It's a Joke, Son! is a 1947 American comedy film directed by Benjamin Stoloff (in his final directorial role in a film) featuring radio comedian Kenny Delmar as Senator Beauregard Claghorn, a character on Fred Allen's radio program and later the inspiration for the cartoon character Foghorn Leghorn.[3] The film was the first American production for Eagle-Lion Films[4] and although it was produced on a very small budget compared to other Hollywood films,[2] it was a box-office disappointment; one theater chain removed the film after less than a week after it only drew $1,000 in ticket sales.[5]
The film contributed to a multimillion-dollar loss for Eagle-Lion in 1947, and Arthur B. Krim later stated that the studio had overpaid for Delmar and overestimated his bankability.[6] It is in the public domain.
Plot
When the Daughters of Dixie nominate Magnolia Claghorn as a candidate for state senator, the local political machine run by northerners fears that its candidate will be defeated. Through the Claghorns' daughter's boyfriend Jeff, the members of the machine concoct a plan to run Magnolia's husband Beauregard in order to split the anti-machine vote. However, when Beauregard attracts great popularity, they must seek to stop him.
