1981 in film
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The following is an overview of events in 1981 in film, including the highest-grossing films, award ceremonies and festivals, a list of films released and notable deaths.
Highest-grossing films (U.S.)
The top ten 1981 released films by box office gross in North America are as follows:
| Rank | Title | Studio | Domestic gross |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Raiders of the Lost Ark | Paramount Pictures / Lucasfilm | $212,222,025 |
| 2. | On Golden Pond | Universal Pictures / ITC | $119,285,432 |
| 3. | Superman II | Warner Bros. | $108,185,706 |
| 4. | Arthur | Orion Pictures / Warner Bros. | $95,461,682 |
| 5. | Stripes | Columbia Pictures | $85,297,000 |
| 6. | The Cannonball Run | 20th Century Fox / Golden Harvest | $72,179,579 |
| 7. | Chariots of Fire | Warner Bros. / Ladd | $58,972,904 |
| 8. | For Your Eyes Only | United Artists | $54,812,802 |
| 9. | The Four Seasons | Universal Pictures | $50,427,646 |
| 10. | Time Bandits | Embassy Pictures | $42,365,581 |
Events
- January 19 – Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer acquires beleaguered concurrent United Artists. UA was humiliated by the astronomical losses on the $40,000,000 movie Heaven's Gate, a major factor in the decision of owner Transamerica to sell it.
- November 29 – Off Santa Catalina Island, 43-year-old actress Natalie Wood drowns during a boating accident.
- Kathleen Turner makes her acting debut.
- Tom Cruise makes his acting debut.
- June 12 – Raiders of the Lost Ark is released. It set a major standard for many action-adventure films to date.
Awards
| Years in film |
|---|
 |
| 1870s |
- Best Picture: Chariots of Fire – Enigma, The Ladd Company/Warner Bros.
- Best Director: Warren Beatty – Reds
- Best Actor: Henry Fonda – On Golden Pond
- Best Actress: Katharine Hepburn – On Golden Pond
- Best Supporting Actor: John Gielgud – Arthur
- Best Supporting Actress: Maureen Stapleton – Reds
- Best Foreign Language Film: Mephisto, directed by Istvan Szabo, Hungary
- Drama:
- Best Picture: On Golden Pond
- Best Actor: Henry Fonda – On Golden Pond
- Best Actress: Meryl Streep – The French Lieutenant's Woman
- Musical or comedy:
- Best Picture: Arthur
- Best Actor: Dudley Moore – Arthur
- Best Actress: Bernadette Peters – Pennies from Heaven
- Other
- Best Director: Warren Beatty – Reds
- Best Foreign Film: Chariots of Fire, United Kingdom
- Worst Picture: Mommie Dearest
- Worst Director: Michael Cimino – Heaven's Gate
- Worst Actor: Klinton Spilsbury – The Legend of the Lone Ranger
- Worst Actress: Bo Derek – Tarzan, the Ape Man; Faye Dunaway – Mommie Dearest
- Worst Supporting Actor: Steve Forrest – Mommie Dearest
- Worst Supporting Actress: Diana Scarwid – Mommie Dearest
Palme d'Or (Cannes Film Festival):
- Man of Iron (Człowiek z żelaza), directed by Andrzej Wajda, Poland
Golden Lion (Venice Film Festival):
- Marianne and Juliane (Die Bleierne Zeit), directed by Margarethe von Trotta, W. Germany
Golden Bear (Berlin Film Festival):
- Faster, Faster (Deprisa, deprisa / Vivre vite), directed by Carlos Saura, Spain / France
Notable films released in 1981
U.S.A. unless stated
A
- Absence of Malice, directed by Sydney Pollack, starring Paul Newman, Sally Field, Bob Balaban, Melinda Dillon
- All Night Long, starring Barbra Streisand, Gene Hackman, Diane Ladd, Dennis Quaid
- ...All the Marbles, starring Peter Falk, Vicki Frederick and Laurene Landon
- The Amateur, starring John Savage, Christopher Plummer, Marthe Keller
- American Pop, an animated rotoscope musical by Ralph Bakshi and starring Ron Thompson
- An American Werewolf in London, directed by John Landis, starring David Naughton, Griffin Dunne, Jenny Agutter – (U.S.A./U.K.)
