1978 in film
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The year 1978 in film involved some significant events.
Highest-grossing films (U.S.)[]
The top ten 1978 released films by box office gross in the United States and Canada are as follows:
| Rank | Title | Distributor | Box-office gross |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Superman | Warner Bros. | $134,218,018[1] |
| 2 | Grease | Paramount | $132,472,560[2] |
| 3 | Animal House | Universal | $120,091,123[3] |
| 4 | Every Which Way but Loose | Warner Bros. | $85,196,485[4] |
| 5 | Heaven Can Wait | Paramount | $81,640,278[5] |
| 6 | Hooper | Warner Bros. | $78,000,000[6] |
| 7 | Jaws 2 | Universal | $77,737,272[7] |
| 8 | Up In Smoke | Paramount | $76,000,000[8] |
| 9 | Revenge of the Pink Panther | United Artists | $49,579,269[9] |
| 10 | The Deer Hunter | Universal | $48,979,328[10] |
Events[]
- February 6 – David Begelman resigns as president of Columbia Pictures.
- March 1 – Charlie Chaplin's coffin is stolen from a Swiss cemetery three months after burial. After recovery a few weeks later, the casket is sealed in a concrete vault prior to reburial.
- March – Leigh Brackett completes the first draft for The Empire Strikes Back, but dies only two weeks later.
- June – Daniel Melnick becomes head of Columbia Pictures after the David Begelman scandal.
- June 4 – Grease, starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John, has its world premiere at Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood. It becomes the highest-grossing musical ever and Paramount Pictures' highest-grossing film.
- July 20 – Alan Hirschfield is fired as president and CEO of Columbia Pictures. He is replaced by Francis T. Vincent.
- August – Production begins on Star Trek: The Motion Picture.
- September – George Lucas purchases Bulltail Ranch, on Lucas Valley Road, for the development of Skywalker Ranch.
- October 27 – Halloween is released.
- November 17 – Star Wars Holiday Special airs on CBS. The special gives fans their first glimpse of Boba Fett, a character from the upcoming sequel.
- December 10 – Superman premieres at the Kennedy Centre in Washington, D.C. and has a European Royal Charity Premiere at the Empire, Leicester Square in London three days later in the presence of HM Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Andrew.
Awards[]
| Category/Organization | 36th Golden Globe Awards January 27, 1979 |
32nd BAFTA Awards March 22, 1979 |
51st Academy Awards April 9, 1979 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drama | Musical or Comedy | |||
| Best Film | Midnight Express | Heaven Can Wait | Julia | The Deer Hunter |
| Best Director | Michael Cimino The Deer Hunter |
Alan Parker Midnight Express |
Michael Cimino The Deer Hunter | |
| Best Actor | Jon Voight Coming Home |
Warren Beatty Heaven Can Wait |
Richard Dreyfuss The Goodbye Girl |
Jon Voight Coming Home |
| Best Actress | Jane Fonda Coming Home |
Ellen Burstyn Same Time, Next Year Maggie Smith California Suite |
Jane Fonda Julia |
Jane Fonda Coming Home |
| Best Supporting Actor | John Hurt Midnight Express |
Christopher Walken The Deer Hunter | ||
| Best Supporting Actress | Dyan Cannon Heaven Can Wait |
Geraldine Page Interiors |
Maggie Smith California Suite | |
| Best Screenplay, Adapted | Oliver Stone Midnight Express |
Alvin Sargent Julia |
Oliver Stone Midnight Express | |
| Best Screenplay, Original | Nancy Dowd, Waldo Salt and Robert C. Jones Coming Home | |||
| Best Original Score | Giorgio Moroder Midnight Express |
