1946 in film

The year 1946 in film involved some significant events, with The Best Years of Our Lives winning seven Academy Awards.

Top-grossing films (U.S.)

The top ten 1946 released films by box office gross in North America are as follows:

Rank	Title	Distributor	Domestic rentals
1	Duel in the Sun	Selznick International	$10,000,000
2	The Best Years of Our Lives	RKO	$7,675,000
3	The Jolson Story	Columbia	$7,600,000
4	Blue Skies	Paramount	$5,700,000
5	Saratoga Trunk	Warner Bros.	$5,148,000
6	The Razor's Edge	20th Century Fox	$5,000,000
7	Night and Day	Warner Bros.	$4,990,000
8	Notorious	RKO	$4,850,000
9	The Yearling	MGM	$4,768,000
10	Till the Clouds Roll By	MGM	$4,748,000

Events

February 14 - Charles Vidor's Gilda starring Rita Hayworth and Glenn Ford shows audiences one of the most famous scenes of the 20th century: Rita Hayworth singing "Put The Blame On Mame".
April 22 - The Allies in Japan begin burning the prints of Japanese films banned for non-democratic or "feudal" content.
November 21 – William Wyler's The Best Years of Our Lives premieres in New York featuring an ensemble cast including Fredric March, Myrna Loy, Dana Andrews, Teresa Wright, and Harold Russell.
December 20 – Frank Capra's It's a Wonderful Life, featuring James Stewart, Donna Reed, Lionel Barrymore, Henry Travers, and Thomas Mitchell opens in New York.

Notable films released in 1946

unless stated

A

Angel on My ShoulderAnna and the [King of Siam (film)|Anna and the King of Siam], starring Irene Dunne, Rex Harrison and Linda Darnell

''Aru yo no Tonosama''

B

Bad Bascomb, starring Wallace Beery, Margaret O'Brien and Marjorie MainThe Bandit of Sherwood Forest, starring Cornel WildeThe Beast with Five Fingers, starring Robert Alda and Peter LorreBeauty and the Beast, directed by Jean Cocteau, starring Jean Marais and Josette DayThe Best Years of Our Lives, directed by William Wyler, starring Fredric March, Myrna Loy, Dana Andrews and Harold Russell – winner of 8 OscarsBeware, directed by Bud Pollard, starring Louis JordanThe Big Sleep, directed by Howard Hawks, starring Humphrey Bogart and Lauren BacallBlack Beauty, starring Mona Freeman and Richard DenningThe Blue Dahlia, starring Alan Ladd and Veronica LakeBlue Skies, starring Bing Crosby and Fred AstaireBoom in the Moon, starring Buster KeatonA [Boy and His Dog (1946 film)|A Boy and His Dog], starring Harry Davenport

C

The Captive Heart, the first Prisoner of War film from World War IICanyon Passage, starring Dana AndrewsCentennial SummerThe ChaseChildren of Paradise Cloak and DaggerCluny Brown, starring Charles Boyer and Jennifer Jones

D

The Dark Corner, starring Lucille Ball and Mark StevensThe Dark Mirror, starring Olivia de HavillandDeceptionDecoy, a film noir starring Jean GillieDevotionThe [Diary of a Chambermaid (1946 film)|The Diary of a Chambermaid]Dragonwyck, starring Gene TierneyDressed to Kill, a Sherlock Holmes mystery directed by Roy William Neill, starring Basil Rathbone as Holmes, and Nigel Bruce as Watson Duel in the Sun, starring Jennifer Jones, Gregory Peck, Joseph Cotten and Lillian Gish

G

Gallant Journey, directed by William A. WellmanGilda, starring Rita Hayworth and Glenn FordGreat Expectations, directed by David Lean, starring John Mills, Jean Simmons and Valerie HobsonGreen for Danger, starring Alastair Sim and Trevor Howard

''The Green Years''

H

The Harvey Girls, directed by George Sidney, starring Judy Garland and John HodiakHenry V Humoresque, starring Joan Crawford and John Garfield

I

I See a Dark StrangerIt's a Wonderful Life, directed by Frank Capra, starring James Stewart, Donna Reed and Lionel Barrymore

''Ivan the Terrible''

J

The Jolson Story, a biopic of Al Jolson starring Larry Parks

K

The Kid from BrooklynThe Killers, directed by Robert Siodmak, starring Burt Lancaster and Ava Gardner

