recommended

Clever, believable, and super fun to watch. It totally has replay value.

Mostly, the movie is committed to the value of a good time.

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

Two Weeks to Live... Starring old time radio guys Chester Lauck and Norris Goff, moved to the movie screen. And of course, Frank Pangborn as Mr. Pinkney. They inherit a railroad, and decide that being conductor is more fun than being president of the company. Then they are off to the big city for the wheeling and dealing of running the railroad. Lots of fun puns and quick one and two liners! The sound and picture quality are pretty rough, but these disks were probably copied after the copyright ran out (?). Lots of adventures, gags, fun characters that come and go. There IS a pretty good (if silly) plot line here, but it really doesn't matter... we're just along for the gags, jokes, punchlines. A fun watch, even if you never heard their radio shows back in the old days. Lots of outdoor location shots, and downtown LA. Too bad that as of today, none are listed in Locations on IMDb. Also liberal use of backdrops. Very Beverly Hillbillie-ish, but still a lot of fun. This is interesting, even just for historical reasons. If you haven't heard of them before, check them out at en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lum_and_Abner . This is just one of a bunch of films they made in the 1940s.Directed by Malcolm St. Clair, who worked with ALL the biggies - Mack Sennett, Laurel & Hardy, Joan Crawford, Clara Bow.

Lum and Abner head to Chicago to get the deed on the railroad line Abner has inherited, and for some reason, Abner is mistakenly identified as dying. This leads to encounters with a lot of wacky folks, most notably a window washer accompanied by the ghost of his dog. More like a series of vignettes or a compilation of shorts rolled together into a feature, "Two Weeks to Live" has a lot of funny moments but no real purpose. Franklin Pangborn adds his usual touch to the film as a building manager scared of being sued by Abner for falling down his stairs. But overall, the film seems like some second rate script that Laurel and Hardy would have turned down.

I got this out of the 88 cent bin at Wal-Mart. As Lum and Abner peaked in popularity about 15 years before I was born, I didn't know much about them. I wasn't expecting much but this was an amusing B movie. Lum and Abner are a couple of country bumpkins who go to the big city. We have all seen this type of thing many times before, and they do some humor based on a hick's unfamiliarity with the big city, but it never regresses to Beverly Hillbillies type humor. There was no big laughs but I did get some chuckles. I am sure some jokes passed me by that those familiar with the characters would have caught. The movie does have some interesting characters like the window washer and his invisible dog, the guy who invents a Jekyll and Hyde type formula and the always amusing Franklin Pangborn. It is a zany comedy that feels just a bit restrained from making it an anarchy type comedy like the Marxes. If you like old comedy and see this in the 88 cent bin at Wal-Mart, it is worth picking up.

The movie has Abner inheriting a railroad from his uncle in Chicago and Lum having the idea that they should buy the rightaway from local areas so the train can run through Pine Ridge, using the money from local citizens. When the two reach Chicago, they find out the train is something to be better used for scrap. Abner then slips down the lawyers stairs, and is taken to the doctor. The results of Abner's diagnosis are mixed and then mistakenly learns he has two weeks to live. Abner then takes on a series of dangerous stunts in order to pay back the money to the Pine Ridge citizens. The movie has its moments and interesting characters, but strictly this is an OK B picture used to capitalize on the radio series. Worth watching if you like the show. Rating, 6 out of 10.