1971 in film

Highest-grossing films (U.S.)

The top ten 1971 released films by box office gross in North America are as follows:

Events

• February 8 - Bob Dylan's hour-long documentary film, Eat the Document, premieres at New York's Academy of Music. The film includes footage from Dylan's 1966 UK tour.
• April 23 - Melvin Van Peebles film Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song becomes the highest-grossing independent film of 1971.
• May - The first permanent IMAX projection system begins showing at Ontario Place's "Cinesphere" in Toronto.
• May 10 - Frank Yablans becomes President of Paramount Pictures.
• Britain's National Film School begins operation at Beaconsfield Film Studios.

Awards

Palme d'Or (Cannes Film Festival): :The Go-Between, directed by Joseph Losey, United Kingdom

Golden Bear (Berlin Film Festival): :The Garden of the Finzi-Continis (Il Giardino dei Finzi-Contini), directed by Vittorio De Sica, Italy / W. Germany

1971 films

By country/region

• List of American films of 1971
• List of Argentine films of 1971
• List of Australian films of 1971
• List of Bangladeshi films of 1971
• List of British films of 1971
• List of Canadian films of 1971
• List of French films of 1971
• List of Hong Kong films of 1971
• List of Indian films of 1971
  • List of Hindi films of 1971
  • List of Kannada films of 1971
  • List of Malayalam films of 1971
  • List of Marathi films of 1971
  • List of Tamil films of 1971
  • List of Telugu films of 1971
• List of Japanese films of 1971
• List of Mexican films of 1971
• List of Pakistani films of 1971
• List of South Korean films of 1971
• List of Soviet films of 1971
• List of Spanish films of 1971

By genre/medium

• List of action films of 1971
• List of animated feature films of 1971
• List of avant-garde films of 1971
• List of comedy films of 1971
• List of drama films of 1971
• List of horror films of 1971
• List of science fiction films of 1971
• List of thriller films of 1971
• List of western films of 1971

