Lum & Abner: Classic Small-Town Comedy

Grand Opening of Circus Tomorrow

Originally Aired: March 22, 1935
In Lum & Abner #70, “Grand Opening of Circus Tomorrow,” the Pine Ridge circus venture teeters between chaos and comedy. After Abner’s ill-fated glass-partition lion stunt leaves him bandaged and shaken, the boys reconsider their suitability as animal trainers. Squire Skimp continues to prioritize spectacle over safety—planning to act as a “barker” (not the canine kind)—while dodging the actual risks. Lum and Abner reflect on their roles, only for Squire to break the news: they’ve been replaced. Surprisingly, both friends are relieved, putting the circus first. As the grand opening looms, this episode delivers a delightful blend of physical comedy, backwoods logic, and Squire’s ever-suspect scheming.
 
Cast:
Chester Lauck (Lum Edwards), Norris Goff (Abner Peabody), voice of Squire Skimp
 
Tags:
LumAndAbner, oldtimeradio, 1930scomedy, JotEmDownStore, SquireSkimp, PineRidge, radiohumor, vintagebroadcast, circuscomedy, liontrainer, Horlicks, ruralcomedy, classicradio, vaudeville, glasspartition, Abnerinjured, circusopening, go-getters-and-waiters

Lum Thinks All Circus Jobs Dangerous

Originally Aired: March 21, 1935
 
In Lum & Abner #69, “Lum Thinks All Circus Jobs Dangerous,” Squire Skimp tries to save money by pushing Lum into performing risky circus stunts—either riding elephants in the parade or swinging from the high trapeze. The elephant act, complete with the beast lying on top of Lum, strikes him as downright life-threatening. While Lum dreams of a safe job cranking the circus calliope, Abner shocks everyone by volunteering to train the lions and tigers. The big reveal? Cedric has installed a nearly invisible plate-glass barrier between Abner and the cats, turning a deadly stunt into a clever illusion. It’s a comical look at small-town showmanship, cost-cutting schemes, and the fine art of avoiding danger while looking brave.
 
Cast:
Chester Lauck (Lum Edwards), Norris Goff (Abner Peabody), voices of supporting characters including Squire Skimp and Cedric
 
Tags:
LumAndAbner, oldtimeradio, 1930scomedy, JotEmDownStore, SquireSkimp, PineRidge, radiohumor, vintagebroadcast, circuscomedy, elephants, liontamer, trapeze, calliope, glasspartition, sideshow, Horlicks, classicradio, vaudeville, GoffAndLauck

Lum Gives Up the Trapeze

Originally Aired: March 20, 1935
 
In Lum & Abner #68, “Lum Gives Up the Trapeze,” the Pine Ridge circus preparations take a hilarious turn when Squire Skimp tries to save money by casting Lum and Abner in the show. Lum is assigned to the high trapeze but quickly decides the dizzying heights aren’t for him. After some comic negotiating, he swaps the trapeze for what he thinks is a safe and dignified role—riding the parade elephant as “King Eddard.” But Abner warns him the job comes with some risky “tricks,” including lying under the elephant! Meanwhile, Squire works to convince a reluctant Abner to take on the role of lion trainer. Between fear of heights, ferocious cats, and giant pachyderms, the circus is shaping up to be a real small-town spectacle.
 
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, radiohumor, vintagebroadcast, circuscomedy, trapezeact, elephantparade, liontrainer, Horlicks, ruralcomedy, vaudeville, classicradio, slapstickhumor, KingEddard, pachydermpranks

Circus Will Open Saturday: Cedric’s Wild Makeover and Trapeze Troubles

Originally Aired: March 19, 1935
 
In Lum & Abner #67, “Circus Will Open Saturday,” Pine Ridge prepares for a grand spectacle as Squire Skimp hastily arranges a sideshow circus using the town’s modest collection of animals—and imagination. Squire falsely advertises house cats as exotic Persian felines and paints Cedric to pass him off as a “wild man from Borneo,” causing quite the stir when his own family fails to recognize him. As Cedric’s father Caleb seeks revenge, Squire dodges danger and swiftly ropes Lum into becoming a reluctant trapeze artist and Abner into a lion—or rather, “cat”—trainer. With misunderstandings about “cats” turning into tigers, and the return of the flashlight promotion drama, this episode blends slapstick, confusion, and clever rural wit in classic Lum & Abner fashion.
 
