Main Cast: E.J. Ballantine, James Stewart, Mary Currier, Jane Wyman, Julia Dean, Kent Smith, Ann Doran, Ned Sparks, Frank Fenton, Wallace Ford
Release Year: 1947
Country: US
Run Time: 103 minutes
MPAA Rating: NR
Plot
With Robert Riskin as screenwriter, director William Wellman proved in Magic Town that it was possible to make a Frank Capra-esque picture without Capra himself at the helm. James Stewart plays Rip Smith, a cynical pollster who comes across a small American town named Grandview, which represents a "perfect" balance of ethnic types, professions, political beliefs, and personal opinions (a parody of the then-current "Middletown" study). Smith publicizes this discovery, leading to a barrage of media attention and an onslaught of get-rich-quick entrepreneurs. Not surprisingly, all of this has an adverse effect on the heretofore "average" citizens of Grandview; it also seriously threatens Smith's blossoming romance with local girl Mary Peterman (Jane Wyman), who feels that her friends and neighbors are being used, exploited, and in some cases, corrupted. The satirical thrust of the film bogs down into sentimentality toward the end, but it's fun while it lasts. One of the colorful supporting characters is played by screwball-comedy favorite Donald Meek, who died during production, necessitating a number of hasty and not altogether successful rewrites. Though it pleases audiences today, Magic Town was a financial disappointment in 1947, prompting James Stewart to seek out "tougher" and more challenging roles to restore his box-office appeal. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Review
Magic Town could have used a little magic itself -- especially the kind of magic provided by that old wizard, Frank Capra. Magic demonstrates just how important a factor Capra was to the success of his films. Written (and produced) by Capra writer Robert Riskin, Magic has many of the ingredients that one associates with Capra, but it lacks the spark to animate them or to transform the sticky sentimentality that pervades the film into genuine heartfelt sentiment. William Wellman doesn't really make a stab at Capra magic, nor does he take a different tack and try explore the satirical elements in the situation; instead, he provides fairly flat direction that lacks distinction. Fortunately, Magic does have a marvelous cast that makes up for many of the film's flaws, with James Stewart and Jane Wyman taking top honors. It also has a number of scenes -- the dual poem-recitation scene, a great drinking segment -- that do take flight. If all the film were as delightful as these scenes, Magic Town would have been a terrific film. As it is, it's certainly light and entertaining, but not much more. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
Milo Anderson - Costume Designer, Arthur S. Black, Jr. - First Assistant Director, William Wellman - Director, Sherman Todd - Editor, Richard G. Wray - Editor, Roy Webb - Composer (Music Score), Constantin Bakaleinikoff - Musical Direction/Supervision, Lionel Banks - Production Designer, Joseph Biroc - Cinematographer, Robert Riskin - Producer, George Sawley - Set Designer, Terry Kellum - Sound/Sound Designer, John E. Tribby - Sound/Sound Designer, Robert Riskin - Screenwriter, Joseph Krumgold - Short Story Author
Lawrence 'Rip' Smith (played by James Stewart) and his assistants are pollsters, and Stewart believes there is a perfect community in the middle of United States that can be used for polling its citizens. He has finally found a town where the percentages of the opinions of the citizens perfectly mirror those of the American people as a whole. Stewart goes to the town and sets up undercover with the intention of using the citizens as his poling guinea pigs, but he gets involved with town inhabitants. When his plans are revealed, the town goes crazy. Their sudden unofficial power goes to their heads, and instead of giving the sensible polling answers to questions they give outlandish ones. This causes the crash of their reputation and failure of Smith's plan.
