One of the film""s press sheets evoked the movie""s value as "dramatic entertainment", and discussed its "five great ticket selling values":You""ve never played a picture like THE LOST WEEKEND.As she arrived in a cart carrying over a dozen wenches, Jean was able to whistle and communicate with the castle""s stableman (or ostler) Fergus (Noel Drayton), Hawkins"" original rebel confederate contact who was spying for the Black Fox, to retrieve and take care of the royal child while she was dragged away with the other wenches.However, he had been fired almost a dozen times from previous publications:Tatum: Mr.Boot, I""m a $250-a-week newspaperman.I can be had for $50.Boot: Why are you so good to me?Tatum: I know newspapers backward, forward and sideways.I can write ""em, edit ""em, print ""em, wrap ""em and sell ""em.Boot: Don""t need anybody right now.Tatum (without pausing):I can handle big news and little news.And if there""s no news, I""ll go out and bite a dog.Make it $45.Boot: What makes you so cheap?Tatum: A fair question, considering I""ve been op man wherever I""ve worked.(Walsh had also directed Cagney in two other films:Strawberry Blonde (1941)andA Lion Is In the Streets (1953).