Picnic (1955 film): Difference between revisions
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{{Short description|1955 film by Joshua Logan}} |
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{{Infobox film |
{{Infobox film |
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| name = Picnic |
| name = Picnic |
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| image = Original movie poster for the film Picnic.jpg |
| image = Original movie poster for the film Picnic.jpg |
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| image_size = |
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| border = |
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| alt = |
| alt = |
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| caption = Theatrical release poster |
| caption = Theatrical release poster |
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| director = [[Joshua Logan]] |
| director = [[Joshua Logan]] |
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| producer = [[Fred Kohlmar]] |
| producer = [[Fred Kohlmar]] |
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| screenplay = [[Daniel Taradash]] |
| screenplay = [[Daniel Taradash]] |
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| based_on = {{based on|''[[Picnic (play)|Picnic]]''<br />1953 play|[[William Inge]]}} |
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| starring = [[William Holden]]<br />[[Kim Novak]]<br />[[Betty Field]]<br />[[Rosalind Russell]] |
| starring = [[William Holden]]<br />[[Kim Novak]]<br />[[Betty Field]]<br />[[Rosalind Russell]] |
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| music = [[George Duning]] |
| music = [[George Duning]] |
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| cinematography = [[James Wong Howe]] |
| cinematography = [[James Wong Howe]] |
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| editing = [[William A. Lyon]]<br />[[Charles Nelson (editor)|Charles Nelson]] |
| editing = [[William A. Lyon]]<br />[[Charles Nelson (film editor)|Charles Nelson]] |
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| distributor = [[Columbia Pictures]] |
| distributor = [[Columbia Pictures]] |
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| released = {{Film date|1955| |
| released = {{Film date|1955|12|07}}<ref name=PicnicInfo>[https://silverscenesblog.blogspot.com/2014/05/picnic-1955.html Picnic (1955)]</ref> |
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| runtime = 115 minutes |
| runtime = 115 minutes |
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| country = United States |
| country = United States |
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| language = English |
| language = English |
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| budget = $3 million<ref name=wall>{{cite magazine |date=November 7, 1962 |title=Wall St. Researchers' Cheery Tone|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |page=7}}</ref> |
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| budget = |
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| gross = $9 million {{small|([[theatrical rental|rentals]])}}<ref name=wall/> |
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| gross = $6,300,000 {{small|(US & Canada)}}<ref>'The Top Box-Office Hits of 1956', ''Variety Weekly'', January 2, 1957</ref><ref>"All Time Domestic Champs", ''Variety'', 6 January 1960 p 34</ref> |
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'''''Picnic''''' is a 1955 American [[Technicolor]] [[romance film|romantic]] [[comedy |
'''''Picnic''''' is a 1955 American [[Technicolor]] [[romance film|romantic]] [[comedy drama|comedy-drama film]] filmed in [[CinemaScope]].<ref name="WVrev">{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|title=Film Reviews: Picnic|last=Arneel|first=Gene|url=https://archive.org/stream/variety201-1955-12#page/n7/mode/1up|date=December 7, 1955|page=8|access-date=January 30, 2021|via=[[Archive.org]]}}</ref><ref name="HRrev">''[[Harrison's Reports and Film Reviews|Harrison's Reports]]'' film review; December 10, 1955, p.198</ref> It was adapted for the screen by [[Daniel Taradash]] from [[William Inge]]'s [[1953 Pulitzer Prize]]-winning [[Picnic (play)|play]] of the same name.<ref name="tcmarticle"/> [[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 [[28th Academy Awards|nominated for six Academy Awards]], including [[Academy Award for Best Picture|Best Picture]], and won two. |
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The film dramatizes 24 hours in the life of a small Kansas town in the mid-20th century |
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. |
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==Plot== |
==Plot== |
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<!-- Per WP:FILMPLOT, plot summary should be between 400 to 700 words. --> |
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Hal Carter ([[William Holden]]) is a former college football star, adrift and unemployed after army service and a failed acting career in Hollywood. On Labor Day (September 5, 1955), he arrives by freight train in a Kansas town to visit his [[fraternity]] friend Alan Benson ([[Cliff Robertson]]). Working for his breakfast by doing chores in the backyard of kindly Mrs. Potts ([[Verna Felton]]), Hal meets Madge Owens ([[Kim Novak]]), her sister Millie ([[Susan Strasberg]]), and their mother ([[Betty Field]]). Hal tries to be accepted and gets along with most. Alan is very happy to see the "same old Hal", whom he takes to his family's sprawling grain elevator operations. Alan promises Hal a steady job as a "wheat scooper" (though Hal had unrealistic expectations of becoming an executive) and invites Hal to swim and to attend the town's Labor Day picnic. Hal is wary about going to the picnic, but Alan nudges him into it, saying Hal's "date" will be Millie, who is quickly drawn to Hal's cheerful demeanor and charisma. Alan reassures Mrs. Owens that although Hal flunked out of college, there are no reasons to be concerned about him. The afternoon carries on happily, until Hal starts talking about himself too much, and Alan stops him with cutting remarks. It's obvious that Hal and Madge like each other. When the sun sets, everyone wanders off. Millie draws a sketch of Hal and tells him she secretly writes poetry, growing fond of him despite his lack of interest. Madge is named the town's annual Queen of Neewollah ("[[Halloween]]" spelled backward), and Hal longingly gazes at her while she is brought down the river in a [[swan]]-shaped paddle-boat. They shyly say "Hi" to each other as she glides by. |
