State Fair (1945)

Director:

Walter Lang

Writers:

Paul Green (adaptation)
Oscar Hammerstein II (screenplay)
(more)

Release Date:

30 August 1945 (USA)

Genre:

Musical | Romance

Tagline:

For the young in heart! And romantic oldsters, too!

Plot:

Farm family Frake, with discontented daughter Margy, head for the Iowa State Fair. On the first day...

Plot Keywords:

Fair | Iowa | Farm | Newspaper | State Fair

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 2 nominations

Cast

Jeanne Crain	...	Margy Frake
Dana Andrews	...	Pat Gilbert
Dick Haymes	...	Wayne Frake
Vivian Blaine	...	Emily Edwards
Charles Winninger	...	Abel Frake
Fay Bainter	...	Melissa Frake
Donald Meek	...	Hippenstahl
Frank McHugh	...	McGee
Percy Kilbride	...	Dave Miller
Harry Morgan	...	Barker (as Henry Morgan)
Jane Nigh	...	Eleanor
William Marshall	...	Tommy Thomas
Phil Brown	...	Harry Ware
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Esmeralda	...	The Hog
Whilwind	...	Hog
Robert Adler	...	Onlooker at Ring Toss Game (uncredited)
Hal Aldridge III	...	(uncredited)
Russell Ash	...	(uncredited)
Dorothy Bailer	...	(uncredited)
Lee Bailey	...	(uncredited)
Walter Baldwin	...	Farmer (uncredited)
Ray Barons	...	Boy on Merry-Go-Round (uncredited)
Brooks Benedict	...	Hammer Contest Spectator (uncredited)
Joseph E. Bernard	...	Ring-Toss Spectator (uncredited)
Eddie Borden	...	Follies Spectator (uncredited)
Blue Boy	...	Hog (uncredited)
Harlan Briggs	...	Food Judge (uncredited)
Virginia Brissac	...	Farmer's Wife (uncredited)
Esther Brodelet	...	(uncredited)
Paul E. Burns	...	Hank (uncredited)
Wheaton Chambers	...	Assistant Hog Judge (uncredited)
Lorraine Collier	...	(uncredited)
Clancy Cooper	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Frank Dae	...	(uncredited)
John Dehner	...	Hog Contest Announcer (uncredited)
Jo-Carroll Dennison	...	Girl (uncredited)
Harry Depp	...	Judge's Secretary (uncredited)
Earle S. Dewey	...	Assistant Hog Judge (uncredited)
Cathy Downs	...	Girl on Carousel (uncredited)
Eddie Dunn	...	Rollercoaster Attendant (uncredited)
Tom Fadden	...	Eph (uncredited)
Jim Farley	...	Ticket-Taker (uncredited)
Alice Fleming	...	Food Judge (uncredited)
Diane Florentine	...	Police Chief's Daughter (uncredited)
Bess Flowers	...	Horse Race Spectator (uncredited)
Francis Ford	...	R.C. Martin (uncredited)
William Frambes	...	Pappy (uncredited)
Al Gallagher	...	(uncredited)
Janet Graves	...	(uncredited)
Coleen Gray	...	Girl with Pappy (uncredited)
Neal Hart	...	Farmer (uncredited)
Paul Harvey	...	Simpson (uncredited)
Louanne Hogan	...	Margy Frake (uncredited) (singing voice)
Reed Howes	...	Horse Race Spectator (uncredited)
Jack Jackson	...	(uncredited)
Adele Jergens	...	Girl on Rollercoaster (uncredited)
Jack Kenyon	...	(uncredited)
Warren Lane	...	(uncredited)
Nolan Leary	...	Man Talking to Police Chief (uncredited)
Louis Manley	...	Fire-Eater (uncredited)
Mary Manners	...	(uncredited)
Vie Mansfield	...	Specialty (uncredited)
Mae Marsh	...	Ring-Toss Spectator (uncredited)
Frank Mayo	...	Man Margy Bumps (uncredited)
Jean McClure	...	(uncredited)
Pat McKee	...	Bell-Ringing Competition Barker (uncredited)
Buddy Moore	...	(uncredited)
Steve Olson	...	Follies Barker (uncredited)
Charles Owens	...	(uncredited)
Emory Parnell	...	Congressman James A. Goodheart (uncredited)
Eleanor Peterson	...	(uncredited)
'Snub' Pollard	...	Hog Calling Contest Spectator (uncredited)
Larraine Reimer	...	(uncredited)
Buddy Robinson	...	(uncredited)
John Roche	...	(uncredited)
Jack Ross	...	(uncredited)
Mario Salvaneschi	...	(uncredited)
Ralph Sanford	...	Police Chief (uncredited)
Frank J. Scannell	...	Ticket-Seller (uncredited)
Harry Semels	...	Follies Spectator (uncredited)
Almira Sessions	...	Farmer's Wife (uncredited)
Ed Stanbridge	...	(uncredited)
Les Stanford	...	Strong Man (uncredited)
Mary Stewart	...	Girl (uncredited)
Hal Taggart	...	Man Listening to Band (uncredited)
Phil Tead	...	Fire-Eater Barker (uncredited)
Jim Toney	...	Ring-Toss Spectator (uncredited)
Minerva Urecal	...	Woman Congratulating Mrs. Metcalf (uncredited)
Vanita Wade	...	(uncredited)
Josephine Whittell	...	Mrs. Metcalf (uncredited)
Margo Woode	...	Girl (uncredited)
Will Wright	...	Hog Judge (uncredited)

