''Colonel Effingham's Raid'' (UK title: ''Man of the Hour'') is a 1946 American

comedy film A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending ( black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the o ...

directed by

Irving Pichel Irving Pichel (June 24, 1891 – July 13, 1954) was an American actor and film director, who won acclaim both as an actor and director in his Hollywood career. Career Pichel was born to a Jewish family in Pittsburgh. He attended Pittsburgh Cent ...

. It is also known as ''Berry Fleming's Colonel Effingham's Raid'', ''Everything's Peaches Down in Georgia'' and ''Rebel Yell''. The screenplay was written by

Kathryn Scola Kathryn Scola (November 6, 1891 – January 4, 1982) was an American screenwriter. She worked on more than thirty films during the 1930s and 1940s. Scola worked in Hollywood for a multitude of prominent production companies during the studio era ...

, based on a 1943 novel by Berry Fleming. The music score is by

Cyril J. Mockridge Cyril John Mockridge (August 6, 1896 – January 18, 1979) was an English film and television composer who scored such films as '' Cheaper by the Dozen'', ''River of No Return'' and ''The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance''. He was nominated for an A ...

. The film stars

Charles Coburn Charles Douville Coburn (June 19, 1877 – August 30, 1961) was an American actor and theatrical producer. He was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Academy Award three times – in ''The Devil and Miss Jones'' (1941), '' The More the M ...

Joan Bennett Joan Geraldine Bennett (February 27, 1910 – December 7, 1990) was an American stage, film, and television actress. She came from a show-business family, one of three acting sisters. Beginning her career on the stage, Bennett appeared in more t ...

and

William Eythe William John Eythe (April 7, 1918 – January 26, 1957) was an American actor of film, radio, television and stage. Early life Born in Mars, Pennsylvania, a small town located about 25 miles from Pittsburgh, he was interested in acting from a ...

. The plot involves a retired career Army colonel who returns to his hometown, starts writing a column in a local newspaper and takes on the corrupt local politicians to not replace the historic county courthouse. Fleming based his novel on the Cracker Party and political corruption in

Richmond County, Georgia Richmond County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2010 census, the population was 200,549. It is one of the original counties of Georgia, created February 5, 1777. Following an election in 1995, the city of Augusta ...

Plot

Newly retired United States Army

Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge ...

William Seaborn Effingham (Charles Coburn) returns to his home town of Fredericksville,

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

, in 1940. He meets his second cousin, once removed, Albert Marbury (William Eythe), a reporter for the ''Leader'' newspaper. The next day,

Confederate Memorial Day Confederate Memorial Day (called Confederate Heroes Day in Texas and Florida, and Confederate Decoration Day in Tennessee) is a cultural holiday observed in several Southern U.S. states on various dates since the end of the American Civil War. ...

, Mayor Bill Silk (

Thurston Hall Ernest Thurston Hall (May 10, 1882 – February 20, 1958) was an American film, stage and television actor.Aylesworth, Thomas G. and Bowman, John S. (1987). ''The World Almanac Who's Who of Film''. World Almanac. . Pp. 186-187. Career Stag ...

) announces he intends to rename the town Confederate Monument Square after an undistinguished deceased politician named Pud Toolen. Effingham persuades a reluctant Earl Hoats (

Allyn Joslyn Allyn Joslyn (July 21, 1901 – January 21, 1981) was an American stage, radio, television and film actor, known for his roles playing aristocratic wealthy snobs. Biography Allyn Joslyn was born in Milford, Pennsylvania, the son of a mining e ...

), the editor of the ''Leader'', to let him write a war column (for free). Effingham soon attacks the mayor's plan in his column, much to Hoats' dismay. The rival ''News'' is getting most of the advertising revenue due to its friendly attitude toward the complacent local government, and Hoats had been trying to combat that. Silk decides to use Effingham, agreeing to the latter's beautification scheme for the square, but also deciding to tear down the old courthouse (and giving his brother-in-law Bill the contract to erect the new one). When Effingham learns about the plan, he fights for the courthouse’s restoration. He brings in expert Major Hickock to evaluate the condition of the building. The mayor responds by calling a town meeting, hoping that no one will show up. But Effingham alerts residents about the meeting in his column, and many townsfolk attend. The mayor claims the town will get 1/3 of the cost paid for by the

Works Progress Administration The Works Progress Administration (WPA; renamed in 1939 as the Work Projects Administration) was an American New Deal agency that employed millions of jobseekers (mostly men who were not formally educated) to carry out public works projects, i ...

if a new courthouse is built, but nothing for repairs. When uncomfortable questions are still asked, the mayor hastily adjourns the meeting. Effingham checks out the claims, and finds out that none of what the mayor said is true. Silk, however, refuses to call a second meeting. Despite the lack of support from the newspaper's staff, with the sole exception of Ella Sue Dozier, Effingham is undeterred. He talks to the key townspeople, but they refuse to help him, and his spirit is finally broken. Cousin Albert, who has enlisted in the

National Guard National Guard is the name used by a wide variety of current and historical uniformed organizations in different countries. The original National Guard was formed during the French Revolution around a cadre of defectors from the French Guards. Nat ...

(in an effort to impress Ella Sue), realizes that Effingham is right. When the local Guard unit is called up by the federal government, the mayor starts to make an empty speech, but the crowd is hostile. Albert lashes out, demanding that the courthouse be repaired and the square left alone. With the townsfolk solidly behind him, he forces the mayor to give in to his demands, and Effingham's old friends admit he was right after all.

Cast

Joan Bennett in Colonel Effingham's Raid crop

as Col. Will Seaborn Effingham *

as Ella Sue Dozier *

as Albert 'Al' Marbury *

as Earl Hoats * Elizabeth Patterson as Cousin Emma *

Donald Meek Thomas Donald Meek (14 July 1878 – 18 November 1946) was a Scottish-American actor. He first performed publicly at the age of eight and began appearing on Broadway in 1903. Meek is perhaps best known for his roles in the films '' You Can't ...

as Doc Buden *

Frank Craven Frank Craven (August 24, 1875September 1, 1945) was an American stage and film actor, playwright, and screenwriter, best known for originating the role of the Stage Manager in Thornton Wilder's ''Our Town''. Early years Craven's parents, John T ...

as Dewey *

as Ed, the Mayor *

Cora Witherspoon Cora Witherspoon (January 5, 1890 – November 17, 1957) was an American stage and film character actress whose career spanned nearly half a century. She began in theatre where she remained rooted even after entering motion pictures in the ...

as Mrs. Clara Meigs *

Emory Parnell Emory Parnell (December 29, 1892 – June 22, 1979) was an American vaudeville performer and actor who appeared in over 250 films in his 36-year career. Early years Born in St. Paul, Minnesota, Parnell trained as a musician at Morningside ...

as Joe Alsobrook * Henry Armetta as Jimmy Economy * Stephen Dunne as Prof. Edward 'Ed' Bland *

Roy Roberts Roy Roberts (born Roy Barnes Jones, March 19, 1906 – May 28, 1975) was an American character actor. Over his more than 40-year career, he appeared in more than nine hundred productions on stage and screen. Life and career Born in Tampa ...

as Army Capt. Rampey

Notes

External links

* * * * {{Irving Pichel 1946 films 1946 comedy films American black-and-white films Films about journalists Films based on American novels Films directed by Irving Pichel Films scored by Cyril J. Mockridge Films set in 1940 Films set in Georgia (U.S. state) 20th Century Fox films Articles containing video clips American comedy films Films with screenplays by Kathryn Scola 1940s English-language films 1940s American films