1981 in film
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The following is an overview of events in 1981 in film, including the highest-grossing films, award ceremonies and festivals, a list of films released and notable deaths.
Highest-grossing films (U.S.)
The top ten films released in 1981 by box office gross in North America are as follows:
| Rank | Title | Distributor | Box-office gross |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Raiders of the Lost Ark | Paramount | $212,222,025 |
| 2 | On Golden Pond | Universal | $119,285,432 |
| 3 | Superman II | Warner Bros. | $108,185,706 |
| 4 | Arthur | $95,461,682 | |
| 5 | Stripes | Columbia | $85,297,000 |
| 6 | The Cannonball Run | 20th Century Fox | $72,179,579 |
| 7 | Chariots of Fire | Warner Bros. | $58,972,904 |
| 8 | For Your Eyes Only | United Artists | $54,812,802 |
| 9 | The Four Seasons | Universal | $50,427,646 |
| 10 | Time Bandits | Embassy | $42,365,581 |
Events
- January 20 – Former Governor of California and film actor Ronald Reagan is inaugurated president.
- March 30 – The 53rd Academy Awards are postponed due to the attempted assassination of President Ronald Reagan earlier that day. They are held the following day with a message from the President recorded for the ceremony prior to the assassination attempt.
- May 16 – Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer acquires beleaguered concurrent United Artists. UA was humiliated by the astronomical losses on the $40,000,000 movie Heaven's Gate, a major factor in the decision of owner Transamerica to sell it.
- June 8 – Marvin Davis acquires 20th Century Fox for $720 million.
- June 12 – Raiders of the Lost Ark is released by Paramount Pictures. It became Paramount's highest-grossing film of all time and set a major standard for many action-adventure movies to date and spawned four sequels.
- August 21 – An American Werewolf in London is released and becomes a landmark in Visual Effects and Makeup.
- October 1 – MGM president and chief operating officer David Begelman becomes chairman and chief executive officer of United Artists.
- November 1 – United International Pictures is created to handle international distribution of films for United Artists, MGM, Universal Pictures and Paramount Pictures to replace Cinema International Corporation following MGM's acquisition of UA.
- November 25 – Norman Lear and his partner Jerry Perenchio agree to buy Avco Embassy for $25 million.
- November 29 – Actress Natalie Wood drowns in a boating accident off Santa Catalina Island.
Awards
Palme d'Or (Cannes Film Festival):
- Man of Iron (Człowiek z żelaza), directed by Andrzej Wajda, Poland
Golden Lion (Venice Film Festival):
- Marianne and Juliane (Die Bleierne Zeit), directed by Margarethe von Trotta, W. Germany
Golden Bear (Berlin Film Festival):
- Faster, Faster (Deprisa, deprisa / Vivre vite), directed by Carlos Saura, Spain / France
1981 films
By country/region
- List of American films of 1981
- List of Argentine films of 1981
- List of Australian films of 1981
- List of Bangladeshi films of 1981
- List of British films of 1981
- List of Canadian films of 1981
- List of French films of 1981
- List of Hong Kong films of 1981
- List of Indian films of 1981
- List of Japanese films of 1981
- List of Mexican films of 1981
- List of Pakistani films of 1981
- List of South Korean films of 1981
- List of Soviet films of 1981
- List of Spanish films of 1981
By genre/medium
- List of action films of 1981
- List of animated feature films of 1981
- List of avant-garde films of 1981