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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. |
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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." |
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Middle-aged schoolteacher Rosemary ([[Rosalind Russell]]), who rents a room at the Owens house, has been brought to the picnic by store owner Howard Bevens ([[Arthur O'Connell]]); both had been drinking whiskey. When the band plays dance music, Howard says he can't dance, so Rosemary dances with Millie. Hal and Howard then start dancing together, which angers Rosemary; she grabs Howard, who then dances with her. Hal tries to show Millie a dance he learned in [[Los Angeles|LA]] to the song, [[Moonglow (song)|Moonglow]], but Millie cannot quite get the beat. Madge stumbles upon them, seductively transforming the moves Hal is showing Millie, and sways toward him, thus initiating a dance with him in which they both become increasingly mesmerized. Millie, having been cast aside and ignored by both Rosemary and Hal, sulks off and starts drinking Howard's whiskey. Rosemary, now quite drunk, jealously breaks up the dance between Madge and Hal. Rosemary flings herself at Hal, saying he reminds her of a [[Ancient Rome|Roman]] [[gladiator]]. When Hal tries to ward off the schoolteacher, she rips his shirt, then bitterly calls him a bum. Mrs. Owens and Alan arrive and believe Hal has caused a scandal, made all the worse when Millie breaks down, screaming, "Madge is the pretty one!" and becomes ill from the whiskey. Rosemary, blinded by her anger, tells Mrs. Owens that Hal gave Millie the whiskey, while Howard's plea that ''he'' brought the whiskey seems to fall on deaf ears. Alan blames Hal for the mess and says he is ashamed that he brought Hal in the first place. By now a crowd is watching, and Hal flees into the darkness. |
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Madge follows Hal to Alan's car |
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. |
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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. |
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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. Flustered in front of the whole household and other schoolteachers, Howard wordlessly goes along with the misunderstanding. As he passes Madge on the stairs, he tells her Hal is hiding in the backseat of his car. Hal is able to slip away before the other women gleefully paint and attach streamers and tin cans to Howard's car, throwing rice and asking where he'll take Rosemary for their honeymoon. 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!" |
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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. |
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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 (but urged on by Mrs. Potts), boards a bus for Tulsa.<ref name=ebert>{{cite web|last=Ebert |first=Roger |url=http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/picnic-1996 |title=Picnic| date=October 25, 1996 |publisher= RogerEbert.com |accessdate=2014-02-15|quote= Director Joshua Logan, among the worst filmmakers of his time, spends so much footage on the picnic, you'd think this was a documentary: There are crying babies, laughing babies, frowning babies, three-legged races, pie-eating competitions, balloon drops, concerts and boy-girl contests.}}</ref> |
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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. |
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==Main cast== |
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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. |
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==Cast== |
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* [[William Holden]] as Hal Carter |
* [[William Holden]] as Hal Carter |
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* [[Kim Novak]] as Marjorie 'Madge' Owens |
* [[Kim Novak]] as Marjorie 'Madge' Owens |
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* [[Rosalind Russell]] as Rosemary Sydney |
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* [[Betty Field]] as Flo Owens |
* [[Betty Field]] as Flo Owens |
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* [[Susan Strasberg]] as Millie Owens |
* [[Susan Strasberg]] as Millie Owens |
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* [[Cliff Robertson]] as Alan Benson |
* [[Cliff Robertson]] as Alan Benson |
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* [[Rosalind Russell]] as Rosemary |
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* [[Arthur O'Connell]] as Howard Bevans |
* [[Arthur O'Connell]] as Howard Bevans |
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* [[Verna Felton]] as Helen Potts |
* [[Verna Felton]] as Helen Potts |
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==Production== |
==Production== |
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[[File:Sunair Drive-in Ad - 29 February 1956, Cathedral City, CA.jpg|thumb|[[Drive-in theater|Drive-in]] advertisement from 1956]] |
