We here at Phoodie recently re-watched Billy Wilder’s 1945 alcoholism-themed classic The Lost Weekend, which always kind of makes us want to never drink again. Reading the production notes, though, something caught our eye:
Before shooting began, [Oscar-winning star Ray Milland] existed on a diet of dry toast, coffee, grapefruit juice, and boiled eggs in order to give himself the look of a man who habitually forgets to eat. The actor dropped from his normal weight of 168 to about 160.
Here’s the thing: Taken out of context, we love all four elements of that diet. And so what if Milland did it to look haggard (and win an Oscar) and only lost eight pounds? Maybe he’s a quitter, just like in the movie. Maybe if we subsist on dry toast, coffee (black, thanks), grapefruit juice (which mixes nicely with vodka and gin, and boiled eggs (with salt and pepper to taste) and actually stick with it, we could fit into that suddenly small pair of swimming trunks. Heck, this could be the beginning of a sassy new summer look, right? And if you’re worried about contracting scurvy, feel free to add steamed vegetables to that list. Surely Milland wouldn’t mind.
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