IMDb > The Lost Weekend (1945)
The Lost Weekend
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The Lost Weekend (1945) More at IMDbPro »

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The Lost Weekend -- Trailer for The Lost Weekend

Overview

User Rating:
8.1/10   17,441 votes »
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Down 5% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Billy Wilder
Writers:
Charles R. Jackson (from the novel by)
Charles Brackett (screenplay) ...
(more)
Contact:
View company contact information for The Lost Weekend on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
16 November 1945 (USA) See more »
Genre:
Drama See more »
Tagline:
How daring can the screen dare to be? No adult man or woman can risk missing the startling frankness of The Lost Weekend! See more »
Plot:
The desperate life of a chronic alcoholic is followed through a four day drinking bout. Full summary » | Add synopsis »
Plot Keywords:
See more »
Awards:
Won 4 Oscars. Another 11 wins & 3 nominations See more »
NewsDesk:
(76 articles)
Cannes 2013: 5 Films To Watch For Oscars
 (From Obsessed with Film. 15 May 2013, 8:31 AM, PDT)
Cannes Video: Feinberg Picks the Fest's Top Oscar Prospects
 (From The Hollywood Reporter. 14 May 2013, 4:27 PM, PDT)
Cannes and Hollywood: a feisty marriage
 (From The Guardian - Film News. 14 May 2013, 2:30 AM, PDT)
User Reviews:
This is on my list of 50 best of all time.... See more (122 total) »

Cast

  (in credits order) (verified as complete)

Ray Milland ... Don Birnam

Jane Wyman ... Helen St. James
Phillip Terry ... Wick Birnam
Howard Da Silva ... Nat
Doris Dowling ... Gloria

Frank Faylen ... 'Bim' Nolan
Mary Young ... Mrs. Deveridge
Anita Sharp-Bolster ... Mrs. Foley (as Anita Bolster)
Lillian Fontaine ... Mrs. St. James (as Lilian Fontaine)
Frank Orth ... Opera Cloak Room Attendant
Lewis L. Russell ... Mr. St. James
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Andy Andrews ... Alcoholic (uncredited)
Gene Ashley ... Male Nurse (uncredited)
Walter Baldwin ... Man from Albany (uncredited)
Harry Barris ... Pianist at Harry & Joe's (uncredited)
Ian Begg ... (uncredited)
Jess Lee Brooks ... (uncredited)
Jack Clifford ... Guard (uncredited)
David Clyde ... Dave (uncredited)
James Conaty ... Man in Nightclub Washroom (uncredited)
Willa Pearl Curtis ... Mrs. Wertheim's Assistant (uncredited)

John Deauville ... Cloakroom Attendant (uncredited)
Helen Dickson ... Mrs. Frink (uncredited)
Clark Eggleston ... Cloakroom Attendant (uncredited)
Franklyn Farnum ... Concert Attendee (uncredited)
Byron Foulger ... Shopkeeper (uncredited)
John Garris ... Opera Singer (uncredited)
Jayne Hazard ... M. (uncredited)
Ted Hecht ... Man with Bandaged Ear (uncredited)
Ernest Hilliard ... Headwaiter (uncredited)

Earle Hyman ... Smoking Man (uncredited)
Jerry James ... Male Nurse (uncredited)
Stan Johnson ... Nurse (uncredited)
Jack W. Johnston ... Nightclub Guest (uncredited)

Karl 'Karchy' Kosiczky ... Baby (uncredited)
Eddie Laughton ... Mr. Brophy (uncredited)
Perc Launders ... Doorman (uncredited)
Audrey Long ... Cloak Room Attendant (uncredited)
Theodora Lynch ... Opera Singer (uncredited)
Bertram Marburgh ... Jewish Man (uncredited)
William Meader ... Hardware Man (uncredited)
James Millican ... Nurse (uncredited)
Frank Mills ... Drunk in Alcoholic Ward (uncredited)
Pat Moriarity ... Irishman (uncredited)
William Newell ... Liquor Store Proprietor (uncredited)
William O'Leary ... Irishman (uncredited)
Peter Potter ... Shaky and Sweaty Man (uncredited)
Mark Power ... (uncredited)
Stanley Price ... Fruit Clerk (uncredited)
Craig Reynolds ... George (uncredited)
The San Francisco Opera Company ... Themselves (uncredited)
Lester Sharpe ... Jewish Man (uncredited)
Lee Shumway ... Guard (uncredited)
Sophie ... Mrs. Deveridge's Dog (uncredited)
Douglas Spencer ... Beetle Man in Drunk Tank (uncredited)
Al Stewart ... Mattress Man (uncredited)
Bunny Sunshine ... Little Girl (uncredited)
Harry Tenbrook ... Drunk in Alcoholic Ward (uncredited)
Fred 'Snowflake' Toones ... Washroom Attendant at Harry & Joe's (uncredited)
Emmett Vogan ... Doctor (uncredited)
Max Wagner ... Mike (uncredited)
Milton Wallace ... Pawnbroker with Helen's Coat (uncredited)
Gisela Werbisek ... Mrs. Wertheim (uncredited)
Crane Whitley ... Waiter at Harry & Joe's Bar (uncredited)
Ernest Whitman ... Black Man Talking to Himself (uncredited)
Harry Wilson ... Drunk (uncredited)
Isabel Withers ... Woman Before Pawn Shop (uncredited)
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Directed by
Billy Wilder 
 
Writing credits
Charles R. Jackson (from the novel by)

Charles Brackett (screenplay) and
Billy Wilder (screenplay)

Produced by
Charles Brackett .... producer
 
Original Music by
Miklós Rózsa  (as Miklos Rozsa)
 
Cinematography by
John F. Seitz (director of photography)
 
