Forgotten Movies: MAGIC TOWN

Directed by William Wellman in 1947 this is probably the first movie about polling, a subject which caught our attention so much last month. Starring Jimmy Stewart and Jane Wyman, it concerns a pollster, Rip Smith, who discovers a town where public opinion corresponds perfectly with the entire country (has to be in Ohio right). Wyman is the public-minded citizen who falls in love with him. The kick to the movie is that, of course, once they become aware of the reason for his visit, townspeople's opinions begin to change.

This is a slight movie that is enjoyable because of its stars and its low-keyed ambiance. I had no idea until I looked Wyman up on IMDB just how many movies she was making in the late forties. I wonder how her husband took this.