- List of comedy films of 1981
- List of drama films of 1981
- List of horror films of 1981
- List of science fiction films of 1981
- List of thriller films of 1981
- List of western films of 1981
Births
- January 1 - Eden Riegel, American actress
- January 6
- Betty Gabriel, American actress
- Rinko Kikuchi, Japanese actress and director
- Jérémie Renier, Belgian actor
- January 8 – Genevieve Cortese, American actress
- January 15 - Pitbull, American rapper and actor
- January 17 – Diogo Morgado, Portuguese actor
- January 18 - Antje Traue, German actress
- January 20
- Daniel Cudmore, Canadian actor
- Crystal Lowe, Canadian actress and director
- January 21
- Amanda Aday, American actress
- Izabella Miko, Polish actress and dancer
- David F. Sandberg, Swedish filmmaker
- January 22
- O. T. Fagbenle, British actor, writer and director
- Willa Ford, American singer, songwriter, model, television personality and actress
- Beverley Mitchell, American actress
- January 23 - Julia Jones, American actress
- January 24 – Carrie Coon, American actress
- January 25 - Charlie Bewley, English actor and producer
- January 28
- Gen Hoshino, Japanese actor and singer
- Elijah Wood, American actor
- January 29 - Tenoch Huerta, Mexican actor
- January 30 – Chieko Higuchi, Japanese voice actress
- January 31 – Justin Timberlake, American singer and actor
- February 2 - Emily Rose, American actress
- February 5
- Lee Eon, South Korean actor and model (d. 2008)
- Sara Foster, American actress
- Nora Zehetner, American actress
- February 8 – Jim Parrack, American actor
- February 9 – Tom Hiddleston, English actor
- February 10
- Uzo Aduba, American actress
- Stephanie Beatriz, Argentine actress
- February 11 – Kelly Rowland, American singer and actress
- February 12
- Jesse Hutch, Canadian actor
- Lauri Lagle, Estonian actor, director and screenwriter
- February 14 - Patrick Heusinger, American actor
- February 17 –
- Joseph Gordon-Levitt, American actor
- Paris Hilton, American media personality, singer and actress
- February 19 – Beth Ditto, American singer-songwriter
- February 20 - Majandra Delfino, American actress and singer
- February 22 – Elodie Yung, French actress
- February 23
- Josh Gad, American actor and comedian
- Mai Nakahara, Japanese voice actress[2]
- February 25 - Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Mexican actor
- February 26 - Demetrius Grosse, American actor and producer
- February 27 - Josh Groban, American singer-songwriter and actor
- March 2
- Amos Crawley, Canadian actor
- Bryce Dallas Howard, American actress
- March 3 – Eugene, South Korean actress and singer
- March 5 - Hanna Alström, Swedish actress
- March 6 – Ellen Muth, American actress
- March 11
- David Anders, American actor
- Matthias Schweighöfer, German actor and filmmaker
- March 17 - Nicky Jam, American singer and actor
- March 18 - Chris Geere, English actor
- March 20 - Jake Hoffman, American actor and writer
- March 21 - Rini Bell, American actress
- March 22 - Tiffany Dupont, American actress
- March 23 - Luciana Carro, Canadian actress
- March 24 - Philip Winchester, American actor
- March 27 - Quim Gutiérrez, Spanish actor
- March 28 – Julia Stiles, American actress
- March 29
- Alexander Fehling, German actor
- Alain Moussi, Canadian/Gabonese actor and stuntman
- March 30 - Katy Mixon, American actress
- March 31 – Ryōko Shintani, Japanese voice actress
- April 1 - Hannah Spearritt, English actress and singer
- April 8 - Taylor Kitsch, Canadian actor and model
- April 10
- Laura Bell Bundy, American actress
- Michael Pitt, American actor
