In a contemporary review for
The New York Times, reviewer
Bosley Crowther sharply criticized the film for following the original play, which he described "as loaded as a corn-crib is with corn", rather than lampooning its "naive conceits", writing:As hard as it is to imagine, William Perlberg and George Seaton have produced a straight-away, gen-you-WINE screen offering of the hayseed comedy, undisturbed by anything more sophisticated than Technicolor and ten routine songs. ... Claude Binyon, who wrote and directed, must have done so in a stultifying trance; not a trace of his well-known wit or drollery is evident in this film. And the songs, which are woodenly delivered by Miss Shore, Mr. Young and Robert Merrill, who plays the city rascal, are hard to remember as far as the door. Having been borrowed (without improvement) from the rural amateurs, "Aaron Slick from Punkin Crick" can now be turned back with a fast shove to the thespians to whom it belongs.
Variety was lukewarm, reporting: "The bucolic humor presented is of a mild brand, the music score that has been added to the original play is fair, and while the performances are competent its chances in the general market are spotty." ''
Harrison's Reports'' wrote that the film should give "... fairly good satisfaction to the general run of audiences, although it will probably find its best reception in the smaller towns and cities."
John McCarten of
The New Yorker wrote: "Every cliché of musical barnyard drama is included here, and the song lyrics run to such idiocies as 'Purt Nigh but Not Plumb.' Associated with Mr. Merrill in this hayshaking enterprise are Alan Young and Dinah Shore. They'll make you long for the streets outside." English film historian and critic
Leslie Halliwell considered
Aaron Slick from Punkin Crick to be "[h]omespun entertainment based on a staple success of the American provincial theatre, with pleasant songs added." ==Soundtrack==