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{{more citations needed section|date=February 2014}} |
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Columbia acquired the rights to the play for $350,000 in September 1953.<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|title=Up Bids For Stage Plays|date=September 23, 1953|page=3|url=http://www.archive.org/stream/variety191-1953-09#page/n210/mode/1up| |
Columbia acquired the rights to the play for $350,000 in September 1953.<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|title=Up Bids For Stage Plays|date=September 23, 1953|page=3|url=http://www.archive.org/stream/variety191-1953-09#page/n210/mode/1up|access-date=October 7, 2019|via=[[Archive.org]]}}</ref> |
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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. |
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When ''Picnic'' was cast, William Holden was already 37 years old, too old according to some to play the role of Hal Carter. Regardless, Holden was "happy to finish his [[Columbia Pictures]] [[studio system|contract]] with such a prestigious project" despite the film paying him $30,000 instead of the $250,000 he would have otherwise earned.<ref name="tcmarticle"/> ''Picnic'' was one of Kim Novak's earliest film roles, and this movie made her a star. 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 [[jukebox]]es with choreographer Miriam Nelson. Heavy thunderstorms with tornado warnings repeatedly interrupted shooting of the scene on location, and it was completed on a backlot in [[Burbank, California|Burbank]], where Holden (according to some sources){{specify|date=February 2014}} was "dead drunk" to calm his nerves. |
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===Casting=== |
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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 acting|Method]] drama teacher [[Lee Strasberg]]. [[Elizabeth Wilson]] had a bit part as one of the smirking schoolteachers (12 years later she played a major supporting role in [[Mike Nichols]]' ''[[The Graduate]]'' as Benjamin Braddock's attractive, slightly high-strung mom). [[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 theatre|Broadway]] production.<ref>[[Picnic (play)]]</ref> |
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The then 37-year old William Holden was already cast when Logan came on board. Holden was "happy to finish his [[Columbia Pictures]] [[studio system|contract]] with such a prestigious project" despite the film paying him $30,000 instead of the $250,000 he would have otherwise earned.<ref name="tcmarticle"/> 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 (song)|Moonglow]]" scene. Logan took him to Kansas roadhouses where he practiced steps in front of [[jukebox]]es with choreographer Miriam Nelson. |
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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. |
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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.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Shaffer|first1=Bill|title=The Summer of Picnic|journal=Kansas Heritage|date=Spring 2005|volume=13|issue=1|page=10|url=https://www.kshs.org/publicat/heritage/2005spring_shaffer.pdf|accessdate=14 September 2016}}</ref> |
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[[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. |
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[[James Wong Howe]]'s widescreen photography for the film was considered trendsetting at the time. The Cinemascope format was highlighted in the film's final aerial shot when it pulls back to frame a sprawling horizon showing both a freight train and a [[Trailways Transportation System|Continental Trailways]] bus separately bearing the two leading characters. |
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[[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. |
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[[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 (play)|Mister Roberts]]''.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/00josh/page/5/mode/1up?q=picnic+|first=Joshua|last=Logan|year=1978|pages=5–21|title=Movie stars, real people and me}}</ref> |
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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 acting|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. |
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[[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. |
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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]]. |
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Mr. Benson was played by Raymond Bailey (without his toupee), later known on television as ''[[Beverly Hillbillies]]'' banker [[Milburn Drysdale]]. |
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[[Reta Shaw]], Elizabeth Wilson and [[Arthur O'Connell]] recreated their roles from the original Broadway production.<ref>[[Picnic (play)]]</ref> |
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===Locations=== |
===Locations=== |
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The extensive use of Kansas locations highlighted the naturalistic, small-town drama. ''Picnic'' was shot mostly around [[Hutchinson, Kansas]].<ref name="tcmarticle"/> |
The extensive use of Kansas locations highlighted the naturalistic, small-town drama. ''Picnic'' was shot mostly around [[Hutchinson, Kansas]].<ref name="tcmarticle"/> Other Kansas locations include: |
