Chronological Prolific Authors Loved It Hated It Hide Spoilers:

Page 1 of 4:

[1] [2] [3] [4]

Index

39 comments in total

---

14 out of 14 people found the following comment useful :-
One of the Funniest Ever, 21 January 2004
Author: mikeghee from Linden, New Jersey

Very funny TV comedy series about the situations a Los Angeles junk dealer,Fred Sanford (Redd Foxx) and his son/business partner Lamont(Demond Wilson) find themselves in.

In my opinion, the impeccable timing of hilarious lines delivered by Mr. Foxx made this show a classic. I think the humor was probably cutting edge for its time also, often referencing the racial and sociopolitical climate (a la All in the Family). Though ageless with respect to humor, some of the lines are not politically correct anymore as evidenced by TV Land (that currently shows reruns as of this writing) cutting out any reference to the "N" word said by Fred Sanford as I remember being in more than a couple of episodes when they first aired on NBC.

A whole host of other characters added to the shows hysterical but stereotypical flavor such as the religiously fanatical Aunt Esther, the dimwitted Grady and neighbor Julio. No ethnic group or race was spared a ribbing on this show.

Two of my all time favorite episodes are 1. The Sanfords being promised $10,000 if Lamont marries Fred's cousin's overweight stepdaughter and 2. Fred and Lamont's plane ride to St. Louis to attend the reading of a will of a relative that recently passed.

Priceless.

---

13 out of 15 people found the following comment useful :-
Some May Have Seen "Redd", But the Show Was "Foxxy" Nonetheless., 19 December 2003
Author: tfrizzell from United States

Highly hilarious and dominant television show from the mid-1970s that continues to have a great following even today (despite some detractors who take the show way too seriously). California African-American widower/junk dealer Redd Foxx (one of the most under-rated entertainers of his time) and his only son (Demond Wilson) argued and got into every odd-ball situation one could fathom during their six years in prime-time (from 1972-1977). The series was an answer to "All in the Family". It showed the differences and similarities between white blue-collar society and the working class African-American. It also was a coast war as "All in the Family" took place on the Atlantic shore while "Sanford and Son" took place on the Pacific. The supporting cast (led by the priceless LaWanda Page as Foxx's sister-in-law) was used in well-calculated ways to add to the program's comedic momentum. Never dull, never slow, never boring and never sorry, "Sanford and Son" is one of those shows that just seems to stand the test of time. 5 stars out of 5.

---

14 out of 17 people found the following comment useful :-
Episodes Adapted from "Steptoe and Son" Are the Best!!, 5 March 2004
Author: John from Southfield, MI

It's already known that `Sanford and Son' was the Americanized version of `Steptoe and Son' of England, created by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson. `Steptoe' was extremely funny and groundbreaking in England. When the show was brought over to the USA, it's initial transformation to `Sanford and Son' was excellent…in it's early years.

The original premise of `Steptoe' was the direct relationship between the father and son, as the son strives for a better life from the junk business, while his cantankerous father holds him back, due to fear of being alone in his twilight years. Many comedic situations resulted as a result of this conflict.

TVLand currently shows reruns of `Sanford and Son'. If you pay attention to the opening credits, and the writer(s) of the current episode is given, it is sometimes followed by… Based on `The Piano' by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson. `The Piano' was an original `Steptoe and Son' episode. This meant that the upcoming `Sanford and Son' episode was merely a retooling of the respective `Steptoe' script for American audiences, now entitled `The Piano Movers'. There were 136 episodes of `Sanford and Son'. If you include all episodes, movies, and TV specials, there were 59 offerings of `Steptoe and Son'. Based on my research, of the 136 `Sanford' episodes, 16 episodes were direct adaptations of the `Steptoe' series. Those `Steptoe' copies were the funniest episodes of the `Sanford and Son' era, due to the exceptional scripts by Galton and Simpson. If you have the DVD, you are able to watch the uncut, unedited versions, which is not the case when watching the TVLand episodes. Other `Steptoe' episodes could not be duplicated because they were either far too oriented in British culture to be adapted for America, or they were considered too crude & vulgar to attempt to tone down for America, although I wish they tried.

