Colonel Effingham's Raid (1946) User Reviews (16)

At 65, You have to be in a Hurry!

[clark-9 · 6/10 · 6 March 2003]

Charles Coburn is his usual wonderful self. He is in a hurry, as he says `at 65, you have to be in a hurry'.

A charming and funny `surprise' film - the surprises are all the little points of humor, which keep occurring throughout the film usually as punctuations to the events. A `Greek chorus' comments on Joan Bennett's legs, a character continually passes out `repent' cards to characters, mostly the politicians, and look for the sleeping husband in the background of one scene. A little heavy on the Southern touches for our current politically correct times, but not too bad in this regard. The ending is a little abrupt, but all in all, a very enjoyable film.

The South Shall Rise Again

[bkoganbing · 7/10 · 17 November 2008]

Charles Coburn took a bit from his Academy Award winning performance in The More The Merrier and a bit from his imperious father in Vivacious Lady to create the unfazed Colonel Effingham in Colonel Effingham's Raid. It's one of the few films where this distinguished character actor is given the lead role and he makes the most of it.

Through sheer stubbornness and will power Coburn is given a column on the local newspaper where his nephew William Eythe and Joan Bennett are also employed. It's supposed to be a column about the impending war news for this film set in 1940, but Coburn sees it as a great opportunity to rouse public opinion in that sleepy Georgia town against the ruling clique which has been in power so long they just treat the city money and assets like their own.

The city fathers are a group taken right out of a Preston Sturges classic and I wouldn't be surprised if this film might have been something offered to him. Thurston Hall makes a genially corrupt mayor, this is one of his best efforts.

Catch this film the next time TCM runs it, it's a real unknown gem.

Retired Army Hero needs a hobby...

[ksf-2 · 6/10 · 19 November 2008]

So, looking at the cast, you KNOW its going to be pretty good, and probably a comedy, with Charles Coburn (starred in Gentleman Prefere Blondes), and regulars Donald Meek, and Cora Witherspoon. Many of the roles on IMDb were either "scenes deleted" or "uncredited", so there must be a story there somewhere. Meek, Witherspoon, and Bobby Barber were in just about every black and with movie made in the 1930s and 1940s. Also stars Joan Bennett, and William Eythe, but their parts aren't that big. In our story, retired Colonel Effingham decides he wants to write a column in the local town paper, and becomes a local hero. But then, writing isn't enough, and he starts making waves, and taking action... We knew SOMETHING was going to start happening, since right from the beginning, he quotes sayings from the military, and treats everyone around him as if they WERE in the military. City Hall doesn't like the things he's doing, and now there's trouble brewing! It's the Mayor and his cronies versus the Colonel. The mayor is played by Thurston Hall, who was born in 1882, and had started in silent movies in 1915. Looking at his list of roles, Hall always played the governor, the senator, the major. There are some clever lines here, and no plot issues, but the story itself is plain and simple, and a little slow-moving. Also a little annoying is the narrator who occasionally breaks in with his personal comments (his cousin ?). Although this is the only entry in IMDb for the original author Berry Fleming, a search on Library of Congress shows numerous works by Fleming, translated in various languages. Released in Atlanta, Georgia, in January 1946, the last thing we see on the screen is "Buy Your War Bonds in this Theater". WWII had just ended, after all.

Enjoyable but very slight

[planktonrules · 6/10 · 14 April 2009]

The main reason I saw this film is that it starred the wonderful character actor, Charles Coburn. Well, in this sense, I wasn't disappointed as once again Coburn played the sort of crotchety but lovable guy he so often played in films. However, sadly the film seemed like it was very strongly inspired by MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON (so it loses points for originality) and it unfortunately ended way too abruptly--like they knew it was supposed to be a B-picture so they ended it because this format wouldn't allow for a longer film! The film begins with the Colonel (Coburn) retiring to his childhood home in Georgia. Instead of just sitting back in a rocking chair, however, he wants to do a newspaper column to keep himself busy. At first, the column is very well received. However, when Coburn begins attacking the local corrupt administration, things start to get kind of crazy and soon it's this character and his new friends versus the establishment. This is all sort of a history lesson on politics and grassroots politics and when the mayor and his cronies dig in their heels for a fight the film gets interesting. Oddly, however, after setting up this great confrontation, it just seems to end! In the matter of just a couple minutes, everyone agrees to Coburn's demands and they all live happily ever after!! What a letdown at the end.

