The Best Picture of 1945 is…..”The Lost Weekend.” This is a drama film about an alcoholic who unexpectedly goes on a bender before departing on a scheduled out-of-town trip with his brother. Ray Milland delivers a stunning performance in the lead role, under the guidance of director Billy Wilder (“Double Indemnity” 1944), who co-wrote the screenplay with Charles Brackett, who also produced. It was adapted from the 1944 novel of the same name by Charles R. Jackson. The realistic portrayal of alcoholism on the big screen was shocking for audiences of the 1940’s, and a big box office hit for Paramount Pictures.
Ray Milland won the Oscar for Best Actor, one of four which includes Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay. Jane Wyman received second billing as Milland’s girl friend. This role was her big break after years of supporting roles, and she moved into superstardom as a result. Wyman was married to Ronald Reagan at the time. Co-stars include Phillip Terry, Howard da Silva, Doris Downing, Frank Raylen, Mary Young, Anita Bolster, Frank Orth, Lewis Russell, and Lilian Fontaine, the mother of Olivia de Havilland and Joan Fontaine.
The Lost Weekend (1945)
cinema
My Review
The Best Picture of 1945 is…..”The Lost Weekend.” This is a drama film about an alcoholic who unexpectedly goes on a bender before departing on a scheduled out-of-town trip with his brother. Ray Milland delivers a stunning performance in the lead role, under the guidance of director Billy Wilder (“Double Indemnity” 1944), who co-wrote the screenplay with Charles Brackett, who also produced. It was adapted from the 1944 novel of the same name by Charles R. Jackson. The realistic portrayal of alcoholism on the big screen was shocking for audiences of the 1940’s, and a big box office hit for Paramount Pictures.
Ray Milland won the Oscar for Best Actor, one of four which includes Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay. Jane Wyman received second billing as Milland’s girl friend. This role was her big break after years of supporting roles, and she moved into superstardom as a result. Wyman was married to Ronald Reagan at the time. Co-stars include Phillip Terry, Howard da Silva, Doris Downing, Frank Raylen, Mary Young, Anita Bolster, Frank Orth, Lewis Russell, and Lilian Fontaine, the mother of Olivia de Havilland and Joan Fontaine.