- Amy, starring Jenny Agutter and Barry Newman
- Arthur, starring Dudley Moore, Liza Minnelli, John Gielgud, Geraldine Fitzgerald, Stephen Elliott, Jill Eikenberry
- The Aviator's Wife (La femme de l'aviateur), directed by Éric Rohmer – (France)
B
- Back Roads, directed by Martin Ritt, starring Sally Field and Tommy Lee Jones
- Beau-père, directed by Bertrand Blier – (France)
- Berlin Tunnel 21, starring Richard Thomas and Horst Buchholz
- Die Berührte, directed by Helma Sanders-Brahms – (West Germany)
- Betrayal (Løperjenten) – (Norway)
- Bianco, rosso e Verdone – (Italy)
- Blind Chance (Przypadek) – (Poland)
- The Blood of Hussain – (Pakistan)
- Blood Wedding (Bodas de sangre), directed by Carlos Saura – (Spain)
- Blow Out, directed by Brian De Palma, starring John Travolta, Nancy Allen, Dennis Franz, John Lithgow
- The Boat Is Full (Das Boot ist voll) – (Switzerland)
- Body Heat, directed by Lawrence Kasdan, starring William Hurt, Kathleen Turner, Ted Danson, Richard Crenna, J. A. Preston, Mickey Rourke
- Body and Soul, starring Jayne Kennedy, Leon Isaac Kennedy, Michael V. Gazzo
- Das Boot (Released in the U.S. in 1982), directed by Wolfgang Petersen, starring Jürgen Prochnow – (West Germany)
- Buriki no kunsho – (Japan)
- Buddy Buddy, directed by Billy Wilder, starring Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau
- The Burning, starring Brian Matthews – (U.S.A./Canada)
- Bustin' Loose, starring Richard Pryor and Cicely Tyson
C
- The Cannonball Run, directed by Hal Needham, starring Burt Reynolds, Dom DeLuise, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Jr., Roger Moore, Farrah Fawcett
- Carbon Copy, starring George Segal and Denzel Washington
- Cattle Annie and Little Britches, starring Burt Lancaster, Rod Steiger, John Savage, Diane Lane, Amanda Plummer
- Caveman, directed by Carl Gottlieb, starring Ringo Starr, Dennis Quaid, Shelley Long
- Chariots of Fire, directed by Hugh Hudson, starring Ben Cross, Ian Charleson, Nigel Havers – (U.K.)
- Charlie Chan and the Curse of the Dragon Queen, starring Peter Ustinov, Lee Grant, Angie Dickinson
- Charlotte – (Netherlands)
- The Chosen, starring Robby Benson, Barry Miller, Maximilian Schell, Rod Steiger
- Christiane F. – We Children from Bahnhof Zoo, directed by Uli Edel, starring Natja Brunckhorst – (West Germany)
- Chu Chu and the Philly Flash, directed by David Lowell Rich, starring Carol Burnett and Alan Arkin
- Circle of Deceit (Die Fälschung), directed by Volker Schlöndorff, starring Bruno Ganz, Hanna Schygulla and Jerzy Skolimowski – (West Germany)
- Clash of the Titans, starring Harry Hamlin, Laurence Olivier, Maggie Smith – (U.S.A./U.K.)
- Condorman, starring Michael Crawford, Oliver Reed, Barbara Carrera – (U.K.)
- Le confort et l'indifférence (Comfort and Indifference) – (Canada)
- Continental Divide, starring John Belushi, Blair Brown, Allen Garfield
- Coup de torchon, directed by Bertrand Tavernier, starring Philippe Noiret and Isabelle Huppert – (France)
- Cutter's Way, starring Jeff Bridges, Lisa Eichhorn, John Heard
D
- Dance Craze, concert documentary featuring Madness, The Beat, The Specials and others – (U.K.)