John Williams Star Wars |
Giorgio Moroder Midnight Express Joe Renzetti The Buddy Holly Story | |
| Best Original Song | "Last Dance" Thank God It's Friday |
N/A | "Last Dance" Thank God It's Friday | |
| Best Foreign Language Film | Autumn Sonata | N/A | Get Out Your Handkerchiefs | |
Palme d'Or (Cannes Film Festival):
- The Tree of Wooden Clogs (L'Albero degli zoccoli), directed by Ermanno Olmi, Italy
Golden Bear (Berlin Film Festival):
- Trout (Las Truchas), directed by José Luis García Sánchez, Spain
- What Max Said (Las Palabras de Max), directed by Emilio Martínez-Lázaro, Spain
1978 Wide-release films[]
January–March[]
- January 1978
- 6 January
- Coma
- September 30, 1955
- 11 January
- Get Out Your Handkerchiefs
- 25 January
- Renaldo and Clara
- 27 January
- The Class of Miss MacMichael
- Mean Dog Blues
- The Bermuda Depths
- 29 January
- A Night Full of Rain
- 6 January
- February 1978
- 2 February
- 3 February
- Jubilee
- The One and Only
- 4 February
- 9 February
- 10 February
- 15 February
- 17 February
- March 1978
- And the Devil is Their Third Accomplice
- 2 March
- Fingers
- Laserblast
- Sextette
- Snake in the Eagle's Shadow
- Tomorrow Never Comes
- 5 March
- An Unmarried Woman
- 8 March
- The Evil
- 10 March
- Coach
- Gray Lady Down
- Return from Witch Mountain
- The Fury
- 13 March
- The Big Sleep
- 15 March
- House Calls
- 17 March
- American Hot Wax
- Casey's Shadow
- An Enemy of the People
- 18 March
- 23 March
- Game of Death
April–June[]
- April 1978
- 5 April
- Pretty Baby
- 7 April
- Dot and the Kangaroo
- 9 April
- 12 April
- 14 April
- 16 April
- Holocaust
- 20 April
- Dawn of the Dead
- Silver Saddle
- 21 April
- Five Days from Home
- I Wanna Hold Your Hand
- Jennifer
- Silver Bears
- 26 April
- F.I.S.T.
- The Last Waltz
- 28 April
- FM
- The Manitou
- 30 April
- 5 April
- May 1978
- 5 May
- Warlords of Atlantis
- 10 May
- A Different Story
- It Lives Again
- The End
- Martin
- Nunzio
- Our Winning Season
- 12 May
- The Greek Tycoon
- 18 May
- The Buddy Holly Story
- 19 May
- 20 May
- 23 May
- Harper Valley PTA
- 24 May
- If Ever I See You Again
- Youngblood
- 26 May
- American Graffiti (re-issue)
- Big Wednesday
- Here Come the Tigers
- High-Ballin'
- 5 May
- June 1978
- 2 June
- The Bad News Bears Go to Japan
- Capricorn One
- Corvette Summer
- 6 June
- Damien: Omen II
- 9 June
- The Cat from Outer Space
- The Jungle Book (re-issue)
- 10 June
- The Driver
- 14 June
- Go Tell the Spartans
- 16 June
- The Comeback
- Grease
- Jaws 2
- The Shout
- 21 June
- The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith
- Good Guys Wear Black
- The Great Smokey Roadblock
- 23 June
- The Cheap Detective
- Matilda
- Zero to Sixty
- 28 June
- Convoy
- Heaven Can Wait
- The Wild Geese
- 29 June
- Fedora
- 30 June
- 2 June
July–September[]
- July 1978
- 5 July
- Hot Lead and Cold Feet
- Stunt Rock
- 14 July
- Foul Play
- Hooper
- Mouth to Mouth
- The Swarm
- 19 July
- Revenge of the Pink Panther
- International Velvet
- 21 July
- The Hound of the Baskervilles
- Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
- Star Wars (re-issue)
- 25 July
- 28 July
- Animal House
- 29 July
- 5 July
- August 1978
- 2 August
- Eyes of Laura Mars
- Interiors
- The Magic of Lassie
- 3 August
- Piranha
- 4 August
- China 9, Liberty 37
- 11 August
- Girlfriends
- Who'll Stop the Rain
- 18 August
- 25 August
- Olly Olly Oxen Free
- 29 August
- A Wedding
- 30 August
- Avalanche
- 2 August
- September 1978
- 13 September
- Days of Heaven
- The Odd Job