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* [[Halstead, Kansas|Halstead]]'s Riverside Park is where the Labor Day picnic scenes were filmed.<ref>{{cite web|title=Riverside Park Bridge and Falls|url=http://www.kansastravel.org/riversidepark.htm|website=Kansas Travel|accessdate=14 September 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Halstead Kansas|url=http://www.halsteadks.com/2182/Recreation-Events|accessdate=14 September 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last1=Shaffer|first1=Bill|title=The Summer of Picnic|journal=Kansas Heritage|date=Spring 2005|volume=13|issue=1|page=10|url=https://www.kshs.org/publicat/heritage/2005spring_shaffer.pdf|accessdate=14 September 2016}}</ref> 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. |
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* [[Halstead, Kansas|Halstead]]'s Riverside Park is where the Labor Day picnic scenes were filmed.<ref>{{cite web|title=Riverside Park Bridge and Falls|url=http://www.kansastravel.org/riversidepark.htm|website=Kansas Travel|access-date=14 September 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Halstead Kansas|url=http://www.halsteadks.com/2182/Recreation-Events|access-date=14 September 2016}}</ref><ref name=SOP/>{{rp|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. |
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* [[Nickerson, Kansas|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.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Shaffer|first1=Bill|title=The Summer of Picnic|journal=Kansas Heritage|date=Spring 2005|volume=13|issue=1|page=11|url=https://www.kshs.org/publicat/heritage/2005spring_shaffer.pdf|accessdate=14 September 2016}}</ref> |
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* [[Nickerson, Kansas|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.<ref name=SOP/>{{rp|11}} |
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* [[Salina, Kansas|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.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Shaffer|first1=Bill|title=The Summer of Picnic|journal=Kansas Heritage|date=Spring 2005|volume=13|issue=1|pages=8–9|url=https://www.kshs.org/publicat/heritage/2005spring_shaffer.pdf|accessdate=14 September 2016}}</ref> |
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* [[Salina, Kansas|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.<ref name=SOP/>{{rp|8–9}} |
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* [[Sterling, Kansas|Sterling]], where the pre-picnic swim in the lake was filmed.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Shaffer|first1=Bill|title=The Summer of Picnic|journal=Kansas Heritage|date=Spring 2005|volume=13|issue=1|page=11|url=https://www.kshs.org/publicat/heritage/2005spring_shaffer.pdf|accessdate=14 September 2016}}</ref> |
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* [[Sterling, Kansas|Sterling]], where the pre-picnic swim in the lake was filmed.<ref name=SOP/>{{rp|11}} |
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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.<ref name=SOP>{{cite journal|last1=Shaffer|first1=Bill|title=The Summer of Picnic|journal=Kansas Heritage|date=Spring 2005|volume=13|issue=1|url=https://www.kshs.org/publicat/heritage/2005spring_shaffer.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221010/https://www.kshs.org/publicat/heritage/2005spring_shaffer.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-10 |url-status=live|access-date=14 September 2016}}</ref>{{rp|10}} |
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Heavy thunderstorms with tornado warnings repeatedly interrupted shooting of the scene on location, and it was completed on a backlot in [[Burbank, California|Burbank]], where Holden (according to some sources){{specify|date=February 2014}} was "dead drunk" to calm his nerves. |
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==Reception== |
==Reception== |
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The film's release was accompanied by a ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' |
The film's release was accompanied by a ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' [[Article (publishing)|cover story]].<ref>{{cite magazine| url= http://content.time.com/time/covers/0,16641,19560227,00.html |title= William Holden |date=February 27, 1956 |magazine= [[Time (magazine)|Time]]|access-date=2014-02-15}}</ref> It earned [[theatrical rental]]s of $6,300,000 in the United States and Canada and $9 million worldwide.<ref>{{cite magazine |date=January 2, 1957 |title=Top Film Grossers of 1956 |url=https://archive.org/stream/variety205-1957-01#mode/1up |magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |page=1 |access-date=January 30, 2021 |via=[[Archive.org]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |date=6 January 1960 |title=All Time Domestic Champs |magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |page=34}}</ref><ref name="wall" /> |
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In a contemporary review, critic Mae Tinee of the ''[[Chicago Tribune]]'' wrote:<blockquote>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."<ref>{{Cite news |last=Tinee |first=Mae |date=1956-02-17 |title='Picnic' Found More than Fun: A Good Movie |pages=6, Part 2 |work=[[Chicago Tribune]]}}</ref></blockquote>Film critic [[A. H. Weiler]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'' wrote:<blockquote>[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 [[Great Plains|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.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Weiler |first=A. H. |date=1956-02-17 |title='Picnic,' at Music Hall, Faithful to Inge Play |pages=13 |work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref></blockquote>The film was restored in the mid-1990s<ref name="nyt1996" /> and brought many art-house bookings.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.swapadvd.com/dvd/title/7072-Picnic/ |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20071212015648/http://www.swapadvd.com/dvd/title/7072-Picnic/| archive-date= 2007-12-12 |title=Picnic |publisher=SwapaDVD.com |year= 2007 |access-date=2014-02-15| quote= 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.}}</ref> |
