The Lost Weekend was adapted from a novel by which author?

The Lost Weekend was adapted from a novel by Charles R. Jackson.

Jackson’s first novel, published in 1944, follows Don Birnam, a talented writer trapped in a destructive five-day drinking binge. Its psychological realism drew heavily on Jackson’s own experiences with alcoholism, giving the book an unusually intimate perspective for its time. The novel was published by Farrar & Rinehart and became the basis for Billy Wilder’s acclaimed 1945 film.

The screen adaptation stars Ray Milland as Don and changes or omits some material from the book, including its stronger implication of Don’s bisexuality. Wilder and Charles Brackett wrote the screenplay, preserving the central portrait of addiction while shaping it for Hollywood. The film won four Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Adapted Screenplay. A frequent confusion is to credit the screenplay’s writers as the novel’s author; Jackson wrote the source novel, while Wilder and Brackett adapted it.