- 14 September
- 15 September
- Up in Smoke
- 22 September
- Almost Summer
- 29 September
- Born Again
- Death on the Nile
- The Legacy
- Somebody Killed Her Husband
- Two Solitudes
- 13 September
October–December[]
- October 1978
- 1 October
- Patrick
- Remember My Name
- 5 October
- 6 October
- The Big Fix
- Bloodbrothers
- Midnight Express
- Goin' South
- 17 October
- 18 October
- Autumn Sonata
- 19 October
- Gates of Heaven
- 20 October
- Attack of the Killer Tomatoes
- Despair
- 24 October
- The Wiz
- 25 October
- Comes a Horseman
- Halloween
- Money Movers
- 30 October
- Message from Space
- 31 October
- Stranger in Our House
- 1 October
- November 1978
- 1 November
- The Great Bank Hoax
- Power Play
- Watership Down
- 2 November
- Caravans
- 3 November
- 8 November
- Magic
- Slow Dancing in the Big City
- 10 November
- The Children of Sanchez
- Paradise Alley
- The Thirty Nine Steps
- Unfriended the Mystery
- 11 November
- The Wild Geese
- 14 November
- Killer of Sheep
- 15 November
- Blue Fin
- The Further Adventures of the Wilderness Family
- Just a Gigolo
- The Lord of the Rings
- 22 November
- Long Weekend
- Movie Movie
- Same Time, Next Year
- I Spit on Your Grave
- 24 November
- 29 November
- 1 November
- December 1978
- 8 December
- The Brink's Job
- The Deer Hunter
- Force 10 from Navarone
- Killer's Moon
- 15 December
- Oliver's Story
- Superman
- 16 December
- Pinocchio (re-issue)
- 17 December
- 20 December
- Every Which Way but Loose
- King of the Gypsies
- Starcrash
- 22 December
- Brass Target
- California Suite
- Invasion of the Body Snatchers
- Moment by Moment
- They Went That-A-Way & That-A-Way
- 23 December
- The Stingiest Man in Town
- 31 December
- Ice Castles
- 8 December
Notable films released in 1978[]
U.S.A. unless stated
#[]
- The 36th Chamber of Shaolin (Shao Lin san shi liu fang), starring Gordon Liu – (Hong Kong)
A[]
- Almost Summer, directed by Martin Davidson, starring Bruno Kirby and Lee Purcell
- American Boy: A Profile of Steven Prince, directed by Martin Scorsese (documentary)
- American Hot Wax, a biopic of Alan Freed, starring Tim McIntire, Fran Drescher, Laraine Newman, Jay Leno
- L'argent des autres (Other People's Money), starring Jean-Louis Trintignant and Catherine Deneuve – (France)
- The Astral Factor, starring Robert Foxworth and Stefanie Powers[11]
- Autumn Sonata (Höstsonaten), directed by Ingmar Bergman, starring Ingrid Bergman and Liv Ullmann – (Sweden)
- Avalanche, starring Rock Hudson, Robert Forster, Mia Farrow
B[]
- The Bad News Bears Go to Japan, starring Tony Curtis and Jackie Earle Haley
- Bandits vs. Samurai Squadron (Kumokiri Nizaemon) – (Japan)
- Battlestar Galactica (Canada and most European countries only; released in U.S. theatres the following year)
- The Betsy, starring Laurence Olivier, Robert Duvall, Tommy Lee Jones, Katharine Ross, Kathleen Beller, Lesley-Anne Down
- The Big Fix, starring Richard Dreyfuss, Susan Anspach, F. Murray Abraham, John Lithgow
- The Big Sleep, starring Robert Mitchum, Sarah Miles, Oliver Reed, Richard Boone, Candy Clark, Joan Collins, James Stewart – (U.K.)
- Big Wednesday, directed by John Milius, starring Jan-Michael Vincent, William Katt, Gary Busey
- Bloodbrothers, starring Richard Gere and Paul Sorvino
- Blue Collar, directed by Paul Schrader, starring Richard Pryor, Yaphet Kotto, Harvey Keitel
- Born Again, starring Dean Jones and Anne Francis
- The Boys from Brazil, directed by Franklin J. Schaffner, starring Gregory Peck, Laurence Olivier, James Mason – (U.K./U.S.)
