A lot of people who were only born a couple of decades ago will not be too familiar with The Lost Weekend. Those who have watched it have different things to say about it and if you think that old films should not be watched then you will surely find some that will make you change your mind. You may never know, this may be the movie that you are searching for.
The Lost Weekend Started Out as a Novel
A lot of people are not aware that this was a novel that was published during the World War. There was a publishing company who rejected it saying that no one would care about the woes of the individual because of what was happening back then; but they were wrong. When the book was published, people were hooked. It sold more than 500, 000 copies and it was translated into more than 10 languages. The Lost Weekend was a big success, especially during that time.
It was a bit of a surprise for the author of the book who did not gain recognition for his previous works. Soon after his book became a bestseller, people wanted to know more about him. He was invited by Hollywood weeks later and his life and the life of his family were never the same again. By the time that he transferred to a new home, people knew about him. They all wanted to get a glimpse of the man who created the book that just made them read madly. A lot of people were shocked that he was quite mild-mannered. This surely added to his appeal as an author.
The Lost Weekend as a Film
There were some speculations that the movie will not push through because people may not be too interested in it even if they have read the book. Some people can just appreciate stories better if they read it rather than when they watch it. Yet, people were determined to produce it and release it and after some time, they were able to choose the lead for the movie. It was offered to a lot of actors who turned it down because they felt that they were going to jeopardize their career because of the role. Eventually, Ray Milland took the role and it was the best decision he has ever made.
There were some minor changes to the script here and there but there were some problems with the ending. The first ending of the movie is that the lead character will not be able to recover from being an alcoholic. Instead, he will allow his girlfriend to do his work for him while he slurred his words. The author became mad about it because he felt that it was too close to his personal life. After a few months, the ending was changed a bit. It still was not as sappy as people would have hoped but it would show that the lead character is on his way to recovery.
With all of the changes that have been done, the author has said that he is extremely grateful that the novel, The Lost Weekend was handled with care. Unlike other novels that were butchered by producers in order to look great in movies, the novel was just shown as it is and people have liked it tremendously.
While this may seem to be the case, in the beginning, the movie has become a classic that people have already forgotten that it is based on a best-selling novel. People have forgotten about the author and he just felt a little bit slighted by it especially when he was not thanked for the awards that the movie has received. People also have short memories and they have also forgotten that this used to be a novel turned into a movie.
The Author on His Masterpiece
Jackson has always stated that his masterpiece will never be forgotten. He was able to create and publish 5 more books after but it was not as acclaimed as The Lost Weekend. Since he also struggled with his dependence on alcohol, he found it hard to write without it. His happiness was just to see the movie from time to time from his room. It is when he watched the movie that he remembers the type of treatment he used to have in Hollywood when his book was the best thing. If you have not seen the movie or you have not read the book, perhaps you should look for them. You may like it as much as other people do.
