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12 unusual facts about Sanford And Son


A Fishful of Dollars

When one of Mom's sons says that Fry must be a genius of the highest order, they show him watching Sanford and Son, as indicated by the theme music heard.

Allan Katz

While working on Laugh-In, he also wrote episodes of Sanford and Son, All in the Family, and The Mary Tyler Moore Show.

Alma Beltran

She is well recognized to American TV viewers as Mrs. Fuentes, the mother of Julio Fuentes, on the NBC-TV series Sanford and Son.

Aunt Phatso vs. Jack Donaghy

Tracy then donates a large amount of money to the New York Philharmonic to have them play the theme song of Sanford and Son for four hours straight, ruining the concert for Jack, who attends the concert that night.

Clancy Cooper

He also guest starred on numerous TV series, such as The Rifleman, Lawman, Wanted: Dead or Alive, Maverick, and Alfred Hitchcock Presents, he also appeared on Sanford and Son as Kelly, an elderly friend of Fred Sanford in the episode "The Copper Caper", the fourth episode in the first season of the series.

Kamehameha Statues

The statue is also seen multiple times in a 3-part series of Sanford and Son when the duo go on a vacation to Hawaii.

Law label

In addition, in one episode of the popular 1970s show, Sanford and Son, Fred finds a tag with the warning label on and misjudges it to mean that if it is removed, he could go to jail.

Metromedia Square

One of his other classic shows, Sanford and Son, remained taped at NBC Studios in Burbank; its 1980 revival, Sanford, was videotaped at Metromedia.

Nancy Kulp

After The Beverly Hillbillies Kulp appeared on The Brian Keith Show and Sanford and Son.

Papa Charlie Jackson

In 1973 Jackson's song "Shake That Thing" was briefly featured in the Sanford and Son episode, "The Blind Mellow Jelly Collection".

Quest for Glory III: Wages of War

Each Quest For Glory title usually had a cameo by a comedian or a comedy team: the designers put Sanford and Son in this game, as merchants (i.e. junk dealers) in the Tarna marketplace.

You've Got It Bad, Girl

The eighth track, Sanford and Son Theme (The Streetbeater), was edited into two parts, and used for the opening and closing credits themes for NBC's Sanford and Son.


Beah Richards

She made numerous guest television appearances including recurrent roles on Beauty and the Beast, The Bill Cosby Show, Sanford and Son, Benson, Designing Women, The Practice, The Big Valley and ER (as Dr. Peter Benton's mother.) She was the winner of two Emmy Awards, one in 1988 for her appearance on the series Frank's Place, and another in 2000 for her appearance on The Practice.

Bill Manhoff

His television series script writing credits included Sanford and Son, The Partridge Family, All in the Family, Room 222, The Odd Couple, Petticoat Junction, Leave It To Beaver, and The Real McCoys.

Haywood Nelson

At the age of 14, he also guest starred on Sanford and Son (1972) as Grady's grandson; at 15, he was in the cast of a spin-off of Sanford and Son called Grady (1975).

Herbert Kenwith

He directed for such popular television shows as: Nine to Five (1986), Gimme a Break! (1981), Private Benjamin (1981), Bosom Buddies (1980), Diff'rent Strokes (1978), Me and Maxx (1980), Good Times (1974), Sanford and Son (1972), Mary Tyler Moore (1970), Love, American Style (1969) and Star Trek (1969).

Johnny Brown

In the introduction, Brown tells of how Norman Lear had considered Brown to play the role of Lamont in Sanford And Son, but was unavailable to do so because of his prior commitment to Laugh-In, leading Lear to give the role to Demond Wilson instead.

Junk man

In the television program Sanford and Son, the father's character, played by Redd Foxx, was a junkman, although even in those days the profession was not as common as it had once been.

Pipe Layin' Dan

The album, and previous other recordings, were recorded in the years before LaWanda found mainstream success as Fred G. Sanford's (Redd Foxx) nemesis, "Aunt Esther", in the acclaimed sitcom, Sanford and Son, and featured a more raunchy and graphic LaWanda than fans of the sitcom were used to.

Pogo cello

Notable musical groups or persons using the pogo cello in their music are Jim Kweskin's Jug Band, Mojo Nixon, and Redd Foxx, the famous comedian/singer who starred as Fred Sanford in the television show Sanford and Son.

Q Soul Bossa Nostra

#"Sanford and Son" (featuring T.I., B.o.B, Prince Charlez & Mohombi) - 4:08

Royce Wallace

In the 1960s, Wallace was a founding co-member of the Cambridge Players theatrical group, a group which included some of the most distinguished veteran black actresses such as Esther Rolle (of Good Times TV show fame), Lynn Hamilton (who starred as "Donna" on the hit NBC-TV sitcom Sanford and Son), and Helen Martin of NBC-TV's 227.

Supermodel of the World

African-American actress/comedienne LaWanda Page (best known as Aunt Esther on the television series Sanford and Son) was featured in spoken word clips on several album tracks, though she is heard most notably on the hit single "Supermodel (You Better Work)".

Ta-Tanisha

She later appeared in the 1973 film The Sting, and played Lamont Sanford's love interest, Janet Lawson, on Sanford and Son for two episodes before Marlene Clark assumed the role.