Lum & Abner Sell Their Circus

Originally aired April 22, 1935, this episode finds the old fellows of Pine Ridge tangled up in the aftermath of their ill-fated circus venture. Having sold the show to Squire Skim for $1,000, Lum and Abner are stunned to discover that Squire quickly turned it for a $4,000 profit, leaving them swindled out of $3,000.

Back at Jot ’Em Down Store, Lum recounts the loss to Dick Huddleston and Grandpappy Spears, vowing that no one could out-trade him—though Squire apparently did just that. Meanwhile, Abner, still convinced Lum means to whip him for meddling with the circus money, goes to comic lengths to avoid him, sneaking out back doors and dodging around Pine Ridge. When Lum finally tries to corner him with the help of the others, Abner’s fright drives him straight through a plate glass window in a burst of slapstick panic.

With Horlick’s Malted Milk ads sprinkled throughout—including a testimonial about a once-ailing baby turned blue-ribbon healthy—this lighthearted installment captures the small-town missteps, misunderstandings, and homespun comedy that made Lum and Abner enduring radio favorites