The following is an overview of events in 1981 in film, including the highest-grossing films, award ceremonies and festivals, a list of films released and notable deaths.

Highest-grossing films (U.S.)

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

Events

* May 16 –

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by amazon (company), Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded o ...

acquires beleaguered concurrent

United Artists United Artists Corporation (UA), currently doing business as United Artists Digital Studios, is an American digital production company. Founded in 1919 by D. W. Griffith, Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, and Douglas Fairbanks, the studi ...

. 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. * March 30 - The

53rd Academy Awards The 53rd Academy Awards ceremony, organized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honored 1980 in film, films released in 1980 and took place on March 31, 1981, at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles beginning at ...

are postponed due to the attempted assassination of President Ronald Reagan earlier that day. They are held the following day with a message from the President recorded for the ceremony prior to the assassination attempt. * June 8 -

Marvin Davis Marvin H. Davis (August 31, 1925 – September 25, 2004) was an American industrialist. He made his fortunes as the chair of Davis Petroleum and at one time owned 20th Century Fox, the Pebble Beach Corporation, the Beverly Hills Hotel, and the ...

acquires

20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm of Walt Dis ...

for $720 million. * June 12 – ''

Raiders of the Lost Ark ''Raiders of the Lost Ark'' is a 1981 American action-adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Lawrence Kasdan, based on a story by George Lucas and Philip Kaufman. It stars Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Paul Freeman, Ronal ...

'' is released by

Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film and television production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the main namesake division of Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS). It is the fifth-oldes ...

. It became Paramount's highest-grossing film of all time and set a major standard for many action-adventure movies to date and spawned three sequels. * August 21 – '' An American Werewolf in London'' is released and becomes a landmark in Visual Effects and Makeup. * November 1 -

United International Pictures United International Pictures (UIP) is a joint venture of Paramount Pictures and Universal Pictures that distributes their films outside the United States and Canada. UIP also had international distribution rights to certain Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer an ...

is created to handle international distribution of films for

MGM Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded on April 17, 1924 a ...

Universal Pictures Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Ameri ...

and

to replace

Cinema International Corporation Cinema International Corporation (CIC) was a film distribution company started by Paramount Pictures and Universal Pictures in the early 1970s to distribute the two studios' films outside the United States – it even operated in Canada before it ...

following MGM's acquisition of UA. * November 25 -

Norman Lear Norman Milton Lear (born July 27, 1922) is an American producer and screenwriter, who has produced, written, created, or developed over 100 shows. Lear is known for many popular 1970s sitcoms, including the multi-award winning ''All in the Famil ...

and his partner

Jerry Perenchio Andrew Jerrold Perenchio (December 20, 1930 – May 23, 2017) was an American billionaire businessman and philanthropist. He was at one time the chairman and chief executive officer of Univision. Early life Perenchio was the grandson of Italian ...

agree to buy

Avco Embassy Embassy Pictures Corporation (also and later known as Avco Embassy Pictures as well as Embassy Films Associates) was an American independent film production and distribution studio responsible for such films as ''The Graduate'', '' The Produc ...

for $25 million. * November 29 – Actress

Natalie Wood Natalie Wood ( Zacharenko; July 20, 1938 – November 29, 1981) was an American actress who began her career in film as a child and successfully transitioned to young adult roles. Wood started acting at age four and was given a co-starring r ...

drowns in a boating accident off Santa Catalina Island.

Awards

Palme d'Or The Palme d'Or (; en, Golden Palm) is the highest prize awarded at the Cannes Film Festival. It was introduced in 1955 by the festival's organizing committee. Previously, from 1939 to 1954, the festival's highest prize was the Grand Prix du Fe ...

(Cannes Film Festival): :''

Man of Iron ''Man of Iron'' ( pl, Człowiek z żelaza) is a 1981 film directed by Andrzej Wajda. It depicts the Solidarity labour movement and its first success in persuading the Polish government to recognize the workers' right to an independent union. Th ...

'' (Człowiek z żelaza), directed by

Andrzej Wajda Andrzej Witold Wajda (; 6 March 1926 – 9 October 2016) was a Polish film and theatre director. Recipient of an Honorary Oscar, the Palme d'Or, as well as Honorary Golden Lion and Honorary Golden Bear Awards, he was a prominent member of the ...

, Poland

Golden Lion The Golden Lion ( it, Leone d'oro) is the highest prize given to a film at the Venice Film Festival. The prize was introduced in 1949 by the organizing committee and is now regarded as one of the film industry's most prestigious and distinguishe ...

(Venice Film Festival): :''

Marianne and Juliane ''Marianne and Juliane'' (german: Die bleierne Zeit; lit. "The Leaden Time" or "Leaden Times"), also called ''The German Sisters'' in the United Kingdom, is a 1981 West German film directed by Margarethe von Trotta. The screenplay is a fictionalize ...

'' (''Die Bleierne Zeit''), directed by

Margarethe von Trotta Margarethe von Trotta (; born 21 February 1942) is a German film director, screenwriter, and actress. She has been referred to as a "leading force" of the New German Cinema movement.

, W. Germany

Golden Bear The Golden Bear (german: Goldener Bär) is the highest prize awarded for the best film at the Berlin International Film Festival. The bear is the heraldic animal of Berlin, featured on both the coat of arms and flag of Berlin. History The winn ...

(Berlin Film Festival): :''

Faster, Faster ''Deprisa, deprisa'' ( en, Hurry, Hurry!) is a 1981 in film, 1981 Cinema of Spain, Spanish film directed by Carlos Saura. It tells the story of a gang of juvenile delinquents and is considered one of the classics of the Quinqui (film genre), quinqu ...

'' (''Deprisa, deprisa'' / ''Vivre vite''), directed by

Carlos Saura Carlos Saura Atarés (born 4 January 1932) is a Spanish film director, photographer and writer. Along with Luis Buñuel and Pedro Almodóvar, he is considered to be one of Spain’s most renowned filmmakers. He has a long and prolific career th ...

, Spain / France

Notable films released in 1981

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

unless stated

A

*''

Absence of Malice ''Absence of Malice'' is a 1981 American drama neo noir thriller film directed by Sydney Pollack and starring Paul Newman, Sally Field, Wilford Brimley, Melinda Dillon and Bob Balaban. The title refers to one of the defenses against libel def ...

'', directed by

Sydney Pollack Sydney Irwin Pollack (July 1, 1934 – May 26, 2008) was an American film director, producer and actor. Pollack directed more than 20 films and 10 television shows, acted in over 30 movies or shows and produced over 44 films. For his film ''Out ...

, starring

Paul Newman Paul Leonard Newman (January 26, 1925 – September 26, 2008) was an American actor, film director, race car driver, philanthropist, and entrepreneur. He was the recipient of numerous awards, including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, three ...

Sally Field Sally Margaret Field (born November 6, 1946) is an American actress. She has received many awards and nominations, including two Academy Awards, three Primetime Emmy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, a Screen Actors Guild Award, a Cannes Film F ...

Bob Balaban Robert Elmer Balaban (born August 16, 1945) is an American actor, author, comedian, director and producer. He was one of the producers nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture for ''Gosford Park'' (2001), in which he also appeared. Balab ...

Melinda Dillon Melinda Dillon (born October 13, 1939) is a retired American actress. She received a 1963 Tony Award nomination for her Broadway debut in the original production of ''Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?'', and she was nominated for the Academy Award ...

*'' All Night Long'', starring

Barbra Streisand Barbara Joan "Barbra" Streisand (; born April 24, 1942) is an American singer, actress and director. With a career spanning over six decades, she has achieved success in multiple fields of entertainment, and is among the few performers List ...

Gene Hackman Eugene Allen Hackman (born January 30, 1930) is an American retired actor and former novelist. In a career that has spanned more than six decades, Hackman has won two Academy Awards, four Golden Globes, one Screen Actors Guild Award, two BAFTAs ...

Diane Ladd Diane Ladd is an American actress. She has appeared in over 120 film and television roles. For the 1974 film '' Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore'', she won the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role and was nominated for the Academy A ...

Dennis Quaid Dennis William Quaid (born April 9, 1954) is an American actor known for a wide variety of dramatic and comedic roles. First gaining widespread attention in the late 1970s, some of his notable credits include ''Breaking Away'' (1979), '' The ...

*'' ...All the Marbles'', starring

Peter Falk Peter Michael Falk (September 16, 1927 – June 23, 2011) was an American film and television actor. He is best known for his role as Lieutenant Columbo in the long-running television series ''Columbo'' (1968–1978, 1989–2003), for which he ...

Vicki Frederick Vicki Frederick (born January 2, 1949) is an American actress and dancer who has appeared in a number of musicals on Broadway plays, in films, and on popular TV shows such as ''Mork and Mindy'' and ''Happy Days'' in 1979, and ''Murder She Wrote'' i ...

and

Laurene Landon Laurene Landon Coughlin (born March 17, 1957) is a Canadian film and television actress. She first began appearing in movies in the 1980s. She is best known for her roles in ''Maniac Cop'' and ''Maniac Cop 2'', ''I, the Jury'', ''Hundra'', '' A ...

*'' The Amateur'', starring John Savage,

Christopher Plummer Arthur Christopher Orme Plummer (December 13, 1929 – February 5, 2021) was a Canadian actor. His career spanned seven decades, gaining him recognition for his performances in film, stage, and television. He received multiple accolades, inc ...

Marthe Keller Marthe Keller (born 28 January 1945) is a Swiss actress and opera director. She is perhaps best known for her role in the film '' Marathon Man'' (1976), for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award. Career Early years Keller studied ba ...

*''

American Pop ''American Pop'' is a 1981 American adult animated jukebox musical drama film starring Ron Thompson and produced and directed by Ralph Bakshi. It was the fourth animated feature film to be presented in Dolby sound. The film tells the story of f ...

'', an animated rotoscope musical by

Ralph Bakshi Ralph Bakshi (born October 29, 1938) is an American animator and filmmaker. In the 1970s, he established an alternative to mainstream animation through independent and adult-oriented productions. Between 1972 and 1992, he directed nine theatric ...

and starring Ron Thompson *''

A Moment of Weakness A Moment of Weakness (Egyptian Arabic: ''لحظة ضعف,'' translit. ''Lahzet Da'af'') is a 1981 Egyptian drama film written by Mahmoud Abu Zeid and directed by Sayed Tantawy. It stars Salah Zulfikar, Nelly and Hussein Fahmy. Plot Abdul Ghaffa ...

'', starring

Salah Zulfikar Salah El Din Ahmed Mourad Zulfikar ( ar, صلاح ذو الفقار; ; 18 January 1926 – 22 December 1993) was an Egyptian actor and film producer. He started his career as a police officer in the Egyptian National Police, before becoming an ac ...

Nelly Cornell Iral Haynes Jr. (born November 2, 1974), better known by his stage name Nelly, is an American rapper, singer, actor and entrepreneur. He embarked on his music career with the hip hop group St. Lunatics in 1993 and signed to Universal ...

and

Hussein Fahmy Hussein Fahmy ( ar, حسين فهمي; born 22 March 1940) is an Egyptian actor. He worked in the film and television industry for more than 50 years, specializing in film directing and appearing in over 100 film, television, and theatre productio ...

(

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...

) *'' An American Werewolf in London'', directed by

John Landis John David Landis (born August 3, 1950) is an American comedy and fantasy filmmaker and actor. He is best known for the comedy films that he has directed – such as ''The Kentucky Fried Movie'' (1977), ''Animal House, National Lampoon's Animal ...

, starring

David Naughton David Walsh Naughton (born February 13, 1951) is an American actor and singer known for his starring roles in the horror film '' An American Werewolf in London'' (1981) and the Disney comedy '' Midnight Madness'' (1980), as well as for a long-run ...

Griffin Dunne Thomas Griffin Dunne (; born June 8, 1955) is an American actor, film producer, and film director. Dunne studied acting at The Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre in New York City. He is known for portraying Jack Goodman in '' An Amer ...