L

Let There Be Light, documentary directed by John HustonLittle Giant, starring Bud Abbott and Lou Costello

M

Make Mine MusicMagnificent Doll, starring Ginger Rogers and David Niven A [Matter of Life and Death (1946 film)|A Matter of Life and Death], written and directed by Powell and Pressburger, starring David NivenMonsieur Beaucaire, starring Bob Hope The Murderers Are Among Us, starring Hildegard KnefMy Darling Clementine, directed by John Ford, starring Henry Fonda and Linda Darnell

N

Night and DayA Night in Casablanca with the Marx BrothersNo Regrets for Our Youth Nobody Lives ForeverNotorious, directed by Alfred Hitchcock, starring Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman

O

The Outlaw

''The Overlanders''

P

Paisan, directed by Roberto Rossellini Patrie, directed by Louis Daquin People Are Funny, starring Jack HaleyThe Postman Always Rings Twice, starring Lana Turner and John Garfield

R

The Razor's Edge, starring Tyrone Power and Gene TierneyRenegade Girl, starring Ann Savage The Return of [Monte Cristo (1946 film)|The Return of Monte Cristo], starring Louis HaywardRoad to Utopia, starring Bing Crosby, Dorothy Lamour and Bob Hope

S

The Seventh Veil She-Wolf of London. starring June LockhartShoeshine, directed by Vittorio De SicaShock, directed by Alfred L. Werker, starring Vincent Price and Lynn Bari Sister Kenny, starring Rosalind RussellSomewhere In The Night, starring John HodiakSong of the South by Walt Disney, combines animation and live action.The Spiral Staircase, starring Dorothy McGuireA Stolen Life, starring Bette DavisThe Strange Love of Martha Ivers, starring Barbara StanwyckThe Strange Woman, starring Hedy Lamarr and George SandersThe Stranger, directed by and starring Orson Welles, Loretta Young and Edward G. Robinson

T

Terror by Night, a Sherlock Holmes mystery directed by Roy William Neill, starring Basil Rathbone as Holmes, and Nigel Bruce as WatsonTheirs Is the GloryThree StrangersThree Wise Fools, starring Margaret O'Brien and Lionel BarrymoreThe Time of Their Lives, starring Bud Abbott and Lou CostelloTo Each His Own, starring Olivia de HavillandTomorrow Is Forever, starring Orson WellesTwo Sisters from Boston, starring Kathryn Grayson, June Allyson, Lauritz Melchior, Jimmy Durante and Peter Lawford.

U

''Utamaro and His Five Women''

V

''The Verdict''

W

Wake Up and DreamWanted for MurderThe Wife of Monte Cristo, directed by Edgar G. Ulmer

''Without Reservations''

Y

The Yearling, starring Gregory Peck and Jane Wyman

Serials

Daughter of Don Q
Chick Carter, Detective
The Crimson Ghost
Hop Harrigan
King of the Forest Rangers, starring Larry Thompson
Lost City of the Jungle
The Mysterious Mr. M
The Phantom Rider, starring Robert Kent and Peggy Stewart
The Scarlet Horseman
''Son of the Guardsman''

Short film series

Animated short film series

Mickey Mouse
Looney Tunes
Terrytoons
Merrie Melodies
Popeye
Color Rhapsodies
Donald Duck
Pluto
Andy Panda
Goofy
Bugs Bunny
Tom and Jerry
The [Fox and the Crow (animated characters)|The Fox and the Crow]
Woody Woodpecker
Mighty Mouse
Droopy
Chip and Dale
Screwball Squirrel
Yosemite Sam
''George and Junior''

