Picnic is based off the william inge play of the same name. Charming hal carter william holden turned to wandering after a failed acting career left him loose in the wind. William inges play picnic was awarded the pulitzer prize and drama critics award in june 1953. William holden, kim novak, betty field, arthur oconnell, rosalind russell. Now i believe this is a really underrated film to be honest. William inges play picnic is set in a small kansas town, hutchinson, where drifter william holden comes to town to look up and old friend from college, cliff robertson. The train he boarded was pulled by a diesel locomotive. Please practice handwashing and social distancing, and check out our resources for adapting to.
The studio ponied up the money and holden was on the hook to perform the dance. Dance scene from picnic kim novakwilliam holden youtube. Appeared in 72 movies in a career than spanned 43 years. Starring william holden in one of his most iconic roles, and kim novak in the performance that made her a star, the film is one of the most fondly remembered american classics of that decade, adapted by director joshua logan from his own broadway production which won a pulitzer for playwright william ingedrifter hal holden returns to his. William holden blogathonpicnic 1955 whimsically classic.
Hal carter william holden is a former college football star, adrift and. But having just watched it for a second time, in the words of gertrude stein, theres. The train seen in the same frame with the bus is being pulled by a steam locomotive. Picnic has the surface characteristics of a movie i usually love. The music and the scene touches me so much, as a man i shed tears every time i view it. William holden had to shave his chest as it was considered too risque for those times. Starring william holden, kim novak, betty field, rosamund russell etc. Arthur oconnell howard was the only actor from the original play to recreate his role for the movie. William holden plays hal carter, a handsome drifter who ambles into a small kansas town during the labor day celebration to look up old college chum alan cliff robertson, in his film debut.
Picnic first caught me offguard, when i channel surfed into it while working out on a treadmill at the gym. Joshua logan, director of the original broadway stage production, directed the film version, which stars william holden, kim novak, and rosalind russell, with susan strasberg and cliff robertson in supporting roles. William holden and kim novak dance to moonglow, in the 1955 film version of picnic. In technicolor and cinemascope, william holden at the peak of his stardom, the neatly worked opening to picnic, 1955, from the famous william inge play, abraham weinlood as the railroad man view the tcmdb entry for picnic 1955. It was adapted for the screen by daniel taradash from william inges 1953 pulitzer prizewinning play of the same name. Their unleashed passions reach a crescendo at the labor day picnic. He shaved his chest for the shirtless shots and was reportedly nervous. Picnic was nominated for six academy awards, including best picture, and won. The broadway production starred ralph meeker as hal, janice rule as madge, paul newman as alan and kim stanley as millie. Im so pleased to have been able to purchase this film. In the second movie, 1955s picnic, the sparks fly between kim novak, then 22, and william holden. It begins as hal carter holden hops off a freight train and goes looking for his old college roommate alan cliff robertson. William holden also a great actor in all films he has starred in. During the casting period of the film william holden, at 37, was wary of playing hal novak was about half his age.
Picnic william holden and kim novak get hot and steamy in an unforgettable slice of 1950s americana movietalkuk bluray, drama, dvd 28th feb 2019 1st mar 2019 1 minute from eureka entertainment comes picnic, one of the defining landmark films of 1950s hollywood presented for the first time ever on bluray in the uk as part of the eureka. William holden, kim novak, rosalind russell, and arthur oconnell. From sunset boulevard to stalag 17 to picnic to bridge on the river kwai, william holden was at the top of the list in the decade of the 50s. It costars kim novak, susan strasberg, rosalind russell, betty field, cliff robertson, arthur oconnell, and verna felton. Kim novak was such a great actress and certainly beautiful.
She is widely known for her performance as madeline elsterjudy. And if you love the song moonglow, you will definitely enjoy watching william holden and kim novak dancing together to it. God was sad this date in 1981 when william holden passed away in santa monica, ca from a fall. The movie, now restored in a handsome new widescreen print, takes place on a long labor day and the night and morning which follow. I love this scene from the movie picnic from director josh logan, released in 1955, based on the. Vitals william holden as hal carter, aimless former college football star and army veteran kansas, labor day 1955 film. Brilliantly written by kansas playwright, william inge. Giveaway win picnic starring william holden and kim. Picnic by joshua logan joshua logan, william holden.
It is implied that the train seen when kim novak is on the bus to tulsa is the same one that william holden boarded. William holden didnt want to do the dance sequence with kim novak, fearing it would make. I will never forget that dance scene in picnic with kim novak. A man and a woman dancing, not just dancing, but slow dancing.