Jenny Agutter Jennifer Ann Agutter (born 20 December 1952) is a British actress. She began her career as a child actress in 1964, appearing in ''East of Sudan'', '' Star!'', and two adaptations of ''The Railway Children''—the BBC's 1968 television serial ...

– ( US/ UK) *''

Amy Amy is a female given name, sometimes short for Amanda, Amelia, Amélie, or Amita. In French, the name is spelled ''"Aimée"''. People A–E * Amy Acker (born 1976), American actress * Amy Vera Ackman, also known as Mother Giovanni (1886– ...

'', starring

and

Barry Newman Barry Foster Newman (born November 7, 1938) is an American actor of stage, screen and television known for his portrayal of Kowalski in ''Vanishing Point'', and for his title role in the 1970s television series ''Petrocelli''. He has been nominat ...

*''

Arthur Arthur is a common male given name of Brittonic languages, Brythonic origin. Its popularity derives from it being the name of the legendary hero King Arthur. The etymology is disputed. It may derive from the Celtic ''Artos'' meaning “Bear”. An ...

'', starring

Dudley Moore Dudley Stuart John Moore CBE (19 April 193527 March 2002) was an English actor, comedian, musician and composer. Moore first came to prominence in the UK as a leading figure in the British satire boom of the 1960s. He was one of the four writ ...

Liza Minnelli Liza May Minnelli ( ; born March 12, 1946) is an American actress, singer, dancer, and choreographer. Known for her commanding stage presence and powerful alto singing voice, Minnelli is among a rare group of performers awarded an Emmy, Grammy ...

John Gielgud Sir Arthur John Gielgud, (; 14 April 1904 – 21 May 2000) was an English actor and theatre director whose career spanned eight decades. With Ralph Richardson and Laurence Olivier, he was one of the trinity of actors who dominated the Briti ...

Geraldine Fitzgerald Geraldine Mary Fitzgerald (November 24, 1913 – July 17, 2005) was an Irish actress and a member of the American Theater Hall of Fame. In 2020, she was listed at number 30 on ''The Irish Times'' list of Ireland's greatest film actors. Early li ...

Stephen Elliott Stephen Elliott may refer to: Entertainment *Stephen Elliott (actor), (1918–2005), American actor *Stephen Elliott (author) (born 1971), American author and activist Sport *Steve Elliott (footballer, born 1958), English footballer *Steve Elliot ...

Jill Eikenberry Jill Susan Eikenberry (born January 21, 1947) is an American film, stage, and television actress. She is known for her role as lawyer Ann Kelsey on the NBC drama '' L.A. Law'' (1986–94), for which she is a five-time Emmy Award and four-time Go ...

*''

The Aviator's Wife ''The Aviator's Wife'' (french: La Femme de l'aviateur) is a 1981 French Romance film, romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by Éric Rohmer. The film stars Philippe Marlaud, Marie Rivière and Anne-Laure Meury. Like many of Rohmer's f ...

'' (La femme de l'aviateur), directed by

Éric Rohmer Jean Marie Maurice Schérer or Maurice Henri Joseph Schérer, known as Éric Rohmer (; 21 March 192011 January 2010), was a French film director, film critic, journalist, novelist, screenwriter, and teacher. Rohmer was the last of the post-World ...

– (

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

)

B

*'' Back Roads'', directed by

Martin Ritt Martin Ritt (March 2, 1914 – December 8, 1990) was an American director and actor who worked in both film and theater, noted for his socially conscious films. Some of the films he directed include ''The Long, Hot Summer'' (1958), '' The Black ...

, starring

and

Tommy Lee Jones Tommy Lee Jones (born September 15, 1946) is an American actor and film director. He has received four Academy Award nominations, winning Best Supporting Actor for his performance as U.S. Marshal Samuel Gerard in the 1993 thriller film '' The ...

*''

Beau-père ''Beau Pere'' (french: Beau-père), also known as ''Stepfather'', is a 1981 French comedy-drama film directed by Bertrand Blier, based on his novel of the same name. It stars Patrick Dewaere, Ariel Besse and Maurice Ronet and is about a 30-year-old ...

'', directed by

Bertrand Blier Bertrand Blier (; born 14 March 1939) is a French film director and writer. His 1978 film ''Get Out Your Handkerchiefs'' won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film at the 51st Academy Awards. He is the son of famous French actor Bernard ...

– (

) *'' Die Berührte'', directed by

Helma Sanders-Brahms Helma Sanders-Brahms (20 November 1940 – 27 May 2014) was a German film director, screenwriter and producer. Biography Helma Sanders was born on 20 November 1940 in Emden, Germany. She attended a school for acting in Hannover from 1960 to 1 ...

– (

West Germany West Germany is the colloquial term used to indicate the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG; german: Bundesrepublik Deutschland , BRD) between its formation on 23 May 1949 and the German reunification through the accession of East Germany on 3 O ...

) *''

Betrayal Betrayal is the breaking or violation of a presumptive contract, trust, or confidence that produces moral and psychological conflict within a relationship amongst individuals, between organizations or between individuals and organizations. Ofte ...

'' (Løperjenten) – (

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...

) *'' Bianco, rosso e Verdone'' – (

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

) *''

Blind Chance ''Blind Chance'' ( pl, Przypadek) is a Polish film written and directed by Krzysztof Kieślowski and starring Bogusław Linda. The film presents three separate storylines, told in succession, about a man running after a train and how such an ordi ...

'' (Przypadek) – (

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...

) *''

The Blood of Hussain ''The Blood of Hussain'' is a 1980 Pakistani drama film directed by Jamil Dehlavi. The film was released in February 1981 in the UK. The film was banned throughout Pakistan as the military junta led by General Zia-ul-Haq toppled the government ...

'' – (

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

) *''

Blood Wedding ''Blood Wedding'' ( es, link=no, Bodas de sangre) is a tragedy by Spanish dramatist Federico García Lorca. It was written in 1932 and first performed at Teatro Beatriz in Madrid in March 1933, then later that year in Buenos Aires, Argentina. ...

'' (Bodas de sangre), directed by

– (

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

) *''

Blow Out ''Blow Out'' is a 1981 American neo-noir mystery thriller film written and directed by Brian De Palma. The film stars John Travolta as Jack Terry, a movie sound effects technician from Philadelphia who, while recording sounds for a low-budget sl ...

'', directed by

Brian De Palma Brian Russell De Palma (born September 11, 1940) is an American film director and screenwriter. With a career spanning over 50 years, he is best known for his work in the suspense, crime and psychological thriller genres. De Palma was a leading ...

, starring

John Travolta John Joseph Travolta (born February 18, 1954) is an American actor. He came to public attention during the 1970s, appearing on the television sitcom ''Welcome Back, Kotter'' (1975–1979) and starring in the box office successes ''Carrie'' (19 ...

, Nancy Allen,

Dennis Franz Dennis Franz Schlachta (; born October 28, 1944), known professionally as Dennis Franz, is an American retired actor best known for his role as NYPD Detective Andy Sipowicz in the ABC television series ''NYPD Blue'' (1993–2005), a role that ea ...

John Lithgow John Arthur Lithgow ( ; born , 1945) is an American actor. Lithgow studied at Harvard University and the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art before becoming known for his work on the stage and screen. He has been the recipient of numerous ...

*''

The Boat Is Full ''The Boat Is Full'' (german: Das Boot ist voll) is a 1981 German-language Swiss film directed by Markus Imhoof. The film was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film as a Cinema of Switzerland, Swiss submission. It was also e ...

'' (Das Boot ist voll) – (

Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

) *'' Body and Soul'', starring

Jayne Kennedy Jayne Kennedy Overton (née Harrison; born October 27, 1951) is an American television personality, actress, model, corporate spokeswoman, producer, writer, public speaker, philanthropist, and sports broadcaster. Personal life Jayne Kennedy g ...

, Leon Isaac Kennedy,

Michael V. Gazzo Michael Vincenzo Gazzo (April 5, 1923 – February 14, 1995) was an American playwright who later in life became a film and television actor. He was nominated for an Academy Award for his role in ''The Godfather Part II'' (1974). Biography Gazz ...

*''

Body Heat Thermoregulation is the ability of an organism to keep its body temperature within certain boundaries, even when the surrounding temperature is very different. A thermoconforming organism, by contrast, simply adopts the surrounding temperature ...

'', directed by

Lawrence Kasdan Lawrence Edward Kasdan (born January 14, 1949) is an American filmmaker. He is the co-writer of the ''Star Wars'' films ''The Empire Strikes Back'' (1980), ''Return of the Jedi'' (1983), ''The Force Awakens'' (2015), and ''Solo: A Star Wars Stor ...

, starring

William Hurt William McChord Hurt (March 20, 1950 – March 13, 2022) was an American actor. Known for his performances on stage and screen, he received various awards including an Academy Award, BAFTA Award and Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actor. ...

Kathleen Turner Mary Kathleen Turner (born June 19, 1954) is an American actress. She has received various accolades, including two Golden Globe Awards, in addition to nominations for an Academy Award, a Grammy Award, and two Tony Awards. Turner became widely k ...

Ted Danson Edward Bridge "Ted" Danson III (born December 29, 1947) is an American actor. He achieved stardom playing the lead character Sam Malone on the NBC sitcom ''Cheers'', for which he received two Primetime Emmy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards. He ...

Richard Crenna Richard Donald Crenna (November 30, 1926 – January 17, 2003) was an American film, television and radio actor. Crenna starred in such motion pictures as ''The Sand Pebbles'', ''Wait Until Dark'', ''Un Flic'', ''Body Heat'', the first three ' ...

J. A. Preston James Allen Preston (born November 13, 1932) is a former American actor. Preston is best known for portraying Colonel Randolph in the movie ''A Few Good Men'' and for his role as Ozzie Cleveland on the NBC prime-time television series ''Hill St ...

Mickey Rourke Philip Andre "Mickey" Rourke Jr. (; born September 16, 1952) is an American actor and former boxer who has appeared primarily as a leading man in drama, action, and thriller films. During the star of the 1980s, Rourke played supporting roles i ...

*''

Das Boot ''Das Boot'' (, English: "The Boat") is a 1981 West German war film written and directed by Wolfgang Petersen, produced by Günter Rohrbach, and starring Jürgen Prochnow, Herbert Grönemeyer, and Klaus Wennemann. It has been exhibited both as ...

'' (Released in the U.S. in 1982), directed by

Wolfgang Petersen Wolfgang Petersen (14 March 1941 – 12 August 2022) was a German film director, screenwriter, and producer. He was nominated for two Academy Awards for the World War II submarine warfare film ''Das Boot'' (1981). His other films include ''The Ne ...

, starring

Jürgen Prochnow Jürgen Prochnow ( ; born 10 June 1941) is a German-American actor. His international breakthrough was his portrayal of the good-hearted and sympathetic U-boat Captain "Der Alte" ("Old Man") in the 1981 war film ''Das Boot''. He is also known f ...

– (

) *''

Buddy Buddy ''Buddy Buddy'' is a 1981 American comedy film based on Francis Veber's play ''Le contrat'' and Édouard Molinaro's film '' L'emmerdeur''. It was the final film directed and written by Billy Wilder. Plot Hitman Trabucco eliminates two witnesses a ...

'', directed by

Billy Wilder Billy Wilder (; ; born Samuel Wilder; June 22, 1906 – March 27, 2002) was an Austrian-American filmmaker. His career in Hollywood spanned five decades, and he is regarded as one of the most brilliant and versatile filmmakers of Classic Holl ...

, starring

Jack Lemmon John Uhler Lemmon III (February 8, 1925 – June 27, 2001) was an American actor. Considered equally proficient in both dramatic and comic roles, Lemmon was known for his anxious, middle-class everyman screen persona in dramedy pictures, leadin ...

and

Walter Matthau Walter Matthau (; born Walter John Matthow; October 1, 1920 – July 1, 2000) was an American actor, comedian and film director. He is best known for his film roles in '' A Face in the Crowd'' (1957), ''King Creole'' (1958) and as a coach of a ...

*'' Buriki no kunsho'' – (

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 ...