Overall, a pleasant and entertaining film that is worth watching but could have been even better. Excellent characters but a limp finale make this more of a nice time-passer than anything else.

Storm Over Fredericksville.

[rmax304823 · 6/10 · 20 August 2015]

Coburn is Col. Effingham, recently retired from the U.S. Army and returned to the home town he left as a youth. It's 1940 and things have changed for the imperious old battle horse. He finds the "Home Folks Party", the mayor and his relatives, control everything in Fredericksville. They're corrupt and Coburn wangles a column in the local newspaper, stirring people to revolt against the changes introduced by the Home Folks Party. Why, they want to change the name of Confederate Memorial Square to Toolen Square, after some political bigwig.

Let us make this as clear as the movie makes it. Charles Coburn is fighting to bring a halt to social change and bring back the venerable Confederate values of General Lee. They survived Sherman's march and they kicked out Reconstruction. Working women are scoffed at. The African-American "orderly" is given orders and happily marches around to a drum beat, when he's not being humiliated in swordplay with the colonel. (He's happy, though, except when cowering in fear.)

It's kind of instructive though. The Home Folks party agrees to keep the name of Confederate Memorial Square and even beautify it with trees. At the same time they'll replace the 180 year old court house with a new one, meaning a work contract for the mayor's brother-in-law. We see the same dynamic at work in today's Congress. They attach "riders" to important legislation. The bill winds up looking like this: "We agree to continue funding the United States Armed Forces. PS: We will change the name of Fort Hancock to Fort Armistad." The battles continue between Coburn and his increasing number of supporters on the one hand, and the Home Folks party and its mayor on the other. The immortal Bess Flowers appears as a party guest. As the tale grows more serious, you'll find yourself rooting for Colonel Effingham and his "troops". The ending is a Capraesque caper.

In the end, despite all the echoes of the Confederacy, I don't really see this as a message that the South was, and should continue to be, a paragon of old-fashioned virtue. The story could have taken place anywhere that had a bit of regional identity. Instead of the Confederate Memorial Square, it might have been the statue of the Minuteman at Concord. Instead of a community fight over tearing down the old courthouse, it might have been a disagreement over getting rid of Plymouth Rock and replacing it with a shopping mall owned by the mayor's brother-in-law.

More important, it's an inoculation in 1940 for the coming war, just a taste of it, to get the adrenal medullas into shape. The narrator, a handsome young newspaper man, joins the Georgia National Guard and is introduced to a water-cooled Browning .30 caliber machine gun. There is a discussion about Fredericksville not being isolated from events in Europe, which are periodically alluded to. Colonel Effingham represents the practically, the adherence to tradition, and the élan of the military. He stirs things up. "Why did he have to come back here," moans the narrator, "when we were so peaceful and contented."

"Colonel Effingham's Raid" was from a novel written by Georgian Barry Fleming and published in 1943. I imagine it was begun a year or two earlier, when the war had just begun or even maybe before Pearl Harbor, when isolationist sentiment was strong. Fleming was no retrograde pinhead. He'd been graduated from Harvard, spent some years in France, lived in New York, and his work was acclaimed by such respectable sources as the New York Times.

It's Charles Coburn or nap time

[SimonJack · 6/10 · 15 October 2017]

An Army colonel retires to his childhood home in 1940 Georgia in this 20th Century Fox film. Released in January 1946, this is one of the first films made after World War II. The war is just beginning in this story that's based on a novel by Berry Fleming. The story is about the colonel, Will Seaborn Effingham, played by Charles Coburn. It's seen through the eyes of his second cousin once removed, Albert Marbury (played by William Eythe). The setting is the fictitious town of Fredericksville, Georgia.

Cousin Willie (the colonel) asks Albert about Fredericksville, and Albert says it's "just like any of a hundred towns in Georgia." The colonel asks, "What's the population now?" Albert says, "Oh, about 30,000." The colonel asks, "How many voted in the last election?" Albert answers, "Oh, four or five thousand, I'd say." The colonel then says, "You mean 25,000 took no part in the action?"

