1971 in film
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The year 1971 in film involved some significant events.
Highest-grossing films (U.S.)
The top ten 1971 released films by box office gross in North America are as follows:
| Rank | Title | Studio | Box-office gross rental |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fiddler on the Roof | United Artists/The Mirisch Production Company | $40,500,000[1] |
| 2 | Billy Jack | Warner Bros. | $32,500,000[1] |
| 3 | The French Connection | 20th Century Fox | $26,300,000[1] |
| 4 | Summer of '42 | Warner Bros. | $20,500,000[2] |
| 5 | Diamonds Are Forever | United Artists/Eon Productions | $19,727,000[2] |
| 6 | Dirty Harry | Warner Bros. | $18,000,000[2] |
| 7 | A Clockwork Orange | $17,000,000[2] | |
| 8 | Carnal Knowledge | Embassy Pictures | $14,075,000[2] |
| 9 | The Last Picture Show | Columbia Pictures | $13,110,000[2] |
| 10 | Willard | Cinerama Releasing Corporation | $9,300,000[2] |
Events
- February 8 - Bob Dylan's hour-long documentary film, Eat the Document, premieres at New York's Academy of Music. The film includes footage from Dylan's 1966 UK tour.
- April 23 - Melvin Van Peebles film Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song becomes the highest-grossing independent film of 1971.[3]
- May - The first permanent IMAX projection system begins showing at Ontario Place's "Cinesphere" in Toronto.
- May 10 - Frank Yablans becomes President of Paramount Pictures.
- Britain's National Film School begins operation at Beaconsfield Film Studios.
Awards
Palme d'Or (Cannes Film Festival):
- The Go-Between, directed by Joseph Losey, United Kingdom
Golden Bear (Berlin Film Festival):
- The Garden of the Finzi-Continis (Il Giardino dei Finzi-Contini), directed by Vittorio De Sica, Italy / W. Germany
1971 film releases
United States unless stated
January–March
- January 1971
- 1 January
- 21 January
- 31 January
- February 1971
- 9 February
- March 1971
- 2 March
- 11 March
- 12 March
- 13 March
- 17 March
- 21 March
- 24 March
- 25 March
- 31 March
April–June
- April 1971
- 7 April
- 9 April
- 28 April
- May 1971
- 1 May
- 12 May
- 18 May
- 21 May
- 26 May
- June 1971
- 1 June
- 2 June
- 13 June
- 18 June
- 22 June
- 23 June
- 24 June
- 25 June
- 27 June
- 30 June
July–September
- July 1971
- 1 July
- 2 July
- 7 July
- Pinocchio (re-release)
- Two-Lane Blacktop
- 16 July
- 23 July
- 24 July
- Godzilla vs. Hedorah (Godzilla vs. the Smog Monster) - (Japan)
- August 1971
- 1 August
- 9 August
- 11 August
- 19 August
- 25 August
- 27 August
- September 1971
- 3 September
- 15 September
- 17 September
- 24 September
- 28 September
- 30 September
October–December
- October 1971
- 1 October
- 9 October
- 13 October
- 20 October
- 22 October
- 27 October
- 29 October
- November 1971
- 3 November
- 8 November
- 24 November
- December 1971
- 13 December
- 17 December
- Lady and the Tramp (re-release)
- Sometimes A Great Notion
- 19 December
- 20 December
- 21 December
- 22 December
- 23 December
- 26 December
- 29 December
- 30 December
Notable films released in 1971
United States unless stated
- $ (a.k.a. Dollars, The Heist), starring Warren Beatty and Goldie Hawn
- 10 Rillington Place, starring Richard Attenborough and John Hurt - (U.K.)
- 1870, Italian historical drama starring Anna Magnani and Marcello Mastroianni
- 200 Motels, featuring Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention
- The 300 Year Weekend, starring Michael Tolan and William Devane
A
- Aabhijathyam, Indian Malayalam, directed by A Vincent and produced by RS Prabhu, with stars Madhu, Sharada and Sukumari
- Aana Valarthiya Vanampadiyude Makan, Indian Malayalam, directed and produced by P. Subramaniam, with stars Gemini Ganesan and Rajasree
- Aap Aye Bahaar Ayee, Bollywood film produced, directed and written by Mohan Kumar, with stars Rajendra Kumar and Sadhana
- The Abominable Dr. Phibes, starring Vincent Price and Joseph Cotten - (U.K.)
