Colonel Effingham's Raid (1946)

Colonel Effingham's Raid (UK title: Man of the Hour) is a 1946 comedy film made by 20th Century Fox, directed by Irving Pichel. 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, William Eythe, Allyn Joslyn and Elizabeth Patterson. 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.

Synopsis

William Seaborn Effingham (Charles Coburn) returns to his home town Fredericksville, Georgia, in 1940 as a retired Army Colonel. He soon finds something to fill his days with, by starting a fight for the survival of the local newspaper. After many years of absence, he meets his cousin, Albert Marbury (William Eythe), who is a reporter at the newspaper, and hears that a rival newspaper is threatening the existence of the one Albert works for. The competing paper is getting more advertisers because of its support of the sitting mayor, Bill Silk (Thurston Hall).

Actors