1981 in film

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 1981 released films by box office gross in North America are as follows:

Events

• January 19 - 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.
• November 29 - Off Santa Catalina Island, 43-year old actress Natalie Wood drowns during a boating accident.
• Kathleen Turner makes her acting debut.
• Tom Cruise makes his acting debut.
• June 12 - Raiders of the Lost Ark is released. It set a major standard for many action-adventure films to date.

Awards

Academy Awards:

Best Picture: Chariots of Fire - Enigma, The Ladd Company/Warner Bros.

Best Director: Warren Beatty - Reds

Best Actor: Henry Fonda - On Golden Pond

Best Actress: Katharine Hepburn - On Golden Pond

Best Supporting Actor: John Gielgud - Arthur

Best Supporting Actress: Maureen Stapleton - Reds

Best Foreign Language Film: Mephisto, directed by Istvan Szabo, Hungary

Golden Globe Awards:

Drama:

Best Picture: On Golden Pond

Best Actor: Henry Fonda - On Golden Pond

Best Actress: Meryl Streep - The French Lieutenant's Woman

Musical or comedy:

Best Picture: Arthur

Best Actor: Dudley Moore - Arthur

Best Actress: Bernadette Peters - Pennies from Heaven

Other

Best Director: Warren Beatty - Reds

Best Foreign Film: Chariots of Fire, United Kingdom

Golden Raspberry Awards:

Worst Picture: Mommie Dearest

Worst Director: Michael Cimino - Heaven's Gate

Worst Actor: Klinton Spilsbury - The Legend of the Lone Ranger

Worst Actress: Bo Derek - Tarzan, the Ape Man; Faye Dunaway - Mommie Dearest

Worst Supporting Actor: Steve Forrest - Mommie Dearest

Worst Supporting Actress: Diana Scarwid - Mommie Dearest

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

Notable films released in 1981

U.S.A. unless stated

A

• Absence of Malice, directed by Sydney Pollack, starring Paul Newman, Sally Field, Bob Balaban, Melinda Dillon
• All Night Long, starring Barbra Streisand, Gene Hackman, Diane Ladd, Dennis Quaid
• ...All the Marbles, starring Peter Falk, Vicki Frederick and Laurene Landon
• American Pop, an animated rotoscope musical by Ralph Bakshi and starring Ron Thompson
• An American Werewolf in London, directed by John Landis, starring David Naughton, Griffin Dunne, Jenny Agutter - (U.S.A./U.K.)
• Amy, starring Jenny Agutter and Barry Newman
• Arthur, starring Dudley Moore, Liza Minnelli, John Gielgud, Geraldine Fitzgerald, Stephen Elliott, Jill Eikenberry
• The Aviator's Wife (La femme de l'aviateur), directed by Éric Rohmer - (France)

B

• Back Roads, directed by Martin Ritt, starring Sally Field and Tommy Lee Jones
• Beau-père, directed by Bertrand Blier - (France)
• Berlin Tunnel 21, starring Richard Thomas and Horst Buchholz
• Die Berührte, directed by Helma Sanders-Brahms - (West Germany)
• Betrayal (Løperjenten) - (Norway)
• Bianco, rosso e Verdone - (Italy)
• Blind Chance (Przypadek) - (Poland)
• The Blood of Hussain - (Pakistan)
• Blood Wedding (Bodas de sangre), directed by Carlos Saura - (Spain)
• Blow Out, directed by Brian De Palma, starring John Travolta, Nancy Allen, Dennis Franz, John Lithgow
• The Boat Is Full (Das Boot ist voll) - (Switzerland)
• Body Heat, directed by Lawrence Kasdan, starring William Hurt, Kathleen Turner, Ted Danson, Richard Crenna, J. A. Preston, Mickey Rourke
• Body and Soul, starring Jayne Kennedy, Leon Isaac Kennedy, Michael V. Gazzo
• Das Boot (American release in 1982), directed by Wolfgang Petersen, starring Jürgen Prochnow - (West Germany)
• Buriki no kunsho - (Japan)
• Buddy Buddy, directed by Billy Wilder, starring Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau
• The Burning, starring Brian Matthews - (U.S.A./Canada)
• Bustin' Loose, starring Richard Pryor and Cicely Tyson