- Achante Bharya, Indian Malayalam film, directed by Thikkurissi Sukumaran Nair, with stars Adoor Bhasi, K. P. Ummer and Ragini
- Adrift on the Nile (Thartharah fawq al-Nil), directed by Hussein Kamal - (Egypt)
- Adiós, Sabata (a.k.a. The Bounty Hunters), starring Yul Brynner - (Italy)
- The Adversary (Pratidwandi), directed by Satyajit Ray - (India)
- Agnimrigam, Indian Malayalam film, directed by M. Krishnan Nair, with stars Prem Nazir, Sathyan and Sheela
- Amar Prem (Immortal Love), starring Sharmila Tagore and Rajesh Khanna - (India)
- Anand, starring Rajesh Khanna - (India)
- The Anderson Tapes, directed by Sidney Lumet, starring Sean Connery, Dyan Cannon, Martin Balsam, Christopher Walken
- And Now for Something Completely Different, a Monty Python film - (U.K.)
- The Andromeda Strain, directed by Robert Wise, starring Arthur Hill, Kate Reid, David Wayne, James Olson
- Animal Treasure Island (Dōbutsu Takarajima) - (Japan)
B
- Bananas, directed by and starring Woody Allen, with Louise Lasser and Howard Cosell
- The Barefoot Executive, starring Kurt Russell
- The Battle of Kerzhenets (Secha pri Kerzhentse) - (U.S.S.R.)
- Bedknobs and Broomsticks, starring Angela Lansbury and David Tomlinson
- The Beguiled, starring Clint Eastwood and Geraldine Page
- Benny's Bathtub (Bennys badekar) - (Denmark)
- Between Miracles (Per grazia ricevuta), directed by and starring Nino Manfredi - (Italy)
- Beware of a Holy Whore (Warnung vor einer heiligen Nutte), directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder - (West Germany)
- The Big Boss (Tang shan da xiong / a.k.a. Fists of Fury), starring Bruce Lee - (Hong Kong)
- The Big Doll House, starring Pam Grier
- Big Jake, starring John Wayne, Richard Boone, Maureen O'Hara
- Billy Jack, starring Tom Laughlin, re-released in 1973
- Bleak Moments, directed by Mike Leigh, starring Anne Raitt, Sarah Stephenson - (U.K.)
- Bless the Beasts and Children, directed by Stanley Kramer, starring Bill Mumy
- The Blood on Satan's Claw, starring Patrick Wymark and Linda Hayden- (U.K.)
- The Boat on the Grass (Le Bateau sur l'herbe), starring Jean-Pierre Cassel - (France)
- Born to Win, starring George Segal, Paula Prentiss, Héctor Elizondo, Karen Black, Robert De Niro
- The Boy Friend, directed by Ken Russell, starring Twiggy - (U.K.)
- Brian's Song, starring James Caan, Billy Dee Williams, Shelley Fabares, Judy Pace, Jack Warden
- Brother John, starring Sidney Poitier
- Bunny O'Hare, starring Bette Davis
C
- Carnal Knowledge, directed by Mike Nichols, starring Jack Nicholson, Art Garfunkel, Ann-Margret, Candice Bergen
- Carry On Henry, directed by Gerald Thomas, starring Sid James, Kenneth Williams, Joan Sims - (U.K.)
- The Ceremony (Gashiki), directed by Nagisa Oshima - (Japan)
- Chandler, starring Warren Oates and Leslie Caron
- Le Chat (The Cat), directed by Pierre Granier-Deferre, starring Jean Gabin and Simone Signoret - (France)
- A Clockwork Orange, directed by Stanley Kubrick, starring Malcolm McDowell - (U.K.)
- The Clowns (I clowns), a TV film directed by and starring Federico Fellini - (Italy)
- Cold Turkey, directed by Norman Lear, starring Dick Van Dyke and Bob Newhart
- Confessions of a Police Captain (Confessione di un commissario di polizia al procuratore della repubblica), starring Franco Nero - (Italy)
- Countess Dracula, starring Ingrid Pitt - (U.K.)
- Crucible of Terror, starring Mike Raven, James Bolam and Mary Maude- (U.K.)
D
- Daughters of Darkness, directed by Harry Kümel, starring Delphine Seyrig - (Belgium)
- Dauria - (U.S.S.R.)
