Picnic - Movie Review

Rating: 2 out of 5

I'd never seen or read Picnic before -- and judging from the happy title I assumed it would be a lighthearted comedy -- probably full of music and dancing. Man, I was wrong. This is a big and sappy melodrama, with William Holden a train-riding hobo who descends upon a small town on Labor Day (in time for the big picnic), and wreaks all manner of havoc on the local romance pecking order. Ultimately the film finally focuses on his relationship with the lovely Kim Novak -- a one-day affair that ends with a vague, interpretable conclusion. Whoop de do. All that, and there's no hot dogs.

Facts and Figures

Year: 1955

Run time: 115 mins

In Theaters: Thursday 16th February 1956

Distributed by: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

Production compaines: Columbia Pictures Corporation

Reviews

Contactmusic.com: 2 / 5

Rotten Tomatoes: 57%
Fresh: 4 Rotten: 3

IMDB: 7.2 / 10

Cast & Crew

Director: Joshua Logan

Producer: Fred Kohlmar

Screenwriter: Daniel Taradash

Starring: William Holden as Hal Carter, Kim Novak as Marjorie 'Madge' Owens, 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, Nick Adams as Bomber, Raymond Bailey as Mr. Benson, Rosalind Russell as Rosemary - The School Teacher, Phyllis Newman as Juanita Badger

Also starring: Fred Kohlmar, Daniel Taradash