1941 in film explained
The year 1941 in film involved some significant events, in particular the release of a film consistently rated as one of the greatest of all time, Citizen Kane.
Top-grossing films (U.S.)
The top ten 1941 released films by box office gross in North America are as follows:
Highest-grossing films of 1941| Rank | Title | Distributor | Domestic rentals |
|---|
| 1 | Sergeant York | Warner Bros. | $6,075,000[1] |
|---|
| 2 | Honky Tonk | MGM | $2,893,000[2] |
|---|
| 3 | Louisiana Purchase | Paramount | $2,750,000[3] |
|---|
| 4 | How Green Was My Valley | | $2,447,000[4] |
|---|
| 5 | The Philadelphia Story | MGM | $2,374,000 |
|---|
| 6 | Caught in the Draft | Paramount | $2,200,000[5] |
|---|
| 7 | A Yank in the R.A.F. | 20th Century Fox | $2,063,000 |
|---|
| 8 | Men of Boys Town | MGM | $2,009,000 |
|---|
| 9 | Ziegfeld Girl | $1,891,000 |
|---|
| 10 | They Died with Their Boots On | Warner Bros. | $1,871,000 | |
|---|
Events
Academy Awards
See main article: 14th Academy Awards.
How Green Was My Valley – 20th Century-Fox
Gary Cooper – Sergeant York
Joan Fontaine – Suspicion
Donald Crisp – How Green Was My Valley
Mary Astor – The Great Lie
John Ford – How Green Was My Valley
1941 film releases
United States unless stated
January–March
- January 1941
- 1 January
- 16 January
- 17 January
- 21 January
- 23 January
- 24 January
- 28 January
- 31 January
- February 1941
- 7 February
- 18 February
- 20 February
- 21 February
- 25 February
- March 1941
- 1 March
- 7 March
- 8 March
- 10 March
- 21 March
- 26 March
- 28 March
April–June
- April 1941
- 4 April
- 6 April
- 10 April
- 11 April
- 12 April
- 19 April
- 24 April
- 25 April
- 30 April
- May 1941
- 1 May
- 2 May
- 3 May
- 5 May
- 7 May
- 9 May
- 10 May
- 22 May
- 23 May
- 24 May
- 30 May
- June 1941
- 7 June
- 11 June
- 13 June
- 18 June
- 20 June
- 25 June
- 26 June
- 27 June
- 28 June
July–September
- July 1941
- 2 July
- 4 July
- 12 July
- 18 July
- 25 July
- 26 July
- August 1941
- 1 August
- 2 August
- 6 August
- 7 August
- 8 August
- 9 August
- 12 August
- 15 August
- 21 August
- 28 August
- 29 August
- September
- 1 September
- 5 September
- 6 September
- 18 September
- 19 September
- 25 September
- 26 September
October–December
- October 1941
- 2 October
- 8 October
- 10 October
- 17 October
- 18 October
- 22 October
- 23 October
- 24 October
- 25 October
- 28 October
- 31 October
- November 1941
- 7 November
- 14 November
- 15 November
- 21 November
- 27 November
- 28 November
- December 1941
- 1 December
- 2 December
- 5 December
- 12 December
- 18 December
- 21 December
- 25 December
- 26 December
Notable films released in 1941
United States unless stated
A
B
- Babes on Broadway, directed by Busby Berkeley, starring Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney
- Back Street, starring Charles Boyer and Margaret Sullavan
- Bad Men of Missouri, starring Dennis Morgan and Jane Wyman
- Ball of Fire, directed by Howard Hawks, starring Gary Cooper and Barbara Stanwyck
- The Big Store, starring the Marx Brothers, Margaret Dumont, Tony Martin
- The Black Cat, starring Basil Rathbone and Bela Lugosi
- Blood and Sand, starring Tyrone Power, Linda Darnell, Rita Hayworth
- Blossoms in the Dust, starring Greer Garson and Walter Pidgeon
- The Blue Star Hotel (Hotel Modrá hvězda), directed by Martin Frič – (Czechoslovakia)
- Blues in the Night, starring Priscilla Lane and Betty Field
- Bowery Blitzkrieg, starring the East Side Kids
- The Bride Came C.O.D., starring James Cagney and Bette Davis
- Broadway Limited, starring Victor McLaglen, Dennis O'Keefe, Patsy Kelly
- Brothers and Sisters of the Toda Family, directed by Yasujirō Ozu – (Japan)
- Buck Privates, starring Abbott and Costello
C
- Caught in the Draft, starring Bob Hope and Dorothy Lamour
- Charlie Chan in Rio, starring Sidney Toler
- Charley's Aunt, starring Jack Benny
- A Charming Man (Roztomilý člověk), directed by Martin Frič – (Czechoslovakia)
- The Chocolate Soldier, starring Nelson Eddy
- Churchill's Island (La Forteresse de Churchill) – (Canada)
- Citizen Kane, directed by and starring Orson Welles, with Joseph Cotten, Agnes Moorehead, Everett Sloane, Dorothy Comingore, Ray Collins
- The Corsican Brothers, starring Douglas Fairbanks Jr.
