by Chris Marshall:
There are bad weekends, and then there is The Lost Weekend. Don Birnam, a failed
writer played by Ray Milland, is an alcoholic. His brother and fiancée (played
by Jane Wyman, who was Mrs. Ronald Reagan at the time) have done everything in
their power to help him, but it’s just no use. In a last-ditch effort to save
him, Don’s brother has planned a weekend getaway, just the two of them, so Don
can stay distracted and hopefully get some writing done. Things do not go as
planned.
It’s too bad that Don can’t put as much thought into his
novel as he does into hiding his booze. He knows that his brother has learned
most of his tricks, and the first ten or so minutes of the movie are all about
his efforts to smuggle a bottle of liquor into his suitcase for the trip. The lengths
that he is willing to go to effectively set up the extent of his alcoholism. This
man is a serious addict, which makes it even more devastating when his plans
are foiled.
Nevertheless, Don is an intelligent guy, and he won’t be
stopped so easily. After convincing his brother to go to a show with his fiancée
before they catch their train, he learns that a $10 bill is in the kitchen; it’s
payment for the cleaning lady. Don steals it, goes to the bar, and has a few
drinks. Nobody will notice, he figures, as long as he gets back before the show
is over.
