The following is an overview of 1931 in film, including significant events, a list of films released and notable births and deaths.

Top-grossing films (U.S.)

The top ten 1931 released films by box office gross in North America are as follows:

Events

* January 5: RKO acquires the producing and distribution arm of

Pathé Pathé or Pathé Frères (, styled as PATHÉ!) is the name of various French people, French businesses that were founded and originally run by the Pathé Brothers of France starting in 1896. In the early 1900s, Pathé became the world's largest ...

for $4.6 million. * June 20:

Monogram Pictures Monogram Pictures Corporation was an American film studio that produced mostly low-budget films between 1931 and 1953, when the firm completed a transition to the name Allied Artists Pictures Corporation. Monogram was among the smaller studios i ...

releases its first film, ''Ships of Hate''. * July 7: Anti-competitive practices disclosed about certain distributors and producers in Canada. * November 17: E. R. Tinker elected president of

Fox Films The Fox Film Corporation (also known as Fox Studios) was an American Independent film production studio formed by William Fox (1879–1952) in 1915, by combining his earlier Greater New York Film Rental Company and Box Office Attractions Film C ...

replacing Harley L. Clarke. * December 14: RKO refinancing plan approved.

Best money stars

'' Variety'' reported the following as the biggest male stars in the U.S. in alphabetical order although grouped George Arliss and Ronald Colman together as having equal ranking. The following were the biggest women names in the U.S. in alphabetical order but again grouped two actresses together to denote they were ranked the same.

Academy Awards

The 4th Academy Awards were awarded to films completed and screened released between August 1, 1930, and July 31, 1931, by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Most Nominations: '' Cimarron'' (

RKO Pictures RKO Radio Pictures Inc., commonly known as RKO Pictures or simply RKO, was an American film production and distribution company, one of the "Big Five" film studios of Hollywood's Golden Age. The business was formed after the Keith-Albee-Orphe ...

) – 7 Major Awards * Best Picture: '' Cimarron'' – RKO * Best Director: Norman Taurog – ''

Skippy Skippy may refer to: People * Skippy (nickname), a list of people Arts and entertainments * ''Skippy'' (comic strip), an American strip published from 1923 to 1945. ** ''Skippy'' (film), based on the comics strip, released in 1931 and sta ...

'' *

Best Actor Best Actor is the name of an award which is presented by various film, television and theatre organizations, festivals, and people's awards to leading actors in a film, television series, television film or play. The term most often refers to th ...

Lionel Barrymore Lionel Barrymore (born Lionel Herbert Blythe; April 28, 1878 – November 15, 1954) was an American actor of stage, screen and radio as well as a film director. He won an Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in ''A Free Soul'' (1931) ...

– ''

A Free Soul ''A Free Soul'' is a 1931 American pre-Code drama film that tells the story of an alcoholic San Francisco defense attorney who must defend his daughter's ex-boyfriend on a charge of murdering the mobster she had started a relationship with, who ...

'' * Best Actress:

Marie Dressler Marie Dressler (born Leila Marie Koerber, November 9, 1868 – July 28, 1934) was a Canadian stage and screen actress, comedian, and early silent film and Depression-era film star. In 1914, she was in the first full-length film comedy. She ...

– '' Min and Bill'' Most Awards: '' Cimarron'' – 3 (Best Picture; Best Adaptation and

Best Art Direction The Academy Award for Best Production Design recognizes achievement for art direction in film. The category's original name was Best Art Direction, but was changed to its current name in 2012 for the 85th Academy Awards. This change resulted fro ...

) '' Cimarron'' was the first Western to win Best Picture, and would remain the only one to do so for 59 years (until '' Dances with Wolves'' won in 1991). It received a then-record seven nominations, and was the first film to win more than two awards. The 5th Academy Awards were conducted by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on November 18, 1932, at a ceremony held at The Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, California. The ceremony was hosted by Conrad Nagel. Films screened in Los Angeles between August 1, 1931, and July 31, 1932, were eligible to receive awards. Most nominations: '' Arrowsmith'' ( Samuel Goldwyn Productions) and '' The Champ'' ( Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer) – 4 Major Awards *

: Wallace Beery – ''The Champ'' and Fredric March – ''

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Doctor is an academic title that originates from the Latin word of the same spelling and meaning. The word is originally an agentive noun of the Latin verb 'to teach'. It has been used as an academic title in Europe since the 13th century, w ...

'' * Best Actress:

Helen Hayes Helen Hayes MacArthur ( Brown; October 10, 1900 – March 17, 1993) was an American actress whose career spanned 80 years. She eventually received the nickname "First Lady of American Theatre" and was the second person and first woman to have w ...

– '' The Sin of Madelon Claudet'' * Best Director:

Frank Borzage Frank Borzage (; April 23, 1894 – June 19, 1962) was an Academy Award-winning American film director and actor, known for directing '' 7th Heaven'' (1927), '' Street Angel'' (1928), '' Bad Girl'' (1931), '' A Farewell to Arms'' (1932), ''Man's ...

– '' Bad Girl'' Most Awards: ''Bad Girl'' (Best Director and Best Adaptation) and ''The Champ'' (Best Actor and Best Original Story) – 2 Note: The

Academy Award for Best Picture The Academy Award for Best Picture is one of the Academy Awards presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) since the awards debuted in 1929. This award goes to the producers of the film and is the only category ...

went to

1932 Events January * January 4 – The British authorities in India arrest and intern Mahatma Gandhi and Vallabhbhai Patel. * January 9 – Sakuradamon Incident (1932), Sakuradamon Incident: Korean nationalist Lee Bong-chang fails in his effort ...

's '' Grand Hotel''.

1931 film releases

January–March

*January 1931 **3 January ***''

The Criminal Code ''The Criminal Code'' is a 1931 American pre-Code romantic crime drama film directed by Howard Hawks and starring Walter Huston and Phillips Holmes. The screenplay, based on a 1929 play of the same name by Martin Flavin, was written by Fred Nib ...

'' **9 January ***''

Little Caesar Little Caesar may refer to: People * Ptolemy XV Philopator Philometor Caesar, nicknamed Caesarion ("Little Caesar"), last pharaoh of Egypt, son of Julius Caesar and Cleopatra * Little Caesar (singer) (1928-1994; birth name Harry Caesar) U.S. sing ...

'' **17 January ***''

Other Men's Women ''Other Men's Women'' is a 1931 American pre-Code drama film directed by William A. Wellman and written by Maude Fulton. The film stars Grant Withers, Regis Toomey, Mary Astor, James Cagney and Joan Blondell. It was produced and distributed by ...

'' **30 January ***''

City Lights ''City Lights'' is a 1931 American silent romantic comedy film written, produced, directed by, and starring Charlie Chaplin. The story follows the misadventures of Chaplin's Tramp as he falls in love with a blind girl (Virginia Cherrill) and ...

'' *February 1931 **9 February ***'' Cimarron'' **14 February ***''

Dracula ''Dracula'' is a novel by Bram Stoker, published in 1897. As an epistolary novel, the narrative is related through letters, diary entries, and newspaper articles. It has no single protagonist, but opens with solicitor Jonathan Harker taking ...

'' **28 February ***'' Parlor, Bedroom and Bath'' *March 1931 **5 March ***'' The Speckled Band'' **6 March ***'' Ten Cents a Dance'' **14 March ***''

Kiki Kiki or Ki Ki may refer to: Places * Ki Ki, South Australia, Australia, a village * Ki Ki, Iran, a village * Kiai, Iran, a village also known as Kiki * Kiki, Łask County, Poland, a village * Kiki, Poddębice County, Poland, a village * Kiki ...

