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State Fair (60th Anniversary Edition)
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Additional DVD options | Edition | Discs | Price | New from | Used from |
DVD
April 27, 1999 "Please retry" | — | 1 |
—
| $12.63 | $2.30 |
Watch Instantly with | Rent | Buy |
State Fair | — | — |
Purchase options and add-ons
Genre | Musicals |
Format | Special Edition, Dubbed, Dolby, NTSC, Widescreen |
Contributor | Coleen Gray, Margo Woode, Percy Kilbride, Neal Hart, Dana Andrews, Francis Ford, Will Wright, Steve Olson, Minerva Urecal, Harry Depp, Emory Parnell, Alice Fleming, Almira Sessions, Jane Nigh, Fay Bainter, Virginia Brissac, Ralph Sanford, Jeanne Crain, Cathy Downs, Reed Howes, Earle S. Dewey, Wheaton Chambers, Dick Haymes, Eddie Borden, Diane Florentine, Frank Mayo, José Ferrer, Frank McHugh, Vivian Blaine, Eddie Dunn, John Dehner, Harry Morgan, Bess Flowers, Charles Winninger, Jim Farley, Louanne Hogan, William Frambes, Paul Harvey, Paul E. Burns, Jo-Carroll Dennison, Harlan Briggs, Donald Meek, Josephine Whittell, Walter Baldwin, Harry Semels, Walter Lang, Tom Fadden, William Marshall (II), Brooks Benedict, Phil Brown See more |
Language | English |
Runtime | 3 hours and 38 minutes |
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Product Description
Product Description
Rodgers and Hammerstein's only score written expressly for the screen highlights this delightful film about an Iowa family's adventures at the fair. Jeanne Crain, Dana Andrews and Dick Haymes star.
Set Contains:
The principal bonus on the two-DVD set is a whopper, the complete 1962 version of State Fair. Enjoyable but less charming than the 1945 film, it has the same basic plot, except that it takes place in 1960s Texas and with its pop-icon cast feels more like an Elvis musical. Alice Faye, who was originally considered for the Jeanne Crain role in 1945, plays opposite Tom Ewell as the parents who take their family to the fair. Pat Boone takes his race car and ends up romancing the hot dancer Ann-Margaret, while the dull Pamela Tiffin is wooed by the annoying Bobby Darin. Bluebell the prize hog is still here, as are the Rodgers and Hammerstein songs such as "It Might as Well Be Spring" and "It's a Grand Night for Singing." Following Oscar Hammerstein's death, Richard Rodgers wrote the music and lyrics for a handful of new, undistinguished songs. On the DVD, Boone recorded a commentary track in which he discusses his ambition to be a "singing Mr. America" and how he had to convince his wife and daughter that there was nothing to the scene he filmed topless with Margaret. Boone speaks only for short stretches, and the DVD menu offers the unusual disclaimer that the commentary track has "extended gaps of silence." On the original film, film historian Richard Barrios and Tom Briggs, who cowrote the 1996 Broadway-musical version, do a commentary track in which they discuss trivia about the film as well as the 1933 original, the 1962 remake, and the stage version. Some of that information is repeated in the "From Page to Screen to Stage" featurette. There's also a black-and-white performance by Mary Martin of "It Might as Well Be Spring" and a pilot for a potential TV series. It's a sort-of musical in that Mitch Vogel goes to the fair to enter a country & western Young Stars of Tomorrow competition, but it's lackluster at best. --David Horiuchi
Product details
- Aspect Ratio : 2.35:1, 1.33:1
- Is Discontinued By Manufacturer : No
- MPAA rating : Unrated (Not Rated)
- Product Dimensions : 7.5 x 5.5 x 0.75 inches; 0.64 ounces
- Item model number : 024543208464
- Director : José Ferrer, Walter Lang
- Media Format : Special Edition, Dubbed, Dolby, NTSC, Widescreen
- Run time : 3 hours and 38 minutes
- Release date : November 15, 2005
- Actors : Jeanne Crain, Dana Andrews, Dick Haymes, Vivian Blaine, Charles Winninger
- Dubbed: : English, Spanish
- Subtitles: : English, Spanish
- Language : English (Dolby Digital 1.0), English (Dolby Digital 4.0), English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo), Unqualified
- Studio : 20th Century Fox
- ASIN : B000AP04O2
- Number of discs : 2
- Best Sellers Rank: #70,173 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
- #909 in Musicals (Movies & TV)
- Customer Reviews:
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The Frake family in Iowa are all ready for their annual and much beloved trip to the State Fair. Young and pretty Margy Frake (Jeanne Crain) is excited that she might meet the fella that will change her life. Her brother Wayne (Dick Haymes) has been practicing the ring-toss all year so he can get even with the carny who gave him a bum prize last year. Their pa, Abel (Charles Winninger), is excited about his pet boar, Blueboy, winning the grand prize this year. Percy Kilbride has a fine part as Abel's old pal, Dave Miller. They have a five dollar bet on whether they'll all have a good time at the fair this year.