Births

• January 2
  • Taye Diggs, American actor
  • Renée Elise Goldsberry, American actress and singer
• January 3 - Sarah Alexander, English actress
• January 7 - Jeremy Renner, American actor
• January 11 - Mary J. Blige, American singer-songwriter and actress
• January 13 - Caspar Phillipson, Danish actor and singer
• January 14 - Jennifer Dundas, American actress
• January 15 - Regina King, American actress
• January 16 - Josh Evans, American filmmaker, screenwriter and actor
• January 17 - Youki Kudoh, Japanese actress and singer
• January 19 - Shawn Wayans, American actor, comedian, writer and producer
• January 20 - Questlove, American musician, filmmaker and actor
• January 21 - Dylan Kussman, American writer and actor
• January 22 - Katie Finneran, American actress
• January 23 - Diana Barrows, American actress, singer and dancer
• January 24
  • Jonathan Aris, English actor
  • Stanislas Merhar, French actor
• January 27
  • Karin Tammaru, Estonian actress
  • Fann Wong, Singaporean actress, singer and model
• January 31 - Darren Boyd, British actor
• February 1
  • Michael C. Hall, American actor
  • Jill Kelly, American pornographic actress
  • Liisa Repo-Martell, Canadian actress
  • Hynden Walch, American actress, voice actress, writer and singer
• February 2 - Arly Jover, Spanish actress
• February 3 - Elisa Donovan, American actress
• February 4 - Rob Corddry, American actor and comedian
• February 5 - Myndy Crist, American actress
• February 6 - Brian Stepanek, American actor
• February 11 - Damian Lewis, English actor
• February 12 - Scott Menville, American actor
• February 14 - Noriko Sakai, Japanese actress and singer
• February 15
  • Alex Borstein, American actress
  • Renee O'Connor, American actress
• February 17 - Denise Richards, American actress
• February 18
  • E. Roger Mitchell, American actor
  • Hiep Thi Le, Vietnamese-American actress (d. 2017)
• February 21 - Andréa Burns, American actress and singer
• February 22 - Lea Salonga, Filipina actress, singer, and columnist
• February 25 - Sean Astin, American actor
• February 28 - Tasha Smith, American actor, director and producer
• March 1
  • Ma Dong-seok, South Korean-born American actor
  • Teresa Gallagher, American-born British actress, voice actress and singer
• March 2
  • Stefano Accorsi, Italian actor
  • Method Man, American actor and musician
  • Amber Smith, American actress
• March 4 - Shavar Ross, American actor, director, screenwriter, producer and editor
• March 5
  • Yuri Lowenthal, American voice actor
  • Scott Mosier, American producer, director and editor
• March 7
  • Peter Sarsgaard, American actor
  • Matthew Vaughn, English filmmaker
• March 10 - Jon Hamm, American actor
• March 11 - Johnny Knoxville, American actor, comedian, producer, and screenwriter
• March 13 - Annabeth Gish, American actress
• March 15 - Chris Patton, American voice actor
• March 16 - Alan Tudyk, American actor and voice actor
• March 22
  • Iben Hjejle, Danish actress
  • Keegan-Michael Key, American actor, comedian, writer and producer
  • Will Yun Lee, American actor and martial artist
• March 24
  • Tig Notaro, American stand-up comedian, writer and actress
  • Megyn Price, American actress
• March 25 - Peter Shinkoda, Canadian actor
• March 26 - Francis Lawrence, Austrian-born American filmmaker and producer
• March 27 - Nathan Fillion, Canadian actor
• March 29
  • Michael-Leon Wooley, American theatre, film, television and voice actor
  • Hidetoshi Nishijima, Japanese actor
• March 31
  • Craig McCracken, American cartoonist, animator, director, writer and producer
  • Ewan McGregor, Scottish actor
• April 1 - Lachy Hulme, Australian actor and screenwriter
• April 5 - Krista Allen, American actress, model and stand-up comedian
• April 7 - Jennifer Schwalbach Smith, American actress
• April 12
  • Nicholas Brendon, American actor and writer
  • Shannen Doherty, American actress (d. 2024)
• April 15
  • Andy Daly, American actor, comedian and writer
  • Kate Harbour, English voice actress
• April 16
  • Max Beesley, English actor and musician
  • Peter Billingsley, American actor, director and producer
• April 18 - David Tennant, Scottish actor
• April 19
  • Gad Elmaleh, Moroccan-Canadian stand-up comedian and actor
  • Desreta Jackson, Virgin Islander actress
  • Wendy Powell, American voice actress
• April 22 - Eric Mabius, American actor
• April 24
  • Anastasia Barzee, American actress
  • Stefania Rocca, Italian actress
• April 28 - Bridget Moynahan, American actress
• May 10
  • Adriano Giannini, Italian actor and voice actor
  • Leslie Stefanson, American actress
• May 11 - Nicky Katt, American actor
• May 12 - Steven Mond, Canadian former child actor
• May 13 - Mido Hamada, Egyptian-German actor
• May 14 - Sofia Coppola, American actress, writer, and director
• May 17 - Randy Davison, American actor
• May 22 - MC Eiht, American rapper and actor
• May 23 - Laurel Holloman, American actress
• May 25 - Justin Henry, American actor
• May 26 - Matt Stone, American actor, creator of South Park
• May 27
  • Paul Bettany, English actor
  • Lisa Lopes, American singer and actress (d. 2002)
• May 30
  • Duncan Jones, British director, producer and screenwriter
  • Idina Menzel, American actress, singer and songwriter
  • John Ross Bowie, American actor and comedian
• 31 May - Jon Øigarden, Norwegian actor
• June 2
  • Anthony Montgomery, American actor
  • Espen Sandberg, Norwegian director
• June 4
  • James Callis, British actor
  • Noah Wyle, American actor
• June 5
  • Susan Lynch, Northern Irish actress
  • Mark Wahlberg, American actor and musician
• June 8 - Kent Faulcon, American actor, director and writer
• June 11 - Kenjiro Tsuda, Japanese actor
• June 13 - Bryan Massey, American actor
• June 14 - Sophiya Haque, English actress and singer (d. 2013)
• June 15
  • Jake Busey, American actor
  • Taavi Eelmaa, Estonian actor
  • Daniel Lapaine, Australian actor
• June 16
  • Eva Püssa, Estonian actress
  • Tupac Shakur, American actor and rapper (d. 1996)
• June 18
  • Lisa Barbuscia, American model, singer and actress
  • Mara Hobel, American actress
• June 20 - Josh Lucas, American actor
• June 22 - Mary Lynn Rajskub, American actress and comedian
• June 28
  • Benito Martinez, American actor
  • Aileen Quinn, American actress and singer
• June 30
  • Tom Green, Canadian-American comedian, show host, actor and filmmaker
  • Monica Potter, American actress
• July 1
  • Missy Elliott, American musician and actress