'' **20 March ***'' The Sleeping Cardinal'' **21 March ***'' Honor Among Lovers'' **29 March ***'' Bad Sister''

April–June

*April 1931 **4 April ***'' The Front Page'' **6 April ***'' A Connecticut Yankee'' **15 April ***'' Bachelor Apartment'' **18 April ***'' City Streets'' ***'' The Secret Six'' **23 April ***'' The Public Enemy'' **24 April ***''

'' **30 April ***''

Iron Man Iron Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was co-created by writer and editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby. The charact ...

'' *May 1931 **1 May ***'' The Millionaire'' **11 May ***'' M'' **16 May ***'' Indiscreet'' **22 May ***'' Svengali'' **23 May ***''

Trader Horn Alfred Aloysius "Trader" Horn (born Alfred Aloysius Smith; 1861–1931) was an ivory trader in central Africa. He wrote a book, ''Trader Horn'', detailing his journeys. The book also documents his efforts to free slaves; meet the founder of Rhodes ...

'' *June 1931 **13 June ***'' The Maltese Falcon'' **20 June ***''

'' **21 June ***''

The Black Camel ''The Black Camel'' (1929) is the fourth of the Charlie Chan novels by Earl Derr Biggers. Plot summary It tells the story of a Hollywood star (Shelah Fane), who is stopping in Hawaii after she finished shooting a film on location in Tahiti. ...

'' **27 June ***'' I Take This Woman'' **28 June ***'' Goldie''

July–September

*July 1931 **11 July ***'' Smart Money'' *August 1931 **1 August ***'' The Smiling Lieutenant'' ***'' Tabu'' **7 August ***'' Huckleberry Finn'' ***'' The Miracle Woman'' **8 August ***'' Bought!'' ***'' Night Nurse'' **13 August ***'' Bad Girl'' **15 August ***'' Pardon Us'' **22 August ***'' An American Tragedy'' ***'' Guilty Hands'' **29 August ***'' The Last Flight'' ***'' This Modern Age'' *September 1931 **1 September ***'' Waterloo Bridge'' **5 September ***'' Daughter of the Dragon'' ***'' Secrets of a Secretary'' ***'' The Squaw Man'' ***''

Street Scene A street scene () is a basic model for epic theater set forth by Bertolt Brecht Eugen Berthold Friedrich Brecht (10 February 1898 – 14 August 1956), known professionally as Bertolt Brecht, was a German theatre practitioner, playwright, and ...

'' **12 September ***''

Alexander Hamilton Alexander Hamilton (January 11, 1755 or 1757July 12, 1804) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first United States secretary of the treasury from 1789 to 1795. Born out of wedlock in Charlest ...

'' **18 September ***''

Peludópolis ''Peludópolis'' is a 1931 Argentine animated film directed by Quirino Cristiani. It was released on 18 September 1931 in Buenos Aires. The film was released with a Vitaphone sound-on-disc synchronization system soundtrack, making the film genera ...

'' (Argentina) **19 September ***'' Monkey Business'' **26 September ***'' Five Star Final'' ***'' Sidewalks of New York'' **30 September ***''

Alice in Wonderland ''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'' (commonly ''Alice in Wonderland'') is an 1865 English novel by Lewis Carroll. It details the story of a young girl named Alice who falls through a rabbit hole into a fantasy world of anthropomorphic creatur ...

October–December

*October 1931 **3 October ***''

Palmy Days ''Palmy Days'' is a 1931 American Pre-Code musical comedy film written by Eddie Cantor, Morrie Ryskind, and David Freedman, directed by A. Edward Sutherland, and choreographed by Busby Berkeley (who makes a cameo appearance as a fortune teller ...

'' **10 October ***'' 24 Hours'' **24 October ***'' The Sin of Madelon Claudet'' **31 October ***'' Platinum Blonde'' *November 1931 **1 November ***'' The Cisco Kid'' **7 November ***'' The Mad Genius'' **9 November ***'' The Champ'' **10 November ***'' Secret Service'' **21 November ***'' Frankenstein'' ***''

Possessed Possessed may refer to: Possession * Possession (disambiguation), having some degree of control over something else ** Spirit possession, whereby gods, demons, animas, or other disincarnate entities may temporarily take control of a human body *** ...

'' **28 November ***'' Battling with Buffalo Bill'' *December 1931 **2 December ***'' Anna Christie'' ( Germany) **3 December ***'' Blonde Crazy'' **7 December ***'' Arrowsmith'' **10 December ***'' The Struggle'' **12 December ***'' Private Lives'' **17 December ***'' Tonight or Never'' **24 December ***''

'' **26 December ***'' Mata Hari''

Notable films released in 1931

United States unless stated

0-9

*'' 24 Hours'', directed by Marion Gering, starring Clive Brook, Kay Francis and Miriam Hopkins

A

*'' Alam Ara (The Light of the World)'' (lost), directed by Ardeshir Irani – ( India) *''

'', directed by

John G. Adolfi John Gustav Adolfi (February 19, 1888 – May 11, 1933) was an American silent film director, actor, and screenwriter who was involved in more than 100 productions throughout his career. An early acting credit was in the recently restored 1912 fi ...

, starring George Arliss *'' Alibi'' (lost), directed by Leslie S. Hiscott – ( GB) *''

'', directed by Bud Pollard *''

Alone ALONE is a charity organization in Ireland which was set-up to highlight the issues facing older people living alone. Founded in 1977 by Willie Bermingham, the charity seeks to help elderly people living on their own who may feel isolated and lone ...

(Sola)'', directed by

Henri Diamant-Berger Henri Diamant-Berger (9 June 1895 – 7 May 1972) was a French director, producer and screenwriter. In a career that lasted more than 50 years, he directed 48 films between 1913 and 1959, produced 17 between 1925 and 1967 and wrote 21 screenpl ...

– ( France) *''

(Odna)'', directed by Leonid Trauberg and

Grigori Kozintsev Grigori Mikhailovich Kozintsev (russian: link=no, Григорий Михайлович Козинцев; 11 May 1973) was a Soviet theatre and film director, screenwriter and pedagogue. He was named People's Artist of the USSR in 1964. In 1965 ...

– ( USSR) *'' An American Tragedy'', directed by

Josef von Sternberg Josef von Sternberg (; born Jonas Sternberg; May 29, 1894 – December 22, 1969) was an Austrian-American filmmaker whose career successfully spanned the transition from the silent to the sound era, during which he worked with most of the major ...

, starring Phillips Holmes and

Sylvia Sidney Sylvia Sidney (born Sophia Kosow; August 8, 1910 – July 1, 1999) was an American stage, screen and film actress whose career spanned over 70 years. She rose to prominence in dozens of leading roles in the 1930s. She was nominated for the Aca ...

*'' Arrowsmith'', directed by John Ford, starring

Ronald Colman Ronald Charles Colman (9 February 1891 – 19 May 1958) was an English-born actor, starting his career in theatre and silent film in his native country, then immigrating to the United States and having a successful Hollywood film career. He wa ...

and

B

*'' Bachelor Apartment'', starring and directed by Lowell Sherman with Irene Dunne *'' The Bachelor Father'', directed by Robert Z. Leonard, starring Marion Davies and

Ray Milland Ray Milland (born Alfred Reginald Jones; 3 January 1907 – 10 March 1986) was a Welsh-American actor and film director. His screen career ran from 1929 to 1985. He is remembered for his Academy Award and Cannes Film Festival Award-winning ...

*'' Bad Girl'', directed by

, starring Sally Eilers and James Dunn *'' Bad Sister'', directed by Hobart Henley, starring Conrad Nagel,

Sidney Fox Sidney Fox (born Sarah Liefer; December 10, 1907 – November 15, 1942) was an American stage and film actress in the late 1920s and 1930s.Sidney Fox Beaha's age in some records is given as 30 or 31 when she died, including in the registry ...