Their mother, Melissa (Fay Bainter), is entering her pickles and mincemeat and has dreams that she will win this year over the snooty Mrs. Metcalf. Pa sneaks some brandy into her mincemeat when she's not looking that might just give her the edge this year. Donald Meek has a funny role as one of the judges, Hippenstahl, who is delighted by the taste, and the aftereffects, of Melissa's mincemeat!
Dana Andrews is a reporter for the Des Moines Register named Pat, who thinks he's seen the world until he meets the sweet Margy. They spend the three days together as much as possible, but once their time is over, he is on his way to Chicago for a big promotion. Margy loves him, of course, and he may discover he can't live without her either.
Wayne will meet and have a romance of sorts with a beautiful singer, Emily Edwards (Vivian Blane). But his taste of the real world will make him appreciate his girl back home, Eleanor (Jane Nigh). It is very funny as he and his sister make up excuses to ditch each other and have their romances. Even Blueboy gets hit by the love bug, as the "pretty" Esmerelda catches his eye!
The spectacle and fun of the State Fair and what it means in the lives of the Frake family is captured beautifully by the color photography of Leon Shamroy. It should get listed as one of the stars of this film. Adapted by Sonya Levien and Paul Green from a novel by Philip Stong, this is a heartwarming and happy look at America's heartland and all that is good about our past.
Songs like "It Might As Well Be Spring" and "It's A Grand Night For Singing" are easy to take and don't seem forced at all. You never get that "they're going to sing now" feel for any of the numbers. They are very enjoyable and help move the story along. "It Might As Well Be Spring" won the Academy Award. The music is marvelous, and so is this film.
Everyone is just great here, with the lovely Jeanne Crain a particular standout. Harry Morgan has a nice bit as the carny Wayne gets even with, and if you look quick for Coleen Grey you might catch her. Charles Winninger is winning, as are Fay Bainter and Dick Haymes. Percy Kilbride was always amusing and this was one of Dana Andrews' best roles after the magnificent "Laura."
This film will make you nostalgic. It has the feel of sitting on your front porch in the middle of summer with a glass of iced tea, the scent of honeysuckle in the air and Virginia Creepers twisting around the arbor. This is one of the best American musicals and one you don't want to miss.
One of the first musicals I became enamored with was Rogers and Hammerstein's 1945 classic "State Fair". This was this only musical Rogers and Hammerstein ever wrote directly for the silver screen and it is a dandy. The film stars Jeanne Crain as Margie, a restless young lady who feels trapped by her rural surroundings and her dreadfully dull boyfriend and Dana Andrews as newspaper reporter Pat. The two meet on the rollercoaster and fall head over heels for each other. Meanwhile Margie's brother Wayne (Dick Haymes) is lamenting the fact that his girlfriend was unable to go to the fair with him this year. He is kind of moping around the midway when he has a rather bizarre encounter with a young lady who turns out to be the lead vocalist of the big band performing at the fair. Wayne is smitten with Emily (Vivian Blaine) who kinda sorta leads him on throughout the film. He'll be sorry! The story line also follows the exploits of Margie and Wayne's parents (Charles Winnenger and Fay Bainter) who have both entered competitions at the fair.
But as you might expect it is the marvelous music that makes "State Fair" such a joy to watch. Dick Haymes was a huge recording star in the 1940's and is one of the greatest pop vocalists of all-time. You will certainly enjoy his splendid renditions of "Isn't It Kinda Fun", "It's A Grand Night For Singing" and of course "It Might As Well Be String" which became a huge hit record for him as well. Life was certainly much simpler in those days and hearing these wonderful tunes makes me long for them. We enjoy this film 2 or 3 times each year and never get tired of it. There is one oddity about this film that is worth mentioning. Richard Rogers and Oscar Hammerstein II won the Academy Award for Best song for Margie's rendition of "It Might As Well Be Spring". But oddly enough Jeanne Crain's singing voice was dubbed by a singer named Louanne Hogan. I believe this is the only time that this has ever happened in the history of the Academy Awards.
Now I certainly can understand why some folks would look at "State Fair" and think it is kind of "corny". And they would probably be right. But damn it, I love it and I guess that's all that really matters. My wife and I purchased the 60th Anniversary edition which features a whole host of extras including a copy of the 1962 remake of "State Fair" starring Pat Boone. In my view that version leaves a lot to be desired. But if you have never seen the 1945 version of "State Fair" I urge you to give it a try. You just might be surprised by how much you like it. Very highly recommended!
Top reviews from other countries
C'est en consultant la filmographie de Dana Andrews que je suis tombée sur ce film et à mon plus grand étonnement car ce bel acteur était pour moi, pas seulement mais principalement, associé au film noir qui lui a donné une stature mythique dans l'histoire du cinéma américain, à laquelle l'œuvre d'Otto Preminger n'a pas peu contribué ("Laura", "crime passionnel", "Mark Dixon détective").
Découvrir qu'il avait tourné dans une comédie musicale m'a fait l'effet d'une blague..., j'ignorais alors qu'il avait d'abord tenté une carrière de chanteur avant d'être repéré pour un talent d'acteur, et qu'il avait pris des cours de chant classique ! (*).
