Lum & Abner: Classic Small-Town Comedy

Lum Won’t Arrest Squire: A Legal Loophole and a Moral Crossroad

Originally Aired: June 18, 1935
In Lum & Abner #132, “Lum Won’t Arrest Squire,” the tension thickens in Pine Ridge as Lum faces a moral dilemma. Despite uncovering an old ordinance that would allow him to shut down Squire Skimp’s theater for being on the second floor, Lum hesitates—questioning whether it’s right to weaponize the law purely for business gain. Meanwhile, Grandpappy Spears, recently fired from Squire’s show despite a promised contract, seeks justice and urges Lum to act. With Abner pressing for retaliation and the town watching closely, Lum’s conscience becomes the battleground. But when Grandpappy demands action as a citizen, Lum’s hands are tied—he must serve the warrant, even if it means going against his better judgment. This episode delivers sharp character insight and a clever look at frontier justice.
Cast:Chester Lauck (Lum Edwards), Norris Goff (Abner Peabody), voices of supporting characters including Grandpappy Spears and Squire Skimp
Tags:LumAndAbner, oldtimeradio, 1930scomedy, JotEmDownStore, SquireSkimp, PineRidge, classicradio, vaudeville, ruraldrama, moralconflict, contractdispute, smalltownpolitics, legaldilemma, upstairsordinance, justiceofthepeace, Horlicks, GrandpappySpears, consciencevscompetition, citizenaction

Squire Is Breaking the Law: Contracts, Competition, and a Legal Loophole

Originally Aired: June 17, 1935
In Lum & Abner #131, “Squire Is Breaking the Law,” the Pine Ridge picture show war escalates as Squire Skimp pulls another fast one—firing Grandpappy Spears despite a supposed three-month contract and hiring a band to lure crowds to his theater. Lum and Abner, struggling to turn a profit after giving away a free matinee, are fed up with Squire’s underhanded tactics. But when Squire tries to pay them only five cents per patron in a dubious overflow deal, Lum decides enough is enough. In a twist of legal ingenuity, he digs into an old statute that might just shut Squire down for good—revealing it's illegal to operate a theater above the ground floor. A masterstroke of homespun justice unfolds as the boys move from business rivals to amateur law enforcers in this sharp, funny episode of small-town scheming and redemption.
Cast:Chester Lauck (Lum Edwards), Norris Goff (Abner Peabody), voices of supporting characters including Squire Skimp and Grandpappy Spears
Tags:LumAndAbner, oldtimeradio, 1930scomedy, JotEmDownStore, SquireSkimp, PineRidge, vintagebroadcast, smalltownjustice, classicradio, vaudeville, contractdispute, ruralcomedy, picturewar, GrandpappySpears, visualbusiness, theaterlaw, Horlicks, overflowdeal

Ladies Uplift League Will Boycott Show: Squire's Sabotage Exposed

Originally Aired: June 14, 1935
In Lum & Abner #130, “Ladies Uplift League Will Boycott Show,” opening day chaos strikes as the Pine Ridge Planetarium’s much-anticipated free matinee is abruptly canceled. The Ladies Uplift League storms in with a resolution banning the film “The Texas Kid,” claiming it’s unfit for the town’s youth. Lum and Abner are heartbroken—especially after seeing the disappointment on the children’s faces. But when the dust settles, it’s revealed that Squire Skimp is behind the boycott, using the League to sabotage their opening in favor of his own theater. With the truth exposed and the League furious at being manipulated, the boycott is lifted, and Squire’s opening night plans crumble when his film reel fails to arrive. Lum and Abner reclaim their spotlight with a second chance at opening Pine Ridge’s first movie theater.
Cast:Chester Lauck (Lum Edwards), Norris Goff (Abner Peabody), voices of supporting characters including Sister Simpson, Dick Huddleston, and Squire Skimp
Tags:LumAndAbner, oldtimeradio, 1930scomedy, JotEmDownStore, SquireSkimp, PineRidge, radiohumor, vintagebroadcast, picturehouse, Horlicks, boycott, smalltowndrama, theaterrivalry, LadiesUpliftLeague, classicradio, vaudeville, sabotage, TexasKid, grandopening

