1941 in film
The year 1941 in film involved some significant events, in particular the release of a film consistently rated as one of the greatest of all time, Citizen Kane.
Top-grossing films (U.S.)
The top ten 1941 released films by box office gross in North America are as follows:| Rank | Title | Distributor | Domestic rentals |
| 1 | Sergeant York | Warner Bros. | $6,075,000 |
| 2 | Honky Tonk | MGM | $2,893,000 |
| 3 | Louisiana Purchase | Paramount | $2,750,000 |
| 4 | How Green Was My Valley | 20th Century Fox | $2,447,000 |
| 5 | The Philadelphia Story | MGM | $2,374,000 |
| 6 | Caught in the Draft | Paramount | $2,200,000 |
| 7 | A Yank in the R.A.F. | 20th Century Fox | $2,063,000 |
| 8 | Men of Boys Town | MGM | $2,009,000 |
| 9 | Ziegfeld Girl | MGM | $1,891,000 |
| 10 | They Died with Their Boots On | Warner Bros. | $1,871,000 |
Events
- January 17 – Gone with the Wind goes into general release in the United States after touring in a roadshow version during 1940. Becoming a cultural phenomenon, it sells an estimated 60 million tickets this year alone. Adjusted for inflation with numerous rereleases, it remains the highest grossing domestic film of all time with $1.8 billion.
- March 24 – Glenn Miller begins work on his 1st movie Sun Valley Serenade for Twentieth Century Fox.
- May 1 – Orson Welles' Citizen Kane, consistently rated as one of the films considered the all-time best, is premiered at the Palace Theatre (New York City).
- July 2 – Sergeant York, the film biopic of World War I hero Alvin C. York, starring Gary Cooper in the title role, premieres in New York City. It is the highest-grossing picture of the year and earns Cooper the first of two Academy Awards for Best Actor.
- July 28 - The assets of Hollywood studios in Japan are frozen by Japan's Ministry of Finance.
- September – Senate Investigation into Motion Picture War Propaganda in the United States.
- October 3 – The Maltese Falcon, considered one of the greatest films noir, is released.
Academy Awards
- Best Picture: How Green Was My Valley – 20th Century-Fox
- Best Actor: Gary Cooper – Sergeant York
- Best Actress: Joan Fontaine – Suspicion
- Best Supporting Actor: Donald Crisp – How Green Was My Valley
- Best Supporting Actress: Mary Astor – The Great Lie
- Best Director: John Ford – ''How Green Was My Valley''
Notable films
Films produced in the United States unless stated otherwise#
- The 47 Ronin , directed by Kenji Mizoguchi –
- 49th Parallel, directed by Michael Powell, starring Leslie Howard, Laurence Olivier and Raymond Massey –
A
- Adam Had Four Sons, directed by Gregory Ratoff, starring Ingrid Bergman and Warner Baxter
- Among the Living, directed by Stuart Heisler, starring Albert Dekker, Susan Hayward and Harry Carey
- Andy Hardy's Private Secretary, directed by George B. Seitz, starring Lewis Stone, Mickey Rooney and Fay Holden
B
- Babes on Broadway, directed by Busby Berkeley, starring Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland
- Back Street, directed by Robert Stevenson, starring Charles Boyer and Margaret Sullavan
- Ball of Fire, directed by Howard Hawks, starring Gary Cooper and Barbara Stanwyck
- The Big Store, directed by Charles Reisner, starring the Marx Brothers and Tony Martin
- The Black Cat, directed by Albert S. Rogell, starring Basil Rathbone and Bela Lugosi
- Blood and Sand, directed by Rouben Mamoulian, starring Tyrone Power, Linda Darnell and Rita Hayworth
- Blossoms in the Dust, directed by Mervyn LeRoy, starring Greer Garson and Walter Pidgeon
- Blues in the Night, directed by Anatole Litvak, starring Priscilla Lane
- The Bride Came C.O.D., directed by William Keighley, starring James Cagney and Bette Davis
- Brothers and Sisters of the Toda Family , directed by Yasujirō Ozu –
- Buck Privates, directed by Arthur Lubin, starring Abbott and Costello and the Andrews Sisters
C
- Caught in the Draft, directed by David Butler, starring Bob Hope and Dorothy Lamour
- Charlie Chan in Rio, directed by Harry Lachman, starring Sidney Toler
- Charley's Aunt, directed by Archie Mayo, starring Jack Benny and Kay Francis
- The Chocolate Soldier, directed by Roy Del Ruth, starring Nelson Eddy and Risë Stevens
- Citizen Kane, directed by and starring Orson Welles, with Joseph Cotten and Agnes Moorehead
- The Corsican Brothers, directed by Gregory Ratoff, starring Douglas Fairbanks Jr.
