“THE DTs IN HIGH DEFINITION”

By Raymond Benson

In 1945, Billy Wilder’s The Lost Weekend was a big deal. If it wasn’t the first Hollywood movie to portray alcoholism as a serious problem, then it was certainly the most visible and influential one.

In the latter 1940s, Hollywood’s output changed from the sunshine-feel good-entertainments that the Golden Age had produced in the 30s and early 40s. American GIs came home from the war, and many were disillusioned and cynical. The war was the catalyst for Americans to “grow up.” They were ready to accept more serious, darker fare. Thus, we got film noir—crime pictures that were full of angst and betrayals—and we got the “social problem film.” The latter tackled subjects that Hollywood had previously never touched—alcoholism, racism, anti-Semitism, government corruption, and drug abuse. Titles like Gentleman’s Agreement, All the King’s Men, Pinky, and The Lost Weekend, which kick-started the trend.

Starring Ray Milland in a harrowing performance as Don Birnam, a hopeless drunk in Manhattan, the picture presents a “realistic”—for the time—depiction of a weekend bender, a binge complete with DTs and night terrors. Jane Wyman costars as Birnam’s long-suffering girlfriend, Helen. From the get-go, she sympathizes with Birnam and haplessly attempts to help him with his problem. Birnam’s brother, Wick (Phillip Terry), also indulges him, although he’s at the point of giving up.

The movie’s gritty wake-up call was likely the reason it won the Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay (by Wilder and Charles Brackett, based on the novel by Charles R. Jackson), and Best Actor (Milland).

That said, today The Lost Weekend has problems. Billy Wilder was one of the great Hollywood writer-directors, and his handling of the material is fine. Milland deserved his Oscar win, although he’s often over the top—which perhaps underscored the horror of the film’s subject matter. The difficulty that today’s audiences will have with the film is its naivete. For one thing, Helen must be nuts and a glutton for punishment to stick around Birnam for over three years. The biggest sin is the abrupt “everything’s going to be okay” ending, which will assuredly cause one’s eyes to roll.

In many ways, there’s not too fine a line between The Lost Weekend and some of the better cheap exploitation films about drug abuse and teen sex that were made outside of Hollywood and were exhibited in the manner of a sleazy sideshow. The difference is that Weekend had a big budget, stars, and the benefit of being backed by a major studio and was made in Hollywood. The sensationalism and morality-play aspects, though, are the same.

Kino Lorber’s new high definition restoration looks darned good, despite some visual artifacts here and there. The audio commentary by film historian Joseph McBride delves into the production history and offers interesting anecdotes. The supplements include the complete radio adaptation starring Milland and Wyman, plus a “Trailers from Hell” segment with Mark Pellington narrating. Theatrical trailers for this and other Kino Lorber releases round out the package.

Make no mistake—The Lost Weekend is an important American picture that broke new ground. One must always judge a movie within the context of when it was made and released. Nevertheless, 75 years has not been kind to the film.

For fans of Billy Wilder, cinema history, and a stiff drink.

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