Picnic is a 1955 Cinemascope film in Technicolor which tells the story of an ex-college football star turned drifter who arrives in a small Kansas town on Labor Day and is drawn to a girl who's already spoken for. The plot covers a twenty-four hour period, and was considered daring for its day. It stars William Holden, Kim Novak, Susan Strasberg, Cliff Robertson, Arthur O'Connell, Nick Adams, Betty Field and Rosalind Russell and is sometimes cited as a richly detailed snapshot of midwestern American culture during the 1950s.
The screenplay was adapted by Daniel Taradash from William Inge's Pulitzer Prize winning play. Directed by Joshua Logan, Picnic was widely popular and made Kim Novak a star. Rosalind Russell received critical praise for her role as a middle-aged, frustrated schoolteacher. Audiences reacted to it as a realistic, "slice of life" story.
The movie's hit song, "Theme From Picnic," reached Number One on the Billboard charts in 1956 and was Number 14 overall that year. Composed by George Duning and comedian Steve Allen (though Allen's lyrics are never used during the film), the song was used in the dance scene between Holden and Novak, wherein Columbia's musical director Morris Stoloff blended "Picnic" with the 1930s standard, "Moonglow." The two songs are often paired in later recordings by other artists. The soundtrack album also sold well, reaching 23 on the Billboard charts.
The Picnic (full title The Two Ronnies Present - The Picnic), is a 1976 BBC film starring The Two Ronnies, and written by Ronnie Barker under the pseudonyms "Dave Huggett and Larry Keith".
Released as a split reel along with the comedy Foot Romance, A (1911).
Summertime, and Mickey takes Minnie on a picnic. While Pluto is chasing a rabbit, and Mickey and Minnie are doing a courtship dance, every animal in the woods is busy making off with their picnic food. And then the rain comes. Written by Jon Reeves
The morning of a small town Labor Day picnic, a drifter (Hal Carter) blows into town to visit an old fraternity buddy (Alan Benson) who also happens to be the son of the richest man in town. Hal is an egocentric braggart - all potential and no accomplishment. He meets up with Madge Owens, the town beauty queen and girlfriend of Alan Benson. Written by Erik L. Ellis
