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State Fair

(1945, Rated NR, Musical, Starring Dana Andrews, Jeanne Crain, Dick Haymes)

  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 3, age appropriate for kids over 6; suggested age 6.

  • Is it any good?

    3.0

  • Common Sense says

    Love and Rodgers & Hammerstein music in 1940s Iowa.

Why We Rated This on for Ages 6 and Up

The good stuff

  • Messages:

    The culture and customs of 1940s Iowa are clearly evident. There is no person of color or ethnic minority in any scene. Women, with the exception of a singer, are portrayed as homemakers. Everyone is honest, upright, and responsible.
 

What to watch out for

  • Violence & scariness:

    One sock to the jaw in a moment of temper.

  • Sexy stuff:

    Lovers kiss and embrace on three occasions. They're old-fashioned, romantic movie kisses.

  • Language:

    Not an issue.

  • Consumerism:

    Coca-Cola.

  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Social drinking in several scenes. One character becomes tipsy while judging a food contest in which mincemeat has been spiked with brandy. Two men get drunk together after one of them loses his girl.
 

What Parents Need to Know

About State Fair

Parents need to know that this is an old-fashioned musical film that reflects the simple innocence of the 1940s Midwestern farm community. There are a few scenes of drunkenness played for comic effect. A leading character loses his temper and socks another man in the jaw. In one short roller coaster scene the heroine is very frightened. A number of passionate "movie" kisses indicates that the characters are falling in love.

Did this review help you decide?

Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about the period in which this movie was made, just before the end of World War II. Do you think this simple musical story of romance, happy endings, and state fairs helped make people feel better during that difficult era? What kinds of movies do you like to see when you want to be entertained and not worry about real life? How is the Frake family like your own family? How is it different? Besides the most obvious differences (like hairstyles, clothes, and music), how has the art of making movies changed since this film was made?
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