Chester Lauck

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
Lauck as Lum in The Bashful Bachelor (1942)
Born(1902-02-09)February 9, 1902
Arkansas, U.S.
DiedFebruary 21, 1980(1980-02-21) (aged 78)
Seal Beach, California, U.S.

Early life and career

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.[1]

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.

Filmography
Year Title Role Notes
1940Dreaming Out LoudLum Edwards
1942The Bashful Bachelor
1943Two Weeks to Live
1943So This Is Washington
1944Goin' to Town
1946Partners in Time
1956Lum and Abner Abroad(final film role)

Honors

Lauck was inducted into the National Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame in the radio division.[2]

References
  1. "Chet Lauck (1902–1980)". The Encyclopedia of Arkansas Culture & History. Retrieved December 27, 2012.
  2. "Past award recipients". National Association of Broadcasters. Retrieved 2020-03-17.
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