- Dark Night of the Scarecrow
- Dead & Buried, starring James Farentino
- Deadly Blessing. starring Sharon Stone and Ernest Borgnine
- Death Hunt, starring Charles Bronson, Lee Marvin, Andrew Stevens, Carl Weathers, Angie Dickinson
- The Decline of Western Civilization, a documentary film
- Deprisa, Deprisa (Hurry, Hurry!), directed by Carlos Saura – (Spain) – Golden Bear winner
- The Devil and Max Devlin, starring Elliott Gould and Bill Cosby
- Diva, directed by Jean-Jacques Beineix – (France)
- Do You Remember Dolly Bell? (Sjecas li se Doli Bel?) – (Yugoslavia)
- Dragonslayer, starring Peter MacNicol
- Dreszcze (Shivers) – (Poland)
E
- Eijanaika (Why Not?), directed by Shohei Imamura – (Japan)
- Ek Duuje Ke Liye (Made for Each Other) – (India)
- Endless Love, directed by Franco Zeffirelli, starring Brooke Shields and Martin Hewitt
- The Entity, starring Barbara Hershey, Ron Silver, Margaret Blye
- Escape from New York, directed by John Carpenter, starring Kurt Russell, Lee Van Cleef, Ernest Borgnine, Isaac Hayes, Adrienne Barbeau
- Escape to Victory (aka Victory), directed by John Huston, starring Michael Caine, Sylvester Stallone, Max von Sydow, Pelé
- The Evil Dead, directed by Sam Raimi, starring Bruce Campbell
- Excalibur, directed by John Boorman, starring Nigel Terry, Helen Mirren, Nicol Williamson, Nicholas Clay, Liam Neeson – (U.K.)
- An Eye for an Eye, starring Chuck Norris
- Eye of the Needle, starring Donald Sutherland and Kate Nelligan – (U.K.)
- Eyewitness, directed by Peter Yates, starring William Hurt, Sigourney Weaver, Christopher Plummer, James Woods
F
- The Fan, directed by Edward Bianchi, starring Lauren Bacall, James Garner, Maureen Stapleton and Michael Biehn
- Fever (Gorączka), directed by Agnieszka Holland – (Poland)
- First Monday in October, starring Walter Matthau and Jill Clayburgh
- For Your Eyes Only, starring Roger Moore (as James Bond), with Carole Bouquet, Lynn-Holly Johnson – (U.K.)
- Fort Apache, The Bronx, directed by Daniel Petrie, starring Paul Newman, Ed Asner, Ken Wahl
- Four Friends, directed by Arthur Penn, starring Craig Wasson and Jodi Thelen
- The Four Seasons, directed by and starring Alan Alda, with Carol Burnett, Rita Moreno, Sandy Dennis, Len Cariou, Jack Weston
- The Fox and the Hound, with the voices of Mickey Rooney, Kurt Russell, Pearl Bailey
- The French Lieutenant's Woman, directed by Karel Reisz, starring Meryl Streep and Jeremy Irons – (U.K.)
- Friday the 13th Part 2, directed by Steve Miner, starring Amy Steel, John Furey and Adrienne King
- Full Moon High, starring Adam Arkin
- The Funhouse, directed by Tobe Hooper
G
- Gallipoli, directed by Peter Weir, starring Mel Gibson – (Australia)
- Gangster Wars, starring Michael Nouri, Joe Penny, Brian Benben, Madeleine Stowe
- Garde à Vue, starring Romy Schneider and Michel Serrault – (France)
- Gas, starring Susan Anspach, Sterling Hayden, Helen Shaver – (Canada)
- Ghost Story, starring Fred Astaire, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., Melvyn Douglas, John Houseman
- The Girl with the Red Hair (Het meisje met het rode haar) – (Netherlands)
- Going Ape!, starring Tony Danza, Stacey Nelkin, Jessica Walter, Danny DeVito
- Goodbye Pork Pie – (New Zealand)
- Graduation Day, starring Christopher George
- The Great Muppet Caper, directed by Jim Henson – (U.S.A./U.K.)
- Gregory's Girl, directed by Bill Forsyth – (U.K.)