- The Boys in Company C, starring Stan Shaw, Andrew Stevens and Craig Wasson
- The Brink's Job, directed by William Friedkin, starring Peter Falk, Gena Rowlands, Peter Boyle, Paul Sorvino, Warren Oates
- The Buddy Holly Story, starring Gary Busey, Don Stroud and Charles Martin Smith
- Bye Bye Monkey (Rêve de singe / Ciao maschio), starring Gérard Depardieu and Marcello Mastroianni – (France/Italy)
C[]
- La Cage aux Folles, directed by Édouard Molinaro, starring Ugo Tognazzi and Michel Serrault – (France/Italy)
- California Suite, starring Alan Alda, Jane Fonda, Michael Caine, Maggie Smith, Richard Pryor, Bill Cosby, Elaine May, Walter Matthau
- Capricorn One, directed by Peter Hyams, starring Elliott Gould, James Brolin, O. J. Simpson, Sam Waterston, Hal Holbrook, Brenda Vaccaro
- Caravans, starring Anthony Quinn, Jennifer O'Neill, Michael Sarrazin
- Casey's Shadow, starring Walter Matthau, Alexis Smith, Robert Webber
- The Cat from Outer Space, starring Ken Berry and Sandy Duncan
- Centennial, TV miniseries, starring Raymond Burr, Richard Chamberlain, Richard Crenna, Andy Griffith, David Janssen, Alex Karras
- La chambre verte (The Green Room), directed by and starring François Truffaut – (France)
- The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith, directed by Fred Schepisi – (Australia)
- The Cheap Detective, starring Peter Falk, Ann-Margret, Marsha Mason, Sid Caesar
- China 9, Liberty 37 (Amore, piombo e furore), starring Fabio Testi, Jenny Agutter, Warren Oates – (Italy/Spain)
- The Class of Miss MacMichael, starring Glenda Jackson, Oliver Reed, Michael Murphy – (U.K.)
- Closed Circuit (Circuito chiuso) – (Italy)
- Coma, directed by Michael Crichton, starring Geneviève Bujold, Michael Douglas, Richard Widmark
- Comes a Horseman, directed by Alan J. Pakula, starring Jane Fonda, James Caan, Jason Robards
- Coming Home, directed by Hal Ashby, starring Jane Fonda, Jon Voight, Bruce Dern, Penelope Milford
- Convoy, directed by Sam Peckinpah, starring Kris Kristofferson, Ali MacGraw and Ernest Borgnine
- Corvette Summer, starring Mark Hamill
- Cosi' come sei (aka Stay As You Are) starring Marcello Mastroianni and Nastassja Kinski – (Italy)
- Crippled Avengers (Can que), directed by Chang Cheh – (Hong Kong)
D[]
- The Dain Curse, mini-series for TV, starring James Coburn and Jean Simmons
- Damien: Omen II, starring William Holden and Lee Grant
- d'Artagnan and Three Musketeers (d'Artanyan i tri mushketera) – (U.S.S.R.)
- Dawn of the Dead, directed by George A. Romero – (U.S./Italy)
- Days of Heaven, directed by Terrence Malick, starring Richard Gere, Sam Shepard, Brooke Adams
- Death on the Nile, directed by John Guillermin, starring Peter Ustinov, David Niven, Bette Davis, Maggie Smith, Angela Lansbury, Olivia Hussey, Mia Farrow – (U.K.)
- Deathsport, starring David Carradine
- Debbie Does Dallas, pornographic comedy
- The Deer Hunter, directed by Michael Cimino, starring Robert De Niro, John Cazale, John Savage, Christopher Walken, Meryl Streep
- The Demon (Kichiku) – (Japan)
- A Different Story, starring Meg Foster, Perry King, Valerie Curtin
- El diputado (The Deputy) – (Spain)
- Don, starring Amitabh Bachchan – (India)
- A Dream of Passion (Kravgi gynaikon), directed by Jules Dassin, starring Melina Mercouri and Ellen Burstyn – (Greece)
- The Driver, directed by Walter Hill, starring Ryan O'Neal, Bruce Dern, Isabelle Adjani, Ronee Blakley
- Drunken Master (Jui kuen), starring Jackie Chan – (Hong Kong)
E[]
- Ecce bombo, directed by and starring Nanni Moretti – (Italy)
- Empire of Passion (Ai no Bōrei), directed by Nagisa Oshima – (Japan)
- The End, directed by and starring Burt Reynolds, with Dom DeLuise, Joanne Woodward, Pat O'Brien, Myrna Loy, Sally Field
- An Enemy of the People, starring Steve McQueen
- Enter the Fat Dragon (Fei Lung gwoh gong), starring Sammo Hung – (Hong Kong)
- Every Which Way but Loose, directed by James Fargo, starring Clint Eastwood, Sondra Locke, Geoffrey Lewis
- Eyes of Laura Mars, directed by Irvin Kershner, starring Faye Dunaway and Tommy Lee Jones
F[]
- F.I.S.T., directed by Norman Jewison, starring Sylvester Stallone, Melinda Dillon, Rod Steiger
- FM, starring Cleavon Little and Eileen Brennan
- Fedora, directed by Billy Wilder, starring William Holden and Marthe Keller
- Fingers, directed by James Toback, starring Harvey Keitel
- Five Deadly Venoms
- Force 10 from Navarone, starring Robert Shaw, Edward Fox, Harrison Ford – (U.K.)