) *'' The Burning'', starring Brian Matthews – (

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

) *''

The Bushido Blade ''The Bushido Blade'' is a 1981 film directed by Tom Kotani. Sonny Chiba, Toshiro Mifune, Mako, Laura Gemser and James Earl Jones appear in this film. It was filmed in 1978, but not released until 1981. This was Richard Boone's last film appeara ...

'' *'' Bustin' Loose'', starring

Richard Pryor Richard Franklin Lennox Thomas Pryor Sr. (December 1, 1940 – December 10, 2005) was an American stand-up comedian and actor. He reached a broad audience with his trenchant observations and storytelling style, and is widely regarded as on ...

and

Cicely Tyson Cicely Louise Tyson (December 19, 1924January 28, 2021) was an American actress. In a career which spanned more than seven decades in film, television and theatre, she became known for her portrayal of strong African-American women. Tyson recei ...

C

*''

The Cannonball Run ''The Cannonball Run'' is a 1981 action comedy film. It was directed by Hal Needham, produced by Hong Kong's Golden Harvest films, and distributed by 20th Century Fox. Filmed in Panavision, it features an all-star ensemble cast, including Burt ...

'', directed by

Hal Needham Hal Brett Needham (March 6, 1931 – October 25, 2013) was an American stuntman, film director, actor, writer, and NASCAR team owner. He is best known for his frequent collaborations with actor Burt Reynolds, usually in films involving fast ...

, starring

Burt Reynolds Burton Leon Reynolds Jr. (February 11, 1936 – September 6, 2018) was an American actor, considered a sex symbol and icon of 1970s American popular culture. Reynolds first rose to prominence when he starred in television series such as ' ...

Dom DeLuise Dominick DeLuise (August 1, 1933 – May 4, 2009) was an American actor, comedian, director, producer, chef, and author. Known primarily for his comedic performances, he rose to fame in the 1970s as a frequent guest on television variety shows ...

Dean Martin Dean Martin (born Dino Paul Crocetti; June 7, 1917 – December 25, 1995) was an American singer, actor and comedian. One of the most popular and enduring American entertainers of the mid-20th century, Martin was nicknamed "The King of Cool". M ...

Sammy Davis, Jr. Samuel George Davis Jr. (December 8, 1925 – May 16, 1990) was an American singer, dancer, actor, comedian, film producer and television director. At age three, Davis began his career in vaudeville with his father Sammy Davis Sr. and the ...

Roger Moore Sir Roger George Moore (14 October 192723 May 2017) was an English actor. He was the third actor to portray fictional British secret agent James Bond in the Eon Productions film series, playing the character in seven feature films between 19 ...

Farrah Fawcett Farrah Leni Fawcett (born Ferrah Leni Fawcett; February 2, 1947 – June 25, 2009) was an American actress. A four-time Primetime Emmy Award nominee and six-time Golden Globe Award nominee, Fawcett rose to international fame when she playe ...

Adrienne Barbeau Adrienne Jo Barbeau (born June 11, 1945) is an American actress, singer and the author of three books. Barbeau came to prominence in the 1970s as Broadway's original Rizzo in the musical '' Grease'', and as Carol Traynor, the divorced daughter o ...

*''

Carbon Copy Before the development of photographic copiers, a carbon copy was the under-copy of a typed or written document placed over carbon paper and the under-copy sheet itself (not to be confused with the carbon print family of photographic reproduc ...

'', starring

George Segal George Segal Jr. (February 13, 1934 – March 23, 2021) was an American actor. He became popular in the 1960s and 1970s for playing both dramatic and comedic roles. After first rising to prominence with roles in acclaimed films such as ''Ship o ...

Denzel Washington Denzel Hayes Washington Jr. (born December 28, 1954) is an American actor and filmmaker. He has been described as an actor who reconfigured "the concept of classic movie stardom". Throughout his career spanning over four decades, Washington ha ...

Susan Saint James Susan Saint James (born Susan Jane Miller; August 14, 1946) is an American actress and activist, most widely known for her work in television during the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, especially the detective series ''McMillan & Wife'' (1971–1976) and ...

Jack Warden Jack Warden (born John Warden Lebzelter Jr.; September 18, 1920July 19, 2006) was an American character actor of film and television. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for ''Shampoo'' (1975) and '' Heaven Can Wait ...

*''

Cattle Annie and Little Britches ''Cattle Annie and Little Britches'' is a 1981 Western film starring Burt Lancaster, John Savage, Rod Steiger, Diane Lane, and Amanda Plummer, based on the lives of two adolescent girls in late 19th-century Oklahoma Territory, who became inf ...

'', starring

Burt Lancaster Burton Stephen Lancaster (November 2, 1913 – October 20, 1994) was an American actor and producer. Initially known for playing tough guys with a tender heart, he went on to achieve success with more complex and challenging roles over a 45-yea ...

Rod Steiger Rodney Stephen Steiger (; April 14, 1925July 9, 2002, aged 77) was an American actor, noted for his portrayal of offbeat, often volatile and crazed characters. Cited as "one of Hollywood's most charismatic and dynamic stars," he is closely assoc ...

, John Savage,

Diane Lane Diane Colleen Lane (born January 22, 1965) is an American actress. Born and raised in New York City, Lane made her screen debut at age 14 in George Roy Hill's 1979 film ''A Little Romance''. The two films that could have catapulted her to star ...

Amanda Plummer Amanda Michael Plummer (born March 23, 1957) is an American actress. She is known for her work on stage and for her roles in such films as '' Joe Versus the Volcano'' (1990), ''The Fisher King'' (1991), ''Pulp Fiction'' (1994), and '' The Hunge ...

*''

Caveman The caveman is a stock character representative of primitive humans in the Paleolithic. The popularization of the type dates to the early 20th century, when Neanderthals were influentially described as " simian" or "ape-like" by Marcellin ...

'', directed by

Carl Gottlieb Carl Gottlieb (born March 18, 1938) is an American screenwriter, actor, comedian, and executive. He is best known for co-writing the screenplay for ''Jaws'' (1975) and its first two sequels, as well as directing the 1981 film ''Caveman''. Early ...

, starring

Ringo Starr Sir Richard Starkey (born 7 July 1940), known professionally as Ringo Starr, is an English musician, singer, songwriter and actor who achieved international fame as the drummer for the Beatles. Starr occasionally sang lead vocals with the ...

Shelley Long Shelley Lee Long (born August 23, 1949) is an American actress, singer, and comedian. Long portrayed Diane Chambers on the hit sitcom ''Cheers'' and received five Emmy nominations, winning in 1983 for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Serie ...

*''

Chariots of Fire ''Chariots of Fire'' is a 1981 British historical sports drama film directed by Hugh Hudson, written by Colin Welland and produced by David Puttnam. It is based on the true story of two British athletes in the 1924 Olympics: Eric Liddell, a de ...

'', directed by

Hugh Hudson Hugh Hudson (born 25 August 1936) is an English film director. He was among a generation of British directors who would begin their career making documentaries and television commercials before going on to have success in films. He directed the ...

, starring

Ben Cross Harry Bernard Cross (16 December 1947 – 18 August 2020) was an English stage and film actor. He was best known for playing Billy Flynn in the original West End production of the musical ''Chicago'', and his portrayal of the British Ol ...

Ian Charleson Ian Charleson (11 August 1949 – 6 January 1990) was a Scottish stage and film actor. He is best known internationally for his starring role as Olympic athlete and missionary Eric Liddell in the Oscar-winning 1981 film '' Chariots of Fire''. ...

Nigel Havers Nigel Allan Havers (born 6 November 1951) is an English actor. His film roles include Lord Andrew Lindsay in the 1981 British film ''Chariots of Fire'', which earned him a BAFTA nomination; as Dr. Rawlins in the 1987 Steven Spielberg war drama ...

Ian Holm Sir Ian Holm Cuthbert (12 September 1931 – 19 June 2020) was an English actor who was knighted in 1998 for his contributions to theatre and film. Beginning his career on the British stage as a standout member of the Royal Shakespeare Company, ...

– (

U.K. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

) *''

Charlie Chan and the Curse of the Dragon Queen ''Charlie Chan and the Curse of the Dragon Queen'' is a 1981 comedy–mystery film directed by Clive Donner that stars Peter Ustinov, Angie Dickinson and Lee Grant. Plot Retired detective Charlie Chan is asked for his help by the San Francisco p ...

'', starring

Peter Ustinov Sir Peter Alexander Ustinov (born Peter Alexander Freiherr von Ustinov ; 16 April 192128 March 2004) was a British actor, filmmaker and writer. An internationally known raconteur, he was a fixture on television talk shows and lecture circuits ...

Lee Grant Lee Grant (born Lyova Haskell Rosenthal; October 31, during the mid-1920s) is an American actress, documentarian, and director. She made her film debut in 1951 as a young shoplifter in William Wyler's ''Detective Story'', co-starring Kirk Dougl ...

Angie Dickinson Angeline Dickinson (née Brown; born September 30, 1931) is an American actress. She began her career on television, appearing in many anthology series during the 1950s, before gaining her breakthrough role in ''Gun the Man Down'' (1956) wit ...

*''

Charlotte Charlotte ( ) is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont (United States), Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, Meckl ...

'' – (

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

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The Chosen Chosen or The Chosen may refer to: The chosen ones *Chosen people, people who believe they have been chosen by a higher power to do a certain thing including **Jews as the chosen people Books * ''The Chosen'' (Potok novel), a 1967 novel by Chaim ...

'', starring

Robby Benson Robby Benson (born Robin David Segal; January 21, 1956) is an American actor and director. He rose to prominence as a teen idol in the late 1970s, appearing in the sports films '' One on One'' (1977) and ''Ice Castles'' (1978). He subsequently ...

Barry Miller Barry Miller may refer to: *Barry Miller (actor) Barry Miller (born February 6, 1958) is an American actor. He won Broadway's 1985 Tony Award as Best Actor (Featured Role - Play) for his performance in ''Biloxi Blues''. Early life Miller wa ...

Maximilian Schell Maximilian Schell (8 December 1930 – 1 February 2014) was an Austrian-born Swiss actor, who also wrote, directed and produced some of his own films. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor for the 1961 American film ''Judgment at Nuremberg'', h ...

*''

Christiane F. – We Children from Bahnhof Zoo ''Christiane F.'' (german: Christiane F. – Wir Kinder vom Bahnhof Zoo, italic=yes, ) is a 1981 German biographical drama film directed by Uli Edel that portrays the descent of Christiane Felscherinow, a bored 13-year-old growing up in mid-19 ...

'', directed by

Uli Edel Ulrich "Uli" Edel (; born 11 April 1947) is a German film and television director, best known for his work on films such as Last Exit to Brooklyn (film), ''Last Exit to Brooklyn'' and ''Body of Evidence (1993 film), Body of Evidence.'' His ''Ra ...

, starring

Natja Brunckhorst Natja Brunckhorst (born 26 September 1966) is a German actress, screenwriter, and director. Brunckhorst was 13 years old when she was selected by director Uli Edel for the leading role as Christiane F. in the critically acclaimed 1981 dramatisat ...

– (

) *''

Chu Chu and the Philly Flash ''Chu Chu and the Philly Flash'' is a 1981 American comedy film starring Alan Arkin, Carol Burnett, Jack Warden, Ruth Buzzi, Adam Arkin and Danny Aiello. It was directed by David Lowell Rich and produced by Jay Weston, with the screenplay being wr ...

'', directed by

David Lowell Rich David Lowell Rich (August 31, 1920 – October 21, 2001) was an American film director and producer. He directed nearly 100 films and TV episodes between 1950 and 1987. He was born in New York City. He began directing on a regular basis in 1 ...

, starring

Carol Burnett Carol Creighton Burnett (born April 26, 1933) is an American actress, comedian, singer, and writer. Her groundbreaking comedy variety show ''The Carol Burnett Show'', which originally aired on CBS was one of the first of its kind to be hosted ...

and

Alan Arkin Alan Wolf Arkin (born March 26, 1934) is an American actor, director and screenwriter known for his performances on stage and screen. Throughout his career spanning over six decades, he has received various accolades, including an Academy Award ...

