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| Picnic | 
 enlarge | Director: Joshua Logan
Actors: William Holden, Kim Novak, Betty Field, Susan Strasberg, Cliff Robertson
Studio: Sony Pictures
Category: DVD
List Price: $19.94
Buy New: $12.58
You Save: $7.36 (37%)
New (45) Used (14) Collectible (1) from $10.99
Avg. Customer Rating:  110 reviews
Sales Rank: 4198
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Full Screen, Ntsc
Languages: English (Original Language), Spanish (Original Language), Chinese (Subtitled), English (Subtitled), Korean (Subtitled), Portuguese (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled), Thai (Subtitled), Portuguese (Dubbed)
Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Number Of Items: 1
Running Time: 113
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
DVD Layers: 1
DVD Sides: 2
Picture Format: Array
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.3
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.1 x 0.6
MPN: 043396828797
ISBN: 0767827791
UPC: 043396828797
EAN: 9780767827799
ASIN: 0767827791
Theatrical Release Date: January 1, 1955
Release Date: April 18, 2000
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: Factory Sealed, Brand New. Free Upgrade to First-Class Mail; Extremely FAST Delivery!
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Amazon.com
William Holden is the hunky drifter who rides the rails into a small Midwest town with dreams of landing a "respectable" job with his rich college buddy (Cliff Robertson). Kim Novak is the small-town beauty queen engaged to Robertson who falls for the cocky dreamer, as do repressed schoolmarm spinster Rosalind Russell and Novak's tomboyish kid sister Susan Strasberg. Their unleashed passions reach a crescendo at the Labor Day picnic. Joshua Logan directed William Inge's play on Broadway and carried it to Hollywood, earning Oscar nominations for Best Picture and Best Director in his screen-directing debut. Holden is years too old for the role but oozes sex appeal and makes a swoony stud when he takes his shirt off (or when, better yet, it's ripped from his back by a boozing Russell), and Novak is a lovely lost girl yearning for something she can't quite grasp. Arthur O'Connell earned an Oscar nomination as Russell's tippling boyfriend. The film was a huge popular and critical hit, but Logan's stiff and strident direction hasn't dated well. He makes his points in big capital letters--subtlety was never his strong point--and loses the natural beauty of the Kansas locations when he takes the climactic picnic scenes into an obviously artificial soundstage. Picnic remains a loved American classic, largely for Holden's tough-guy vulnerability and James Wong Howe's brilliant widescreen color photography. --Sean Axmaker
Product Description
Drama on the impact of a virile, egotistical drifter on the lives of 5 women in a small Kansas town.
Genre: Feature Film-Drama
Rating: PG
Release Date: 18-APR-2000
Media Type: DVD
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| Customer Reviews: Read 105 more reviews...
 Picnic film, beautiful romantic film July 8, 2008
I love this movie, it's one of my favorites. I am a fan of William Holden. He was handsome, charismatic, a great actor. Known for his popular films, such as World of Suzie Wong, Love is a many splendored thing, Sabrina, Bridge on the river kwai, and others. I loved him in this movie as Hal the drifter, who catches a freight to Kansas to see an old college friend of his, whose father owns the grain mill in town. Hal ends up falling in love with Madge, his college friend's girlfriend, which breaks up the friendship. I think the best part of the movie is when Hal and Madge dance to "Moonglow" at the picnic, and it seems like that is the moment when they first fall in love. Hal has to run out of town and catch a freight train again, because his ex-friend is furious, because he suspects that Madge and Hal have fallen for each other. Madge's mom who doesn't believe in marrying for love, since the man she loved, Madge's father, left them after she had Madge's sister. She wants Madge to marry Hal's friend, because the friend is a rich boy, and member of the country club. She wants Madge to be treated like a queen, and live the good life. She wants Madge to always be adored by everyone for her looks. Madge is the prettiest girl at the picnic and wins the beauty contest there. Madge just wants to be loved for who she is, not for the way she looks, and of course Hal is attracted to her looks at first, but loves her for who she is. In reality though, it isn't realistic usually for people to fall deeply in love instantly. But if you love romance, Bill Holden, a beautifully made film, good acting, and a good cast, you will love "Picnic." And if you love the song "Moonglow", you will definitely enjoy watching William Holden and Kim Novak dancing together to it. The only question is will Hal and Madge end up together? Will she marry Hal's rich ex-friend? Will she go with Hal or follow him out of town to be with him, "the man she loves", or will she stay and make her mother happy? You will find the answer of course, if you buy "Picnic." I think this is a movie one will not regret purchasing, as long as you love old romantic films, William Holden, and of course, "Moonglow." This truly is one of my very favorite films. Also I wrote a review on Marie Antoinette, which I also love. I love most of William Holden's films, such as Love is a many splendored thing, World of Suzie Wong, and Sabrina. So check out these other films, if you haven't seen them already, I don't think you will be disappointed. I believe you will love them as I do, and they will be your top favorite films too!
