Episode 319: THE LOST WEEKEND (1945)

2025-02-25

THE LOST WEEKEND is a weird movie to talk about 80 years after it came out. It’s a drama directed by Billy Wilder about an alcoholic writer who keeps trying and failing to kick the habit, so you can see why you might have to give it a touch of grace for its various… depictions. In 1945, it was a beacon of empathy for the addict’s struggle, the first time an alcoholic was portrayed as more than an incompetent or a villain in a big-budget Hollywood movie. It even won Best Picture at the 18th Academy Awards! But how does it wo...

THE LOST WEEKEND is a weird movie to talk about 80 years after it came out. It’s a drama directed by Billy Wilder about an alcoholic writer who keeps trying and failing to kick the habit, so you can see why you might have to give it a touch of grace for its various… depictions. In 1945, it was a beacon of empathy for the addict’s struggle, the first time an alcoholic was portrayed as more than an incompetent or a villain in a big-budget Hollywood movie. It even won Best Picture at the 18th Academy Awards!

But how does it work in 2025? That’s just one topic of discussion as we dive into THE LOST WEEKEND, along with its side cast, its striking score, and what the hell a “gin and vermouth” is if not a martini. Plus, Cody has kidnapped The Weeknd and is leaving us THE SNOWMAN (2017)-like clues to find him before time runs out.

References:

“Bottomless” by Patrick Clifford for Perisphere, the Trylon blog
“The Lost Weekend: An Act of Understanding” by Jackson Stern for Perisphere, the Trylon blog
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Show art by Emily Csuy. Theme: "Raindrops" by Huma-Huma/"No Smoking" PSA by John Waters. Outro: “The Walk” composed by Miklós Rózsa from the THE LOST WEEKEND soundtrack.

Timestamps

0:00 - Episode 319: THE LOST WEEKEND (1945)

5:39 - The episode actually starts

8:50 - The Patented Aaron Grossman Summary

10:08 - What worked and what didn't

19:10 - Aaron plays devil’s advocate because he liked it more than the rest of us

33:57 - The freaky hospital scene and Bim Nolan

36:27 - Can a movie have “too much sympathy” for its main character?

45:23 - Helen, Gloria, and characters who reflect Don back at himself

52:41 - How would you have preferred it end?

59:05 - The Junk Drawer

1:02:02 - To All the Loves We’ve Tried Before: 1945