, Bette Davis,

Humphrey Bogart Humphrey DeForest Bogart (; December 25, 1899 – January 14, 1957), nicknamed Bogie, was an American film and stage actor. His performances in Classical Hollywood cinema films made him an American cultural icon. In 1999, the American Film In ...

and ZaSu Pitts *'' Berlin-Alexanderplatz'', directed by Phil Jutzi, starring Heinrich George, based on the 1929

novel A novel is a relatively long work of narrative fiction, typically written in prose and published as a book. The present English word for a long work of prose fiction derives from the for "new", "news", or "short story of something new", itsel ...

Alfred Döblin Bruno Alfred Döblin (; 10 August 1878 – 26 June 1957) was a German novelist, essayist, and doctor, best known for his novel '' Berlin Alexanderplatz'' (1929). A prolific writer whose œuvre spans more than half a century and a wide variety of ...

– ( Germany) *''

'', directed by Hamilton MacFadden, starring Warner Oland, Sally Eilers and Bela Lugosi *'' Blonde Crazy'', directed by

Roy Del Ruth Roy Del Ruth (October 18, 1893, Delaware – April 27, 1961) was an American filmmaker. Early career Beginning his Hollywood career as a writer for Mack Sennett in 1915, Del Ruth later directed his first short film ''Hungry Lions'' (1919) ...

, starring

James Cagney James Francis Cagney Jr. (; July 17, 1899March 30, 1986) was an American actor, dancer and film director. On stage and in film, Cagney was known for his consistently energetic performances, distinctive vocal style, and deadpan comic timing. He ...

and Joan Blondell *'' Bought!'', directed by Archie Mayo, starring Constance Bennett *'' Business Under Distress (To neznáte Hadimršku)'', Karel Lamač and Martin Frič – ( Czechoslovakia)

C

*'' The Champ'', directed by King Vidor, starring Wallace Beery and

Jackie Cooper John Cooper Jr. (September 15, 1922 – May 3, 2011) was an American actor, television director, producer, and executive, known universally as Jackie Cooper. He was a child actor who made the transition to an adult career. Cooper was the first ...

*'' The Cheat'', directed by George Abbott, starring Tallulah Bankhead *'' La Chienne (The Bitch)'', directed by

Jean Renoir Jean Renoir (; 15 September 1894 – 12 February 1979) was a French film director, screenwriter, actor, producer and author. As a film director and actor, he made more than forty films from the silent film, silent era to the end of the 1960s. ...

, starring Michel Simon – ( France) *'' Cimarron'', directed by Wesley Ruggles, starring Richard Dix and Irene Dunne *'' The Cisco Kid'', directed by Irving Cummings, starring Warner Baxter *''

'', a

Charlie Chaplin Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin Jr. (16 April 188925 December 1977) was an English comic actor, filmmaker, and composer who rose to fame in the era of silent film. He became a worldwide icon through his screen persona, the Tramp, and is consider ...

film *'' City Streets'', directed by Rouben Mamoulian, starring Gary Cooper and

*'' A Connecticut Yankee'', directed by David Butler, starring

Will Rogers William Penn Adair Rogers (November 4, 1879 – August 15, 1935) was an American vaudeville performer, actor, and humorous social commentator. He was born as a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, in the Indian Territory (now part of Oklahoma ...

*''

'', directed by

Howard Hawks Howard Winchester Hawks (May 30, 1896December 26, 1977) was an American film director, producer and screenwriter of the classic Hollywood era. Critic Leonard Maltin called him "the greatest American director who is not a household name." A v ...

, starring Walter Huston

D

*'' Daughter of the Dragon'', directed by Lloyd Corrigan, starring Anna May Wong, Warner Oland and Sessue Hayakawa *''

David Golder ''David Golder'' is writer Irène Némirovsky's first novel. It was re-issued in 2004 following the popularity of the Suite Française notebooks discovered in 1998. ''David Golder'' was first published in France in 1929 and won instant acclaim f ...

'', directed by

Julien Duvivier Julien Duvivier (; 8 October 1896 – 29 October 1967) was a French film director and screenwriter. He was prominent in French cinema in the years 1930–1960. Amongst his most original films, chiefly notable are ''La Bandera (film), La Bandera'', ...

– ( France) *'' Dishonored'', directed by

, starring Marlene Dietrich and Victor McLaglen *'' Down River'', directed by Peter Godfrey, starring

Charles Laughton Charles Laughton (1 July 1899 – 15 December 1962) was a British actor. He was trained in London at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and first appeared professionally on the stage in 1926. In 1927, he was cast in a play with his future w ...

– ( GB) *''

'', directed by Rouben Mamoulian, starring Fredric March and Miriam Hopkins *''

'', directed by Tod Browning, starring Bela Lugosi *''

'', directed by George Melford, starring Carlos Villarías

E

*'' Elisabeth of Austria (Elisabeth von Österreich)'', directed by Adolf Trotz, starring

Lil Dagover Lil Dagover (; born Marie Antonia Siegelinde Martha Seubert; 30 September 1887 – 23 January 1980) was a German actress whose film career spanned between 1913 and 1979. She was one of the most popular and recognized film actresses in the Weimar ...

and Paul Otto – ( Germany) *''

Emil and the Detectives ''Emil and the Detectives'' () is a 1929 novel set mainly in Berlin, by the German writer Erich Kästner and illustrated by Walter Trier. It was Kästner's first major success and the only one of his pre-1945 works to escape Nazi censorship. The ...

(Emil und die Detektive)'', directed by Gerhard Lamprecht, starring

Rolf Wenkhaus Rolf Wenkhaus (9 September 1917 – 31 January 1942) was a German people, German child actor who is best remembered for his role of Emil Tischbein in the 1931 film ''Emil and the Detectives (1931 film), Emil and the Detectives''. Early life Born ...

, Käthe Haack and Fritz Rasp – ( Germany) *''

Expensive Women ''Expensive Women'' is a 1931 American Pre-Code Hollywood, pre-Code film drama. It was produced by First National Pictures and distributed through their parent company Warner Bros. The film was directed by silent film veteran Hobart Henley and s ...

'', directed by Hobart Henley, starring Dolores Costello

F

*'' Five and Ten'', directed by Robert Z. Leonard, starring Marion Davies and Leslie Howard *'' Five Star Final'', directed by

Mervyn LeRoy Mervyn LeRoy (; October 15, 1900 – September 13, 1987) was an American film director and producer. In his youth he played juvenile roles in vaudeville and silent film comedies. During the 1930s, LeRoy was one of the two great practitioners of ...

, starring

Edward G. Robinson Edward G. Robinson (born Emanuel Goldenberg; December 12, 1893January 26, 1973) was a Romanian-American actor of stage and screen, who was popular during the Hollywood's Golden Age. He appeared in 30 Broadway plays and more than 100 films duri ...

*'' Frankenstein'', directed by James Whale, starring Boris Karloff, Colin Clive and Mae Clarke *''

'', directed by Clarence Brown, starring Norma Shearer, Leslie Howard,

and Clark Gable *'' From Saturday to Sunday (Ze soboty na neděli)'', directed by Gustav Machatý – ( Czechoslovakia) *'' The Front Page'', directed by Lewis Milestone, starring Adolphe Menjou and Pat O'Brien

G

*'' Girls About Town'', directed by George Cukor, starring Kay Francis, Joel McCrea and Lilyan Tashman *'' Goldie'', directed by Benjamin Stoloff, starring Jean Harlow and Spencer Tracy *'' The Guardsman'', directed by

Sidney Franklin Sidney Franklin may refer to: * Sidney Franklin (bullfighter) (1903–1976), American bullfighter * Sidney Franklin (director) (1893–1972), American film director and producer * Sidney Franklin (actor) Sidney Franklin (1870–1931) was an Amer ...