Signed a contract with paramount in 1937 at age of 19, appeared in his first film one year later. Please practice handwashing and social distancing, and check out our resources for adapting to these times. George dunings wistful, coplandinfluenced score captures the mood of heated yearning that not only engulfed the movie, but also defined the countrys romantic ethos in the this is about hollywood legend kim novak, not her plastic surgery. Midcentury small town drama focused on human relationships, with three of my favorite actresses kim novak, rosalind russell, susan strasberg and one of my favorite actors in william holden. See more ideas about kim novak, picnic and classic movies. Nighttime crowds watched along the smoky hill river near an old mill dam as william holden whipped a borrowed convertible with kim novak in the passenger seat to a stop along the river. Joshua logan, a perfectionist, filmed the scene over and over. I love this scene from the movie picnic from director josh logan, released in 1955, based on the play by william inge. A simple movie, but one of the finest movies ever made. Hoping to hit up alan for a jobor a handouthal ends up stealing his buddys fiancee madge owens kim novak. In reality though, it isnt realistic usually for people to fall deeply in love instantly. A number of spectatoring small boys often got in the way of the filming.
Picnic focuses on the impact a vagabond drifter makes on the womenfolk in a sleepy kansas town during the course of one summer day. William holden stars as a handsome drifter who comes to a small town in kansas over labor day weekend. Set in a sleepy kansas town one warm labor day weekend, picnic focuses on the impact made by a muscle flexing vagrant william holden whose presence causes emotional havoc among the local women, including town beauty kim novak who must decide whether or not to run away with her handsome new beau. Both paramount and 20th centuryfox studios expressed interest in turning the play into a film. Kim novak is the smalltown beauty queen engaged to robertson who falls for the cocky dreamer, as do repressed schoolmarm spinster rosalind russell and novaks tomboyish kid sister susan strasberg. The films of william holden dominated the 50s and holden was the favorite actor of the great billy wilder, my favorite director and appeared in three of the very best of wilders wonderful films. Some of the best scenes take place in the plot of grass that lies between the back of.
Kim novak and william holden dancing to moonglow in the film picnic 1955. Kim novak moviessusan strasbergrosalind russellface the musicget happytheme songmovie trailers movie. Picnic gives us so many memorable scenesfrom the scenes of the fall festival, to the dancing scene between holden and novak, to the final scene of the film. Based on the william inge play of the same name, picnic is your fairly standard romantic, technicolor, widescreen movie from the mid 1950s. Ive always identified, for whatever reason, with the character hal carter that holden played in this film. Giphy is how you search, share, discover, and create gifs. I love this scene from the movie picnic from director josh logan, released in.
Hal was a football hero, but now hes a bum and needs a job. A picnic is a meal taken outdoors as part of an excursion ideally in. Marilyn pauline kim novak born february, 1933 is a retired american film and television actress novak began her film career in 1954 after signing with columbia pictures, starring in numerous movies, including picnic 1955. William holden and kim novak dance to the tune of moonglow in this iconic scene from the 1955 film, picnic.
Hal carter william holden is a bum, come to kansas to seek out his old college roommate alan benson cliff robertson in the hopes that he will find him a job at one of his fathers granaries. The magnetism between william holden and kim novak was so palpable i couldnt stop watching, even when it was time to move to another exercise. Picnic is a 1955 american technicolor romantic comedydrama film filmed in cinemascope. He figured the studio would balk and replace him with a dance double. Eureka entertainment is set to release picnic, one of the defining landmark films of 1950s hollywood starring william holden and kim novak, for. It was adapted for the screen by daniel taradash from william inges 1953. Hunky drifter hal william holden arrives in a small kansas town, disturbing the status quo in picnic, a 1955 film based on wiliam inges play and directed by josh logan. Its easy to see why 50s audiences responded william holden and kim novak look great and generate a certain dutiful chemistrybut hard to see how, in a time when the sexual boldness of movies like a streetcar named desire was wellknown, people could sit through this with a straight face. She later starred in the man with the golden arm 1955 and pal joey 1957. In 1953, picnic was a critically successful play on broadway, where it won a pulitzer prize for playwright william inge and a tony for director joshua logan. Picnic was made into a film by columbia pictures, and was released in december 1955. Holden was uneasy with the idea of dancing on screen. Picnic offers superior acting all around, some great cinematography, and a number of excellent scenes, including the famous dance sequence between holden and novak.
Jan 24, 20 one of the sultriest, sexiest moments in the movies. But if you love romance, bill holden, a beautifully made film, good acting, and a good cast, you will love picnic. Interested in reuniting with an old college friend, alan benson cliff robertson. Background this labor day, we celebrate one of the lesserrecognized cinematic holidays with a look at the academy award. See more ideas about kim novak, classic movies and movie stars. Again the context is a dance, although it would be more accurately characterized as a mating ritual.
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