- April 13 – Courtney Peldon, American actress
- April 17 - Charlie Hofheimer, American actor
- April 19
- Hayden Christensen, Canadian actor
- Catalina Sandino Moreno, Colombian actress
- April 23 – Gemma Whelan, English actress
- April 26
- Mariana Ximenes, Brazilian actress
- Luke Ford, Canadian-Australian actor
- Amit Shah, English actor
- April 28
- Jessica Alba, American actress
- Toby Leonard Moore, Australian actor
- Catherine Reitman, Canadian-American actress, producer and writer
- April 29 - Alex Vincent, American actor and writer
- April 30
- Kunal Nayyar, British actor
- Emma Pierson, English actress
- Rose Rollins, American actress
- May 2 – Rina Satō, Japanese voice actress
- May 3 – Natalie Tong, Hong Kong actress and model
- May 5
- Danielle Fishel, American actress
- Farid Kamil, Malaysian actor and film director
- May 10 – Qurrat Ann Kadwani, American actress
- May 11
- JP Karliak, American actor, voice actor and comedian
- Austin O'Brien, American actor
- May 12 – Rami Malek, American actor
- May 13 - Ryan Piers Williams, American actor, director and writer
- May 15 – Jamie-Lynn Sigler, American actress
- May 18 - Allen Leech, Irish actor
- May 28 – Laura Bailey, American voice actress
- May 29
- Justin Chon, American actor, director and YouTube personality
- Anders Holm, American actor, comedian, writer and producer
- June 1
- Johnny Pemberton, American actor, comedian and podcaster
- Amy Schumer, American actress and comedian
- June 4 – T.J. Miller, American actor, stand-up comedian, producer and writer
- June 7 – Larisa Oleynik, American actress
- June 9 – Natalie Portman, Israeli-American actress
- June 10 – Jonathan Bennett, American actor
- June 12
- Jeremy Howard, American actor
- Malachi Pearson, American actor
- June 13 – Chris Evans, American actor
- June 14 – Chauncey Leopardi, American actor
- June 20 – Alisan Porter, American former actress
- June 23 - Joe Taslim, Indonesian actor and martial artist
- June 26 - Jimmy Ray Bennett, American actor
- June 28 - Jon Watts, American filmmaker
- June 30
- Tom Burke, English actor
- Anna Slotky, American former actress
- July 1 - Amanda Lucas, American retired professional mixed martial artist and actress
- July 3 - Rebecca Honig, American voice actress
- July 4 - Tahar Rahim, French actor
- July 5 - Ryan Hansen, American actor and comedian
- July 13
- Fran Kranz, American actor and director
- Michael Mando, Canadian actor
- July 17 - Michiel Huisman, Dutch actor
- July 21
- Davide Perino, Italian actor and voice actor
- Romeo Santos, American singer-songwriter and actor
- July 22 - Josh Lawson, Australian actor and filmmaker
- July 24
- Mohammed Amer, Palestinian-American stand-up comedian and actor
- Summer Glau, American actress
- Lauren Miller Rogen, American actress, comedian, screenwriter and director
- July 28 - Neil Casey, American actor, writer and comedian
- July 30
- Brandon Scott, American actor
- Lisa Wilhoit, American actress
- July 31 - Eric Lively, American former actor
- August 1 – Taylor Fry, American former child actress
- August 3 – Travis Willingham, American voice actor
- August 4
- Marques Houston, American singer and actor
- Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, American former actress and model
- Valerie LaPointe, American storyboard artist and director
- Abigail Spencer, American actress
- August 5 - Jesse Williams, American actor, director and producer
- August 6 – Leslie Odom Jr., American actor
- August 8
- Tongayi Chirisa, Zimbabwean actor and singer
- Meagan Good, American actress
