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IMDbPro

The Lost Weekend

  • 19451945
  • PassedPassed
  • 1h 41m
IMDb RATING
7.9/10
37K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
9,676
471
Ray Milland, Doris Dowling, Phillip Terry, and Jane Wyman in The Lost Weekend (1945)
Trailer for The Lost Weekend
Play trailer2:08
1 Video
99+ Photos
DramaFilm-Noir
The desperate life of a chronic alcoholic is followed through a four-day drinking bout.The desperate life of a chronic alcoholic is followed through a four-day drinking bout.The desperate life of a chronic alcoholic is followed through a four-day drinking bout.
IMDb RATING
7.9/10
37K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
9,676
471
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Director
      • Billy Wilder
    • Writers
      • Charles R. Jackson(from the novel by)
      • Charles Brackett(screen play)
      • Billy Wilder(screen play)
    • Stars
      • Ray Milland
      • Jane Wyman
      • Phillip Terry
    Top credits
    • Director
      • Billy Wilder
    • Writers
      • Charles R. Jackson(from the novel by)
      • Charles Brackett(screen play)
      • Billy Wilder(screen play)
    • Stars
      • Ray Milland
      • Jane Wyman
      • Phillip Terry
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 174User reviews
    • 121Critic reviews
    • Won 4 Oscars
      • 16 wins & 3 nominations total

    Videos1

    The Lost Weekend
    Trailer 2:08
    The Lost Weekend

    Photos108

    Billy Wilder and Ray Milland in The Lost Weekend (1945)
    Ray Milland in The Lost Weekend (1945)
    " The Lost Weekend" Ray Milland 1945 Paramount / MPTV
    "The Lost Weekend" Ray Milland 1945 Paramount / MPTV
    "The Lost Weekend" Ray Milland 1945 Paramount / MPTV
    "The Lost Weekend" Ray Milland 1945 Paramount / MPTV
    "The Lost Weekend" Ray Milland, Jane Wyman 1945 Paramount / MPTV
    Ray Milland and Jane Wyman in The Lost Weekend (1945)
    "The Lost Weekend" Ray Milland 1945 Paramount Pictures
    "The Lost Weekend" Ray Milland 1945 Paramount Pictures
    Ray Milland "Lost Weekend"
    "The Lost Weekend" Billy Wilder, Ray Milland, Doris Dowling 1945 Paramount / MPTV

    Top cast

    Edit
    Ray Milland
    Ray Milland
    • Don Birnam
    Jane Wyman
    Jane Wyman
    • Helen St. James
    Phillip Terry
    Phillip Terry
    • Wick Birnam
    Howard Da Silva
    Howard Da Silva
    • Nat
    Doris Dowling
    Doris Dowling
    • Gloria
    Frank Faylen
    Frank Faylen
    • 'Bim' Nolan
    Mary Young
    Mary Young
    • Mrs. Deveridge
    Anita Sharp-Bolster
    Anita Sharp-Bolster
    • Mrs. Foley
    • (as Anita Bolster)
    Lilian Fontaine
    • Mrs. St. James
    Frank Orth
    Frank Orth
    • Opera Cloak Room Attendant
    Lewis L. Russell
    • Mr. St. James
    Andy Andrews
    • Alcoholic
    • (uncredited)
    Gene Ashley
    • Male Nurse
    • (uncredited)
    Walter Baldwin
    Walter Baldwin
    • Man from Albany
    • (uncredited)
    Harry Barris
    Harry Barris
    • Pianist at Harry & Joe's
    • (uncredited)
    Ian Begg
    • Undetermined Secondary Role
    • (uncredited)
    Eddie Borden
    Eddie Borden
    • Drunk in Alcoholic Ward
    • (uncredited)
    Jess Lee Brooks
    • Hospital Patient
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Billy Wilder
    • Writers
      • Charles R. Jackson(from the novel by)
      • Charles Brackett(screen play)
      • Billy Wilder(screen play)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Billy Wilder claimed the liquor industry offered Paramount Pictures $5 million to not release the film; he also suggested that he would have accepted had they offered it to him personally.
    • Goofs
      When Don is in Nat's bar drinking shots of rye, the number of shots is depicted by the increasing number of wet rings left on the bar each time the shot glass was refilled. Several rings collect on the bar, each remaining as wet as the last. In actuality, the glasses would leave rings only if the alcohol had been cold, which would have caused condensation of atmospheric water vapor on the outside of the glasses. Since the alcohol was at room temperature (the bottles were sitting out in the bar when the bartender poured from them), there wouldn't have been any condensation, therefore no wet rings would have been left on the bar.
    • Quotes

      [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.

    • Connections
      Edited into Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid (1982)
    • Soundtracks
      La Traviata
      (1853) (uncredited)

      Music by Giuseppe Verdi

      Libretto by Francesco Maria Piave

      Libiamo ne' lieti calici (Drinking Song) Performed by John Garris and Theodora Lynch with The San Francisco Opera Company

    User reviews174

    Review
    Top review
    Risk-Taking Film-Making at Its Finest.
    Uncompromising, dark and definitely disturbing Best Picture Oscar winner from 1945 that deals with a writer's (Ray Milland in one of the very best performances ever shown on the silver which deservedly landed him his only Oscar) alcoholism and the effects that his problem has on himself, his work and those closest to him. The love of his life (Jane Wyman) and his very supportive brother (Phillip Terry) try to save Milland from a habit that has gotten terribly out-of-hand. Heart-wrenching flashbacks into Milland's demise are sometimes difficult sequences to get through. In the end it is not a sure thing if Milland can distance himself from his disease and return to a normal life. Billy Wilder's uncompromising direction and screenplay yielded him Oscars in this film that scared many studios away in the early-1940s due to its intense subject matter and the question of whether the film could create interest. Made during a time when patriotic movies and romantic comedic farces dominated the cinema, "The Lost Weekend" was truly unlike anything ever experienced before. A very well-made production that is first class all the way. A real classic in every sense of the term. 5 stars out of 5.
    helpful•45
    4
    • tfrizzell
    • Jul 7, 2002

    FAQ2

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

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • January 1946 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Propali vikend
    • Filming locations
      • Bellevue Hospital - 462 First Avenue, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA
    • Production company
      • Paramount Pictures
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $1,250,000 (estimated)
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 41 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

    Related news

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    Ray Milland, Doris Dowling, Phillip Terry, and Jane Wyman in The Lost Weekend (1945)
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