Births

January 1 - Rick Hurst, American actor
January 5 – Diane Keaton, American actress, producer and director
January 6 – Cheng Pei-Pei, Chinese actress
January 7 – Arnis Līcītis, Latvian actor
January 16 – Kabir Bedi, Indian actor
January 19 – Dolly Parton, American country singer and actress
January 20 – David Lynch, American director
January 26
*Christopher Hampton, British director and screenwriter
*Gene Siskel, American film critic and journalist
February 2
*Blake Clark, American stand-up comedian, actor and voice actor
*J. E. Freeman, American actor
February 4 – Ivano Marescotti, Italian actor
February 5 – Charlotte Rampling, English actress
February 7 – Pete Postlethwaite, English actor
February 8 – Alex Diakun, Canadian actor
February 13 – Joe Estevez, American actor, director and producer
February 20 – Brenda Blethyn, English actress
February 21
*Tyne Daly, American actress
*Anthony Daniels, English actor, voice actor and mime artist
*Alan Rickman, English actor
March 1 – Lana Wood, American actress and producer
March 6 – Martin Kove, American actor and martial artist
March 7
*Dan Grimaldi, American actor
*John Heard, American actor
March 9 – Alexandra Bastedo, British actress
March 12
*Dean Cundey, American cinematographer and filmmaker
*Liza Minnelli, American singer and actress
*Frank Welker, American actor, voice actor and former stand-up comedian
March 14 – Steve Kanaly, American actor
March 21 – Timothy Dalton, British actor
March 27 – Carl Weintraub, American actor
March 29 – Paul Herman, American actor
April 3 – Nicholas Jones, English character actor
April 5
*Jane Asher, English actress
*Björn Granath, Swedish actor
April 8
*Stuart Pankin, American actor
*Tim Thomerson, American actor and comedian
April 12 – Ed O'Neill, American actor and comedian
April 15
*Bob DeSimone, American actor
*Michael Tucci, American actor
April 18 – Hayley Mills, English actress
April 19 – Tim Curry, English actor and singer
April 20 – Haruhiko Yamanouchi, Japanese actor
April 22 – John Waters, American filmmaker, writer and actor
April 23 – Blair Brown, American actress
April 25
*Andrzej Seweryn, Polish actor and director
*Talia Shire, American actress
April 29 – Wayne Robson, Canadian actor
May 1 – Joanna Lumley, British actress
May 2 – David Suchet, English actor
May 9 – Candice Bergen, American actress
May 10 - Maureen Lipman, English actress and comedian
May 11 – Ago Roo, Estonian actor
May 13 – Tim Pigott-Smith, English actor
May 18 – Andreas Katsulas, American actor
May 19 – André the Giant, French professional wrestler and actor
May 20 – Cher, American singer and actress
May 22 – Jack Kehler, American character actor
May 23 – Anthony May, English actor
June 1 – Brian Cox, Scottish actor
June 2 - Lasse Hallström, Swedish director
June 3 – Penelope Wilton, English actress
June 5 – John Bach, British-born New Zealand actor
June 8 – Alan Scarfe, British-Canadian actor
June 12 – Jack Thibeau, American actor
June 15
*Angela Down, English actress
*Roy Holder, English actor
June 26
*Ricky Jay, American actor and writer
*Leo Rossi, American actor, writer and producer
June 28
*Bruce Davison, American actor and director
*Gilda Radner, American comedian and actress
July 2 – Ron Silver, American actor
July 6 – Sylvester Stallone, American actor and director
July 9 – Norbert Weisser, German actor
July 10 – Sue Lyon, American actress
July 11 - Beverly Todd, American actress
July 13 – Cheech Marin, American actor and comedian
July 14 – Vincent Pastore, American actor
July 16
*Dave Goelz, American puppeteer and actor
*Richard LeParmentier, American actor
July 17 – Alun Armstrong, English actor
July 18 – Dicken Ashworth, English actor
July 20 – Randal Kleiser, American director, producer, screenwriter and actor
July 22 – Danny Glover, American actor and director
July 27 – Rade Šerbedžija, Croatian actor, director and musician
August 6 – Peter Simonischek, Austrian actor
August 9 – Alain Dorval, French voice actor of Sylvester Stallone, from 1976 to 2024.
August 14 – Antonio Fargas, American actor
August 15 - Tony Robinson, English actor
August 16 – Lesley Ann Warren, American actress and singer
August 19
*Ti Lung, Hong Kong actor
*Christopher Malcolm, Scottish actor, director and producer
August 20 – José Wilker, Brazilian actor
August 24 – BP Fallon, Irish actor
August 26 – Alison Steadman, English actress
August 29 – Lindy Davies, Australian actress and director
August 30 – Peggy Lipton, American actress, model and singer
September 1 – Susan Backlinie, American actress and stuntwoman
September 5 – Dennis Dugan, American director, actor, writer and comedian
September 13 – Frank Marshall, American producer and director
September 15
*Tommy Lee Jones, American actor
*Oliver Stone, director and producer
September 18 – Struan Rodger, British actor
September 19 – Michael Elphick, English actor
September 22 – John Woo, Hong Kong director, producer and screenwriter
September 25
*Mary Beth Hurt, American actress
*Drew Snyder, American actor
September 26 – Togo Igawa, Japanese character actor
September 28
*Peter Egan, British actor
*Jeffrey Jones, American actor
October 2 – Dale Soules, American actress
October 4 – Susan Sarandon, American actress
October 6 – John Hostetter, American actor and visual artist
October 10
*Charles Dance, English actor
*Ben Vereen, American actor
October 14 – Katy Manning, British actress
October 15 – John Getz, American actor
October 16 – Suzanne Somers, American actress and singer
October 22 – Richard McGonagle, American actor
October 27 – Ivan Reitman, Slovakian-born Canadian director and producer
October 31 – Stephen Rea, Northern Irish actor
November 3
*Michael Champion, American singer, musician and actor
*Tom Savini, American prosthetic makeup artist, actor, stunt performer and director
November 4 – John Callen, English-born New Zealand actor and director
November 6 – Sally Field, American actress
November 7 – John Aylward, American actor
November 10 - Alaina Reed Hall, American actress and singer
November 16 – Dan Shor, American actor, director and writer
November 20
*Sullivan Walker, Trinidadian actor
*Samuel E. Wright, American actor and singer
November 21 – Andrew Davis, American director, producer and writer
November 22 – Paul A. Partain, American actor
November 26 – Mark L. Lester, American director, screenwriter and producer
November 29 - Nathan Jung, American actor and stuntman
December 1 – Maggie Steed, English actress and comedian
December 8
*Frank Pesce, American actor
*John Rubinstein, American actor, composer and director
December 14
*Patty Duke, American actress
*Lynne Marie Stewart, American actress
December 16 – Charles Dennis, Canadian actor, director and screenwriter
December 17
*Jayne Eastwood, Canadian actress and comedian
*Eugene Levy, Canadian actor
December 18 – Steven Spielberg, American director and producer
December 19 – Robert Urich, American actor and producer
December 20 – John Spencer, American actor
December 21 – Josh Mostel, American actor
December 24 – Daniel Beretta, French voice actor and singer
December 25 – Stuart Wilson, English actor
December 29 – Marianne Faithfull, British actress and singer
December 31 – Margaret Travolta, American actress

