Two Weeks to Live

The earnest owner of the Jot 'Em Down store who becomes swept up in a string of get-rich-quick schemes after learning he’s dying. His optimism clashes with the harsh realities of a dilapidated railroad and an overambitious plan to acquire wealth. His willingness to take dangerous risks reveals a stubborn loyalty to Lum and a desperate hope to secure a future for Pine Ridge.

Abner’s partner in misadventure, eager but often clueless in business and law. He bungles settlements and misreads offers, providing comic tension and highlighting his bold but flawed approach. Despite his flaws, Lum remains a loyal ally whose schemes propel the plot and keep the duo moving forward.

A calculating widow who engineers the haunted-house plot to collect life insurance money. She masks malice with charm and uses the violin case bomb and a misleading charm to manipulate Abner. Her plan serves as the catalyst for the film’s climactic chaos and reveals the darker edges of the comic caper.

A window-washer with an active imagination who injects questionable schemes into Abner’s life. He pushes the two-week death premise into a string of dangerous, money-making ideas. Gimpel’s presence accelerates plot twists and keeps the action moving through a series of risks.

Uncle Ernest’s attorney who accompanies the duo to Chicago and holds the legal keys to the railroad deal. He ultimately facilitates the land sale that yields a late windfall, though the move arrives with complications and tension with the stock buyers. His actions precipitate the investors’ demand for refunds and the story’s turn toward final outcomes.

A stock buyer representative who arrives to demand repayment once the stock’s worth proves negligible. His presence heightens the pressure on Abner and Lum and accelerates the escalation of the plot as the consequences of their financial gambles come home to roost.