irajoel

The first time I saw Picnic was from the smoke filled balcony of my neighborhood Loew's movie theatre on a warm spring Friday night in 1955. I was eight years old, and was with my mother. I kept falling asleep, and waking up with my eyes watery from all the smoke. I only mention this because this was the first time I saw Kim Novak in a movie, and immediately fell in love with her, thinking her the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. Now all these many years later, and after seeing Picnic several times, the last being a few months ago on the newly restored letterboxed dvd, I can happily state that the Picnic is still fine and tasty after all these years. And although no longer in love with Ms. Novak, I still think she was one of the best looking female movie stars of the late 1950's, and also very underrated as an actress. The movie was based on the well received play by the tragic William Inge, who killed himself in the early 70's, and covers a short span of time in the lives of a family living in a small town in Kansas. Theres the single mom Flo Owens played by the fine Betty Field, and her two daughters, beautiful Madge played by Novak and younger tomboy Millie (a standin perhaps for a young Inge) played by Susan Stasberg. Into their dreary lives comes William Holden, a drifter with a past and a real nice smooth chest. He soon turns things upside down & inside out and although its been pointed out many times that Holden was too old for the role, I don't agree. Watching him sway swagger and move you can understand why Novak and most of the other women in the film would be taken in by him, you can feel the sexual tension cracking & sizzling like a summer lighting storm. Novak is engaged to the town rich kid, played by Cliff Robertson also young and handsome, but as soon as la Novak catches sight of Holden with his shirt off, its bye bye Cliff and hello Bill. Moma Betty is aghast at the thought of her queen of the picnic taking up with a no good bum like Holden and giving up her chance for the good life. Holden who just so happens to have gone to college with Robertson, is in town to look him up and hit him for a job at his old man's plant. Also hanging around is Rosalind Russell who is a spinster school teacher boarding with the Owens, and her timid boyfriend Howard played by Arthur O' Connell. Both are fine, and Russell especially has some great moments especially her drunken scene at the picnic, and her begging Howard to marry her. Silly Roz gave up her sure shot of winning a supporting Oscar for this film, because she refused to be considered as a supporting player. Too bad, because she is wonderful. Of course one cannot fail to mention the sexy erotic dance at the picnic between Novak and Holden, which is still one of the great sex scenes ever filmed. Directed by Joshua Logan who filmed on location and used many of the town folks as extras, the film has a nice feel to it. The lengthy actual picnic of the title is especially fine. Also of note is James Wong Howe's beautiful soft pastel color cinematography, George Dunings score, Jo Mielziner's production design and the great aeriel shot at the end of the film. One of the memorable films of the 1950s.