Picnic (1955)

 

Picnic - 1955

Coming up next is 1955's "Picnic", a film about a man who arrives in a small town and disrupts the lives of those he meets.

The film's cast includes William Holden, Kim Novak, Betty Field, Susan Strasberg, Cliff Robertson, Arthur O'Connell, Verna Felton, Reta Shaw, Nick Adams, Rosalind Russell, and Elizabeth Wilson.

Hal Carter is a drifter who arrives in a small town in Kansas by train.  He's just passing through on his way to Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he has a job lined up.  Finding himself unemployed after getting out of the army and having a failed Hollywood career, he has to bum rides to get to his destination.

In this quiet town resides Mrs. Flo Owens with her two daughters, Madge and Millie.

It's on eldest daughter Madge that Flo pins all her hopes and dreams.  When Madge tells her mother that she expects too much from her because she's only nineteen, Flo replies with, "And next summer you'll be twenty, then twenty-one, and then forty."

Also residing with the Owens girls is Miss Rosemary Sidney, a middle-aged spinster schoolteacher.

The day of Hal's arrival is also the day of the town's annual Labor Day picnic.  The culmination of which will be the crowning of the "Queen of Neewollah".  The whole town seems to come out for the event.

There are games and activities of all sorts for the members of the younger generation.

And there are even events for the older folks to get involved in.  The whole crowd enthusiastically cheers on Mrs. Helen Potts as she gives the balloon blowing contest her all.

That night in a very solemn ceremony, the new "Queen of Neewollah" is announced.  No surprise, it's the very pretty Ms. Madge Owens.

Hal watches Madge from the shoreline as she is borne by a swan-shaped paddle boat to the landing.  They manage to get out a very shy "hello" to each other as she passes.

They spend the evening dancing together, and everybody remarks on how nice a couple they are.

Everyone, that is, except Rosemary Sidney.  Jealous of the attentions that Hal is paying to Madge, she drunkenly slanders him and causes the entire town to turn against him, including Madge's mother, Flo.

Nothing anyone can say diminishes Madge's affection for Hal.  They sneak off and spend the rest of the evening together.

Before he leaves for Tulsa the next day, Hal begs Madge to follow him later so they can be married.  Flo, naturally, pulls her daughter in the opposite direction.

Flo later talks with her neighbor Mrs. Potts, who helped Hal when he first came to town by letting him work for some breakfast.  Mrs. Potts feels that Hal is a good man and won't hurt Madge.  Flo is still very resistant.

The good word of Mrs. Potts is all it takes for Madge to make her decision.  They hug goodbye.  All the while Flo is still trying to talk her daughter out of it, even as she watches her walk off.  When Flo comments to Mrs. Potts that there is so much she wanted to tell Madge and never got around to it, Mrs. Potts says, "Let her find out for herself, Flo."

Madge heads to a bus, which will carry her to Tulsa and a new life with Hal.

Cast rundown:

   William Holden..................................Hal Carter

   Kim Novak........................................Madge Owens

   Betty Field........................................Flo Owens

   Susan Strasberg................................Millie Owens

   Cliff Robertson...................................Alan Benson

   Arthur O'Connell................................Howard Bevans

   Verna Felton......................................Helen Potts

   Reta Shaw.........................................Irma Kronkite

   Nick Adams.......................................Bomber

   Rosalind Russell.................................Rosemary Sidney

   Elizabeth Wilson.................................Christine Schoenwalder

And that's it for Picnic.  William Holden was very nervous about his dance scenes with Kim Novak in the movie.  Hoping that they would cut the dance scenes altogether, Holden demanded an additional $8,000 in salary.  The studio paid out, and he was forced to do the scenes, though he was allowed to be drunk for them to calm his nerves.  The studio also wanted Rosalind Russell to be promoted for an Academy Award for her performance as Rosemary.  However, the actress refused to be considered for a "supporting" category, and the scheme was abandoned.  It was felt that she would have won the award had she cooperated.

As always, if you wish to leave a comment, please remember our posting rules.

Dumbo (1941)

 

Dumbo - 1941

Our next film is 1941's "Dumbo", a film in which we follow the journey of an elephant born with unusually large ears.  His giant ears initially hold him back, but eventually become the very things that propel him forward.