- Cottage to Let, directed by Anthony Asquith, starring Leslie Banks, Alastair Sim, John Mills – (GB)
- Crook's Tour, starring Basil Radford and Naunton Wayne
- Cuando los hijos se van (When Children Leave Home) – (Mexico)
D
F
G
H
- H.M. Pulham, Esq., starring Hedy Lamarr and Robert Young
- The Hard Life of an Adventurer (Těžký život dobrodruha) – (Czechoslovakia)
- Hatter's Castle, starring Robert Newton and Deborah Kerr – (Britain)
- The Heavenly Play (Himlaspelet), directed by Alf Sjöberg – (Sweden)
- Hellzapoppin', starring Ole Olsen and Chic Johnson
- Here Comes Mr. Jordan, starring Robert Montgomery
- Hold Back the Dawn, starring Charles Boyer, Olivia de Havilland and Paulette Goddard
- Hold That Ghost, starring Abbott and Costello
- Honky Tonk, starring Clark Gable and Lana Turner
- How Green Was My Valley, directed by John Ford, starring Walter Pidgeon and Maureen O'Hara – winner of 5 Academy Awards
I
- I Wake Up Screaming, starring Betty Grable, Victor Mature, Carole Landis
- I Wanted Wings, starring Ray Milland, William Holden, Veronica Lake, Brian Donlevy
- In the Navy, starring Bud Abbott and Lou Costello
- Inspector Hornleigh Goes To It, starring Gordon Harker and Alastair Sim – (GB)
- International Lady, starring George Brent and Basil Rathbone
- The Iron Crown (La corona di ferro) – (Italy)
- It Started with Eve, starring Deanna Durbin and Robert Cummings
J
K
L
- Ladies in Retirement, starring Ida Lupino and Louis Hayward
- Lady Be Good, starring Eleanor Powell and Robert Young
- The Lady Eve, directed by Preston Sturges, starring Barbara Stanwyck and Henry Fonda
- Life Begins for Andy Hardy starring Lewis Stone, Mickey Rooney, Cecilia Parker, Fay Holden
- Life with Henry, starring Jackie Cooper.
- The Little Foxes, directed by William Wyler, starring Bette Davis
- Look Who's Laughing, starring Edgar Bergen, Fibber McGee and Molly
- Louisiana Purchase, starring Bob Hope
- Love on the Dole, starring Deborah Kerr – (GB)
M
- Major Barbara, directed by Gabriel Pascal, starring Wendy Hiller and Rex Harrison – (GB)
- The Maltese Falcon, directed by John Huston, starring Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor, Peter Lorre
- Man Hunt, starring Walter Pidgeon and Joan Bennett
- Man Made Monster, starring Lon Chaney Jr. and Lionel Atwill
- Manpower, starring Edward G. Robinson, Marlene Dietrich, George Raft
- Meet John Doe, starring Gary Cooper and Barbara Stanwyck
- Moon Over Miami, starring Betty Grable
- Mr. & Mrs. Smith, directed by Alfred Hitchcock, starring Carole Lombard and Robert Montgomery
- Mr. Bug Goes to Town
N
O
P
Q
R
S
- The Saint in Palm Springs, starring George Sanders
- The Sausage-Maker Who Disappeared (Den forsvundne pølsemaker) – (Norway)
- The Sea Wolf, starring Edward G. Robinson, Ida Lupino, John Garfield
- Sergeant York, directed by Howard Hawks, starring Gary Cooper and Walter Brennan
- Shadow of the Thin Man, starring William Powell and Myrna Loy
- The Shanghai Gesture, starring Gene Tierney
- The Shepherd of the Hills, starring John Wayne
- Sheriff of Tombstone, starring Roy Rogers
- Shining Victory, starring James Stephenson and Geraldine Fitzgerald
- Sikandar (Alexander the Great) – (India)
- Six Gun Gold, starring Tim Holt
- Skylark, starring Claudette Colbert and Ray Milland
- Spellbound, starring Derek Farr – (GB)
- Spooks Run Wild, starring East Side Kids and Bela Lugosi
- Stormy Waters (Remorques), starring Jean Gabin and Michèle Morgan – (France)
- The Strawberry Blonde, starring James Cagney, Olivia de Havilland, Rita Hayworth
- Sullivan's Travels, directed by Preston Sturges, starring Joel McCrea and Veronica Lake
- Sun Valley Serenade, starring Sonja Henie
- Suspicion, directed by Alfred Hitchcock, starring Joan Fontaine and Cary Grant
- Suvorov – (U.S.S.R.)
