TBT 1962 – "State Fair" Film

We bet you didn’t know that Fair Park and the State Fair of Texas had been featured in musical history, did you? Well in 1962, Rodgers and Hammerstein re-introduced the film “State Fair” to the world. After the first release of the film in 1945, the success led to a remake of the classic based on the State Fair of Texas. The film is an integral part of Fair history because it was shot in Fair Park where the State Fair of Texas takes place every year.
State Fair was the only Rodgers and Hammerstein musical written directly for film. The movie introduced such popular songs as “It’s A Grand Night For Singing” and “It Might as Well Be Spring”, which won the Academy Award for Best Song.
Rodgers and Hammerstein adapted the film for the stage in 1969 for a production at The Muny In Saint Louis. In 1996, it was adapted again for a Broadway musical of the same name, with additional songs taken from other Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals.
The film brought screen acting royalty like Pat Boone, Bobby Darin, Alice Faye and Ann-Margret to Dallas and since has become a favorite screening of Fair fans and Dallas dwellers alike!