Picnic (1955 film)

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Picnic
Theatrical release poster
Directed byJoshua Logan
Screenplay byDaniel Taradash
Based onPicnic
1953 play
by William Inge
Produced byFred Kohlmar
StarringWilliam Holden
Kim Novak
Betty Field
Rosalind Russell
CinematographyJames Wong Howe
Edited byWilliam A. Lyon
Charles Nelson
Music byGeorge Duning
Distributed byColumbia Pictures
Release date
  • December 7, 1955 (1955-12-07)
[1]
Running time
115 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$3 million[2]
Box office$9 million (rentals)[2]

Picnic is a 1955 American Technicolor romantic comedy-drama film filmed in CinemaScope.[3][4] It was adapted for the screen by Daniel Taradash from William Inge's 1953 Pulitzer Prize-winning play of the same name.[5] Joshua Logan, director of the original Broadway stage production, directed the film version, which stars William Holden, Kim Novak, and Rosalind Russell, with Susan Strasberg and Cliff Robertson in supporting roles. Picnic was nominated for six Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and won two.

The film dramatizes 24 hours in the life of a small Kansas town in the mid-20th century during the Labor Day holiday. It is the story of an outsider whose appearance disrupts and rearranges the lives of those whom he encounters.

Plot[edit]

On the morning of Labor Day 1955, a freight train brings vagrant Hal Carter to a Kansas town to visit his fraternity friend Alan Benson. While he stays with kind Helen Potts, he also meets Alan's girlfriend Madge Owens, her sister Millie, and their mother. Alan is happy to see the "same old Hal" and shows him his family's sprawling grain-elevator operations. He promises Hal a steady job as a "wheat scooper" (though Hal would prefer to start off as an executive) and invites him to attend the town's Labor Day picnic.

At the picnic, Hal divides his attention among Madge, Millie, and middle-aged schoolteacher Rosemary, who is accompanied by her friend Howard Bevens. As Hal dances with Madge, an intoxicated Rosemary watches. When Rosemary doesn't like the way Howard is dancing with her, she interrupts Hal and Madge and insists he dance with her. Hal is uncomfortable and resists and Rosemary tears his shirt. Millie gets up, claiming to be sick. As Madge tries to help her, Millie pushes her away, saying everyone always thinks "Madge is the pretty one." She runs off, leaving Howard to find a bottle of alcohol she left behind, which her mother Flo inadvertently sees. When she wants to know who has been giving liquor to her underage daughter, Rosemary blames Hal. Embarrassed by the rejection, she dresses him down, telling him he's been acting like a big shot since he got into town and that he acts young, but isn't. She accuses him of being a fake who is just scared to act his real age, afraid of ending up in the gutter "where you belong."

Madge follows Hal to Alan's car and gets in with him. By the river, he tells her he was sent to reform school as a boy for stealing a motorcycle and that his whole life is a failure. They kiss. Outside Madge's house, they promise to meet after she finishes work the next evening.

Hal drives back to Alan's house to return the car, but Alan has called the police and wants him arrested. Hal flees the house in the car with the police following close behind. He shows up at Howard's apartment, asking to spend the night there. Howard is very understanding and now has his own worries: Rosemary has begged him to marry her. Back at the Owens house, Madge and Millie cry themselves to sleep in their shared room.

The next morning, Howard comes to the Owens house, intending to tell Rosemary he wants to wait, but at the sight of him she is overjoyed, thinking he has come to take her away. He wordlessly goes along with the misunderstanding. As Howard passes Madge on the stairs, he tells her Hal is hiding in the back seat of his car. Hal is able to slip away before the other women gleefully decorate Howard's car.

While Howard and Rosemary happily drive off to the Ozarks, Hal and Madge meet by a shed behind the house. He tells her that he loves her and asks her to meet him in Tulsa, where they can marry and he can get a job at a hotel as a bellhop and elevator operator. Mrs. Owens finds them by the shed and threatens to call the police. Madge and Hal embrace and kiss.

