State Fair (1933 film)
State Fair (1933) is an American Pre-Code comedy-drama film directed by Henry King and starring Janet Gaynor, Will Rogers, and Lew Ayres. The picture tells the story of a farm family's multi-day visit to the Iowa State Fair, where the parents seek to win prizes in agricultural and cooking competitions, and their teenage daughter and son each find unexpected romance. Based on the bestselling 1932 novel by Phil Stong, this was the first of three film versions of the novel released to theaters, the others being the movie musicals State Fair (1945) starring Jeanne Crain and Dana Andrews, and State Fair (1962) starring Ann-Margret and Pat Boone.
State Fair | |
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Theatrical release poster | |
Directed by | Henry King |
Produced by | Henry King |
Screenplay by | Sonya Levien Paul Green |
Based on | State Fair by Phil Stong |
Starring | Janet Gaynor Will Rogers Lew Ayres |
Music by | Louis De Francesco |
Cinematography | Hal Mohr |
Edited by | Robert Bischoff |
Distributed by | Fox Film Corporation |
Release date |
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Running time | 97 minutes |
Budget | $600,000[1] |
Box office | $1.8 million[2] |
The 1933 version was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture. The film, made pre-Code and despite its seemingly tame plot, has some scenes that were censored a few years later, when it was re-released due to the Breen Office's Production Code that took effect in 1934. One scene that was cut showed a disheveled bed and a negligee on the floor while Norman Foster and Sally Eilers are heard speaking off-screen. Additionally, a sexual relationship between the daughter and a reporter was eliminated in the adaptation, however the son's seduction by a trapeze artist was kept.[3]
Rogers was accorded top billing on some posters, but Gaynor was billed above Rogers in the film itself.
Victor Jory also appears as the hoop toss barker at the carnival, at the beginning of a screen career spanning 57 years.
In 2014, State Fair was deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" by the Library of Congress and selected for preservation in the National Film Registry.[4][5]
Cast
- Janet Gaynor as Margy Frake
- Will Rogers as Abel Frake
- Lew Ayres as Pat Gilbert
- Sally Eilers as Emily Joyce
- Norman Foster as Wayne Frake
- Louise Dresser as Melissa Frake
- Frank Craven as Storekeeper
- Victor Jory as Hoop Toss Barker
- Frank Melton as Harry Ware
- Erville Alderson as Martin (uncredited)
- Hobart Cavanaugh as Professor Fred Coin (uncredited)
- Harry Holman as Professor Tyler Cramp (uncredited)
References
- "Film Costs Hit Both Extremes: Poverty Row Spends Less, Big Studios More Million-dollar Features 'Shoot the Works' Inexpensive 'Arty' Hit Due to Make Appearance" Schallert, Edwin. Los Angeles Times, October 16, 1932: B13.
- "WHICH CINEMA FILMS HAVE EARNED THE MOST MONEY SINCE 1914?". The Argus. Melbourne. March 4, 1944. p. 3 Supplement: The Argus Weekend magazine. Retrieved August 6, 2012 – via National Library of Australia.
- "State Fair (1933)". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved 20 May 2018.
- "Cinematic Treasures Named to National Film Registry". Loc.gov. Retrieved 20 May 2018.
- "Complete National Film Registry Listing | Film Registry | National Film Preservation Board | Programs at the Library of Congress | Library of Congress". Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA. Retrieved 2020-05-11.
External links
- State Fair essay by Aubrey Solomon at National Film Registry
- Flyrope.com page (stage version)
- State Fair on IMDb (1933 version)
- State Fair at AllMovie
- State Fair at the TCM Movie Database
- State Fair at the American Film Institute Catalog
- State Fair at Rotten Tomatoes
- State Fair on Theatre Guild on the Air: January 4, 1953
- State Fair at Theatre Guild on the Air December 31, 1950