Another strong point was the opening theme song by Quincy Jones, as well as the closing theme.

However, due to the extreme popularity of the show, Redd Foxx developed and ego, wanted more money than the producers, and disrupted production of the show to the point where Whitman Mayo (Grady) had to fill in on a temporary basis. This was one of the downsides to the show. Eventually, he came back, and the show labored on. Redd Foxx had marital problems during this time. Being distraught over that, he left the show in 1977, even though the show had more life left.

NBC tried to keep the flame lit by producing `Sanford Arms', which revolved around the Sanford Arm tenants which lived there when Fred and Lamont bought the Sanford Arms when their show was on-the-air. There was also `Sanford.', which did not have Lamont. The less said about these two shows, the better.

All in all, the `Sanford and Son' episodes adapted from the Galton and Simpson scripts from `Steptoe and Son' will always be the better episodes.

---

10 out of 10 people found the following comment useful :-
I'm Comin' to Join You Honey, 22 April 2003
Author: Brian Washington (Sargebri@att.net) from Los Angeles, California

This is definitely one of the greatest sitcoms in history. Redd Foxx was perfect in his portrayal of the crotchety old Fred Sanford and Demond Wilson was perfect as his son Lamont. My parents and I would turn on this show every week just to see Fred put down Lamont by constantly calling him "Dummy". However, you pretty much could tell that even though he called Lamont a dummy that he basically loved his son and was very much afraid of losing him. Also the supporting cast of Don Bexley as Bubba, Whitman Mayo as Grady and, of course, LaWanda Page as Fred's bible thumping sister-in-law Esther all made this show the great alternative to the bubblegum shows that were on A.B.C. on Friday nights.

---

11 out of 12 people found the following comment useful :-
Classic 70's television., 1 October 2004

Author: Captain_Couth (sirjosephu@aol.com) from Sacramento, CA

Sanford and Son (1972) was a classic American television sitcom that was based upon the B.B.C. tele-comedy show Steptoe and Son. Whilst Steptoe and Son dealt with the "Rag and bone" business, Sanford and Son dealt with the "junk" business. A perfect vehicle for stand up comic and performer Redd Foxx. Many people felt that he couldn't make the transition from party records and blue humor to the restrained format of television. He proved them wrong. During the first couple of seasons some of the episodes (including the pilot) were Americanized versions of Steptoe and Son.

The show became a huge hit for N.B.C. and the series lasted for six seasons.

the "classic" episodes of this show were written by Paul Mooney and Gary Shandling. The best seasons happen to be the second and fifth, many classic episodes debuted during that time. Aunt Esther was Fred's nemesis, Rollo was Lamont's best friend and another thorn in Fred's side. Fred also has his buddies Bubba and Grady. Fred was involved with Donna to whom he was engaged to throughout the series. Redd Foxx always had problems with the producers of the show and he used his leverage as the star to get his stand-up comic friends on T.V. Performers such as Pat Morita, "Slappy" White, Scatman Crothers and the comic team of Leroy and Skillet all received spots or recurring roles on the show.

Thanks to D.V.D. and syndication, Sanford and Son will live on forever and future generations will enjoy the humor of Redd Foxx and company. Sanford and Son spawned two spin-offs and a sequel series.

A highly recommended show.

---

7 out of 7 people found the following comment useful :-
This show is a classic, dummy, 9 April 2005
Author: Lee Eisenberg (eisenberg.lee@gmail.com) from Portland, Oregon, USA

I guess that "Sanford and Son" must have been the first show that portrayed black ghetto life. No matter, it's hilarious. Dad Fred essentially spends every episode lounging around his house, calling his son Lamont "dummy" and threatening to bust people's lips. Lamont remains eternally embarrassed about Fred's antics, especially whenever Fred comments on how ugly he considers the sister-in-law, Aunt Esther, to be. And it's always great when the two cops (one white and the other black) come to the house, and the white cop acts like a dork, forcing the black cop to have to identify it.