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The film was restored in the mid-1990s,<ref name="nyt1996"/> which brought many art-house bookings.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.swapadvd.com/dvd/title/7072-Picnic/ |archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20071212015648/http://www.swapadvd.com/dvd/title/7072-Picnic/| archivedate= 2007-12-12 |title=Picnic |publisher=SwapaDVD.com |year= 2007 |accessdate=2014-02-15| quote= 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.}}</ref> [[Stephen Holden]], in a 1996 review of the restored film, began by noting:<ref name="nyt1996"/> |
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<blockquote>Today it probably wouldn't be worth more than a PG-13 rating (if even that), but in 1955, the "Moonglow" dance and the "torn shirt" sequences from the movie ''Picnic'' were about as steamy as Hollywood could get in evoking explosive sex.</blockquote> |
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According to Holden, "Rosalind Russell is vividly scary as an older schoolteacher who foolishly lunges after Hal. Betty Field is just right as Madge's wistful, once-beautiful mother, who years earlier ran away with a man like Hal, and Susan Strasberg does well in the role of Madge's tomboyish younger sister. [[George Duning]]'s wistful, [[Aaron Copland|Copland]]-influenced score captures the mood of heated yearning that not only engulfed the movie, but also defined the country's romantic ethos in the mid-'50s."<ref name="nyt1996"/> |
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<!-- By the end of the 20th century, critics were praising its resonant portrayal of small-town life in America during the [[Dwight D. Eisenhower|Eisenhower]] era, along with its melodic soundtrack and strong performances by a supporting cast, including Arthur O'Connell (reprising the role he played during ''Picnic''{{'}}s successful run on Broadway) and a young Susan Strasberg. A half-century later, both of these performances still drew wide praise. --> |
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===Awards and honors=== |
===Awards and honors=== |
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{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" |
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''Picnic'' won [[Academy Awards]] for [[Academy Award for Best Production Design|Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Color]] ([[William Flannery]], [[Jo Mielziner]], [[Robert Priestley]]) and [[Academy Award for Best Film Editing|Best Film Editing]], and was nominated for [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor|Best Actor in a Supporting Role]] (O'Connell, who reprised his stage role), [[Academy Award for Best Director|Best Director]], [[Academy Award for Best Original Score|Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture]] (George Duning) and [[Academy Award for Best Picture|Best Picture]].<ref name="NY Times">{{cite web |url=https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/38083/Picnic/details |title=NY Times: Picnic |accessdate=2008-12-22|work=NY Times}}</ref> The film won the prestigious [[Grand Prix (Belgian Film Critics Association)|Grand Prix]] of the [[Belgian Film Critics Association]]. |
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|- |
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! Award |
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! Category |
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! Nominee(s) |
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! Result |
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|- |
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| rowspan="6"| [[28th Academy Awards|Academy Awards]] |
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| [[Academy Award for Best Picture|Best Motion Picture]] |
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| [[Fred Kohlmar]] |
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| {{nom}} |
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|- |
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| [[Academy Award for Best Director|Best Director]] |
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| [[Joshua Logan]] |
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| {{nom}} |
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|- |
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| [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor|Best Supporting Actor]] |
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| [[Arthur O'Connell]] |
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| {{nom}} |
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|- |
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| [[Academy Award for Best Production Design|Best Art Direction – Color]] |
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| [[William Flannery]], [[Jo Mielziner]] and [[Robert Priestley]] |
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| {{won}} |
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|- |
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| [[Academy Award for Best Film Editing|Best Film Editing]] |
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| [[Charles Nelson (film editor)|Charles Nelson]] and [[William Lyon (film editor)|William Lyon]] |
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| {{won}} |
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|- |
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| [[Academy Award for Best Original Score|Best Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture]] |
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| [[George Duning]] |
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| {{nom}} |
