Days of Wine and Roses (1962)

Director:

Blake Edwards

Writer:

J.P. Miller (writer)

Release Date:

26 December 1962 (USA)

Genre:

Romance | Drama

Tagline:

This, in its own terrifying way, is a love story.

Plot:

An alcoholic falls in love with and gets married to a young woman, whom he systematically addicts to booze so they can share his "passion" together.

Plot Keywords:

Drinking | Alcoholic | Public Relations | Share | Secretary

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 9 wins & 12 nominations

Cast

Jack Lemmon	...	Joe Clay
Lee Remick	...	Kirsten Arnesen Clay
Charles Bickford	...	Ellis Arnesen
Jack Klugman	...	Jim Hungerford
Alan Hewitt	...	Rad Leland
Tom Palmer	...	Ballefoy
Debbie Megowan	...	Debbie Clay
Maxine Stuart	...	Dottie
Jack Albertson	...	Trayner
Ken Lynch	...	Liquor Store Proprietor

Runtime:

117 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Certification:

Canada:PG (Ontario) | Australia:G (TV rating) | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | Spain:18 | USA:Unrated | West Germany:16 (w)

Filming Locations:

San Francisco, California, USA

Company:

Jalem Productions

Trivia:

Jack Riley's film debut.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Jo is in the hospital for the first time, a doctor and two orderlies come and check up on him from the fenced window of his cell door. But in the very next shot, the only shadow that is cast on Jo is that of the fenced window, not of the three men looking at him from the window.

Quotes:

[Joe offers to reconcile with Kirsten - but only if she quits drinking]
Joe Clay: You remember how it really was? You and me and booze - a threesome. You and I were a couple of drunks on the sea of booze, and the boat sank. I got hold of something that kept me from going under, and I'm not going to let go of it. Not for you. Not for anyone. If you want to grab on, grab on. But there's just room for you and me - no threesome.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Simpsons: Co-Dependent's Day (#15.15)" (2004)

Soundtrack:

Rock-a-Bye Baby

Essential!!

Let me tell you something: to watch such an intense and heart-rending performance like Jack Lemmon's in "Days of wine and roses" is one of those exceptional things we bump into our lives. OK, Lee Remick does an outstanding job, but Lemmon's performance is simply supernatural. We got Picasso's "Gernika", Bowie's "Ziggy stardust", Wilde's "Dorian Gray"... and characters such as Joe Clat. Pieces of art, my friends.

Most of the people link the name of Blake Edwards to the high class comedy ("Breakfast at Tiffany's", "Pink Panther", "The Party"), but I'd dare to state that "Days of.." is his best movie by far. Step by step, Edwars shows us each and every stages an alcoholic gets through: from the party days to the "delirium tremens".

Ageless, universal, perfect... ESSENTIAL

*My rate: 10/10