*''

Circle of Deceit Circle of Deceit may refer to: * ''Circle of Deceit'' (1981 film), German film * ''Circle of Deceit'' (1998 film), American TV film * '' Circles of Deceit'', British television thriller series {{disamb ...

'' (Die Fälschung), directed by

Volker Schlöndorff Volker Schlöndorff (; born 31 March 1939 Friday) is a German film director, screenwriter and producer who has worked in Germany, France and the United States. He was a prominent member of the New German Cinema of the late 1960s and early 1970s, ...

, starring

Bruno Ganz Bruno Ganz (; 22 March 1941 – 16 February 2019) was a Swiss actor whose career in German stage, television and film productions spanned nearly 60 years. He was known for his collaborations with the directors Werner Herzog, Éric Rohmer, Franc ...

Hanna Schygulla Hanna Schygulla (; born 25 December 1943) is a German actress and chanson singer associated with the theater and film director Rainer Werner Fassbinder. She first worked for Fassbinder in 1965 and became an active participant in the New German ...

and

Jerzy Skolimowski Jerzy Skolimowski (, born 5 May 1938) is a Polish film director, screenwriter, dramatist and actor. A graduate of the prestigious National Film School in Łódź, Skolimowski has directed more than twenty films since his 1960 début ''Oko wykol' ...

– (

) *'' Clash of the Titans'', starring

Harry Hamlin Harry Robinson Hamlin (born October 30, 1951) is an American actor, author, and entrepreneur. He is best known for his roles as Perseus in the 1981 fantasy film '' Clash of the Titans'' and as Michael Kuzak in the legal drama series ''L.A. Law'' ...

Laurence Olivier Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier (; 22 May 1907 – 11 July 1989) was an English actor and director who, along with his contemporaries Ralph Richardson and John Gielgud, was one of a trio of male actors who dominated the Theatre of the U ...

Maggie Smith Dame Margaret Natalie Smith (born 28 December 1934) is an English actress. With an extensive career on screen and stage beginning in the mid-1950s, Smith has appeared in more than sixty films and seventy plays. She is one of the few performer ...

Ursula Andress Ursula Andress (born 19 March 1936) is a Swiss-German actress, former model and sex symbol who has appeared in American, British and Italian films. Her breakthrough role was as Bond girl Honey Ryder in the first James Bond film, '' Dr. No'' (1962 ...

– ( US/ UK) *''

Condorman ''Condorman'' is a 1981 American adventure spy comedy superhero film directed by Charles Jarrott, produced by Walt Disney Productions, and starring Michael Crawford, Barbara Carrera and Oliver Reed. The movie follows comic book illustrator Woodrow ...

'', starring

Michael Crawford Michael Patrick Smith, (born 19 January 1942), known professionally as Michael Crawford, is an English tenor, actor and comedian. Crawford is best known for playing both the hapless Frank Spencer in the sitcom ''Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em'' an ...

Oliver Reed Robert Oliver Reed (13 February 1938 – 2 May 1999) was an English actor known for his well-to-do, macho image and "hellraiser" lifestyle. After making his first significant screen appearances in Hammer Horror films in the early 1960s, his ...

Barbara Carrera Barbara Carrera (born Barbara Kingsbury) is an American actress, model and artist. She starred in the films ''The Master Gunfighter'' (1975), ''Embryo'' (1976), '' The Island of Dr. Moreau'' (1977), ''Condorman'' (1981), ''I, the Jury'' (1982) a ...

– (

) *'' Le confort et l'indifférence'' (Comfort and Indifference) – (

) *''

Continental Divide A continental divide is a drainage divide on a continent such that the drainage basin on one side of the divide feeds into one ocean or sea, and the basin on the other side either feeds into a different ocean or sea, or else is endorheic, not ...

'', starring

John Belushi John Adam Belushi (January 24, 1949 – March 5, 1982) was an American comedian, actor, and musician, best known for being one of the seven original cast members of the NBC sketch comedy show ''Saturday Night Live'' (''SNL''). Throughout his ca ...

Blair Brown Bonnie Blair Brown (born April 23, 1946) is an American theater, film and television actress. She has had a number of high-profile roles, including in the play ''Copenhagen'' on Broadway, the leading actress in the films ''Altered States'' ( ...

Allen Garfield Allen Garfield (born Allen Goorwitz; November 22, 1939 – April 7, 2020) was an American film and television actor. Early life Garfield was born in Newark, New Jersey, to a Jewish family, the son of Alice ( née Lavroff) and Philip Goorwitz. He ...

*''

Coup de torchon ''Coup de Torchon'' (also known as ''Clean Slate'') is a 1981 French crime film directed by Bertrand Tavernier and adapted from Jim Thompson's 1964 novel '' Pop. 1280''. The film changes the novel's setting from an American Southern town to a sma ...

'', directed by

Bertrand Tavernier Bertrand Tavernier (25 April 1941 – 25 March 2021) was a French director, screenwriter, actor and producer. Life and career Tavernier was born in Lyon, France, the son of Geneviève (née Dumond) and René Tavernier, a publicist and writer, s ...

, starring

Philippe Noiret Philippe Noiret (; 1 October 1930 – 23 November 2006) was a French film actor. Life and career Noiret was born in Lille, France, the son of Lucy (Heirman) and Pierre Noiret, a clothing company representative. He was an indifferent student and ...

and

Isabelle Huppert Isabelle Anne Madeleine Huppert (; born 16 March 1953) is a French actress. Described as "one of the best actresses in the world", she is known for her portrayals of cold and disdainful characters devoid of morality. She is the recipient of sev ...

– (

) *''

Cutter's Way ''Cutter's Way'' (also known as ''Cutter and Bone'') is a 1981 American neo noir thriller directed by Ivan Passer. The film stars Jeff Bridges, John Heard, and Lisa Eichhorn. The screenplay was adapted from the 1976 novel ''Cutter and Bone'' by ...

'', starring

Jeff Bridges Jeffrey Leon Bridges (born December 4, 1949) is an American actor. He has received various accolades throughout his career spanning over seven decades, including an Academy Award and two Golden Globe Awards. Bridges comes from a prominent a ...

Lisa Eichhorn Lisa Eichhorn (born February 4, 1952) is an American actress, writer and producer. She made her film debut in 1979 in the John Schlesinger film '' Yanks'', for which she received two Golden Globe nominations. Her international career has includ ...

, John Heard

D

*''

Dance Craze ''Dance Craze'' is a 1981 American documentary film about the British 2 Tone music genre. The film was directed by Joe Massot, who originally wanted to do a film only about the band Madness, whom he met during their first US tour. Massot lat ...

'', concert documentary featuring

Madness Madness or The Madness may refer to: Emotion and mental health * Anger, an intense emotional response to a perceived provocation, hurt or threat * Insanity, a spectrum of behaviors characterized by certain abnormal mental or behavioral patterns * ...

, The Beat,

The Specials The Specials, also known as The Special AKA, are an English Two-tone (music genre), 2 tone and ska revival band formed in 1977 in Coventry. After some early changes, the first stable lineup of the group consisted of Terry Hall (singer), Terr ...

and others – (

) *''

Dark Night of the Scarecrow ''Dark Night of the Scarecrow'' is a 1981 American made-for-television horror film directed by veteran novelist Frank De Felitta (author of '' Audrey Rose'') from a script by J.D. Feigelson. Feigelson's intent had been to make an independent featu ...

'' *''

Dead & Buried ''Dead & Buried'' is a 1981 American horror film directed by Gary Sherman, starring Melody Anderson, Jack Albertson, and James Farentino. It is Albertson’s final live-action film role before his death six months after the film’s release. Th ...

'', starring

James Farentino James Farentino (February 24, 1938 – January 24, 2012) was an American actor. He appeared in nearly 100 television, film, and stage roles, among them '' The Final Countdown'', ''Jesus of Nazareth'', and ''Dynasty''. Career Born in Brooklyn, Ne ...

*''

Deadly Blessing ''Deadly Blessing'' is a 1981 American slasher film directed by Wes Craven. The film tells the story of a strange figure committing murder in a contemporary community that is not far from another community that believes in ancient evil and curses. ...

''. starring

Sharon Stone Sharon Vonne Stone (born March 10, 1958) is an American actress. Known for primarily playing femme fatales and women of mystery on film and television, she became one of the most popular sex symbols of the 1990s. She is the recipient of various ...

and

Ernest Borgnine Ernest Borgnine (; born Ermes Effron Borgnino; January 24, 1917 – July 8, 2012) was an American actor whose career spanned over six decades. He was noted for his gruff but relaxed voice and gap-toothed Cheshire Cat grin. A popular perfor ...

*''

Death Hunt ''Death Hunt'' is a 1981 Western action film directed by Peter Hunt. The film stars Charles Bronson, Lee Marvin, Angie Dickinson, Carl Weathers, Maury Chaykin, Ed Lauter and Andrew Stevens. ''Death Hunt'' was a fictionalized account of the Royal ...

'', starring

Charles Bronson Charles Bronson (born Charles Dennis Buchinsky; November 3, 1921 – August 30, 2003) was an American actor. Known for his "granite features and brawny physique," he gained international fame for his starring roles in action, Western, and war ...

Lee Marvin Lee Marvin (born Lamont Waltman Marvin Jr.; February 19, 1924August 29, 1987) was an American film and television actor. Known for his bass voice and premature white hair, he is best remembered for playing hardboiled "tough guy" characters. Alth ...

Andrew Stevens Herman Andrew Stevens (born June 10, 1955) is an American executive, film producer, director and actor. Early life Stevens was born in Memphis, Tennessee, the only child of actress Stella Stevens and her former husband Noble Herman Stephens. Ca ...

Carl Weathers Carl Weathers (born January 14, 1948) is an American actor and former professional football player. He is known for his roles as boxer Apollo Creed in the first four ''Rocky'' films (1976–85), George Dillon in ''Predator'' (1987), Action Jac ...

*''

The Decline of Western Civilization ''The Decline of Western Civilization'' is a 1981 American documentary filmed through 1979 and 1980. The movie is about the Los Angeles punk rock scene and was directed by Penelope Spheeris. In 1981, the LAPD Chief of Police Daryl Gates wrote a ...

'', a documentary film *''

Deprisa, Deprisa ''Deprisa, deprisa'' ( en, Hurry, Hurry!) is a 1981 Spanish film directed by Carlos Saura. It tells the story of a gang of juvenile delinquents and is considered one of the classics of the quinqui film genre.' In the English-speaking world, it ...

'' (Hurry, Hurry!), directed by

– (

) – Golden Bear winner *''

The Devil and Max Devlin ''The Devil and Max Devlin'' is a 1981 American fantasy–comedy film produced by Walt Disney Productions, directed by Steven Hilliard Stern and starring Elliott Gould, Bill Cosby and Susan Anspach. The film was considered to be controversial fo ...

'', starring

Elliott Gould Elliott Gould (; né Goldstein; born August 29, 1938) is an American actor. He began acting in Hollywood films during the 1960s. Elliott's breakthrough role was in the ''Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice'' (1969), for which he received a nomination f ...

and

Bill Cosby William Henry Cosby Jr. ( ; born July 12, 1937) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, and media personality. He made significant contributions to American and African-American culture, and is well known in the United States for his eccentric ...

*''

Diva Diva (; ) is the Latin word for a goddess. It has often been used to refer to a celebrated woman of outstanding talent in the world of opera, theatre, cinema, fashion and popular music. If referring to an actress, the meaning of ''diva'' is clo ...

'', directed by

Jean-Jacques Beineix Jean-Jacques Beineix (; 8 October 1946 – 13 January 2022) was a French film director best known for the films ''Diva'' and ''Betty Blue''. His work is regarded as a prime example of the '' cinéma du look'' film movement in France. Early life ...

– (

) *''

Docteur Jekyll et les femmes ''Docteur Jekyll et les femmes'' is a 1981 horror film directed by Walerian Borowczyk. The film is a variation on Robert Louis Stevenson's 1886 novella ''Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde'' and stars Udo Kier, Marina Pierro, Patrick Magee, Ho ...