  • Melissa Peterman, American actress, television host and comedian
• July 4
  • Kate Dickie, Scottish actress
  • Al Madrigal, American comedian, writer, actor and producer
• July 7 - Christian Camargo, American actor, producer, writer and director
• July 8 - Amanda Peterson, American actress (d. 2015)
• July 9 - Scott Grimes, American actor and singer
• July 15 - Jim Rash, American actor, comedian and filmmaker
• July 16 - Corey Feldman, American actor
• July 18 - Sarah McLeod, New Zealand actress
• July 19
  • Kate Henshaw, Nigerian actress
  • Andres Puustusmaa, Estonian actor and director
• July 20 - Sandra Oh, Canadian-American actress
• July 21 - Charlotte Gainsbourg, French-British actress
• July 24 - Patty Jenkins, American director, screenwriter and producer
• July 25 - Miriam Shor, American actress
• July 30 - Christine Taylor, American actress
• July 31 - Eve Best, British actress
• August 4
  • Stuart Beattie, Australian filmmaker
  • Yo-Yo, American rapper and actress
• August 6 - Merrin Dungey, American actress
• August 9
  • Mark Povinelli, American actor
  • Nikki Ziering, American model and actress
• August 10
  • Luca Guadagnino, Italian director and producer
  • Justin Theroux, American actor
• August 12
  • Rebecca Gayheart, American actress
  • Yvette Nicole Brown, American actress, comedian, writer and host
• August 13
  • Moritz Bleibtreu, German actor and director
  • Heike Makatsch, German actress, voice actress and singer
  • Rolando Molina, Salvadoran actor
• August 14 - Scott Michael Campbell, American actor, writer, producer and director
• August 17 - Oliver Robins, American actor, writer and director
• August 18 - Jacob Vargas, Mexican-American actor
• August 20
  • David Walliams, English comedian, actor, writer and television personality
  • Ke Huy Quan, American actor and stunt choreographer
• August 21 - Kristi Angus, Canadian actress
• August 22 - Richard Armitage, English actor and author
• August 25 - Claire Rushbrook, English actress
• August 29 - Carla Gugino, American actress
• August 31 - Chris Tucker, American actor
• September 1 - Maury Sterling, American actor
• September 2 - Katt Williams, American actor and comedian
• September 3 - Drena De Niro, American actress and filmmaker
• September 8
  • David Arquette, American actor, film director, producer and screenwriter
  • Martin Freeman, English actor
• September 9
  • Eric Stonestreet, American actor and comedian
  • Henry Thomas, American actor
• September 14
  • Pat Healy, American actor
  • Kimberly Williams-Paisley, American actress
• September 15
  • Josh Charles, American actor
  • Colleen O'Shaughnessey, American voice actress
• September 16 - Amy Poehler, American actress
• September 17
  • Felix Solis, American actor, director and producer
  • Ian Whyte, Welsh actor and stuntman
• September 18 - Jada Pinkett Smith, American actress
• September 19
  • Sanaa Lathan, American actress
  • Selene Luna, Mexican-American actress and comedian
• September 21 - Luke Wilson, American actor
• September 22 - Lawrence Gilliard Jr., American actor
• September 27 - Amanda Detmer, American actress
• September 28 - Matt Day, Australian actor and filmmaker
• September 29 - Mackenzie Crook, English actor, comedian, director and writer
• September 30 - Jenna Elfman, American actress
• October 5
  • Matthew Maher, American actor
  • Samuel Vincent, Canadian voice actor and singer
• October 6 - Emily Mortimer, English actress
• October 10 - Amanda Ryan, English actress
• October 11
  • Justin Lin, Taiwanese-American director
  • Trish Sie, American director
• October 13
  • Sacha Baron Cohen, English actor, comedian, screenwriter and producer
  • Luis Tosar, Spanish actor and musician
• October 17 - Andy Whitfield, Welsh actor (d. 2011)
• October 20
  • Snoop Dogg, American rapper, songwriter, media personality and actor
  • Kenneth Choi, American actor
  • Rachel House, New Zealand actress and director
• October 21 - Jennifer Lee, American screenwriter, film director and chief creative officer of Walt Disney Animation Studios
• October 25 - Craig Robinson, American actor, comedian, musician and singer
• October 26
  • Rosemarie DeWitt, American actress
  • Anthony Rapp, American actor and singer
  • Phil Johnston, American screenwriter, director, producer and voice actor
• October 29 - Winona Ryder, American actress
• November 2 - Meta Golding, Haitian-American actress
• November 3
  • Piret Laurimaa, Estonian actress
  • Dylan Moran, Irish comedian, writer and actor
• November 4 - Tabu, Indian actress
• November 5 - Chris Addison, British comedian, writer, actor and director
• November 9 - Jason Antoon, American actor
• November 10 - Walton Goggins, American actor
• November 11 - David DeLuise, American actor
• November 13 - Noah Hathaway, American actor
• November 14
  • Giovanni Cirfiera, Italian actor
  • Marco Leonardi, Italian actor
• November 16 - Justine Clarke, Australian actress, singer, musician and television host
• November 17 - David Ramsey, American actor, director and martial artist
• November 18 - Goran Kostić, Serbian actor
• November 20
  • Enrico Casarosa, Italian-American storyboard artist, director and writer
  • Joel McHale, American actor, comedian, writer, producer and television host
• November 23
  • Lisa Arch, American actress and comedian
  • Chris Hardwick, American comedian, actor, television and podcast host, writer and producer
• November 24
  • Lola Glaudini, American actress
  • Lior Raz, Israeli actor and screenwriter
• November 25 - Christina Applegate, American actress
• November 29 - Naoko Mori, Japanese actress
• December 3
  • Joseph Gatt, English actor
  • Ola Rapace, Swedish actor
• December 5
  • Mitch Silpa, American writer, actor and director
  • Kali Rocha, American actress
  • Dolly Wells, English actress and writer
• December 6 - Katariina Unt, Estonian actress
• December 7 - DeObia Oparei, English actor
• December 9 - Emma Thomas, English producer
• December 14 - Natascha McElhone, British actress
• December 17
  • Sinan Akkuş, Turkish-German actor
  • Claire Forlani, English actress
• December 18 - Claudia Gerini, Italian actress
• December 21 - Glenn Fitzgerald, American actor
• December 23 - Corey Haim, Canadian actor (d. 2010)
• December 25
  • Patrick Baladi, English actor and musician
  • Ain Mäeots, Estonian actor, director and producer
• December 26 - Jared Leto, American actor and musician
• December 30 - Daniel Sunjata, American actor

