Movie review - "State Fair" (1945) ***1/2

The fellers coming home from Iwo Jima would have loved this dollop of farm town Americana, with its lightest of light plots, romance and tunes. They would have adored smiling girl next door Jeanne Crain, who is the daughter who falls in love with a journo (Dana Andrews). Crain and Andrews are the two big names, plus Dick Haymes who is Crain'sbrother, so the film isn't exactly overloaded with star charisma. But everyone is very engaging (Haymes is a bit on the awkward side but sing swell), Vivienne Blaine likable as the "fast" singer, there are somegood pig performances and the tunes are top quality: "It Might As Well Be Spring", "State Fair", etc (This was Rodgers and Hammerstein's only score just for the movies).