Casting by
Robert Mayo (uncredited)
Alice Thomas (uncredited)
 
Art Direction by
Hans Dreier 
A. Earl Hedrick  (as Earl Hedrick)
 
Set Decoration by
Bertram C. Granger (set decorations) (as Bertram Granger)
 
Costume Design by
Edith Head (costumes)
 
Makeup Department
Wally Westmore .... makeup supervisor
Jack Daniels .... makeup artist (uncredited)
Doris Rowland .... hair stylist (uncredited)
William Woods .... makeup artist (uncredited)
 
Production Management
Richard Blaydon .... production manager (uncredited)
Frank Parmenter .... assistant production manager (uncredited)
 
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Douglas Bridges .... second assistant director (uncredited)
Charles C. Coleman .... assistant director (uncredited)
Charles C. Coleman .... second unit director (uncredited)
Tex Harris .... second assistant director (uncredited)
 
Art Department
Jack Colconda .... props (uncredited)
Gene Lauritzen .... construction coordinator (uncredited)
Charles Mason .... props (uncredited)
 
Sound Department
Stanley Cooley .... sound recordist
Joel Moss .... sound recordist
William Pillar .... stage engineer (uncredited)
 
Visual Effects by
Farciot Edouart .... process photography
Gordon Jennings .... special photographic effects
Loyal Griggs .... process photography assistant (uncredited)
Paul K. Lerpae .... special photographic effects assistant (uncredited)
Harry Perry .... process photography assistant (uncredited)
 
Camera and Electrical Department
Mitch Crawley .... transparency grip (uncredited)
Ray Guy .... electrician (uncredited)
Earl Hardaway .... mike grip (uncredited)
James Hawley .... assistant camera (uncredited)
Walter Newman .... transparency grip (uncredited)
Otto Pierce .... second camera (uncredited)
Chet Stafford .... gaffer (uncredited)
Harlow Stengel .... assistant camera (uncredited)
Fred True .... grip (uncredited)
 
Costume and Wardrobe Department
Julio Alonso .... wardrobe (uncredited)
Grace Harris .... wardrobe (uncredited)
Eugene Joseff .... costume jeweller (uncredited)
 
Editorial Department
Doane Harrison .... editorial supervisor
Lee Hall .... assistant editor (uncredited)
 
Music Department
Sidney Cutner .... orchestrator (uncredited)
Samuel Hoffman .... musician: theremin (uncredited)
Russell Martin .... music recordist (uncredited)
George Parrish .... orchestrator (uncredited)
Leo Shuken .... orchestrator (uncredited)
Philip Wisdom .... music mixer (uncredited)
Eugene Zador .... orchestrator (uncredited)
 
Other crew
Armando Agnini .... technical advisor: opera (uncredited)
John Clark .... publicist (uncredited)
Rena Clark .... research assistant (uncredited)
Helen Hernandez .... assistant to producer (uncredited)
Sam Ledner .... dance supervisor (uncredited)
Al Mann .... dance director (uncredited)
Gladys Percey .... research director (uncredited)
Douglas Spencer .... stand-in: Ray Milland (uncredited)
George Thompson .... medical advisor (uncredited)
Marvin Weldon .... script clerk (uncredited)
Sam Wood .... coordinator (uncredited)
 
Crew verified as complete


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Additional Details

Also Known As:
See more »
Parents Guide:
Add content advisory for parents
Runtime:
101 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Black and White
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 See more »
Sound Mix:
Mono (Western Electric Recording)
Certification:
Argentina:16 | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | USA:Approved (PCA #10517) | Germany:12 | UK:A (original rating) | UK:PG | South Korea:15 (2003) | USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | USA:TV-PG (TV rating) | USA:Not Rated
Filming Locations:
Bellevue Hospital - 550 First Avenue, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USASee more »
Company:
Paramount PicturesSee more »

Did You Know?

Trivia:
"The Screen Guild Theater" broadcast a 30 minute radio adaptation of the movie on January 7, 1946 with Ray Milland, Jane Wyman and Frank Faylen reprising their film roles.See more »
Goofs:
Revealing mistakes: When Helen pours whiskey for Don near the end then divides it into two glasses, it is nowhere near a quarter of the way up the glass. When Don chooses not to drink it moments later, and drops his cigarette in the glass, it is more than half-way full.See more »
Quotes:
Don Birnam:Let me have one, Nat. I'm dying. Just one.See more »
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Tintansón Cruzoe (1965)See more »
Soundtrack:
LouiseSee more »

FAQ

Is "The Lost Weekend" based on a book?
What is the significance of the three balls outside of the pawnbroker's shop?
See more »

User Reviews

   (Review this title)
36 out of 40 people found the following review useful.
This is on my list of 50 best of all time...., 28 December 2003
Author: Brigid O Sullivan (wisewebwoman) from Toronto, Canada

The script and score are superb and the acting flawless. Ray Milland is riveting in the role of a man who is as consumed by alcohol as it is consuming him. He lives and breathes for it and all around him become secondary including his long suffering girlfriend.

There is always a girl like this in the life of a good looking useless purposeless alcoholic kept afloat by either a wife or other family member, in this case a brother who pays the bills and tries to sober him up and dry him out periodically.

The score is relentless and highly avant Gard for its time, featuring music normally backing sci-fi flicks. Some of the scenes are profoundly frightening, his stay in the drunk tank with a sadistic feminine male nurse outlining all the horrors that await him and his DTs which feature a bat biting the head off a bird.

Very well done. I felt the ending was a little too pat, that would be my only fault with this.

9 out of 10. Excellent.

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The mouse and the bat (spoiler?) rivergirl301
I'm drunk right now erika-58
Don's college uxg1995
Top 250 campaign insanemansam5
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The ending. Johnny____
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