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:
Highest-grossing films of 1981
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
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
By genre/medium
Births
- January 1 - Eden Riegel, American actress
- January 6
- 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
- January 21
- January 22
- January 23 - Julia Jones, American actress
- January 24 – Carrie Coon, American actress
- January 25 - Charlie Bewley, English actor and producer
- January 28
- January 29 - Tenoch Huerta, Mexican actor
- January 30 – Chieko Higuchi, Japanese voice actress
- January 31 – Justin Timberlake, American singer and actor
- February 5
- February 8 – Jim Parrack, American actor
- February 9 – Tom Hiddleston, English actor
- February 10
- February 11 – Kelly Rowland, American singer and actress
- February 12
- February 17 –
- February 19 – Beth Ditto, American singer-songwriter
- February 20 - Majandra Delfino, American actress and singer
- February 22 – Elodie Yung, French actress
- February 23
- 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
- March 3 – Eugene, South Korean actress and singer
- March 5 - Hanna Alström, Swedish actress
- March 6 – Ellen Muth, American actress
- March 11
- March 17 - Nicky Jam, American singer and actor
- March 18 - Chris Geere, English actor
- March 20 - Jake Hoffman, American actor and writer
- 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
- 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
- April 13 – Courtney Peldon, American actress
- April 17 - Charlie Hofheimer, American actor
- April 19
- April 23 – Gemma Whelan, English actress
- April 26
- April 28
- April 29 - Alex Vincent, American actor and writer
- April 30
- May 2 – Rina Satō, Japanese voice actress
- May 3 – Natalie Tong, Hong Kong actress and model
- May 5
- May 10 – Qurrat Ann Kadwani, American actress
- May 11
- 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
- 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
- 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
- July 1 - Amanda Lucas, American retired professional mixed martial artist and actress
- July 3 - Rebecca Honig, American voice actress
- July 5 - Ryan Hansen, American actor and comedian
- July 13
- July 17 - Michiel Huisman, Dutch actor
- July 21
- July 22 - Josh Lawson, Australian actor and filmmaker
- July 24
- July 28 - Neil Casey, American actor, writer and comedian
- July 30
- July 31 - Eric Lively, American former actor
- August 1 – Taylor Fry, American former child actress
- August 3 – Travis Willingham, American voice actor
- August 4
- August 5 - Jesse Williams, American actor, director and producer
- August 6 – Leslie Odom Jr., American actor
- August 8
- August 10 - Jon Prescott, American actor
- August 20 – Ben Barnes, English actor
- August 22
- August 24 – Chad Michael Murray, American actor
- August 25 – Rachel Bilson, American actress
- August 27
- August 29 - Émilie Dequenne, Belgian actress
- September 1 - 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
- 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
- October 9 – Zachery Ty Bryan, American actor
- October 12
- 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
- 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
- December 5
- December 8 - Dov Tiefenbach, Canadian actor and musician
- December 13 – Amy Lee, American singer-songwriter (Evanescence)
- December 15
- December 16 – Krysten Ritter, American actress
- December 27
- 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
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.
External links