- Cottage to Let, directed by Anthony Asquith, starring Leslie Banks, Alastair Sim and John Mills –
D
- The [Devil and Daniel Webster (1941 film)|The Devil and Daniel Webster], directed by William Dieterle, starring Edward Arnold and Walter Huston
- The Devil and Miss Jones, directed by Sam Wood, starring Jean Arthur, Robert Cummings and Charles Coburn
- Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, directed by Victor Fleming, starring Spencer Tracy, Ingrid Bergman and Lana Turner
- Dumbo, List of [Walt Disney Animation Studios films|Disney Classic] directed by Ben Sharpsteen
F
- Behind the Mask (1941 film)|The Face Behind the Mask], directed by Robert Florey, starring Peter Lorre
- Footsteps [in the Dark (film)|Footsteps in the Dark], directed by Lloyd Bacon, starring Errol Flynn
- The Flame of New Orleans, directed by René Clair, starring Marlene Dietrich
G
- The Ghost of St. Michael's, directed by Marcel Varnel, starring Will Hay and Charles Hawtrey –
- The Great Lie, directed by Edmund Goulding, starring Mary Astor, George Brent and Bette Davis
H
- H.M. Pulham, Esq., directed by King Vidor, starring Hedy Lamarr and Robert Young
- Hellzapoppin', directed by H. C. Potter, starring Ole Olsen, Chic Johnson and Martha Raye
- Here Comes Mr. Jordan, directed by Alexander Hall, starring Robert Montgomery and Claude Rains
- High Sierra, directed by Raoul Walsh, starring Ida Lupino and Humphrey Bogart
- Hold Back the Dawn, directed by Mitchell Leisen, starring Charles Boyer, Olivia de Havilland and Paulette Goddard
- Hold That Ghost, directed by Arthur Lubin, starring Abbott and Costello, the Andrews Sisters and Ted Lewis
- Honky Tonk, directed by Jack Conway, starring Clark Gable and Lana Turner
- How Green Was My Valley, directed by John Ford, starring Walter Pidgeon, Maureen O'Hara and Roddy McDowall
I
- I Wake Up Screaming, directed by H. Bruce Humberstone, starring Betty Grable, Victor Mature and Carole Landis
- In the Navy, directed by Arthur Lubin, starring Abbott and Costello, Dick Powell and the Andrews Sisters
- It Started with Eve, directed by Henry Koster, starring Deanna Durbin, Charles Laughton and Robert Cummings
K
- Kathleen, directed by Harold S. Bucquet, starring Shirley Temple and Herbert Marshall
- Keep 'Em Flying, directed by Arthur Lubin, starring Abbott and Costello and Martha Raye
- Khazanchi , directed by Moti B. Gidwani –
- Kipps, directed by Carol Reed, starring Michael Redgrave –
L
- Ladies in Retirement, directed by Charles Vidor, starring Ida Lupino and Louis Hayward
- Lady Be Good, directed by Norman Z. McLeod, starring Eleanor Powell, Ann Sothern, Robert Young, Lionel Barrymore and Red Skelton
- The Lady Eve, directed by Preston Sturges, starring Barbara Stanwyck and Henry Fonda
- Life Begins for Andy Hardy, directed by George B. Seitz, starring Lewis Stone, Mickey Rooney, Fay Holden and Judy Garland
- The Little Foxes, directed by William Wyler, starring Bette Davis and Herbert Marshall
- Louisiana Purchase, directed by Irving Cummings, starring Bob Hope
- Love [on the Dole (film)|Love on the Dole], directed by John Baxter, starring Deborah Kerr –
M
- Major Barbara, directed by Gabriel Pascal, starring Wendy Hiller and Rex Harrison –
- The Maltese Falcon, directed by John Huston, starring Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor and Peter Lorre
