It's A Joke Son ~ 1947 -BW

QUICKIE: Comedy about a southern Senator who runs for office against his wife.

PLOT: The first Eagle-Lion film stars Kenny Delmar as Senator Beauregard Claghorn, his "Allen's Alley" resident-character heard on Fred Allen's radio program. Claghorn was a blustery, one-man-Chamber-of-Commerce for all things Southern, who had no tolerence for anything north of the Mason-Dixon line, although he made allowances for South Philly. The character inspired the creation of one of the most popular of the Warners' cartoon characters, Foghorn Leghorn, who re-worked most of the originals material and style. The title of this movie is a stock line- "it's a joke, son"---he would feed a befuddled Fred Allen each week. In the film, Claghorn gets into some financial difficulties and is forced by a machine-political gang to enter a race for state senator against his wife (Una Merkel) who appears to have a good chance to beat the political hack backed by the machine. Claghorn is in to siphon votes and ensure his wife's opponent will win and is expected to run a campaign that will defeat himself and his wife. But, he runs to win and the machine's henchies abduct him.

SUMMARY: A rather funny movie if you can tolerate confederates who hate "the North". Claghorn is frequently "called" by his wife by her playing Dixie on the piano. The absolute best scene is when the tea-totaling Ladies of the community gather at the Senator's house and accidentally get drunk on "punch" made by a local boy who helped Claghorn in the kitchen. I found it a mildly amusing film all about Claghorn and being southern. I can totally see the Foghorn Leghorn inspiration.