Affairs of the Fair: The Way It Was, 10 September

FEATURED BROADCAST
GENERAL ELECTRIC THEATER:
STATE FAIR
(NBC, 1953)

Ann Blyth has center stage in this adaptation of the 1933 film---based on a novel by Philip Strong, and remade into a film musical by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II (and the only musical Rodgers and Hammerstein wrote directly for film)---about a farm family whose discontented daughter (Blyth), her brother, and her father's prize hog each find romance at an Iowa State Fair . . . with each pondering whether the end of the fair means the end of the affairs.

Buy the premise, buy the production, even if it is done with fine enough understatement.

Additional cast: Verna Felton, Sam Edwards, Joseph Kearns, Dick Ryan, Lamont Johnston. Announcer: Ken Carpenter. Music: Wilbur Hatch. Writers: Bill Starr, Kathleen Hite.

CHANNEL SURFING . . .

LUM & ABNER: LUM DECIDES TO ADMIT TO THE WHOLE THING (NBC BLUE, 1935)---With his plan to rescue Abner (Norris Goff) from a fictitious kidnapper blowing up in his face slowly but surely, Lum (Chester Lauck) gets ready to confess the whole plot---borne of silver mine stockholders trying to hold him to account for Squire's scheme---when a detective closes in on the "evidence". Writers: Chester Lauck, Norris Goff.

THE WHISTLER: THE TANGLED WEB (CBS, 1943)---A dying widow, who has taken in her late husband's orphaned nephew and late sister's daughter, wants to force the two to marry in order to keep her considerable estate in the family---except that each has already married the ones they really love, causing them to probe for a way to effect their cantankerous aunt's earlier-than-expected demise . . . even as neither fully trusts the other. The Whistler: Bill Forman. Music: Wilbur Hatch. Writer:

QUIET, PLEASE: HOW ARE YOU, PAL (MUTUAL, 1947)---An old betrayal and a crime involving the girl (Vicki Vola) who ditched one old friend (Ernest Chappell, who narrates) for the other (Pat O'Malley) provokes the former to remember the crime---from the dead, where he was sent with a knife in his back to prevent him from exposing the earlier crime. Mother: Charme Allen. Writer/director: Wyllis Cooper.

OUR MISS BROOKS: RUMOURS (CBS, 1950)---When Connie (Eve Arden) goes to prepare her classroom a week before fall semester began---knowing Boynton (Jeff Chandler) plans to do likewise---she's wrestling as well with rumours ranging from faculty changes to Conklin (Gale Gordon) possibly leaving Madison High. Mrs. Davis: Jane Morgan. Walter: Richard Crenna. Harriet: Gloria McMillan. Announcer: Bob LaMond. Music: Wilbur Hatch. Writer/director: Al Lewis.