, starring Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne *'' Guilty Hands'', directed by W. S. Van Dyke, starring

and Kay Francis

H

*'' Hell Divers'', directed by George Hill, starring Wallace Beery, Clark Gable and Conrad Nagel *''

Her Grace Commands ''Her Grace Commands'' (german: Ihre Hoheit befiehlt) is a 1931 German romantic comedy film directed by Hanns Schwarz and starring Käthe von Nagy, Willy Fritsch and Reinhold Schünzel. It is also translated into the alternative title ''Her Highn ...

(Ihre Hoheit befiehlt)'', directed by Hanns Schwarz, starring Willy Fritsch and Käthe von Nagy – ( Germany) *''

Hobson's Choice A Hobson's choice is a free choice in which only one thing is actually offered. The term is often used to describe an illusion that multiple choices are available. The most well known Hobson's choice is "I'll give you a choice: take it or leave ...

'' (lost), directed by Thomas Bentley – ( GB) *'' Honor Among Lovers'', directed by Dorothy Arzner, starring Claudette Colbert and Fredric March *'' Huckleberry Finn'', directed by Norman Taurog, starring

Jackie Coogan John Leslie Coogan (October 26, 1914 – March 1, 1984) was an American actor and comedian who began his film career as a child actor in silent films. Charlie Chaplin's film classic ''The Kid'' (1921) made him one of the first child stars in the ...

*'' Hyppolit, the Butler (Hyppolit, a lakáj)'', directed by

István Székely István () is a Hungarian language equivalent of the name Stephen or Stefan. It may refer to: People with the given name Nobles, palatines and judges royal * Stephen I of Hungary (c. 975–1038), last grand prince of the Hungarians and first ...

– ( Hungary)

I

*'' I Take This Woman'', directed by Marion Gering, starring Gary Cooper and

Carole Lombard Carole Lombard (born Jane Alice Peters; October 6, 1908 – January 16, 1942) was an American actress, particularly noted for her energetic, often off-beat roles in screwball comedies. In 1999, the American Film Institute ranked Lombard 2 ...

*'' Indiscreet'', directed by Leo McCarey, starring Gloria Swanson and Ben Lyon *''

'', directed by Tod Browning, starring Lew Ayres and Jean Harlow *'' It's a Wise Child'', directed by Robert Z. Leonard, starring Marion Davies

J

*'' Just a Gigolo'', directed by Jack Conway, starring William Haines

K

*''

Kalidas Kālidāsa (''fl.'' 4th–5th century CE) was a Classical Sanskrit author who is often considered ancient India's greatest poet and playwright. His plays and poetry are primarily based on the Vedas, the Rāmāyaṇa, the Mahābhārata and ...

'' (lost), directed by

H. M. Reddy Hanumappa Muniappa Reddy (12 June 1892 – 14 January 1960), known as H. M. Reddy, was an Indian film director and producer, known for his works in Telugu cinema. He directed the first Indian multilingual sound film ''Kalidas'' (1931), shot in ...

– ( Tamil) *''

Kameradschaft ''Kameradschaft'' ( en, Comradeship, known in France as ''La Tragédie de la mine'') is a 1931 dramatic film directed by Austrian director G. W. Pabst. The French-German co-production drama is noted for combining expressionism and realism.Butle ...

(Comradeship)'', directed by G. W. Pabst – ( Germany) *''

'', directed by

Sam Taylor Samuel, Sam or Sammy Taylor (male first name) may refer to: Arts * Sam Taylor (director) (1895–1958), American film director and screenwriter * Samuel W. Taylor (1907–1997), American author * Samuel A. Taylor (1912–2000), playwright and scre ...

, starring Mary Pickford *'' Der Kongreß tanzt (The Congress Dances)'', directed by Erik Charell, starring Lilian Harvey, Willy Fritsch, Conrad Veidt and

– ( Germany)

L

*'' The Last Flight'', directed by William Dieterle, starring Richard Barthelmess *''

Limite ''Limite'' (, Portuguese for "limit" or "border") is a film by Brazilian director and writer Mário Peixoto (1908–1992), filmed in 1930 and first screened in 1931. Cited by some as the greatest of all Brazilian films, this 120-minute, silen ...

'', directed by

Mário Peixoto Mário Rodrigues Breves Peixoto (; March 3, 1908 – February 3, 1992) was a Brazilian film director, mainly known for his only film '' Limite'', a silent experimental film filmed in 1930 and premiered in Rio de Janeiro on 17 May 1931. Pei ...

– ( Brazil) *''

'', directed by

, starring

Douglas Fairbanks Jr. Douglas Elton Fairbanks Jr., (December 9, 1909 – May 7, 2000) was an American actor, producer and decorated naval officer of World War II. He is best known for starring in such films as ''The Prisoner of Zenda'' (1937), ''Gunga Din'' (1939) a ...

and Glenda Farrell

M

*'' M'', directed by Fritz Lang, starring Peter Lorre – ( Germany) *'' The Mad Genius'', directed by Michael Curtiz, starring John Barrymore *'' Mädchen in Uniform'', directed by

Leontine Sagan Leontine Sagan (born Leontine Schlesinger; 13 February 1889 – 20 May 1974) was an Austrian-Hungarian theatre director and actress of Jewish descent. She is best known for directing ''Mädchen in Uniform'' (1931). Along with directing for ...

, starring Hertha Thiele – ( Germany) *'' The Maltese Falcon'', directed by

, starring Bebe Daniels,

Ricardo Cortez Ricardo Cortez (born Jacob Kranze or Jacob Krantz; September 19, 1900 – April 28, 1977) was an American actor and film director. He was also credited as Jack Crane early in his acting career. Early years Ricardo Cortez was born Jacob K ...

and Una Merkel *'' Marius'', directed by Alexander Korda, starring Raimu and Pierre Fresnay – ( France) *'' Mata Hari'', directed by George Fitzmaurice, starring Greta Garbo, Ramon Novarro, Lewis Stone and

*'' Le Million'', directed by René Clair – ( France) *'' The Millionaire'', directed by

, starring George Arliss *'' The Miracle Woman'', directed by

Frank Capra Frank Russell Capra (born Francesco Rosario Capra; May 18, 1897 – September 3, 1991) was an Italian-born American film director, producer and writer who became the creative force behind some of the major award-winning films of the 1930s ...

, starring

Barbara Stanwyck Barbara Stanwyck (; born Ruby Catherine Stevens; July 16, 1907 – January 20, 1990) was an American actress, model and dancer. A stage, film, and television star, during her 60-year professional career she was known for her strong, realistic sc ...

*'' Monkey Business'', directed by

Norman Z. McLeod Norman Zenos McLeod (September 20, 1898 – January 27, 1964) was an American film director, screenwriter and cartoonist. McLeod's most acclaimed work was made in collaboration with major comic performers of the 1930s, and included such films as ...

, starring the Marx Brothers *'' My Sin'', directed by George Abbott, starring Tallulah Bankhead and Fredric March

N

*''

The Neighbor's Wife and Mine is a 1931 Japanese comedy film directed by Heinosuke Gosho. It was Japan's first feature length film to fully employ sound. Plot The comedic story depicts a playwright attempting to write a play by a strict deadline and getting distracted by hi ...

(Madamu to nyōbō)'', directed by Heinosuke Gosho – (

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

) *'' A Night in Montmartre'', directed by Leslie S. Hiscott – ( GB) *'' Night Nurse'', directed by William A. Wellman, starring

, Ben Lyon, Joan Blondell and Clark Gable *'' À Nous la Liberté (Freedom for Us)'', directed by René Clair – ( France)

O

*''

'', directed by William A. Wellman, starring Grant Withers, Regis Toomey and Mary Astor

P

*''

'', directed by

A. Edward Sutherland Albert Edward Sutherland (January 5, 1895 – December 31, 1973) was a film director and actor. Born in London, he was from a theatrical family. His father, Al Sutherland, was a theatre manager and producer and his mother, Julie Ring, was a vaud ...