Hal runs to catch a passing freight train, crying out to Madge, "You love me! You love me!" Upstairs in their room, Millie tells Madge to "do something bright" for once in her life and go to Hal. Madge packs a small suitcase and, despite her mother's tears, boards a bus for Tulsa.

Cast[edit]

Production[edit]

Drive-in advertisement from 1956

Columbia acquired the rights to the play for $350,000 in September 1953.[6]

Harry Cohn offered the job of directing to Joshua Logan, who had directed the stage version. Logan was grateful as he had just had a manic breakdown.

Casting[edit]

The then 37-year old William Holden was already cast when Logan came on board. Holden was "happy to finish his Columbia Pictures contract with such a prestigious project" despite the film paying him $30,000 instead of the $250,000 he would have otherwise earned.[5] In the film, Holden keeps his hair combed in an untidy fringe over his forehead and has the sleeves of his shirt rolled up throughout. He shaved his chest for the shirtless shots and was reportedly nervous about his dancing for the "Moonglow" scene. Logan took him to Kansas roadhouses where he practiced steps in front of jukeboxes with choreographer Miriam Nelson.

Logan said Cohn suggested that Columbia contract star Kim Novak be cast, but did not insist on it. Logan felt Novak was very close to the character she played. The "blonde bombshell" Novak screen tested twice and was given the part, playing it as a redhead. Picnic was one of Kim Novak's early film roles, and this movie made her a star.

Janice Rule, who played the part on Broadway, did a screen test, but Logan said that it went poorly. Writer Daniel Taradash pushed for Carroll Baker, and who tested, but Logan felt that she was too young.

Eileen Heckart played the school teacher on Broadway, but Harry Cohn wanted a bigger name, so Rosalind Russell was cast. This was her first Hollywood movie after a big success on Broadway with her Tony Award-winning performance in Wonderful Town (1953). The film credits her with "co-star" status.

Paul Newman was under contract to Warner Bros and was unable to reprise his role as Alan, so Logan cast Cliff Robertson, who had been in a touring company of Mister Roberts.[7]

Millie, the independently minded girl who memorizes Shakespeare sonnets and rebels against her older sister, was an early role for Susan Strasberg, the daughter of prominent Method drama teacher Lee Strasberg. Kim Stanley played the youngster sister on stage, but Logan thought she was too old on film and cast Strasberg.

Elizabeth Wilson had a bit part as one of the smirking schoolteachers. Verna Felton, a longtime radio and TV character actor who was well-known to audiences in the 1950s, had a strong supporting role as neighbor Helen Potts.

Bomber, the paperboy, was played by Nick Adams, an actor who dated Natalie Wood and was a friend of both James Dean and Elvis Presley.

Mr. Benson was played by Raymond Bailey (without his toupee), later known on television as Beverly Hillbillies banker Milburn Drysdale.

Reta Shaw, Elizabeth Wilson and Arthur O'Connell recreated their roles from the original Broadway production.[8]

Locations[edit]

The extensive use of Kansas locations highlighted the naturalistic, small-town drama. Picnic was shot mostly around Hutchinson, Kansas.[5] Other Kansas locations include:

  • Halstead's Riverside Park is where the Labor Day picnic scenes were filmed.[9][10][11]: 10  The park and many landmarks remained at the time of the movie's 50th anniversary. The merry-go-round and cable suspension footbridge, which spans the Little Arkansas River, are still located there.
  • Nickerson is the location of the two adjacent houses used for the Owens family home and that of Mrs. Potts. It is where Hal (William Holden) "jumps a freight" to go to Tulsa and where Madge boards a bus in the last scene.[11]: 11 
  • Salina, for the opening scene where Hal jumps off a train, then meets Alan (Cliff Robertson) at Alan's father's large house. This location is also used for the Saline River (where Madge kisses Hal) and the scene where Hal escapes from the police by running under a waterfall.[11]: 8–9 
  • Sterling, where the pre-picnic swim in the lake was filmed.[11]: 11 