- Grendel Grendel Grendel, starring Peter Ustinov – (Australia)
- Gulliver in Lilliput
H
- Halloween II, directed by Rick Rosenthal, starring Jamie Lee Curtis and Donald Pleasence
- The Hand, directed by Oliver Stone, starring Michael Caine
- Hands Up!, (Ręce do góry), directed by Jerzy Skolimowski – (Poland) – originally made in 1967 but withheld
- Happy Birthday to Me, starring Melissa Sue Anderson and Glenn Ford – (Canada)
- Hard Country, starring Jan-Michael Vincent and Kim Basinger
- Hardly Working, directed by and starring Jerry Lewis
- Harry's War, starring Edward Herrmann
- Heartbeeps, directed by Allan Arkush, starring Andy Kaufman and Bernadette Peters
- Heavy Metal, starring John Candy – (Canada)
- Hell Night, starring Linda Blair
- History of the World, Part I, directed by and starring Mel Brooks, with Gregory Hines, Dom DeLuise, Madeline Kahn, Cloris Leachman, Harvey Korman
- Honky Tonk Freeway, starring William Devane, Beau Bridges, Teri Garr, Beverly D'Angelo, Howard Hesseman, Jessica Tandy
- The Hound of the Baskervilles (Priklyucheniya Sherloka Kholmsa i doktora Vatsona: Sobaka Baskerviley) – (U.S.S.R.)
- The Howling, directed by Joe Dante, starring Dee Wallace and Patrick Macnee
I-J
- I Love You (Eu Te Amo), starring Sônia Braga – (Brazil)
- The Incredible Shrinking Woman, starring Lily Tomlin and Charles Grodin
- Inseminoid, starring Judy Geeson, Stephanie Beacham, Victoria Tennant – (U.K.)
- The Inventor (Der Erfinder) – (Switzerland/West Germany)
- Just Another Missing Kid, winner of Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature – (Canada)
K
- Killing Heat (Gräset Sjunger), starring Karen Black – (Sweden/Zambia)
- The Killing of Angel Street – (Australia)
- Knightriders, starring Ed Harris
- Kranti (Revolution), starring Dilip Kumar, Manoj Kumar, Shashi Kapoor – (India)
L
- Ladies and Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains, starring Diane Lane and Laura Dern
- Lady Chatterley's Lover, starring Sylvia Kristel and Nicholas Clay
- The Land of Hunger (Aakali Rajyam) – (India)
- The Last Chase, starring Lee Majors
- Lawaaris, starring Amitabh Bachchan and Zeenat Aman – (India)
- The Legend of the Lone Ranger, starring Klinton Spilsbury, winner of a Golden Raspberry award for Worst Actor
- Light Years Away (Les Années lumière), starring Trevor Howard – (France)
- Lili Marleen, directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder, starring Hanna Schygulla – (West Germany)
- Lion of the Desert, starring Anthony Quinn – (Libya)
- The Little Fox (Vuk) – (Hungary)
- Lola, a German film directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder, starring Barbara Sukowa and Armin Mueller-Stahl – (West Germany)
- Looker, directed by Michael Crichton, starring Albert Finney, James Coburn, Susan Dey
- Looks and Smiles, directed by Ken Loach – (U.K.)
- The Looney Looney Looney Bugs Bunny Movie
- Loophole, starring Albert Finney and Martin Sheen
M
- Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior, starring Mel Gibson – (Australia)
- Man of Iron (Człowiek z żelaza), directed by Andrzej Wajda – (Poland) – Palme d'Or winner
- Mandala – (South Korea)
- Marianne and Juliane (Die bleierne Zeit), directed by Margarethe von Trotta, starring Barbara Sukowa - Golden Lion winner – (West Germany)
- Il Marchese del Grillo, directed by Mario Monicelli, starring Alberto Sordi – (Italy)
- Masada, TV miniseries, starring Peter O'Toole, Peter Strauss, Barbara Carrera, David Warner
- The Melody Haunts My Memory (Samo jednom se ljubi) – (Yugoslavia)
- Mephisto, directed by István Szabó, starring Klaus Maria Brandauer – (Hungary/West Germany/Austria)
- Il minestrone, starring Roberto Benigni – (Italy)
- Modern Romance, directed by and starring Albert Brooks, with Kathryn Harrold and Bruno Kirby
- Mommie Dearest, starring Faye Dunaway, Diana Scarwid, Steve Forrest – winner of five Golden Raspberry Awards including Worst Picture and Worst Actress (Dunaway)
- Montenegro, starring Susan Anspach and Erland Josephson – (Sweden)
- Ms. 45, directed by Abel Ferrara
- Muzhiki! – (U.S.S.R.)