The film's voice cast includes Herman Bing, Edward Brophy, Verna Felton, and Sterling Holloway.

Just after winter, storks deliver babies to expectant parents.  This particular group of storks journeys to Florida and the "Winter Quarters" of a circus.

All of the animals are very excited about their expanding families.  Except for Mrs. Jumbo, an elephant.  She looks and looks for a stork to come to her, but she's disappointed.

Have no fear.  Her stork got lost, but eventually finds the circus train as it makes its way to its next destination.  The stork has Mrs. Jumbo sign for her "package".

As the baby elephant comes into view, all the other elephants are delighted by the cute little guy.  Mrs. Jumbo gives him the name Jumbo Jr.

But when Dumbo sneezes and unveils a huge set of ears, all of the elephants shriek in horror, wanting nothing to do with the baby.

Mrs. Jumbo pays them no mind and happily bonds with her baby.

At the circus's next stop, the baby elephant is brought before the public.  A particularly mean group of boys laugh and make fun of him.  One cruel boy gives him the name "Dumbo".

Mrs. Jumbo instantly sets about punishing the boy by turning him over and giving him a spanking.  The ringmaster orders that Mrs. Jumbo be subdued and locked up as a "mad" elephant.

A sad and scared Dumbo makes the acquaintance of Timothy Q. Mouse, who becomes his only friend.

Unwanted by the other elephants, Dumbo is forced to perform with the clowns, a role he hates.  The finale of the act sees Dumbo jumping into a vat of pie filling.  Dumbo starts to become depressed.

To cheer Dumbo up, Timothy takes him to visit his mother.  However, because of the chains binding Mrs. Jumbo, all they can do is touch noses.  Mrs. Jumbo is able to move enough that she can rock her baby back and forth in her trunk as a lullaby is sung.

Dumbo is still sad after the visit, and he gets the hiccups while he's crying.  Timothy leads him to "water".  We find out that the water has actually been laced with champagne.  Dumbo and Timothy start to have strange hallucinations.

The next thing we know we find Dumbo and Timothy sleeping up a tree.  A group of crows wants to know just how it happened.  Dumbo and Timothy are at a loss as to an explanation.  The crows ask sarcastically if they flew up.

Timothy gets an idea.  With the help of a "magic" feather courtesy of the crows, Timothy tells Dumbo that he can fly.  "Why, you’re ears!  Just look at ‘em, Dumbo!  Why, their perfect wings!  The very things that held you down are gonna carry you up and up and up!"

Gripping tightly to his feather, Dumbo starts to flap his ears and takes off into the sky to the amazement of the crows.  "I've seen a horsefly."  "I've seen a dragon fly."  "I've seen a housefly!"  "But I ain't never seen an elephant fly!" they exclaim.

Timothy takes on the role of Dumbo's manager.  He and Dumbo plan to surprise the audience with their flying stunt.  However, Dumbo loses his magic feather and his confidence goes out the window.

With a quick pep talk from Timothy, Dumbo flaps his ears and flies right into the history books.  "You're makin' history!" shouts Timothy excitedly as Dumbo flies around the circus tent full of amazed people.

Dumbo becomes famous.  Newspaper headlines all over the world proclaim his greatness.  He's even the inspiration for a line of "Dumbombers" for the war.

And Timothy even gets a Hollywood contract for his role as Dumbo's agent.

Dumbo gets his own private luxury car on the circus train.  But the best part for him is being reunited with his mother.

Cast rundown:

   Herman Bing.................................The Ringmaster

   Edward Brophy...............................Timothy Q. Mouse

   Verna Felton..................................Matriarch Elephant/Mrs. Jumbo

   Sterling Holloway............................Mr. Stork

And that's it for Dumbo.  The main character of Dumbo is the first and only protagonist in a Disney animated feature film to have no spoken dialogue.  This film is also the first Disney film to be set in America, as well as the first Disney film to be set in the present time of its release: 1941.  In 2019, this film was given the live-action treatment and featured an expanded cast and new plot elements.

As always, if you wish to leave a comment, please remember our posting rules.