Director: Henry King
Distributor: Fox Film Corporation
Top Billed Actors: Janet Gaynor, Will Rogers, Lew Ayres
Won 0 Oscars
Nominated for 2 more:
Outstanding Production - Fox
Best Adaptation - Paul Green and Sonya Levien
Plot: A farmer and his hog goes to the Iowa state fair while his family tags along.
Distributor: Fox Film Corporation
Top Billed Actors: Janet Gaynor, Will Rogers, Lew Ayres
Won 0 Oscars
Nominated for 2 more:
Outstanding Production - Fox
Best Adaptation - Paul Green and Sonya Levien
Plot: A farmer and his hog goes to the Iowa state fair while his family tags along.
The other Fox feature to be nominated for Best Picture, State Fair (1933) has far less heavy subject material than its winning predecessor, Cavalcade (1933). The plot is merely a charming look in the life of a farmers' family who travels to the annual state fair. Of course, love ensnares the two children of the farmer and we get to see Janet Gaynor in a talkie. The first Best Actress winner, for three silent films, still impresses with sound. This movie has also been placed in the National Film Registry, just last year in 2014. Some Pre-Code elements are interesting as well as there are some sexual escapades to be had by the farmer's son.
Like I stated previously, Janet Gaynor is still a great actress, even when she ventures from silent films to sound pictures. It is a very smooth transition and it was the thing I was most looking forward to. Her chemistry with Lew Ayres is phenomenal. Gaynor was born to play these romantic leads. Although the plot is something to be desired for, it still is a charming piece that gives an experience of life on the farm and the getaway at the fair. There are lots of charming moments between both Gaynor and Ayres and Gaynor's brother, Norman Foster and the beautiful Sally Eilers. Even the two parents, Will Rogers and Louisse Dresser have their moments.
The story however, is really something to be desired. Nothing really happens. The mother enters her pickles and mince-meat into a contest as does Rogers entering his hog. Gaynor and Foster find lovers to spend time with. That's about it. This is not a movie with much lasting appeal and I already know it will be difficult to remember much of it. Foster also turns in a lousy acting performance and his moments with Eilers is very unbelievable. The story doesn't even resolve for those two (it does for Gaynor and Ayres).
Overall, the best word I can use to describe this piece is charm. Some poor acting and a stagnant plot hold it back from Gaynor's work and interesting look into an early 20th century fair.
My Score: 6/10
Like I stated previously, Janet Gaynor is still a great actress, even when she ventures from silent films to sound pictures. It is a very smooth transition and it was the thing I was most looking forward to. Her chemistry with Lew Ayres is phenomenal. Gaynor was born to play these romantic leads. Although the plot is something to be desired for, it still is a charming piece that gives an experience of life on the farm and the getaway at the fair. There are lots of charming moments between both Gaynor and Ayres and Gaynor's brother, Norman Foster and the beautiful Sally Eilers. Even the two parents, Will Rogers and Louisse Dresser have their moments.
The story however, is really something to be desired. Nothing really happens. The mother enters her pickles and mince-meat into a contest as does Rogers entering his hog. Gaynor and Foster find lovers to spend time with. That's about it. This is not a movie with much lasting appeal and I already know it will be difficult to remember much of it. Foster also turns in a lousy acting performance and his moments with Eilers is very unbelievable. The story doesn't even resolve for those two (it does for Gaynor and Ayres).
Overall, the best word I can use to describe this piece is charm. Some poor acting and a stagnant plot hold it back from Gaynor's work and interesting look into an early 20th century fair.
My Score: 6/10