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|- |
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| [[Belgian Film Critics Association]] |
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| colspan="2"| [[Grand Prix (Belgian Film Critics Association)|Grand Prix]] |
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| {{won}} |
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|- |
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| rowspan="4"| [[10th British Academy Film Awards|British Academy Film Awards]] |
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| colspan="2"| [[BAFTA Award for Best Film|Best Film from any Source]] |
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| {{nom}} |
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|- |
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| [[BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role|Best Foreign Actor]] |
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| [[William Holden]] |
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| {{nom}} |
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|- |
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| [[BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role|Best Foreign Actress]] |
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| [[Kim Novak]] |
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| {{nom}} |
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|- |
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| [[BAFTA Award for Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles|Most Promising Newcomer to Film]] |
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| [[Susan Strasberg]] |
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| {{nom}} |
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|- |
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| [[Cahiers du cinéma's Annual Top 10 Lists|Cahiers du Cinéma]] |
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| Best Film |
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| rowspan="4"| Joshua Logan |
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| {{nom}} |
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|- |
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| [[8th Directors Guild of America Awards|Directors Guild of America Awards]] |
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| [[Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing – Feature Film|Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures]] |
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| {{nom}} |
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|- |
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| [[13th Golden Globe Awards|Golden Globe Awards]] |
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| [[Golden Globe Award for Best Director|Best Director – Motion Picture]] |
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| {{won}} |
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|- |
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| [[Nastro d'Argento]] |
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| Best Foreign Film |
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| {{nom}} |
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|- |
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| [[National Board of Review Awards 1955|National Board of Review Awards]] |
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| colspan="2"| [[National Board of Review: Top Ten Films|Top Ten Films]] |
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| {{draw|9th Place}} |
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|- |
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| [[8th Writers Guild of America Awards|Writers Guild of America Awards]] |
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| [[Writers Guild of America Award for Best Written Drama|Best Written American Drama]] |
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| [[Daniel Taradash]] |
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| {{nom}} |
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|} |
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The film is recognized by [[American Film Institute]] in these lists: |
The film is recognized by [[American Film Institute]] in these lists: |
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* 2002: [[AFI's 100 Years ... 100 Passions]] – number 59<ref>{{cite web |
* 2002: [[AFI's 100 Years ... 100 Passions]] – number 59<ref>{{cite web|title=AFI's 100 Years ... 100 Passions |url=http://www.afi.com/Docs/100Years/passions100.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110313150603/http://www.afi.com/Docs/100Years/passions100.pdf |archive-date=2011-03-13 |url-status=live |publisher=[[American Film Institute]] |access-date=2016-08-19}}</ref> |
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* 2005: [[AFI's 100 Years of Film Scores]] – nominated<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.afi.com/Docs/100Years/scores250.pdf |title= AFI's 100 Years of Film Scores Nominees | |
* 2005: [[AFI's 100 Years of Film Scores]] – nominated<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.afi.com/Docs/100Years/scores250.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110313150632/http://www.afi.com/Docs/100Years/scores250.pdf |archive-date=2011-03-13 |url-status=live |title= AFI's 100 Years of Film Scores Nominees |access-date=2016-08-19}}</ref> |
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==Music== |
==Music== |
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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: |
