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State Fair

Play trailer Poster for State Fair 1933 1h 36m Comedy Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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100% Tomatometer 47 Reviews 54% Popcornmeter 100+ Ratings
An Iowa farmer (Will Rogers) and his wife bring their son, daughter (Janet Gaynor) and prize hog to a fair.
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State Fair

State Fair

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Critics Consensus

Possessing a palpable sense of place and a large ensemble of vivid characterizations, State Fair easily nabs the first place ribbon for fulsome family entertainment.

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Critics Reviews

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Mae Tinee Chicago Tribune 11/10/2023
State fair, adapted from the popular novel by Phil Stong, is wholesome, homely, astute comedy drama. It abounds in clean humor, bunkless performance and interesting incident. Go to Full Review
Robert Randol Fort Worth Star-Telegram/DFW.com 11/10/2023
Its gay trappings are alluring to youth and although many of its pleasures prove to be as senseless as a ride on the merry-go-round, when the band stops playing and tents are struck one is loath to leave all of its excitements behind. Go to Full Review
H.H. Niemeyer St. Louis Post-Dispatch 11/10/2023
[State Fair] is one of those agreeable little plays which doesn't get anywhere in particular but, being delightfully played by a big cast of favorite stars, it goes over with a real bang. Go to Full Review
Jack Moffitt Kansas City Star 11/10/2023
State Fair comes along at an auspicious moment to remind you that simple joys are fun as well as poetic and that you will find the most pleasing sort of amusement valentines both comic and sentimental among the situations. Go to Full Review
Pare Lorentz Judge 11/10/2023
As it uses also genuine Americana seldom dramatized in any form, State Fair becomes one of the few important productions of the year. And in case this academic discussion of it has wearied you, I might add that it is good-humored and even funny. Go to Full Review
Rollin Palmer Buffalo News 11/10/2023
This picture is mainly dependent for its entertainment value on its depiction of the scenes at the state fair and the good-natured shirtsleeve humor of Will Rogers... For [most] of its length, the picture is a rarely sensible and satisfactory production. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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ChrisCSH H Feb 21 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. See more @Blobbo 01/18/2022 Not much there. At the old State fair. See more 12/15/2021 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. See more steve d 07/23/2020 It is still quite charming. See more 09/25/2019 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. See more 04/10/2014 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. See more Read all reviews
State Fair

My Rating

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Movie Info

Synopsis An Iowa farmer (Will Rogers) and his wife bring their son, daughter (Janet Gaynor) and prize hog to a fair.
Director
Henry King
Producer
Winfield R. Sheehan
Screenwriter
Sonya Levien, Paul Green
Distributor
Fox
Production Co
Fox Film Corporation
Genre
Comedy, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Feb 10, 1933, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Mar 21, 2014
Runtime
1h 36m
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