‘Picnic’ 1955

William Holden & Kim Novak as the drifter & the beauty queen in 1955's "Picnic."

 

Picnic portrays the lives of quiet—or raucous, in the case of Roz Russell—desperation. Set in a small Kansas town during the 1950s, the story revolves around the effect that a charismatic young drifter has on the repressed townspeople one sizzling Labor Day.

Picnic is the Pulitzer Prize winning play by William Inge, at the height of his acclaim. The domestic drama was a huge Broadway hit that was brought to the screen by its stage director, Joshua Logan. Noteworthy about the stage version were some up-and-coming actors: Ralph Meeker as drifter Hal Carter; Paul Newman in his Broadway debut as rich kid Alan; Janice Rule as beauty queen Madge; and Kim Stanley at age 28, as kid sister Millie! Eileen Heckart portrayed Rosemary, the spinster teacher who spins out of control on Labor Day evening.

William Holden's "boyishness" act as Hal is as awkward as Kim Novak's acting. 

I’m sure Columbia Studios paid William Inge a pretty penny to bring his play to the big screen. Columbia head honcho Harry Cohn was giving Kim Novak a huge build up and decided this property would be perfect to launch her as a leading lady. Therefore, a “name” leading man was needed. Instead of going off the studio lot for a suitable male star to play the sexy young college dropout/drifter—say Brando?—Cohn chose studio homeboy William Holden to play Hal. And Harry didn’t have to pay a pretty penny for Bill, because it was the last film on Holden’s old studio contract. It’s a shame Marlon Brando did Guys and Dolls instead of Picnic. Brando was six years younger than Holden, far more boyishly charismatic.

William Holden was a fine actor, but too careworn & not carefree as Hal in "Picnic.

While Holden was an especially subtle male actor for the era, he was a decade too old for the part. What made this especially noticeable was that while Bill’s bod was still in fine form, Holden’s face was already showing signs of alcoholic dissipation at just 37. When Holden acts like an over-aged teenager, it’s especially awkward as he tries to impress Madge, played by 22-year-old Novak.

William Holden's form was fine, but his close-ups showed hard living in "Picnic."

Still, Bill had charisma, authority, and “rugged” sex appeal, so Holden as the young stud wasn’t a total dud. Hal Carter reminds me of Tennessee William’s later character, Chance Wayne, in Sweet Bird of Youth. They’re golden boys who come to a small town and stir things up, and both want to make off with the lovely ingénue. Both are Peter Pans, star athletes with aspirations of movie stardom, but neither have never amounted to anything. Ironically, Paul Newman was the same age as Holden in Picnic when he played Chance in ’62. While Newman liked his beers, it didn’t show, like the effects of whatever Holden hoisted.

Rosalind Russell lets rip on William Holden's shirt, as passions get heated in "Picnic."

An amused eye roll comes when Columbia cut the line from Picnic’s climactic dance scene: “I feel just like Rita Hayworth!” I guess they were more concerned with shining a spotlight on Columbia’s new love goddess, Kim Novak!

Cliff Robertson as the rich beau that Kim Novak's Madge "should" want, in "Picnic."

Kim as Madge is a contradiction, as often is the case with Novak’s acting. Kim’s shyness and uncertainty works for the character, and she was often cast thusly. I’m sure playing a girl who is valued mainly for her looks hit home for insecure Kim, who was treated like an object by Harry Cohn. Yet, Novak’s studio-trained mannerisms and dazed demeanor reminds me of another actress who often felt uncomfortable in front of the camera, Jennifer Jones, thrust into the spotlight by her Svengali, David O. Selznick. Kim’s Madge is an uneven performance, yet her vulnerability goes a long way, and she and Holden have a strong chemistry. Kudos to whoever decided that Novak temporarily drop her “lavender blonde” look. With her simple makeup and a long reddish brown wig, Kim looks pretty yet realistic as the local beauty queen.

Columbia Studios' blonde bombshell Kim Novak was toned down
for the small town drama "Picnic."

Rosalind Russell as Rosemary, the middle-aged teacher who boards at the Owens’ home, is another mixed blessing from the leads. Eileen Heckart was said to be a wow in the role on Broadway, though she was known to play big, too. While Roz bravely goes glamour-free and plays her age, unlike most of her contemporaries, Russell plays to the rafters far too often. It’s a tricky role, because Rosemary is an over the top character, which can be problematic when played by an actress who is often the same. As often the case with a “big” performance, Roz fares best in the smaller moments, when her Rosemary shares the fear of growing old alone. Russell is obviously a skilled actress and a smart one, but like the other lead actors in this film, she would have benefited from a more experienced film director, and not a theater director whose film work showed a heavy hand.

