State fair starts off slow, but soon as it gets going in the second act, you can see how wholesome and down to earth true Americana film this Is. The film is a very simple film, but it’s easy to watch and it has some comedy to it and some drama in the end. It’s a film that will put a smile on your face.

Not much there. At the old State fair.

These types of films are rare these days. In the 1930s Janet Gaynor was a huge star, veteran of a number of silent features with Charles Farrell while Will Rogers was one of the best loved actors. State Fair teams them up as father and daughter and adds Norman Foster as her Brother and Louise Dresser as the mother. It was a film with high production value and would look great if it were cleaned up a bit.

It is still quite charming.

The story in State Fair is about as bare bones as you’ll ever find. It is simply the story of a small-town farming family that takes a trip to the Iowa State Fair. At times it feels like a simple travelogue as these characters move from one attraction to the next, exploring all the fair has to offer. There is some story to tell in their adventures, though. The two older members of the family have entered a number of competitions, and are hoping to win a blue ribbon. A lot of laughs in the film come from Will Rogers and his relationship with his pig. While you could see where that whole story was headed, it still had a lot of laughs because he was so close with his prized hog. It’s interesting how much I found myself rooting for these characters I just met to win the prizes, even though we don’t even see them do the work that led to the win. The kids have bigger and more interesting stories, because they find love at the fair. These romance stories parallel each other nicely, but also feel unique from one another. I liked how the naïve kids from the country were attracted to more savvy people, and yet it wasn’t a dark tale about them being exploited. The fibs they told in order to hide their secret assignations were humorous. I was also surprised how far they went with the innuendo about what might go on in these meetings, but I suppose this movie was before the production code, so they could get away with it. Perhaps the most surprising aspect of this film is how the love stories end. There’s a certain way you expect things to go in a movie like this, and it wasn’t quite like that. In fact, both relationships had different resolutions. State Fair is an extremely simple film, and I’m afraid over time I will forget it. It was enjoyable enough, but not something I would seek out again in the future.

Although the remake gets most of the airplay, this original has its charms as the simple people of the country try to navigate their lives through the big state fair.

the first of 3 film versions. and the best skip the others see this one

If only life were as simple as it was back then. Nice story, cute, funny, and easy to enjoy. Good clean fun for the whole family...very much like a State Fair.

One of the few Will Rogers movies I've seen, it's OK. Nothing bad about it, but it's still forgettable to me.

GREAT movie! Better than the newer one!

This movie needed lots of work.