- The Deadly Duo (Shuang xia), directed by Chang Cheh - (Hong Kong)
- The Deadly Trap, starring Faye Dunaway and Frank Langella
- Death in Venice (Morte a Venezia), directed by Luchino Visconti, starring Dirk Bogarde and Silvana Mangano - (Italy/France)
- The Decameron, directed by Pier Paolo Pasolini - (Italy)
- The Deserter, directed by Burt Kennedy, starring Bekim Fehmiu, John Huston, Richard Crenna, Chuck Connors, Brandon deWilde
- Desperate Characters, directed by Frank D. Gilroy, starring Shirley MacLaine and Kenneth Mars
- The Devils, directed by Ken Russell, starring Oliver Reed and Vanessa Redgrave - (U.K.)
- The Devil Has Seven Faces, starring Stephen Boyd and Carroll Baker- (Italy)
- Die Screaming, Marianne, starring Susan George and Barry Evans- (U.K.)
- Diamonds Are Forever, starring Sean Connery (as James Bond), with Jill St. John, Jimmy Dean, Charles Gray - (U.K.)
- Dirty Harry, directed by Don Siegel, starring Clint Eastwood, Andy Robinson, John Vernon, Reni Santoni
- Doc, starring Stacy Keach and Faye Dunaway
- Drive, He Said, directed by Jack Nicholson, starring Karen Black and Bruce Dern
- Duel, the directorial debut of Steven Spielberg, starring Dennis Weaver
- Dulcima, starring John Mills and Carol White - (U.K.)
E
- The Emigrants, directed by Jan Troell, starring Max von Sydow and Liv Ullmann - (Sweden)
- Escape from the Planet of the Apes, starring Roddy McDowall, Kim Hunter, Bradford Dillman, Natalie Trundy, Ricardo Montalbán, Eric Braeden, William Windom, Sal Mineo
- Evdokia, directed by Alexis Damianos - (Greece)
- Evel Knievel, starring George Hamilton and Sue Lyon
F
- Family Life (Życie rodzinne) - (Poland)
- Family Life, directed by Ken Loach - (U.K.)
- Fiddler on the Roof, directed by Norman Jewison, starring Chaim Topol
- A Fistful of Dynamite (a.k.a. Duck You Sucker), directed by Sergio Leone, starring James Coburn and Rod Steiger - (Italy)
- Fleeing the Trap, starring Behrouz Vossoughi and Davoud Rashidi (Iran)
- Fools' Parade, starring James Stewart, George Kennedy, Kurt Russell
- Fortune and Men's Eyes - (Canada)
- Four Nights of a Dreamer (Quatre nuits d'un rêveur), directed by Robert Bresson - (France)
- The French Connection, directed by William Friedkin, starring Gene Hackman, Fernando Rey, Roy Scheider - 5 Academy Awards including best film, director and actor
- Fright, starring Susan George and Honor Blackman - (U.K.)
- Fun and Games, British exploitation film directed by Ray Austin
G
- The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight, starring Jerry Orbach, Leigh Taylor-Young, Robert De Niro
- Gas-s-s-s, directed by Roger Corman
- Gentlemen of Fortune (Dzhentlmeny udachi) - (U.S.S.R.)
- Get Carter, directed by Mike Hodges, starring Michael Caine - (U.K.)
- A Girl in Australia (Bello onesto emigrato Australia), starring Alberto Sordi - (Italy/Australia)
- The Go-Between, directed by Joseph Losey, starring Julie Christie, Alan Bates, Dominic Guard - (U.K.)
- Godzilla vs. Hedorah (Godzilla vs. the Smog Monster) - (Japan)
- Grandads-Robbers (Stariki-razboyniki) - (U.S.S.R.)
- The Grissom Gang, starring Kim Darby and Scott Wilson
- Guddi, starring Dharmendra - (India)
- Gumshoe, directed by Stephen Frears, starring Albert Finney and Billie Whitelaw - (U.K.)
- A Gunfight, starring Kirk Douglas and Johnny Cash
H
- Hannie Caulder, starring Raquel Welch, Ernest Borgnine, Robert Culp
- Hare Rama Hare Krishna, directed by and starring Dev Anand - (India)
- Harold and Maude, directed by Hal Ashby, starring Ruth Gordon and Bud Cort
- The Hellstrom Chronicle, a documentary directed by Walon Green narrated by a dramatized title character portrayed by Lawrence Pressman
- The Hired Hand, directed by and starring Peter Fonda, with Warren Oates, Verna Bloom
- The Horsemen, directed by John Frankenheimer, starring Omar Sharif and Jack Palance
- The Hospital, directed by Arthur Hiller, starring George C. Scott and Diana Rigg
- How Tasty Was My Little Frenchman (Como Era Gostoso o Meu Francês) - (Brazil)
- How to Frame a Figg, starring Don Knotts and Yvonne Craig
- The Hunting Party, starring Gene Hackman, Candice Bergen, Oliver Reed
I
- I, Monster, starring Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing - (U.K.)
