History Film / StateFair

* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: Since the 1945 movie predates the advent of widescreen film, it became Rodgers' and Hammerstein's only live-action movie filmed in the Academy ratio.

* {{Foreshadowing}}: At a party in the 1945 version, Wayne and Emily sing 'Isn't it kind of fun'. The lyrics 'Maybe you're not a girl to have and to hold / Maybe I'm not a boy who would stay' foreshadow the end of their relationship - Emily can't marry Wayne, and Wayne returns home to the farm.

* IWantSong: "It Might As Well Be Spring"

* MusicalWorldHypotheses: Unusually for Rodgers and Hammerstein, the 1945 version has four of its six songs performed diegetically. Three of those four ("That's For Me", "It's a Grand Night For Singing", and "All I Owe Ioway") are sung as part of [[ShowWithinAShow Shows Within the Show]], while the singers of the fourth ("Isn't It Kinda Fun?") clearly have sheet music in front of them. Only "Our State Fair" and "It Might as Well Be Spring" seem to receive non-diegetic numbers -- Both would instead fall under All In Their Heads (unless "Our State Fair" also exists in-universe, which would explain why three different people know it). The 1962 version and the play seem to vary between Diegetic, All In Their Head, and Adaptation, depending on the number.

[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/state_fair_1945_poster.jpg]]

The first was a 1933 version, directed by Henry King, starring Janet Gaynor, Creator/WillRogers, and Creator/LewAyres. In 1945 there was a musical version directed by Walter Lang, starring Jeanne Crain and Creator/DanaAndrews. This version has music by Creator/RodgersAndHammerstein, and it was their only movie not based a Broadway musical, although it spawned a ScreenToStageAdaptation in the mid-1990s. A remake of the musical version, starring Pat Boone and Creator/AnnMargret, was released in 1962.

There was also a failed tv pilot in 1976, which changed the family's last name, added a third son, and had the daughter recently returned to the farm with her young son while separated from her husband. Only available as an extra on the 2-disc 60th Anniversary Edition DVD of the 1945 and 1962 films, and on the out-of-print Blu-ray of the latter.

The first was a 1933 version, directed by Henry King, starring Janet Gaynor, Will Rogers, and Creator/LewAyres. In 1945 there was a musical version directed by Walter Lang, starring Jeanne Crain and Creator/DanaAndrews. This version has music by Creator/RodgersAndHammerstein, and it was their only movie not based a Broadway musical, although it spawned a ScreenToStageAdaptation in the mid-1990s. A remake of the musical version, starring Pat Boone and Creator/AnnMargret, was released in 1962.

* DrivingADesk: Used in scenes of the Frake family driving to and from the fair, as well as the scene of the 1945 version in which Margy and Pat meet while riding a roller coaster.
** The 1962 problem shares the same issues, as well as all the scenes in the car races when you can actually identify the drivers.

* IncrediblyLamePun: From the 1962 version: "It's ''Dallas'' to donuts that our state fair is the best state fair in our state!"
** It's also the in-universe invention of Pa Frake, meaning it's an early example of a Dad Joke on film!

* SpotlightStealingSquad: The 1962 version's Pat Boone and Ann-Margret as Wayne and Emily, respectively. This has to do in part with the fact Pamela Tiffin acts so bland as Margy. (Pat Gilbert's actor, Bobby Darin, has a tendency to steal the spotlight from her as well.)

* TheBet: In the 1933 and 1945 films Abel bets a neighbor $5 that his hog will win the prize.

* AdvertisingByAssociation: Advertisements for the Rodgers and Hammerstein movies also list off the duo's biggest Broadway hits at the time -- ''Theatre/{{Oklahoma}}'' and ''Theatre/{{Carousel}} by 1945, and ''Oklahoma!'', ''Theatre/TheKingAndI'', ''Theatre/SouthPacific'', and ''Theatre/TheSoundOfMusic'' by 1962.

There was also a failed tv pilot in 1976, which changed the family's last name, added a third son, and had the daughter recently returned to the farm with her young son while separated from her husband. Only available as an extra on the 2-disc Special Edition DVD of the 1945/1962 film.

* {{Retronym}}: Some TV broadcasts of the 1945 version used the title ''It Happened One Summer'', to avoid confusion with the remake. Eventually, the remake's critical and financial failures lessened the chance of people mistaking the '45 movie for it.

* RealLifeWritesThePlot: Or at least the lyrics. When Hammerstein was writing 'It might as well be spring', it was originally going to be about spring fever... then he realized that all State Fairs at the time took place in autumn. So he changed it to 'It ''might as well be'' Spring', and decided he liked it better that way anyway.

In the 1962 film, the Frakes attend Texas' state fair, where Wayne plans to win a car race, and Emily works as a showgirl. This version also boasts six additional songs, written by Richard Rodgers [[note]]Oscar Hammerstein having died in 1960 [[/note]]

The first was a 1933 version, directed by Henry King, starring Janet Gaynor, Will Rogers, and Creator/LewAyres. In 1945 there was a musical version directed by Walter Lang, starring Jeanne Crain and Creator/DanaAndrews. This version has music by Creator/RodgersAndHammerstein, and it was their only movie not based a Broadway musical, although it spawned a ScreenToStageAdaptation in the mid-1990s. A remake of the musical version, starring Pat Boone and Ann-Margret, was released in 1962.

