Picnic (1955)

Kim’s hair is a tragedy.

I never watched it.

Is that the one where Joshua Logan imposed gratuitous shirtless men?

Kim Novak was too busy sucking off Harry Cohn to take any acting lessons.

I was just a kid...saw it with my Mother and cousins..it still is one of the most sensuous scenes in movie history...No nudity ..nothing but superb music acting and directing...the intimacy almost makes you uneasy...

The DL line is that William Holden at 37 is FAR too old for this role and the entire affair is creepy.

Novak is pretty and adequate as Madge but she looked 30 rather than 19. However, William Holden looked 45 instead of mid 20’s. Holden is a great actor though.

I thought Holden was very sexy in this. He was too old but his performance is still very strong.

It must have worked better on the stage. I can see how it would. I was trying to figure out how to fix it as I was watching it. Like casting. Paul Newman and Marilyn Monroe, maybe. Roz Russell was perfect.

fire burn, caldron bubble....

Rosalind Russell and Arthur O'Connell have great chemistry as Rosemary and Howard. As much I love Russell, I wonder who Eileen Heckart, who played Rosemary on Broadway, would have done. I wish Russell would have let Harry Cohn let her be nominated for Best Supporting Actress; she would have won in a walk

Hunky Ralph Meeker played Holden’s role on Broadway, and young Paul Newman was his best buddy, played in the movie by Cliff Robertson.

There may have been a scene like that onstage, but it wouldn’t have had the same music, “Moonglow and Theme from ‘Picnic,’” which was areanged and written by film composer George Duning. It was a big hit at the time, and the soundtrack lp was in print for decades. Still available on CD.

I always found the play and movie contrived and melodramatic, but that scene is still a knockout.

An icon from the 1950’s.

Great movie. Kim should have won an Oscar.

If you've read this far and don't know the movie, do yourself a favor! Russell is stunning, the dance sequence memorable.

Russell is annoying, but she always did that well. Novak isn't great but makes an effort and is stunning. Holden was too old but looks great shirtless. Verna Felton and Betty Field are terrific.

The location cinematography is probably the best thing about the film, which has a lot of stage-y dialogue that would make it rather stilted otherwise.

The music is great---the kind of 50s soundtrack that is identifiable but not horribly awful.

It was my Moms favorite movie. She loved the Moonglow dance. I miss my Mom.