'', directed by

Walerian Borowczyk Walerian Borowczyk (21 October 1923 – 3 February 2006) was an internationally known Polish film director described by film critics as a 'genius who also happened to be a pornographer'. He directed 40 films between 1946 and 1988. Borowczyk sett ...

and starring

Udo Kier Udo Kierspe (born 14 October 1944), known professionally as Udo Kier, is a German actor. Known primarily as a character actor, Kier has appeared in more than 220 films in both leading and supporting roles throughout Europe and the Americas. He h ...

and

Marina Pierro Marina Pierro (born 9 October 1956, or 1960) is an Italian actress, model, writer, and film director, who is best known for her artistic relationship with Polish filmmaker Walerian Borowczyk (1923-2006). Pierro and Borowczyk's collaboration laste ...

– (

) *'' Do You Remember Dolly Bell?'' (Sjecas li se Doli Bel?) – (

Yugoslavia Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, Jugoslavija ; mk, Југославија ;; rup, Iugoslavia; hu, Jugoszlávia; rue, label=Pannonian Rusyn, Югославия, translit=Juhoslavija ...

) *''

Dragonslayer A dragonslayer is a person or being that slays dragons. Dragonslayers and the creatures they hunt have been popular in traditional stories from around the world: they are a type of story classified as type 300 in the Aarne–Thompson classifica ...

'', starring

Peter MacNicol Peter MacNicol (born April 10, 1954) is an American actor. He received a Theatre World Award for his 1981 Broadway debut in the play ''Crimes of the Heart''. His film roles include Galen in ''Dragonslayer'' (1981), Stingo in ''Sophie's Choice'' ( ...

*''

Dreszcze ''Shivers'' (, ''Dreszcze'') is a 1981 Polish drama film directed by Wojciech Marczewski. It was entered into the 32nd Berlin International Film Festival, where it won the Silver Bear - Special Jury Prize. At the time of its release it was bann ...

'' (Shivers) – (

)

E

*'' Eijanaika'' (Why Not?), directed by Shohei Imamura – (

) *''

Ek Duuje Ke Liye ''Ek Duuje Ke Liye'' () is a 1981 Indian Hindi romantic tragedy film directed by K. Balachander. A remake of Balachander's Telugu film ''Maro Charitra'', it stars Kamal Haasan and Rati Agnihotri as a pair of lovers from different families who o ...

'' (Made for Each Other) – (

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

) *'' Endless Love'', directed by

Franco Zeffirelli Gian Franco Corsi Zeffirelli (12 February 1923 – 15 June 2019), was an Italian stage and film director, producer, production designer and politician. He was one of the most significant opera and theatre directors of the post-World War II era, ...

, starring

Brooke Shields Brooke Christa Shields (born May 31, 1965) is an American actress and model. She was initially a child model and gained critical acclaim at age 12 for her leading role in Louis Malle's film ''Pretty Baby'' (1978). She continued to model into ...

and Martin Hewitt *''

The Entity ''The Entity'' is a 1982 American supernatural horror film directed by Sidney J. Furie, and written by Frank De Felitta, who adapted his 1978 novel of the same name. The film stars Barbara Hershey as a single mother in Los Angeles who is rape ...

'', starring

Barbara Hershey Barbara Lynn Herzstein, better known as Barbara Hershey (born February 5, 1948), is an American actress. In a career spanning more than 50 years, she has played a variety of roles on television and in cinema in several genres, including weste ...

Ron Silver Ronald Arthur Silver (July 2, 1946 – March 15, 2009) was an American actor/activist, director, producer, and radio host. As an actor, he portrayed Henry Kissinger, Alan Dershowitz and Angelo Dundee. He was awarded a Tony in 1988 for Best Actor ...

Margaret Blye Margaret Jane Blye (October 24, 1942 – March 24, 2016) was an American actress, also sometimes billed as Margaret Bly. She was best known for playing Michael Caine's girlfriend in ''The Italian Job'' (1969). Early years Her sister was casti ...

*''

Escape from New York ''Escape from New York'' is a 1981 American science fiction action film co-written, co-scored and directed by John Carpenter. It stars Kurt Russell, Lee Van Cleef, Ernest Borgnine, Donald Pleasence, Isaac Hayes, Adrienne Barbeau, and Harry Dea ...

'', directed by

John Carpenter John Howard Carpenter (born January 16, 1948) is an American filmmaker, actor, and composer. Although he worked in various film genres, he is most commonly associated with horror, action, and science fiction films of the 1970s and 1980s. He ...

, starring

Kurt Russell Kurt Vogel Russell (born March 17, 1951) is an American actor. He began acting on television at the age of 12 in the Westerns on television, western series ''The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters (TV series), The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters'' (19 ...

Lee Van Cleef Clarence LeRoy Van Cleef Jr. (January 9, 1925 – December 16, 1989) was an American actor. He appeared in over 170 film and television roles in a career spanning nearly 40 years, but is best known as a star of Italian Spaghetti Westerns, partic ...

Isaac Hayes Isaac Lee Hayes Jr. (August 20, 1942 – August 10, 2008) was an American singer, actor, songwriter, and composer. He was one of the creative forces behind the Southern soul music label Stax Records, where he served both as an in-house songwri ...

*''

Escape to Victory ''Escape to Victory'' (stylized as ''Victory'') is a 1981 American-British-Italian sports war film directed by John Huston and starring Sylvester Stallone, Michael Caine, Max von Sydow and Pelé. The film is about Allied prisoners of war wh ...

'' (''aka Victory''), directed by

John Huston John Marcellus Huston ( ; August 5, 1906 – August 28, 1987) was an American film director, screenwriter, actor and visual artist. He wrote the screenplays for most of the 37 feature films he directed, many of which are today considered ...

, starring

Michael Caine Sir Michael Caine (born Maurice Joseph Micklewhite; 14 March 1933) is an English actor. Known for his distinctive Cockney accent, he has appeared in more than 160 films in a career spanning seven decades, and is considered a British film ico ...

Sylvester Stallone Sylvester Enzio Stallone (; born Michael Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone, ) is an American actor and filmmaker. After his beginnings as a struggling actor for a number of years upon arriving to New York City in 1969 and later Hollywood in 1974, h ...

Max von Sydow Max von Sydow ( , ; born Carl Adolf von Sydow; 10 April 1929 – 8 March 2020) was a Swedish-French actor. He had a 70-year career in European and American cinema, television, and theatre, appearing in more than 150 films and several television ...

Pelé Edson Arantes do Nascimento (; born 23 October 1940), known as Pelé (), is a Brazilian former professional footballer who played as a forward. Widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time and labelled "the greatest" by FIFA, ...

*''

The Evil Dead ''The Evil Dead'' is a 1981 American supernatural horror film written and directed by Sam Raimi, produced by Robert Tapert and executive produced by Raimi, Tapert, and Bruce Campbell, who also starred alongside Ellen Sandweiss, Richard DeMan ...

'', directed by

Sam Raimi Samuel M. Raimi ( ; born October 23, 1959) is an American filmmaker. He is best known for directing the Spider-Man (2002 film series), ''Spider-Man'' trilogy (2002–2007) and the ''Evil Dead'' franchise (1981–present). He also directed the 1 ...

, starring

Bruce Campbell Bruce Lorne Campbell (born June 22, 1958) is an American actor and director. He is known for portraying Ash Williams in Sam Raimi's ''Evil Dead'' franchise, beginning with the 1978 short film ''Within the Woods''. He has starred in many low ...

*''

Excalibur Excalibur () is the legendary sword of King Arthur, sometimes also attributed with magical powers or associated with the rightful sovereignty of Britain. It was associated with the Arthurian legend very early on. Excalibur and the Sword in th ...

'', directed by

John Boorman Sir John Boorman (; born 18 January 1933) is a British film director, best known for feature films such as ''Point Blank'' (1967), ''Hell in the Pacific'' (1968), ''Deliverance'' (1972), ''Zardoz'' (1974), '' Exorcist II: The Heretic'' (1977), ...

, starring

Nigel Terry Peter Nigel Terry (15 August 1945 – 30 April 2015) was an English stage, film, and television actor, typically in historical and period roles. He played John, King of England, Prince John in Anthony Harvey's film ''The Lion in Winter (1968 f ...

Helen Mirren Dame Helen Mirren (born Helen Lydia Mironoff; born 26 July 1945) is an English actor. The recipient of numerous accolades, she is the only performer to have achieved the Triple Crown of Acting in both the United States and the United Kingdom. ...

Nicol Williamson Thomas Nicol Williamson (14 September 1936 – 16 December 2011) was a Scottish actor, once described by playwright John Osborne as "the greatest actor since Marlon Brando". He was also described by Samuel Beckett as "touched by genius" and view ...

Nicholas Clay Nicholas Anthony Phillip Clay (18 September 1946 – 25 May 2000) was an English actor. Early life Clay was born in Streatham, London on 18 September 1946, the son of a professional soldier in the British Army's Royal Engineers. The famil ...

Liam Neeson William John Neeson (born 7 June 1952) is an actor from Northern Ireland. He has received several accolades, including nominations for an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, and two Tony Awards. In 2020, he was placed 7th on ''The I ...

*''

An Eye for an Eye "An eye for an eye" ( hbo, עַיִן תַּחַת עַיִן, ) is a commandment found in the Book of Exodus 21:23–27 expressing the principle of reciprocal justice measure for measure. The principle exists also in Babylonian law. In Roman c ...

'', starring

Chuck Norris Carlos Ray "Chuck" Norris (born March 10, 1940) is an American martial artist and actor. He is a black belt in Tang Soo Do, Brazilian jiu jitsu and judo. After serving in the United States Air Force, Norris won many martial arts championshi ...

*'' Eye of the Needle'', starring

Donald Sutherland Donald McNichol Sutherland (born 17 July 1935) is a Canadian actor whose film career spans over six decades. He has been nominated for nine Golden Globe Awards, winning two for his performances in the television films ''Citizen X'' (1995) an ...

and

Kate Nelligan Patricia Colleen Nelligan (born March 16, 1950), known professionally as Kate Nelligan, is a Canadian stage, film and television actress. She was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for the 1991 film ''The Prince of Tide ...

– (

) *''

Eyewitness Eyewitness or eye witness may refer to: Witness * Witness, someone who has knowledge acquired through first-hand experience ** Eyewitness memory ** Eyewitness testimony Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Eyewitness'' (1956 film), a Britis ...

'', directed by

Peter Yates Peter James Yates (24 July 1929 – 9 January 2011) was an English film director and producer. Biography Early life Yates was born in Aldershot, Hampshire. The son of an army officer, he attended Charterhouse School as a boy, graduated from ...

, starring

Sigourney Weaver Susan Alexandra "Sigourney" Weaver (; born October 8, 1949) is an American actress. A figure in science fiction and popular culture, she has received various accolades, including a British Academy Film Award, two Golden Globe Awards, and a Gram ...

James Woods James Howard Woods (born April 18, 1947) is an American actor. He is known for his work in various film, stage, and television productions. He started his career in minor roles on and off-Broadway. In 1972, he appeared in '' The Trial of the ...

F

*'' The Fan'', directed by

Edward Bianchi Edward is an English given name. It is derived from the Anglo-Saxon name ''Ēadweard'', composed of the elements '' ēad'' "wealth, fortune; prosperous" and '' weard'' "guardian, protector”. History The name Edward was very popular in Anglo-Sax ...

, starring

Lauren Bacall Lauren Bacall (; born Betty Joan Perske; September 16, 1924 – August 12, 2014) was an American actress. She was named the 20th-greatest female star of classic Hollywood cinema by the American Film Institute and received an Academy Honorary Aw ...

James Garner James Garner (born James Scott Bumgarner; April 7, 1928 – July 19, 2014) was an American actor. He played leading roles in more than 50 theatrical films, including '' The Great Escape'' (1963) with Steve McQueen; Paddy Chayefsky's ''The Ameri ...