, starring

Eddie Cantor Eddie Cantor (born Isidore Itzkowitz; January 31, 1892 – October 10, 1964) was an American comedian, actor, dancer, singer, songwriter, film producer, screenwriter and author. Familiar to Broadway, radio, movie, and early television audiences, ...

*'' Pardon Us'', directed by James Parrott, starring

Laurel and Hardy Laurel and Hardy were a British-American Double act, comedy duo act during the early Classical Hollywood cinema, Classical Hollywood era of American cinema, consisting of Englishman Stan Laurel (1890–1965) and American Oliver Hardy (1892–19 ...

*'' Parlor, Bedroom and Bath'', directed by Edward Sedgwick, starring

Buster Keaton Joseph Frank "Buster" Keaton (October 4, 1895 – February 1, 1966) was an American actor, comedian, and filmmaker. He is best known for his silent film work, in which his trademark was physical comedy accompanied by a stoic, deadpan expression ...

*''

The Peach Girl ''The Peach Girl'', also known as ''Peach Blossom Weeps Tears of Blood'', is a 1931 silent film written and directed by Bu Wancang. The cast included some of the major movie stars of the periods including the Korean born actor Jin Yan and the a ...

(Tao hua qi xue ji)'', directed by Bu Wancang, starring Ruan Lingyu – (

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

) *''

'' (lost), directed by Quirino Cristiani – ( Argentina) *'' Platinum Blonde'', directed by

, starring Loretta Young,

Robert Williams Robert, Rob, Robbie, Bob or Bobby Williams may refer to: Entertainment Film * Robert Williams (actor, born 1894) (1894–1931), American stage and film actor * Robert B. Williams (actor) (1904–1978), American film actor * R. J. Williams (born ...

and Jean Harlow *''

'', directed by Clarence Brown, starring Joan Crawford and Clark Gable *'' Private Lives'', directed by

, starring Norma Shearer and Robert Montgomery *'' The Public Enemy'', directed by William A. Wellman, starring

, Jean Harlow and Joan Blondell

Q

*'' Quick Millions'', directed by Rowland Brown, starring Spencer Tracy

R

*'' Revenge on the Brother (Enteghm-e baradar)'', directed Ebrahim Moradi – ( Iran)

S

*'' Sally in Our Alley'', directed by Maurice Elvey, starring

Gracie Fields Dame Gracie Fields (born Grace Stansfield; 9 January 189827 September 1979) was an English actress, singer, comedian and star of cinema and music hall who was one of the top ten film stars in Britain during the 1930s and was considered the h ...

– ( GB) *'' Secret Service'', directed by J. Walter Ruben, starring Richard Dix *'' The Secret Six'', directed by George Hill, starring Wallace Beery, Lewis Stone, Johnny Mack Brown, Jean Harlow and Clark Gable *'' Secrets of a Secretary'', directed by George Abbott, starring Claudette Colbert and Herbert Marshall *'' Sidewalks of New York'', directed by Zion Myers and

Jules White Jules White (born Julius Weiss; hu, Weisz Gyula; 17 September 190030 April 1985) was a Hungarian-American film director and producer best known for his short-subject comedies starring The Three Stooges Early years White began working in mo ...

, starring

Anita Page Anita Page (born Anita Evelyn Pomares; August 4, 1910 – September 6, 2008) was an American film actress who reached stardom in the final years of the silent film era. She was referred to as "a blond, blue-eyed Latin" and "the girl with the mos ...

and Cliff Edwards *'' The Sin of Madelon Claudet'', directed by

Edgar Selwyn Edgar Selwyn (October 20, 1875 – February 13, 1944) was a prominent figure in American theatre and film in the first half of the 20th century. An actor, playwright, theatre director, director and theatrical producer, producer on Broadway ( ...

, starring

*'' The Sleeping Cardinal'', directed by Leslie S. Hiscott, starring Arthur Wontner – ( GB) *'' Smart Money'', directed by

Alfred E. Green Alfred Edward Green (July 11, 1889 – September 4, 1960) was an American film director. Green entered film in 1912 as an actor for the Selig Polyscope Company. He became an assistant to director Colin Campbell. He then started to direct two-reel ...

, starring

and

*'' The Smiling Lieutenant'', directed by Ernst Lubitsch, starring

Maurice Chevalier Maurice Auguste Chevalier (; 12 September 1888 – 1 January 1972) was a French singer, actor and entertainer. He is perhaps best known for his signature songs, including " Livin' In The Sunlight", " Valentine", "Louise", " Mimi", and "Thank Hea ...

, Claudette Colbert and Miriam Hopkins *'' The Speckled Band'', directed by Jack Raymond, starring

Raymond Massey Raymond Hart Massey (August 30, 1896 – July 29, 1983) was a Canadian actor, known for his commanding, stage-trained voice. For his lead role in '' Abe Lincoln in Illinois'' (1940), Massey was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor. Amo ...

– ( GB) *'' A Spray of Plum Blossoms (Yī jiǎn méi)'', directed by Bu Wancang, starring Ruan Lingyu – (

) *'' The Squaw Man'', directed by Cecil B. DeMille, starring Warner Baxter and Lupe Vélez *'' The Stolen Jools'', directed by

William C. McGann William C. McGannHe listed himself as "William M. Mcgann" in the World War I draft (April 15, 1893 – November 15, 1977) was an American film director. He directed more than 50 films between 1930 and 1942. He was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsyl ...

*''

'', directed by King Vidor, starring

and Estelle Taylor *'' The Struggle'', directed by D.W. Griffith *'' Svengali'', directed by Archie Mayo, starring John Barrymore and Marian Marsh

T

*'' Tabu: A Story of the South Seas'', directed by F. W. Murnau *''

Tell England ''Tell England: A Study in a Generation'' is a novel written by Ernest Raymond and published in February 1922 in the United Kingdom. Its themes are the First World War and the young men sent to fight in it. The book became a bestseller, some 3 ...

'', directed by Anthony Asquith and Geoffrey Barkas – ( GB) *'' Ten Cents a Dance'', directed by

, starring

and

*'' The Theft of the Mona Lisa (Der Raub der Mona Lisa)'', directed by

Géza von Bolváry Géza von Bolváry (born Géza Gyula Mária Bolváry Zahn, german: Géza Maria von Bolváry-Zahn; 26 December 1897 – 10 August 1961) was a Hungarians, Hungarian actor, screenwriter, and film director, who worked principally in Germany and Aust ...

– ( Germany) *'' This Modern Age'', directed by Nick Grinde, starring Joan Crawford and Neil Hamilton *'' The Threepenny Opera (Die 3 Groschen-Oper)'', directed by G. W. Pabst, starring Lotte Lenya – ( Germany) *'' Tilly of Bloomsbury'', directed by Jack Raymond, starring

Sydney Howard Sydney Howard (7 August 1884 – 12 June 1946) was an English stage comedian and film actor born in Leeds, West Riding of Yorkshire.http://www.britishpictures.com/godfrey/card04.htm Stars of British Films A Series of 50 – No. 4 Sydney Ho ...

and Phyllis Konstam – ( GB) *''

Tokyo Chorus is a 1931 silent film produced by Shochiku Company, directed by Yasujirō Ozu and starring Tokihiko Okada and Emiko Yagumo. It was based on various stories in the Shoshimin-gai (Middle Class Avenue) series and shares influences with King Vidor ...

