utgard14 Underrated Capraesque gem with Jimmy Stewart playing a pollster who finds a small American town where the opinions reflect the national consensus. Charming fun with a great cast. Stewart and Jane Wyman have delightful chemistry. The classroom scene is wonderful. The movie falters in the second half when things turn dark but it's still a treat for anyone who likes these kinds of sweet old-fashioned pictures. It probably doesn't make it on director William Wellman's highlight reel but I enjoyed it. I think it improves upon repeated viewings as I like it more each time I see it. Sadly, this was the final film for two tremendously talented character actors: Donald Meek and Ned Sparks.

JonathanDQuatro This is a perfect example of Jimmy Stewart saving yet another movie. Many of his films would have been terrible if someone else were cast in his role, but his presence is enough to make them worth watching. In "Magic Town" pretty much all of the rest of the cast is mediocre, the plot is fragile, and the script is just OK, but Stewart saves the day with his brilliant handling of dialogue and charming display of wit. His performance alone saves the entire film from failing, and makes it all very enjoyable. This movie is classic Jimmy Stewart. He is terrific, showing his ability to seamlessly mix comedy with drama. One brilliant comedic moment occurs when Stewart and Wyman try to out-do each other in quoting poetry, with her rendition of "Hiawatha" being drowned out by his shouting of "The Charge of the Light Brigade." A startled janitor sees them and begins quoting Shakespeare, creating a chaotic moment of hilarity. Unfortunately, the latter half of the film takes the focus off of Stewart and places it on the female lead (Jane Wyman, Ronald Reagan's first wife) and her situation. This leads to the film lagging a bit toward the end. If only the director had realized that Jimmy Stewart is to films as a star quarterback is to his football team; the more playing time he receives, the better the outcome. Still an enjoyable, charming way to spend an hour and a half.

MartinHafer Okay, I'll admit the plot is silly and contrived. Sure, the idea of an actuary determining that there is a "perfect" city that is actually statistically represents America in a microcosm is silly. And, their plan NOT to tell anyone in the town but surreptitiously poll just these townspeople in order to find out what America thinks about a wide variety of issues is far-fetched. BUT, with Jimmy Stewart and Jane Wyman as well as William Wellman's direction, who cares?! This is one of those "just sit back and enjoy" pictures that isn't particularly deep but that is charming and great fun to watch. And I think we need a few films like this now and again.

Penfold-13 Stewart's previous movie was "It's a Wonderful Life", and this one drinks from the same well.It has a strong underlying moral about being true to yourself, and extols the virtues of honesty, pride in your small-town community. The town appears to be a microcosm of America, but it can only be that while it still has its innocence: once it tries to cash in on its status, disaster strikes.It's a gentle, heartwarming little movie. Jimmy Stewart and the then Mrs Reagan do the romantic lead bits, and lots of people with "interesting" faces play "typical small town characters", the children manage to avoid being ridiculously cute, and it's all quite charming.Watch out for the Senator's wife and the ancient employees of the newspaper, who are the most obviously funny characters. This may be billed as a comedy, but it's one to be amused by, and brings smiles to you face rather than guffaws and belly-laughs.If you liked James Stewart in "It's a Wonderful Life" and "The Philadelphia Story", this one's for you.