The 1942 film "Whistling in Dixie" is a comedy about a pair of New York radio actors who go to Georgia and get involved in a hunt for Confederate treasure. A British gold coin prop appears along with a mythical United States $20 gold coin dated 1839. Radio and film comedian Red Skelton appears as Wally Benton, a radio performer whose character is a crime solver called "The Fox." Ann Rutherford is his co-performer and fiancee, Carol Lambert. This film is a sequel to the Red Skelton film "Whistling in the Dark" which had some of the same characters. They are to be married when Ellamae Downs, a college friend of Carol, asks her and Wally to come to Georgia to help her solve a murder connected with a legendary treasure.

Wally and Carol are performers for the WGN radio network crime program "The Fox."

Besides appearing as a sleuth on his program, Wally had solved a real crime. A station delivery man delivers a message to Carol.

Wally: "Here's a brand new American dollar for you." Man: "That's only a nickel." Wally: "That's the new American dollar after all the income tax has been removed." The message is from Carol's college friend Ellamae Downs, who lives in Georgia. Ellamae asks Carol and Wally to come to Georgia and help find out about Martin Gordon, who was researching an old fort and reported killed but his body can not be found. The pair arrive in Georgia by air and later visit the Georgia fort.

They find Martin's briefcase with notes on a cache of money left by Georgia governor Clyde Lee, the grandfather of local Judge George Lee. An elderly Confederate veteran encounters the group.

From Martin's notes, Wally is directed to a book of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poems.

The poem, "The Arsenal at Springfield" provides a clue. The county sheriff with them accidently drops a coin which is found by Conway, a chauffeur.

Conway compares the coin with one that he already has.

The coins read "GREAT BRITAIN" and "1859", but the inscriptions appear to be stamped onto the reverses of Spanish colonial "pillar" coins or prop coins. Wally, Carol, Ellamae, and the sheriff head for the basement of the fort and find a chest under a large stone.

Wally: "Millions of dollars but Confederate, couldn't get a nickel for it." Wally puts some of the money in his pocket to use as tips.

Wally lifts the tray holding the cash and finds something else below it.

The coins here appear to be standard film prop coins which no doubt have appeared in many treasure or pirate films. Wally handles some of the coins. "English gold pieces, 1847, 1860."

The United States started making $20 gold coins in 1850. The coin in the film might have been privately minted at the Dahlonega Mint in Georgia which opened in 1838.

Ellamae: "Martin once told me something about the Southern planters who ran cotton to England through the blockade taking payment in gold." Wally: "How did it get here?" Ellamae: "They hid their money like this when Sherman's army came through." Then the mysterious disappearance of Martin's body is solved; he is still alive.

Martin, the sheriff, and Conway have been hunting for the treasure and after a double-cross, the group along with the sheriff are locked in the fort's basement. The basement is flooded, but the group are rescued by Corporal Lucken who receives a message from his pet parrot.

The treasure presumably goes to Judge Lee, the grandson of the Governor who hid it.

Marital trust.

Red Skelton as Wally 'The Fox' Benton
Ann Rutherford as Carol Lambert
Diana Lewis as Ellamae Downs
Director: S. Sylvan Simon
Writers: Nat Perrin, Wilkie Mahoney