Picnic - A Tale of Two Tunes

As a fan for old movies, a mention of playwright William Inge's Picnic on this Labor Day Weekend is obligatory. At least this once. Lacking the depth of intellect in anything literary, I just as soon talk about a particular piece of music from this Pulitzer Prize play, now a movie. This 1955 film centered about the lives in a small Kansas town on Labor Day. The music that accentuated the movie Picnic was "Moonglow and the Theme from Picnic." Therein lies the tale of two tunes.

Three writers (Will Hudson, Eddie DeLange, and Irving Mills) wrote "Moognlow" in 1934. It didn't become a hit then. The song soon languished in obscurity inside the dust jackets on store shelves. It met a fate similiar to Herman Hupfeld's "As Time Goes By". For the latter, a new lease on life and fame finally came in 1942 by way of one of the all time great movies ever made, "Casablanca". Similarly, the tune "Moonglow" of yesteryear was given a new life in the motion picture "Picnic".

George Duning took "Moonglow" and interwove it with the love theme he wrote for the movie "Picnic". By doing so, he created a 2-for-1 new original tune, or not too original as some would argue, into a big hit. This lush, and sensual dance movie score has since insinuated into the American musical conscious.

In this soft cha-cha, Duning interwove "Moonglow" as a counterpoint to the theme "Picnic". The score began with a piano jazz quartet lithely setting a sensually teasing prelude and invitation to the dance. The piano lead of "Moonglow" beckoned "Picnic" to join in the fun, as it were.

"Picnic" finally relented and joined the dance with a flowing melodic sway of the string ensemble. The two themes finally entwined and blossomed into one luxuriant and supple orchestral masterpiece. All the while the six-note recursive of the counterpoint: 'that.moon.glow.gave.me.you' anchored the soulful landscape of this married score. The perfect musical metaphor for destined lovers as played by Kim Novak and William Holden.

For this creative and vibrant arrangement, George Duning was taken to court by the composors of "Moonglow". Duning made his counterpoint (pun) rather convincingly in the trial. He won. No hard feelings nor monetary settlements for either side. Then along came Steve Allen.

In the meantime, the "Picnic" theme in and of itself was also a big success over the air wave. Steve Allen of "The Benny Goodman Story" (1955) fame, was a renaissance man of many talents. He liked the "Picnic" tune so much that he wrote the lyrics to it - after the film was released, and not having met George Duning either.

The "Picnic" lyrics encapsulated the Freudian sentiments of the main characters in the film. In 1956, the McGuire Sisters recorded "Picnic" with the Dick Jacobs Orchestra.

If you are remotely curious as to why I am so transported with the Duning arrangement of 'Moonglow' and the Theme from 'Picnic', please give it a listen the next couple of days. On the coming Wednesday and Thursday PDT, please also listen to the McGuire Sisters' recording of "Picnic".