Lum Learns of Renting Store

Originally Aired: March 18, 1940 Lum #271, "Lum Learns of Renting Store," Excitement builds in Pine Ridge as a Hollywood film company prepares to shoot a picture in town. Lum has been enthusiastically showing a location scout around, and the prospect of movie stardom has already gone to his head. As Abner and Grandpap discuss at the Jot 'Em Down Store, Lum has been dressing in fancy clothes, studying acting books, and impersonating everyone from Englishmen to Kentucky colonels to Frenchmen. His friends worry he's losing touch with reality, trying out different accents and personas all over town in preparation for his big break. However, trouble is brewing that Lum doesn't know about yet. Squire Skimp has convinced Abner to sign a lease renting out the store to the film company for their production headquarters. Abner reluctantly agreed but hasn't found the right moment to break the news to his partner. As Lum enthusiastically discusses the picture and the Hollywood stars coming to town, Abner and Grandpap nervously anticipate his reaction when he discovers what's been done behind his back. The store that Lum assumed would be his stage may now be out of his control entirely.