C

• The Cannonball Run, directed by Hal Needham, starring Burt Reynolds, Dom DeLuise, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Jr., Roger Moore, Farrah Fawcett
• Carbon Copy, starring George Segal and Denzel Washington
• Cattle Annie and Little Britches, starring Burt Lancaster, Rod Steiger, John Savage, Diane Lane, Amanda Plummer
• Caveman, directed by Carl Gottlieb, starring Ringo Starr, Dennis Quaid, Shelley Long
• Chariots of Fire, directed by Hugh Hudson, starring Ben Cross, Ian Charleson, Nigel Havers - (U.K.)
• Charlie Chan and the Curse of the Dragon Queen, starring Peter Ustinov, Lee Grant, Angie Dickinson
• Charlotte - (Netherlands)
• The Chosen, starring Robby Benson, Barry Miller, Maximilian Schell, Rod Steiger
• Christiane F. â€" We Children from Bahnhof Zoo, directed by Uli Edel, starring Natja Brunckhorst - (West Germany)
• Chu Chu and the Philly Flash, directed by David Lowell Rich, starring Carol Burnett and Alan Arkin
• Circle of Deceit (Die Fälschung), directed by Volker Schlöndorff, starring Bruno Ganz, Hanna Schygulla and Jerzy Skolimowski - (West Germany)
• Clash of the Titans, starring Harry Hamlin, Laurence Olivier, Maggie Smith - (U.S.A./U.K.)
• Condorman, starring Michael Crawford, Oliver Reed, Barbara Carrera - (U.K.)
• Le confort et l'indifférence (Comfort and Indifference) - (Canada)
• Continental Divide, starring John Belushi, Blair Brown, Allen Garfield
• Coup de torchon, directed by Bertrand Tavernier, starring Philippe Noiret and Isabelle Huppert - (France)
• Cutter's Way, starring Jeff Bridges, Lisa Eichhorn, John Heard

D

• Dance Craze, concert documentary featuring Madness, The Beat, The Specials and others - (U.K.)
• Dead & Buried, starring James Farentino
• Deadly Blessing. starring Sharon Stone and Ernest Borgnine
• Death Hunt, starring Charles Bronson, Lee Marvin, Andrew Stevens, Carl Weathers, Angie Dickinson
• The Decline of Western Civilization, a documentary film
• Deprisa, Deprisa (Hurry, Hurry!), directed by Carlos Saura - (Spain) - Golden Bear winner
• The Devil and Max Devlin, starring Elliott Gould and Bill Cosby
• Diva, directed by Jean-Jacques Beineix - (France)
• Do You Remember Dolly Bell? (Sjecas li se Doli Bel?) - (Yugoslavia)
• Dragonslayer, starring Peter MacNicol
• Dreszcze (Shivers) - (Poland)

E

• Eijanaika (Why Not?), directed by Shohei Imamura - (Japan)
• Ek Duuje Ke Liye (Made for Each Other) - (India)
• Endless Love, directed by Franco Zeffirelli, starring Brooke Shields and Martin Hewitt
• The Entity, starring Barbara Hershey, Ron Silver, Margaret Blye
• Escape from New York, directed by John Carpenter, starring Kurt Russell, Lee Van Cleef, Ernest Borgnine, Isaac Hayes, Adrienne Barbeau
• Escape to Victory (aka Victory), directed by John Huston, starring Michael Caine, Sylvester Stallone, Max von Sydow, Pelé
• The Evil Dead, directed by Sam Raimi, starring Bruce Campbell
• Excalibur, directed by John Boorman, starring Nigel Terry, Helen Mirren, Nicol Williamson, Nicholas Clay, Liam Neeson - (U.K.)
• An Eye for an Eye, starring Chuck Norris
• Eye of the Needle, starring Donald Sutherland and Kate Nelligan - (U.K.)
• Eyewitness, directed by Peter Yates, starring William Hurt, Sigourney Weaver, Christopher Plummer, James Woods

F

• The Fan, starring Lauren Bacall, James Garner, Maureen Stapleton, Michael Biehn
• Fever (GorÄ…czka), directed by Agnieszka Holland - (Poland)
• First Monday in October, starring Walter Matthau and Jill Clayburgh
• For Your Eyes Only, starring Roger Moore (as James Bond), with Carole Bouquet, Lynn-Holly Johnson - (U.K.)
• Fort Apache, The Bronx, directed by Daniel Petrie, starring Paul Newman, Ed Asner, Ken Wahl
• Four Friends, directed by Arthur Penn, starring Craig Wasson and Jodi Thelen
• The Four Seasons, directed by and starring Alan Alda, with Carol Burnett, Rita Moreno, Sandy Dennis, Len Cariou, Jack Weston
• The Fox and the Hound, with the voices of Mickey Rooney, Kurt Russell, Pearl Bailey
• The French Lieutenant's Woman, directed by Karel Reisz, starring Meryl Streep and Jeremy Irons - (U.K.)
• Friday the 13th Part 2, starring Amy Steel
• Full Moon High, starring Adam Arkin
• The Funhouse, directed by Tobe Hooper

