Happy Neewollah!
Neewollah- it’s not just that kooky festival from Picnic where Kim Novak is crowned the Queen of Neewollah. It’s the real live kooky festival in Independence, Kansas where the real live Queen of Neewollah is crowned each year.
I just love this stuff.
The festival was founded just as WWI was coming to an end after a particularly hooligan and shenanigan-filled Halloween where the tricks definitely outweighed the treats. Neewollah (Halloween spelled backwards) was the city’s answer to the vandalism and hoopla that Halloween typically promotes. It’s a good old-fashioned wholesome American festival that has evolved over the years into a weekend filled with a Grand Parade, a concert or two, and the contest for and crowning of its Queen. I would love to go.
In the meantime, here is the kooky trailer for Picnic. I saw this years ago at the revival movie house, The Nuart, in LA. If you like movies from the 50s, this one is definitely worth a watch. Check out the Moonglow dance sequence below with Kim Novak and William Holden. It is all at once awkward, hilarious, and fabulous.
Happy Neewollah!
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I never knew that – I’ve watched the movie, Picnic, countless times and loved the dance scene. Of course, we 60
something’s were all in love with William Holden and Kim Novak was always so mysterious.