"State Fair" is an odd movie musical with songs by Rodgers and Hammerstein. It was one of their first musicals together, and the only one written as a movie musical instead of a stage musical. They added songs to a story borrowed from an earlier 1933 movie starring Will Rogers (which was also called "State Fair"). Though their first version was released in 1945, a peculiar second version was filmed 17 years later in 1962.

Both versions offer the charming story of happy and festive townsfolk excited by their once-a-year pilgrimage to the state's big fair. There's something quaint and special about the personal enthusiasm they have for the simple event, and it will play a role in their own individual dramas. Their small-town pride wars with their small-town humility, and they're warned by a neighbors that no good came from a visit to the fair. The movie's opening scenes set up the excitement with a chorus that's both simple and joyous. "Our state fair is a great state fair. Don't miss it, don't even be late."

But by the time the musical was released, Oscar Hammerstein had already died, which created some complications for the production. To add new songs to the film, Richard Rodgers wrote both the melody and the lyrics. (The movie's tagline boasted "Richard Rodgers' newest melodies and newest lyrics.") The new songs in the film are "Willing and Eager" and "This Isn't Heaven." But the audiences were probably more interested in hearing the familiar tunes from the original 1945 musical.

The cast of the 1962 version also strangely boasted several teen idols, including Pat Boone, Bobby Darin, and it's notable for the appearance of a very young Ann-Margaret. In fact, "State Fair" is actually the first movie that she'd ever filmed. Ann-Margaret had just turned 21, and wouldn't make her appearance in "Bye Bye Birdie" until the next year. After "State Fair," she would film a Bette Davis movie called "Pocketful of Miracles." Because that movie was released before "State Fair," it's often mistakenly assumed to be her first movie role.

Ann-Margret was too young to handle the serious drama that her role required. She plays a traveling fair worker, who charms the local farm boy but then worries she's not good enough to return with him to his wholesome life. The drama is a heart-tugging interruption to the jovial celebration found in the rest of the movie. Unfortunately, Ann-Margret overplays the role a little, and this creates an even greater unbalance.

The movie also includes other humorous vignettes. The old married couple argued about how much liquor should be in the canned preserves. Each secretly adds more liquor to their fair entry, meaning they're arriving at the contest with a jar of preserves that's full of liquor. It's one of the folksier moments of humor that still comes through in this re-make. But "State Fair" was always an old-fashioned musical - and it ultimately wasn't able to make a smooth transition to the youth-oriented culture of the early 1960s.

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