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

comedy film The comedy film is a film genre that emphasizes humor. These films are designed to amuse audiences and make them laugh. Films in this genre typically have a happy ending, with dark comedy being an exception to this rule. 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 American Jews, Jewish family in Pittsburgh. He attended ...

. 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, based on a 1943 novel by Berry Fleming. The music score is by Cyril J. Mockridge. The film stars Charles Coburn, Joan Bennett and William Eythe. 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 located in the state of Georgia in the U.S. As of the 2020 census, the population was 206,607. It is one of the original counties of Georgia, created on February 5, 1777. Following an election in 1995, Augusta (the count ...

Plot

Newly retired United States Army

Colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), 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 colon ...

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

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...

, 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, 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 Morgan Joslyn"Real Name—and He Has Proof"
''Tulare Advan ...

), 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; from 1935 to 1939, then known as the Work Projects Administration from 1939 to 1943) was an American New Deal agency that employed millions of jobseekers (mostly men who were not formally educated) to car ...

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. ...

(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

* Charles Coburn as Col. Will Seaborn Effingham * Joan Bennett as Ella Sue Dozier * William Eythe as Albert 'Al' Marbury *

Allyn Joslyn Allyn Morgan Joslyn"Real Name—and He Has Proof"
''Tulare Advan ...

as Earl Hoats * Elizabeth Patterson as Cousin Emma * Donald Meek as Doc Buden * Frank Craven as Dewey *

as Ed, the Mayor * Cora Witherspoon 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 Parnell was born in St. Paul, Minnesota. He spent eight months in the Arct ...

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 Tamp ...

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