* YourCheatingHeart: In the 1945 and 1962 versions, Wayne has a girlfriend [[note]] Eleanor and Betty Jean respectively[[/note]] who he seems to forget exists [[LoveAtFirstSight as soon as he lays eyes on Emily]], and who he seems to [[KarmaHoudini go back to without a second thought]] at the end of the movie. Margy has a boyfriend named Harry who expects her to marry him and who Melissa keeps nagging her to formally become engaged to. However, Margy is ''very'' clearly disinterested in him and even more reluctant to commit. The only reason Harry keeps coming around is that he's oblivious to her feelings and Melissa encourages him; Margy is clearly hoping to find a new love interest at the State Fair, and her big solo 'It might as well be Spring' expresses that, including in the reprise in the 1945 version.

* YourCheatingHeart: In the 1945 and 1962 versions, Wayne has a girlfriend [[note]] Eleanor and Betty Jean respectively[[/note]] who he seems to forget exists [[LoveAtFirstSight as soon as he lays eyes on Emily]], and [[spoiler: who he seems to [[KarmaHoudini go back to without a second thought]] at the end of the movie.]] Margy has a boyfriend named Harry who expects her to marry him and who Melissa keeps nagging her to formally become engaged to. However, Margy is ''very'' clearly disinterested in him and even more reluctant to commit. The only reason Harry keeps coming around is that he's oblivious to her feelings and Melissa encourages him; Margy is clearly hoping to find a new love interest at the State Fair, and her big solo 'It might as well be Spring' expresses that, including in the reprise in the 1945 version.

* FirstGirlWins: Wayne ends up getting dumped by Emily. After the fair ends, he returns to his previous girlfriend, Eleanor -- and seems quite happy about it.

* KarmaHoudini: Wayne, in the 1945 and 1962 versions at least. In 1945 [[spoiler:Emily refuses to leave the state fair and come home with him, and asks him to wait until she comes off stage so she can explain. He finds out from a friendly third party that Emily's already married, though she's been legally separated for a year, and Wayne is the first guy she's shown any interest in since.]] In 1962 [[spoiler: an obviously troubled Emily tells Wayne that they were never supposed to last anyway, and he should go back home and enjoy having a place to belong.]] In both cases, Wayne storms off and gets [[DrowningMySorrows very drunk]], sulks on the way home then in the last scene is happily driving around with his home town girlfriend. While Emily in the 1945 version never gets to tell her side of the story, and 1962 Emily seemed genuinely in love with Wayne, and was willing to come home with him - at least until she stood behind his family at the race track, and heard enough to understand she'd never be more than a showgirl hussy who seduced and stole him away from his proper girl. No one ever calls Wayne out on the fact he's cheating on his girlfriend at home, who in the 1962 version fully expects to marry him.

* DyeingForYourArt: the naturally brunette Ann-Margret first dyed her hair red for this movie (either as a MythologyGag to Vivian Blaine from the 1945 film or to show Emily more clearly as a 'scarlet woman'). She realised how good it looked on her, and kept it that way for several decades afterward.

* CaliforniaDoubling: The 1962 version is set in Texas, but was filmed at Mooney's Grove Park in Visalia, California.

* JukeboxMusical: The Broadway version bolsters the soundtrack with songs taken from R&H's most obscure musicals, as well as some {{Cut Song}}s from ''Theatre/{{Oklahoma}}''.

* ThrowItIn: When Hammerstein was writing 'It might as well be spring', it was originally going to be about spring fever... then he realized that all State Fairs at the time took place in autumn. So he changed it to 'It ''might as well be'' Spring', and decided he liked it better that way anyway.

* BestServedCold: Wayne was embarrassed by a carnival barker with a hoop-tossing concession at the previous year's fair, wasting $8 to eventually win a fake pearl-handle revolver. He spent the whole year practicing tossing hoops, finds the same barker, and embarrasses him and cleans him out of prizes until the barker gives him his $8 back.

In the 1962 film, the Frakes attend Texas' state fair, where Wayne plans to win a car race, and Emily works as a showgirl. This version also boasts six additional songs, written by Richard Rodgers.

There was also a failed tv pilot in 1976, which changed the family's last name, added a third son, and had the daughter come back home with her young son while separated from her husband. Only available as an extra on the 2-disc Special Edition DVD of the 1945/1962 film.

There was also a 1976 tv pilot, which changed the family's last name, added a third son, and had the daughter come back home with her young son while separated from her husband. Only available as an extra on the 2-disc Special Edition DVD of the 1945/1962 film.

There was also a 1976 tv pilot, which changed the family's last name, added a third son, and had the daughter come back home with her young son while separated from her husband. Only available as an extra on the 2-disc Special Edition DVD of the 1945/1962.

* CreatorsPet: the song 'It might as well be spring'. Oscar Hammerstein used it in master classes a lot, especially the line 'I'm as jumpy as a puppet on a string'.

* FirstGirlWins: Wayne ends up getting dumped by Emily. After the fair ends, he returns to his previous girlfriend, Eleanor.

* CreditsGag: The 1962 film's opening title zooms out of a billboard advertising the 1945 film.