G

• Gallipoli, directed by Peter Weir, starring Mel Gibson - (Australia)
• Gangster Wars, starring Michael Nouri, Joe Penny, Brian Benben, Madeleine Stowe
• Garde à Vue, starring Romy Schneider and Michel Serrault - (France)
• Gas, starring Susan Anspach, Sterling Hayden, Helen Shaver - (Canada)
• The German Sisters (Die bleierne Zeit), directed by Margarethe von Trotta, starring Barbara Sukowa, Golden Lion winner - (West Germany)
• Ghost Story, starring Fred Astaire, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., Melvyn Douglas, John Houseman
• The Girl with the Red Hair (Het meisje met het rode haar) - (Netherlands)
• Going Ape!, starring Tony Danza, Stacey Nelkin, Jessica Walter, Danny DeVito
• Goodbye Pork Pie - (New Zealand)
• Graduation Day, starring Christopher George
• The Great Muppet Caper, directed by Jim Henson - (U.S.A./U.K.)
• Gregory's Girl, directed by Bill Forsyth - (U.K.)
• Grendel Grendel Grendel, starring Peter Ustinov - (Australia)

H

• Halloween II, starring Jamie Lee Curtis and Donald Pleasence
• The Hand, directed by Oliver Stone, starring Michael Caine
• Hands Up!, (RÄ™ce do góry), directed by Jerzy Skolimowski - (Poland) - originally made in 1967 but withheld
• Happy Birthday to Me, starring Melissa Sue Anderson and Glenn Ford - (Canada)
• Hard Country, starring Jan-Michael Vincent and Kim Basinger
• Hardly Working, directed by and starring Jerry Lewis
• Harry's War, starring Edward Herrmann
• Heartbeeps, directed by Allan Arkush, starring Andy Kaufman and Bernadette Peters
• Heavy Metal, starring John Candy - (Canada)
• Hell Night, starring Linda Blair
• History of the World, Part I, directed by and starring Mel Brooks, with Gregory Hines, Dom DeLuise, Madeline Kahn, Cloris Leachman, Harvey Korman
• Honky Tonk Freeway, starring William Devane, Beau Bridges, Teri Garr, Beverly D'Angelo, Howard Hesseman, Jessica Tandy
• The Hound of the Baskervilles (Priklyucheniya Sherloka Kholmsa i doktora Vatsona: Sobaka Baskerviley) - (U.S.S.R.)
• The Howling, directed by Joe Dante, starring Dee Wallace and Patrick Macnee

I-J

• I Love You (Eu Te Amo), starring Sônia Braga - (Brazil)
• The Incredible Shrinking Woman, starring Lily Tomlin and Charles Grodin
• Inseminoid, starring Judy Geeson, Stephanie Beacham, Victoria Tennant - (U.K.)
• The Inventor (Der Erfinder) - (Switzerland/West Germany)
• Just Another Missing Kid, winner of Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature - (Canada)

K

• Killing Heat (Gräset Sjunger), starring Karen Black - (Sweden/Zambia)
• The Killing of Angel Street - (Australia)
• Knightriders, starring Ed Harris
• Kranti (Revolution), starring Dilip Kumar, Manoj Kumar, Shashi Kapoor - (India)

L

• Ladies and Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains, starring Diane Lane and Laura Dern
• Lady Chatterley's Lover, starring Sylvia Kristel and Nicholas Clay
• The Land of Hunger (Aakali Rajyam) - (India)
• The Last Chase, starring Lee Majors
• Lawaaris, starring Amitabh Bachchan and Zeenat Aman - (India)
• The Legend of the Lone Ranger, starring Klinton Spilsbury, winner of a Golden Raspberry award for Worst Actor
• Light Years Away (Les Années lumière), starring Trevor Howard - (France)
• Lili Marleen, directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder, starring Hanna Schygulla - (West Germany)
• Lion of the Desert, starring Anthony Quinn - (Libya)
• The Little Fox (Vuk) - (Hungary)
• Lola, a German film directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder, starring Barbara Sukowa and Armin Mueller-Stahl - (West Germany)
• Looker, directed by Michael Crichton, starring Albert Finney, James Coburn, Susan Dey
• Looks and Smiles, directed by Ken Loach - (U.K.)
• The Looney Looney Looney Bugs Bunny Movie
• Loophole, starring Albert Finney and Martin Sheen