- Swamp Water, directed by Jean Renoir, starring Walter Brennan and Walter Huston
T
- The Tale of the Fox (Le Roman de Renard) – (France)
- Target for Tonight, a propaganda documentary – (GB)
- Tarzan's Secret Treasure, starring Johnny Weissmuller
- Teresa Venerdì, directed by and starring Vittorio De Sica – (Italy)
- That Hamilton Woman (aka Lady Hamilton), starring Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier – (GB)
- That Night in Rio, starring Don Ameche, Alice Faye, Carmen Miranda
- Tosca, directed by Jean Renoir, starring Imperio Argentina and Michel Simon (Italy)
- Turned Out Nice Again, starring George Formby – (GB)
- The Tyrant Father (O Pai Tirano) – (Portugal)
U
W
Y
Z
Serials
- The Adventures of Captain Marvel, starring Tom Tyler, directed by William Witney and John English
- Dick Tracy vs Crime Inc, starring Ralph Byrd, directed by William Witney and John English
- The Green Hornet, starring Gordon Jones
- Holt of the Secret Service, directed by James W. Horne
- The Iron Claw, directed by James W. Horne
- Jungle Girl, starring Frances Gifford, directed by William Witney and John English
- King of the Texas Rangers, directed by William Witney and John English
- Riders of Death Valley, directed by Ray Taylor and Ford Beebe
- Sea Raiders, directed by Ray Taylor and Ford Beebe
- Sky Raiders, directed by Ray Taylor and Ford Beebe
- The Spider Returns, starring Warren Hull, directed by James W. Horne
- White Eagle, directed by James W. Horne
Comedy film series
Animated short film series
Births
- January 1
- January 3 - Derrick O'Connor, Irish actor (died 2018)
- January 4 - John Bennett Perry, American actor
- January 7 - Harvey Evans, American actor (died 2021)
- January 10 – José Greci, Italian actress (died 2017)
- January 12 - Long John Baldry, English-Canadian singer, musician and voice actor (died 2005)
- January 14 – Faye Dunaway, American actress
- January 15 - Geoffrey Beevers, British actor
- January 19 - Putter Smith, American jazz bassist and actor
- January 24 - Neil Diamond, American actor and singer
- January 27 - Jeannie Epper, American stuntwoman and actress (died 2024)
- January 31 – Jessica Walter, American actress (died 2021)
- February 5 - David Selby, American actor
- February 8 – Nick Nolte, American actor and producer
- February 10 – Michael Apted, English director, producer and screenwriter (died 2021)
- February 11 - Sonny Landham, American actor and stunt performer (died 2017)
- February 13 - Bo Svenson, Swedish-American actor, director, screenwriter and producer
- February 27 - Charlotte Stewart, American actress
- March 3 - Rada Rassimov, Italian actress
- March 4
- March 6 - George P. Wilbur, American actor and professional stuntman (died 2023)
- March 14 – Wolfgang Petersen, German director, producer and screenwriter (died 2022)
- March 16
- Bernardo Bertolucci, Italian director (died 2018)
- Jerry Chipman, American actor (died 2020)
- March 18 - Frank McRae, American actor (died 2021)
- March 20 - Paul Junger Witt, American producer (died 2018)
- March 22 - Bruno Ganz, Swiss actor (died 2019)
- March 24 - David Fox, Canadian actor (died 2021)
- April 3 - Eric Braeden, German actor
- April 7
- April 12 - Manuel de Blas, Spanish actor
- April 20
- David Leland, English director (died 2023)
- Ryan O'Neal, American actor (died 2023)
- April 26 - Claudine Auger, French actress (died 2019)
- April 28 – Ann-Margret, Swedish-born American actress, dancer and singer
- May 2 - Paul Darrow, English actor (died 2019)
- May 13 – Senta Berger, Austrian actress and producer
- May 17 - Grace Zabriskie, American actress
- May 18 - Miriam Margolyes, British-Australian character actress
- May 19 - Tania Mallet, English actress and model (died 2019)
- May 24 – *Andrés García, Dominican-Mexican actor
- May 29
- June 2
- June 5 – Spalding Gray, American actor and screenwriter (died 2004)
- June 8 - Jessie Lawrence Ferguson, American actor (died 2019)
- June 10
- June 20
- June 21
- June 22 – Michael Lerner, American actor (died 2023)
- June 25 – Denys Arcand, Canadian director and screenwriter
- June 27 – Krzysztof Kieślowski, Polish director (died 1996)
- July 1 - Milos Milos, Serbian-born American actor and stunt double (died 1966)
- July 10 - Robert Pine, American actor
- July 13 - Robert Forster, American actor (died 2019)