- August 10 - Jon Prescott, American actor
- August 20 – Ben Barnes, English actor
- August 22
- Ross Marquand, American impressionist, actor and producer
- Takumi Saito, Japanese actor
- August 24 – Chad Michael Murray, American actor
- August 25 – Rachel Bilson, American actress
- August 27
- Patrick J. Adams, Canadian actor
- Sugar Lyn Beard, Canadian actress and radio personality
- August 29 - Émilie Dequenne, Belgian actress
- September 1
- Michael Adamthwaite, Canadian actor
- Boyd Holbrook, American actor
- September 3 - Evgeniya Brik, Russian actress (d. 2022)
- September 4 – Beyoncé Knowles, American singer and actress
- September 8 – Jonathan Taylor Thomas, American actor
- September 9 - Julie Gonzalo, Argentine-American actress
- September 12 – Jennifer Hudson, American singer and actress
- September 14 - Miyavi, Japanese guitarist, singer-songwriter and actor
- September 15 - Ben Schwartz, American actor, voice actor, comedian, improviser, writer, director and producer
- September 16
- Fan Bingbing, Chinese actress, model, producer and singer
- Alexis Bledel, American actress
- September 17 - Griff Furst, American actor, producer and director
- September 18 - Jennifer Tisdale, American actress and singer
- September 22 - Ashley Eckstein, American actress
- September 23 – Misti Traya, American actress
- September 26 – Christina Milian, American singer and actress
- September 29 – Shay Astar, American singer and actress
- September 30 – Ashleigh Aston Moore, American-Canadian former child actress (d. 2007)
- October 1 – Rupert Friend, English actor
- October 3
- Seth Gabel, American actor
- Giselle Itié, Mexican-born Brazilian actress
- October 9 – Zachery Ty Bryan, American actor
- October 12
- Tom Guiry, American actor
- Brian J. Smith, American actor
- October 17 - Liam Garrigan, English actor
- October 18 – Graham Moore, American screenwriter
- October 22 – Michael Fishman, American actor
- October 23 - Jackie Long, American actor, writer, musician, director and producer
- October 30
- Fiona Dourif, American actress and producer
- Shaun Sipos, Canadian actor
- November 1 - Matt Jones, American actor, voice artist, comedian, rapper and singer
- November 2 - Katharine Isabelle, Canadian actress
- November 6 – Lee Dong-wook, South Korean actor
- November 7 - Lotta Losten, Swedish actress
- November 9 – Scottie Thompson, American actress
- November 10 – Perla Liberatori, Italian voice actress
- November 14 - Vanessa Bayer, American actress and comedian
- November 15 - Sammy Sheik, Egyptian-American actor
- November 16 – Caitlin Glass, American voice actress
- November 17 - Bojana Novakovic, Serbian-Australian actress
- November 18 – Nasim Pedrad, Iranian-American actress and comedian
- November 20 – Andrea Riseborough, English actress
- November 23 - John Lavelle, American actor and playwright
- December 2 – Britney Spears, American singer and actress
- December 3
- Maddy Curley, American actress
- Liza Lapira, American actress
- December 5
- Adan Canto, Mexican actor (d. 2024)
- Lydia Leonard, British actress
- December 8 - Dov Tiefenbach, Canadian actor and musician
- December 13 – Amy Lee, American singer-songwriter (Evanescence)
- December 15
- Brendan Fletcher, Canadian actor, screenwriter and producer
- Victoria Summer, English actress, model and singer
- December 16 – Krysten Ritter, American actress
- December 27
- Emilie de Ravin, Australian actress
- Jay Ellis, American actor
- December 28 – Sienna Miller, English actress
- December 29 - Charlotte Riley, English actress
- December 30 - Leila Farzad, British actress