M

• Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior, starring Mel Gibson - (Australia)
• Man of Iron (CzÅ‚owiek z żelaza), directed by Andrzej Wajda - (Poland) - Palme d'Or winner
• Mandala - (South Korea)
• Marianne and Juliane (Die bleierne Zeit), directed by Margarethe von Trotta, starring Barbara Sukowa - (West Germany)
• Il Marchese del Grillo, directed by Mario Monicelli, starring Alberto Sordi - (Italy)
• Masada, TV miniseries, starring Peter O'Toole, Peter Strauss, Barbara Carrera, David Warner
• The Melody Haunts My Memory (Samo jednom se ljubi) - (Yugoslavia)
• Mephisto, directed by István Szabó, starring Klaus Maria Brandauer - (Hungary/West Germany/Austria)
• Il minestrone, starring Roberto Benigni - (Italy)
• Modern Romance, directed by and starring Albert Brooks, with Kathryn Harrold and Bruno Kirby
• Mommie Dearest, starring Faye Dunaway, Diana Scarwid, Steve Forrest - winner of five Golden Raspberry Awards including Worst Picture and Worst Actress (Dunaway)
• Montenegro, starring Susan Anspach and Erland Josephson - (Sweden)
• Ms. 45, directed by Abel Ferrara
• Muzhiki! - (U.S.S.R.)
• My Bloody Valentine - (Canada)
• My Dinner with Andre, starring Wallace Shawn and Andre Gregory
• The Mysterious Castle in the Carpathians (Tajemství hradu v Karpatech) - (Czechoslovakia)
• The Mystery of the Third Planet (Tayna tretyey planety) - (U.S.S.R.)

N

• Naseeb (Destiny), starring Amitabh Bachchan - (India)
• National Heritage (Patrimonio nacional), directed by Luis García Berlanga - (Spain)
• Neighbors, starring John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd
• The Nesting, starring Bill Rowley, Gloria Grahame
• Nice Dreams, a Cheech & Chong film
• Nighthawks, starring Sylvester Stallone, Rutger Hauer, Billy Dee Williams
• The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia, starring Kristy McNichol, Dennis Quaid, Mark Hamill
• Nobody's Perfekt, starring Gabe Kaplan, Alex Karras, Robert Klein

O

• The Oil, the Baby and the Transylvanians (Pruncul, petrolul ÅŸi ardelenii) - (Romania)
• Omen III: The Final Conflict, starring Sam Neill, Rossano Brazzi - (U.S.A./U.K.)
• On Golden Pond, directed by Mark Rydell, starring Katharine Hepburn, Henry Fonda, Jane Fonda
• On the Right Track, starring Gary Coleman
• Only When I Laugh, starring Marsha Mason, Kristy McNichol, James Coco, Joan Hackett
• Outland, directed by Peter Hyams, starring Sean Connery and Peter Boyle - (U.K.)

P

• Passion of Love (Passione d'amore), directed by Ettore Scola - (Italy)
• Paternity, directed by David Steinberg, starring Burt Reynolds and Beverly D'Angelo
• La Pelle (The Skin), directed by Liliana Cavani, starring Marcello Mastroianni and Claudia Cardinale - (Italy)
• Pennies from Heaven, starring Steve Martin, Bernadette Peters, Jessica Harper, Christopher Walken - based on the TV series by Dennis Potter
• Pixote, directed by Héctor Babenco - (Brazil)
• Polyester, directed by John Waters, starring Divine
• Possession, starring Isabelle Adjani and Sam Neill - (France/West Germany)
• The Postman Always Rings Twice, directed by Bob Rafelson, starring Jack Nicholson and Jessica Lange
• Priest of Love, starring Ian McKellen, Janet Suzman, Ava Gardner - (U.K.)
• Prince of the City, directed by Sidney Lumet, starring Treat Williams and Jerry Orbach
• Private Lessons, starring Sylvia Kristel, Howard Hesseman, Ed Begley, Jr.
• The Prodigal Son (Bai ga jai), directed by and starring Sammo Hung - (Hong Kong)
• The Pursuit of D. B. Cooper, starring Treat Williams, Robert Duvall, Kathryn Harrold

Q

• Quartet, directed by James Ivory, starring Alan Bates, Maggie Smith, Isabelle Adjani - (U.K.)
• Quest for Fire (aka La Guerre du feu), directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud - (Canada/France/U.S.A.)