Directed by
Walter Lang

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Paul Green		adaptation
Oscar Hammerstein II		screenplay
Sonya Levien		adaptation
Philip Stong		novel

Produced by
William Perlberg	....	producer

Original Music by
Cyril J. Mockridge		(uncredited)
Alfred Newman		(uncredited)
Edward B. Powell		(uncredited)
Gene Rose		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
Leon Shamroy

Film Editing by
J. Watson Webb Jr.		(as J. Watson Webb)

Art Direction by
Lewis H. Creber		(as Lewis Creber)
Lyle R. Wheeler		(as Lyle Wheeler)

Set Decoration by
Thomas Little
Al Orenbach

Costume Design by
René Hubert

Production Management
Raymond A. Klune	....	production manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Gaston Glass	....	assistant director
Joseph E. Rickards	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Bernard Freericks	....	sound
Roger Heman Sr.	....	sound (as Roger Heman)

Special Effects by
Fred Sersen	....	special photographic effects

Visual Effects by
Ralph Hammeras	....	miniatures (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
E. Truman Joiner	....	key grip (uncredited)
F. Bud Mautino	....	second camera (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Sam Benson	....	wardrobe (uncredited)

Music Department
Charles Henderson	....	musical director
Alfred Newman	....	musical director
Edward B. Powell	....	orchestrator (as Edward Powell)
Murray Spivack	....	music mixer (uncredited)
Vinton Vernon	....	music mixer (uncredited)

Other crew
Natalie Kalmus	....	technicolor director
Richard Mueller	....	associate technicolor director
Hermes Pan	....	choreographer
Paul MacPherson	....	technical advisor (uncredited)
May Morris	....	research assistant (uncredited)
Frances C. Richardson	....	research director (uncredited)
Dave Robel	....	assistant dance director (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Distributors

• Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation (1945) (USA) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (DVD)
• CBS/Fox (USA) (laserdisc)

Also Known As:

"It Happened One Summer" - USA (TV title)
"Rodgers and Hammerstein's State Fair" - USA (complete title)

Runtime:

100 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Certification:

Australia:G | Canada:G | Finland:S | Sweden:Btl | UK:U | USA:Approved | New Zealand:G | New Zealand:PG (Special Edition DVD)

Filming Locations:

20th Century Fox Studios - 10201 Pico Blvd., Century City, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

Harry Morgan (billed as "Henry Morgan") appears as a dishonest carnival barker. Morgan, of course, went on to play Colonel Sherman Potter in TV's M*A*S*H. In the 11th season episode, "M*A*S*H: The Moon Is Not Blue (#11.8)" (1982) the staff of the M*A*S*H 4077th unit watches the movie "State Fair".

Goofs:

Continuity: The ground of the camp switches from dirt to grass just after Mrs. Frake talks to her friend. The trees and lighting are also inconsistent between the actual outdoor shot and the studio set.

Quotes:

Abel Frake:[tasting the mincemeat] Doesn't taste like Grandma Stiches.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire: Episode #7.102" (2009)

Soundtrack:

THAT'S FOR ME

My favourite film of all time

I saw this film when I was about 16 years old and it has remained my all time favourite ever since. The cast, the story, the music were all wonderful- and as the old saying goes- they don't make'em like that anymore.