A Trip Back To Small Town America In The 50's June 7, 2008
Having seen Picnic on television years ago and then having it disappear not to be shown again I wanted to find a copy of it. I was happy to see that it had been reissued! Even though the film is not in widescreen format(a big disappointment)it is a trip through some very simple and nostalgic times. Loaded with wonderful character acters and soon to be big stars it almost makes you want to relive the 50's. I could relate to many of the characters as being people that I had grown up around. Verna Felton was wonderful, but then so was William Holden and Rosalind Russell. If you want to escape from our complicated world and have a few hours of nostalgia I highly recommend Picnic.
A Classic May 21, 2008
Picnic is one of the best films to come out of mid '50's Hollywood. Taken from William Inge's play, it is unique in that the entire film takes place in exactly 24 hours. Yet, by the end, you KNOW each and every character. William Holden heads a stellar cast. Excellent summer viewing.
 Not necessarily William Holden's best film, but worth watching once May 13, 2008
Some people are saying that this is only released in Full Screen. I rented it and it certainly was in 2:35 Widescreen. I rented this because I wanted to see another early William Holden film, and I heard that this was a "classic". Plus I wanted to see some films that I actually know the main song more than just the film. The song "Moonglow" and the Theme from Picnic" was a classic favorite of mine in my many instrumental classics collections. It's funny how much of my favorite music was popular before I was even born.
Well anyway, I like William Holden's "The World of Suzie Wong" and "Love is a Many-Splendered Thing" better than this less-than-energetic "Smalltown Sunday at the Park" yawner. Kim Novak was gorgeous, of course, and it was great to see an early film of Cliff Robertson (better known to me as in "Falcon Crest", "Class", and also for promoting AT&T about 20 years back.
I wish William Holden didn't keep calling Kim Novak "baby" in the film. That's so lame, but I guess that was of its time. This movie was worth watching once, but it's certainly no keeper.
 "I'm so tired of being told I'm pretty" December 23, 2007
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
William Inge's evocative portrait of small-town life, PICNIC, features the blazing star combo of Kim Novak and William Holden.
When handsome drifter Hal Carter (William Holden) decides to drop in and visit old college buddy Alan Benson (Cliff Robertson) in his small Kansas town, he ends up turning the head of Alan's girlfriend Madge (Kim Novak) and disrupting the peaceful lives of her extended family. The action comes to a climax at the Labour Day picnic, where Madge is to be crowned. As Madge comes to grips with her uncontrollable attraction to Hal; spinsterish schoolmarm Rosemary (Rosalind Russell) conspires to get her long-standing beau Howard (Arthur O'Connell) down the aisle via the shortest possible means.
Kim Novak is brilliant as Madge, the young woman torn between the man who can offer financial security, and the penniless drifter who excites her like no-one she's ever met before; Novak plays the conflict of emotions very well. In 1955, William Holden was a little too seasoned to play the muscly stud, but offers a fine performance as Hal. Susan Strasberg, as little sister Millie, provides lots of depth with a role that's written as a caricature (the brainy younger sibling marching around in glasses and bluejeans, reading "dirty books"), yet Strasberg plays the role believably. Rosalind Russell shines in the role of schoolmarm Rosemary, desperate to marry and leave her rented room (though her performance is quite hammy and broad in some of the scenes). Betty Field and Verna Felton also provide solid work, albeit in thankless supporting roles.
Although the CinemaScope visuals take some of the impact away from the claustrophobic view of small-town life that's being depicted in the story, the wide ratio displays Kim Novak to her utmost advantage (not to mention William Holden, who sheds his shirt in several scenes). George Duning supplies the evocative incidental and jazz score, which features "Moonglow" in the Labour Day dance segment.
In the tradition of "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" and "Suddenly Last Summer", PICNIC is a searing romantic drama you're sure to fall in love with. The DVD includes bonus poster gallery and animated photo montage. (Single-sided, dual-layer disc).
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