(Tōkyō no kōrasu)'', directed by Yasujirō Ozu – (

) *'' Tommi'', directed by Yakov Protazanov – ( USSR) *'' Tonight or Never'', directed by

, starring Gloria Swanson and Melvyn Douglas

W

*'' Waterloo Bridge'', directed by James Whale, starring Mae Clarke *''

A Woman of Experience ''A Woman of Experience'' is a 1931 American pre-Code drama film directed by Harry Joe Brown and starring Helen Twelvetrees, William Bakewell and Lew Cody, based on the play ''The Registered Woman'' by John Farrow. During World War I, a woman is ...

'', directed by Harry Joe Brown, starring Helen Twelvetrees

Serials

*'' Battling with Buffalo Bill'' *'' Danger Island'' *''

Finger Prints A fingerprint is an impression left by the friction ridges of a human finger. The recovery of partial fingerprints from a crime scene is an important method of forensic science. Moisture and grease on a finger result in fingerprints on surfac ...

'' *'' The Galloping Ghost'', starring Harold Grange *'' Heroes of the Flames'' *''

King of the Wild ''King of the Wild'' is a 1931 American Pre-Code Hollywood, pre-Code Mascot Pictures, Mascot Serial (film), movie serial. The complete serial is available on DVD from Alpha Video. A seven-reel feature version of the serial was later released i ...

'' *''

The Lightning Warrior ''The Lightning Warrior'' is a 1931 American Pre-Code Mascot movie serial starring Rin Tin Tin in his last role. It is regarded as one of the better Mascot serials. A number of the production's outdoor action sequences were filmed on the rocky ...

'', starring Rin Tin Tin *''The Mystery Trooper'' *'' The Phantom of the West'' *''The Sign of the Wolf'' *'' The Spell of the Circus'' *'' The Vanishing Legion''

Short film series

*''

'' (

1921 Events January * January 2 ** The Association football club Cruzeiro Esporte Clube, from Belo Horizonte, is founded as the multi-sports club Palestra Italia by Italian expatriates in First Brazilian Republic, Brazil. ** The Spanish lin ...

–

1943 Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January 1 – WWII: The Soviet Union announces that 22 German divisions have been encircled at Stalingrad, with 175,000 killed and 137,650 captured. * January 4 – ...

) *'' Charley Chase'' (

1924 Events January * January 12 – Gopinath Saha shoots Ernest Day, whom he has mistaken for Sir Charles Tegart, the police commissioner of Calcutta, and is arrested soon after. * January 20– 30 – Kuomintang in China hol ...

–

1940 A calendar from 1940 according to the Gregorian calendar, factoring in the dates of Easter and related holidays, cannot be used again until the year 5280. Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January *January ...

) *''

'' (

1917 Events Below, the events of World War I have the "WWI" prefix. January * January 9 – WWI – Battle of Rafa: The last substantial Ottoman Army garrison on the Sinai Peninsula is captured by the Egyptian Expeditionary Force's ...

–

1941 Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January–August – 10,072 men, women and children with mental and physical disabilities are asphyxiated with carbon monoxide in a gas chamber, at Hadamar Eu ...

) *''

Our Gang ''Our Gang'' (also known as ''The Little Rascals'' or ''Hal Roach's Rascals'') is an American series of comedy short films chronicling a group of poor neighborhood children and their adventures. Created by film producer Hal Roach, also the ...

'' (

1922 Events January * January 7 – Dáil Éireann (Irish Republic), Dáil Éireann, the parliament of the Irish Republic, ratifies the Anglo-Irish Treaty by 64–57 votes. * January 10 – Arthur Griffith is elected President of Dáil Éirean ...

–

1944 Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January 2 – WWII: ** Free French General Jean de Lattre de Tassigny is appointed to command French Army B, part of the Sixth United States Army Group in Nor ...

)

Animated short film series

*''

Aesop's Film Fables ''Aesop's Fables'' (later renamed ''Aesop's Sound Fables'') is a series of animated short subjects, created by American cartoonist Paul Terry. Produced from 1921 to 1933, the series includes '' Closer than a Brother'' (1925), ''The Window Wash ...

'' (

–

1933 Events January * January 11 – Sir Charles Kingsford Smith makes the first commercial flight between Australia and New Zealand. * January 17 – The United States Congress votes in favour of Philippines independence, against the wis ...

) *''

Krazy Kat ''Krazy Kat'' (also known as ''Krazy & Ignatz'' in some reprints and compilations) is an US, American newspaper comic strip, by cartoonist George Herriman, which ran from 1913 to 1944. It first appeared in the ''New York Journal-American, New Yor ...

'' (

1925 Events January * January 1 ** The Syrian Federation is officially dissolved, the State of Aleppo and the State of Damascus having been replaced by the State of Syria. * January 3 – Benito Mussolini makes a pivotal speech in the Italia ...

–

) *'' Oswald the Lucky Rabbit'' (

1927 Events January * January 1 – The British Broadcasting ''Company'' becomes the British Broadcasting ''Corporation'', when its Royal Charter of incorporation takes effect. John Reith becomes the first Director-General. * January 7 * ...

–

1938 Events January * January 1 ** The Constitution of Estonia#Third Constitution (de facto 1938–1940, de jure 1938–1992), new constitution of Estonia enters into force, which many consider to be the ending of the Era of Silence and the a ...

) *''

Mickey Mouse Mickey Mouse is an animated cartoon Character (arts), character co-created in 1928 by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks. The longtime mascot of The Walt Disney Company, Mickey is an Anthropomorphism, anthropomorphic mouse who typically wears red sho ...

'' ** '' The Birthday Party'' ** ''

Traffic Troubles ''Traffic Troubles'' is a Mickey Mouse short animated film first released on March 7, 1931, as part of the ''Mickey Mouse'' film series. It was the twenty-sixth Mickey Mouse short to be produced, and the second of 1931. Plot Mickey is driving an ...

'' ** '' The Castaway'' ** '' The Moose Hunt'' ** '' The Delivery Boy'' ** ''Mickey Steps Out'' ** ''Blue Rhythm'' ** ''Fishin' Around'' ** ''The Barnyard Broadcast'' ** ''The Beach Party'' ** ''Mickey Cuts Up'' ** ''Mickey's Orphans'' *'' Silly Symphonies'' ** ''Birds of a Feather'' ** ''Mother Goose Melodies'' ** ''The China Plate'' ** ''The Busy Beavers'' ** ''The Cat's Out'' ** ''Egyptian Melodies'' ** ''The Clock Store'' ** ''The Spider and the Fly'' ** ''The Fox Hunt'' ** ''The Ugly Duckling'' *'' Screen Songs'' (

1929 This year marked the end of a period known in American history as the Roaring Twenties after the Wall Street Crash of 1929 ushered in a worldwide Great Depression. In the Americas, an agreement was brokered to end the Cristero War, a Catholic ...

–

) *'' Talkartoons'' (

–

) ** ''Mask a Raid'' (featuring Betty Boop) *''

Looney Tunes ''Looney Tunes'' is an American Animated cartoon, animated comedy short film series produced by Warner Bros. starting from 1930 to 1969, concurrently with its partner series ''Merrie Melodies'', during the golden age of American animation.

'' (

1930 Events January * January 15 – The Moon moves into its nearest point to Earth, called perigee, at the same time as its fullest phase of the Lunar Cycle. This is the closest moon distance at in recent history, and the next one will be ...

–

1969 This year is notable for Apollo 11's first landing on the moon. Events January * January 4 – The Government of Spain hands over Ifni to Morocco. * January 5 **Ariana Afghan Airlines Flight 701 crashes into a house on its approach to ...

) *'' Flip the Frog'' (

–

) *'' Terrytoons'' (

–

1964 Events January * January 1 – The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland is dissolved. * January 5 - In the first meeting between leaders of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches since the fifteenth century, Pope Paul VI and Patriarch ...