Deaths
| Month | Date | Name | Age | Country | Profession | Notable films |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 10 | Katharine Alexander | 82 | US | Actress | |
| 10 | Richard Boone | 63 | US | Actor | ||
| 11 | Beulah Bondi | 91 | US | Actress | ||
| 12 | Isobel Elsom | 87 | UK | Actress | ||
| 16 | Bernard Lee | 73 | UK | Actor | ||
| 21 | Allyn Joslyn | 79 | US | Actor | ||
| February | 1 | Wanda Hendrix | 52 | US | Actress | |
| 2 | Louise Lorraine | 76 | US | Actress | ||
| 4 | Mario Camerini | 85 | Italy | Director, Screenwriter | ||
| 11 | Ketti Frings | 71 | US | Screenwriter | ||
| 12 | Jean Dixon | 84 | US | Actress | ||
| 21 | Bernard B. Brown | 82 | US | Sound Engineer, Composer | ||
| 21 | Ron Grainer | 58 | Australia | Composer | ||
| 22 | Curtis Bernhardt | 81 | Germany | Director | ||
| 28 | Virginia Huston | 55 | US | Actress | ||
| 28 | Robert L. Wolfe | 52 | US | Film Editor | ||
| March | 4 | Torin Thatcher | 76 | UK | Actor | |
| 5 | Brenda de Banzie | 71 | UK | Actress | ||
| 6 | E.Y. Harburg | 84 | US | Lyricist | ||
| 14 | Eleanor Perry | 66 | US | Screenwriter | ||
| 15 | René Clair | 82 | France | Director, Screenwriter | ||
| 17 | Dorothy Dwan | 74 | US | Actress | ||
| 27 | Oliver A. Unger | 66 | US | Producer | ||
| 31 | Hank Henry | 74 | US | Actor | ||
| April | 7 | Norman Taurog | 82 | US | Director | |
| 14 | Sergio Amidei | 76 | Italy | Screenwriter | ||
| 26 | Madge Evans | 71 | US | Actress | ||
| 26 | Jim Davis | 71 | US | Actor | ||
| 26 | Herb Voland | 62 | US | Actor | ||
| May | 1 | Marlin Skiles | 74 | US | Composer, Musical Director | |
| 9 | Margaret Lindsay | 70 | US | Actress | ||
| 17 | Hugo Friedhofer | 80 | US | Composer | ||
| 18 | Richard Hale | 88 | US | Actor | ||
| 18 | Arthur O'Connell | 73 | US | Actor | ||
| 22 | Boris Sagal | 57 | Ukraine | Director | ||
| 23 | George Jessel | 83 | US | Actor, Producer | ||
| 28 | Henry Blanke | 79 | US | Producer | ||
| June | 5 | Miguel Torres | 81 | Mexico | Director | |
| 9 | Russell Hayden | 68 | US | Actor | ||
| 10 | Jenny Maxwell | 39 | US | Actress | ||
| 12 | Eleanor Hunt | 71 | US | Actress | ||
| 12 | Evalyn Knapp | 74 | US | Actress | ||
| 17 | Lou Forbes | 78 | US | Composer | ||
| 19 | Alfred Santell | 85 | US | Director | ||
| 22 | Lola Lane | 75 | US | Actress | ||
| 23 | Zarah Leander | 74 | Sweden | Actress | ||
| July | 1 | George Voskovec | 76 | Czech Republic | Actor | |
| 2 | Edward Killy | 78 | US | Director | ||
| 3 | Ross Martin | 61 | Poland | Actor | ||
| 7 | Keefe Brasselle | 58 | US | Actor | ||
| 20 | Dale Hennesy | 54 | US | Production Designer, Art Director | ||
| 25 | Gerardo de Leon | 67 | Philippines | Director, Actor | ||
| 27 | William Wyler | 79 | Germany | Director, Producer | ||
| August | 1 | Paddy Chayefsky | 58 | US | Screenwriter | |
| 4 | Melvyn Douglas | 80 | US | Actor | ||
| 12 | Shirley Grey | 79 | US | Actress | ||
| 16 | Robert Krasker | 68 | Australia | Cinematographer | ||
| 18 | Anita Loos | 93 | US | Screenwriter | ||
| 19 | Jessie Matthews | 74 | UK | Actress, Singer | ||
| 21 | Eddie Byrne | 70 | Ireland | Actor | ||
| 30 | Vera-Ellen | 60 | US | Actress, Dancer | ||
| September | 1 | Ann Harding | 79 | US | Actress | |
| 6 | Maria Palmer | 64 | Austria | Actress | ||
| 11 | Frank McHugh | 83 | US | Actor | ||
| 15 | Sara Haden | 81 | US | Actress | ||
| 22 | Harry Warren | 87 | US | Composer | ||
| 23 | Chief Dan George | 82 | Canada | Actor | ||
| 24 | Patsy Kelly | 71 | US | Actress | ||
| 27 | Robert Montgomery | 77 | US | Actor, Director | ||
