It's a Joke, Son!

Una Merkel was a fixture in early hollywood... here, she is Magnolia, wife of southern gentleman Beau Claghorn, the big, blustery windbag. Doug Dumbrille ALWAYS played the bad guy. June Lockhart is here as the daughter... she was best known as the mom in Lost in Space, and of course, the "Lassie" films and television series. Lots of "southerner" jokes... the south versus the durn yankees. and Ken Farrell is "Jeff Davis", for the obvious name reference. When Magnolia runs for senate, her husband Beauregard is also forced to run for senate, for reasons explained in the film. It's all good fun, with some serious ideas thrown in along the way. Then Claghorn disappears...will he return in time for the election ? Directed by Ben Stoloff, who was known for westerns and musicals. produced by Eagle Lion Films, owned by Arthur Rank. It's quite good! Showing on Moonlight Movie channel... i've never seen this one on Turner Classics. Catch it if you can!

Beauregard Claghorn is a man proud of his Southern roots. He hates anything that might be deemed Northern. His loyalties are deeply rooted South of the Mason-Dixon line, as he'll tell anyone that asks his opinion. He is married to Magnolia, a strong willed woman and has a lovely young daughter, Mary Lou, who is seeing an ambitious young man, Jeff Davis. The young people would like to get married and settle down to a new kind of business beginning to sweep America: frozen food!

Claghorn comes into some money from the sale of mint to a big firm. When Mary Lou tells about Jeff's plan to invest in a frozen food truck, he decides to give them the money for a down payment. Little prepares him to know that Magnolia has decided to offer the same amount to a patriotic Southern ladies' organization and plans to run for a seat in the state senate. Beauregard decides to enter the contest himself as a way to get some serious money.

"It's a Joke, Son" is a funny film directed by Benjamin Stoloff, featuring Kenny Delmar, a successful comedian, popular in radio during that time. Una Merkel is seen as Magnolia. Lovely June Lockhart appears as Mary Lou.

The film, a running time of only 63 minutes, is a delightful comedy with a few laughs that takes the viewer to a less complicated time in America.

Kenny Delmar stars as Senator Beauregard Claghorn, a bombastic Southerner who sounds an awful lot like Foghorn Leghorn. As another reviewer pointed out, Claghorn had some funny lines in the film, such as his desire to rename North Carolina or change the United States to "The South" or complaining because he was served BOSTON baked beans!

As for the rest of the film, it's a likable little comedy with modest pretenses. The plot involves Claghorn initially announcing his retirement. As a result, Mrs. Claghorn decides to run as well as another candidate. Beauregard wants this other candidate to win, but eventually realizes the guy is a jerk. So, now Beauregard throws his hat into the ring as well. But, mobsters working for this other candidate decide to use a bit of chicanery themselves and kidnap Beauregard to prevent him from running! Will our hero escape? And who will win this now hotly contested election? Overall, it's a decent little time-passer. It has a few laughs here and there and is a pleasant little film. Nothing great, but certainly worth a look.

Kenny Delmar brought his popular character Beauregard Claghorn and all his Southern bluster from the Fred Allen radio show to the big screen in IT'S A JOKE, SON!, released by Eagle-Lion in 1947.

Okay, listen carefully and follow the plot: an addle-brained Southern state senator running for re-election on the coattails of a carpetbagging political boss (Douglass Dumbrille) is being challenged by Magnolia Claghorn (Una Merkel), leader of a group called the Daughters of Dixie. Dumbrille forces Magnolia's husband Beauregard to run as a third party candidate so split the opposition, I say split the opposition, but soon Beauregard Claghorn's dander is up and he's running, I say he's running, like a Yankee at Bull Run. Meanwhile, just to keep things interesting because after all we DO have 63 minutes to kill, the Claghorns' lovely daughter (June Lockhart with an adorable Southern accent) is involved with some guy who runs an ice cream truck. Also worth mentioning is that Daisy, the second cutest dog in the movies after Laughing Gravy, is on loan from the Blondie pictures and proves why no actor wants to share the screen with a four-legged scene stealer.

The movie is generally pleasant, and occasionally funny when Claghorn starts boasting about the South (we're told that he still purchases Confederate Victory Bonds, and Claghorn is trying to convince North Carolina to change its name to Upper South Carolina). Unlike the Ma & Pa Kettle films of a few years later, though, Claghorn's film debut didn't catch on, and there were no sequels. On the other hand, I say on the other hand, a knock-off character was more successful over at Warner Bros: Foghorn Leghorn had already made his film debut, in 1946's WALKY TALKY HAWKY, when IT'S A JOKE, SON! was released, and the blustering rooster went on to a long and successful career.

Senator Beauregard Clanghorn is the real-life fictional character from whom Mel Blanc created the barnyard politician Foghorn Leghorn.

If you don't laugh at this movie and the outrageous humor of Beauregard Clanghorn, then you're either dead and don't know it; or you're taking life way too seriously--and isn't that the point of the whole movie?

Someone said that the movie may not be "politically correct." Well, to heck with "political correctness"! That's just a bunch of plastic people imposing plastic rules for a plastic world.

There's nothing plastic about "It's a Joke, Son!" or Beauregard Clanghorn--and there's nothing plastic about uproariously funny comedy. Good comedy is neither politically correct nor incorrect. It is just something that makes you laugh when you need it.

Whoever said, "Laughter is the best medicine," certainly knew what he was talking about; and "It's a Joke, Son!" is GOOD medicine--even in the 21st Century! You ca--I say, you can bank on that!