Picnic

On the day of the Labor Day picnic, a strapping drifter appears in a small Kansas town, at first to seek work from his successful classmate. Soon, though he inflames the emotions of the town and steals the heart of his old pal's girl. "Picnic" is an overly soapy adaptation of a William Inge play by director Joshua Logan. Although stars William Holden, Kim Novak, Cliff Robertson, Rosalind Russell, and Arthur O'Connell are strong in fevered segments, I didn't care for the way they were directed overall and their performances often come through as forced and mannered. The title segment in the midsection of the film drags, but it wraps up nicely in a series of heated confrontations.