February 14 - Picnic at Hanging Rock

Today’s movie is a period mystery with scenes that happen on February 14. Watch and enjoy this film tonight.  

PICNIC AT HANGING ROCK      

On February 14, 1900 [00:35 to 39:51] teachers Miss McCraw and Poitiers and students Miranda, Irma, Edith, Rosamund and Marion from Appleyard College take a trip to the rock for a picnic. However, Sara, who is attracted to Miranda is left behind. After the meal, Miranda, Irma, Marion and Edith climb the rock and are noticed by Michael Fitzhubert, who is there with his aunt, uncle and their valet, Albert. Miranda, Irma and Marion enter a recess in the rock and Edith runs screaming down the rock. It is soon determined that the three girls and Miss McCraw are missing and a search by the police turn up nothing.    Michael and Albert return to the rock. Albert finds Michael delirious, and later finds Irma unconscious and bruised. Irma claims to have no memory of what happened. When she visits the school for the last time her classmates attack her demanding to know what occurred on the mountain. Miss Lumley resigns and Mrs. Appleyard tells Sara that she is being removed as her tuition has not been paid. Sara is later found dead, an apparent suicide and Mrs. Appleyard’s body is later discovered at the base of Hanging Rock.   

               

Picnic at Hanging Rock by Joan Lindsay (Buccaneer Books, Cutchogue, NY, 1967) at page 2 and in the film at 00:20 and 5:15 tell us it is Valentine’s day, which is February 14^th, as per Holidays, Festivals and Celebrations of the World ed. by Helene Henderson (Omnigraphics, New York, 2005) at page 576

                   

Producers – Hal McElroy and Jim McElroy

Director - Peter Weir

Screenwriter - Cliff Green

Runtime – 1 hour 55 minutes

Released – August 8, 1975

Cast –

Anne-Louise Lambert as Miranda, Rachel Roberts as Mrs. Appleyard, Dominic Guard as Michael Fitzhubert, Helen Morse as Mlle. de Poitiers, John Jarratt as Albert Crundall, Margaret Nelson as Sara Waybourne, Wyn Roberts as Sgt. Bumpher, Karen Robson as Irma Leopold, Christine Schuler as Edith Horton, Jane Vallis as Marion Quade, Vivean Gray as Miss McCraw, Martin Vaughan as Ben Hussey, Kirsty Child as Miss Lumley, Jacki Weaver as Minnie, Frank Gunnell as Mr. Whitehead , Tony Llewellyn-Jones as Tom, John Fegan as Doc. McKenzie, Kay Taylor as Mrs. Bumpher , Peter Collingwood as Col. Fitzhubert, Garry McDonald as Const. Jones, Olga Dickie as Mrs. Fitzhubert, Jenny Lovell as Blanche

Copyright by Ivan Walters in 2016.