State Fair (1962)

User Rating:

5.7/10   

Director:

José Ferrer

Writers:

Paul Green (1945 screenplays)
Oscar Hammerstein II (1945 screenplays)

Release Date:

9 March 1962 (USA)

Genre:

Musical

Tagline:

So fresh and wonderful with Richard Rodgers' NEWEST melodies and NEWEST lyrics!

Plot Keywords:

Beautiful Woman | Male Female Relationship | Singing | Pig | Fair

Awards:

1 win & 2 nominations

Cast

Pat Boone	...	Wayne Frake
Bobby Darin	...	Jerry Dundee
Pamela Tiffin	...	Margy Frake
Ann-Margret	...	Emily Porter
Tom Ewell	...	Abel Frake
Alice Faye	...	Mrs. Melissa Frake
Wally Cox	...	Hipplewaite
David Brandon	...	Harry
Clem Harvey	...	Doc Cramer
Robert Foulk	...	Mincemeat Judge
Linda Heinrich	...	Betty Jean
Tap Canutt	...	Red Hoertert (as Edward 'Tap' Canutt)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Bill Lee	...	Emily's Dance Partner (singing voice)

Runtime:

UK:118 min | USA:118 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Finland:K-8 | UK:U

Filming Locations:

Dallas, Texas, USA

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

One of the Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II songs from the 1945 movie score could not be used in this picture -- "All I Owe Ioway," since, of course, the state fair had been transplanted from Iowa to Texas. In the 1962 film, Richard Rodgers provided both music and lyrics for an equivalent number, "The Little Things in Texas," sung by Alice Faye, Tom Ewell and a children's chorus.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Hollywood Screen Tests: Take 1 (1999) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Never Say No To A Man

A cute, if somewhat overdone remake of the '45 musical

I liked it, although it is not up to par with it's 1945's predecessor. The 1945 film was absolutely charming, and this one does fall short in some areas. The romances do not seem quite as fulfilling as in the earlier version, yet the musical numbers are something to gawk at.

Ann-Margret is stunning at the beginning of her career and practically steals the show. Pamela Tiffin is charming and surprisingly manages a southern accent very well, while the hopelessly miscast Pat Boone is giving it his all to be a Texas farm boy and it just doesn't seem to work out. However Bobby Darin is darling as a self - centered reporter who falls for Tiffin without realizing it. The remake uses all of the songs from the original musical, minus "I Owe Iowa" which was replaced with "The Little Things in Texas" due to the change in setting. Its new songs are very good, and while Margret's jazzy remake of "Isn't it Kinda Fun?" raised a few eyebrows, the musical direction is very well done and fully satisfying.

Really the only drawback to this production is in comparison with its two earlier versions. The love stories in the 1945 version were more complete, the acting a little more sincere, and the story more innocent. This 1962 version obviously had a much bigger budget to work with and it comes across in the musical numbers. It is a worthwhile production and a good movie.