The Lost Weekend
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| The Lost Weekend | |
|---|---|
 original movie poster |
|
| Directed by | Billy Wilder |
| Produced by | Charles Brackett |
| Written by | Charles R. Jackson (novel) Charles Brackett Billy Wilder |
| Starring | Ray Milland Jane Wyman |
| Music by | Miklós Rózsa |
| Cinematography | John F. Seitz |
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
| Release date(s) | November 16, 1945 (U.S. release) |
| Running time | 101 min |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $1,250,000 (estimated) |
| IMDb profile | |
The Lost Weekend is an Academy Award-winning 1945 motion picture directed by Billy Wilder for Paramount Pictures, starring Ray Milland, Jane Wyman and Phillip Terry. The film was based on a novel of the same title by Charles R. Jackson about a writer who drinks out of a frustration over the accusation that he had an affair with one of his male buddies while in college. The reference to the homosexual affair is removed in the film, and the main character's descent into an alcoholic binge is blamed on writer's block.
It was one of the first film scores to use the theremin, a musical instrument, which was used to create the pathos of the disease of alcoholism.
It tells the story of an alcoholic, Milland, on a weekend bender. While on his bender he stops in at his favorite watering stop - Nat's Bar on Third Avenue, based on the legendary P. J. Clarke's. There he seeks companionship in his drinking with congenial bartender Nat (Howard da Silva). As the weekend continues, Milland drifts deeper and deeper into his living nightmare, committing crimes and even spending time in a mental ward. Unlike the novel, the protagonist's frustration in the film stems not from homosexuality but from his frustrations as a would-be writer.
[edit] Awards
The movie received Academy Awards for:
- Best Picture - Paramount Pictures (Charles Brackett, producer)
- Best Actor in a Leading Role - Ray Milland
- Best Director - Billy Wilder
- Best Writing of Adapted Screenplay - Charles Brackett and Billy Wilder
It also received Oscar nominations for:
- Best Cinematography, black-and-white - John F. Seitz
- Best Original Music Score - Miklós Rózsa
- Best Film Editing - Doane Harrison
The movie also shared the 1946 Palme d'Or (Golden Palm) at the 1946 Cannes Film Festival. As of 2006, it and Marty are the only films to ever win both Academy Award for Best Picture and Palme D'Or.
[edit] Trivia
- Tribute was paid to the film in the Simpsons episode "A Star is Burns": Barney Gumble's short film "Puke-a-Hontas" recreates several of the iconic images such as the main character lying on his bed surrounded by the detritus of his habit.
- This movie made the famous "character walking toward the camera as neon signs pass by" camera effect.
- In the 1994 film The Shawshank Redemption, Gilda is being screened when Andy asks Red for the Rita Hayworth poster; however, in the original Stephen King story, The Lost Weekend is screened.
[edit] External links
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1941: How Green Was My Valley | 1942: Mrs. Miniver | 1943: Casablanca | 1944: Going My Way | 1945: The Lost Weekend | 1946: The Best Years of Our Lives | 1947: Gentleman's Agreement | 1948: Hamlet | 1949: All the King's Men | 1950: All About Eve | 1951: An American in Paris | 1952: The Greatest Show on Earth | 1953: From Here to Eternity | 1954: On the Waterfront | 1955: Marty | 1956: Around the World in Eighty Days | 1957: The Bridge on the River Kwai | 1958: Gigi | 1959: Ben-Hur | 1960: The Apartment |
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Categories: 1945 films | Films whose director won the Best Director Golden Globe | Best Picture Academy Award winners | Films whose director won the Best Director Academy Award | Film noir | Films directed by Billy Wilder | Films featuring a Best Actor Academy Award winning performance | Palme d'Or winners | Paramount films
