Acting

Chester Lauck

Born 1902-02-09 · Allene, Arkansas, USA

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Chester "Chet" Lauck (February 9, 1902 – February 21, 1980) was a comic actor who played the character of Lum Edwards on the classic American radio comedy Lum and Abner. Chester Lauck was born in Alleene, Arkansas and raised in Mena, Arkansas. He graduated from Mena High School in 1920. In Mena, Chet met his future comedy partner Norris Goff. Though both began as blackface comics, they soon found success on local station KTHS with a recurring hillbilly skit, leading to a network series, recorded in Chicago, Illinois, in 1931. In addition to starring as storekeeper Lum (full name Columbus Edwards, with surname usually pronounced "Eddards"), Lauck also played several other recurring characters, including Cedric Weehunt, Grandpappy Spears, and Snake Hogan. He reprised his radio role, opposite Goff, in seven motion pictures between 1940 and 1956. Lauck adopted grey hair and a moustache on-camera, to better match the picture most audiences would have of his radio character. In his later years, Lauck recorded new introductions for commercial cassette releases of the series and for syndication. For a brief time during the 1950s he bought and upgraded a ranch fifteen miles west of Las Vegas, later bought by Howard Hughes. It was turned into Spring Mountain Ranch State Park. On August 27, 1957, he appeared as a guest challenger on To Tell the Truth. He died on February 21, 1980, aged 78, and was buried in Hot Springs, Arkansas. Chester Lauck is a member of the Arkansas Entertainers Hall of Fame.

Acting credits

9.0

General store owners, through a series of contrivances, end up on the better side of a practical joke being played on them.

Goin' to Town

1944

6.3

Lum Edwards is annoyed with his partner in Pine Ridge's Jot-'em-Down general store, Abner Peabody, because Abner has swapped their delivery car for a racehorse. Lum, meanwhile, is too timid to propose to Geraldine.

The Bashful Bachelor

1942

5.3

Lum and Abner go to Washington to aid in the war effort by giving the government what they think is a good substitute for rubber--Abner's homemade licorice.

So This Is Washington

1943

4.5

When Abner is mistakenly diagnosed as having only two weeks to live, his partner gets the idea that they can make a ton of money by having Abner perform all kinds of dangerous stunts.

Two Weeks to Live

1943

6.0

Lum and Abner work at a general store in Arkansas. There they get involved in some misadventures with the locals.

Dreaming Out Loud

1940

7.0

Squire Skimp has a new plan to swindle the people of Pine Ridge. However, Lum has something more important on his mind. He has to tell a young engaged couple on the verge of breaking up the story of how the Jot 'em Down store first started (through flashbacks). Based on characters from the popular "Lum and Abner" radio program of the time.

Partners in Time

1946

Chester Lauck and Norris Goff tried to bring their highly successful radio show to TV but it didn’t happen. In this failed pilot Abner is on the phone with Mose and says he’ll meet him and Opie Cates to go fishing. Lum comes into the store with a letter from the IRS. He goes to burn it in the stove and sees Abner’s fishing tackle.

Lum and Abner

1949

10.0

Fifth film in the Hedda Hopper documentary series.

Hedda Hopper's Hollywood No. 5

1942

The "boys" from Pine Ridge visit Europe and try to help a Yugoslavian ballerina find her American lover, become involved with French jewel thieves, and take on posh society in Monte Carlo.

Lum and Abner Abroad

1956