Squire Spreads Rumors About Matinee: A Dirty Trick Before Opening Day

Originally Aired: June 13, 1935
In Lum & Abner #129, “Squire Spreads Rumors About Matinee,” opening day tensions erupt as Pine Ridge’s two rival movie houses prepare for their grand debuts. Lum and Abner scramble to outmaneuver Squire Skimp by hosting a Friday matinee, earning the title of the town’s first picture show. But as the duo bumbles through last-minute preparations—complete with Abner mistakenly painting over the box office window—Squire counters with his signature brand of underhanded sabotage. Enlisting the Ladies Uplift League, he spreads a whisper campaign accusing the matinee’s Western film of corrupting the youth. With his snide concern for “firearms education,” Squire aims to shut down the competition before it even begins. Will Pine Ridge’s moral gatekeepers fall for his ruse, or will Lum and Abner pull off their big premiere?
Cast:Chester Lauck (Lum Edwards), Norris Goff (Abner Peabody), voices of supporting characters including Dick Huddleston, Squire Skimp, and Grandpappy Spears
Tags:LumAndAbner, oldtimeradio, 1930scomedy, JotEmDownStore, SquireSkimp, PineRidge, radiohumor, vintagebroadcast, Horlicks, ruralcomedy, classicradio, vaudeville, picturehousewar, ladiesupliftleague, westernfilmcontroversy, boxofficeblunder, grandopening, smalltownrivalry, Abnerpaintswindow, sabotagebyphone

Advertising Free Matinee for Children: Sneak Previews and Squire’s Rival Showdown

Originally Aired: June 12, 1935
In Lum & Abner #128, “Advertising Free Matinee for Children,” Lum and Abner prepare for the grand opening of their new Pine Ridge Planetarium theater, but their excitement is quickly dampened when Squire Skimp undercuts them—again—by opening his show a day earlier. As Abner becomes obsessed with watching The Texas Kid repeatedly (even hollering directions to the screen), Dick Huddleston suggests a clever workaround: host a secret preview matinee for children on Friday afternoon, just ahead of Squire’s premiere. The plan? Let the kids in free, build buzz, and outmaneuver their rival without tipping him off. Packed with projector malfunctions, synchronized sound struggles, and plot recaps shouted from the booth, this episode is a perfect blend of small-town scheming and comedic charm.
Cast:Chester Lauck (Lum Edwards), Norris Goff (Abner Peabody), voices of supporting characters including Dick Huddleston and Squire Skimp
Tags:LumAndAbner, oldtimeradio, 1930scomedy, JotEmDownStore, SquireSkimp, PineRidge, radiohumor, vintagebroadcast, projectorbooth, freepreview, TexasKid, BuckJones, theaterantics, classicradio, vaudeville, sneakpreview, kiddiematinee, LumAndAbnerTheater

Dick to Help Lum & Abner: A Race to Open the Pine Ridge Picture Show

In Lum & Abner #127, “Dick to Help Lum & Abner,” the rivalry between Lum and Abner’s Pine Ridge Planetarium and Squire Skimp’s Skimp Hippodrome intensifies. After securing 250 rented chairs for the theater, Dick Huddleston joins the effort to help Lum and Abner beat Squire to the grand opening. As the trio prepares for a Saturday launch, Squire counters with a surprise: opening his theater the night before. Despite the race against time, community support and some comical schemes (like secretly using Sister Simpson to spread news "nobody's supposed to hear") keep spirits high. But a last-minute twist—delivered via Cedric—reveals Squire’s underhanded tactics once again.
Cast:Chester Lauck (Lum Edwards), Norris Goff (Abner Peabody), voices of supporting characters including Dick Huddleston, Cedric, and Squire Skimp

Lum & Abner Lose to Squire: Betrayals, Offers, and a Theater Standoff

Originally Aired: June 10, 1935
In Lum & Abner #126, “Lum & Abner Lose to Squire,” the dream of opening Pine Ridge’s own movie theater, the Planetarium, takes a serious hit. Squire Skimp successfully poaches the entire crew—from carpenters to the projectionist—leaving Lum and Abner scrambling to build and run the theater themselves. As the dust settles, Squire offers a backhanded olive branch: shut down their theater, rename it “Skimp’s Hippodrome,” and let him manage it—all while they foot the bill. But Lum isn’t buying it. With a fiery refusal and a showdown of principles, the partners vow to open their doors first, even if it means working around the clock. It's a tale of sabotage, grit, and standing up to a slick-talking schemer in this episode packed with small-town drama and classic comedy.
Cast:Chester Lauck (Lum Edwards), Norris Goff (Abner Peabody), voices of supporting characters including Dick Huddleston and Squire Skimp
Tags:LumAndAbner, oldtimeradio, 1930scomedy, JotEmDownStore, SquireSkimp, PineRidge, radiohumor, vintagebroadcast, theaterrivalry, Horlicks, smalltownfeud, classicradio, vaudeville, movietheater, showbizschemes, SkimpsHippodrome, projectionistproblems, GoffAndLauck