- Man Hunt, directed by Fritz Lang, starring Walter Pidgeon, Joan Bennett and George Sanders
- Man-Made Monster, directed by George Waggner, starring Lon Chaney Jr. and Lionel Atwill
- Manpower, directed by Raoul Walsh, starring Edward G. Robinson, Marlene Dietrich and George Raft
- Meet John Doe, directed by Frank Capra, starring Gary Cooper and Barbara Stanwyck
- Men of Boys Town, directed by Norman Taurog, starring Spencer Tracy and Mickey Rooney
- Moon Over Miami, directed by Walter Lang, starring Don Ameche, Betty Grable and Robert Cummings
- Mr. & Mrs. Smith, directed by Alfred Hitchcock, starring Carole Lombard, Robert Montgomery and Gene Raymond
- Mr. Bug Goes to Town, animated film directed by Dave Fleischer
N
- Never Give a Sucker an Even Break, directed by Edward F. Cline, starring W. C. Fields
- Nice Girl?, directed by William A. Seiter, starring Deanna Durbin, Franchot Tone, Walter Brennan and Robert Stack
O
- Ohm Krüger , propaganda film directed by Hans Steinhoff, starring Emil Jannings –
- One Foot in Heaven, directed by Irving Rapper, starring Fredric March and Martha Scott
P
- Penny Serenade, directed by George Stevens, starring Irene Dunne and Cary Grant
- Piccolo mondo antico , directed by Mario Soldati, starring Alida Valli –
- Pimpernel Smith, propaganda film directed by and starring Leslie Howard –
- Princess Iron Fan , directed by Wan Guchan and Wan Laiming –
R
- Rage in Heaven, directed by W. S. Van Dyke, starring Robert Montgomery, Ingrid Bergman and George Sanders
- The Reluctant Dragon, directed by Alfred L. Werker, starring Robert Benchley
- Road to Zanzibar, directed by Victor Schertzinger, starring Bing Crosby, Bob Hope and Dorothy Lamour
S
- The Sea Wolf, directed by Michael Curtiz, starring Edward G. Robinson, Ida Lupino and John Garfield
- Sergeant York, directed by Howard Hawks, starring Gary Cooper and Walter Brennan
- Shadow of the Thin Man, directed by W. S. Van Dyke, starring William Powell and Myrna Loy
- The Shanghai Gesture, directed by Josef von Sternberg, starring Gene Tierney, Walter Huston and Victor Mature
- The [Shepherd of the Hills (1941 film)|The Shepherd of the Hills], directed by Henry Hathaway, starring John Wayne and Harry Carey
- Skylark, directed by Mark Sandrich, starring Claudette Colbert and Ray Milland
- Spooks Run Wild, directed by Phil Rosen, starring Bela Lugosi and the East Side Kids
- Stormy Waters , directed by Jean Grémillon, starring Jean Gabin and Michèle Morgan –
- The Strawberry Blonde, directed by Raoul Walsh, starring James Cagney, Olivia de Havilland and Rita Hayworth
- Sullivan's Travels, directed by Preston Sturges, starring Joel McCrea and Veronica Lake
- Sun Valley Serenade, directed by H. Bruce Humberstone, starring Sonja Henie, John Payne and Glenn Miller
- Suspicion, directed by Alfred Hitchcock, starring Cary Grant and Joan Fontaine
- Swamp Water, directed by Jean Renoir, starring Walter Brennan, Walter Huston, Anne Baxter and Dana Andrews
T
- Target for Tonight, a propaganda documentary directed by Harry Watt –
- Tarzan's Secret Treasure, directed by Richard Thorpe, starring Johnny Weissmuller and Maureen O'Sullivan
- That Hamilton Woman, directed by Alexander Korda, starring Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier –
- That Night in Rio, directed by Irving Cummings, starring Alice Faye, Don Ameche and Carmen Miranda
