The Frake family attends the annual Iowa State Fair; each member of the clan has their own reason for doing so.1h 40min | Comedy, Drama, Musical | 30 August 1945 | Color
Director: Walter Lang
Stars: Jeanne Crain, Dana Andrews, Dick Haymes, Vivian Blaine, Charles Winninger, Fay Bainter, Donald Meek, Frank McHugh.
Hermes Pan ... choreographer
Dave Robel ... assistant dance director (uncredited)
5th film credit for JC (b.1925), 18th film credit for DA, his first after Laura ('44).
Only film written for the screen by Rodgers&Hammerstein, and their first film together. It's not surprising that this is an integrated musical, given the independent works of R&H, and their stage version of Oklahoma! opened on B'way in 1943, and Carousel in 4'45. That's not to say that all songs here are personal. VB is a performer, she sings onstage at the fair, and she & DH sing at a party.
The film (via song It Might as Well Be Spring and dialog) explains why JC is attracted to DA: she has a itch for something new, someone new, and her "fiance" is the son of a farmer whose big ambition is to use modern methods on his own farm, which she finds boring.
But DH has a girlfriend who wasn't able to come to the fair, so his involvement with VB is more puzzling. And he takes it seriously, it's not just a fair fling.
CW & FB are charming as the parents and contestants at the fair.
Soundtracks only lists 6 songs; it seems like more in the film because they are sung over and over. The dvd special features has a songs-only chapter list that shows 4 runs at It Might as Well Be Spring, 2 of That's For Me and 3 of It's a Grand Night for Singing, making 12 song scenes total.
The commentary track points out that some of the songs are presented as though they are contemporary hit songs that people are singing because they're popular. That's a good explanation for why Our State Fair is sung by each character independently; as contrasted with a song being passed from person to person in Love Me Tonight ('32). Similar situation for It's a Grand Night for Singing being sung by unrelated couples at the fair.
The song All I Owe Ioway is almost an imitation of the R&H state-loyalty song Oklahoma!, and gives us the only big production number. I wonder if they changed the venue to Texas in '62 just to jettison that song.
I really don't know how to rate this film. I like the stars, the Technicolor and the music, but not the story. Even when I try to weigh "do I recommend it" as the deciding question, I come up unsure.
The commentary track is skippable. The dvd also has a 30 minute featurette about the 3 film versions ('33 ,'45, '62) and the subsequent stage play. Fun story from that: DA was an operatic singer who never told the producers he could sing, figuring the guy they hired to dub him needed the work.
Released 30Aug45, the final frame has the Buy Bonds logo. I wonder if people were eager to buy war bonds after VE day in June and VJ day 15Aug. Japan formally surrendered 2Sep.
Released 30Aug45, the final frame has the Buy Bonds logo. I wonder if people were eager to buy war bonds after VE day in June and VJ day 15Aug. Japan formally surrendered 2Sep.
Fox, dir. Lang; 7-
