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