- In Prison Awaiting Trial (Detenuto in attesa di giudizio), starring Alberto Sordi - (Italy)
J
- Joe Hill, directed by Bo Widerberg - (Sweden/United States)
- Johnny Got His Gun, directed by Dalton Trumbo, starring Timothy Bottoms, Diane Varsi, Jason Robards, Donald Sutherland
- Juste avant la nuit (a.k.a. Just Before Nightfall), directed by Claude Chabrol, starring Stéphane Audran - (France)
K
- King Lear, directed by Peter Brook, starring Paul Scofield - (U.K.)
- King Lear, directed by Grigori Kozintsev - (U.S.S.R.)
- Klute, directed by Alan J. Pakula, starring Jane Fonda (Oscar winner), Donald Sutherland, Charles Cioffi, Roy Scheider
- Kotch, directed by Jack Lemmon, starring Walter Matthau
L
- Land of Silence and Darkness (Land des Schweigens und der Dunkelheit), directed by Werner Herzog - (West Germany)
- The Last Picture Show, directed by Peter Bogdanovich, starring Timothy Bottoms, Jeff Bridges, Cybill Shepherd, Cloris Leachman, Ellen Burstyn, Ben Johnson
- The Last Run, starring George C. Scott
- Lawman, starring Burt Lancaster, Lee J. Cobb, Robert Ryan, Robert Duvall
- Le Mans, starring Steve McQueen
- Liberation (Osvobozhdenie / Befreiung), directed by Yuri Ozerov - (U.S.S.R./East Germany/Poland/Yugoslavia/Italy)
- The Light at the Edge of the World
- Little Murders, directed by Alan Arkin, starring Elliott Gould, Marcia Rodd, Vincent Gardenia, Elizabeth Wilson, Donald Sutherland
- Love (Szerelem) - (Hungary)
- The Love Machine, directed by Jack Haley, Jr., starring Dyan Cannon
M
- Macbeth, directed by Roman Polanski, starring Jon Finch and Francesca Annis - (U.K./U.S.)
- Made for Each Other, starring Joseph Bologna and Renée Taylor
- Malpertuis, starring Orson Welles and Susan Hampshire - (Belgium/France)
- Man in the Wilderness, starring Richard Harris
- The Marriage of a Young Stockbroker, starring Richard Benjamin, Joanna Shimkus and Adam West
- Mary, Queen of Scots, starring Vanessa Redgrave and Glenda Jackson - (U.K.)
- McCabe & Mrs. Miller, directed by Robert Altman, starring Warren Beatty and Julie Christie
- Melody, starring Mark Lester and Jack Wild - (U.K.)
- The Mephisto Waltz, starring Alan Alda and Jacqueline Bisset
- Mere Apne - (India)
- The Million Dollar Duck, starring Sandy Duncan
- Minnie and Moskowitz, directed by John Cassavetes, starring Gena Rowlands and Seymour Cassel
- Mira, directed by Fons Rademakers - (Netherlands/Belgium)
- The Missing Clerk (Den forsvundne fuldmægtig) - (Denmark)
- Mon oncle Antoine - considered by some critics the greatest Canadian film - (Canada)
- Murmur of the Heart, directed by Louis Malle - (France/Italy/West Germany)
- Murphy's War, starring Peter O'Toole
N
- A New Leaf, directed by and starring Elaine May, co-starring Walter Matthau
- Nicholas and Alexandra, directed by Franklin J. Schaffner, starring Michael Jayston, Janet Suzman, Laurence Olivier, Jack Hawkins - (U.K.)
- Night of Dark Shadows, directed by Dan Curtis, starring David Selby and Grayson Hall
- The Night Digger (a.k.a. The Road Builder), starring Patricia Neal - (U.K.)
- The Night God Screamed, low-budget psychological horror starring Jeanne Crain with Alex Nicol, Gary Morgan, James Sikking
- Nikah Halala, by Nosrat Karimi. (Iran)
O
- Octaman
- Officers (ofitsery) - (U.S.S.R.)