- July 17 - Paula Shaw, American actress
- July 21 - Edward Herrmann, American actor, director and writer (died 2014)
- July 26 - Darlene Love, American actress and singer
- July 28 – Peter Cullen, Canadian voice actor
- July 29 – David Warner, English actor (died 2022)
- August 4
- August 7 - Franco Columbu, Italian bodybuilder, actor and producer (died 2019)
- August 8 - Earl Boen, American actor (died 2023)
- August 12 - Dana Ivey, American actress
- August 15 - Lou Perryman, American character actor (died 2009)
- August 26 - Joan Freeman, American retired actress
- August 28 - Tony Barry, Australian actor (died 2022)
- August 29
- September 18 - Gerry Bamman, American actor
- September 26 – Martine Beswick, English actress and model
- October 6 – Billy Murray, English actor
- October 9 - Michael Goodwin, American character actor
- October 10 – Peter Coyote, American actor
- October 19 – Simon Ward, English actor (died 2012)
- October 20 – Clare Peploe, English-Italian screenwriter and director (died 2021)
- October 23 – Mel Winkler, American actor (died 2020)
- October 24 – Frank Aendenboom, Belgian actor (died 2018)
- October 25 – Gordon Tootoosis, Aboriginal Canadian actor (died 2011)
- October 31
- Mischa Hausserman, Austrian-born American actor (died 2021)
- Sally Kirkland, American actress
- November 1 – Robert Foxworth, American actor
- November 18 – David Hemmings, English actor, director and producer (died 2003)
- November 22 – Tom Conti, Scottish actor
- November 23 – Franco Nero, Italian actor
- November 25 – Tiit Lilleorg, Estonian actor (died 2021)
- November 27 - Tom Morga, American stuntman, stunt coordinator and actor
- December 4 – Leila Säälik, Estonian actress
- December 6
- December 8 – Valora Noland, American actress (died 2022)
- December 9 – Beau Bridges, American actor
- December 10 - Fionnula Flanagan, Irish actress
- December 15 - Vladan Živković, Serbian actor (died 2022)
- December 25 - John Capodice, American character actor
- December 27 - Aharon Ipalé, Israeli-American actor (died 2016)
Deaths
- January 4 – Henri Bergson, 81, French writer
- January 10 – Joe Penner, 36, American comedian, actor, The Boys from Syracuse, Millionaire Playboy, The Day the Bookies Wept, Mr. Doodle Kicks Off
- March 13 – Stuart Walker, 63, American director, White Woman, Great Expectations
- April 23 – Stanley Fields, 57, American actor, The Great Plane Robbery, The Lady from Cheyenne
- May 8 – Tore Svennberg, 83, Swedish actor, The Phantom Carriage, A Woman's Face
- May 12 – Ruth Stonehouse, 48, American actress, film director, The Satin Woman
- May 22 – Ida Waterman, 89, American actress, Stella Maris, The Enchanted Cottage, Amarilly of Clothes-Line Alley, Esmerelda
- June 28 – Richard Carle, 69, American actor, The Little Red Schoolhouse, Love Before Breakfast, Rhythm in the Clouds, She Asked for It
- July 25 - Purnell Pratt, 55, American actor, Alibi, Scarface, The Mystery Squadron, Dancing Feet
- July 29 - James Stephenson, 52, English actor, The Letter, Shining Victory
- August 13 – J. Stuart Blackton, 66, British-American film producer and director, co-founder of Vitagraph Studios, The Glorious Adventure
- September 18 – Claude King, 66, English actor, Behind the Mask, It Couldn't Have Happened – But It Did
- October 9 – Helen Morgan, 41, American actress and singer, You Belong to Me, Applause, Show Boat
- October 26 – Victor Schertzinger, 53, American director, Paramount on Parade, Road to Zanzibar
- November 2 – Bengt Djurberg, 43, Swedish actor, Troll-elgen
- December 21 – David Howard, 45, American film director, Daniel Boone
References
- Warner Bros financial information in The William Schaefer Ledger. See Appendix 1, Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television, (1995) 15:sup1, 1-31 p 28 DOI: 10.1080/01439689508604551
- .
- https://archive.org/stream/variety149-1943-01#page/n57/mode/1up "101 Pix Gross in Millions" Variety 6 Jan 1943 p 58
- News: Variety. All-time Film Rental Champs. October 15, 1990. M162 to 166.
- News: Variety. York's 4,000,000. December 31, 1941. 20. December 9, 2023.
- Web site: All Time Box Office Adjusted for Ticket Price Inflation. www.boxofficemojo.com. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20140607105553/https://boxofficemojo.com/alltime/adjusted.htm. 2014-06-07.
External links