During filming of the actual picnic scenes in Halstead, Kansas, a tornado swept through the area, forcing the cast and crew to take cover. While the storm spared the set, it devastated the nearby town of Udall, Kansas, and the film crew drove their trucks and equipment there to help clean up the damage.[11]: 10 

Heavy thunderstorms with tornado warnings repeatedly interrupted shooting of the scene on location, and it was completed on a backlot in Burbank, where Holden (according to some sources)[specify] was "dead drunk" to calm his nerves.

Reception[edit]

The film's release was accompanied by a Time cover story.[12] It earned theatrical rentals of $6,300,000 in the United States and Canada and $9 million worldwide.[13][14][2]

In a contemporary review, critic Mae Tinee of the Chicago Tribune wrote:

It is a taut two hours of masterful movie making ... The story presents a cross-section of many lives, but the telling is never hurried, the detail is impressive, and the performances are some of the finest of the year. ... The film tells a moving and human tale, and does it in superb fashion. It is one of the finest examples of superior motion picture production."[15]

Film critic A. H. Weiler of The New York Times wrote:

[I]t should be noted that William Inge's distinguished comedy-drama is slightly travelworn here and there. The hearts and minds of the commonplace Kansas townsfolk that were so beautifully revealed on stage still leave a sharp, poignant and lasting impression on a moviegoer. But the new CinemaScope surroundings appear too vast an occasion for these basically intimate stories. Lebensraum apparently is not what these Plains people need. And, while the titular picnic of this sprawling dramatization is inventive, eye-catching and eye-filling, it is not particularly germane to the dramas at hand. ... In returning to film making after a long absence, Joshua Logan, who has lived with the play from the beginning, has made its characters come alive again through his directorial artistry. Although he is occasionally overwhelmed by the CinemaScope process, Mr. Inge's principals are not. They still make Picnic a memorable and moving drama.[16]

The film was restored in the mid-1990s[17] and brought many art-house bookings.[18]

Awards and honors[edit]

Award Category Nominee(s) Result
Academy Awards Best Motion Picture Fred Kohlmar Nominated
Best Director Joshua Logan Nominated
Best Supporting Actor Arthur O'Connell Nominated
Best Art Direction – Color William Flannery, Jo Mielziner and Robert Priestley Won
Best Film Editing Charles Nelson and William Lyon Won
Best Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture George Duning Nominated
Belgian Film Critics Association Grand Prix Won
British Academy Film Awards Best Film from any Source Nominated
Best Foreign Actor William Holden Nominated
Best Foreign Actress Kim Novak Nominated
Most Promising Newcomer to Film Susan Strasberg Nominated
Cahiers du Cinéma Best Film Joshua Logan Nominated
Directors Guild of America Awards Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures Nominated
Golden Globe Awards Best Director – Motion Picture Won
Nastro d'Argento Best Foreign Film Nominated
National Board of Review Awards Top Ten Films 9th Place
Writers Guild of America Awards Best Written American Drama Daniel Taradash Nominated

The film is recognized by American Film Institute in these lists:

Music[edit]

The film's "Theme from Picnic", composed by George Duning and Steve Allen (although Allen's lyrics were not used in the film), was released in three versions:

  • "Moonglow and Theme from 'Picnic'" by Morris Stoloff and the Columbia Pictures Orchestra reached #1 on the Billboard Top 100 and remained on the chart for 27 weeks.
  • "Moonglow and Theme from 'Picnic'" by George Cates and His Orchestra reached #4 on the Billboard Top 100 and remained on the chart for 22 weeks.
  • "Picnic", a vocal version by the McGuire Sisters, reached #13 on the Billboard Top 100 and remained on the chart for 20 weeks. The single was a double A-side with "Delilah Jones", a #37 hit.