R

• Race for the Yankee Zephyr, starring Ken Wahl, Lesley Ann Warren, George Peppard - (New Zealand)
• Raggedy Man, starring Sam Shepard and Sissy Spacek
• Ragtime, directed by MiloÅ¡ Forman, starring James Cagney, Howard E. Rollins, Jr., Elizabeth McGovern, Mandy Patinkin, Mary Steenburgen, Brad Dourif
• Raiders of the Lost Ark, directed by Steven Spielberg, starring Harrison Ford and Karen Allen
• Reds, directed by and starring Warren Beatty, with Diane Keaton, Jack Nicholson, Maureen Stapleton, Gene Hackman, Paul Sorvino
• Rich and Famous, directed by George Cukor, starring Jacqueline Bisset and Candice Bergen
• Ritam zločina - (Yugoslavia)
• Roadgames, directed by Richard Franklin, starring Stacy Keach and Jamie Lee Curtis - (Australia)
• Rollover, directed by Alan J. Pakula, starring Jane Fonda and Kris Kristofferson
• Ruckus, starring Dirk Benedict, Linda Blair, Richard Farnsworth

S

• S.O.B., directed by Blake Edwards, starring Julie Andrews, William Holden, Robert Preston, Richard Mulligan
• The Salamander, starring Anthony Quinn, Franco Nero, Eli Wallach, Claudia Cardinale
• Saturday the 14th, starring Paula Prentiss and Richard Benjamin
• Scanners, directed by David Cronenberg - (Canada)
• Sharky's Machine, directed by and starring Burt Reynolds, with Rachel Ward, Henry Silva, Vittorio Gassman, Charles Durning, Earl Holliman
• Shaukeen, starring Ashok Kumar - (India)
• Shikake-nin Baian - (Japan)
• Shock Treatment, starring Jessica Harper and Cliff DeYoung
• Short Working Day, directed by Krzysztof KieÅ›lowski - (Poland)
• Shaolin and Wu Tang (Shao Lin yu Wu Dang), Directed by Liu Chia-Hui, starring Adam Cheng, Gordon Liu and Wang Lung-wei - (Hong Kong)
• The Simple-Minded Murderer (Den Enfaldige Mördaren), starring Stellan SkarsgÃ¥rd - (Sweden)
• The Sixth (Shestoy) - (U.S.S.R.)
• Smash Palace, directed by Roger Donaldson - (New Zealand)
• Sogni d'oro (Golden Dreams), directed by and starring Nanni Moretti - (Italy)
• Southern Comfort, directed by Walter Hill, starring Keith Carradine and Powers Boothe
• Sphinx, starring Lesley-Anne Down and Frank Langella
• Station (Eki Station) - (Japan)
• Strange Affair (Une étrange affaire), starring Michel Piccoli - (France)
• Strange Behavior, starring Michael Murphy and Louise Fletcher - (New Zealand)
• Stripes, directed by Ivan Reitman, starring Bill Murray, Harold Ramis, Warren Oates, John Larroquette, John Candy
• Student Bodies
• Suddenly at Midnight (Gipeun bam, gapjagi) - (South Korea)

T

• Take This Job and Shove It, starring Robert Hays, Barbara Hershey, Art Carney
• Tales of Ordinary Madness (Storie di ordinaria follia), starring Ben Gazzara and Ornella Muti - (Italy/France)
• Taps, directed by Harold Becker, starring Timothy Hutton, George C. Scott, Ronny Cox, Sean Penn, Tom Cruise
• Tarzan, the Ape Man, starring Bo Derek and Richard Harris
• Tattoo, starring Bruce Dern and Maud Adams
• Taxi zum Klo (Taxi to the Toilet) - (West Germany)
• Teheran 43, starring Alain Delon - (U.S.S.R./France/Switzerland)
• They All Laughed, directed by Peter Bogdanovich, starring Audrey Hepburn and Ben Gazzara
• They Don't Wear Black Tie (Eles Não Usam Black-Tie) - (Brazil)
• Thief aka Violent Streets, directed by Michael Mann, starring James Caan, Tuesday Weld, James Belushi, Robert Prosky
• This Is Elvis, a documentary
• Three Brothers (Tre fratelli), directed by Francesco Rosi - (Italy)
• Threshold, directed by Richard Pearce, starring Donald Sutherland, Jeff Goldblum, Mare Winningham - (Canada)
• Ticket to Heaven, starring Nick Mancuso, Saul Rubinek, Meg Foster - (Canada)
• Time Bandits, directed by Terry Gilliam, starring John Cleese, Sean Connery, Shelley Duvall - (U.K.)
• Tragedy of a Ridiculous Man (La tragedia di un uomo ridicolo), directed by Bernardo Bertolucci, starring Ugo Tognazzi and Anouk Aimée - (Italy)
• Tree of Knowledge (Kundskabens træ) - (Denmark)
• True Confessions, directed by Ulu Grosbard, starring Robert De Niro, Robert Duvall, Charles Durning, Burgess Meredith, Kenneth McMillan
• The True Story of Ah Q (Ä€ Q zhèng zhuàn) - (China)
• Tuck Everlasting