En commandant le film sous l'aiguillon de la curiosité, je ne m'attendais pas du tout à une délicieuse surprise, laquelle n'en fut que plus délicieuse.
Le commentaire de deux historiens du cinéma américain proposé dans un supplément apprend que le roman de Philip Stong qui est la source littéraire du scenario eut un tel succès qu'il inspira rien de moins que trois adaptations au cinéma, l'une en 1933, celle-ci en 1945, réalisée par Walter Lang, et une autre en 1962 (nouvelle mouture de la précitée).
Les premières images nous font entrer dans une ferme de l'Iowa où la famille Frake se prépare pour l'événement festif qui, une fois l'an, rompt la monotonie des travaux et des jours, il s'agit de la "State fair" (titre original du film) qui, trois journées durant, réunit toute la population rurale de la région.
Rien ne manque au divertissement : montagne russe et autres attractions de foire, jeux d'adresse et loterie, barbe à papa, piste de danse animée par une petite troupe de chanteurs de charme et un orphéon local et puis, "last but not least", concours agricoles et ménagers...
Abel Frake (Charles Winninger) bichonne avec amour son cochon du Hampshire nommé "Blue Boy" qui va briguer la médaille fort disputée du premier prix dans sa catégorie tandis que "Ma", Melissa Frake (Fay Bainter) s'affaire à la mise en bocaux de ses cornichons, les aigres et les doux, et à la confection de son pâté de viande hachée ("mincemeat") qui vont être soumis à la dégustation pointilleuse (et désopilante) du jury désignant la meilleure cuisinière de tous les comtés de l'Iowa...
Pendant ce temps, leurs enfants, Wayne (Dick Haymes) et Margy (Jeanne Crain) préparent leurs plus beaux atours et vient le grand moment, la famille Frake monte à bord de sa guimbarde flanquée d'une caravane pour trois jours de vacances, ses seules vacances.
Wayne a une fiancée retenue au chevet de sa mère malade tandis que Margy a un soupirant qui ne la fait pas soupirer, sauf d'ennui, il n'est pas non plus du voyage, la place sera nette pour que se produise le choc amoureux d'une rencontre neuve, avec ou sans illusions (sens de la transposition bêtassonne du titre en français).
Pour Wayne, ce sera Emily (Vivian Blaine), la chanteuse vedette de la troupe, et pour Margy, ce sera Pat (Dana Andrews of course !), un journaliste venu s'intéresser à un événement symbolisant l'Amérique profonde en attendant la promotion qui le conduira à Chicago.
Contrairement à ce que l'on pourrait craindre de prime abord, rien n'est faible ni fade ni niais dans ce film qui concilie avec une très belle réussite tous les ingrédients du film musical de l'âge d'or et une drôlerie pleine d'esprit mais qui a aussi une valeur documentaire très bienvenue sur cette Amérique-là car tout ce que signifie et contient la "State fair" pour les fermiers qui s'y pressent en famille est montré avec justesse et humanité.
On apprend que le film a été entièrement tourné en studio sur fond de décors peints et ce trompe-l'œil est une autre réussite car il ajoute une poésie naïve à l'ensemble, comme si les personnages animés évoluaient dans un pimpant livre d'images.
Les acteurs sont tous absolument parfaits.
Jeanne Crain à ses débuts (elle a à peine vingt ans), ravissante, et Dana Andrews, très à l'aise dans un rôle lui permettant d'offrir de sa séduction si singulière et de sa grande classe une face claire et souriante, forment un bien beau couple de cinéma.
Ah il ne faut pas que j'oublie de vous présenter l'autre couple de cinéma de ce film, non crédité au générique..., formé par le cochon "Blue Boy" et la truie "Esmeralda"...
Une trouvaille comique qui ajoute l'éclat de rire au charme, à la joliesse et à l'euphorie baignant ce film, un coup de cœur.
------------------------
(*) La voix de Dana Andrews est doublée dans les chansons, non pas parce qu'il ne pouvait pas les chanter lui-même, il le pouvait, mais parce qu'il n'a pas voulu qu'un camarade fût privé du cachet dont il avait besoin pour gagner sa vie, beau geste.
Dick Haymes n'est quant à lui pas doublé car il était avant tout chanteur.
This is the second of three versions of essentially the same story. The first, in black-and-white dates from 1933 and starred Will Rogers and Janet Gaynor. This second and musical version of the story, in Technicolour, is built around the tale of an Iowa hog farmer and his family, and their adventures at the annual State Fair. The real focus of the plot is the love affair between the farmer's daughter (played by Jeanne Crain, whose singing voice was dubbed by Louanne Hogan) and reporter Dana Andrews, with Dick Haymes as Crain's protective big brother.
This was the only movie for which Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein wrote a score, and there are a few numbers that became standards in the popular music repertoire: `It might as well be spring', `It's a grand day for singing', and `That's for me', which became a great hit for Dick Haymes. There are also other songs that haven't stood the test of time so well out of context; but this a grand family film. The story was retold again in 1962 with Pat Boone and Alice Faye in the leading roles.