- They Died with Their Boots On, directed by Raoul Walsh, starring Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland
- Tobacco Road, directed by John Ford, starring Charley Grapewin, Marjorie Rambeau and Gene Tierney
W
- Week-End in Havana, directed by Walter Lang, starring Alice Faye, Carmen Miranda, John Payne and Cesar Romero
- Western Union, directed by Fritz Lang, starring Robert Young and Randolph Scott
- When Ladies Meet, directed by Robert Z. Leonard, starring Joan Crawford, Robert Taylor, Greer Garson and Herbert Marshall
- The Wolf Man, directed by George Waggner, starring Lon Chaney Jr., Claude Rains, Warren William and Ralph Bellamy
- A Woman's Face, directed by George Cukor, starring Joan Crawford, Melvyn Douglas and Conrad Veidt
Y
- A Yank in the R.A.F., directed by Henry King, starring Tyrone Power and Betty Grable
- You Belong to Me, directed by Wesley Ruggles, starring Barbara Stanwyck and Henry Fonda
- You'll Never Get Rich, directed by Sidney Lanfield, starring Fred Astaire and Rita Hayworth
Z
- Ziegfeld Girl, directed by Robert Z. Leonard, starring James Stewart, Judy Garland, Hedy Lamarr and Lana Turner
1941 film releases
unless statedJanuary–March
- January 1941
- *1 January
- **Princess Iron Fan
- *16 January
- **The Face Behind the Mask
- *17 January
- **The Philadelphia Story
- *21 January
- **High Sierra
- *23 January
- **Suvorov
- *24 January
- **Life with Henry
- **The Saint in Palm Springs
- *28 January
- **Sullivan's Travels
- *31 January
- **Buck Privates
- **Mr. & Mrs. Smith
- February 1941
- *7 February
- **Back Street
- *18 February
- **Adam Had Four Sons
- *20 February
- **Tobacco Road
- *21 February
- **Andy Hardy's Private Secretary
- **Nice Girl?
- **The Strawberry Blonde
- **Western Union
- *25 February
- **The Lady Eve
- March 1941
- *1 March
- **Brothers and Sisters of the Toda Family
- *7 March
- **Rage in Heaven
- *8 March
- **Footsteps in the Dark
- *10 March
- **Flying Wild
- *21 March
- **The Sea Wolf
- *26 March
- **I Wanted Wings
- *28 March
- **''Man Made Monster''
April–June
- April 1941
- *4 April
- **The Devil and Miss Jones
- **Ohm Krüger
- *6 April
- **The Flame of New Orleans
- *10 April
- **Piccolo mondo antico
- *11 April
- **Road to Zanzibar
- **That Night in Rio
- *12 April
- **The Great Lie
- *19 April
- **The Farmer's Wife
- **Hatter's Castle
- **Quiet Wedding
- *24 April
- **Crook's Tour
- **Penny Serenade
- *25 April
- **They Met in Argentina
- **Ziegfeld Girl
- *30 April
- **That Hamilton Woman
- May 1941
- *1 May
- **Citizen Kane
- *2 May
- **The Black Cat
- *3 May
- **Meet John Doe
- *5 May
- **Inspector Hornleigh Goes To It
- *7 May
- **Sheriff of Tombstone
- *9 May
- **U-Boat Course West!
- *10 May
- **Spellbound
- *22 May
- **Blood and Sand
- *23 May
- **A Woman's Face
- *24 May
- **Crook's Tour
- *30 May
- **In the Navy
- June 1941
- *7 June
- **Shining Victory
- *11 June
- **The Gang's All Here
- *13 June
- **Broadway Limited
- **Man Hunt
- **One Night in Lisbon
- *18 June
- **Moon Over Miami
- *20 June
- **The Big Store
- **The Reluctant Dragon
- *25 June
- **Caught in the Draft
- *26 June
- **Blossoms in the Dust
- *27 June
- **Hit the Road
- *28 June
- **Kipps
- **''Love on the Dole''
July–September
- July 1941
- *2 July
- **Sergeant York
- **The Sea Wolf
- *4 July
- **A Charming Man
- *12 July
- **The Bride Came C.O.D.