) *'' Toby the Pup'' (

-1931) *''

Merrie Melodies ''Merrie Melodies'' is an American animation, animated series of comedy short films produced by Warner Bros. starting in 1931, during the golden age of American animation, and ending in 1969. Then some new cartoons were produced from the late 197 ...

'' (1931–

) *'' Scrappy'' (1931–

) *'' Tom and Jerry (Van Beuren)'' (1931–

)

Births

*January 3 – Conrad Brooks, né Biedrzycki, American actor and producer (died

2017 File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a ser ...

) *January 5 – Robert Duvall, American actor and director *January 9 -

Paul Mantee Paul Mantee (born Paul Marianetti; January 9, 1931 – November 7, 2013) was an American film and television actor. Biography Mantee was born Paul Marianetti in San Francisco, California. A journalism major at San Mateo Junior College, Mantee e ...

, American actor (died

2013 File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fact ...

) *January 13 -

Scott Beach Scott Beach (January 13, 1931 – February 13, 1996) was an American actor, writer and DJ, best known for his performance in the 1960s-themed 1973 film ''American Graffiti''. Life and career Born Alvin Scott Beach, he appeared in numerous m ...

, American actor (died

1996 File:1996 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: A Centennial Olympic Park bombing, bomb explodes at Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta, set off by a radical Anti-abortion violence, anti-abortionist; The center fuel tank explodes on TWA Flight 8 ...

) *January 14 – Caterina Valente, French singer and actress *January 17 – James Earl Jones, American actor *January 22 - Mary Castle, American actress (died

1998 1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''. Events January * January 6 – The '' Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for frozen water, in soil in permanently ...

) *January 25 - Dean Jones, American actor (died

2015 File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the Apri ...

) *January 26 – Mary Murphy, American actress (died

2011 File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed that October; a young man celebrate ...

) *January 29 – Leslie Bricusse, English-born film composer and lyricist (died

2021 File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état, coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October–November 2021 ...

) *February 6 **

Bryan O'Byrne Bryan Jay O'Byrne (February 6, 1931 – December 4, 2009) was an American film and television character actor and acting coach. His credits include numerous television shows, films and many television commercials. Biography Early life O'Byrne ...

, American character actor and acting coach (died

2009 File:2009 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The vertical stabilizer of Air France Flight 447 is pulled out from the Atlantic Ocean; Barack Obama becomes the first African American to become President of the United States; 2009 Iran ...

) **

Rip Torn Elmore Rual "Rip" Torn Jr. (February 6, 1931 – July 9, 2019) was an American actor whose career spanned more than 60 years. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his part as Marsh Turner in '' Cross Creek'' ...

, American actor and director (died

2019 File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...

) ** Mamie Van Doren, American actress and sex symbol *February 8 –

James Dean James Byron Dean (February 8, 1931September 30, 1955) was an American actor. He is remembered as a cultural icon of teenage disillusionment and social estrangement, as expressed in the title of his most celebrated film, ''Rebel Without a Cause' ...

, American actor (died

1955 Events January * January 3 – José Ramón Guizado becomes president of Panama. * January 17 – , the first nuclear-powered submarine, puts to sea for the first time, from Groton, Connecticut. * January 18– 20 – Battle of Yijian ...

) *February 14 ** Charles Hyatt, Jamaican actor, playwright and director (died

2007 File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple's first iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakistani Prime Minister of Pakistan, Pr ...

) ** Margarita Lozano, Spanish actress (died

2022 File:2022 collage V1.png, Clockwise, from top left: Road junction at Yamato-Saidaiji Station several hours after the assassination of Shinzo Abe; 2022 Sri Lankan protests, Anti-government protest in Sri Lanka in front of the Presidential Secretari ...

) *February 15 ** Claire Bloom, English actress ** Mohamed Hilmi, Algerian actor and director (died

) *February 20 - Karl Spiehs, Austrian producer (died

) *February 24 – Dominic Chianese, American actor *February 26 -

Shay Duffin Shay Duffin (26 February 1931 – 23 April 2010) was an Irish character actor of the stage and screen. He was in the 1993 film ''Leprechaun'' with Jennifer Aniston. He also had a role in the 1997 film ''Titanic''. He was best known for writing ...

, Irish character actor (died

2010 File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...

) *March 8 -

Gerald Potterton Gerald Potterton (8 March 1931 – 23 August 2022) was a British–Canadian director, writer, producer and animator. He is best known for directing the cult classic '' Heavy Metal'' and his animation work on '' Yellow Submarine''. Potterton wa ...

, British-Canadian director, writer, producer and animator (died

) *March 15 - James Ellis (actor), Irish actor (died

2014 File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...

) *March 20 – Hal Linden, American actor, director and musician *March 22 – William Shatner, Canadian actor *March 26 – Leonard Nimoy, American actor and director (died

) *March 27 - Marion Brash, American actress (died

) *April 1 – Ita Ever, Estonian actress *April 8 – John Gavin, American actor and diplomat (died

2018 File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...

) *April 17 –

Esteban Siller Esteban Siller Garza (17 April 1931 – 23 October 2013) was a Mexican voice actor from Monterrey, Nuevo León. Filmography *King in Cinderella (1950 film), La cenicienta (1950) (redub) *Bull in Lady and the Tramp (1955) (redub) *Peter Potamus in ...

, Mexican voice actor (died

) *May 5 -

Brian O'Shaughnessy (actor) Brian O'Shaughnessy (5 May 1931 – 19 June 2001) was a British-born film actor.

, British actor (died

2001 The September 11 attacks against the United States by Al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror, were a defining event of 2001. The United States led a Participants in ...

) *May 10 –

Ettore Scola Ettore Scola (; 10 May 1931 – 19 January 2016) was an Italian screenwriter and film director. He received a Golden Globe for Best Foreign Film in 1978 for his film ''A Special Day'' and over the course of his film career was nominated for fiv ...

, Italian director and screenwriter (died

2016 File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses during the 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh ...

) *May 15 -

K. S. Sethumadhavan K. S. Sethumadhavan (15 May 1931 – 24 December 2021) was an Indian film director and screenwriter who worked predominantly in Malayalam cinema. He also directed films in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu. Since the early 1960s, he directed over 60 mov ...

, Indian director and screenwriter (died

) *May 16 - Frank Albanese, American actor (died

) *May 18 – Robert Morse, American actor and singer (died

) *May 19 - James Greene (Northern Irish actor), Northern Irish actor (died

) *May 23 ** Barbara Barrie, American actress ** Patience Cleveland, American actress (died

2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 6 ...

) *May 24 –

Michael Lonsdale Michael Edward Lonsdale-Crouch (24 May 1931 – 21 September 2020), commonly known as Michael Lonsdale and sometimes named as Michel Lonsdale, was a French actor and author who appeared in over 180 films and television shows. He is best know ...

, British-French actor (died

2020 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, COVID- ...

) *May 28 – Carroll Baker, American actress *June 2 - Peter Cummins, Australian character actor *June 3 – Carmen Dell'Orefice, American supermodel and actress *June 7 - Virginia McKenna, English actress *June 14 – Marla Gibbs, American actress, singer, comedian, writer and producer *June 20 ** Olympia Dukakis, Greek-American actress (died

) ** James Tolkan, American actor *July 1 – Leslie Caron, French actress and dancer *July 2 ** Robert Ito, Canadian actor of Japanese ancestry ** Frank Williams (actor), English actor (died

) *July 4 – Stephen Boyd, Irish actor (died

1977 Events January * January 8 – Three bombs explode in Moscow within 37 minutes, killing seven. The bombings are attributed to an Armenian separatist group. * January 10 – Mount Nyiragongo erupts in eastern Zaire (now the Democratic R ...