- Oil Lamps (Petrolejové lampy) - (Czechoslovakia)
- The Omega Man, starring Charlton Heston and Anthony Zerbe
- On the Buses, starring Reg Varney - (U.K.)
- One Armed Boxer (Du bei chuan wang), starring Jimmy Wang Yu - (Hong Kong)
- One More Train to Rob, starring George Peppard and Diana Muldaur
- Out 1 (a.k.a. Out 1, noli me tangere), directed by Jacques Rivette, starring Jean-Pierre Léaud - (France)
P
- The Panic in Needle Park, starring Al Pacino
- The Pine Tree in the Mountain (U gori raste zelen bor) - (Yugoslavia)
- Play Misty for Me, directed by and starring Clint Eastwood, with Jessica Walter and Donna Mills
- Plaza Suite, directed by Arthur Hiller, starring Walter Matthau, Maureen Stapleton, Barbara Harris, Lee Grant
- Porcupines Are Born Without Bristles (Taralezhite se razhdat bez bodli) - (Bulgaria)
- Pretty Maids All in a Row, written and produced by Gene Roddenberry, directed by Roger Vadim, starring Rock Hudson and Angie Dickinson
- Punishment Park, directed by Peter Watkins
- The Pursuit of Happiness, starring Michael Sarrazin, Barbara Hershey, Robert Klein
R
- Raid on Rommel, directed by Henry Hathaway, starring Richard Burton and John Colicos
- Raphael, or The Debauched One (Raphaël ou le Débauché) - (France)
- Red Sky at Morning, starring Richard Thomas and Desi Arnaz, Jr.
- Red Sun, starring Charles Bronson, Ursula Andress, Toshiro Mifune, Alain Delon - (France/Italy/Spain)
- Rendezvous at Bray, starring Anna Karina - (France/Belgium)
S
- Sacco e Vanzetti, starring Gian Maria Volonté - (Italy)
- A Safe Place, starring Jack Nicholson and Tuesday Weld
- The Salamander (La Salamandre), starring Bulle Ogier - (Switzerland)
- See No Evil, starring Mia Farrow
- The Seven Minutes, starring Marianne McAndrew
- Shaft, directed by Gordon Parks, starring Richard Roundtree
- She Killed in Ecstasy (Sie tötete in Ekstase) - (West Germany/Spain)
- Shoot Out, directed by Henry Hathaway, starring Gregory Peck
- Silence (Chinmoku) - (Japan)
- Skin Game, starring James Garner and Louis Gossett, Jr.
- Something Big, starring Dean Martin
- Sometimes a Great Notion (Never Give an Inch), directed by and starring Paul Newman, with Henry Fonda, Lee Remick, Richard Jaeckel, Michael Sarrazin
- Soul to Soul, a concert documentary featuring Wilson Pickett, Ike & Tina Turner and more
- Star Spangled Girl, directed by Jerry Paris, starring Sandy Duncan and Tony Roberts
- Straw Dogs, directed by Sam Peckinpah, starring Dustin Hoffman and Susan George - (U.K./U.S.)
- Such Good Friends, directed by Otto Preminger, starring Dyan Cannon and Burgess Meredith
- Summer of '42, directed by Robert Mulligan, starring Jennifer O'Neill and Gary Grimes
- Sunday, Bloody Sunday, directed by John Schlesinger, starring Peter Finch and Glenda Jackson - (U.K.)
- Support Your Local Gunfighter, starring James Garner and Suzanne Pleshette
- Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song, directed by Melvin Van Peebles
- Sympathy for the Underdog (Bakuto gaijin butai) - (Japan)
T
- THX 1138, the directorial debut of George Lucas, starring Robert Duvall
- T.R. Baskin, starring Candice Bergen
- Taking Off, directed by Miloš Forman, starring Lynn Carlin and Buck Henry
- The Tales of Beatrix Potter, a dance film featuring The Royal Ballet - (U.K.)