Squire’s Plans for a Rival Theatre Threaten the Picture Show Dream

Originally Aired: June 7, 1935
In Lum & Abner #125, “Squire’s Plans for a Rival Theatre Threaten the Picture Show Dream,” Lum and Abner face a crushing setback in their new movie theater venture. After securing chairs and space at the lodge hall, they discover Squire Skimp has outmaneuvered them—renting the hall, poaching their seats, and even luring away their piano player, Grandpappy Spears. As if that weren’t enough, Cedric returns from projector training only to reveal he’s also been hired away by Squire. With every piece of their operation slipping away, Lum and Abner refuse to give up, determined to beat Squire at his own game. This episode delivers a potent mix of small-town rivalry, betrayal, and resilience—all wrapped in comedic frustration.
Cast:Chester Lauck (Lum Edwards), Norris Goff (Abner Peabody), voices of supporting characters including Squire Skimp, Grandpappy Spears, and Cedric Wehunt
Tags:LumAndAbner, oldtimeradio, 1930scomedy, JotEmDownStore, SquireSkimp, PineRidge, radiohumor, vintagebroadcast, ruraldrama, pictureShowWar, Horlicks, smalltownfeud, vaudeville, CedricWehunt, GrandpappySpears, contracttricks, betrayedBySquire

Worrying About Squire Starting Rival Theater

Originally Aired: June 6, 1935
In Lum & Abner #124, “Worrying About Squire Starting Rival Theater,” the fallout continues after Squire Skimp’s failed bid to become a partner in the Pine Ridge Planetarium. As the dust settles, Abner remains steadfast in his refusal to include Squire, while Lum frets over the threat of a competing picture show. Squire’s threat sends Lum into a spiral of confusion—complete with talk of “hands being tied” and “axes over their heads”—leaving Abner to conclude that his partner’s mental state might be slipping. But when word comes that Squire has rented the lodge hall and secured chairs for his own theater, it becomes clear: the competition is real, and the first shots in Pine Ridge’s cinema war have been fired. A hilarious and frantic episode of worry, metaphors gone wild, and rising stakes.
Cast:Chester Lauck (Lum Edwards), Norris Goff (Abner Peabody), voices of supporting characters including Dick Huddleston and Squire Skimp
Tags:LumAndAbner, oldtimeradio, 1930scomedy, JotEmDownStore, SquireSkimp, PineRidge, radiohumor, vintagebroadcast, rivaltheater, Horlicks, PlanetariumPlot, vaudeville, classicradio, pictureShow, stubbornAbner, theaterwar, metaphormixup, lodgehall, cinemaShowdown

Squire Wants to Be a Third Partner in the New Theatre

Originally Aired: June 5, 1935
In Lum & Abner #123, “Squire Wants to Be a Third Partner in the New Theatre,” excitement buzzes through Pine Ridge as Lum and Abner’s picture show, the Pine Ridge Planetarium, nears completion. With plans underway and a film salesman on the way, the old fellows discuss big ideas—including securing a Charlie Chaplin or even a Mickey Mouse feature for their grand opening. But just as everything seems to be running smoothly, Squire Skimp reappears, proposing to buy his way into the business as a third partner. While Lum is tempted by Squire’s “showmanship,” Abner flatly refuses, recalling too well Squire’s past schemes. Sparks fly in this sharply comedic episode, as Abner stands firm, and Squire threatens competition. A delightful clash of ambition, nostalgia, and small-town determination.
Cast:Chester Lauck (Lum Edwards), Norris Goff (Abner Peabody), voices of supporting characters including Squire Skimp
Tags:LumAndAbner, oldtimeradio, 1930scomedy, JotEmDownStore, SquireSkimp, PineRidge, radiohumor, vintagebroadcast, smalltownrivalry, Horlicks, PlanetariumPlot, pictureShow, MickeyMouseMention, vaudeville, classicradio, silentfilmcomedy, CharlieChaplin, theaterbusiness, stubbornAbner