) *July 5 – António de Macedo, Portuguese filmmaker, writer, university professor and lecturer (died

) *July 6 ** Donal Donnelly, Irish actor died

) ** Della Reese, American jazz and gospel singer, actress and ordinated minister (died

) *July 10 – Nick Adams, American actor and screenwriter (died

1968 The year was highlighted by protests and other unrests that occurred worldwide. Events January–February * January 5 – "Prague Spring": Alexander Dubček is chosen as leader of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia. * Januar ...

) *July 11 – Tab Hunter, American actor and singer (died

) *July 14 – Mirella Ricciardi, Kenyan photographer, writer and actress *July 24 –

Ermanno Olmi Ermanno Olmi (24 July 1931 – 7 May 2018)Lane, John Francis (May 7, 2018).Ermanno Olmi obituary. ''The Guardian''. theguardian.com. Retrieved 11 May 2018. was an Italian film director and screenwriter. Biography Olmi was born to a Catholic ...

, Italian director and screenwriter (died

) *July 27 – Jerry Van Dyke, American actor, musician and comedian (died

) *July 28 – Darryl Hickman, American actor, voice artist, screenwriter and television executive *August 19 ** Elena Cotta, Italian actress ** Marianne Koch, German actress *August 23 – Barbara Eden, American actress *August 12 – William Goldman, American screenwriter and novelist (died

) *August 31 – Noble Willingham, American actor (died

) *September 4 – Mitzi Gaynor, American actress, singer and dancer *September 10 –

Philip Baker Hall Philip Baker Hall (September 10, 1931 – June 12, 2022) was an American character actor. Hall is known for his collaborations with Paul Thomas Anderson, including '' Hard Eight'' (1996), ''Boogie Nights'' (1997) and ''Magnolia'' (1999). He als ...

, American actor (died

) *September 12 ** Ian Holm, English actor (died

) ** Bill McKinney, American character actor (died

) *September 13 – Barbara Bain, American actress *September 17 – Anne Bancroft, American actress (died

2005 File:2005 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico; the Funeral of Pope John Paul II is held in Vatican City; "Me at the zoo", the first video ever to be uploaded to YouTube; Eris was discovered in ...

) *September 20 - Ned Tanen, American producer (died

) *September 21 –

Larry Hagman Larry Martin Hagman (September 21, 1931 – November 23, 2012) was an American film and television actor, director, and producer, best known for playing ruthless oil baron J. R. Ewing in the 1978–1991 primetime television soap opera, ''Dal ...

, American actor and director (died

2012 File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...

) *September 29 ** Eddie Barth, American actor (died

) ** Anita Ekberg, Swedish actress and sex symbol (died

) *September 30 – Angie Dickinson, American actress *October 10 – Román Chalbaud, Venezuelan director *October 21 – Vivian Pickles, English actress *November 3 – Monica Vitti, Italian actress (died

) *November 5 -

Gil Hill Gilbert Roland Hill (November 5, 1931 – February 29, 2016) was an American politician, police officer, and actor, who was the President of the Detroit City Council. He gained recognition for his role as Inspector Todd in the ''Beverly Hills Co ...

, American actor (died

) *November 6 – Mike Nichols, German-born director (died

) *November 10 – Don Henderson, English actor of stage, television and screen (died

1997 File:1997 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The movie set of ''Titanic'', the highest-grossing movie in history at the time; ''Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'', is published; Comet Hale-Bopp passes by Earth and becomes one of t ...

) *November 12 – Mary Louise Wilson, American actress, singer and comedian *November 18 - Brad Sullivan, American character actor (died 2008) *November 30 – Jack Ging, American actor (died

) *December 2 – Nadja Regin, Serbian actress (died

) *December 3 -

Jaye P. Morgan Jaye P. Morgan (born Mary Margaret Morgan) is a retired American popular music singer, actress, and game show panelist. Early life Morgan was born in Mancos in Montezuma County in far southwestern Colorado. Her family moved to California by t ...

, retired American singer, actress and game show panelist *December 9 ** Paddi Edwards, British-American actress (died

1999 File:1999 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The funeral procession of King Hussein of Jordan in Amman; the 1999 İzmit earthquake kills over 17,000 people in Turkey; the Columbine High School massacre, one of the first major school shootin ...

) **

William Reynolds (actor) William DeClercq Reynolds (''né'' Regnolds; December 9, 1931 – August 24, 2022) was an American actor. He was best known for his role as Special Agent Tom Colby in the 1960s television series ''The F.B.I.'' and his film and television roles ...

, American actor (died

) *December 11 ** Anne Heywood, British actress **

Rita Moreno Rita Moreno (born Rosa Dolores Alverío Marcano; December 11, 1931) is a Puerto Rican actress, dancer, and singer. Noted for her work across different areas of the entertainment industry, she has appeared in numerous film, television, and thea ...

, Puerto Rican actress *December 20 - Mala Powers, American actress (died

) *December 23 – Ronnie Schell, American actor and stand-up comedian *December 24 - Robert Ridgely, American actor (died

) *December 28 – Martin Milner. American actor (died

)

Deaths

* March 11 – F. W. Murnau, German director (born 1888) * March 24 ** Charles Clary, silent film actor (born 1873) ** Robert Edeson, stage and screen actor (born 1868) * June 7 –

Viktor Schwanneke Viktor Schwanneke (8 February 1880 – 7 June 1931) was a German stage director and actor, writer, and film actor whose acting career began at the turn of the 20th century. Early life Viktor Schwanneke was born in the small village of Hedwig ...

, German actor (born 1880) * August 14 –

Janie Marèse Janie Marèse (born Jeanne Marie Thérèse Bugnot, 23 May 1908 in Chartres, Eure-et-Loir - 14 August 1931 in Sainte-Maxime, Var) was a French actress who appeared in four shorts and three feature-length films, most notably Jean Renoir's second s ...

, French actress (born 1908) * September 13 – Lawrence D'Orsay, English actor (born 1853) * October 18 - Thomas Edison, inventor (born 1847) * November 27 – Lya De Putti, Hungarian actress (born

1899 Events January 1899 * January 1 ** Spanish rule ends in Cuba, concluding 400 years of the Spanish Empire in the Americas. ** Queens and Staten Island become administratively part of New York City. * January 2 – **Bolivia sets up a c ...

) * December 23 – Tyrone Power, Sr., stage and film veteran, father of movie star Tyrone Power (born 1869)

Film debuts

* Ralph Bellamy – '' The Secret Six'' *

Bruce Cabot Bruce Cabot (born Étienne de Pelissier Bujac Jr.; April 20, 1904 – May 3, 1972) was an American film actor, best remembered as Jack Driscoll in ''King Kong'' (1933) and for his roles in films such as ''The Last of the Mohicans'' (1936), Fri ...

– '' Heroes of the Flames'' * Bette Davis – '' Bad Sister'' * Melvyn Douglas – '' Tonight or Never'' * Alexander Knox – '' The Ringer'' * Lotte Lenya – '' The Threepenny Opera'' * Eric Linden – '' Are These Our Children?'' * Ida Lupino – '' The Love Race'' * Helen Mack – '' The Struggle'' * Otto Preminger director, producer – '' The Great Love'' * Gene Raymond – '' Personal Maid'' *

Ralph Richardson Sir Ralph David Richardson (19 December 1902 – 10 October 1983) was an English actor who, with John Gielgud and Laurence Olivier, was one of the trinity of male actors who dominated the British stage for much of the 20th century. He wo ...

– '' Dreyfus'' * Simone Simon – ''Durand contre Durand'' *

Robert Young Robert, Rob, Robbie, Bob, or Bobby Young may refer to: Academics * R. A. Young (Robert Arthur Young, 1871–1959), British physician * Robert J. C. Young (born 1950), British cultural critic and historian * Robert J. Young (born 1942), Canadian h ...

– ''

References

;Citations ;Bibliography * * {{1931 films Film by year