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1955, Drama, 1h 55m

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Picnic   photos.

Charming Hal Carter (William Holden) turned to wandering after a failed acting career left him loose in the wind. Interested in reuniting with an old college friend, Alan Benson (Cliff Robertson), Carter bums a train ride to a tranquil Kansas town. Alan greets him warmly, and together they join the community in a picnic celebration of Labor Day. However, his welcome quickly sours when sparks ignite between him and Alan's girlfriend, Madge Owens (Kim Novak).

Genre: Drama

Original Language: English

Director: Joshua Logan

Producer: Fred Kohlmar

Writer: William Inge , Daniel Taradash

Release Date (Theaters): Nov 10, 1955  original

Release Date (Streaming): Apr 16, 2012

Box Office (Gross USA): $24.0K

Runtime: 1h 55m

Distributor: Columbia Pictures

Production Co: Columbia Pictures Corporation

Cast & Crew

William Holden

Madge Owens

Rosalind Russell

Betty Field

Susan Strasberg

Millie Owens

Cliff Robertson

Alan Benson

Arthur O'Connell

Howard Bevans

Verna Felton

Helen Potts

Irma Kronkite

Bomber, Paper Boy

Elizabeth Wilson

Christine Schoenwalder

Phyllis Newman

Juanita Badger (uncredited)

Joshua Logan

William Inge

Daniel Taradash

Fred Kohlmar

George Duning

Original Music

James Wong Howe

Cinematographer

William A. Lyon

Film Editing

Charles Nelson

Jo Mielziner

Production Design

William Flannery

Art Director

Robert Priestley

Set Decoration

Costume Design

Critic Reviews for Picnic

Audience reviews for picnic.

There isn't much love for Picnic among the critics or the people on here but I thought it was excellent. William Holden is great as the drifter who sets the small town on its head. I particularly loved the interplay between Holden, Russell and Novak. Good stuff.

A lower class drifter enlists an old college friend to introduce him to Southern society, which includes a pair of sisters, one coquettish and the other plain and intellectual. A drama of manners, <i>Picnic</i> is <i>A Place in the Sun</i> without the themes of violence or religion. The plot proceeds exactly as you might expect it would. The handsome, anti-intellectual drifter entertains the intellectual sister while pining for her beautiful, anti-intellectual sister. The whole thing resolves as you might expect it would, so there is no real surprise or genre-bending twist. Whatever charm the film holds is in the performances by its stars, and William Holden, showing off his muscled physique, does admirably much with little, and the same can be said of Kim Novak. Overall, this film is a cliche done well.

Not a darling of the critics, <i>Picnic</i> has suffered from robust shellackings by popular voices such as the renowned Roger Ebert -- with whom I seem to disagree about 95% of the time -- man, do I miss Gene Siskel. Ebert, the anti-<i>Picnic</i> cheerleader -- runs down this film as clunky, awkwardly written, poorly directed, and utterly non-self-aware. When RE doesn't like a film, he does not hold back. <p> In truth, as I ruminate over what all is eating Roger Ebert, it seems to me that he is most irate about Holden and Novak being attracted to each other for surface reasons, for their physical attributes rather than their intellectual capabilities. Roger finds it ironic that Novak plainly states her desire to be seen as more than just a good-looking woman, when in fact that is the very essential and singular attraction for Holden. <p>Roger, guess what? This could very possibly be a statement about 50s' middle-American values, a rich rendering, I'm thinking, of the way the writers perceive an awkward decade, full of stilted dialog disguising sexual tensions bubbling below the surface. If only we could all say what we really mean, really want, really desire so deeply -- hey, then the stuffy 50s might erupt into a decade of revolutionary thought and action -- hmmmmm, kind of like the 60s, huh Roger? <p> On another note, Rosalind Russell is yet another fine actor who never gave a bad performance and never won an Academy Award. She could have certainly won for Best Supporting Actress with this depressingly desperate performance.

An okay melodrama, it's not bad, but it's pretty boring for the most part.