- My Bloody Valentine – (Canada)
- My Dinner with Andre, starring Wallace Shawn and Andre Gregory
- The Mysterious Castle in the Carpathians (Tajemství hradu v Karpatech) – (Czechoslovakia)
- The Mystery of the Third Planet (Tayna tretyey planety) – (U.S.S.R.)
N
- Naseeb (Destiny), starring Amitabh Bachchan – (India)
- National Heritage (Patrimonio nacional), directed by Luis García Berlanga – (Spain)
- Neighbors, starring John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd
- The Nesting, starring Bill Rowley, Gloria Grahame
- Nice Dreams, a Cheech & Chong film
- Nighthawks, starring Sylvester Stallone, Rutger Hauer, Billy Dee Williams
- The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia, starring Kristy McNichol, Dennis Quaid, Mark Hamill
- Nobody's Perfekt, starring Gabe Kaplan, Alex Karras, Robert Klein
O
- The Oil, the Baby and the Transylvanians (Pruncul, petrolul şi ardelenii) – (Romania)
- Omen III: The Final Conflict, starring Sam Neill, Rossano Brazzi – (U.S.A./U.K.)
- On Golden Pond, directed by Mark Rydell, starring Katharine Hepburn, Henry Fonda, Jane Fonda
- On the Right Track, starring Gary Coleman
- Only When I Laugh, starring Marsha Mason, Kristy McNichol, James Coco, Joan Hackett
- Outland, directed by Peter Hyams, starring Sean Connery and Peter Boyle – (U.K.)
P
- Passion of Love (Passione d'amore), directed by Ettore Scola – (Italy)
- Paternity, directed by David Steinberg, starring Burt Reynolds and Beverly D'Angelo
- La Pelle (The Skin), directed by Liliana Cavani, starring Marcello Mastroianni and Claudia Cardinale – (Italy)
- Pennies from Heaven, starring Steve Martin, Bernadette Peters, Jessica Harper, Christopher Walken – based on the TV series by Dennis Potter
- Pixote, directed by Héctor Babenco – (Brazil)
- Polyester, directed by John Waters, starring Divine
- Le Pont du Nord, directed by Jacques Rivette – (France)
- Possession, starring Isabelle Adjani and Sam Neill – (France/West Germany)
- The Postman Always Rings Twice, directed by Bob Rafelson, starring Jack Nicholson and Jessica Lange
- Priest of Love, starring Ian McKellen, Janet Suzman, Ava Gardner – (U.K.)
- Prince of the City, directed by Sidney Lumet, starring Treat Williams and Jerry Orbach
- Private Lessons, starring Sylvia Kristel, Howard Hesseman, Ed Begley, Jr.
- The Prodigal Son (Bai ga jai), directed by and starring Sammo Hung – (Hong Kong)
- The Pursuit of D. B. Cooper, starring Treat Williams, Robert Duvall, Kathryn Harrold
Q
- Quartet, directed by James Ivory, starring Alan Bates, Maggie Smith, Isabelle Adjani – (U.K.)
- Quest for Fire (aka La Guerre du feu), directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud – (Canada/France/U.S.A.)
R
- Race for the Yankee Zephyr, starring Ken Wahl, Lesley Ann Warren, George Peppard – (New Zealand)
- Raggedy Man, starring Sam Shepard and Sissy Spacek
- Ragtime, directed by Miloš Forman, starring James Cagney, Howard E. Rollins, Jr., Elizabeth McGovern, Mandy Patinkin, Mary Steenburgen, Brad Dourif
- Raiders of the Lost Ark, directed by Steven Spielberg, starring Harrison Ford and Karen Allen
- Reds, directed by and starring Warren Beatty, with Diane Keaton, Jack Nicholson, Maureen Stapleton, Gene Hackman, Paul Sorvino
- Rich and Famous, directed by George Cukor, starring Jacqueline Bisset and Candice Bergen
- Ritam zločina – (Yugoslavia)
- Roadgames, directed by Richard Franklin, starring Stacy Keach and Jamie Lee Curtis – (Australia)
- Rollover, directed by Alan J. Pakula, starring Jane Fonda and Kris Kristofferson
- Ruckus, starring Dirk Benedict, Linda Blair, Richard Farnsworth
S
- S.O.B., directed by Blake Edwards, starring Julie Andrews, William Holden, Robert Preston, Richard Mulligan
- The Salamander, starring Anthony Quinn, Franco Nero, Eli Wallach, Claudia Cardinale
- Saturday the 14th, starring Paula Prentiss and Richard Benjamin
- Scanners, directed by David Cronenberg – (Canada)
- Sharky's Machine, directed by and starring Burt Reynolds, with Rachel Ward, Henry Silva, Vittorio Gassman, Charles Durning, Earl Holliman
- Shaukeen, starring Ashok Kumar – (India)
- Shikake-nin Baian – (Japan)
- Shock Treatment, starring Jessica Harper and Cliff DeYoung
- Short Working Day, directed by Krzysztof 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)
- The Simple-Minded Murderer (Den Enfaldige Mördaren), starring Stellan Skarsgård – (Sweden)
- The Sixth (Shestoy) – (U.S.S.R.)