At one point, the three singles were in the Top 40 simultaneously, and the Stoloff and Cates versions ranked consecutively at #3 and #4 in the Top 100 chart of June 2, 1956.

The soundtrack album reached #2 on the Billboard album chart, where it remained for 56 weeks beginning in February 1956.[21]

Subliminal marketing hoax[edit]

In 1957, marketing researcher James Vicary said he had included subliminal messages such as "eat popcorn" and "drink Coca-Cola" in public screenings of Picnic for six weeks, claiming sales of Coca-Cola and popcorn increased 18.1% and 57.8% respectively. However, after being unable to replicate the results, Vicary later admitted that he had falsified the data.[22]

Remakes[edit]

Picnic was remade for television twice. The first was in 1986, directed by Marshall W. Mason and starring Gregory Harrison, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Michael Learned, Rue McClanahan and Dick Van Patten. The second remake was in 2000, starring Josh Brolin, Gretchen Mol, Bonnie Bedelia, Jay O. Sanders and Mary Steenburgen. The adaptation by Shelley Evans was directed by Ivan Passer.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Picnic (1955)
  2. ^ a b c "Wall St. Researchers' Cheery Tone". Variety. November 7, 1962. p. 7.
  3. ^ Arneel, Gene (December 7, 1955). "Film Reviews: Picnic". Variety. p. 8. Retrieved January 30, 2021 – via Archive.org.
  4. ^ Harrison's Reports film review; December 10, 1955, p.198
  5. ^ a b c Miller, Frank. "Picnic". Articles. Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved 2014-02-15.
  6. ^ "Up Bids For Stage Plays". Variety. September 23, 1953. p. 3. Retrieved October 7, 2019 – via Archive.org.
  7. ^ Logan, Joshua (1978). Movie stars, real people and me. pp. 5–21.
  8. ^ Picnic (play)
  9. ^ "Riverside Park Bridge and Falls". Kansas Travel. Retrieved 14 September 2016.
  10. ^ "Halstead Kansas". Retrieved 14 September 2016.
  11. ^ a b c d e Shaffer, Bill (Spring 2005). "The Summer of Picnic" (PDF). Kansas Heritage. 13 (1). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2022-10-10. Retrieved 14 September 2016.
  12. ^ "William Holden". Time. February 27, 1956. Retrieved 2014-02-15.
  13. ^ "Top Film Grossers of 1956". Variety. January 2, 1957. p. 1. Retrieved January 30, 2021 – via Archive.org.
  14. ^ "All Time Domestic Champs". Variety. 6 January 1960. p. 34.
  15. ^ Tinee, Mae (1956-02-17). "'Picnic' Found More than Fun: A Good Movie". Chicago Tribune. pp. 6, Part 2.
  16. ^ Weiler, A. H. (1956-02-17). "'Picnic,' at Music Hall, Faithful to Inge Play". The New York Times. p. 13.
  17. ^ Holden, Stephen (July 26, 1996). "Critic's Choice / Film: Erotic Fantasies, 50s Style". The New York Times. Retrieved 2014-02-15.
  18. ^ "Picnic". SwapaDVD.com. 2007. Archived from the original on 2007-12-12. Retrieved 2014-02-15. The DVD greatly benefits from a mid-1990s film restoration project that saw Picnic back on the big screen in art houses across the country.
  19. ^ "AFI's 100 Years ... 100 Passions" (PDF). American Film Institute. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2011-03-13. Retrieved 2016-08-19.
  20. ^ "AFI's 100 Years of Film Scores Nominees" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2011-03-13. Retrieved 2016-08-19.
  21. ^ Feldman, Christopher G. (January 2000). The Billboard Book of Number Two Singles. Watson-Guptill, 2000. ISBN 9780823076956. Retrieved 2014-02-15.
  22. ^ "Urban Legends Reference Pages: Business (Subliminal Advertising)". The Urban Legends Reference Pages. Retrieved 2006-08-11.

External links[edit]

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