Cast:
Chester Lauck (Lum Edwards), Norris Goff (Abner Peabody), voices of supporting characters including Squire Skimp and Cedric Wehunt
 
Tags:
LumAndAbner, oldtimeradio, 1930scomedy, JotEmDownStore, SquireSkimp, PineRidge, radiohumor, vintagebroadcast, circuscomedy, Horlicks, CedricWildman, flashlightpromo, ruralcomedy, classicradio, vaudeville, beardedlady, trapezehumor

Squire Assembles Freak Sideshow: White Elephants and the Wild Man of Borneo

Originally Aired: March 18, 1935
 
In Lum & Abner #66, “Squire Assembles Freak Sideshow,” Lum and Abner are in high spirits about their circus venture, thanks to Squire Skimp’s industrious preparations. But as they inspect Squire’s attractions, discomfort sets in—especially when they discover the circus’s “freaks” include misrepresented animals such as a whitewashed elephant and a possum from Homer Jenkins’ backyard. The humor escalates as Abner gets offended after being called an ape, only to find his name on a cage labeled “Gorilla.” The situation spirals further when Lum and Abner discover the terrifying “Wild Man from Borneo” is none other than Cedric Wehunt. Moral dilemmas collide hilariously with small-town antics, highlighting the duo’s earnestness against Squire’s schemes.
 
Cast:
Chester Lauck (Lum Edwards), Norris Goff (Abner Peabody), supporting characters including Squire Skimp and Cedric Wehunt
 
Tags:
LumAndAbner, oldtimeradio, 1930scomedy, JotEmDownStore, SquireSkimp, PineRidge, radiohumor, vintagebroadcast, circuscomedy, freakshow, smalltownhumor, CedricWehunt, Horlicks, ruralcomedy, classicradio, vaudeville, wildmanofborneo, comedicmisunderstanding, LauckAndGoff

A Circus Deal: Lum & Abner Hire Squire Skimp

Originally Aired: March 15, 1935
 
In Lum & Abner #65, “A Circus Deal,” Lum and Abner find themselves in the thick of the circus business, having taken feed as admission and drawn crowds from miles around. Their success attracts Squire Skimp, who tries to secure a third interest in the operation. But Lum and Dick Huddleston have other plans—offering Squire a salary instead of a partnership. Misunderstandings abound, especially when Abner takes “hiring for a song” a bit too literally. With Squire’s flair for promotion and a cast of eccentric circus animals (including a sacred cow and royal foxhounds), the Pine Ridge crew gears up for a tent show like no other. This episode shines with classic miscommunication, cunning business decisions, and small-town 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, circusbusiness, sacredcow, whiteelephant, Horlicks, ruralcomedy, classicradio, vaudeville, thirdpartner, salaryscheme, feedforadmission

Using Feed to Pay Admission to Circus

Originally Aired: March 14, 1935
In Lum & Abner #64, “Using Feed to Pay Admission to Circus,” Pine Ridge’s greatest spectacle gets underway as Lum and Abner turn their financial woes into a novel business plan: letting folks into their stranded circus in exchange for animal feed. Abner, resplendent in his ringmaster’s outfit, oversees a parade of Pine Ridge families wheeling in bales of hay, bushels of corn, and buckets of grain for a glimpse at lions, elephants, and even a “sacred cow from India” (actually just one of Abner’s trades). The tent is packed, Cedric is swamped carrying water for the elephants, and the partners marvel at the success of their barter circus—at least until Squire Skimp shows up, angling for a cut and promising to turn their show into a big-time production. Packed with sight gags, rural logic, and Pine Ridge ingenuity, it’s another classic episode of country chaos.
Cast:Chester Lauck (Lum Edwards), Norris Goff (Abner Peabody), with supporting voices including Dick Huddleston, Cedric, and Squire Skimp
Tags:LumAndAbner, oldtimeradio, 1930scomedy, JotEmDownStore, PineRidge, radiohumor, vintagebroadcast, bartercircus, Horlicks, ruralcomedy, admissionforfeed, circusantics, SquireSkimp, animalantics, classicradio, vaudeville, GoffAndLauck