I don't know if that was supposed to be part of the comedy – implying that the entire population of the town was of voting age. If not, it was a gaffe on the part of the screenplay. The latter may be the case, because the script for this film is weak. It seems disjointed and not well tied together. The comedy is very light, and it's even amateurish in places. In three scenes where Albert notices Ella Sue's legs (Joan Bennett), the film has a weird and clumsy whistle sound over.

The colonel takes on the local pols when he writes a column for one of the two town's newspapers. Albert happens to work for it as a reporter. Ella Sue is the society editor. This could have been a very good film with a tight script and some crisp, fresh dialog and humor. But, it's a nap time film, mostly. The only reason to watch it is for Charles Coburn and Thurston Hall – one of the best early Hollywood character actors of bombast. He's the bloated mayor of the town. They are the only two who have worthwhile roles and seem to give them some effort.

Eythe's Albert is mostly droll throughout. His part may have been written that way in the book. Whether or not, it comes across that way. He just comes to life in a closing scene. Joan Bennett's Ella Sue was well below her talent and abilities, and the rest of the cast are forgettable.

See the Quotes section under this IMDb Web page on the movie for the few funny lines. My favorite line in the film is is one by the colonel: "A community's history is its family tree."

Colonel Effingham's Raid

[CinemaSerf · 6/10 · 1 April 2023]

I found this to be quite an entertaining tale of the eponymous, curmudgeonly, old gent (Charles Coburn) who returns from the army to his home town, only to find that standards have gone to pot and that there is no longer any civic pride in the place. The culmination of this cultural disintegration is the proposed demolition of the dilapidated city hall on the town's rallying "Confederate Monument Sq.". Can he galvanise the locals into thwarting the plans of the city planners and of an increasingly indifferent population? Irving Pichel leaves almost all of the heavy lifting here to a competent Coburn, but the rest of the cast (most notably a lacklustre Joan Bennett) and the rather uninspiring script let the film down a bit. Coburn always did have oodles of charisma, and is ideally cast here - but he can't do it all himself, and after a while the story runs too thin and thereby too predicably. That said, it is enjoyable to see a character actor having some fun on screen and it's a short and sweet nostalgia ride that does, certainly, raise the odd smile.

It takes one person to make a noise, and others will follow!

[mark.waltz · 5/10 · 21 October 2010]

That is the basic theme of this Capra-esquire comedy starring Charles Coburn as the titled character, a colonel forced to retire who returns to his small Georgia home town he hasn't been in for years. He takes up a voluntary reporting job supposedly on the war. But he takes up a stand on local corruption, and becomes a public hero. Coburn is a force of nature as he takes on the politicians and money men, who as usual, are presented as old fuddy-duddies who don't appreciate his intrusion. But Coburn proves he is much more than a feisty senior citizen as he goes out of his way to show that a supposed civil war hero was nothing of the sort and not worth being honored by having a park renamed in his honor. The powers-that-be are not only angered by Coburn, but by the showing of support towards him by the majority of the public.

In the background of this story, fellow reporters William Eythe and Joan Bennett stand with Coburn, but their romance is secondary to Coburn's feisty performance. He does a brief mean samba with Bennett to a Carmen Miranda tune, makes the town think about what is going on behind the scenes of their supposedly honest government, and turns the paper around. A nice moment comes when pages of the newspaper are displayed with quiet sound effects until an explosion is heard over the sight of Coburn's column.

After winning the Oscar for "The More the Merrier", Coburn went from being a beloved character actor to one whose appearance in films were equal, if not greater, than the younger stars in the film. In this cast, he is surrounded by a virtual who's who of Hollywood's greatest character actors (among them Elizabeth Patterson as his sister and Thurston Hall as the mayor) who bring on the perfect 40's small town atmosphere, and they are excellent.

A short and sometimes seemingly abridged social comedy with a Frank Capra like feel to it, "Col. Effingham's Raid" is enjoyable on many levels, but feels like it's missing a few necessary details.

Charming but...

[thomas-korn · 6/10 · 3 April 2021]

I can't believe I'm saying this, but this movie could have been much better if it were at least 30 minutes longer. There were so many moments where the dramatic and comedic tension could have shined. However, being only 65 minutes long, they crammed quite a lot of story while shoving aside some potentially great moments.

Good casting, but also not memorable.