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Emotions are ignited among the complacent townsfolk when a handsome drifter arrives in a small Kansas community on the morning of the Labor Day picnic. Emotions are ignited among the complacent townsfolk when a handsome drifter arrives in a small Kansas community on the morning of the Labor Day picnic. Emotions are ignited among the complacent townsfolk when a handsome drifter arrives in a small Kansas community on the morning of the Labor Day picnic.

• Joshua Logan
• Daniel Taradash
• William Inge
• William Holden
• Betty Field
• 159 User reviews
• 62 Critic reviews
• 5 wins & 12 nominations total

• Madge Owens

• Millie Owens

• Alan Benson

• Howard Bevans

• Helen Potts

• Irma Kronkite

• See all cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

More like this

Did you know

• Trivia William Holden almost turned down the film because he thought he was too old at 37 to play Hal Carter.
• Goofs When Hal hops a freight train to Tulsa, he jumps onto a boxcar that has its door shut. He climbs the ladder and stands on top to wave to Madge. In this long shot, the boxcar door is now open.

Millie Owens : When I graduate from college I'm going to New York, and write novels that'll shock people right out of their senses. I'm never gonna fall in love. Not me! I'm not gonna live in some jerkwater town and marry some ornery guy and raise some grimy kids. But just because I'm a dope doesn't mean you have to be.

Madge Owens : Millie.

Millie Owens : Go with him, Madge.

Madge Owens : Millie?

Millie Owens : For once in your life, do something right.

• Connections Featured in Hollywood and the Stars: In Search of Kim Novak (1964)
• Soundtracks Ain't She Sweet? (uncredited) Music by Milton Ager Lyrics by Jack Yellen

User reviews 159

• Aug 17, 2004
• How long is Picnic? Powered by Alexa
• Is "Picnic" based on a book?
• Where is the story supposed to be set?
• What book was Millie reading? Is it a real book?
• December 1955 (United States)
• United States
• Hutchinson, Kansas, USA (Grain elevators)
• Columbia Pictures
• See more company credits at IMDbPro

Technical specs

• Runtime 1 hour 55 minutes

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Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

• Top Ten Lists
• Post author: Dennis Schwartz
• Post published: July 14, 2021
• Post category: Uncategorized

(director:  Joshua Logan; screenwriters: Daniel Taradash/from the William Inge play Picnic; cinematographer: James Wong Howe; editors: William A. Lyon/Charles Nelson; music: George Duning; cast: William Holden (Hal Carter), Kim Novak (Madge Owens), Betty Field (Flo Owens), Susan Strasberg (Millie Owens), Rosalind Russell (Rosemary, school teacher), Verna Felton (Helen Potts), Arthur O’Connell (Harold Bevans), Nick Adams (Bomber). Cliff Robertson (Alan Benson), Raymond Bailey (Mr. Benson),Reta Shaw (Irma Kronkite; Runtime: 115; MPAA Rating: PG; producer; Fred Kohlmar: Columbia; 1955)

“ For its day, Picnic caught the mood of an uptight America in what goes for an edgy 1950s drama. ”

Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz For its day, Picnic caught the mood of an uptight America in what goes for an edgy 1950s drama. In the adaption of the William Inge Pulitzer Prize-winning play Picnic by director Joshua Logan (“Paint Your Wagon”/”Camelot”) and writer Daniel Taradash, it captures a relic onscreen, an old-fashioned Labor Day celebration, held in the country’s heartland of Kansas. The movie when it first came out was daring, today it no longer is, as the country’s mores and culture has changed so much. But that doesn’t mean it’s a bad film, just that things always change and if the film worked when released for its time period—that should be good enough. The gregarious Hal Carter (William Holden, was 37 at the time and though good in the beefcake part was too old for it) had a sour upbringing raised by his drunken old man, but had a way out by getting a college football scholarship. But blew it by flunking out of school before graduating. He then hit the road with numerous dead-end jobs, including a failure in Hollywood. Becoming a drifter, he rides into a small Kansas town as a hobo on the rails and plans to look up his friendly rich boy frat brother, Alan Benson (Cliff Robertson), for a job. By chance the Adonis-like Hal finds the Owens house, where the working-class Flo Owens (Betty Field) raises the beautiful 19-year-old shop clerk daughter Madge (Kim Novak) and her younger bookish high school student and college bound daughter Millie (Susan Strasberg). Madge’s summer boyfriend is the wealthy Alan, who mom implores her to marry because she’ll never go anymore without having charge accounts in the stores. Hal after meeting the old maid high school teacher, Rosemary Sydney (Roz Russell), who boards with Mrs. Owens, and the kind elderly neighbor Helen Potts (Verna Felton), he visit Alan’s affluent family home on the other side of town and connects with his friendly frat brother. They visit the giant grain elevators the family own and Hal though wanting an executive job is instead promised a low-level laborer’s job in the wheat plant. In the afternoon, the town is excited about the annual Labor Day celebration at the local park. Hal is fixed up with the brainy Millie, Rosemary is taken to the picnic by her disappointing regular date, the notion store owner, Howard (Arthur O’Connell). At the picnic, babies cry, watermelon is served, the working-class crowd enjoys themselves playing silly games and listening to various singing groups. The main event comes when the sun sets and it’s time to crown a Queen of Neewollah (that’s Halloween spelled backward). It’s no surprise when the gorgeous Madge wins it for the second year in a row, and in her acceptance speech says “I hope I don’t become too conceited.” Meanwhile the stranger, sometimes bare-chested, sexually excites almost every female in the crowd. When dancing breaks out, there seems to be sparks flying between Madge and Hal that is not found between her and Alan. She’s apparently more attracted to him than she is to the rich boy. When Alan sees his girl dancing with Hal, he jealously rails against him for being a bum. Madge apologizes for Hal’s slur, but the upset Hal tells them he’s leaving on the next freight train. After staying with Howard for the night, Hal returns in the morning and tells Madge he loves her, begging her to come with him to Tulsa. Her mom nearly has a heart attack when she thinks she might leave.  

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Picnic (1956) – Film Review

Director: Joshua Logan Cast: William Holden, Kim Novak, Cliff Robertson Certificate: U

by Sarah Morgan

What are the essential elements to making a great movie? A strong story, of course. Good and perhaps inventive direction. Wonderful performances from the actors. And then what? Something that is probably rarely mentioned is casting; we take it for granted that the thespians hired are the right people for the job, but when it goes wrong, it stands out like a sore thumb.

However, Holden was 37, roughly 15 years too old for the role – and it’s too obvious to ignore.

“Overactive imagination”

Carter is a braggart, an ex-reform school boy who enjoyed success as a college football star. He dropped out before graduation and has since had a string of dead end jobs or positions with promise that he threw away – although we’re never really sure if what he’s saying is true or a figment of his overactive imagination.

Hal turns up unannounced in a small Kentucky town to see his former college roommate, Al, the son of a wealthy local businessman; he hopes he can land a job. But it’s Labor Day and the entire town is gathering for its annual picnic.

Hal goes along and it’s clear his charm is making a big impression on those around him, in particular Madge, Al’s beautiful girlfriend. Matters spiral out of control as the gathering draws to a close, and life will never be the same again for anyone involved.

“Utterly believable”

Holden doesn’t appear comfortable in the part, and simply looks like a man pushing 40 who is desperate to appear younger – which is exactly what he was. He was also embarrassed by the brief dance scene, which was meant to be seductive but now looks awkward.

Having said all that, Holden is the only bum note. The film is well directed by Joshua Logan, who also helmed the Broadway production, while Kim Novak is utterly believable as Madge. Rosalind Russell and Susan Strasberg are also memorable in supporting roles.