Back in Partnership

Originally Aired: March 13, 1935
In Lum & Abner #63, “Back in Partnership,” the Pine Ridge circus calamity takes a new turn as Lum and Abner—now co-owners of an entire circus, tent and all—find themselves partners again, this time in the wildest business venture yet. After lending Abner $250 to buy the tent (to house all the animals he acquired foreclosing on the circus), Lum realizes he’s now “half owner” of a menagerie featuring elephants, lions, and every barnyard critter in town. With both men liable for debts and desperate for animal feed, they hit on a scheme: admit folks to the circus in exchange for a bale of hay or a bushel of corn. As Abner struts about in the ringmaster’s coat and hat, the partners prepare to open Pine Ridge’s first “barter circus”—and try to feed their way out of trouble! It’s partnership, rural chaos, and classic Lum & Abner comedy at its peak.
Cast:Chester Lauck (Lum Edwards), Norris Goff (Abner Peabody), with supporting voices including Dick Huddleston and Cedric
Tags:LumAndAbner, oldtimeradio, 1930scomedy, JotEmDownStore, PineRidge, radiohumor, vintagebroadcast, circusbusiness, Horlicks, ruralcomedy, partnership, bartercircus, animalantics, classicradio, vaudeville, GoffAndLauck

Abner Forecloses on Circus

Originally Aired: March 12, 1935
In Lum & Abner #62, “Abner Forecloses on Circus,” the consequences of Pine Ridge’s most disastrous barter spree come crashing down. With his shelves bare and not a dime left, Abner faces the fact that the circus—his biggest debtor—is about to skip town without paying for hundreds of dollars’ worth of groceries and feed. Armed with a mortgage on the circus animals, Abner must race to the circus grounds to “foreclose” and take possession of lions, elephants, camels, and zebras—adding to his already unmanageable menagerie. Meanwhile, Lum and Dick Huddleston shake their heads as Abner’s law enforcement duties clash hilariously with his business blunders (and a talking parrot adds comic relief). A classic farce of rural commerce, creative debt collection, and the cost of trusting showfolk, this episode is a Pine Ridge original.
Cast:Chester Lauck (Lum Edwards), Norris Goff (Abner Peabody), with supporting voices including Dick Huddleston and Cedric
Tags:LumAndAbner, oldtimeradio, 1930scomedy, JotEmDownStore, PineRidge, radiohumor, vintagebroadcast, circusforeclosure, Horlicks, ruralcomedy, animalchaos, classicradio, vaudeville, barterblunder, lawmanabner, GoffAndLauck

Almost All of Abner’s Merchandise is Gone

Originally Aired: March 11, 1935
In Lum & Abner #61, “Almost All of Abner’s Merchandise is Gone,” the swap-crazy president of the Jot ‘Em Down Store is finally facing the consequences of his barter bonanza. Abner’s side of the store is nearly empty, his shelves traded away for a dizzying assortment of livestock—rabbits multiplying out of control, a goat eating the neighbors’ laundry, and even the prospect of acquiring a talking parrot. As Lum warns that all this business is no good without profit, Abner insists he’ll make it all back when he sells his menagerie. But the feed bills pile up, circus animals need care, and complaints pour in about wandering livestock destroying gardens and clotheslines. By the end, with his animals running loose and angry neighbors calling for the constable, Abner’s “swap plan” finally seems more trouble than it’s worth. It’s a riotous episode of rural chaos, slapstick business, and classic Pine Ridge predicaments.
Cast:Chester Lauck (Lum Edwards), Norris Goff (Abner Peabody), with supporting voices including Cedric and Pine Ridge townsfolk
Tags:LumAndAbner, oldtimeradio, 1930scomedy, JotEmDownStore, PineRidge, radiohumor, vintagebroadcast, bartergonewrong, Horlicks, ruralcomedy, animalchaos, classicradio, vaudeville, storeempty, runawaylivestock, GoffAndLauck