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‘the lost weekend’: thr’s 1945 review.

On Nov. 29, 1945, Paramount Pictures and Billy Wilder brought the adaptation to theaters in Los Angeles, en route to the movie eventually winning the best picture Oscar.

By THR Staff

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The poster art for 1945's 'The Lost Weekend.'

On Nov. 29, 1945, Paramount Pictures and Billy Wilder brought their adaptation of The Lost Weekend to theaters in Los Angeles. The film would go on to be nominated for seven Oscars at the 18th Academy Awards, claiming four wins, including best picture. The Hollywood Reporter’s original review, headlined “Brackett, Wilder, Milland Do Great Jobs In ‘Weekend,'” is below:

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Effective is a mild word for the picturization of this novel, taken from the book of the same name. With the exception of the end, it has stuck most faithfully to the original, so that it puts you through an emotional wringer that leaves you limp. To this reviewer the end is weak because the hero is, realistically speaking, a villain. An alcoholic is a menace to himself and even worse menace to those around him. Statistics prove (and we regret having to fall back on them) that severe cases of alcoholism are seldom “saved.” However, for those who are alert, the “hero’s” last speech softens the blow of a miracle reform. It is clearly the crowning phantasy of a doomed man. He doesn’t write his novel, he verbalizes a dream of success. For this concession, we are grateful to producer-writer Brackett and writer-director Wilder. In fact, the writing and directing and producing are stunning and a great object lesson for picture-makers both for individual scenes that stand out and the production as a whole that flows smoothly as a movie.

On the technical side there is Miklos Rozsa’s score and the photography by Seitz, Edouart and Gordon Jennings; the editing by Doane Harrison and the art direction by Dreier and Hedrick all working together to make a completely absorbing motion picture. — Staff byline, originally published on August 14, 1945.

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The Lost Weekend: A Love Story Reviews

movie review the lost weekend

Without May Pang being too hostile -- she measures her words -- Yoko Ono is portrayed as the villain of the story. [Full review in Spanish]

Full Review | Aug 30, 2024

This is not just another Beatles documentary. It is something in its own category. This is someone’s love story, a very beautiful one.

Full Review | Original Score: 9.5/10 | Nov 22, 2023

At all events, it is a vivid snapshot of a troubled private life at the apex of the US music scene.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Nov 16, 2023

Pang tells her tale with modesty and balance, and does all Beatlemaniacs a service by giving them an intimate glimpse of what Lennon was like in and out of the spotlight.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Nov 8, 2023

You don’t have to be a Beatles completist to appreciate the insight in this documentary.

Full Review | Oct 14, 2023

movie review the lost weekend

Fresh John Lennon revelations and a unique perspective of The Beatles, right after the break up, is wrapped up in the love affair of May Pang and Lennon ... a true insider’s story with archival authenticity. A must see for fans of real love ... all of us.

Full Review | Original Score: 5/5 | Apr 20, 2023

There’s both nostalgia and revelation in the film.

Full Review | Apr 19, 2023

movie review the lost weekend

Pang may be the movie’s narrator, but The Lost Weekend doesn’t feel like it’s truly about her until she finally becomes the camera’s subject mere minutes before the closing credits.

Full Review | Apr 14, 2023

movie review the lost weekend

If you’re up for a montage of Lennon/Pang Polaroids accompanied by the strains of Eddie Money’s “Two Tickets To Paradise,” this movie is just the thing.

Full Review | Apr 13, 2023

movie review the lost weekend

Anyone who regards Pang as a footnote in Beatles history as his companion during drunken carousing in L.A. with Harry Nilsson is in for a surprise.

Full Review | Original Score: B | Apr 11, 2023

movie review the lost weekend

AWFJ's Movie of the Week! You'll revel in this revelatory biodoc that chronicles the loving relationship between John Lennon and May Pang. Even if you think you know it all, you're likely to discover something new. Great music, great archival footage.

Full Review | Apr 4, 2023

The great triumph inherent in The Lost Weekend, and in Pang's steadfast curation of John's memory over the years, involves the celebration of Lennon's enduring spirit.

Full Review | Jul 7, 2022

movie review the lost weekend

Pang has written two memoirs about this period, so the stories aren’t exactly unheard. But the doc presents them in a unique way.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Jun 21, 2022

movie review the lost weekend

This cinematic version of May Pang's story is a visual treat and an emotional journey that offers intriguing photos and audio recordings, including rare chronicles of John Lennon's reunions with his former Beatles bandmate Paul McCartney.

Full Review | Jun 15, 2022

movie review the lost weekend

For Beatles fans this stuff will serve an indelible window into this period in John Lennon's life

Full Review | Jun 13, 2022

movie review the lost weekend

A fascinating, revealing, and sometimes moving portrait of John Lennon unmoored, trying to find himself in a world that had caught up to him.

Full Review | Jun 12, 2022

IMAGES

  1. ‘The Lost Weekend: A Love Story’ Review: When John Lennon Strayed

    movie review the lost weekend

  2. Movie Review

    movie review the lost weekend

  3. THE LOST WEEKEND (1945)

    movie review the lost weekend

  4. 30 Facts about the movie The Lost Weekend

    movie review the lost weekend

  5. The Lost Weekend Review

    movie review the lost weekend

  6. The Lost Weekend: A Love Story

    movie review the lost weekend