- They Might Be Giants, starring George C. Scott and Joanne Woodward
- Three Reservists (Trimata ot zapasa), directed by Zako Heskiya, starring Georgi Partsalev and Kiril Gospodinov - (Bulgaria)
- A Touch of Zen (Xia nu) - (Taiwan)
- Trafic, directed by and starring Jacques Tati - (France)
- The Trojan Women, directed by Michael Cacoyannis, starring Katharine Hepburn, Vanessa Redgrave, Irene Papas - (US/UK/Greece)
- Twitch of the Death Nerve (Ecologia del delitto), starring Claudine Auger - (Italy)
- Two English Girls (Les deux anglaises et le continent), directed by François Truffaut, starring Jean-Pierre Léaud - (France)
- Two-Lane Blacktop, starring James Taylor and Warren Oates
U
- Unman, Wittering and Zigo, starring David Hemmings - (U.K.)
- Up Pompeii, starring Frankie Howerd and Michael Hordern - (U.K.)
V
- Valdez Is Coming, starring Burt Lancaster, Susan Clark, Jon Cypher, Richard Jordan
- Vampyros Lesbos, directed by Jesus Franco
- Vanishing Point, starring Barry Newman and Cleavon Little
- Villain, starring Richard Burton and Ian McShane - (U.K.)
- Von Richthofen and Brown (a.k.a. The Red Baron), directed by Roger Corman, starring John Phillip Law
W
- W.R.: Mysteries of the Organism (W.R. - Misterije organizma) - (Yugoslavia/West Germany)
- Wake in Fright, directed by Ted Kotcheff, starring Donald Pleasence - (Australia)
- Walkabout, directed by Nicolas Roeg, starring Jenny Agutter and David Gulpilil - (Australia/U.K.)
- Le Wazzou polygame (The Polygamist's Morale) - (Niger/France)
- What's the Matter with Helen?, starring Debbie Reynolds and Shelley Winters
- What the Peeper Saw, starring Britt Ekland, Mark Lester, Hardy Krüger
- When Eight Bells Toll, starring Anthony Hopkins, Robert Morley, Nathalie Delon, Jack Hawkins - (U.K.)
- Whity, directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder - (West Germany)
- Whoever Slew Auntie Roo?, starring Shelley Winters and Mark Lester
- Who Is Harry Kellerman and Why Is He Saying Those Terrible Things About Me?, starring Dustin Hoffman
- Who Killed Mary What's 'Er Name? a.k.a. Death of a Hooker, starring Red Buttons and Sylvia Miles
- Wild Rovers, directed by Blake Edwards, starring William Holden and Ryan O'Neal
- Willard, starring Bruce Davison, Elsa Lanchester, Ernest Borgnine
- Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, directed by Mel Stuart, starring Gene Wilder and Jack Albertson
- The Working Class Goes to Heaven (La classe operaia va in paradiso), starring Gian Maria Volonté, Palme d'Or winner - (Italy)
XYZ
- You Are a Widow, Sir (Pane, vy jste vdova!) - (Czechoslovakia)
- The Young Graduates, directed by Robert Anderson, starring Patrick Wymer, Steven Stewart, Gary Rist and Bruno Kirby
- Zeppelin, starring Elke Sommer and Michael York - (U.K.
Short film series
- The Pink Panther (1964–69)(1971-72)(1974–77)(1978–80)
- The Ant and the Aardvark (1969–1971)
- Roland and Rattfink (1968–1971)
- Tijuana Toads (1969–72)
- Woody Woodpecker (1941–49, 1951–72)
- Chilly Willy (1953–72)
- The Beary Family (1962–72)
Births
- January 2 - Taye Diggs, American actor
- January 7 - Jeremy Renner, American actor
- January 11 - Mary J. Blige, American singer-songwriter and actress
- January 15 - Regina King, American actress
- January 24 - Stanislas Merhar, French actor
- January 27 - Karin Tammaru, Estonian actress
- February 1
- Michael C. Hall, American actor
- Jill Kelly, American pornographic actress
- Hynden Walch, American actress, voice actress, writer and singer
- February 4 - Rob Corddry, American actor and comedian
- February 11 - Damian Lewis, English actor
- February 15
- Alex Borstein, American actress
- Renee O'Connor, American actress
- February 17 - Denise Richards, American actress