- Smash Palace, directed by Roger Donaldson – (New Zealand)
- Sogni d'oro (Golden Dreams), directed by and starring Nanni Moretti – (Italy)
- Southern Comfort, directed by Walter Hill, starring Keith Carradine, Powers Boothe and Fred Ward
- Sphinx, starring Lesley-Anne Down and Frank Langella
- Station (Eki Station) – (Japan)
- Strange Affair (Une étrange affaire), starring Michel Piccoli – (France)
- Strange Behavior, starring Michael Murphy and Louise Fletcher – (New Zealand)
- Stripes, directed by Ivan Reitman, starring Bill Murray, Harold Ramis, Warren Oates, John Larroquette, John Candy
- Student Bodies
- Suddenly at Midnight (Gipeun bam, gapjagi) – (South Korea)
T
- Take This Job and Shove It, starring Robert Hays, Barbara Hershey, Art Carney
- Tales of Ordinary Madness (Storie di ordinaria follia), starring Ben Gazzara and Ornella Muti – (Italy/France)
- Taps, directed by Harold Becker, starring Timothy Hutton, George C. Scott, Ronny Cox, Sean Penn, Tom Cruise
- Tarzan, the Ape Man, starring Bo Derek and Richard Harris
- Tattoo, starring Bruce Dern and Maud Adams
- Taxi zum Klo (Taxi to the Toilet) – (West Germany)
- Teheran 43, starring Alain Delon – (U.S.S.R./France/Switzerland)
- The Bushido Blade
- They All Laughed, directed by Peter Bogdanovich, starring Audrey Hepburn and Ben Gazzara
- They Don't Wear Black Tie (Eles Não Usam Black-Tie) – (Brazil)
- Thief aka Violent Streets, directed by Michael Mann, starring James Caan, Tuesday Weld, James Belushi, Robert Prosky
- This Is Elvis, a documentary
- Three Brothers (Tre fratelli), directed by Francesco Rosi – (Italy)
- Threshold, directed by Richard Pearce, starring Donald Sutherland, Jeff Goldblum, Mare Winningham – (Canada)
- Ticket to Heaven, starring Nick Mancuso, Saul Rubinek, Meg Foster – (Canada)
- Time Bandits, directed by Terry Gilliam, starring John Cleese, Sean Connery, Shelley Duvall – (U.K.)