Anyway, it was part of the new wave of really funny shows in the early 1970's that portrayed stuff that TV shows previously were uncomfortable portraying ("All in the Family" of course led the way). It would have been neat if Fred Sanford and Archie Bunker could have ever met. That would have made for some crazy dialogue. Four stars.

---

8 out of 10 people found the following comment useful :-
Fred is soooo funny! soooo funny... one more time..., 22 June 2003
Author: troy-32 from Chicago, Illinois

Forget Lamont, Grady, Donna, those two neighborhood policemen... Unlike most great TV sitcoms, this one does need great supporting characters to make you want to watch it (though it does have the Aunt Esther - who is addictive - and, to a lesser extent, Rollo). What it does have is Fred, Fred, Fred and more Fred!!! Redd Foxx is genius. Men hardly ever make me laugh, I guess their common experience is not something I am able to relate to on that level. Though I am male... I can't place my finger on it, but Fred is funnier than any other TV comic I can think of. In my opinion, he blows Lucy, Archie and Carol out of the water. (Roseanne doesn't even qualify, she's disgusting. Seinfield is funny, but doesn't have the whole world of experience to back him up and he's not as likeable.) The characters on the Mary Tyler Moore Show are the most well-developed I have ever seen and I love every single one of them, they are like a second family to me. And Jennifer Saunders is genius in her ability to pinpoint a certain species of the overaged juvenile delinquent. The show is not clever or sophisticated or even particularly well-written, but Fred is beyond criticism. I guess being a cranky (yet very lovable, though I would never tell Fred that!) poor, older black man gives him the advantage of having been through it all and his observations are guileless and unassuming and hilarious. (Actually, the lines that Fred gets are great sometimes, I think he must have written some of them himself. There is truth in Fred's character.) I guess that's what makes "Sanford and Son" so special, Redd Foxx obviously brings much of himself to Fred. I think that Fred never tries for laughs, because he knows he doesn't have to. He just has to be himself. Though Lucille Ball could be very funny, she was always acting, always knowing that she was funny, which can be awful for comedy. Fred is so completely straightforward and honest in his delivery that people (at least those of us who love him) are caught off guard. I am startled at how many times an episode can make me laugh. (Even make me smile, Fred's facial expressions and the way he walks are enough to pick me up. And, I have to say, "Sanford and Son" has the best TV theme song EVER! Before I die, I want to learn to play it on the harmonica.) I have NEVER started to laugh uncontrollably from anything from a TV show (except maybe Absolutely Fabulous). But Fred never fails to get me rolling... And of course the best humor is what we can truly relate to, the stuff that lets our anger, our pain off the hook, and that is exactly what I get from Fred. Being a poor black man, growing up in the 1940's, Redd Foxx had to find some way to make some sense out of the world, some way to make it work for him. His viewpoints are a truly blunter than blunt take on the way life is. Fred has no need to pretend, he is way past caring about what anybody thinks about him. Unlike Archie Bunker, who is a complete buffoon, not to mention bursting with hate for every single person around him, Fred is not stupid or crude or aggressive. He may hate Aunt Esther (priceless!!!), but he loves his son, his dead wife, and his male friends. He also shows, from time to time, that can have some class and he can be sentimental. (Like the episodes where he reads aloud the birthday card his son has given him, or he asks Lamont to take the day off so they can go fishing together or the times when he speaks to his beloved dead wife. These things just make Fred more real and endearing to me. And there is never a cloying moment in the entire show.) Fred is just a sweet old man who has long earned his right to his opinions, and he can't be bothered with any form of pretense. I can't think of anybody else (besides some of my friends in real life) who are as honest in their humorous observations as Fred is. I guess that's why I can watch this show three times a day. Watching Fred is like visiting the most fun, easy-going friend I could ever hope for.

