State Fair (1945)

(On Cable TV, June 2022) As someone who comes from a semi-rural background where county fairs were quite a thing (all the way to my grandmother winning a fermière de l’année award), I can’t quite deny the nostalgic appeal of State Fair, a dirt-simple comedy in which a family travels to the Iowa State Fair for a few days, with the teenage kids falling in love and all family members experiencing an episodic succession of shenanigans. It’s not the 1962 version, which featured Ann-Margret in a supporting role. But it’s not the 1933 version either – this one is in colour, and has a handful of songs to keep things musical. Director Walter Lang plays up the good-old-time aspect, with nothing of great consequence happening throughout the end and plenty of folksy references. It’s not bad – not terrific either, but then again, I’ve never been much of a Rodgers and Hammerstein fan. It’s getting me curious about the 1933 version, though…