U-V

• Under the Rainbow, starring Chevy Chase, Carrie Fisher and Billy Barty
• Les Uns et les Autres, directed by Claude Lelouch - (France)
• Útlaginn (Outlaw: The Saga of Gisli) - (Iceland)
• Variola Vera - (Yugoslavia)
• Vernon, Florida, a documentary

W

• Whose Life Is It Anyway?, directed by John Badham, starring Richard Dreyfuss, Bob Balaban, Christine Lahti, John Cassavetes
• Will, starring Robert Conrad
• Wolfen, starring Albert Finney, Diane Venora and Gregory Hines
• The Woman Next Door (La Femme d'à côté), directed by François Truffaut, starring Gérard Depardieu and Fanny Ardant - (France)
• Woman Who Exposes Herself (Misetagaru onna) - (Japan)

Z

• Zoot Suit, starring Edward James Olmos
• Zorro, The Gay Blade, starring George Hamilton, Lauren Hutton, Brenda Vaccaro, Ron Leibman

1981 Wide-release movies

Januaryâ€"March

• January 1981
  • January 1
    • Scream
  • January 14
    • Scanners
  • January 28
    • Blood Beach
  • January 30
    • Earthbound
    • The Incredible Shrinking Woman
• February 1981
  • February 1
    • Blood Beach
  • February 11
    • Sphinx
  • February 13
    • American Pop
    • Eyewitness
• March 1981
  • March 6
    • All Night Long
    • The Devil and Max Devlin
    • Maniac
    • On the Right Track
  • March 13
    • Back Roads
    • The Funhouse
    • Modern Romance
  • March 20
    • Amy
    • Omen III: The Final Conflict
    • The Postman Always Rings Twice
  • March 27
    • Eyes of a Stranger
    • Thief

Aprilâ€"June

• April 1981
  • April 3
    • Hardly Working
  • April 4
    • This Is Elvis
    • Nighthawks
  • April 10
    • Excalibur
    • Going Ape!
    • The Howling
    • Knightriders
  • April 17
    • Caveman
  • April 24
    • Cattle Annie and Little Britches
    • The Hand
    • Ms. 45
    • Night School
    • Take This Job and Shove It
  • April 28
    • Bloody Birthday
• May 1981
  • May 1
    • Friday the 13th Part 2
    • Graduation Day
    • King of the Mountain
  • May 3
    • Image of the Beast
  • May 8
    • The Burning
  • May 15
    • The Fan
  • May 22
    • Bustin' Loose
    • The Four Seasons
    • The Legend of the Lone Ranger
  • May 29
    • Dead & Buried
    • Polyester
    • The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia
• June 1981
  • June 5
    • Cheech & Chong's Nice Dreams
    • Final Exam
    • Tuck Everlasting
  • June 12
    • Clash of the Titans
    • History of the World, Part I
    • Raiders of the Lost Ark
  • June 19
    • The Cannonball Run
    • Superman II
  • June 26
    • The Cannonball Run
    • Stripes

Julyâ€"September

• July 1981
  • July 1
    • S.O.B.
  • July 10
    • Escape from New York
    • The Fox and the Hound
  • July 17
    • Arthur
    • Endless Love
    • Zorro, The Gay Blade
  • July 24
    • Blow Out
    • Wolfen
  • July 31
    • Under the Rainbow
• August 1981
  • August 7
    • Student Bodies
  • August 14
    • Deadly Blessing
    • An Eye for an Eye
    • They All Laughed
  • August 21
    • An American Werewolf in London
    • First Monday in October
    • Prince of the City
  • August 26
    • Private Lessons
  • August 28
    • Body Heat
    • Chu Chu and the Philly Flash
    • Hell Night
• September 1981
  • September 18
    • Continental Divide
    • Mommie Dearest
    • Raggedy Man
  • September 23
    • Only When I Laugh
    • Rich and Famous
  • September 25
    • The Boogens
    • Carbon Copy
    • So Fine

