Squire Is Breaking the Law: Contracts, Competition, and a Legal Loophole

Originally Aired: June 17, 1935

In Lum & Abner #131, “Squire Is Breaking the Law,” the Pine Ridge picture show war escalates as Squire Skimp pulls another fast one—firing Grandpappy Spears despite a supposed three-month contract and hiring a band to lure crowds to his theater. Lum and Abner, struggling to turn a profit after giving away a free matinee, are fed up with Squire’s underhanded tactics. But when Squire tries to pay them only five cents per patron in a dubious overflow deal, Lum decides enough is enough. In a twist of legal ingenuity, he digs into an old statute that might just shut Squire down for good—revealing it's illegal to operate a theater above the ground floor. A masterstroke of homespun justice unfolds as the boys move from business rivals to amateur law enforcers in this sharp, funny episode of small-town scheming and redemption.

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, vintagebroadcast, smalltownjustice, classicradio, vaudeville, contractdispute, ruralcomedy, picturewar, GrandpappySpears, visualbusiness, theaterlaw, Horlicks, overflowdeal