"The County Fair" is quite formulaic. In the opening, it says that it's based on a play that one's parents enjoyed. This was a 1920 film, but an even older play. It goes just like you think it will. A mean man wants to foreclose on sweet auntie, there's a way to raise the money, first prize is eventually awarded and the day is saved. Much of the movie deals with the auntie's niece and her relationship with the hired hand. Also, the auntie has (somewhat of) a love interest of her own. Yeah, yeah, yeah... But the end makes it all worthwhile. The horse "Cold Molasses" (owned by the auntie) proves itself to be the fastest horse around and is entered in a race that will raise enough money to prevent the foreclosure. It just so happens that the mean man owns a horse that's pretty fast, too - thanks in part to a battery charge to the horse's person. The race is run. While it's being run, we see Auntie gathering her belongings, certain she will lose her home. The mean man's horse wins, but the hired hand points out the battery charger and Cold Molasses is declared the winner. The hired hand rushes off to tell Auntie.. Somewhere along the way (and this must be a missing part of the film), her love interest ends up presenting the money to her. Shortly thereafter, the Auntie informs the love interest he will be her husband. A bit later, we see the niece and the hired man riding in a cart. They see the auntie getting married and decide to do that themselves. The horse, who must be pretty smart in addition to being pretty fast, literally noses his way into the scene. Pretty corny, but there's still still a lot to like.
Review of The County Fair
