what year does it take place in? - Picnic Discussion

[–] 19 years ago

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[–] Tantalus2001 19 years ago

Well, Millie is reading THE BALLAD OF THE SAD CAFÉ which was published in 1951. PICNIC was published in 1952, it is a contemporary work, therefore the action takes place within those years.

Does anyone else think that Kim Novak, while she had her charms, was not nearly as sexy and attractive as Susan Strasberg was, at least in this film? I kept wondering why the Novak character was called "the pretty one" while I could not take my eyes off Strasberg!

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[–] hilljayne 19 years ago

Does anyone else think that Kim Novak, while she had her charms, was not nearly as sexy and attractive as Susan Strasberg was, at least in this film? I kept wondering why the Novak character was called "the pretty one" while I could not take my eyes off Strasberg!

Strasberg can't compare to Novak!

Professional Jayne Mansfield fanatic/lover™ since 1980.

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[–] prjohnson 18 years ago

Novak is one of the most beautiful women ever to be in film in any era.

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[–] 18 years ago

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[–] shadycady 15 years ago

Actually, Strasberg was gorgeous if you read her biography called "Bittersweet". When she was in her early 20s, she was stunning.

The Divine Genealogy Goddess

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[–] deering24 14 years ago

"Does anyone else think that Kim Novak, while she had her charms, was not nearly as sexy and attractive as Susan Strasberg was, at least in this film? I kept wondering why the Novak character was called "the pretty one" while I could not take my eyes off Strasberg!"

By small-town standards, which valued the All-American cheerleader type--Novak was the pretty one. As well, she didn't do unladylike things like help guys load picnic baskets into cars or wear glasses/jeans or read books or ask inconvenient questions or show she had an inner life of her own. ;) The ironic thing about PICNIC is that none of the women here feel "pretty"--pretty meaning having self-confidence and being at peace with who they are. All of them feel inadequate or are made to feel inadequate if they don't fit in a proper woman's prescribed role. Strasberg has the best chance of recovering than any of them, once she gets the hell outta town and to someplace where her brains and forthrightness won't bring her grief.

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[–] I_Aint_No_Prophet 14 years ago

Very nice. I was thinking along the same lines while watching this a couple days ago. Haha, "she didn't do unladylike things like . . . read books." Good one. :)

"Why do you find it so hard to believe?"
"Why do you find it so easy?"
"It's never BEEN easy!"

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[–] deering24 14 years ago

:) God, people really forget (or don't know) how truly limited women's options were before feminism--and how tough the standards were.

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[–] tsegal-1 12 years ago

Does anyone else think that Kim Novak, while she had her charms, was not nearly as sexy and attractive as Susan Strasberg was, at least in this film? I kept wondering why the Novak character was called "the pretty one" while I could not take my eyes off Strasberg!"

Agree! Part of it is that Novak's lush look seems pretty dated -- she was a beautiful woman, but the heavily made up face, cinched in waist and stuck-out bosom screams 1950s, whereas Strasberg's "tomboy" look seems more fresh and natural, and hence, contemporary.

But also -- Strasberg was really a bit too pretty for the role. I just saw the revival on Broadway, and the Millie was perfect -- not a dog, but a little chunky and unkempt.

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[–] wtl471629 17 years ago

This is a great question. I think all movies should now give the setting (location even if it is just a state)and the time. An example they could just have something like Nevada - 1963 for just a few seconds. It would make all the difference not only to present viewers but to those in the future.

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[–] riprus 17 years ago

The Picnic scene was Salina while the grain elevators were in Hutchinson Ks. An aside, the Kim Novak character in Vertigo said she was from Salina Kansas with a Maple Street address

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[–] mcadwell 15 years ago

Kansas is in the Bible Belt so had "blue laws" where just about everything was closed on Sundays and major holidays - you couldn't purchase liquor, milk, gas, etc. That was why they didn't "do alcohol" at the picnic - it was held on a holiday.

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[–] shadycady 15 years ago

I was thinking the picnic scene was filmed at Riverside Park in Wichita. It looks a lot like it anyway. I have been to Hutchinson and Salina, and I actually liked living in Wichita about 10 years ago. I have family ties there.
The Divine Genealogy Goddess

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[–] bradford-1 14 years ago

Millie needed to get to New York, most likely to Greenwich Village. She would've fit right in with the Beats, existentialists, jazz musicians. I can just see it now: After 3-4 years, Millie returns home to see Flo, with either 1) a scruffy, bearded, black-clad, poerty-writing "intellectual" who's never been west of the Hudson River 2) a "Negro" jazz alto sax player, complete with unable-to-see-through dark glasses, beret tilted to the side and incomprehensible "jive" talk. I wonder if Mrs. Potts would invite either dude to sample her cherry pie!

"We're fighting for this woman's honor, which is more than she ever did."

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[–] deering24 14 years ago

Eheheheh. Millie is the sort of girl who _did_ wind up in the Village--or living near Grant Park in Chicago or Haight-Ashbury in San Francisco.

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[–] yesimgonnabeastar 13 years ago

Millie should have taken Rosemary with her...she could have been one liberated woman if she'd have just taken her mind off men and marriage for a while.

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[–] thbryn 13 years ago

The cars tell the story. Convertibles in big, boxy, steel : eary 1950's

"No Jews, or Negroes and very few Catholics and that's because I'm Catholic."

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[–] davidwile 11 years ago

Hey Thbryn,

You are right, the cars do tell the story. Instead of early 1950s however, it was more like the mid 1950s. There were several 1955 cars used, and the film was a 1955 release.

Best wishes,
Dave Wile

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[–] 12 years ago

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