- *18 July
- **The Shepherd of the Hills
- *25 July
- **Target for Tonight
- *26 July
- **Bad Men of Missouri
- **Pimpernel Smith
- August 1941
- *1 August
- **Bowery Blitzkrieg
- **Charley's Aunt
- *2 August
- **Major Barbara
- *6 August
- **Hold That Ghost
- *7 August
- **Here Comes Mr. Jordan
- *8 August
- **Six Gun Gold
- *9 August
- **Manpower
- *12 August
- **Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
- *15 August
- **Life Begins for Andy Hardy
- *21 August
- **Sun Valley Serenade
- *28 August
- **The Blue Star Hotel
- *29 August
- **The Little Foxes
- September
- *1 September
- **Lady Be Good
- *5 September
- **Charlie Chan in Rio
- *6 September
- **Cottage to Let
- *18 September
- **Ladies in Retirement
- *19 September
- **The Tyrant Father
- *25 September
- **A Yank in the RAF
- **You'll Never Get Rich
- *26 September
- **Hold Back the Dawn
- **''It Started with Eve''
October–December
- October 1941
- *2 October
- **Honky Tonk
- **One Foot in Heaven
- *8 October
- **49th Parallel
- **Week-End in Havana
- *10 October
- **Never Give a Sucker an Even Break
- *17 October
- **The Devil and Daniel Webster
- **Jesse James at Bay
- *18 October
- **The Maltese Falcon
- *22 October
- **You Belong to Me
- *23 October
- **Dumbo
- *24 October
- **Spooks Run Wild
- *25 October
- **The Tell-Tale Heart
- *28 October
- **How Green Was My Valley
- *31 October
- **The Chocolate Soldier
- November 1941
- *7 November
- **Unexpected Uncle
- *14 November
- **I Wake Up Screaming
- **Suspicion
- *15 November
- **Blues in the Night
- *21 November
- **Look Who's Laughing
- **Shadow of the Thin Man
- **Skylark
- **They Died with Their Boots On
- *27 November
- **Stormy Waters
- *28 November
- **The Corsican Brothers
- **Keep 'Em Flying
- December 1941
- *1 December
- **The 47 Ronin
- **Tarzan's Secret Treasure
- *2 December
- **Ball of Fire
- *5 December
- **Mr. Bug Goes to Town
- *12 December
- **Among the Living
- **Red River Valley
- **The Wolf Man
- *18 December
- **H.M. Pulham, Esq.
- **Kathleen
- *21 December
- **The Heavenly Play
- *25 December
- **Louisiana Purchase
- **The Shanghai Gesture
- *26 December
- **Hellzapoppin'
- **''The Sausage-Maker Who Disappeared''
Serials
- The Adventures of Captain Marvel, starring Tom Tyler, directed by William Witney and John English
- Dick Tracy vs Crime Inc, starring Ralph Byrd, directed by William Witney and John English
- The Green Hornet, starring Gordon Jones
- Holt of the Secret Service, directed by James W. Horne
- The Iron Claw, directed by James W. Horne
- Jungle Girl, starring Frances Gifford, directed by William Witney and John English
- King of the Texas Rangers, directed by William Witney and John English
- Riders of Death Valley, directed by Ray Taylor and Ford Beebe
- Sea Raiders, directed by Ray Taylor and Ford Beebe
- Sky Raiders, directed by Ray Taylor and Ford Beebe
- The Spider Returns, starring Warren Hull, directed by James W. Horne
- White Eagle, directed by James W. Horne
Comedy film series
Animated short film series
- Mickey Mouse
- Looney Tunes
- *Bugs Bunny
- *Daffy Duck
- *Porky Pig
- *Sniffles
- *Inki
- Terrytoons
- Merrie Melodies
- Scrappy
- Popeye
- Color Rhapsodies
- Donald Duck
- Walter Lantz Cartunes
- Goofy
- Andy Panda
- Tom and Jerry
- * The Midnight Snack
- * The Night Before Christmas
- Woody Woodpecker
- Swing Symphonies
- The [Fox and the Crow (animated characters)|The Fox and the Crow]
- ''Superman''
Births
- January 1
- *Simón Andreu, Spanish actor
- *Eva Ras, Serbian actress, writer and painter
- January 3 - Derrick O'Connor, Irish actor
- January 4
- *George P. Cosmatos, Greek-Italian director and screenwriter
- *John Bennett Perry, American actor
- January 7 - Harvey Evans, American actor
