Lum & Abner: Classic Small-Town Comedy

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

Broken Down Circus Comes to Pine Ridge

Originally Aired: March 8, 1935
In Lum & Abner #60, “Broken Down Circus Comes to Pine Ridge,” the swap fever in the Jot ‘Em Down Store reaches a peak as Abner’s bartering bonanza fills the back lot with everything from possums to pigeons—and even a half-dead horse from Snake Hogan. Pine Ridge gets wilder as a broken-down circus rolls into town, desperate for credit, and Abner strikes a $200 deal to supply the whole show (with a “first mortgage” on their lions, monkeys, and camels). Meanwhile, townsfolk trade anything they can carry for groceries, and Dick Huddleston warns that Abner’s generosity may put him out of business. As Lum and Cedric struggle to keep up with Abner’s ever-growing menagerie, the chaos of a circus in financial distress threatens to leave everyone feeding the animals all winter. Packed with barter gags, rural logic, and slapstick commerce, this episode is a Pine Ridge classic.
Cast:Chester Lauck (Lum Edwards), Norris Goff (Abner Peabody), supporting voices including Dick Huddleston, Cedric, Grandpappy Spears, and Snake Hogan
Tags:LumAndAbner, oldtimeradio, 1930scomedy, JotEmDownStore, PineRidge, radiohumor, vintagebroadcast, circuscomes, Horlicks, ruralcomedy, bartermania, storechaos, SnakeHogan, classicradio, vaudeville, GoffAndLauck

Abner Swaps with Snake Hogan

Originally Aired: March 7, 1935
In Lum & Abner #59, “Abner Swaps with Snake Hogan,” the swap-crazy president of the Jot ‘Em Down Store is busier than ever, trading groceries for anything folks can bring—from possums and coons to goldfish and white mice. Abner’s collection of livestock grows to include three possums, a coon, and over sixty rabbits, but the highlight is his deal with Snake Hogan, swapping $50 worth of groceries for a half-dead horse that can barely stand. As Lum and Dick Huddleston look on in disbelief, the swap scheme spirals out of control, turning the store into a barnyard circus. Meanwhile, Abner’s generosity with credit (including a disastrous deal to feed a stranded circus troupe) brings business but threatens his bottom line. By the end, Abner finds himself in hot water—not just with creditors, but also with Ike Reynolds, whose best hounds were swapped away by his wife! It’s pure rural chaos, brimming with Pine Ridge humor and hard-learned lessons in country commerce.
Cast:Chester Lauck (Lum Edwards), Norris Goff (Abner Peabody), supporting voices including Dick Huddleston, Cedric, Grandpappy Spears, and Snake Hogan
Tags:LumAndAbner, oldtimeradio, 1930scomedy, JotEmDownStore, PineRidge, radiohumor, vintagebroadcast, swapstore, Horlicks, ruralcomedy, SnakeHogan, circusdeal, barnyardbarter, classicradio, vaudeville, GoffAndLauck

Abner Operating Store on Swap Basis

Originally Aired: March 6, 1935
In Lum & Abner #58, “Abner Operating Store on Swap Basis,” Pine Ridge witnesses a full-on store war as the divided Jot ‘Em Down Store becomes two separate businesses under one roof. Abner, now proudly operating on a “swap” system, will trade groceries for anything—cows, chickens, pigs, rabbits, or even a horse—while Lum sticks with cash and boasts “honest measurements.” The rivalry gets heated, with ropes down the middle, dueling telephones, and a frantic price war that sends flour plummeting from $1.15 to 30 cents in seconds. Grandpappy Spears, Dick Huddleston, and the rest of Pine Ridge get caught in the crossfire (and enjoy the bargains), as old friendships are tested in a rural retail showdown packed with one-liners and small-town logic.
Cast:Chester Lauck (Lum Edwards), Norris Goff (Abner Peabody), with supporting voices including Grandpappy Spears, Dick Huddleston, and Cedric
Tags:LumAndAbner, oldtimeradio, 1930scomedy, JotEmDownStore, PineRidge, radiohumor, vintagebroadcast, swapstore, Horlicks, ruralcomedy, pricewar, classicradio, vaudeville, storefeud, barnyardbarter, GoffAndLauck

Lum & Abner Divide up the Store

Originally Aired: March 5, 1935
In Lum & Abner #57, “Lum & Abner Divide up the Store,” Pine Ridge’s favorite partners take their feud to the next level as they split the Jot ‘Em Down Store right down the middle. With both men determined to run things their own way, the episode finds Lum and Abner painstakingly dividing up every can, bolt of fabric, and even the apples—often eating leftovers just to make things come out even. As tempers flare over counting methods and arm lengths used for measuring, Cedric gets caught in the middle (and nearly divided himself!). Rivalry and petty bickering turn into comedy gold, setting the stage for a two-store competition under one roof. It’s classic rural humor, small-town stubbornness, and the purest Lum & Abner spirit.
Cast:Chester Lauck (Lum Edwards), Norris Goff (Abner Peabody), with supporting voices including Cedric
Tags:LumAndAbner, oldtimeradio, 1930scomedy, JotEmDownStore, PineRidge, radiohumor, vintagebroadcast, storefeud, Horlicks, ruralcomedy, storedivide, classicradio, vaudeville, pettyrivalry, armmeasuring, Cedric, GoffAndLauck

Abner Wants to Start Trading Merchandise

Originally Aired: March 4, 1935
In Lum & Abner #56, “Abner Wants to Start Trading Merchandise,” the Jot ‘Em Down Store is in turmoil as President Abner unveils his boldest idea yet: swapping groceries for livestock, hay, and produce instead of cash. Lum, stuck doing the hard work and missing the days when he was in charge, is convinced the scheme will bankrupt them. As Abner calculates wild profits from an imagined chicken empire (forgetting you can’t hatch eggs and lay at the same time), Dick Huddleston and Lum try to talk sense into him. The situation boils over into an ultimatum: the store will be split down the middle, with each partner running his own half in open competition. It’s a hilarious, down-home showdown in Pine Ridge, full of misunderstandings, tall tales, and rural ingenuity gone awry.
Cast:Chester Lauck (Lum Edwards), Norris Goff (Abner Peabody), voices of supporting characters including Dick Huddleston and Cedric
Tags:LumAndAbner, oldtimeradio, 1930scomedy, JotEmDownStore, PineRidge, radiohumor, vintagebroadcast, storepolitics, Horlicks, ruralcomedy, chickenmath, classicradio, vaudeville, swapstore, splitthestore, GoffAndLauck