Rosalind Russell emotes as Rosemary, the desperate school teacher in "Picnic."

Arthur O’Connell is appealing and effortlessly believable as Howard, the store owner across the river, who sees Rosemary, but from a safe distance. Betty Field doesn’t play brassy for a change, as Madge and Millie’s mother. Field’s Flo has been deserted by her husband to raise the two girls the best she can. Betty is totally natural as a woman whose dreams are now for her daughters. Only in a ‘50s movie would Susan Strasberg be cast as the “plain” sister. Susan’s naturalistic as the brainy kid sister (with eyeglasses!). Strasberg’s as emotional as Novak is remote as the pretty sister, Millie’s outburst—“Madge is the pretty one!”—was the “Marcia, Marcia, Marcia” of the ‘50s!

Lovely Susan Strasberg is Millie, Kim Novak's "bookworm" kid sister in "Picnic."

Cliff Robertson does what he can with the role Alan, the rich, weak kid.

In the smaller supporting roles, Nick Adams is cockily amusing as Bomber, the brash neighborhood teen; Verna Felton is most endearing as the neighbor lady who’s the first to befriend Hal; and Reta Shaw is salty as a fellow teacher. The entire supporting cast is strong, but it’s the three leads that are a mixed bag.

The superb supporting cast of "Picnic" bring reality to this slice of life drama.

Others have noted that Inge, just as popular as Tennessee Williams in the ‘50s, with a string of hits, isn’t as well remembered. Well, Williams went through a period where he was considered passé, too. I’ve read that it’s perhaps that Inge’s dialogue wasn’t as poetic and quotable. Still, William Inge did write plays about real people and their problems, often small town people. Come Back, Little Sheba, Bus Stop, Picnic, The Dark at the Top of the Stairs were huge hits. On film, he wrote screenplays for Splendor in the Grass and All Fall Down. Not too shabby!

Playwright William Inge & Director Joshua Logan surely loved this opening title!

Director Joshua Logan had an incredible string of musical, comedy, and dramatic successes on Broadway. That’s probably why Logan was asked to recreate some of those stage hits on film, as well as other blockbuster productions. That said, most films I’ve seen directed by Joshua Logan all seem a bit off-kilter: Picnic, Sayonara, South Pacific, Camelot, and Paint Your Wagon. The man had mad stage credentials, but I don’t think Logan was in film making on a regular basis to learn its intricacies. In Picnic, that’s apparent with the uneven lead performances and the very intrusive music score.

Madge gets out of Dodge at the finale of 1955's "Picnic."

Picnic is one of those movies which are frequently labeled dated. Indeed a product of its time, the drama is a snapshot of the repressed ‘50s. However, how much has really changed in small towns since then? We are obviously less repressed and are able to communicate through the internet and social media. Still, how many people feel stuck and stifled in small towns, with dreams that don’t come true? As someone who lives in rural Upper MI, I see it all the time. In that sense, Picnic is timeless.

My look at Kim Novak, teamed with Sinatra, in The Man with the Golden Arm: https://ricksrealreel.blogspot.com/2018/07/the-man-with-golden-arm-1955.html

And here’s my take on Rosalind Russell, in her signature role as Auntie Mame: https://ricksrealreel.blogspot.com/2020/12/rozs-signature-role-auntie-mame-1958.html

FYI: I put all the movie overflow on my public FB  movie page. 

Check it out & join!  https://www.facebook.com/groups/178488909366865/

The poster of "Picnic" promises more than it delivers--typical of the era!

Ann-Margret's Anatomy VS 'Bus Riley's Back in Town' 1965

A-M's kitten with a whip routine wreaks havoc with William Inge's kitchen sink drama, 'Bus Riley's Back in Town.'

Bus Riley’s Back in Town is one of those flicks that’s fondly remembered by some film fans but mostly forgotten by mainstream movie audiences. The 1965 slice of life drama had a troubled production, was not a critical or commercial success, isn’t often shown on television, or readily available on DVD. I was thrilled when I finally found a good version of Bus Riley on line, and the link is at the end of this essay.

Michael Parks had to live down "the next James Dean" label, in an era that was not looking for '50s rebels.

I am a movie buff with nostalgic memories of Bus Riley’s Back in Town. The story of a sailor who comes back to his home town, only to find out things have changed, and ultimately figures out he needs to change, as well, was a TV staple in the ‘70s. Watching movies like Bus Riley, Valley of the Dolls, and Peyton Place made me feel very grown up, especially if I was watching with my Mom. She was a fan of Bus Riley’s Michael Parks, who had made a TV comeback with Then Came Bronson, the hippie biker with the catch phrase, “Hang in there.”