- Tragedy of a Ridiculous Man (La tragedia di un uomo ridicolo), directed by Bernardo Bertolucci, starring Ugo Tognazzi and Anouk Aimée – (Italy)
- Tree of Knowledge (Kundskabens træ) – (Denmark)
- True Confessions, directed by Ulu Grosbard, starring Robert De Niro, Robert Duvall, Charles Durning, Burgess Meredith, Kenneth McMillan
- The True Story of Ah Q (Ā Q zhèng zhuàn) – (China)
- Tuck Everlasting
U-V
- Under the Rainbow, starring Chevy Chase, Carrie Fisher and Billy Barty
- Les Uns et les Autres, directed by Claude Lelouch – (France)
- Útlaginn (Outlaw: The Saga of Gisli) – (Iceland)
- Variola Vera – (Yugoslavia)
- Vernon, Florida, a documentary
W
- Whose Life Is It Anyway?, directed by John Badham, starring Richard Dreyfuss, Bob Balaban, Christine Lahti, John Cassavetes
- Will, starring Robert Conrad
- Wolfen, starring Albert Finney, Diane Venora and Gregory Hines
- The Woman Next Door (La Femme d'à côté), directed by François Truffaut, starring Gérard Depardieu and Fanny Ardant – (France)
- Woman Who Exposes Herself (Misetagaru onna) – (Japan)
Z
- Zoot Suit, starring Edward James Olmos
- Zorro, The Gay Blade, starring George Hamilton, Lauren Hutton, Brenda Vaccaro, Ron Leibman
1981 Wide-release movies
January–March
- January 1981
- January 7
- January 14
- January 28
- January 30
- February 1981
- February 1
- February 11
- February 13
- March 1981
- March 6
- March 13
- March 20
- March 27
April–June
- April 1981
- April 3
- April 4
- April 10
- April 17
- April 24
- April 28
- May 1981
- June 1981
July–September
- July 1981
- July 1
- July 10
- July 17
- July 24
- July 31
- August 1981
- August 7
- August 14
- August 21
- August 26
- August 28
- September 1981
- September 18
- September 23
- September 25
October–December
- October 1981
- Galaxy of Terror
- October 2
- October 9
- October 11
- October 14
- October 16
- October 23
- October 30
- November 1981
- November 6
- November 13
- November 20
- December 1981
- December 4
- December 11
- December 18
- December 20
- December 25
Births
- January 6 – Jérémie Renier, Belgian actor
- January 8 – Genevieve Cortese, American actress
- January 21 – Izabella Miko, Polish actress and dancer
- January 22 – Beverley Mitchell, American actress
- January 28 – Elijah Wood, American actor
- January 31 – Justin Timberlake, American singer and actor
- February 9 – Tom Hiddleston, English actor
- February 11 – Kelly Rowland, American singer and actress
- February 17 – Joseph Gordon-Levitt, American actor
- February 19 – Beth Ditto, American singer-songwriter
- February 23 – Josh Gad, American actor and comedian
- March 2 – Bryce Dallas Howard, American actress
- March 6 – Ellen Muth, American actress
- March 11 – David Anders, American actor
- March 28 – Julia Stiles, American actress
- April 10
- Laura Bell Bundy, American actress
- Michael Pitt, American actor
- April 13 – Courtney Peldon, American actress
- April 19
- Hayden Christensen, Canadian actor
- Catalina Sandino Moreno, Colombian actress
- April 28 – Jessica Alba, American actress
- May 5
- Danielle Fishel, American actress
- Farid Kamil, Malaysian actor and film director
- May 11 – Austin O'Brien, American actor
- May 12 – Rami Malek, American actor
- May 15 – Jamie-Lynn Sigler, American actress
- May 28 – Laura Bailey, American voice actress
- June 1 – Amy Schumer, American actress and comedian
- June 7 – Larisa Oleynik, American actress
- June 9 – Natalie Portman, Israeli-American actress
- June 10 – Jonathan Bennett, American actor
- June 13 – Chris Evans, American actor
- June 14 – Chauncey Leopardi, American actor
- June 20 – Alisan Porter, former American actress
- July 24 – Summer Glau, American actress
- July 30 – Lisa Wilhoit, American actress
- August 1 – Taylor Fry, former American child actress
- August 3 – Travis Willingham, American voice actor
- August 4
- Marques Houston, American singer and actor
- Meghan Markle, American actress and model
- Abigail Spencer, American actress
- August 8 – Meagan Good, American actress
- August 20 – Ben Barnes, English actor
- August 24 – Chad Michael Murray, American actor
- August 25 – Rachel Bilson, American actress
