Copyright 29 August 1945 by 20th Century-Fox Film Corp. New York opening at the Roxy: 30 August 1945. U.S. release: October 1945. U.K. release: 24 December 1945. Australian release: 2 May 1946. 9,288 feet. 103 minutes. U.S. television title: IT HAPPENED ONE SUMMER. SYNOPSIS: Fast-talking reporter romances country girl at Iowa State Fair. Her brother meantime has fallen for a red-headed singer. NOTES: Prestigious Hollywood award, Best Song, "It Might As Well Be Spring", defeating the following huge line-up of nominees: "Accentuate the Positive" from Here Come the Waves; "Anywhere" from Tonight and Every Night; "Aren't You Glad You're You" from The Bells of St Mary's; "The Cat and the Canary" from Why Girls Leave Home; "Endlessly" from Earl Carroll Vanities; "I Fall in Love Too Easily" from Anchors Aweigh; "I'll Buy That Dream" from Sing Your Way Home; "Linda" from G.I. Joe; "Love Letters" from Love Letters; "More and More" from Can't Help Singing; "Sleighride in July" from Belle of the Yukon; "So in Love" from Wonder Man; "Some Sunday Morning" from San Antonio. Nominated for Best Scoring of a Musical but lost out to Anchors Aweigh.Third to Leave Her to Heaven and The Dolly Sisters as Fox's top domestic box-office attraction of 1945. Initial domestic rentals gross: $4.1 million.This is the second of Fox's three film versions of the novel. The first starred Will Rogers and was directed by Henry King in 1933. José Ferrer directed a 1962 remake with Tom Ewell, Alice Faye, Pat Boone and Ann-Margret. COMMENT: The score's the thing all right. And it's staged in a very lively fashion. In fact Walter Lang's direction throughout is a great deal more fluid, vigorous and imaginative than is his usual humdrum norm. If you can accept Shamroy's somewhat over-garish Technicolor, production values are great as well. Certainly, Miss Crain, beautifully costumed too, has never looked lovelier. Haymes has charm and sings so agreeably, you'd think he's all set for a major movie career. Ditto Vivian Blaine who handles the femme fatale with passion. Marshall, though obviously dubbed for his songs, plays the heavy with skill. And of course there are marvelous opportunities for character players like Kilbride (who is the first person we see on the screen — singing too!), Winninger, Bainter, Meek, McHugh and Morgan (who has a memorable bit as a surly sideshow chiseler). The director manages to build excellent suspense out of the film's simple pleasures — the judging of a pickle contest and champion boar. The carnival atmosphere is beautifully captured in sets and extra players. Editing is sharp, the staging brisk. But, as said above, it's the songs that make the movie the really top-class entertainment experience it is.

Farm family Frake, with discontented daughter Margy, head for the Iowa State Fair. On the first day, both Margy and brother Wayne meet attractive new flames; so does father's prize hog, Blue Boy.I really liked this film from the opening shots. The first song is great, and includes the phrase "dollars to doughnuts", which I always thought was a strange one. Now I know where it comes from. After that, it sort of goes downhill. Most of the songs are rather dated, and the overall romance stories are cheesy. Granted, this is supposed to be a stage musical, so it has to be rushed a little... but it seems off.I really liked the pig, though. More pig and more catchy tunes and this would be a definite winner.

Outside of The Sound of Music, this is my favorite Rodgers and Hammerstein film. I probably don't have much to add to the many reviews already posted about this film. But I wanted to impress on you, the reader, that, if you haven't seen this already, then you really need to see this story of an average all-American family on the way to their state fair, with games and rides, cotton candy and candied apples, contests for baking, livestock, etc., and a lot of fun and angst too. The music is just great, including the Oscar-winning song, "It Might As Well Be Spring" sung by Jeanne Crain, who made many a man's heart go a-twitter. At the fair, she meets Dana Andrews. Dick Haymes is her brother who meets singer Vivian Blaine, and Charles Winninger and Fay Bainter are their parents. The film feels like home to me. That's just about the best compliment a film can get, and they don't come any better than this one.

The 1962 version. This one is so much better.Jeanne Crain, Dana Andrews, Dick Haymes, Vivian Blaine, Harry Morgan, Fay Bainter, and a few quirky characters and animals.Given the subject matter, a state fair where everyone is going to accomplish something for the summer. Fay Bainter as Mom, with her mincemeat pie competition; Dad and his prize hog: Blue Boy. And of course the siblings, who want only to find love. Agreed some of the Rogers and Hammerstein lyrics are a bit hard to swallow "Dollars to Donuts"" etc., but the surroundings give that sense of rural America and Iowa.Another good song is "I owe Iowa"...has a nice feel to it. Dana Andrews and Jeanne Crain make an unlikely but pleasant couple. The visuals of the fair in the evening are effective and somewhat reminiscent of a dream sequence.All's well that ends well. It is a nice story and gives us a slice of Americana that is hard to find these days, although it still can be found in parts of the mid-south, and middle America if you look. Very good film for children and families. 9/10