Playwright William Inge was to the Midwest what Tennessee Williams was to the South, depicting lives of not-so-quiet desperation. Inge recycled some archetypes from his most famous work, Picnic, to portray small town life in Bus Riley’s Back in Town: the sensible widow who takes in boarders; the insecure "pretty" older and “sensitive” kid sisters; the neurotic old maid school teacher; and the ne’er-do-well charmer who comes home and shakes things up.

Ann-Margret is just a small town country club wife in 'Bus Riley's Back in Town!'

There are basically two movies going on in Bus. One is a domestic comedy-drama, told realistically for the time, with a cast of fine character actors who look and act like real people. Then there’s an Ann-Margret melodrama, still in Kitten with a Whip mode. After the opening scenes of the working class Riley family reunion with returning sailor Bus, the film cuts to A-M’s Laurel, his sexy ex. She plays possum on her pillow, when her rich older husband comes to her bed to say goodbye, before he leaves on business. The film then turns into a Ross Hunter version of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof: A-M sulking in bed, with a tidal wave of hair and ton of makeup, shot in gauzy cinematography by Hunter's fave lensman, Russell Metty, all accompanied with swelling piano music. And once Bus hits town, Ann-Margret’s local vixen turns into a crazy town Maggie the Cat!

Ann-Margret is basically Maggie the Crazy Cat to Michael Parks' ambivalent Bus Riley.

Most of the film follows the small town dreams and disappointments of Bus Riley's family and friends, which are often quite affecting. Then along comes A-M's Laurel, who can't seem to decide whether she loves or hates Bus. Either way, A-M is full-on Ann-Margrock, complete with babykins voice, sultry gazes through her peek-a-boo hairdo, as she swans about in Jean Louis outfits. A-M’s character also seems slightly insane, as she deliberately runs into Bus’ car as an excuse to talk, stalks, bites, and even jumps into her pool fully dressed, all to seduce him.

Most absurd is when Laurel enlists her much older BFF "Benii" as her “date,” in order to run into Bus at a local hot spot. A-M selects a slow sexy number on the jukebox that sends her into a slithery, come hither routine, with her aging pal dancing by himself, until she slinks her way back. Suddenly, it feels like we’re in Twin Peaks! Lots of A-M self-touching, with half-closed eyes, and full-hair tossing, that is totally self-parody. This was one of several early Ann-Margret movies where her sex symbol image was boosted at the expense of the film’s finished product. A-M was also one of a number of starlets touted to be the next Marilyn Monroe, after MM’s untimely demise.

Ann-Margaret's Laurel gets down with BFF "Benii" to vamp Bus. With color-coordinated their dancing shoes!

Unfortunately, the sex kitten with claws image was one that she had to live down. Finally, in 1970, directing great Mike Nichols did for A-M in Carnal Knowledge what he did for Elizabeth Taylor in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and later, Cher, in Silkwood: shine a light on the talent of a star with an over-exposed image. Ann-Margret went on to become a terrific actress, especially in her later TV work.

The break up between Laurel and Bus is Ann-Margret and Michael Parks’ best scene together. A-M is at Laurel’s makeup table, perpetually putting on lipstick, while Parks’ Bus is trying to have a serious talk with her. Bus takes the lipstick and Laurel snatches it right back. When Parks slaps it out of her hand, A-M snarls, “What?!!” Parks is most effective, soft-spoken as he explains why he can’t be with her anymore, and Ann-Margaret shows a glimpse of her future emotionalism as an actress, when Laurel realizes she’s really lost Bus this time. It’s a startling scene.

Bus Riley and Laurel are about to break up again for good, in this intense scene that involves a flying lipstick!

Prolific television director Harvey Hart is quite capable with the cast, save Ann-Margret. Michael Parks got a bad rap as a James Dean wannabe. While he did look like a more conventionally good-looking version of Jimmy and occasionally affected the same method acting style as Dean, he also has some Brando-esque moments as Bus Riley. In the film's opening, he is awoken repeatedly, finally by his sister's noisy boyfriend, making a racket in his car. His "Hey, Paula!" rant is a good-natured homage to Marlon's famed "Hey, Stella!" There are other moments when Parks gets to show his flair for dry humor. Yet, he also has a number of subtle dramatic scenes, especially with Jocelyn Brando as his mother and Janet Margolin, as a family friend he gradually realizes is a kindred spirit. All in all, Michael Parks makes a good impression as Bus Riley, and it should have led to better roles. I wonder if Michael Parks didn’t take off as a movie star because, like Ann-Margret, getting groomed respectively as the next James Dean or Marilyn Monroe by the mid-60s was passé.