Maureen Stapleton Lois Maureen Stapleton (June 21, 1925 – March 13, 2006) was an American actress. She received numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a BAFTA Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and two Tony Awards, in addition to ...

and

Michael Biehn Michael Connell Biehn ( ; born July 31, 1956) is an American actor, primarily known for his roles in science fiction films directed by James Cameron; as Sgt. Kyle Reese in ''The Terminator'' (1984), Cpl. Dwayne Hicks in ''Aliens'' (1986), and ...

*'' Fear No Evil'', directed by

Frank LaLoggia Frank LaLoggia (born January 12, 1954) is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, and actor. LaLoggia appeared in several films before making his directorial debut with the horror film ''Fear No Evil (1981 film), Fear No Evil'' (1981). ...

*''

Fever Fever, also referred to as pyrexia, is defined as having a body temperature, temperature above the human body temperature, normal range due to an increase in the body's temperature Human body temperature#Fever, set point. There is not a single ...

'' (Gorączka), directed by

Agnieszka Holland Agnieszka Holland (born 28 November 1948) is a Poles, Polish film and television director and screenwriter, best known for her political contributions to Polish cinema. She began her career as assistant to directors Krzysztof Zanussi and Andrzej ...

– (

) *''

First Monday in October ''First Monday in October'' is a 1978 play by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee. The title refers to the day on which the United States Supreme Court traditionally convenes following its summer recess. Productions The play premiered on Broadwa ...

'', starring

and

Jill Clayburgh Jill Clayburgh (April 30, 1944 – November 5, 2010) was an American actress known for her work in theater, television, and cinema. She received the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actress and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Act ...

*'' For Your Eyes Only'', starring

(as

James Bond The ''James Bond'' series focuses on a fictional British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short-story collections. Since Fleming's death in 1964, eight other authors have ...

), with

Carole Bouquet Carole Bouquet (born 18 August 1957) is a French actress who has appeared in more than 60 films since 1977. In 1990, she was awarded the César Award for Best Actress for her role in ''Too Beautiful for You''. She was the face of Chanel No. 5 f ...

Lynn-Holly Johnson Lynn-Holly Johnson is an American retired figure skater and actress. After achieving some success as a figure skater in the mid-1970s, she began an acting career, including a Golden Globe-nominated role in 1978's ''Ice Castles'' and her role a ...

– (

) *''

Fort Apache, The Bronx ''Fort Apache, The Bronx'' is a 1981 American crime drama film directed by Daniel Petrie. The film is about a hard-drinking, lonely veteran cop, Murphy (Paul Newman), and his young partner Corelli (Ken Wahl), who work in a crime-ridden precinct ...

'', directed by

Daniel Petrie Daniel Mannix Petrie (November 26, 1920 – August 22, 2004) was a Canadian film director, film, television director, television, and stage director who worked in Canada, Hollywood, and the United Kingdom; known for directing grounded human dram ...

, starring

Ed Asner Eddie Asner (; November 15, 1929 – August 29, 2021) was an American actor and former president of the Screen Actors Guild. He is best remembered for portraying Lou Grant during the 1970s and early 1980s, on both ''The Mary Tyler Moore Show'' an ...

Ken Wahl Ken Wahl (born October 31, 1957) is a retired American film and television actor, popular in the 1980s and 1990s, best known for the CBS television crime drama '' Wiseguy''. Early life and career Wahl, who was born in Chicago, Illinois, Note: ...

*'' Four Friends'', directed by

Arthur Penn Arthur Hiller Penn (September 27, 1922 – September 28, 2010) was an American director and producer of film, television and theater. Closely associated with the American New Wave, Penn directed critically acclaimed films throughout the 19 ...

, starring

Craig Wasson Craig Wasson (born March 15, 1954) is an American actor. He made his film debut in ''Rollercoaster'' (1977). He is best known for his roles as Jake Scully in Brian DePalma's ''Body Double'' (1984), and Neil Gordon in Chuck Russell's '' A Nightmar ...

and

Jodi Thelen Jodi Thelen (born June 12, 1962) is an American actress. Born in St. Cloud, Minnesota, Thelen made her screen debut as Georgia Miles, "a willfully free-spirited girl, naive and narcissistic" in '' Four Friends'' in 1981. Thelen appeared on Broa ...

*'' The Four Seasons'', directed by and starring

Alan Alda Alan Alda (; born Alphonso Joseph D'Abruzzo; January 28, 1936) is an American actor, screenwriter, and director. A six-time Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award winner, he is best known for playing Captain Benjamin "Hawkeye" Pierce in the war co ...

, with

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 ...

Sandy Dennis Sandra Dale Dennis (April 27, 1937 – March 2, 1992) was an American actress. She made her film debut in the drama ''Splendor in the Grass'' (1961). For her performance in the comedy-drama film ''Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?'' (1966), she rec ...

Len Cariou Leonard Joseph Cariou (; born September 30, 1939) is a Canadian actor and Theatre director, stage director, best known for his portrayal of Sweeney Todd in the original cast of ''Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street'', for which he wo ...

Jack Weston Jack Weston (born Morris Weinstein; August 21, 1924 – May 3, 1996) was an American actor. He was nominated for a Golden Globe Award in 1976 and a Tony Award in 1981. Career Weston, a native of Cleveland, Ohio, usually played comic roles in f ...

*''

The Fox and the Hound ''The Fox and the Hound'' is a 1981 American animated buddy drama film produced by Walt Disney Productions and loosely based on the 1967 novel of the same name by Daniel P. Mannix. The 24th Disney animated feature film, the film tells the st ...

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Mickey Rooney Mickey Rooney (born Joseph Yule Jr.; other pseudonym Mickey Maguire; September 23, 1920 – April 6, 2014) was an American actor. In a career spanning nine decades, he appeared in more than 300 films and was among the last surviving stars of the ...

Pearl Bailey Pearl Mae Bailey (March 29, 1918 – August 17, 1990) was an American actress, singer and author. After appearing in vaudeville, she made her Broadway debut in '' St. Louis Woman'' in 1946. She received a Special Tony Award for the title role i ...

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The French Lieutenant's Woman ''The French Lieutenant's Woman'' is a 1969 postmodern historical fiction novel by John Fowles. The plot explores the fraught relationship of gentleman and amateur naturalist Charles Smithson and Sarah Woodruff, the former governess and inde ...

'', directed by

Karel Reisz Karel Reisz (21 July 1926 – 25 November 2002) was a Czech-born British filmmaker, one of the pioneers of the new realist strain in British cinema during the 1950s and 1960s. Two of the best-known films he directed are ''Saturday Night and Sun ...

, starring

Meryl Streep Mary Louise Meryl Streep (born June 22, 1949) is an American actress. Often described as "the best actress of her generation", Streep is particularly known for her versatility and accent adaptability. She has received numerous accolades throu ...

and

Jeremy Irons Jeremy John Irons (; born 19 September 1948) is an English actor and activist. After receiving classical training at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, Irons began his acting career on stage in 1969 and has appeared in many West End theatre ...

– (

) *''

Friday the 13th Part II ''Friday the 13th Part 2'' is a 1981 American slasher film produced and directed by Steve Miner in his directorial debut, and written by Ron Kurz. It is the sequel to 1980's ''Friday the 13th'', and the second installment in the franchise. Adrienn ...

'', directed by

Steve Miner Stephen C. Miner (born June 18, 1951) is an American director of film and television, film producer, and a member of the Motion Picture Academy of Arts and Sciences. He is notable for his work in the horror genre, including ''Friday the 13th Part ...

, starring

Amy Steel Amy Steel Pulitzer (born Alice Amy Steel; May 3, 1960) is an American film and television actress. She made her acting debut in the comedy film ''Fat Chance'' (1981) directed by Manuel Summers. She then gained recognition for her role as aspiri ...

John Furey John Furey (born April 13, 1951) is an American actor who has starred in film and on television. His film credits include ''Friday the 13th Part 2'' (1981), '' Black Thunder'' (1998) and '' Land of the Free'' (1998). Outside of film, Furey has ...

and

Adrienne King Adrienne King (born July 21, 1960) is an American actress and artist. King began acting at six months old, appearing in a commercial for Ivory, which led to her appearing in several commercials working as a child actor. She made her film debut ...

*''

Full Moon High ''Full Moon High'' is a 1981 American comedy horror film written and directed by Larry Cohen. Plot The film is about a teenager who goes on a trip to Transylvania with his father and gets bitten by a werewolf. Made ageless, he attempts to put hi ...

'', starring Adam Arkin *''The Funhouse'', directed by Tobe Hooper

G

*''Gallipoli (1981 film), Gallipoli'', directed by Peter Weir, starring Mel Gibson – (Australian films of 1981, Australia) *''Gangster Wars'', starring Michael Nouri, Joe Penny, Brian Benben, Madeleine Stowe *''Garde à Vue'', starring Romy Schneider and Michel Serrault – (

) *''Gas (1981 film), Gas'', starring Susan Anspach, Sterling Hayden, Helen Shaver – (Canadian films of the 1980s, Canada) *''Ghost Story (1981 film), Ghost Story'', starring Fred Astaire, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Melvyn Douglas, John Houseman *''The Girl with the Red Hair'' (Het meisje met het rode haar) – (

) *''Going Ape!'', starring Tony Danza, Stacey Nelkin, Jessica Walter, Danny DeVito *''Goodbye Pork Pie'' – (List of New Zealand films#1980s, New Zealand) *''Graduation Day (film), Graduation Day'', starring Christopher George *''The Great Muppet Caper'', directed by Jim Henson – ( US/ UK) *''Gregory's Girl'', directed by Bill Forsyth – (

) *''Grendel Grendel Grendel'', starring

– (Australia)

H

*''Halloween II (1981 film), Halloween II'', directed by Rick Rosenthal, starring Jamie Lee Curtis and Donald Pleasence *''The Hand (1981 film), The Hand'', directed by Oliver Stone, starring

*''Ręce do góry, Hands Up!'', (Ręce do góry), directed by

– (

) – originally made in 1967 but withheld *''Happy Birthday to Me (film), Happy Birthday to Me'', starring Melissa Sue Anderson and Glenn Ford – (Canadian films of the 1980s, Canada) *''Hard Country (film), Hard Country'', starring Jan-Michael Vincent and Kim Basinger *''Hardly Working'', directed by and starring Jerry Lewis *''Harry's War (1981 film), Harry's War'', starring Edward Herrmann *''Heartbeeps'', directed by Allan Arkush, starring Andy Kaufman and Bernadette Peters *''Heavy Metal (film), Heavy Metal'', starring John Candy – (Canadian films of the 1980s, Canada) *''Hell Night'', starring Linda Blair *''History of the World, Part I'', directed by and starring Mel Brooks, with Gregory Hines,

, 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 (1981 film), The Hound of the Baskervilles'' (Priklyucheniya Sherloka Kholmsa i doktora Vatsona: Sobaka Baskerviley) – (Soviet films: 1980-1991, U.S.S.R.) *''The Howling (film), The Howling'', directed by Joe Dante, starring Dee Wallace and Patrick Macnee

I

*''I Love You (1981 film), I Love You'' (Eu Te Amo), starring Sônia Braga – (Brazilian films of the 1980s, Brazil) *''The Incredible Shrinking Woman'', starring Lily Tomlin, Charles Grodin and Ned Beatty *''Inseminoid'', starring Judy Geeson, Stephanie Beacham, Victoria Tennant – (

) *''The Inventor'' (Der Erfinder) – (

)

J

*''Just Another Missing Kid'', winner of Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature – (

)

K

*''Killing Heat'' (Gräset Sjunger), starring Karen Black – (Swedish films of the 1980s, Sweden/List of Zambian films, Zambia) *''The Killing of Angel Street'' – (Australian films of 1981, Australia) *''Knightriders'', starring Ed Harris *''Kranti'' (Revolution), starring Dilip Kumar, Manoj Kumar, Shashi Kapoor – (

)

L

*''Ladies and Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains'', starring

and Laura Dern *''Lady Chatterley's Lover (1981 film), Lady Chatterley's Lover'', starring Sylvia Kristel and