- August 27 – Patrick J. Adams, Canadian actor
- September 4 – Beyoncé Knowles, American singer and actress
- September 8 – Jonathan Taylor Thomas, American actor
- September 12 – Jennifer Hudson, American singer and actress
- September 16 – Alexis Bledel, 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, former Canadian 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 22 – Michael Fishman, American actor
- November 9 – Scottie Thompson, American actress
- November 16 – Caitlin Glass, American voice 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 13 – Amy Lee, American singer-songwriter (Evanescence)
- December 16 – Krysten Ritter, American actress
- December 18 – Josh Dallas, American actor
- December 27 – Emilie de Ravin, Australian actress
- December 28 – Sienna Miller, English actress
Notable deaths
| Month | Date | Name | Age | Country | Profession | Notable films |
| January | 10 | Richard Boone | 63 | USA | Actor | |
| 11 | Beulah Bondi | 91 | USA | Actress | ||
| 16 | Bernard Lee | 73 | UK | Actor | ||
| February | 1 | Wanda Hendrix | 52 | USA | Actress | |
| 4 | Mario Camerini | 85 | Italy | Director, Screenwriter | ||
| 21 | Ron Grainer | 58 | Australia | Composer | ||
| March | 4 | Torin Thatcher | 76 | UK | Actor | |
| 14 | Eleanor Perry | 66 | USA | Screenwriter | ||
| 15 | René Clair | 82 | France | Director, Screenwriter | ||
| April | 7 | Norman Taurog | 82 | USA | Director, Screenwriter | |
| 14 | Sergio Amidei | 76 | Italy | Screenwriter | ||
| 26 | Herb Voland | 62 | USA | Actor | ||
| 26 | Jim Davis | 71 | USA | Actor | ||
| May | 18 | Arthur O'Connell | 73 | USA | Actor | |
| 18 | Richard Hale | 88 | USA | Actor | ||
| June | 22 | Lola Lane | 75 | USA | Actress | |
| July | 3 | Ross Martin | 61 | Poland | Actor | |
| 27 | William Wyler | 79 | Germany | Director, Producer | ||
| August | 1 | Paddy Chayefsky | 58 | USA | Screenwriter | |
| 4 | Melvyn Douglas | 80 | USA | Actor | ||
| 18 | Anita Loos | 93 | USA | Screenwriter | ||
| 30 | Vera-Ellen | 60 | USA | Actress | ||
| September | 1 | Ann Harding | 79 | USA | Actress | |
| 23 | Chief Dan George | 82 | Canada | Actor | ||
| 27 | Robert Montgomery | 77 | USA | Actor | ||
| October | 5 | Gloria Grahame | 54 | USA | Actress | |
| 24 | Edith Head | 83 | USA | Costume Designer | ||
| 26 | Glenn Anders | 92 | USA | Actor | ||
| November | 12 | William Holden | 63 | USA | Actor | |
| 16 | Morgan Conway | 78 | USA | Actor | ||
| 21 | Ejner Federspiel | 85 | Denmark | Actor | ||
| 25 | Jack Albertson | 74 | USA | Actor | ||
| 27 | Lotte Lenya | 83 | Austria | Actress | ||
| 29 | Natalie Wood | 43 | USA | Actress | ||
| December | 17 | Ada Kramm | 82 | Norway | Actress | |
| 27 | Hoagy Carmichael | 82 | USA | Actor | ||
| 28 | Allan Dwan | 96 | Canada | Director | ||
Film debuts
- Ben Affleck – The Dark End of the Street
- Jason Alexander – The Burning
- Kim Basinger – Hard Country
- Bart the Bear – Windwalker
- James Belushi – Thief
- Gabriel Byrne – Excalibur
- James Cameron – Piranha II: The Spawning
- Kevin Costner – Malibu Hot Summer
- Tom Cruise – Endless Love
- Jeff Daniels – Ragtime
- Rebecca De Mornay - One from the Heart
- Dennis Farina – Thief
- Jami Gertz – Endless Love
- Bob Gunton – Rollover
- Glenne Headly – Four Friends
- Holly Hunter – The Burning
- Ciarán Hinds – Excalibur
- Peter MacNicol – Dragonslayer
- Alfred Molina – Raiders of the Lost Ark
- Chris Noth - Waitress!
- Demi Moore – Choices
- Sean Penn – Taps
- Martha Plimpton – Rollover
- Amanda Plummer – Cattle Annie and Little Britches
- Geoffrey Rush – Hoodwink
- Meg Ryan – Rich and Famous
- Madeleine Stowe – Gangster Wars
- Henry Thomas – Raggedy Man
- Kathleen Turner – Body Heat
See also
- List of American films of 1981
- British films of 1981
- French films of 1981
- List of German films: 1980s
- Bollywood films of 1981
- Italian films of 1981
- Japanese films of 1981
- Swedish films of the 1980s
References
- ↑ "1981 Domestic Grosses". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 7 April 2014.
- ↑ For Your Eyes Only (film)
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