Just squint whenever Holden is on screen so that those wrinkles aren’t quite so apparent and you’ll find Picnic very satisfying indeed. 6/10

‘Picnic’ is released on Blu-ray by Eureka, £17.99

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Picnic (Pikunikku) (1996) Review

Posted by Micah Blowers | Jul 12, 2015 | Comedy , Drama , Foreign | 0 |

Under the Radar Shunji Iwai is a director that hasn’t received much recognition here in the States. It seems that his movies “Love Letter” and “Hana & Alice” have received more international attention even though most fans of his will tell you that Picnic, Swallowtail Butterfly, and All about Lily Chou Chou are by far his best. I believe this is due to that fact that those movies have much heavier and darker scenes contained in them, stranger subject matter, and two of three of those film’s star disturbingly young leads (Picnic is the exception). So it’s not hard to see these movies obtaining a cult like fan base leaving general audiences in the dark. For me personally, Picnic is easily my favorite film from this director.

Wong Kar-Wai In Japan, Shunji Iwai has been referred to as the Japanese Wong Kar-Wai. I think they’re completely different but we can entertain this thought for an introduction to him anyway.  The comparison is definitely due to the technical and emotional precision of Iwai’s very consistent cinematography. Some of his shots in everyone of his movies seem like they were possibly attempted over and over like how Stanley Kubrick often did 30-70 takes. Shunji Iwai is very different from Wong Kar-Wai in that he also makes quite an assortment of coming of age movies featuring extremely young actors. He also has much more warmth and heart reaching methods in that his movies aim to capture a particular emotion you can relate with even if it’s a really bizarre one. Whereas Wong is known for making his stars coming off as ultra cool, sophisticated, almost inhuman in grandeur, and is obviously heavily influenced by Jean Luc Godard and the French New Wave. The two directors contrast styles of sentimentality vs. charisma.

Coco (Japanese pop singer Chara ), is a little young woman dressed literally with crow feathers. She’s easily the craziest, most carefree, and inelegant of the three. She is often very obnoxious, and extremely whimsical. Her outfit suits her well since she occasionally makes dying bird screams and just her overall voice sounds like she is bored while being in labor. While most people described this way wouldn’t be seen as very becoming,  there is something charming and cute about all of these traits on her.  Tsumuji ( Tadanobu Asano from Ichi the Killer ) and Satoru ( Koichi Hashizume ) are found in the asylum already before Coco gets there. Tsumuji has frequent haunting visions of a puppet-like stout man with glasses who for some reason seems to have a bladder problem since he is always urinating. Both him and the Crow lady ended up in the institution for the same reason as the film will later reveal to you. Satoru is basically a  21 or so playful adolescent boy. He’s basically just a roommate of Tsumuji’s and his character isn’t explored too deeply.

The three eventually decide upon traveling, but are obviously not allowed outside of the asylum. So they start to explore the world by walking on the institute’s walls. Surprisingly there are endless walls connected to the property borders of the mental institution. So they reason that they technically haven’t left the institution by staying on top of the borders. Coco and Tsumuji walk near a church and meet a priest who gives them a bible.  When reading the publication date of the book they sillily believe that the end of world is just around the corner. So they decide to go on a picnic to witness the apocalypse and discard all worries about leaving since the asylum with the rest of the world will soon be destroyed. However, they still remain walking on top of walls for the bulk of the film. The progression of these events are peppered by haunting foreshadowing into both Coco and Tsumuji’s past.

What separates Picnic from most films   The most obvious and distinct trademark you’ll pick up on about Picnic is just how well the endearingly carefree piano (composed by Remedios) and the liberating cinematography compliment each other. It’s nothing short of cinematic magic. You’ll find yourself in a very warm place for the rest of the film after the escapees leave the asylum even if the events portrayed are horrific and very sad. Also, just how often do you get to see what the world looks like from on top of a ten foot wall? You’ll get this unique perspective for the remaining two thirds of the movie.

Picnic also manages to do something that I hear people talk about often but it rarely actually is achieved within movies. The film’s dialog and scenarios often interweave seemingly contradictory emotions for the viewer to intake simultaneously.  One of the first signs you’ll see of this is when Coco grabs a crow that was perched on her windowsill, and although it doesn’t show the act itself, she clearly kills it. She is then seen turning it into a sort of fur coat in deliberation of wearing it like a rock star, and squirting black paint all over herself. The only thing she isn’t doing is rolling around all over the place in the feathers. The scene is just as disturbing as it is liberating and celebratory. She couldn’t be more pleased with herself, and if you’re like me, you’ll find yourself smiling just the same. That isn’t the only type of contradictory emotional response you’ll receive. With the rest of the movie you’re treated to several of these moments.

