One of Henry King's finest works, State Fair has been hailed by British critic John Gillett as: “a perfect expression of Americana - a charming, unpretentious picture of a family way of life. Bustling with Will Rogers' humour, the film also contains remarkable camerawork by Hal Mohr, including some location footage at an actual Kansas State Fair, shot with a special 25mm lens in order to get scope.” In his essay on Henry King, Clive Denton observed: “It is perhaps surprising that such simple elements in State Fair add up to such a charming, complete picture of a way of life vanishing even as it was recorded.... State Fair has something of a musical's joie de vivre, without the need for music.” In fact, State Fair was twice remade as a musical.