Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 12:30 — 5.7MB)
Discussing the extras for the movie theater lobby that Lum bought the day before, the phone cuts short grandpap’s comments. It’s Professor Sloane to tell that Mary Edwards is having trouble at school. The new guardian of Lum and Abner is distracted by her many boyfriends. It’s about time Lum had a talk with that girl about… well… you know, life and stuff.
Mary enters and the eloquent Lum begins to stumble over his words, glad to be distracted by other topics. Writing letters to Abner while he’s off to Mena, and training to operate a projector. Will he get to the topic of the boys who call her on the phone all evening?
The matter of her grades provides another distraction, and the talk about… you know… life and stuff… becomes a scolding over the low marks on Mary’s report card. When Lum was her age, he never got such grades, or sat around getting phone calls from boys… er… I mean girls. But then again the phone wasn’t invented yet.
Mary’s curiosity is up on matters of Lum, and his love life. and wonders about young Lum and if he ever had girlfriends, or how he used to talk with them. As she leaves with Cedric, she wonders if she’s going to have to have a talk with him one of these days.
Note: This feature makes a great stand alone episode, and distraction from the movie theater story. The spotlight on Mary is the last appearance of Lurene Tuttle in the role. In fact, it’s probably the last appearance of her other than a stray remark as an off mic character. Since the movie theater story lingers on for weeks to come. By the time its over, and the following story arcs move in, Mary seems to be forgotten.
