La foire aux illusions

I liked it, although it is not up to par with it's 1945's predecessor. The 1945 film was absolutely charming, and this one does fall short in some areas. The romances do not seem quite as fulfilling as in the earlier version, yet the musical numbers are something to gawk at.

Ann-Margret is stunning at the beginning of her career and practically steals the show. Pamela Tiffin is charming and surprisingly manages a southern accent very well, while the hopelessly miscast Pat Boone is giving it his all to be a Texas farm boy and it just doesn't seem to work out. However Bobby Darin is darling as a self - centered reporter who falls for Tiffin without realizing it. The remake uses all of the songs from the original musical, minus "I Owe Iowa" which was replaced with "The Little Things in Texas" due to the change in setting. Its new songs are very good, and while Margret's jazzy remake of "Isn't it Kinda Fun?" raised a few eyebrows, the musical direction is very well done and fully satisfying.

Really the only drawback to this production is in comparison with its two earlier versions. The love stories in the 1945 version were more complete, the acting a little more sincere, and the story more innocent. This 1962 version obviously had a much bigger budget to work with and it comes across in the musical numbers. It is a worthwhile production and a good movie.

This was the "updated" version of the original State Fair. The locality of this remake is Texas, not Iowa, as the original version was, which may make it seem "bigger" but not really "better". Alice Faye (who was in the original) is great, and Bobby Darin stole the show as the smooth talking big town guy, while Ann Margaret sparkled as she sang and danced during her production numbers, "Isn't It Kinda Nice". The music is wonderfully done, as always, and I truly wanted to enjoy this film more than I did. Boone was musically at the top of his form in this film and makes a valiant try in the dramatic parts of his role of Wayne, but the dramatic parts were just not as believable as his singing. The musical scenes were very good, and made the movie fun! It's a whimsical look back at a time which probably never was this clean cut. However, I do remember the importance of State Fairs, with its 4-H and farm demonstration, carnivals, family atmosphere, and introduction of young people in domestic and farming activities. To win FIRST in anything at the State Fair is BIG stuff. This part of the film rings very true. The plot is thin, because the music was the important part of the film. A DVD is currently available of both versions of "State Fair" (1942 and 1962 version). Anyone interested in comparing the two should view this DVD. Still "State Fair", whichever version you view does have songs which make it a "grand night for singing". Joyce

I know this film received less than favorable reviews at the time of its release, but I have always enjoyed it and watch it at least once or twice a year....there is something about the hominess and wonderful music that draw me to it in this day of mostly special effects in movies.

It is a tired old story and as others have stated, it has been filmed several times before, although, I think the array of young stars and their talents are well displayed and it was nice to see a couple of "old timers" like Tom Ewell and Alice Faye liven up the proceedings, which concern a family's adventure at the Texas State Fair; when I do compare it to the 1945 version, both seem very appropriate for the time they were filmed; Vivian Blaine made a wonderful Emily, as Ann-Margret does in the 1962 version, and both are "knockouts." Ann-Margret holds a special place in my heart, as she is originally from the Chicago area, and went to high-school with a good friend of the family; he told us that all eyes would turn when she entered a classroom, as she was such an imposing radiant figure and this was at seventeen or eighteen years of age....

I see the reviews, I see the number ratings, I don't understand.

In my opinion this is an excellent movie. I'm not a movie critic, I don't have a degree in film arts or even drama. I'm just a retired high school math teacher. That said, I find so many things about this film to be so positive and endearing.

Pat Boone is great, Ann Margaret is beautiful and the the rest of the actors were so enjoyable. The songs and music are outstanding and best of all you can understand every word of every song. Yep, you guessed it, I'm an old guy, I'm 63 and I had the pleasure of seeing this film on its first run in the theater in Nashville, Tennessee. I loved it then and I loved it tonight after watching it for the first time in 40 years on the new DVD widescreen Cinemascope release. I still have the LP vinyl 33 1/3 RPM original movie soundtrack. Love it too.

Some critics seem to feel that everything is too polite, too sweet, too clean to be realistic, but I'll tell you, that's the way it was where I grew up 40 years ago. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did tonight. 10/10

The third and probably the last remake of State Fair is this one which came out in 1962 and starred current pop stars Pat Boone, Bobby Darin, Ann-Margret, and Pamela Tiffin. The first three did their own singing, Anita Gordon's voice dubbed Tiffin. That continues a tradition from the second State Fair where Jeanne Crain's voice was also dubbed.

The Frake family changes states in this one though. The first two films had them in Iowa, but here they're Texans and they go to the State Fairgounds in Dallas. The change in states also necessitates a new song for the score with the parents played here by Tom Ewell and Alice Faye. The Little Things In Texas is done with grace and style by these two veteran performers. Alice who has aged gracefully into the mother role also has a solo where she gives her daughter Tiffin some sage advice about handling the new man in her life Bobby Darin. Never Say No To A Man, but definitely keep him guessing.

The main body of the score that Rodgers&Hammerstein wrote for the 1945 version is kept intact though. Again ironic that the Oscar winning song from the 1945 version is again dubbed. It Might As Well Be Spring comes out of the mouth of Tiffin as it did with Jeanne Crain. Maybe one day someone will sing it for real on screen.

My favorite song from the score is It's A Grand Night For Singing which is one of those numbers that just leaves you with a glow. It's sung by the entire cast, both generations who are just celebrating life and love at the State Fair. It's sung by the main players wherever they are at the moment in the case of Bobby Darin and Pamela Tiffin on the Ferris Wheel at the Fair, the same as Dana Andrews and Jeanne Crain did in the 1945 version.

Recently I learned that Andrews was a good singer, but kept that fact from 20th Century Fox lest he be cast in silly musicals. So all we get of him is a few lines with Crain and the chorus pretty much drowning him out. However with a real singer in Bobby Darin that necessitated writing one good number for him. Richard Rodgers who did both the music and lyrics as he did for No Strings on Broadway wrote for Darin a rather plaintive ballad This Isn't Heaven which Bobby sings well.

With musical tastes changing I doubt we'll see another remake of State Fair. Where are the voices to sing the songs? So I would say take the advice that opening number, it's a great state fair, don't miss it don't even be late.