Premier Collections:
Lum and Abner, Volume 2
Liner notes written by Elizabeth McLeod

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One of radio's most enduring comedy serials, "Lum and Abner" was the story of two lifelong friends and business associates and their dealings with their fellow residents of the town of Pine Ridge, Arkansas. Deep in rural Polk County, in the shadow of the Ouachita Mountains, Pine Ridge was depicted as a town unto itself -- where anything could happen and often did. The creation of native Arkansans Chester H. Lauck and Norris "Tuffy" Goff, the series took an affectionate look at the twists and turns of human nature, as seen thru a lens of folksy rural humor and mountain dialect. Its gently meandering plots and the subtle absurdity of its characterizations combined to make "Lum and Abner" a favorite, especially with small-town audiences, for more than two decades -- and the series continues to attract new fans more than seventy years after Lauck and Goff first came to the microphone.

The recordings in this set were taken off the ABC network line at the time of each episode's live broadcast by the Keystone Broadcasting Corporation for extension-spotting use by Miles Laboratories, Inc. The transcriptions were placed on stations in rural markets not served by the live broadcasts, and were aired about two weeks after the programs were heard live over ABC. The dates indicated here are the dates of those original live airings, and the program numbers follow the sequence back to the start of the Keystone recordings in 1942.

Most of these episodes have long been available as edited reissues produced by Chester H. Lauck Enterprises for syndication in the 1970s, but the recordings in this set are complete with the original commercials for Alka Seltzer and One-A-Day vitamins, omitting only the opening and closing theme music, which due to union restrictions had to be supplied to stations on a separate disc. The recordings are presented here in sparkling, digitally-restored audio quality -- if you listen close, you may even hear Chet and Tuffy shuffling their script pages on the tabletop as the broadcasts proceed.

The storyline in these twenty consecutive programs follows the sequence of episodes in the Archives' first "Lum and Abner" Premier Collection, as Pine Ridge is all astir over the arrival of B. J. Webster (portrayed by longtime L&A supporting player Frank Graham). Webster is a smooth-talking entrepreneur determined to draw attention to Pine Ridge by constructing a health resort around a mineral spring on property owned by the ever-contrary and uncooperative Grandpappy Spears. Lum, as usual, is an early convert to the cause, but Grandpap proves to be a far more difficult sell.

Here is the complete content of Lum and Abner, Volume 2:

Discussing Lum's Business (#641)
Wednesday, June 21, 1944 - 15:00 - sponsored by Alka Seltzer & One A Day Vitamins
http://www.radioarchives.org/scans/18517.jpg

The Story Of Ponce De Leon (#642)
Thursday, June 22, 1944 - 15:00 - sponsored by Alka Seltzer & One A Day Vitamins
http://www.radioarchives.org/scans/18518.jpg

B J's Business Meeting (#643)
Monday, June 26, 1944 - 15:00 - sponsored by Alka Seltzer & One A Day Vitamins
http://www.radioarchives.org/scans/18519.jpg

To Build Health Resort (#644)
Tuesday, June 27, 1944 - 15:00 - sponsored by Alka Seltzer & One A Day Vitamins
http://www.radioarchives.org/scans/18520.jpg

No Property Development (#645)
Wednesday, June 28, 1944 - 15:00 - sponsored by Alka Seltzer & One A Day Vitamins
http://www.radioarchives.org/scans/18521.jpg

Taking Cedric's Picture (#646)
Thursday, June 29, 1944 - 15:00 - sponsored by Alka Seltzer & One A Day Vitamins
http://www.radioarchives.org/scans/18522.jpg

Grandpap Agrees To Resort (#647)
Monday, July 3, 1944 - 15:00 - sponsored by Alka Seltzer & One A Day Vitamins
http://www.radioarchives.org/scans/19955.jpg

Lum Will Hire Architect (#648)
Tuesday, July 4, 1944 - 15:00 - sponsored by Alka Seltzer & One A Day Vitamins
http://www.radioarchives.org/scans/19956.jpg

Suspicious Of B J Webster (#649)
Wednesday, July 5, 1944 - 15:00 - sponsored by Alka Seltzer & One A Day Vitamins
http://www.radioarchives.org/scans/19957.jpg

Lum To Analyze Spring Water (#650)
Thursday, July 6, 1944 - 15:00 - sponsored by Alka Seltzer & One A Day Vitamins
http://www.radioarchives.org/scans/19958.jpg

Teaching Cedric To Dance (#651)
Monday, July 10, 1944 - 15:00 - sponsored by Alka Seltzer & One A Day Vitamins
http://www.radioarchives.org/scans/19959.jpg

Results On Spring Water (#652)
Tuesday, July 11, 1944 - 15:00 - sponsored by Alka Seltzer & One A Day Vitamins
http://www.radioarchives.org/scans/19960.jpg

B J Webster Gets Analysis (#653)
Wednesday, July 12, 1944 - 15:00 - sponsored by Alka Seltzer & One A Day Vitamins
http://www.radioarchives.org/scans/19961.jpg

Job At Defense Planet (#654)
Thursday, July 13, 1944 - 15:00 - sponsored by Alka Seltzer & One A Day Vitamins
http://www.radioarchives.org/scans/19962.jpg

Health Resort Riches (#655)
Monday, July 17, 1944 - 15:00 - sponsored by Alka Seltzer & One A Day Vitamins
http://www.radioarchives.org/scans/19963.jpg

B J Webster Sole Owner (#656)
Tuesday, July 18, 1944 - 15:00 - sponsored by Alka Seltzer & One A Day Vitamins
http://www.radioarchives.org/scans/19964.jpg

Invest In Health Resort (#657)
Wednesday, July 19, 1944 - 15:00 - sponsored by Alka Seltzer & One A Day Vitamins
http://www.radioarchives.org/scans/19965.jpg

Efficiency Measures At Work (#658)
Thursday, July 20, 1944 - 15:00 - sponsored by Alka Seltzer & One A Day Vitamins
http://www.radioarchives.org/scans/19966.jpg

Grandpap To Sell Land (#659)
Monday, July 24, 1944 - 15:00 - sponsored by Alka Seltzer & One A Day Vitamins
http://www.radioarchives.org/scans/19967.jpg

Can't See Prez Spears (#660)
Tuesday, July 25, 1944 - 15:00 - sponsored by Alka Seltzer & One A Day Vitamins
http://www.radioarchives.org/scans/19968.jpg

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