The Lost Weekend
Directed by Billy Wilder
Don Birnam, long-time alcoholic, has been "on the wagon" for ten days and seems to be over the worst; but his craving has just become more insidious. Evading a country weekend planned by his brother Wick and girlfriend Helen, he begins a four-day bender. In flashbacks we see past events, all gone wrong because of the bottle. But this bout looks like being his last...one way or the other.
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The Lost Weekend Ratings & Reviews
- Peter BickfordApril 2, 2026This Billy Wilder written movie was no doubt groundbreaking in its time, and the actors work hard to sell the tale. But there's no denying it hasn't aged particularly well, seeming sometimes like an overwrought Afternoon School Special rather than the timeless classic its reputation suggests.
- Ricardo Arnaz CPA, ACCA USN-retiredMarch 16, 2026The Granddad of all addictions movies ever made. Milland was superb. After the cheesy stage/over dramatic acting which was norm up to early 50's Wilder hits addiction to a T. Hiding substance, lies, freaking out over not able to get a fix, the DT's. Who talked about DT's in 1945. My great uncle quit drinking because of this. He started seeing himself he said. No "Days of Wine & Roses", "Leaving Las Vegas", or "Requiem for a Dream." Last one is a dead hit but that was 55 years later.
The Lost Weekend Trivia
The Lost Weekend was released on November 29, 1945.
The Lost Weekend was directed by Billy Wilder.
The Lost Weekend has a runtime of 1h 41m.
The Lost Weekend was produced by Charles Brackett.
Don Birnam, long-time alcoholic, has been "on the wagon" for ten days and seems to be over the worst; but his craving has just become more insidious. Evading a country weekend planned by his brother Wick and girlfriend Helen, he begins a four-day bender. In flashbacks we see past events, all gone wrong because of the bottle. But this bout looks like being his last...one way or the other.
The key characters in The Lost Weekend are Don Birnam (Ray Milland), Helen St. James (Jane Wyman), Wick Birnam (Phillip Terry).
The Lost Weekend is rated Not Rated.
The Lost Weekend is a Drama, Film-Noir film.
The Lost Weekend has an audience rating of 8.9 out of 10.
The Lost Weekend had a budget of $1.3M.
The Lost Weekend has made $11M at the box office.