The dialog is often outrageous and is intentionally unbelievable. I immediately thought of how dry, silly, stupid, and lighthearted Wes Anderson’s sense of humor is, and to think this movie was shot in 1994 only to be released two years later. For every heavy handed, depressing, torturing, and disturbing occurrence you’ll witness, there is also something comical, silly, obnoxious, lighthearted or endearing added to it. Another movie that does this very often is the much later Synecdoche, New York   from 2008, where you found yourself conflicted with whether to cry or laugh. I remember some criticism that Charlie Kaufman’s directorial debut received was that none of these dialog lines would ever be delivered from a real person. Kaufman replied that he completely agreed and that’s why it was both refreshing and hilarious. The exact same sort of description could be attached to Picnic (or also Wes Anderson movies).

The very last scene of Picnic is probably the largest example of it’s rather depressing, silly, light hearted, lovely and maddening recipe, but I wouldn’t spoil it for you in a million years. A very notable difference in Picnic is that in many ways it takes the complete opposite stance in movie making compared to most modern cinema today. The special effects are very sparing (there is a little bit of makeup that sort of resembles puppeteering actually). The locations may not have been built (the asylum was probably dressed up a bit, or different parts of it were shot in different locations). The film itself is only 72 minutes with no filler, as opposed to a 2 and a half hour epic. It probably didn’t cost that much money to produce other than to maybe hire Chara.

Micah Blowers will now go as off subject from Picnic like many epic films cluster botch their “themes.” Shunji Iwai made no attempt to throw in everything but the kitchen sink into this picture (although his version of an epic film would follow with Swallowtail Butterfly and All about Lily Chou Chou and I honestly think it’s why Picnic is better). You know what I’m talking about. Every massive film to be taken more seriously must have: really drawn out adventure to the farthest corners of their world,  a large war to conquer, a love story that supposedly is the heart of the movie but rarely touched upon other than the couple making out upon pledges of rock chiseled devotion, 15 characters,  urgent situations where all character development is instantly dropped and even at times forgotten for the rest of the picture, a sex scene where you get to overtly see the female’s naughty bits, a distinct and blatant representation of evil known as “the bad guy” to overcome or get revenge upon, and the new phenomena taken advantage of increasingly over the last decade known as “ The   plot twist  (which is always completely contrived and impossible and always climaxes at the end for some reason. Likely it’s to sensationalize the audience).”

The list is much larger than this but you get the idea. It’s a paint-by-numbers formula that has been abused and overkilled more and more heavily over the last century. Very often these movies end up being about nothing at all because they were trying much too hard to cram too many ideas into one movie, instead of heavily developing and building off of one odd good one.

Is Picnic really that unique? Now I’m not saying that Picnic was that fantastically different of a concept, it’s honestly not that deep of a movie nor is it trying to be, but it was refreshing to me that it mostly veered away from such a formula, paying no heed to such usual demands from both filmmakers and audiences. I don’t even think this movie was necessarily about anything specifically substantial either, but it certainly didn’t try to misrepresent itself as the largest most important melodrama ever.

I’d say that Picnic’s main goal is to offer a beautiful, silly, and almost fantasy like depiction of things we normally would see as just sad, depressingly, or horrible. It’s a perspective that none of us consider when we feel insane, depressed, or alone, and yet from an outsider looking at us we could very possibly indeed appear as all of the delightfully endearing magic that is Picnic. Perhaps the most inspirational thought about this film is that even though these characters are mentally disadvantaged and somewhat tortured from their pasts, that doesn’t seem to stop them from enjoying who they are or to go someplace new. None of them seem worried about the impending doom that the world could possibly end and they sort of welcome it. How often have you witnessed disadvantaged or downtrodden individuals outweighing themselves from doing what they really want and very much need to do? This, I believe is the wonderful feeling that will be left with you at the end of the movie: In Picnic, you are in fact and always will be truly free, even if the world or your own mind insists, tugs, and demands that you never will be.