Hanging On the Firing Line

[wes-connors · 3/10 · 21 August 2007]

Charles Coburn plays a lovable old veteran who returns to his hometown of Fredricksville, Georgia as World War II commences. There, he finds nephew William Eythe, who helps facilitate a job for his uncle on the town newspaper. Also on staff is society gal Joan Bennett. Mr. Coburn uses his newspaper column "On the Firing Line" to rally the townspeople - he wants to save an old town Courthouse from being torn down, and replaced. Can he rally the townspeople to save the monument from demolition?

Although the Courthouse in danger is a Confederate Courthouse, there is no political agenda offered by the film - it's simply a story about weeding out political corruption, and preserving an old building. There is, however, a stereotypical servant (called "Orderly 98") who isn't too hard to take until his offensive fencing scene with Coburn. The "whistle" which accompanies close-ups of Ms. Bennett's legs is ridiculous. Don't expect authentic Georgia accents. A nice idea, and a competent cast, aren't enough to lift this "Colonel Effingham's Raid".

*** Colonel Effingham's Raid (1/24/46) Irving Pichel ~ Charles Coburn, Joan Bennett, William Eythe, Thurston Hall

Small-town "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington"

[abchulett · 9/10 · 15 August 2007]

At the time I post this only 56 other users have rated this little film and only one other user has posted comments, and it's rated an average of 6.2. It's a shame that so few people have seen this little gem, and it's sad that our times are so out of step with its sentiments.

This is the humorous and romantic story of a retired colonel who returns to the town he grew up in and finds that few of its citizens are involved in its care, noting that a very small percentage even bothers to vote and finding that they are afraid to get involved, not for any sinister reasons but simply because the mayor and his cronies have the town locked up pretty tight and can bluster their way out of anything. This town needs a focal point for change, and the Colonel is just the man for the job. His young second cousin and a society writer on the local paper join in, with satisfactory results and some poignant dialogue along the way. Nice film. 9/10. I'd give it a solid 10 if not for the unfortunate racial attitudes that come from a southern town still in love with its pre-Lincoln heritage, but even these are handled fairly delicately considering the movie's era.

The film was apparently just restored in 2005, so probably it's not been seen often for many years. Watch for it on TCM; just caught it today on their Joan Bennett day, so it'll turn up again sometime. Well worth its brief run time.

Cute patriotic comedy

[HotToastyRag · 6/10 · 31 January 2024]

Charles Coburn stars in this political satire as the title character, a retired Colonel who believes in patriotism above all else. He's too old to serve in the war, so he tries to give himself a different purpose. He returns to his hometown in the South and conducts a "raid" in order to drum up patriotism. No one has pride in the town anymore, flags aren't flying, and the old monuments are about to be repurposed.

This is a rather silly comedy, but if you like "Piggy" Coburn, you might enjoy it. I don't think it will stand the test of time very well given the current political climate, but if you know what side "Piggy" is on and you are also on his side, you stand a far better chance at rooting for a happy ending. Costars Joan Bennett, Allyn Joslyn, Elizabeth Patterson, Frank Craven, and Donald Meek.

Make Fredericksville Georgia great again.

[juliankennedy23 · 5/10 · 17 October 2018]

Colonel Effingham's Raid: 5 out of 10: A retired Army colonel returns home and starts a fight to save the Confederate War Monument and the historic courthouse from the local corrupt politicians and an apathetic populace.

The Good: I usually hate movie reviews that view a historical piece through a modern lens and put our values unto the values of the time of the art. But good Lord almighty this is truly a litmus test of the times. Charles Coburn's colonel is bound to remind people of a certain President the way he wants to drain the swamp and bullies all those around him. In addition, we have the defense of a Confederate memorial against those one-party carpetbaggers looking to profit of a disinterested populace who have forgotten their roots.

The movie is an interesting piece partially because is such a dated piece of propaganda and partially because its message of paying attention to your local community and getting involved is kind of timeless.

The Bad: The ending feels unsatisfying and a bit truncated. It is as if they realized the movie was running too long and added a conclusion that simply isn't earned by what comes before.

The movie is also racist. This isn't as much a criticism as a statement of fact. Between the Confederate lovefest and the horrible way black characters are treated, the movie wears its overt racism on its sleeve.

