Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 34:11 — 15.6MB)
The scene opens with three old gents looking for a farm that lays East of town. With a little help from a star they get their bearings. Doc Miller has sent them out with groceries for the family in need. The family have come on hard times after a fire, and are forced to spend the wintery night in a barn.
The humble scene is described as Lum, Abner, and grandpap draw close to the barn. The details of the hardship of the family is described, and a charitable spirit is present as the gents all talk about extending their homes to the weary travellers.
At the barn, Doc Miller sheds some light as to how to help the carpenter out, and provide for the family with the baby being born tonight. The sentimental scene wraps up with a carol that goes hand in hand with the events of the night.
Bonus Tracks:
I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas.
Jot ‘Em Down Journal. December 1984. The Strange Prophecy of Lum and Abner (Radio Guide Mar 28 1936).
Helping Hands 4 the Blind
A non-profit organization whose goal is to promote social, economic and educational opportunities for the blind …
PS: This is a short episode, but one with a touching message. It’s no accident that it is full of parallel symbolisms to the Christmas story. Three men bringing gifts, a baby, son of a carpenter, born in a lowly place, following a star, a spirit of peace and goodwill, and more. It is said that Tuffy Goff and Chet Lauck wrote it in one setting just before it was due to be aired. No doubt they were familiar enough with the Christmas story to write a parallel story. The bonus track from the Jot ‘Em Down Journal shares an extra eerie tie in to a modern Christmas story that they didn’t even know about until later. The article also contains a little biographical information on how Tuffy and Chet got their start. Enjoy.
Great to hear this again. I remember locating the master disc of this show almost 20 years ago. Until this it was considered lost, but Sam Brown, Tim Hollis and I located it and now this copy of it is coming back at me! Thanks to your promotion of the NLAS, Helping Hands, etc. and our Audio Jot ‘Em Down Journal track about the Christmas show.
I enjoyed listening to the Christmas program again. My grandfather was Chet Lauck and he told us about the original broadcast many times and what a tremendous response it got from so many radio listeners. They did the same show every Christmas thereafter.
Thank you for sharing this great recording with your readers/listeners and thanks for keeping the memory of Lum & Abner alive.
Scott Lauck
Thanks for the good words. I’m honored to get the notice of two people with such close ties to the Lum and Abner program. The Christmas episode became an immediate favorite of mine from the first time I heard it.
Among all the various christmas specials that were repeated, this has to be my top pick. The whole Lum and Abner series definitely ranks in my top five for old time radio shows. Up there with Jack Benny, Gunsmoke, and a couple others I don’t want to mention at the moment for fear of having to decide on a top five. 🙂
I agree with you both, Scott and Keith! And Keith, I’m way, way behind – I need to download many of your podcasts and listen the next time I am driving somewhere. By the way, I’m working on a Christmas edition of the “Lum and Abner” comic strip. It will have an audio explanation posted along with it. I think Helping Hands is going to release the second CD of the Audio Journal this Christmas in conjuction with an event. Have you heard about it?
I haven’t heard that from Helping Hands, only what you mentioned about that Christmas release. I always look forward to the weekly release of the comic strip. Which for readers of this podcast who might not know it it can be found appearing in both the usual print version, and has an audio track where the strip is read with sound affects and music so those who are blind might also enjoy it. Thanks for doing that Donnie.
Keith, you are one of the reasons – one of the people for whom I do the audio strip. You and other people who are blind mentioned not being able to read the comic strip. I couldn’t let that happen. Let me mention that I do not claim to duplicate the great voices and characters anywhere near as well as Mr. Goff and Mr. Lauck, but I hope the audio versions come across well enough for folks to follow the script. I always add a little extra narration so visual gags make sense. In essence, I try to make them like miniature radio shows. Thank you Keith, for mentioning this, and also for all the advice you’ve given me on the NLAS web site, which hasn’t had much work lately, but I will post a Christmas feature soon.
Quick comment. I tried voting in your “favorites” poll. It said I could choose four, but then it won’t let me submit, saying I can only choose one. Did I misunderstand?
Doh! I had the wrong number set in the selection box. I fixed it so people can actually pick 4 now.
Great! And it’s HARD for me to narrow it down THAT much! I love many types of OTR. Thanks, Keith. I will try to catch up on your podcasts! If I can help you out, let me know.
An update to some of the items posted above. My poll has been taken down, but if visitors to the ite would be interested, I could bring it back. Also the Lum and Abner comic strip has moved to the National Lum and Abner Society page: http://lumandabnersociety.org
Finally, watch for a posting of the annual Christmas episode, without comments or additions, to appear on Christmas day 2013, early in the morning. You’ll want to read the show notes for a quick story about one Christmas celebration in the home of Chet Lauck.