About The Author

Micah Blowers

I was born in 1982. In 1992, I became a professional tap dancer for 3 years and was featured in the Bob McGrath Show as well as many others. In 1994, I started to write and eventually record music. I currently play several instruments and occasionally pursue life as a singer songwriter. Older bands I've been in: Mirth, A Scanner Darkly, Brothers, Fonseca can Drive and am currently working on another solo project. Thus far my all time favorite musicians are Neil Young, Radiohead, Bjork, and Ladytron. In 2000, with my band A Scanner Darkly as well as my brother's band, The Great Northern, we did a large part in helping create a music scene for Cape Cod, MA. As many as 30 to 40 different bands were a part of it. For such a small peninsula this was fairly unheard of at the time. In 2001, I eventually became friends with and a part of the small time film production crew "Matter of Chance." They have produced and created over 25 short films and have won many awards in small time film festivals mostly within Phoenix, AZ. With them I have collaborated in writing, film scoring, acting, and am currently writing an original screenplay for a feature length film. Though I take it seriously, I'll probably never finish it. At least it's fun. I very much enjoy discussing film. Your feedback on my articles is very desired. Also, please take me with a grain of salt, for I can't help being strongly opinionated. I'm always second guessing how I may be coming off. I have no desire to come of as an overbearing d bag, though I fear that may often be the case. Differing views also very much interest me, especially when they are further explained thoroughly. I always read the critical reviews first before watching a movie. Leave me a comment!

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Picnic Reviews

• 1 hr 55 mins
• Watchlist Where to Watch

Best Picture nominee is an adaptation of William Inge's Pulitzer-winning play about a handsome drifter who ambles into a small Kansas town during the Labor Day weekend and causes a ruckus among some of the female population.

Joshua Logan's faithful screen adaptation of William Inge's Pulitzer Prize-winning play about small-town America. PICNIC features a bravura performance by Holden as a drifter come to a small Kansas town just as the community is preparing to celebrate Labor Day. Seeking out old college friend Robertson in the hope of landing a job with Robertson's father, the richest man in the county, Holden is invited to join in the festivities. What's more, Robertson insists that Holden meet his fiancee, the beautiful Novak, and she and the drifter fall in love at first sight. Holden struts about the town flexing his muscles, and most of the local ladies, including Novak's naive younger sister, Strasberg, and schoolmarm Russell, fall for the handsome stranger. Holden brags about his adventures, and Russell gets drunk while admiring him, thrusting aside her reliable date, O'Connell, and losing control, ripping Holden's shirt right off his back in her seizure of lust. Along with this humiliation, Holden is forced into a fight with Robertson so that he beats up his old friend and then must run from the law, dragging Novak with him. He finally persuades her to return home, confessing that he's nothing but a bum and a liar. Novak does go home, and Holden exits the way he arrived, by hopping a freight train. Novak, however, realizes that her love for Holden is stronger than the security of home and she takes a bus heading in the same direction as the train, intending to catch up with the love of her life. Holden is brilliant; Novak, in her first major role, was terrified of botching the job but performs admirably. The love scenes between the two have real fire, and the sequence showing their dance together is as sensual as any recorded on film. Hollywood lore has it that Holden didn't believe he was up to the famous slow dance with Novak. Logan, who rubbed every scene in the film to high gloss, took Holden to roadhouses and compelled him to dance with choreographer Nelson to jukebox songs until the actor was confident he could perform on the dance floor. Cinematographer Howe circled the two dancers with his camera, showing them mostly from the waist up, their eyes riveted to each other, capturing the love scene in one take. That scene became one of the most famous of the 1950s and it made "Moonglow" a sensational hit. The film was shot in Hutchinson, Kansas, and in Columbia's Burbank Studio.