Deaths

Film debuts

• F. Murray Abraham – They Might Be Giants
• Brooke Adams – Murders in the Rue Morgue
• Frank Adonis – The French Connection
• John Amos – Vanishing Point
• Alun Armstrong – Get Carter
• Kathy Bates – Taking Off
• Barry Bostwick – Jennifer on My Mind
• Timothy Bottoms – Johnny Got His Gun
• Jim Broadbent – The Go-Between
• Niall Buggy – Here Are Ladies
• Keith Carradine – McCabe & Mrs. Miller
• Stockard Channing – The Hospital
• Jeff Conaway – Jennifer on My Mind
• Kevin Conway – Believe in Me
• Brian Cox – Nicholas and Alexandra
• Wes Craven – You've Got to Walk It Like You Talk It or You'll Lose That Beat (editor)
• Daniel Day-Lewis – Sunday Bloody Sunday
• Jan Decleir – Mira
• Gérard Depardieu – Cry of the Cormoran
• Larry Drake – This Stuff'll Kill Ya!
• Max Gail – The Organization
• Christopher Guest – The Hospital
• Isaac Hayes – Shaft
• Edward Herrmann – Lady Liberty
• Art Hindle – The Proud Rider
• Judd Hirsch – Jump
• Eric Idle – And Now for Something Completely Different
• Carol Kane – Carnal Knowledge
• William Katt – The Late Liz
• Jack Kehoe – The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight
• Bruno Kirby – The Young Graduates
• Kris Kristofferson – The Last Movie
• Marcia Jean Kurtz – The Panic in Needle Park
• Eugene Levy – Foxy Lady
• Andrea Martin – Foxy Lady
• Michael Moriarty – My Old Man's Place
• Josh Mostel – Going Home
• Craig T. Nelson – The Return of Count Yorga
• Cassandra Peterson – Diamonds Are Forever
• Randy Quaid – The Last Picture Show
• Anne Ramsey – The Sporting Club
• John Ritter – The Barefoot Executive
• Wayne Robson – McCabe & Mrs. Miller
• Richard Roundtree – Shaft
• Vincent Schiavelli – Taking Off
• David Selby – Night of Dark Shadows
• Cybill Shepherd – The Last Picture Show
• Josef Sommer – Dirty Harry
• Bruce Spence – Stork
• David Ogden Stiers – THX 1138
• Jack Thompson – Wake in Fright
• Glynn Turman – Honky
• Susan Tyrrell – Shoot Out
• Willeke van Ammelrooy – Mira
• Mario Van Peebles – Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song
• Tracey Walter – Ginger
• Sandy Ward – The Velvet Vampire
• Jacki Weaver – Stork
• Noble Willingham – The Last Picture Show

References

References

1. Finler, Joel Waldo. (2003). "The Hollywood Story". Wallflower Press.
2. [https://web.archive.org/web/20080615024144/http://www.boxofficereport.com/database/1971.shtml Top 20 Films of 1971 by Domestic Revenue]
3. "North America (US and Canada) Domestic Movie Chart for 1971".
4. (5 June 2005). "Melvin and Mario van Peeble: A pair of pioneers".
5. Castilla, Amira. (2024-01-11). "The Evolution of Katt Williams".
6. "Martin Freeman".