Everyone in this small Kansas city desperately needs a picnic. Down and out, Hal Carter (William Holden) just rolled into town off a freight train in search of his rich college buddy, Alan Benson (Cliff Robertson), with the hope that Alan's old man, who owns a prosperous grain company, will offer him a job. First, however, Hal stumbles upon Alan's beautiful girlfriend, Madge Owens (Kim Novak), and they click from the moment their eyes first meet, forcing Madge to question her relationship with Alan, which can't be much. Madge's kid sister, Millie (Susan Strasberg), is the family intellectual and strongly resents that Madge attracts so much attention based solely on her looks, which Millie considers superficially shallow. Flo, as the single mother of the girls, is worried about her ability to raise them, but it's probably too late to be fussing about that by now. And what about Miss Rosemary (Rosalind Russell), the local high school teacher who has boarded in Flo's rooming house for what seems to be forever? Frustrated that her confirmed bachelor boyfriend, Howard Bevans (Arthur O'Connell), refuses to propose to her, Rosemary sadly observes life passing her by. Even the goofy paper boy (Nick Adams) is unfulfilled as Madge won't give him the correct time of day, let alone anything else of which he is in need.That big, community gala can't come soon enough, but instead of providing relief to these folks, it becomes a tinder box from where all of their disappointments and exasperations explode into the deceptively tranquil Kansas atmosphere. And then comes that sizzling summer dance to the intoxicating "Picnic" theme song, written by George Duning, that impressed me so much as a seven year old kid glued to his tiny, transistor radio in 1956. Holden and Novak insisted that they couldn't dance a single step, so never, ever underestimate the magical powers of Hollywood.Regrettably, many of you young whippersnappers can't appreciate the painstaking efforts of a gifted photographer, James Wong Howe, to produce such a remarkable tribute to 1950's rural America, which we will never experience again, as he surely accomplished here. I have always appreciated the effective use of transportation modes, especially trains, by film directors, and Joshua Logan, with the help of Mr. Howe, provides one of the best transportation scenes in cinematic history at the end of this movie, but I will say no more about it.Why do so many reviewers believe that Holden at age 37 was too old for the part of drifter Hal Carter? At the ripe old age of 69, I'm still drifting through life, but I'll never catch Kim Novak along the way. I already know that by now. What totally lacks credibility for me is Hal's and Alan's friendship, regardless of their ages. Upon what was that based? Speaking for myself, I could never keep up with the rich kids in college and didn't even try. And what's the bit with Holden and Robertson feeling the urge to shave their chests? I always thought that women found hairy chests sexy, not that I ever had more than a few, wayward strays. Aside from her physical beauty, Kim Novak always intrigued me by the intricacy that lied beyond her outward loveliness. In my humble view, she was only able to make the best use of her inner complexity here and as Judy Barton two years later in "Vertigo". And guess where Judy Barton's hometown was? Salina, Kansas, where much of this film was produced. We've come full circle, haven't we?Holden and Novak make an irresistibly attractive couple, and I thank Mr. Logan for having the guts to go with Holden over the other, well known options. The rest of the cast is outstanding as well, especially Russell and O'Donnell, who will always be among my favorites. Two unforgettable scenes are Russell's drunken, volcanic eruption and the moment of O'Connell's realization that, at long last, he has been helplessly corralled by Miss Rosemary and will soon be headed to that long overdue Ozarks honeymoon in the black 1950 Fordor owned by Tom and Betsy Rath in "Man in the Grey Flannel Suit", produced in the same year. They can't keep a good, solid car down for long, can they?

a small town. an old friendship. a dramatic love story . a picnic as axis. a film who remains, after decades, example of freshness. for the splendid performance of William Holden , in a role who remands James Dean's characters, for the first role of Cliff Robertson who does a great job and, sure, for Kim Novak. the precise exploration of details, the manner to present the state of an age/condition/status of each character, for the atmosphere and for the wise art to use the clash between meetings are the virtues of a beautiful film, useful lesson for rediscover the old fashion cinema's high convincing art. a film about need of certitude, it has the gift to remain memorable. and one of movies who are best choice for understand the reflection in cinema of the strange air of South.

The William Inge play upon which the film is based was a biting look at the prejudicial and insular communities of small-town America. In out-of-town runs, Joshua Logan (who directed both play and film) discerned that audiences preferred a more positive viewpoint, resulting in the story we see on screen. Logan also opened up the play's one set to include the entire community very effectively, better than most stage-to-film productions.This may be my favorite film of all time. There is so much to like, from the script to the acting, from the music to the editing.With the changes made by Logan, Picnic is--at its heart--a love story. William Holden plays Hal Carter, a young man who drifts into a small Kansas town and meets Madge Owens (Kim Novak), the beautiful daughter of a woman who is grooming her for marriage to a young man from a well to do family. Madge feels trapped by the expectations of her mother and the entire town, a victim of her own beauty.Holden plays Hal as someone who is desperate. He feels time passing him by. With no prospects on the horizon, he blows into town to see his old college buddy, Alan Benson (Cliff Robertson), hoping to find a job. Hal has a chip on his shoulder and projects a façade of confidence that is easy to see through.Madge is desperate in her own way. She wants to establish her own identity, but she is playing a role proscribed for her by the town. As queen of the annual fall festival, she is a virginal offering to the gods of propriety and tradition.All of the actors in this film do tremendous jobs. I must single out Rosalind Russell who plays Miss Rosemary Sydney, a middle-aged school teacher who boards in the Owens household. She too is desperate, feeling doomed to live the remainder of her life without fulfilling her dreams of marriage with all its trappings. Like Hal, she puts on a brave front, but the film's narrative brings her to a point where she is stripped of pretensions and the viewer sees and feels her desperation. I always wondered why Russell did not receive the Academy Award for this multi-leveled, gut-wrenching performance. Then I read that she was upset that she was not billed as the female lead. After years of top billing and box office success, she was billed below Kim Novak--a relative newcomer. So, she asked that she not be considered for Best Supporting Actress. This is one of her best performances.Picnic gives us so many memorable scenes--from the scenes of the fall festival, to the dancing scene between Holden and Novak, to the final scene of the film. Some of the best scenes take place in the plot of grass that lies between the back of the Owens house and the alley that borders the backyards. When Hal first arrives in town, broke and travel-weary, he walks down that alley and observes another world, where families live and interact, where there is a sense of belonging. He knows that if he can make his way from the outside world represented by the alley to the inside world represented by the back steps of the houses, he might gain access to another world, with its vague promise of a better life.As a young man looking to find his place in life, Holden's portrayal of Hal deserves to be elevated to iconic status, along with the rebels of Brando and Dean.

Absolutely masterful storytelling. Four story lines united by two beautiful melodies, which themselves are united. Four romance-related stories are intertwined: deepening love between Bill & Kim; painfully destroyed crush of teenager Strasberg; lost love of mother; lost romance of Roz Russel. All roles masterfully acted, with the exception of Bill's stiff dancing. That being said, there, on screen, are your mother and father, and all their ancestors, and all your descendants. That's what life is about — simply that. By the way, this scene is definitive proof that free will does not exist. Bill didn't have a chance. Guys take note: When women say they want more romance in their lives, this is what they mean. It's worth a shot.