- February 22 - Lea Salonga, Filipina voice actress/singer
- February 25 - Sean Astin, American actor
- March 1 - Teresa Gallagher, American-born British actress, voice actress and singer
- March 2 - Method Man, American actor and musician
- March 5 - Yuri Lowenthal, American voice actor
- March 7 - Peter Sarsgaard, American actor
- March 10 - Jon Hamm, American actor
- March 11 - Johnny Knoxville, American actor, comedian, producer, and screenwriter
- March 13 - Annabeth Gish, American actress
- March 15 - Chris Patton, American voice actor
- March 16 - Alan Tudyk, American actor and voice actor
- March 22 - Keegan-Michael Key, American actor, comedian, writer and producer
- March 27 - Nathan Fillion, Canadian actor
- March 31 - Ewan McGregor, Scottish actor
- April 12 - Shannen Doherty, American actress
- April 15 - Kate Harbour, English voice actress
- April 18 - David Tennant, Scottish actor
- April 19 - Wendy Powell, American voice actress
- April 28 - Bridget Moynahan, American actress
- May 14 - Sofia Coppola, American actress, writer, and director
- May 26 - Matt Stone, American actor, creator of South Park
- May 27
- Paul Bettany, English actor
- Lisa Lopes, American singer and actress (d. 2002)
- May 30 - Idina Menzel, American actress, singer and songwriter
- June 4 - Noah Wyle, American actor
- June 5 - Mark Wahlberg, American actor and musician
- June 15
- Jake Busey, American actor
- Taavi Eelmaa, Estonian actor
- June 16
- Eva Püssa, Estonian actress
- Tupac Shakur, American actor and rapper (d. 1996)
- June 20 - Josh Lucas, American actor
- July 1 - Missy Elliott, American musician and actress
- July 16 - Corey Feldman, American actor
- July 19 - Andres Puustusmaa, Estonian actor and director
- July 21 - Charlotte Gainsbourg, French actress
- August 10 - Justin Theroux, American actor
- August 12 - Rebecca Gayheart, American actress
- August 20 - David Walliams, English comedian, actor, writer and television personality
- August 29 - Carla Gugino, American actress
- August 31 - Chris Tucker, American actor
- September 8
- David Arquette, American actor, film director, producer and screenwriter
- Martin Freeman, English actor
- September 9 – Eric Stonestreet, American actor and comedian
- September 14 - Kimberly Williams-Paisley, American actresses
- September 15 - Colleen Villard, American voice actress
- September 16 - Amy Poehler, American actress
- September 18 - Jada Pinkett Smith, American actress
- September 21 - Luke Wilson, American actor
- September 30 - Jenna Elfman, American actress
- October 5 – Samuel Vincent, Canadian voice actor and singer
- October 13 - Sacha Baron Cohen, English actor, comedian, screenwriter and producer
- October 20 - Snoop Dogg, American rapper and actor
- October 25 - Craig Robinson, American actor, comedian, musician and singer
- October 29 - Winona Ryder, American actress
- November 3 - Piret Laurimaa, Estonian actress
- November 4 - Tabu, Indian actress
- November 10 - Walton Goggins, American actor
- November 20 - Joel McHale, American actor, comedian, writer, producer and television host
- November 25 - Christina Applegate, American actress
- December 1 - Emily Mortimer, English actress
- December 6 - Katariina Unt, Estonian actress
- December 7
- DeObia Oparei, English actor
- December 23 - Corey Haim, Canadian actor (d. 2010)
- December 25 - Ain Mäeots, Estonian actor, director and producer
- December 26 - Jared Leto, American actor and musician
Notable deaths
| Month | Date | Name | Age | Country | Profession | Notable films |
| January | 5 | Douglas Shearer | 71 | Canada | Sound Engineer | |
| 5 | Fanfulla | 57 | Italy | Actor | ||
| 15 | John Dall | 52 | US | Actor | ||
| 20 | Broncho Billy Anderson | 90 | US | Actor, Director, Writer | ||