*''Aakali Rajyam, The Land of Hunger'' (Aakali Rajyam) – (Telugu films of 1981, India) *''The Last Chase'', starring Lee Majors *''Lawaaris (1981 film), Lawaaris'', starring Amitabh Bachchan and Zeenat Aman – (

) *''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 – (

) *''Lili Marleen (film), Lili Marleen'', directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder, starring

– (List of German films: 1980s, West Germany) *''Lion of the Desert'', starring Anthony Quinn – (List of Libyan films, Libya) *''The Little Fox'' (Vuk) – (List of Hungarian films 1948–1989, Hungary) *''Lola (1981 film), Lola'', a German film directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder, starring Barbara Sukowa and Armin Mueller-Stahl – (

) *''Looker'', directed by Michael Crichton, starring Albert Finney, James Coburn, Susan Dey *''Looks and Smiles'', directed by Ken Loach – (

) *''The Looney Looney Looney Bugs Bunny Movie'' *''Loophole (1981 film), Loophole'', starring Albert Finney and Martin Sheen

M

*''Mad Max 2, Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior'', starring Mel Gibson – (Australian films of 1981, Australia) *''

'' (Człowiek z żelaza), directed by

– (

) – Palme d'Or winner *''Mandala (film), Mandala'' – (List of South Korean films of 1981, South Korea) *''

'' (Die bleierne Zeit), directed by

, starring Barbara Sukowa -

winner – (

) *''Il Marchese del Grillo'', directed by Mario Monicelli, starring Alberto Sordi – (

) *''Masada (miniseries), Masada'', TV miniseries, starring Peter O'Toole, Peter Strauss,

, David Warner (actor), David Warner *''The Melody Haunts My Memory'' (Samo jednom se ljubi) – (

) *''Mephisto (1981 film), Mephisto'', directed by István Szabó, starring Klaus Maria Brandauer – (List of Hungarian films 1948–1989, Hungary/

/Austrian films of the 1980s, Austria) *''Il minestrone'', starring Roberto Benigni – (

) *''Modern Romance (film), Modern Romance'', directed by and starring Albert Brooks, with Kathryn Harrold and Bruno Kirby *''Lahzet Da’af, Moment of Weakness'', starring

and

– (

) *''Mommie Dearest (film), Mommie Dearest'', starring Faye Dunaway, Diana Scarwid, Steve Forrest (actor), Steve Forrest – winner of five Golden Raspberry Awards including Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Picture, Worst Picture and Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actress, Worst Actress (Dunaway) *''Montenegro (film), Montenegro'', starring Susan Anspach and Erland Josephson – (Sweden) *''Ms. 45'', directed by Abel Ferrara *''Muzhiki!'' – (Soviet films: 1980-1991, U.S.S.R.) *''My Bloody Valentine (film), My Bloody Valentine'' – (Canadian films of the 1980s, Canada) *''My Dinner with Andre'', starring Wallace Shawn and Andre Gregory *''The Mysterious Castle in the Carpathians'' (Tajemství hradu v Karpatech) – (Czech films of the 1980s, Czechoslovakia) *''The Mystery of the Third Planet'' (Tayna tretyey planety) – (Soviet films: 1980-1991, U.S.S.R.)

N

*''Naseeb (1981 film), Naseeb'' (Destiny), starring Amitabh Bachchan – (

) *''National Heritage (film), National Heritage'' (Patrimonio nacional), directed by Luis García Berlanga – (

) *''Neighbors (1981 film), Neighbors'', starring

and Dan Aykroyd *''The Nesting'', starring Bill Rowley, Gloria Grahame *''Nice Dreams'', a Cheech & Chong film *''Nighthawks (1981 film), Nighthawks'', starring

, Rutger Hauer, Billy Dee Williams, Lindsay Wagner, Persis Khambatta, Nigel Davenport *''The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia (film), The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia'', starring Kristy McNichol,

, Mark Hamill *''Nobody's Perfekt'', starring Gabe Kaplan, Alex Karras, Robert Klein

O

*''The Oil, the Baby and the Transylvanians'' (Pruncul, petrolul şi ardelenii) – (List of Romanian films#1980s, Romania) *''Omen III: The Final Conflict'', starring Sam Neill, Rossano Brazzi – ( US/ UK) *''On Golden Pond (1981 film), 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 (film), Only When I Laugh'', starring Marsha Mason, Kristy McNichol, James Coco, Joan Hackett *''Outland (film), Outland'', directed by Peter Hyams, starring Sean Connery and Peter Boyle – (

)

P

*''Passion of Love'' (Passione d'amore), directed by Ettore Scola – (

) *''Paternity (film), Paternity'', directed by David Steinberg, starring

and Beverly D'Angelo *''The Skin, La Pelle'' (The Skin), directed by Liliana Cavani, starring Marcello Mastroianni and Claudia Cardinale – (Italy) *''Pennies from Heaven (1981 film), 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 – (Brazilian films of the 1980s, Brazil) *''Polyester (film), Polyester'', directed by John Waters (filmmaker), John Waters, starring Divine (actor), Divine *''Le Pont du Nord'', directed by Jacques Rivette – (

) *''Porky's'', directed by Bob Clark, starring Dan Monahan, Wyatt Knight, Kim Cattrall, Boyd Gaines, Alex Karras, Susan Clark *''Possession (1981 film), Possession'', starring Isabelle Adjani and Sam Neill – (

) *''The Postman Always Rings Twice (1981 film), 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 – ( UK) *''Prince of the City (film), Prince of the City'', directed by Sidney Lumet, starring Treat Williams and Jerry Orbach *''Private Lessons (1981 film), Private Lessons'', starring Sylvia Kristel, Howard Hesseman, Ed Begley Jr. *''The Prodigal Son (1981 film), The Prodigal Son'' (Bai ga jai), directed by and starring Sammo Hung – (Hong Kong films of 1981, Hong Kong) *''The Pursuit of D. B. Cooper'', starring Treat Williams, Robert Duvall, Kathryn Harrold

Q

*''Quartet (1981 film), Quartet'', directed by James Ivory, starring Alan Bates,

, Isabelle Adjani – (

) *''Quest for Fire (film), Quest for Fire'' (aka La Guerre du feu), directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud – (Canadian films of the 1980s, Canada/

)

R

*''Race for the Yankee Zephyr'', starring

, Lesley Ann Warren, George Peppard – (New Zealand) *''Raggedy Man'', starring Sam Shepard and Sissy Spacek *''Ragtime (film), Ragtime'', directed by Miloš Forman, starring James Cagney, Howard Rollins, Howard E. Rollins Jr., Elizabeth McGovern, Mandy Patinkin, Mary Steenburgen, Brad Dourif *''

'', directed by Steven Spielberg, starring Harrison Ford and Karen Allen *''Reds (film), Reds'', directed by and starring Warren Beatty, with Diane Keaton, Jack Nicholson,

, Paul Sorvino *''Rich and Famous (1981 film), Rich and Famous'', directed by George Cukor, starring Jacqueline Bisset and Candice Bergen *''Roar (1981 film), Roar'', directed by Noel Marshall, starring Tippi Hedren and Melanie Griffith *''Ritam zločina'' – (

) *''Roadgames'', directed by Richard Franklin (director), Richard Franklin, starring Stacy Keach and Jamie Lee Curtis – (Australian films of 1981, Australia) *''Rollover (film), Rollover'', directed by Alan J. Pakula, starring Jane Fonda and Kris Kristofferson *''Ruckus (film), Ruckus'', starring Dirk Benedict, Linda Blair, Richard Farnsworth

S

*''S.O.B. (film), S.O.B.'', directed by Blake Edwards, starring Julie Andrews, William Holden, Robert Preston (actor), Robert Preston, Richard Mulligan *''The Salamander (1981 film), 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 – (Canadian films of the 1980s, Canada) *''Zeyara Serreya, Secret Visit'', starring

, Athar El-Hakim, Mahmoud el-Meliguy, Mahmoud El-Meliguy – (List of Egyptian films of the 1980s, Egypt) *''Sharky's Machine (film), Sharky's Machine'', directed by and starring

, with Rachel Ward, Henry Silva, Vittorio Gassman, Charles Durning, Earl Holliman *''Shaukeen'', starring Ashok Kumar – (

) *''Shikake-nin Baian'' – (

) *''Shock Treatment'', starring Jessica Harper and Cliff DeYoung *''Short Working Day'', directed by Krzysztof Kieślowski – (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 films of 1981, Hong Kong) *''Silence of the North'', directed by Allan King, Tom Skerritt, Gordon Pinsent and Ellen Burstyn – (Canadian films of the 1980s, Canada) *''The Simple-Minded Murderer'' (Den Enfaldige Mördaren), starring Stellan Skarsgård – (Swedish films of the 1980s, Sweden) *''The Sixth'' (Shestoy) – (Soviet films: 1980-1991, U.S.S.R.) *''Smash Palace'', directed by Roger Donaldson – (List of New Zealand films#1980s, New Zealand) *''Sogni d'oro'' (Golden Dreams), directed by and starring Nanni Moretti – (

) *''Southern Comfort (1981 film), Southern Comfort'', directed by Walter Hill (director), Walter Hill, starring Keith Carradine, Powers Boothe and Fred Ward *''Sphinx (film), Sphinx'', starring Lesley-Anne Down and Frank Langella *''Station (1981 film), Station'' (Eki Station) – (

) *''Strange Affair (1981 film), Strange Affair'' (Une étrange affaire), starring Michel Piccoli – (

) *''Strange Behavior'', starring Michael Murphy (actor), Michael Murphy and Louise Fletcher – (List of New Zealand films, New Zealand) *''Stripes (film), 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 Korean films of 1981, South Korea)

T

*''Take This Job and Shove It (film), Take This Job and Shove It'', starring Robert Hays,

, Art Carney *''Tales of Ordinary Madness'' (Storie di ordinaria follia), starring Ben Gazzara and Ornella Muti – (

) *''Taps (film), Taps'', directed by Harold Becker, starring Timothy Hutton, George C. Scott, Ronny Cox, Sean Penn, Tom Cruise *''Tarzan, the Ape Man (1981 film), Tarzan, the Ape Man'', starring Bo Derek and Richard Harris *''Tattoo (1981 film), Tattoo'', starring Bruce Dern and Maud Adams *''Taxi zum Klo'' (Taxi to the Toilet) – (

) *''Teheran 43'', starring Alain Delon – (Soviet films: 1980-1991, U.S.S.R./

/List of Swiss films#1980s, Switzerland) *''They All Laughed'', directed by Peter Bogdanovich, starring Audrey Hepburn and Ben Gazzara *''Thief (film), Thief'' aka ''Violent Streets'', directed by Michael Mann (director), Michael Mann, starring James Caan, Tuesday Weld, James Belushi, Robert Prosky *''This Is Elvis'', a documentary *''Three Brothers (1981 film), Three Brothers'' (Tre fratelli), directed by Francesco Rosi – (

) *''Threshold (1981 film), Threshold'', directed by Richard Pearce (director), Richard Pearce, starring

, Jeff Goldblum, Mare Winningham – (Canadian films of the 1980s, 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 – (

) *''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 (film), Tree of Knowledge'' (Kundskabens træ) – (Danish films of the 1980s, Denmark) *''True Confessions (film), True Confessions'', directed by Ulu Grosbard, starring Robert De Niro, Robert Duvall, Charles Durning, Burgess Meredith, Kenneth McMillan (actor), Kenneth McMillan *''The True Story of Ah Q (film), The True Story of Ah Q'' (Ā Q zhèng zhuàn) – (Chinese films of the 1980s, China) *''Tuck Everlasting (1981 film), Tuck Everlasting''

U

*''Under the Rainbow'', starring Chevy Chase, Carrie Fisher and Billy Barty *''Les Uns et les Autres'', directed by Claude Lelouch – (

) *''Útlaginn'' (Outlaw: The Saga of Gisli) – (List of Icelandic films#1980s, Iceland)

V

*''Variola Vera'' – (

) *''Vernon, Florida (film), Vernon, Florida'', a documentary

W

*''Whose Life Is It Anyway? (1981 film), Whose Life Is It Anyway?'', directed by John Badham, starring Richard Dreyfuss,

