Picnic (1955)

 Picnic (1955)

A stranger arriving just in time for the traditional Labor Day picnic is not so much an agent of chaos as simply a liberating catalyst for a few small changes and yet, his presence might simply be a case of history repeating all over again, (much to the chagrin of Betty Field’s Flo Owens despite higher ambitions for her beautiful, but empty-headed daughter Madge, as played by Kim Novak.)

Based as it is on a play it’s not surprising that the dialogue is a bit stilted and the acting choices maybe not quite suited for film (Susan Strasberg and William Holden in specific are more awkward than other players.) Other than the mention of character ages which could (and should) maybe have been avoided, Holden’s age is not really a problem, (why could a 37 year-old not be a bum?) except that his more mature look doesn’t quite mesh with Cliff Robertson’s with whom he has supposedly shared a class.

Holden’s physique, (much time is spent shirtless, and he looks great,) and physical acting are perfect and are just what the doctor ordered for the part.

I mentioned before that in my review of The Fugitive Kind (1959) that I don’t quite understand stories where a vagrant comes into town and all the women go crazy over him, but I think it works here, even with the size of the community presented here.

It’s well established that, (despite the large crowds on display at the community picnic,) the local females are unhappy with the limited prospects and ‘dating’ pool of this small agricultural Kansas town and are looking for a way out in a manner that Sidney Lumet (or the Meade Roberts, Tennessee Williams script) weren’t really interested in setting up.

There nothing particularly wrong with stylization, and it makes sense that Holden would act younger than his or his character’s age, but the ‘golly, gee’ character he’s overdoing would not seem appropriate even with a much younger actor or character, (just compare his acting choices with the actor more naturalistically playing Bomber.)

Despite a script that perfectly illustrates the plight of women trapped in traditional roles, (the younger intellectual has already decided altogether to do away with men; her older sister, at nineteen, perceived already as an old maid is apparently fated to walk the in the same steps as her mother, abandoned by her husband upon the birth of their second child; the local schoolmarm, who because she can’t get her long-time beau to commit has resigned herself to spinsterhood; etc.) their portrayal feel dated.

The adaptation itself successfully explores and exploits all sorts of cinematic possibilities: upward striving characters utilize elevators; changing rooms are separated by a single wall that allows women to overhear the men, possibly some peeping, but also permits a literal split screen, etc.

Rosalind Russell and Arthur O'Connell are on hand to provide additional bitter-sweet comedy.

The "Moonglow" scene is a highlight.