| 25 | Isobel Lennart | 55 | US | Screenwriter | ||
| February | 3 | Jay C. Flippen | 71 | US | Actor | |
| 22 | Frédéric Mariotti | 87 | France | Actor | ||
| 26 | Fernandel | 67 | France | Actor | ||
| March | 5 | Winnie Lightner | 71 | US | Actress | |
| 8 | Harold Lloyd | 87 | US | Actor, Director, Writer | ||
| 8 | Borden Chase | 71 | US | Screenwriter | ||
| 12 | Roy Glenn | 56 | US | Actor | ||
| 12 | Tor Johnson | 67 | Sweden | Actor | ||
| 15 | Bebe Daniels | 70 | US | Actress | ||
| 21 | Nan Wynn | 55 | US | Singer, Actress | ||
| 23 | Basil Dearden | 60 | UK | Director | ||
| 30 | Werner Peters | 52 | Germany | Actor | ||
| April | 9 | Paulette Noizeux | 83 | France | Actress | |
| 20 | Cecil Parker | 73 | UK | Actor | ||
| 21 | Edmund Lowe | 81 | US | Actor | ||
| 28 | John Tansey | 69 | US | Actor, Director | ||
| May | 1 | Glenda Farrell | 66 | US | Actress | |
| 26 | John Longden | 71 | UK | Actor | ||
| 27 | Chips Rafferty | 62 | Australia | Actor | ||
| 28 | Audie Murphy | 45 | US | Actor | ||
| June | 8 | Piero Gherardi | 61 | Italy | Production, Costume Designer | |
| 9 | Harold Lloyd Jr. | 40 | US | Actor | ||
| 10 | Michael Rennie | 61 | UK | Actor | ||
| 14 | Kenneth Macpherson | 69 | Scotland-Italy | Film-maker | ||
| 18 | Thomas Gomez | 65 | US | Actor | ||
| July | 6 | Louis Armstrong | 69 | US | Actor, Musician | |
| 11 | Carleton G. Young | 64 | US | Actor | ||
| 17 | Cliff Edwards | 76 | US | Actor, Singer | ||
| 19 | Norman Reilly Raine | 77 | US | Screenwriter | ||
| 23 | Van Heflin | 60 | US | Actor | ||
| August | 3 | Ernst Eklund | 81 | Sweden | Actor | |
| 15 | Paul Lukas | 80 | Hungary | Actor | ||
| 16 | Spyros Skouras | 78 | Greece | Producer, Studio Executive | ||
| 17 | Horace McMahon | 65 | US | Actor | ||
| September | 7 | Spring Byington | 84 | US | Actress | |
| 10 | Pier Angeli | 39 | Italy | Actress | ||
| 11 | Bella Darvi | 42 | Poland | Actress | ||
| October | 11 | Chester Conklin | 85 | US | Actor | |
| 12 | Fritz Achterberg | 90 | Germany | Actor | ||
| 13 | Phoebe Ephron | 57 | US | Screenwriter | ||
| 19 | Betty Bronson | 64 | US | Actress | ||
| 24 | Cheryl Walker | 53 | US | Actress | ||
| 26 | Vincent Coleman | 71 | US | Actor | ||
| November | 2 | Martha Vickers | 46 | US | Actress | |
| 4 | Ann Pennington | 77 | US | Actress | ||
| 17 | Gladys Cooper | 82 | UK | Actress | ||
| 19 | Stuart Gilmore | 70 | US | Editor, Director | ||
| 26 | Bengt Ekerot | 51 | Sweden | Actor | ||
| December | 12 | Frank Wolff | 43 | US | Actor | |
| 13 | Dita Parlo | 63 | Poland | Actress | ||
| 18 | Diana Lynn | 45 | US | Actress | ||
| 26 | Robert Lowery | 58 | US | Actor | ||
| 28 | Max Steiner | 83 | Austria | Composer | ||
| 30 | Dorothy Comingore | 58 | US | Actress | ||
| 31 | Marin Sais | 81 | US | Actress |
Film debuts
- F. Murray Abraham - They Might Be Giants
- Brooke Adams - Murders in the Rue Morgue
- Kathy Bates - Taking Off
- Timothy Bottoms - Johnny Got His Gun
- Jim Broadbent - The Go-Between
- Keith Carradine - McCabe & Mrs. Miller
- Stockard Channing - The Hospital
- Dennis Christopher - Blood and Lace
- Brian Cox - Nicholas and Alexandra
- Rodney Dangerfield - The Projectionist
- Daniel Day-Lewis - Sunday Bloody Sunday
- Gérard Depardieu - Cry of the Cormoran
- Eric Idle - And Now for Something Completely Different
- Carol Kane - Carnal Knowledge
- Eugene Levy - Foxy Lady
- Andrea Martin - Foxy Lady
- Craig T. Nelson - The Return of Count Yorga
- Cassandra Peterson - Diamonds Are Forever
- Randy Quaid - The Last Picture Show
- John Ritter - The Barefoot Executive
- Cybill Shepherd - The Last Picture Show
- Bruce Spence - Stork
- David Ogden Stiers - THX 1138
- Susan Tyrrell - Shoot Out
- Jacki Weaver - Stork
- Cindy Williams - Gas-s-s-s