The Ugly: While the racism at least fits the theme and plot of the film the bizarre sexism does not. Mainly in the form of an artificial wolf-whistle, every time the Colonel's nephew (William Eythe) looks at the society reporter's (Joan Bennett's) legs. It is distracting, strange and is out of place in this otherwise somewhat grounded movie. Honestly, it would be out of place in a Benny Hill sketch it is so over the top and juvenile.

In Conclusion: There is an interesting story buried under all the problematic racism and sexism and underdeveloped side characters. It is after all based on the very real problem of local government corruption that can happen anywhere with any political party. The movie simply commits too many sins (did I mention the random narration that pops up from William Eythe) and with a truncated tepid conclusion it leaves one unsatisfied.

Colonel Effingham's Mob

[GLuisa88 · 2/10 · 26 April 2010]

"Colonel Effingham's Raid" is one of the most unlikeable movies I've ever watched. Hard to find any redeemable qualities.

A brief synopses, Colonel Effingham is a retired colonel who doesn't like the direction in which his small, Georgian city is heading. The politicians are crooked and don't understand the values that made the city great. So the Colonel takes action by starting a column in his nephew's newspaper.

The column is extremely controversial, especially when the Colonel starts a campaign to preserve the 150 year old court house, which the politicians want to tear down and replace with a new, more modern court house.

The movie's pacing was very slow, never caught my interest and no characters were even in the slightest bit sympathetic. The Colonel was a grouchy, arrogant, blow-hard who, while he may have been trying to fight against crooked politicians, went about it in the most obnoxious ways. Perhaps the most disturbing scene was at the end when the angry, but victorious, townspeople/mob try to topple the platform on which the mayor and counsel men are giving a speech.

Perhaps the most ridiculous part of the movie was the romance between Colonel Effingham's nephew, Albert, and a female reporter, Ella.

Throughout the movie, Albert makes snide comments about female reporters and the two, when they are not completely ignoring each other constantly bicker. They pretty much can't stand each other until one day, Albert and Ella are walking somewhere and the wind blows up her skirt and Albert catches sight of her legs and from then on he's smitten. They'll be arguing about something and then Ella will cross her legs and from the look on Albert's face, we are reminded that he is madly in love with her. Problem is, Ella has a boyfriend, Professor Bland. So Albert sets out to woo Ella by taking her out bowling and enlisting in the National Guard- neither grand gesture seems to impress Ella much, until Albert is called upon for active duty and on the eve of his departure he reveals to Ella his deep regards for her legs and instead of being repulsed and slapping him she giggles and says she didn't think he noticed! And of course they kiss, both of them forgetting about Professor Bland.

A few questions for discussion: Why, when the newspaper editor is titling the picture of Colonel Effingham and his dog for the Colonel's newspaper column, does the editor insist that they say that the dog's name is "Rover" instead of it's real name, "Buck"? How is Rover a superior name to Buck??

Why does Professor Bland's name sound like a character out of a board game? And are we supposed to assume from his name that he has a really boring personality?

And speaking of names, who else thinks that the Colonel's name sounds like a euphemistic swear word?

At one point the city counsel presents two independent reports on the structure of the courthouse from two building inspectors, trying to prove that the building is unsound and must be torn down. Colonel Effingham insists that they use a completely objective inspector from a different city. Don't you think it's a little ridiculous of the Colonel to hire, as an objective party, a good friend of his?

On the firing line

[richardchatten · 5/10 · 2 August 2022]

A large cast bustle about in this aggressively whimsical comedy a very long way after Frank Capra, including some of his original repertory company.

Charles Coburn's his usual pompous self, there's an awful lot of talk and Irving Pichel does his usual dull job as director. But as a power-suited newspaperwoman Joan Bennett makes a very attractive substitute for Jean Arthur, rendering the annoying wolf whistles on the soundtrack every time she adjusts her stockings entirely superfluous.

Delightful

[charley-75881 · 9/10 · 29 March 2024]

This is a delightful movie. Its like a Frank Capra move - about idealism and being a good citizen. It reminds me of the move, "Mr Smith Goes to Washington." It concerns a man who fights City Hall for the right reasons. Interesting that it is set in the pre-war time period, when the country was gearing up for war.

The main character, Col. Effingham keeps making war references - great sense of hum. Wonderful dialogue. An excellent supporting cast. It is surprising the movie is not shown more often. A young Joan Bennett does very well. She is the subject of a running joke regarding her attractive legs.