- January 8 - Graham Chapman, British actor
- January 10 – José Greci, Italian actress
- January 12 - Long John Baldry, English-Canadian singer, musician and voice actor
- January 14
- *Faye Dunaway, American actress
- *Jack Thibeau, American former actor
- January 15 - Geoffrey Beevers, British actor
- January 19 - Putter Smith, American jazz bassist and actor
- January 20 - Henry Cele, South African actor
- January 24 - Neil Diamond, American actor and singer
- January 27 - Jeannie Epper, American stuntwoman and actress
- January 31 – Jessica Walter, American actress
- February 5 - David Selby, American actor
- February 8 – Nick Nolte, American actor and producer
- February 10 – Michael Apted, English director, producer and screenwriter
- February 11 - Sonny Landham, American actor and stunt performer
- February 13 - Bo Svenson, Swedish-American actor, director, screenwriter and producer
- February 27 - Charlotte Stewart, American actress
- March 3 - Rada Rassimov, Italian actress
- March 4
- *John Aprea, American actor and comedian
- *Adrian Lyne, English director and producer
- March 6 - George P. Wilbur, American actor and professional stuntman
- March 14 – Wolfgang Petersen, German director, producer and screenwriter
- March 16
- *Bernardo Bertolucci, Italian director
- *Jerry Chipman, American actor
- March 18 - Frank McRae, American actor
- March 20 - Paul Junger Witt, American producer
- March 22 - Bruno Ganz, Swiss actor
- March 24 - David Fox, Canadian actor
- April 3 - Eric Braeden, German actor
- April 7
- *Cornelia Frances, English-Australian actress
- *Danny Wells, Canadian actor and comedian
- April 9 - Hannah Gordon, Scottish actress and presenter
- April 12 - Manuel de Blas, Spanish actor
- April 13 - Michael Alldredge, American actor
- April 20
- *David Leland, English director
- *Ryan O'Neal, American actor
- April 26 - Claudine Auger, French actress
- April 28 – Ann-Margret, Swedish-born American actress, dancer and singer
- May 2 - Paul Darrow, English actor
- May 13 – Senta Berger, Austrian actress and producer
- May 17 - Grace Zabriskie, American actress
- May 18 - Miriam Margolyes, British-Australian character actress
- May 19
- *Nora Ephron, American writer and filmmaker
- *Tania Mallet, English actress and model
- May 24 – Andrés García, Dominican-Mexican actor
- May 29
- *Nick McLean, American cinematographer and actor
- *Bill Weston, British stunt performer and actor
- June 2
- *Stacy Keach, American actor
- *Mahmoud Yassine, Egyptian actor
- June 5 – Spalding Gray, American actor and screenwriter
- June 8 - Jessie Lawrence Ferguson, American actor
- June 10
- *Mickey Jones, American musician and actor
- *Jürgen Prochnow, German actor
- June 17 - Roberta Maxwell, Canadian actress
- June 20
- *Stephen Frears, English film director
- *Dieter Mann, German actor
- June 21
- *Joe Flaherty, Canadian-American actor and comedian
- *Lyman Ward, Canadian actor
- June 22 – Michael Lerner, American actor
- June 25 – Denys Arcand, Canadian director and screenwriter
- June 27 – Krzysztof Kieślowski, Polish director
- July 1 - Milos Milos, Serbian-born American actor and stunt double
- July 9 - Yosef Shiloach, Israeli actor
- July 10 - Robert Pine, American actor
- July 13 - Robert Forster, American actor
- July 17 - Paula Shaw, American actress
- July 18 - Starletta DuPois, American actress
- July 21 - Edward Herrmann, American actor, director and writer
- July 26 - Darlene Love, American actress and singer
- July 28
- *Peter Cullen, Canadian voice actor
- *Colin Higgins, Australian-American screenwriter, actor, director and producer
- July 29 – David Warner, English actor
- August 4
- *Martin Jarvis, English actor
- *Paul Mooney, American comedian, writer and actor