---

10 out of 15 people found the following comment useful :-
Friday night classic on NBC!, 10 January 2000
Author: yenlo

Perhaps the last really good TV Sitcom. Redd Foxx and Demond Wilson were the stars of this 70's comedy but had such great support from actors and actresses to include Whitman Mayo, Lawanda Page, Raymond Allen, Don Bexley, Noam Pitlik, Gregory Sierra, Nathaniel Taylor, Slappy White and Hal Williams that the show was a "Can't miss an episode" on Friday nights.

Even when Redd Foxx was out of several episodes during a contract dispute one season the show never missed a beat as Whitman Mayo's "Grady" became the main character.

---

3 out of 3 people found the following comment useful :-
The Name Is Fred G. Sanford - And The 'G' Is for Great TV!, 7 June 2003

Author: David C. Bohn from Marion, Ohio

There have been 4 show business personalities, over the years, over whom I shed tears, when they passed on. John Wayne, Jimmy Stewart, Roy Rogers, and... Redd Foxx. The reason is very simple: Redd Foxx, as the arthritic, heart-troubled Watts Junk Dealer, made me laugh. Something that not many performers can do. I have experienced more genuine laughter, while watching 'Sanford And Son', than with any other TV show, or movie, ever.

I have seen every episode at least 20 times, (Except for the Christmas episode - I only watch it during the Christmas season). I never tire of them, and the antics of the gripy, grumpy old 'Commodities' dealer and his family and friends never fail to draw a laugh from me, despite the fact that I know every episode by heart.

Until 'Sanford And Son', Redd Foxx was probably best known for his nightclub acts, featuring his dirty stand-up routines. He was a master of improvisation, and shows his true comedy colors, in this classic sitcom. And, he was no slouch when it came to drama, as proved by his performance in the episode where he must ask his girlfriend, Donna, to marry him, before she accepts a proposal from another man. That particular episode made me cry, as well as laugh.

Admittedly, much of the writing wasn't all that great, and the acting - In the case of some characters, obviously played by non-Actors - Leaves something to be desired. But the laughter is there, making up for that, and then some.

I once heard it said that laughter is a gift, and Redd Foxx gave me that gift, with 'Sanford And Son'. The show has a tremendous following, to this day, better than 30 years after it's cancellation - A fact which speaks volumes on the talent of Redd Foxx.

---

2 out of 2 people found the following comment useful :-
A 70s Sitcom Classic, 29 February 2008
Author: hfan77 from St. Louis Park, MN

Norman Lear's second sitcom Sanford and Son is definitely a 70s classic. Redd Foxx's portrayal of Fred Sanford is so funny, yet he was bigoted like Archie Bunker. He also had great chemistry with Demond Wilson, who played his son Lamont. Though Lamont was the smarter of the two, Fred kept calling him "Dummy" which I thought wasn't very nice. What made the show funny for me was Fred's frequent phony heart attacks when he would clutch his heart and bellow "OHH! THIS IS THE BIG ONE! YOU HEAR THAT ELIZABETH, I'M COMING TO JOIN YOU!!" Every time he did that, i would crack up laughing. The other phrase he constantly used was variations on "How would you like five across your lip?"

What also made Sanford and Son stand out was the chemistry between Foxx and LaWanda Page, who played Aunt Esther. Both were long-time friends who grew up in St. Louis. I thought Page delivered her lines with gusto and really brought her character to life.

My only dislike of the show were the episodes without Foxx, who sat out due to a contract dispute and were centered around Grady. Whitman Mayo was an outstanding supporting player, but I felt he couldn't carry the show as a lead actor and that was why his spin off Grady was short-lived. It was like watching an episode of The Honeymooners without Jackie Gleason.

There were a lot of good episodes, but two of my favorites were the Gong Show episode and Steinberg and Son, a TV show that mirrored the Sanford's lives. Each season of Sanford and Son is on DVD so if you haven't seen them, do so. You won't worry about commercials.

---

---

Page 1 of 4:

[1] [2] [3] [4]

Add another comment

---

Related Links

Plot summary	Ratings	Awards
External reviews	Plot keywords	Main details
Your user comments	Your vote history