The Riley family at breakfast, from left: Mimsy Farmer, Jocelyn Brando, and Kim Darby. And that's the back of Brett Somers' head, who plays their uptight boarder.

Kim Darby was quirky even as a teen and an acquired taste as a performer. Most famous for True Grit, these qualities suit her role as the offbeat kid sister, Gussie. The kid sis idolizes Bus, and she and Parks have a sweet rapport. As her best friend Judy, Janet Margolin, of the art house classic, David and Lisa, is most appealing. As the girl stuck in the role of adult to her divorced, depressed, and drinking mother, Margolin's doe-eyed looks and aching vulnerability are a striking contrast to Ann-Margaret's tawdry antics. 

Janet Margolin shines as Judy, the one who may be just the right girl for Bus Riley.

Most amusing is Brett Somers as the uptight boarder, Carlotta. Anybody who grew up in the '70s remembers Brett as the game show version of Elaine Stritch on Match Game, sharing whiskey-voiced, bawdy quips, and vying with Charles Nelson Reilly to see who could be more outrageous. To see Somers clutching her pearls as Parks' Bus bumbles around in his boxers or catches her on the can is especially hilarious.

Jocelyn Brando plays the warm but pragmatic Mrs. Riley, and the scenes with her children ring true. She brings a realistic mix of offering level-headed advice for happiness in small town life, with a touch of resignation. Still, Brando, who was Marlon's older sister, will always be Mommie Dearest's favorite reporter, Barbara Bennett from Redbook, to me!

Jocelyn Brando is great as always as Mrs. Riley, trying to keep wayward son Bus on the right track.

Brad Dexter, who seems to have been in every '60s movie, plays the Atomic vacuum salesman who gives Bus a career break. Their scene with housewife Alice Pearce (Bewitched's Gladys Kravitz #1) gives the movie some intentional levity. Another actress who has just one, but memorable scene, is Lisabeth Hush as Joy, the Mrs. Robinson of Bus' little berg. She’s funny and sexy in her golden lounging get-up, riffing and flirting on astrology and ESP, and offers this classic come-on to salesman Bus: "Why be a square when the world is round?" 

Lisabeth Hush is a sly hoot as sexy housewife Joy, one of Bus' 'customers.'

Ethel Griffies, the ornithologist who offered dire warnings of The Birds, is a tough old bird of a matriarch from the local funeral home here. Most striking is Crahan Denton as her closeted alcoholic mortician son who offers Bus a job—with extra duties. With a hand on Bus' knee, there's a striking close-up as he says, "I'm a lonely man, Bus." What's forward thinking is at a funeral later, Bus holds no grudges and goes over to greet him. In a similar vein, when Judy's alcoholic Mom dies in a fire caused by her burning cigarette, there's a humane assessment of her disease, not demonization. Even when Bus finally breaks up with Laurel, and she snaps that she hates him, he just replies softly, "And I feel sorry for you." Considering the hell she's put him through, I thought that was a most charitable answer.

Aside from the Dean comparisons, Michael Parks is sensitive, funny, and sexy as Bus Riley.

Mimsy Farmer—love that name!—as the older, pretty sister Paula, is alternately snarky and sweet; Larry Storch is the likeable barkeep pal; Nan Martin’s a believable mess as Judy's mother; and David Carradine, creepy even then, is Bus' buddy Stretch. Star Trek’s Scotty himself, James Doohan, rounds out the stellar cast. 

David Carradine makes an early film appearance as an old high school pal of Parks' Bus Riley.

Much was made when William Inge requested that his name be removed from Bus Riley’s Back in Town credits, due to changes made by the film’s producer, Elliot Kastner, to "glorify Ann-Margret." The screenplay was credited to "Walter Gage" in the finished film. A decade later, Ann-Margret told her side, saying the changes were made to soften her character, and that she wasn’t happy about it, either.

Could those cut scenes be restored and the re-shoots removed? Hard to say, but my guess is highly unlikely. At least it would make great fodder for a Bus Riley DVD. Meanwhile, you can either savor the small town fare of Bus Riley or chuckle at the deep dish camp of Ann-Margret purring and sneering her way through this bi-polar bonanza.

Watch Bus Riley’s Back in Town here: https://rarefilmm.com/2018/07/bus-rileys-back-in-town-1965/

Ann-Margret plays with her... oh, never mind!