Chester "Chet" Lauck (February 9, 1902 â€" 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.
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.
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