| October | 4 | Dorothy Dare | 70 | US | Actress | |
| 5 | Gloria Grahame | 54 | US | Actress | ||
| 15 | Frank de Kova | 71 | US | Actor | ||
| 19 | Nils Asther | 84 | Denmark | Actor | ||
| 24 | Edith Head | 83 | US | Costume Designer | ||
| 26 | Glenn Anders | 92 | US | Actor | ||
| November | 2 | Ghislain Cloquet | 57 | France | Cinematographer | |
| 3 | Jean Eustache | 42 | France | Director | ||
| 12 | William Holden | 63 | US | Actor | ||
| 16 | Morgan Conway | 78 | US | Actor | ||
| 21 | Ejner Federspiel | 85 | Denmark | Actor | ||
| 21 | Harry von Zell | 75 | US | Actor | ||
| 25 | Jack Albertson | 74 | US | Actor | ||
| 27 | Lotte Lenya | 83 | Austria | Actress | ||
| 29 | Natalie Wood | 43 | US | Actress | ||
| 30 | Robert H. Harris | 70 | US | Actor | ||
| December | 5 | Charles Barton | 79 | US | Director | |
| 15 | Karl Struss | 95 | US | Cinematographer | ||
| 17 | Ada Kramm | 82 | Norway | Actress | ||
| 27 | Hoagy Carmichael | 82 | US | Actor, Composer | ||
| 28 | Allan Dwan | 96 | Canada | Director |
Film debuts
- Ben Affleck – The Dark End of the Street
- Jason Alexander – The Burning
- Christina Applegate – Jaws of Satan
- Javier Bardem – El poderoso influjo de la luna
- Kim Basinger – Hard Country
- Xander Berkeley – Mommie Dearest
- Kenneth Branagh – Chariots of Fire
- Rodger Bumpass – Heavy Metal
- Robert John Burke – The Chosen
- Gabriel Byrne – Excalibur
- James Cameron (director) – Piranha II: The Spawning
- Bruce Campbell – The Evil Dead
- Jeffrey Combs – Honky Tonk Freeway
- Kevin Costner – Malibu Hot Summer
- Tom Cruise – Endless Love
- Charles Dance – For Your Eyes Only
- Jeff Daniels – Ragtime
- Robert Davi – Gangster Wars
- Dana Delany – The Fan
- Loretta Devine – Will
- Dennis Farina – Thief
- Nicholas Farrell – Chariots of Fire
- Phil Fondacaro - Under the Rainbow
- Colin Friels – Hoodwink
- Stephen Fry – Chariots of Fire
- Lee Garlington – King of the Mountain
- Gina Gershon – Beatlemania: The Movie
- Jami Gertz – Endless Love
- Bob Gunton – Rollover
- James Handy – Taps
- Anthony Head – Lady Chatterley's Lover
- Glenne Headly – Four Friends
- Ciarán Hinds – Excalibur
- Holly Hunter – The Burning
- John Kapelos – Thief
- Dan Lauria – C.O.D.
- Peter MacNicol – Dragonslayer
- John Mahoney – Hudson Taylor
- Rik Mayall – Eye of the Needle
- Maria de Medeiros – Silvestre
- Steve Miner (director) – Friday the 13th Part 2
- Alfred Molina – Raiders of the Lost Ark
- Demi Moore – Choices
- Chris Noth – Waitress!
- Bill Nunn – Sharky's Machine
- Michael O'Neill – Ghost Story
- Sean Penn – Taps
- Ron Perlman – Quest for Fire
- Ethan Phillips – Ragtime
- Robert Picardo – The Howling
- Martha Plimpton – Rollover
- Amanda Plummer – Cattle Annie and Little Britches
- Jon Polito – Gangster Wars
- Geoffrey Rush – Hoodwink
- Meg Ryan – Rich and Famous
- Dwight Schultz – The Fan
- Glenn Shadix – The Postman Always Rings Twice
- Vinessa Shaw – Home Sweet Home
- Mindy Sterling – The Devil and Max Devlin
- Fisher Stevens – The Burning
- Madeleine Stowe – Gangster Wars
- Barbara Sukowa – Lola
- Henry Thomas – Raggedy Man
- Frank C. Turner – Silence of the North
- Kathleen Turner – Body Heat
- Reginald VelJohnson – Wolfen
- Diane Venora – Wolfen
- Rachel Ward – Night School
- Denzel Washington – Carbon Copy
- Vernon Wells – Mad Max 2
- Celia Weston – Honky Tonk Freeway
- Amanda Wyss – Force: Five
Notes
References
- ^ "1981 Domestic Grosses". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 7 April 2014.
- ^ Japan Voice Producer Directory 2004. Vol. 1. Shogakukan. April 2004. p. 219. ISBN 978-4095263014.
