Two Weeks to Live (1943) — AI Story Visualization

Plot Analysis Summary

A mistaken inheritance and false death sentence drive two partners through escalating financial schemes that culminate in an accidental space launch.

Story Structure — 5 Plot Phases

The Worthless Railroad

Abner inherits railroad stock and, with Lum's help, sells shares to the townspeople. Their trip to Chicago reveals that the railroad is nearly worthless, while the land purchase cannot be stopped.

Key Events

• Railroad Inheritance — Abner inherits railroad stock and mistakenly believes it represents a major railroad. Characters: Abner Peabody Location: Pine Ridge general store
• Lum Claims Presidency — Lum appoints himself president of the inherited railroad business. Characters: Abner Peabody, Lum Edwards Location: Jot 'Em Down general store
• Stock Sale Campaign — The partners sell stock to local inhabitants and raise nearly $10,000. Characters: Abner Peabody, Lum Edwards Location: Pine Ridge
• Chicago Investigation — They discover that the railroad is a worn-down local operation worth about $200. Characters: Abner Peabody, Lum Edwards Location: Chicago attorney's office
• Late Telegram — Their warning not to buy the land arrives after the purchase is complete. Characters: Abner Peabody, Lum Edwards Location: Chicago

The Two-Week Diagnosis

After Abner's stairway accident and a mistaken medical identity, he is told that he has only two weeks to live. Advice from a window-washer leads him toward increasingly dangerous ways of making money.

Key Events

• Stairway Accident — Abner falls on the building stairs after leaving the attorney's office. Characters: Abner Peabody, Lum Edwards Location: Attorney's building
• Fatal Diagnosis — After mistaken identities, Abner is told that he has only two weeks to live. Characters: Abner Peabody Location: Doctor's office
• Window-Washer Advice — A window-washer suggests that Abner accept dangerous jobs because he expects to die soon. Characters: Abner Peabody, Lum Edwards Location: Hotel room
• Experimental Drug — Abner accepts a job testing a drug designed to change personality. Characters: Abner Peabody Location: Scientist's laboratory
• Gorilla Dance — Abner takes a dangerous job as a death-defying gorilla dancer. Characters: Abner Peabody Location: Performance venue
• Haunted House Refusal — Abner initially refuses a $1,000 offer to sleep in a supposedly haunted house. Characters: Abner Peabody Location: Hotel

Desperate Schemes

Abner tests a drug, performs a gorilla dance, and crosses between airplanes. The disappearance of the stunt payment forces Abner and Lum to pursue a lawsuit and accept a poor settlement.

Key Events

• Haunted House Refusal — Abner initially refuses a $1,000 offer to sleep in a supposedly haunted house. Characters: Abner Peabody Location: Hotel
• Airplane Transfer — Abner performs a dangerous stunt by climbing from one airplane to another. Characters: Abner Peabody Location: Above the airfield
• Payment Disappears — The stunt organizer disappears with the $5,000 payment, leaving them financially desperate. Characters: Abner Peabody, Lum Edwards Location: Hotel
• Building Lawsuit — Lum represents Abner in a lawsuit over the unsafe stairs. Characters: Abner Peabody, Lum Edwards Location: Building manager's office
• Settlement Misunderstanding — Lum mistakes a $10,000 settlement offer for $10 and settles for only $65. Characters: Abner Peabody, Lum Edwards Location: Building manager's office

The Explosive Detour

Stock buyers demand refunds, so Lum persuades Abner to enter a supposedly haunted house. Abner enters the wrong building, accidentally destroys it with a bomb, and survives the resulting chaos.

Key Events

• Stock Refund Demand — A representative of the stock buyers demands their money back. Characters: Abner Peabody, Lum Edwards Location: Hotel
• Bombed Haunted House — Abner enters the wrong house, throws the bomb-filled case, and escapes before the explosion. Characters: Abner Peabody, Lum Edwards Location: Wrong house

Rocket to Mars

A final rocket offer appears just as Abner's supposed deadline approaches. The diagnosis reverses, the land is sold, and Abner accidentally launches Lum before the rocket lands in Mars, Iowa.

Key Events

• Mars Rocket Offer — Abner accepts a $10,000 offer to ride a rocket to Mars, then changes his mind. Characters: Abner Peabody, Lum Edwards Location: Hotel room
• Diagnosis Reversed — A doctor declares Abner healthy but says Lum is the one who is dying. Characters: Abner Peabody, Lum Edwards Location: Hotel room
• Land Sale Revealed — They learn that the disputed land has been sold for $20,000. Characters: Abner Peabody, Lum Edwards Location: Hotel room
• Accidental Launch — Abner sits on the launch button, unintentionally sending Lum into space. Characters: Abner Peabody, Lum Edwards Location: Rocket launch site
• Mars Iowa Landing — The malfunctioning rocket crashes back to Earth and lands in Mars, Iowa. Characters: Abner Peabody, Lum Edwards Location: Mars, Iowa

Story Breakdown

• Unexpected Railroad Fortune — Abner's inheritance creates an apparently promising business opportunity.
  • Inherited Stock — Abner receives railroad stock from a relative.
  • Lum Takes Control — Lum appoints himself president of the railroad venture.
• Town Investment Scheme — The partners raise money by selling shares before verifying the railroad's value.
  • Stock Sales — They sell stock to local inhabitants and raise nearly $10,000.
  • Land Purchase — The money is used to purchase the railroad land and surroundings.
• Chicago Disillusionment — The supposed railroad fortune collapses when the partners inspect the actual assets.
  • Worn Railroad — The railroad is revealed as a broken-down local operation.
  • Late Warning — Their telegram arrives after the land has already been purchased.
• False Death Sentence — A stairway accident and mistaken identity produce Abner's two-week diagnosis.
  • Stairway Fall — Abner falls while leaving the attorney's building.
  • Medical Mistake — Abner is wrongly informed that he is dying.
• Dangerous Money Making — Believing death is imminent, Abner accepts increasingly hazardous opportunities.
  • Experimental Drug — Abner agrees to test a personality-changing drug.
  • Airplane Stunt — He climbs from one airplane to another for money.
• Failed Legal Recovery — The partners attempt to recover money through a building-injury lawsuit.
  • Lum Represents Abner — Lum acts as Abner's legal representative.
  • Poor Settlement — Lum misunderstands the offer and secures only $65.
• Explosive Haunted House — A desperate job places Abner near a bomb and an unintended target.
  • Bomb-Filled Case — Abner unknowingly carries a bomb inside a violin case.
  • Wrong House — He enters the wrong house and throws the case before it explodes.
• Rocket Finale — The final scheme reverses the diagnosis and sends Lum into an accidental flight.
  • Diagnosis Reversal — The doctor declares Abner healthy but says Lum is dying.
  • Mars Iowa Landing — The malfunctioning rocket returns to Earth and lands in Mars, Iowa.

Directed by

Malcolm St. Clair

Key Cast

• Chester Lauck — Lum Edwards
• Norris Goff — Abner Peabody
• Franklin Pangborn — Mr. Pinkney
• Kay Linaker — Mrs. Madge Carmen
• Irving Bacon — Omar Tennyson Gimpel