The Lost Weekend (1945) | |
| Director(s) | Billy Wilder |
| Producer(s) | Charles Brackett |
| Top Genres | Drama, Film Adaptation |
| Top Topics | Alcohol, Book-Based |
Featured Cast:
The Lost Weekend Overview:
The Lost Weekend (1945) was a Drama - Film Adaptation Film directed by Billy Wilder and produced by Charles Brackett.
The film was based on the novel of the same name written by Charles R. Jackson published in 1944.
SYNOPSIS
This portrait of alcohol's deadly grip is perhaps the greatest of the social-problem films, and a rewarding, harrowing movie experience. Milland gives the performance of a lifetime as a writer who encounters the depths of his soul on a weekend alone in New York. When his brother (Terry) goes on vacation, leaving Milland alone to write, the bottles come out before the typewriter. Before the weekend is over, Milland will have lost his money, his freedom, and his grip on reality as he descends into the alcoholic abyss. Justly praised upon its first, limited release, the movie was almost scrapped when the alcoholic beverage industry is offered millions for the negative, and studio executives questioned its commercial potential. Milland explored the darkest corners of society researching the role, spending the night in New York's Bellevue Hospital (the setting for some of the most disturbing sequences) on the alcoholic ward. Based on Charles Jackson's 1944 novel.
(Source: available at Amazon AMC Classic Movie Companion).
.The Lost Weekend was inducted into the National Film Registry in 2011.
Academy Awards 1945 --- Ceremony Number 18 (source: AMPAS)
| Award | Recipient | Result |
| Best Actor | Ray Milland | Won |
| Best Cinematography | John F. Seitz | Nominated |
| Best Director | Billy Wilder | Won |
| Best Film Editing | Doane Harrison | Nominated |
| Best Music - Scoring | Miklos Rozsa | Nominated |
| Best Picture | Paramount | Won |
| Best Writing | Charles Brackett, Billy Wilder | Won |
The Lost Weekend BlogHub Articles:
Ray Milland and Jane Wyman star in Billy Wilder’s “The Lost Weekend”
By Stephen Reginald on May 13, 2025 From Classic Movie ManRay Milland and Jane Wyman star in Billy Wilder’s “The Lost Weekend” The Lost Weekend is a 1945 American drama directed by Billy Wilder and starring Ray Milland and Jane Wyman. The screenplay was written by Wilder and Charles Brackett based on the novel by Charles R. Jackson. ... Read full article
The Lost Weekend (1945) and Alcohol The Femme Fatale
By 4 Star Film Fan on Feb 10, 2021 From 4 Star FilmsIt might be a futile exercise but at least for a brief moment, I will attempt to get back into the headspace from when I first came upon Billy Wilder’s The Lost Weekend. I was younger then. Bright-eyed and a budding cinephile. It is the film that defined Ray Milland’s entire filmography ... Read full article
Ray Milland in The Lost Weekend (1945)
By Carol Martinheira on Mar 1, 2018 From The Old Hollywood GardenRay Milland in The Lost Weekend (1945) On March 1, 2018March 1, 2018 By CarolIn Uncategorized Because it?s Oscar season, I wanted to talk about one of my all-time favorite performances in the Best Actor in a Leading Role category, the wonderful Ray Milland in The Lost ... Read full article
The Lost Weekend (1945)
By Cameron on Apr 10, 2015 From The Blonde At The Filmvia: http://screeninsight.blogspot.com/2012/08/the-lost-weekend-billy-wilder-1945.html ?Unless otherwise noted, all images are my own. In 1945, The New York Times critic Bosley Crowther called?The Lost Weekend?a “shatteringly realistic and morbidly fascinating film…an illustration of a d... Read full article
The Lost Weekend (1945)
By Cameron on Apr 10, 2015 From The Blonde At The Filmvia: http://screeninsight.blogspot.com/2012/08/the-lost-weekend-billy-wilder-1945.html ?Unless otherwise noted, all images are my own. In 1945, The New York Times critic Bosley Crowther called?The Lost Weekend?a “shatteringly realistic and morbidly fascinating film…an illustration of a d... Read full article
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Quotes from The Lost Weekend
[Nat moves to wipe away the circle of whisky from Don Birnam's glass]
Don Birnam: Don't wipe it away, Nat. Let me have my little vicious circle. You know, the circle is the perfect geometric figure. No end, no beginning.
Don Birnam: What kind of party did you say that was?
Helen St. James: A cocktail party.
Don Birnam: In that case, I'll join you.
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Facts about The Lost Weekend
Billy Wilder claimed the liquor industry offered Paramount $5 million to not release the film; he also suggested that he would have accepted, had they offered it to him.
Upon completion, Billy Wilder confidently predicted that Ray Milland would win an Oscar for his performance. He was right.
read more facts about The Lost Weekend...
