STATE FAIR

US, 1962, 118 minutes, Colour.
Pat Boone, Bobby Darin, Pamela Tiffin, Ann- Margret, Tom Ewell, Alice Faye, Wally Cox.
Directed by Jose Ferrer.

State Fair is a Cinemascope and colour remake of an original film of 1933 starring Will Rogers, Janet Gaynor and Lew Ayres. It was directed by Henry King and was a charming folksy piece of Americana. The musical remake had Richard Rogers music and Oscar Hammerstein lyrics. The film had Jeanne Crain and Dana Andrews as the main leads, Dick Haymes singing and Charles Winninger and Fay Bainter as mother and father. It was a popular film of 1945. The 1960s remake keeps the same plot but brings it up to date for the atmosphere of state fairs of the '60s with racing car tournaments, television commentators and sexy dancers. The main ingredients of the earlier films are kept - especially with Alice Faye as mother and her winning of the Mince Meat Competition. Father, Tom Ewell, has his problems with his prize boar (and actually sings to it!).

The youngsters are led by Pat Boone with his smooth style and contrasts with Bobby Darin and his more up-to-date personality. Pamela Tiffin is the sister and Ann- Margret has some rather torrid numbers for the early '60s (in the Rita Hayworth vein) and is presented as 'the other woman'. Ann- Margret was at the beginning of her career and shows in the song 'Isn't It Kind of Fun' just how her career would go during the '60s as a singer-dancer - although she moved into great success as a serious actress in the '70s. Direction is by Jose
Ferrer.