, Christine Lahti, John Cassavetes *''Will: G. Gordon Liddy, Will'', starring Robert Conrad *''Winter of Our Dreams'', directed by John Duigan, starring Judy Davis, Bryan Brown, Brian Brown, and Baz Luhrmann – (Australian films of 1981, Australia) *''Wolfen (film), 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 – (

) *''Woman Who Exposes Herself'' (Misetagaru onna) – (

)

Z

*''Zoot Suit (film), Zoot Suit'', starring Edward James Olmos *''Zorro, The Gay Blade'', starring George Hamilton (actor), George Hamilton, Lauren Hutton, Brenda Vaccaro, Ron Leibman

1981 Wide-release movies

January–March

April–June

July–September

October–December

Births

* January 1 - Eden Riegel, American actress * January 6 **Betty Gabriel, American actress **Rinko Kikuchi, Japanese actress and director **Jérémie Renier, Belgian actor * January 8 – Genevieve Cortese, American actress * January 15 - Pitbull (rapper), Pitbull, American rapper * January 17 – Diogo Morgado, Portuguese actor * January 18 - Antje Traue, German actress * January 20 – Daniel Cudmore, Canadian actor * January 21 **Amanda Aday, American actress **Izabella Miko, Polish actress and dancer **David F. Sandberg, Swedish filmmaker * January 22 **O. T. Fagbenle, British actor, writer and director **Willa Ford, American singer, songwriter, model, television personality and actress **Beverley Mitchell, American actress * January 23 - Julia Jones, American actress * January 24 – Carrie Coon, American actress * January 25 - Charlie Bewley, English actor and producer * January 28 ** Gen Hoshino, Japanese actor and singer ** Elijah Wood, American actor * January 30 – Chieko Higuchi, Japanese voice actress * January 31 – Justin Timberlake, American singer and actor * February 5 ** Lee Eon, South Korean actor and model (d. 2008 in film, 2008) ** Sara Foster, American actress ** Nora Zehetner, American actress * February 8 – Jim Parrack, American actor * February 9 – Tom Hiddleston, English actor * February 10 **Uzo Aduba, American actress **Stephanie Beatriz, Argentine actress * February 11 – Kelly Rowland, American singer and actress * February 12 **Jesse Hutch, Canadian actor **Lauri Lagle, Estonian actor, director and screenwriter * February 17 – **Joseph Gordon-Levitt, American actor **Paris Hilton, American media personality, singer and actress * February 19 – Beth Ditto, American singer-songwriter * February 22 – Elodie Yung, French actress * February 23 ** Josh Gad, American actor and comedian ** Mai Nakahara, Japanese voice actress * March 2 – Bryce Dallas Howard, American actress * March 3 – Eugene (actress), Eugene, South Korean actress and singer * March 6 – Ellen Muth, American actress * March 11 – David Anders, American actor * March 17 - Nicky Jam, American singer and actor * March 22 - Tiffany Dupont, American actress * March 23 - Luciana Carro, Canadian actress * March 24 - Philip Winchester, American actor * March 27 - Quim Gutiérrez, Spanish actor * March 28 – Julia Stiles, American actress * March 29 ** Alexander Fehling, German actor ** Alain Moussi, Canadian/Gabonese actor and stuntman * March 30 - Katy Mixon, American actress * March 31 – Ryōko Shintani, Japanese voice actress * April 8 - Taylor Kitsch, Canadian actor and model * April 10 ** Laura Bell Bundy, American actress ** Michael Pitt, American actor * April 13 – Courtney Peldon, American actress * April 17 - Charlie Hofheimer, American actor * April 19 ** Hayden Christensen, Canadian actor ** Catalina Sandino Moreno, Colombian actress * April 23 – Gemma Whelan, English actress * April 26 **Luke Ford, Canadian-Australian actor **Amit Shah (actor), English actor * April 28 **Jessica Alba, American actress **Toby Leonard Moore, Australian actor **Catherine Reitman, Canadian-American actress, producer and writer * April 29 - Alex Vincent (actor), American actor and writer * April 30 **Kunal Nayyar, British actor **Rose Rollins, American actress * May 2 – Rina Satō, Japanese voice actress * May 3 – Natalie Tong, Hong Kong actress and model * May 5 ** Danielle Fishel, American actress ** Farid Kamil, Malaysian actor and film director * May 11 ** JP Karliak, American actor, voice actor and comedian ** Austin O'Brien, American actor * May 12 – Rami Malek, American actor * May 13 - Ryan Piers Williams, American actor, director and writer * May 15 – Jamie-Lynn Sigler, American actress * May 28 – Laura Bailey (voice actress), Laura Bailey, American voice actress * May 29 - Justin Chon, American actor, director and YouTube personality * June 1 – Amy Schumer, American actress and comedian * June 4 – T.J. Miller, American actor, stand-up comedian, producer and writer * June 7 – Larisa Oleynik, American actress * June 9 – Natalie Portman, Israeli-American actress * June 10 – Jonathan Bennett (actor), Jonathan Bennett, American actor * June 12 **Jeremy Howard (actor), American actor **Malachi Pearson, American actor * June 13 – Chris Evans (actor), Chris Evans, American actor * June 14 – Chauncey Leopardi, American actor * June 20 – Alisan Porter, American former actress * June 26 - Jimmy Ray Bennett, American actor * June 28 - Jon Watts, American filmmaker * June 30 - Anna Slotky, American former actress * July 1 - Amanda Lucas (fighter), American retired professional mixed martial artist and actress * July 3 - Rebecca Honig, American voice actress * July 5 - Ryan Hansen, American actor and comedian * July 13 - Fran Kranz, American actor and director * July 21 – Davide Perino, Italian actor and voice actor * July 22 - Josh Lawson, Australian actor and filmmaker * July 24 – Summer Glau, American actress * July 28 - Neil Casey, American actor, writer and comedian * July 30 ** Brandon Scott (actor), Brandon Scott, American actor ** Lisa Wilhoit, American actress * July 31 - Eric Lively, American former actor * August 1 – Taylor Fry, American former child actress * August 3 – Travis Willingham, American voice actor * August 4 **Marques Houston, American singer and actor **Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, American former actress and model **Abigail Spencer, American actress * August 6 – Leslie Odom Jr., American actor * August 8 – Meagan Good, American actress * August 10 - Jon Prescott, American actor * August 20 – Ben Barnes (actor), Ben Barnes, English actor * August 22 **Ross Marquand, American impressionist, actor and producer **Takumi Saito, Japanese actor * August 24 – Chad Michael Murray, American actor * August 25 – Rachel Bilson, American actress * August 27 – Patrick J. Adams, Canadian actor * September 1 - Boyd Holbrook, American actor * September 3 - Evgeniya Brik, Russian actress (d. 2022) * September 4 – Beyoncé Knowles, American singer and actress * September 8 – Jonathan Taylor Thomas, American actor * September 9 - Julie Gonzalo, Argentine-American actress * September 12 – Jennifer Hudson, American singer and actress * September 14 - Miyavi, Japanese guitarist, singer-songwriter and actor * September 15 - Ben Schwartz, American actor, voice actor, comedian, improviser, writer, director and producer * September 16 **Fan Bingbing, Chinese actress, model, producer and singer **Alexis Bledel, American actress * September 18 - Jennifer Tisdale, American actress and singer * September 22 - Ashley Eckstein, American actress * September 23 – Misti Traya, American actress * September 26 – Christina Milian, American singer and actress * September 29 – Shay Astar, American singer and actress * September 30 – Ashleigh Aston Moore, American-Canadian former child actress (d. 2007) * October 1 – Rupert Friend, English actor * October 3 – Seth Gabel, American actor * October 9 – Zachery Ty Bryan, American actor * October 12 – Tom Guiry, American actor * October 18 – Graham Moore (writer), Graham Moore, American screenwriter * October 22 – Michael Fishman, American actor * October 23 - Jackie Long, American actor, writer, musician, director and producer * October 30 - Fiona Dourif, American actress and producer * November 1 - Matt Jones (actor), Matt Jones, American actor, voice artist, comedian, rapper and singer * November 2 - Katharine Isabelle, Canadian actress * November 6 – Lee Dong-wook, South Korean actor * November 7 - Lotta Losten, Swedish actress * November 9 – Scottie Thompson, American actress * November 10 – Perla Liberatori, Italian voice actress * November 14 - Vanessa Bayer, American actress and comedian * November 16 – Caitlin Glass, American voice actress * November 17 - Bojana Novakovic, Serbian-Australian actress * November 18 – Nasim Pedrad, Iranian-American actress and comedian * November 20 – Andrea Riseborough, English actress * December 2 – Britney Spears, American singer and actress * December 3 – Liza Lapira, American actress * December 5 - Adan Canto, Mexican actor * December 8 - Dov Tiefenbach, Canadian actor and musician * December 13 – Amy Lee, American singer-songwriter (Evanescence) * December 15 - Brendan Fletcher, Canadian actor, screenwriter and producer * December 16 – Krysten Ritter, American actress * December 27 **Emilie de Ravin, Australian actress **Jay Ellis, American actor * December 28 – Sienna Miller, English actress * December 29 - Charlotte Riley, English actress

Deaths

Film debuts

*Ben Affleck – ''The Dark End of the Street'' *Jason Alexander – '' The Burning'' *Christina Applegate – ''Jaws of Satan'' *Kim Basinger – ''Hard Country (film), Hard Country'' *Xander Berkeley – ''Mommie Dearest (film), Mommie Dearest'' *Kenneth Branagh – ''

'' *Robert John Burke - ''

'' *Gabriel Byrne – ''

'' *James Cameron (director) – ''Piranha II: The Spawning'' *Dana Carvey – ''Halloween II (1981 film), Halloween II'' *Jeffrey Combs - ''Honky Tonk Freeway'' *Kevin Costner – ''Malibu Hot Summer'' *Tom Cruise – '' Endless Love'' *Charles Dance – '' For Your Eyes Only'' *Jeff Daniels – ''Ragtime (film), Ragtime'' *Robert Davi – ''Gangster Wars'' *Loretta Devine – ''Will (1981 film), Will'' *Dennis Farina – ''Thief'' *Stephen Fry – ''Chariots of Fire'' *Gina Gershon – ''Beatlemania: The Movie'' *Jami Gertz – ''Endless Love'' *Bob Gunton – ''Rollover (film), Rollover'' *Glenne Headly – '' Four Friends'' *Ciarán Hinds – ''Excalibur'' *Holly Hunter – ''The Burning'' *Jennifer Jason Leigh – ''Eyes of a Stranger (1981 film), Eyes of a Stranger'' *

– ''

'' *

(director) – ''Friday the 13th Part 2'' *Alfred Molina – ''

'' *Demi Moore – ''Choices'' *Bill Nighy – '' Eye of the Needle'' *Chris Noth – ''Waitress!'' *Sean Penn – ''Taps (film), Taps'' *Ron Perlman – ''Quest for Fire (film), Quest for Fire'' *Robert Picardo – ''The Howling (film), The Howling'' *

– ''Cattle Annie and Little Britches (film), Cattle Annie and Little Britches'' *Geoffrey Rush – ''Hoodwink (1981 film), Hoodwink'' *Meg Ryan – ''Rich and Famous (1981 film), Rich and Famous'' *Vinessa Shaw – ''Home Sweet Home (1981 film), Home Sweet Home'' *Mindy Sterling – ''

'' *Fisher Stevens – ''The Burning'' *Madeleine Stowe – ''Gangster Wars'' *Henry Thomas – ''Raggedy Man'' *

– ''

'' *Diane Venora – ''Wolfen (film), Wolfen'' *

- ''

'' *Hugo Weaving – ''...Maybe This Time''

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:1981 In Film 1981 in film, Film by year

Highest-grossing films (U.S.)

Events

Awards

Notable films released in 1981

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

J

K

L

M

N

O

P

Q

R

S

T

U

V

W

Z

1981 Wide-release movies

January–March

April–June

July–September

October–December

Births

Deaths

Film debuts

See also

Notes

References