- August 7 - Franco Columbu, Italian bodybuilder, actor and producer
- August 8 - Earl Boen, American actor
- August 12
- *Dana Ivey, American actress
- *Deborah Walley, American actress
- August 15 - Lou Perryman, American character actor
- August 26
- *Joan Freeman, American retired actress
- *Barbet Schroeder, Iranian-born Swiss director, producer and actor
- August 28 - Tony Barry, Australian actor
- August 29
- *Ellen Geer, American actress
- *Mark Kasdan, American screenwriter and producer
- *Orestes Matacena, Cuban-American actor, director, producer and writer
- September 4 - Rochelle Kaffenberger, American actress
- September 18 - Gerry Bamman, American actor
- September 26 – Martine Beswick, English actress and model
- October 6
- *Billy Murray, English actor
- *Winston Ntshona, South African actor
- October 9 - Michael Goodwin, American character actor
- October 10 – Peter Coyote, American actor
- October 11 - Charles Shyer, American director, screenwriter and producer
- October 19 – Simon Ward, English actor
- October 20 – Clare Peploe, English-Italian screenwriter and director
- October 23 – Mel Winkler, American actor
- October 24 – Frank Aendenboom, Belgian actor
- October 25 – Gordon Tootoosis, Aboriginal Canadian actor
- October 31
- *Mischa Hausserman, Austrian-born American actor
- *Sally Kirkland, American actress
- November 1 – Robert Foxworth, American actor
- November 18 – David Hemmings, English actor, director and producer
- November 22 – Tom Conti, Scottish actor
- November 23 – Franco Nero, Italian actor
- November 25 – Tiit Lilleorg, Estonian actor
- November 27 - Tom Morga, American stuntman, stunt coordinator and actor
- November 30 - Sally Douglas, British actress
- December 4 – Leila Säälik, Estonian actress
- December 6
- *Evald Hermaküla, Estonian actor and director
- *Leon Russom, American actor
- December 8 – Valora Noland, American actress
- December 9 – Beau Bridges, American actor
- December 10 - Fionnula Flanagan, Irish actress
- December 11 - John Davidson, American actor, singer and game show host
- December 15 - Vladan Živković, Serbian actor
- December 25 - John Capodice, American character actor
- December 27 - Aharon Ipalé, Israeli-American actor
Deaths
- January 4 – Henri Bergson, 81, French writer
- January 10 – Joe Penner, 36, American comedian, actor, The Boys from Syracuse, Millionaire Playboy, The Day the Bookies Wept, Mr. Doodle Kicks Off
- March 13 – Stuart Walker, 63, American director, White Woman, Great Expectations
- April 23 – Stanley Fields, 57, American actor, The Great Plane Robbery, The Lady from Cheyenne
- May 8 – Tore Svennberg, 83, Swedish actor, The Phantom Carriage, A Woman's Face
- May 12 – Ruth Stonehouse, 48, American actress, film director, The Satin Woman
- May 22 – Ida Waterman, 89, American actress, Stella Maris, The Enchanted Cottage, Amarilly of Clothes-Line Alley, Esmerelda
- June 28 – Richard Carle, 69, American actor, The Little Red Schoolhouse, Love Before Breakfast, Rhythm in the Clouds, She Asked for It
- July 25 - Purnell Pratt, 55, American actor, Alibi, Scarface, The Mystery Squadron, Dancing Feet
- July 29 - James Stephenson, 52, English actor, The Letter, Shining Victory
- August 13 – J. Stuart Blackton, 66, British-American film producer and director, co-founder of Vitagraph Studios, The Glorious Adventure
- September 18 – Claude King, 66, English actor, Behind the Mask, It Couldn't Have Happened – But It Did
- October 9 – Helen Morgan, 41, American actress and singer, You Belong to Me, Applause, Show Boat
- October 26 – Victor Schertzinger, 53, American director, Paramount on Parade, Road to Zanzibar
- November 2 – Bengt Djurberg, 43, Swedish actor, Troll-elgen
- December 21 – David Howard, 45, American film director, ''Daniel Boone''