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"[[Theme from Picnic|Theme From Picnic]]" was a hit song which reached number one on the 1956 ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' charts and was number 14 overall that year. Composed by [[George Duning]] and [[Steve Allen]] (although Allen's lyrics were not used in the film), the song is featured in the famous dance scene between Holden and Novak, wherein Columbia's musical director [[Morris Stoloff]] blended "Theme From Picnic" with the 1930s standard "[[Moonglow (song)|Moonglow]]". The two songs were often paired in later recordings by other artists. The soundtrack album reached number 23 on the ''Billboard'' charts. The Theme from Picnic was also a popular song recorded by the [[McGuire Sisters]], and was a top 10 hit in 1956.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-LgXlQnsDK4C&pg=PA23&lpg=PA23&dq=moonglow+picnic+%22steve+allen%22&source=web&ots=MGqxSrjc6H&sig=BjHdFWmR_XhqE67j87KsjLmwoy8&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=35&ct=result |title=''The Billboard Book of Number Two Singles''. Watson-Guptill, 2000 |publisher=Books.google.com |date= |accessdate=2014-02-15}}</ref> |
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* "[[Moonglow (song)|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. |
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* "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. |
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* "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. |
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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. |
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The soundtrack album reached #2 on the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' album chart]], where it remained for 56 weeks beginning in February 1956.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-LgXlQnsDK4C&q=moonglow+picnic+%22steve+allen%22&pg=PA23 |title=''The Billboard Book of Number Two Singles''. Watson-Guptill, 2000 |date= January 2000|isbn=9780823076956 |access-date=2014-02-15|last1=Feldman |first1=Christopher G. }}</ref> |
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==Subliminal marketing hoax== |
==Subliminal marketing hoax== |
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In 1957, marketing researcher [[James Vicary]] said he had included [[subliminal message]]s such as |
In 1957, marketing researcher [[James Vicary]] said he had included [[subliminal message]]s 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.<ref name="snopes">{{cite web|title=Urban Legends Reference Pages: Business (Subliminal Advertising)|publisher=The [[Urban Legends Reference Pages]]|url=http://www.snopes.com/business/hidden/popcorn.asp|access-date=2006-08-11}}</ref> |
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==Remakes== |
==Remakes== |
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''Picnic'' was |
''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]]. |
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==See also== |
==See also== |
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| Line 100: | Line 208: | ||
==References== |
==References== |
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{{reflist|colwidth=32em|refs= |
{{reflist|colwidth=32em|refs= |
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<ref name="tcmarticle">{{cite web| url= http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/86664/Picnic/articles.html | title= Picnic | work= Articles | first= Frank |last=Miller| publisher=[[Turner Classic Movies]]| |
<ref name="tcmarticle">{{cite web| url= http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/86664/Picnic/articles.html | title= Picnic | work= Articles | first= Frank |last=Miller| publisher=[[Turner Classic Movies]]| access-date= 2014-02-15}}</ref> |
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<ref name="nyt1996">{{cite news| title= Critic's Choice / Film: Erotic Fantasies, |
<ref name="nyt1996">{{cite news| title= Critic's Choice / Film: Erotic Fantasies, 50s Style| url= https://www.nytimes.com/1996/07/26/movies/critic-s-choice-film-erotic-fantasies-50-s-style.html | date= July 26, 1996| first= Stephen| last= Holden| author-link= Stephen Holden | newspaper= The New York Times| access-date= 2014-02-15}}</ref> |
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}} |
}} |
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* {{IMDb title|id=0048491|title=Picnic}} |
* {{IMDb title|id=0048491|title=Picnic}} |
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* {{rotten-tomatoes|picnic}} |
* {{rotten-tomatoes|picnic}} |
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* {{ |
* {{AllMovie title|38083|Picnic}} |
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* {{ |
* {{TCMDb title|id=86664|title=Picnic}} |
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* {{YouTube|jlsoLgc0n5I|''Picnic'' theme song by George Duning}} |
* {{YouTube|jlsoLgc0n5I|''Picnic'' theme song by George Duning}} |
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* {{YouTube|w3p3Bh-tf2o|''Picnic'' film trailer}} |
* {{YouTube|w3p3Bh-tf2o|''Picnic'' film trailer}} |
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[[Category:1955 films]] |
[[Category:1955 films]] |
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[[Category: |
[[Category:1955 comedy films]] |
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[[Category: |
[[Category:1955 drama films]] |
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[[Category: |
[[Category:1950s romantic comedy-drama films]] |
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[[Category:1950s comedy-drama films]] |
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[[Category:1950s romantic drama films]] |
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[[Category:Columbia Pictures films]] |
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[[Category:Films scored by George Duning]] |
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[[Category:American films based on plays]] |