Deaths

January 13 – Enid Stamp Taylor, English actress
February 5 – George Arliss, English actor
April 1 – Noah Beery Sr., American actor
June 23 – William S. Hart, American actor
July 10 - Slim Summerville, American actor and director
August 8 – Paul Porcasi, Italian actor
August 10 – Léon Gaumont, French film pioneer
August 12 – Egon Brecher, Austrian actor, director
August 13 – H. G. Wells, British science fiction writer
August 26 – Jeanie MacPherson, American actress and screenwriter
August 28 – Florence Turner, American actress
September 21 – Olga Engl, Austrian actress
October 8 – John St. Polis, American actor
November 2 – Gabriel Gabrio, French actor
November 18 – Donald Meek, Scottish-American actor
December 12 – Renée Jeanne Falconetti, French actress
December 25 – W. C. Fields, American comedian and actor

Film debuts

Rodolfo Acosta – Soy un prófugo
Patricia Barry – Her Kind of Man
Raymond Burr – Without Reservations
Eddie Byrne – I See a Dark Stranger
Hamilton Camp – Bedlam
Gianna Maria Canale – The Black Eagle
Paul Carpenter – This Man Is Mine
Adolfo Celi – A Yank in Rome
Kirk Douglas – The Strange Love of Martha Ivers
William Fawcett – Stars Over Texas
John Hoyt – O.S.S.
Martha Hyer – The Locket
Erland Josephson – It Rains on Our Love
Sam Kydd – The Captive Heart
Burt Lancaster – The Killers
Norman Leavitt – The Harvey Girls
Gina Lollobrigida – The Black Eagle
Lois Maxwell – A Matter of [Life and Death (1946 film)|A Matter of Life and Death]
Michael Medwin – Piccadilly Incident
Slim Pickens – Smoky
Liam Redmond – I See a Dark Stranger
Enrico Maria Salerno – Unknown Man of San Marino
Yvonne Sanson – The Black Eagle
Emil Sitka – One Exciting Week
José [Luis López Vázquez] – María Fernanda la Jerezana
Yves Vincent – Devil and the Angel
Georges Wilson – ''Martin Roumagnac''