Octoberâ€"December

• October 1981
  • October 2
    • Enter the Ninja
    • Paternity
  • October 9
    • Full Moon High
    • Tattoo
  • October 11
    • My Dinner with Andre
  • October 14
    • Just Before Dawn
  • October 16
    • All the Marbles
  • October 23
    • Nightmare
  • October 30
    • Looker
    • Halloween II
• November 1981
  • November 6
    • The Prowler
    • Fantasies
  • November 13
    • The Pursuit of D. B. Cooper
  • November 20
    • The Looney Looney Looney Bugs Bunny Movie
• December 1981
  • December 4
    • On Golden Pond
    • Reds
  • December 11
    • Buddy Buddy
    • Dawn of the Mummy
    • Four Friends
    • Rollover
  • December 18
    • Absence of Malice
    • Ghost Story
    • Neighbors
    • Sharky's Machine
  • December 20
    • Taps
  • December 25
    • Modern Problems

Births

• January 6 - Jérémie Renier, Belgian actor
• January 8 - Genevieve Cortese, actress
• January 21 - Izabella Miko, Polish actress and dancer
• January 22 - Beverley Mitchell, actress
• January 28 - Elijah Wood, actor
• January 31 - Justin Timberlake, singer and actor
• February 9 - Tom Hiddleston, English actor
• February 11 - Kelly Rowland, singer and actress
• February 17 - Joseph Gordon-Levitt, actor
• February 19 - Beth Ditto, singer-songwriter
• February 23 - Josh Gad, actor and comedian
• March 2 - Bryce Dallas Howard, actress
• March 6 - Ellen Muth, actress
• March 11 - David Anders, actor
• March 28 - Julia Stiles, actress
• April 10
  • Laura Bell Bundy, actress
  • Michael Pitt, actor
• April 13 - Courtney Peldon, actress
• April 19
  • Catalina Sandino Moreno, Colombian actress
  • Hayden Christensen, Canadian actor
• April 28 - Jessica Alba, actress
• May 5
  • Danielle Fishel, actress
  • Farid Kamil, Malaysian actor and film director
• May 11 - Austin O'Brien, actor
• May 12 - Rami Malek, actor
• May 15 - Jamie-Lynn Sigler, actress
• May 28 - Laura Bailey, voice actress
• June 7 - Larisa Oleynik, actress
• June 9 - Natalie Portman, Israeli-American actress
• June 10 - Jonathan Bennett, actor
• June 13 - Chris Evans, actor
• June 14 - Chauncey Leopardi, actor
• June 20 - Alisan Porter, former actress
• July 24 - Summer Glau, actress
• August 1 - Taylor Fry, former child actress
• August 3 - Travis Willingham, voice actor
• August 4
  • Abigail Spencer, actress
  • Marques Houston, singer and actor
• August 8 - Meagan Good, actress
• August 20 - Ben Barnes, English actor
• August 24 - Chad Michael Murray, actor
• August 25 - Rachel Bilson, actress
• August 27 - Patrick J. Adams, Canadian actor
• September 4 - Beyoncé Knowles, singer and actress
• September 8 - Jonathan Taylor Thomas, actor
• September 12 - Jennifer Hudson, singer and actress
• September 16 - Alexis Bledel, actress
• September 23 - Misti Traya, actress
• September 26 - Christina Milian, singer and actress
• September 29 - Shay Astar, singer and actress
• September 30 - Ashleigh Aston Moore, former Canadian child actress (d. 2007)
• October 3 - Seth Gabel, actor
• October 9
  • Zachery Ty Bryan, actor
  • Rupert Friend, English actor
• October 22 - Michael Fishman, actor
• November 9 - Scottie Thompson, actress
• November 16 - Caitlin Glass, voice actress
• November 18 - Nasim Pedrad, Iranian-American actress and comedienne
• November 20 - Andrea Riseborough, English actress
• December 2 - Britney Spears, singer and actress
• December 3 - Liza Lapira, actress
• December 18 - Josh Dallas, actor
• December 27 - Emilie de Ravin, Australian actress
• December 28 - Sienna Miller, English actress