[[Category:American films based on plays]] |
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[[Category:American romantic comedy-drama films]] |
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[[Category:Columbia Pictures films]] |
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[[Category:Films about social class]] |
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[[Category:Films directed by Joshua Logan]] |
[[Category:Films directed by Joshua Logan]] |
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[[Category:Films scored by George Duning]] |
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[[Category:Films set in Kansas]] |
[[Category:Films set in Kansas]] |
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[[Category:Films shot in Kansas]] |
[[Category:Films shot in Kansas]] |
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[[Category:Films whose editor won the Best Film Editing Academy Award]] |
[[Category:Films whose editor won the Best Film Editing Academy Award]] |
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[[Category:Salina, Kansas]] |
[[Category:Salina, Kansas]] |
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[[Category:CinemaScope films]] |
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[[Category:Films set in 1955]] |
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[[Category:Picnic films]] |
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[[Category:1950s English-language films]] |
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[[Category:1950s American films]] |
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Revision as of 23:37, 5 April 2024
| Picnic | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Joshua Logan |
| Screenplay by | Daniel Taradash |
| Based on | Picnic 1953 play by William Inge |
| Produced by | Fred Kohlmar |
| Starring | William Holden Kim Novak Betty Field Rosalind Russell |
| Cinematography | James Wong Howe |
| Edited by | William A. Lyon Charles Nelson |
| Music by | George Duning |
| Distributed by | Columbia Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 115 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| 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
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
- William Holden as Hal Carter
- Kim Novak as Marjorie 'Madge' Owens
- Rosalind Russell as Rosemary Sydney
- Betty Field as Flo Owens
- Susan Strasberg as Millie Owens
- Cliff Robertson as Alan Benson
- Arthur O'Connell as Howard Bevans
- Verna Felton as Helen Potts
- Reta Shaw as Irma Kronkite
- Raymond Bailey as Mr. Benson
- Nick Adams as Bomber
Production
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
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
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
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
The film is recognized by American Film Institute in these lists:
- 2002: AFI's 100 Years ... 100 Passions – number 59[19]
- 2005: AFI's 100 Years of Film Scores – nominated[20]
Music
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
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
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
References
- ^ Picnic (1955)
- ^ a b c "Wall St. Researchers' Cheery Tone". Variety. November 7, 1962. p. 7.
- ^ Arneel, Gene (December 7, 1955). "Film Reviews: Picnic". Variety. p. 8. Retrieved January 30, 2021 – via Archive.org.
- ^ Harrison's Reports film review; December 10, 1955, p.198
- ^ a b c Miller, Frank. "Picnic". Articles. Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved 2014-02-15.
- ^ "Up Bids For Stage Plays". Variety. September 23, 1953. p. 3. Retrieved October 7, 2019 – via Archive.org.
- ^ Logan, Joshua (1978). Movie stars, real people and me. pp. 5–21.
- ^ Picnic (play)
- ^ "Riverside Park Bridge and Falls". Kansas Travel. Retrieved 14 September 2016.
- ^ "Halstead Kansas". Retrieved 14 September 2016.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "William Holden". Time. February 27, 1956. Retrieved 2014-02-15.
- ^ "Top Film Grossers of 1956". Variety. January 2, 1957. p. 1. Retrieved January 30, 2021 – via Archive.org.
- ^ "All Time Domestic Champs". Variety. 6 January 1960. p. 34.
- ^ Tinee, Mae (1956-02-17). "'Picnic' Found More than Fun: A Good Movie". Chicago Tribune. pp. 6, Part 2.
- ^ Weiler, A. H. (1956-02-17). "'Picnic,' at Music Hall, Faithful to Inge Play". The New York Times. p. 13.
- ^ Holden, Stephen (July 26, 1996). "Critic's Choice / Film: Erotic Fantasies, 50s Style". The New York Times. Retrieved 2014-02-15.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "AFI's 100 Years ... 100 Passions" (PDF). American Film Institute. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2011-03-13. Retrieved 2016-08-19.
- ^ "AFI's 100 Years of Film Scores Nominees" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2011-03-13. Retrieved 2016-08-19.
- ^ Feldman, Christopher G. (January 2000). The Billboard Book of Number Two Singles. Watson-Guptill, 2000. ISBN 9780823076956. Retrieved 2014-02-15.
- ^ "Urban Legends Reference Pages: Business (Subliminal Advertising)". The Urban Legends Reference Pages. Retrieved 2006-08-11.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Picnic (film).
Categories:
- 1955 films
- 1955 comedy films
- 1955 drama films
- 1950s romantic comedy-drama films
- American films based on plays
- American romantic comedy-drama films
- Columbia Pictures films
- Films about social class
- Films directed by Joshua Logan
- Films scored by George Duning
- Films set in Kansas
- Films shot in Kansas
- Films whose art director won the Best Art Direction Academy Award
- Films whose director won the Best Director Golden Globe
- Films whose editor won the Best Film Editing Academy Award
- Salina, Kansas
- CinemaScope films
- Films set in 1955
- Picnic films
- 1950s English-language films
- 1950s American films