State Fair

For a fanciful bit of corn, "State Fair" has a long and rather illustrious history: First came the novel by Philip Stong, then a 1933 film starring Will Rogers and Janet Gaynor, and then a remake, in 1945, as a movie musical with songs by Rodgers and Hammerstein (the only time they wore a musical straight to screen instead of seeing a stage musical makes its way to a cinematic adaptation). The film was remade again in 1962, again as a musical, using many of the same tunes as the 1945 version plus five new songs by Rogers. The musical was adapted for the stage in 1969, with Rogers and Hammerstein both involved in the production; the novel was then adapted into a television series that never went past its 1976 pilot (that project is now regarded as a TV movie); and finally, in 1992, the musical was adapted for the stage, thus closing the circle and bringing one last Rogers and Hammerstein project to Broadway in 1996. Whew! This story of an American farming family has had almost as many lives than the average cat.

Twilight Time's new Blu-ray release is of the 1962 musical re-make, which stars Tom Ewell as Abel Frake and Alice Faye as his wife Melissa; Pat Boone as their race car driving son Wayne; Pamela Tiffin as their daughter Margy; crooner Bobby Darin as a woman-chasing television presenter named Jerry; and Ann-Margret as Emily, a gorgeous performer.

The story is pure syrup, but the execution is sheer good fun. The Frakes travel to the Texas state fair, where Abel puts his prize hog into competition, Melissa's booze-soaked mincemeat wins instant admiration from the judges (one of whom is the great Wally Cox), and Wayne is looking to prove himself with a hot rod he's built himself and intends to race. Bobby Darrin's Jerry takes a shine to Melissa, while Wayne is smitten by Emily -- to the point, in fact, of painting her name across the back of his race car.

The extras on this release include an audio commentary track by Boone -- a point that might turn off EDGE readers, but let's be fair: He might be the sort of hate spigot that confounds Christianity with homophobia, but he's one of the better singers in this movie, and as an actor he's not without charm.

Other extras include the featurette "From Page to Screen to Stage," which traces the story's various film adaptations (with liberal use of clips from the different movie versions). Also included is the pilot/TV movie version, which is standard '70s television fare and which leaves one wondering how, exactly, the show's producers intended to make a series of the show, had it actually gone to series. (Presumably it would have focused on the family dramatics and ignored the state fair of the title except, perhaps, for a once-per-year special episode.)

The Twilight Time standard extras are also here. There's an isolated music track, showcasing Alfred Newman's score and ten musical numbers, including "That's for Me," "It Might As Well Be Spring," "This Isn't Heaven," and "The Little Things in Texas" (the latter two with both words an music by Rogers, who wrote five new songs for the remake after the death of Hammerstein in 1960). Julie Kirgo serves up another of her scintillating essays in the accompanying insert.

"State Fair" won't be to every taste, but given this movie's unique place in the Rogers and Hammerstein oeuvre you owe it to yourself, if you're a fan of movie musicals, to overlook Pat Boone's insulting real-life remarks and give a chance to all the others involved who make this film so much fun.

"State Fair"
Blu-ray
$29.95
https://www.twilighttimemovies.com/state-fair-blu-ray