Deaths

• January 10 - Richard Boone, 63, American actor, The Shootist, Big Jake
• January 11 - Beulah Bondi, 91, American actress, It's a Wonderful Life, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
• January 16 - Bernard Lee, 73, English actor, Dr. No, Goldfinger
• February 1 - Wanda Hendrix, 52, American actress, Prince of Foxes, Captain Carey, U.S.A.
• February 21 - Ron Grainer, 58, composer, The Mouse on the Moon, To Sir, with Love
• March 4 - Torin Thatcher, 76, India-born British actor, Houdini, The Robe
• March 14 - Eleanor Perry, 66, American screenwriter, Diary of a Mad Housewife, The Swimmer
• April 26
  • Herb Voland, 62, American actor, Another Nice Mess, With Six You Get Eggroll
  • Jim Davis, 71, American actor, The Big Sky, The Maverick Queen
• May 18
  • Arthur O'Connell, 73, American actor, Anatomy of a Murder, Picnic
  • Richard Hale, 88, American actor, Friendly Persuasion, To Kill a Mockingbird
• June 22 - Lola Lane, 75, American actress, Four Daughters, Four Wives
• July 3 - Ross Martin, 61, Polish-American actor, Experiment in Terror, The Great Race
• July 27 - William Wyler, 79, German director, Ben-Hur, Roman Holiday
• August 1 - Paddy Chayefsky, 58, American screenwriter, Altered States, Network
• August 4 - Melvyn Douglas, 80, American actor, Being There, Hud
• August 18 - Anita Loos, 93, American writer, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, The Women
• August 30 - Vera-Ellen, 60, American actress, White Christmas, On the Town, Call Me Madam
• September 1 - Ann Harding, 79, American actress, Holiday, It Happened on Fifth Avenue
• September 27 - Robert Montgomery, 77, American actor, They Were Expendable, Here Comes Mr. Jordan
• September 30 - L. C. Rudkin, 73, English-British costume designer, Goldfinger, Dr. No
• October 5 - Gloria Grahame, 54, American actress, In a Lonely Place, The Bad and the Beautiful
• October 24 - Edith Head, 83, American costume designer, The Ten Commandments, White Christmas
• October 26 - Glenn Anders, 92, American actor, The Lady from Shanghai, M
• November 12 - William Holden, 63, American actor, The Bridge on the River Kwai, Sunset Blvd.
• November 16 - Morgan Conway, 78, American actor, Dick Tracy, Dick Tracy vs. Cueball
• November 21 - Ejner Federspiel, 85, Danish actor, Story of Barbara
• November 25 - Jack Albertson, 74, American actor, Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, The Poseidon Adventure
• November 27 - Lotte Lenya, 83, Austrian actress, From Russia with Love, The Threepenny Opera
• November 29 - Natalie Wood, 43, American actress, West Side Story, Rebel Without a Cause
• December 17 - Ada Kramm, 82, Norwegian actress
• December 27 - Hoagy Carmichael, 82, American actor and musician, To Have and Have Not, The Best Years of Our Lives
• December 28 - Allan Dwan, 96, Canadian director, Sands of Iwo Jima, Heidi

Film debuts

• Ben Affleck - The Dark End of the Street
• Jason Alexander - The Burning
• Kim Basinger - Hard Country
• James Belushi - Thief
• Gabriel Byrne - Excalibur
• James Cameron - Piranha II: The Spawning
• Kevin Costner - Malibu Hot Summer
• Tom Cruise - Endless Love
• Jeff Daniels - Ragtime
• Dennis Farina - Thief
• Jami Gertz - Endless Love
• Bob Gunton - Rollover
• Glenne Headly - Four Friends
• Holly Hunter - The Burning
• Ciarán Hinds - Excalibur
• Peter MacNicol - Dragonslayer
• Alfred Molina - Raiders of the Lost Ark
• Demi Moore - Choices
• Sean Penn - Taps
• Martha Plimpton - Rollover
• Amanda Plummer - Cattle Annie and Little Britches
• Geoffrey Rush - Hoodwink
• Meg Ryan - Rich and Famous
• Madeleine Stowe - Gangster Wars
• Henry Thomas - Raggedy Man
• Kathleen Turner - Body Heat

See also

• List of American films of 1981
• British films of 1981
• French films of 1981
• List of German films: 1980s
• Bollywood films of 1981
• Italian films of 1981
• Japanese films of 1981
• Swedish films of the 1980s

References