- Foul Play, directed by Colin Higgins, starring Goldie Hawn, Chevy Chase, Dudley Moore and Billy Barty
- The Fury, directed by Brian De Palma, starring Kirk Douglas, John Cassavetes, Carrie Snodgress, Andrew Stevens, Amy Irving
G[]
- Gates of Heaven, a documentary film
- Germany in Autumn (Deutschland im Herbst) – (West Germany)
- Get Out Your Handkerchiefs (Preparez vos mouchoirs), directed by Bertrand Blier – (France)
- Girlfriends, directed by Claudia Weill, starring Melanie Mayron – Sundance Grand Jury Prize winner
- Go Tell the Spartans, starring Burt Lancaster
- Gray Lady Down, starring Charlton Heston, David Carradine, Stacy Keach, Ronny Cox, Ned Beatty
- Grease, directed by Randal Kleiser, starring John Travolta, Olivia Newton-John, Jeff Conaway, Stockard Channing, Sid Caesar, Eve Arden
- The Great Bank Hoax, directed by Joseph Jacoby, starring Richard Basehart, Ned Beatty, Burgess Meredith, Michael Murphy, Paul Sand, Charlene Dallas
- The Greek Tycoon, directed by J. Lee Thompson, starring Anthony Quinn and Jacqueline Bisset
H[]
- Halloween, directed by John Carpenter, starring Jamie Lee Curtis and Donald Pleasence
- Harper Valley PTA, starring Barbara Eden
- Heaven Can Wait, directed by Buck Henry and Warren Beatty, starring Beatty, Julie Christie, Charles Grodin, Dyan Cannon, Jack Warden, James Mason
- The Herd (Sürü) – (Turkey)
- High-Ballin', starring Peter Fonda, Michael Ironside, Helen Shaver, Jerry Reed
- Holocaust, TV miniseries, starring Meryl Streep, James Woods, Michael Moriarty, Tovah Feldshuh, Fritz Weaver, Ian Holm
- Hooper, directed by Hal Needham, starring Burt Reynolds, Sally Field, Jan-Michael Vincent, Robert Klein, Brian Keith
- Hot Lead and Cold Feet, directed by Robert Butler, starring Jim Dale, Karen Valentine, Don Knotts
- House Calls, directed by Howard Zieff, starring Walter Matthau, Glenda Jackson, Richard Benjamin, Art Carney
- A Hunting Accident (Moy laskovyy i nezhnyy zver) – (U.S.S.R.)
I[]
- I Wanna Hold Your Hand, directed by Robert Zemeckis, starring Nancy Allen, Marc McClure, Bobby Di Cicco
- Ice Castles, directed by Donald Wrye, starring Lynn-Holly Johnson and Robby Benson
- In a Year of 13 Moons (In einem Jahr mit 13 Monden), directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder – (West Germany)
- In Praise of Older Women, starring Tom Berenger, Karen Black, Helen Shaver – (Canada)
- Interiors, directed by Woody Allen, starring Geraldine Page, Diane Keaton, E. G. Marshall, Mary Beth Hurt, Maureen Stapleton
- International Velvet, starring Tatum O'Neal, Nanette Newman and Anthony Hopkins
- Invasion of the Body Snatchers, remake of 1956 movie, directed by Philip Kaufman, starring Donald Sutherland, Brooke Adams, Jeff Goldblum
J[]
- Jaws 2, directed by Jeannot Szwarc, starring Roy Scheider and Lorraine Gary
K[]
- Killer of Sheep, directed by Charles Burnett
- King of the Gypsies, starring Eric Roberts, Sterling Hayden, Judd Hirsch, Shelley Winters, Brooke Shields
- Kondura (The Boon), directed by Shyam Benegal – (India-Bollywood/Telugu)
L[]
- Lady on the Bus (A Dama do Lotação), starring Sônia Braga – (Brazil)
- The Left-Handed Woman (Die linkshändige Frau) – (West Germany)
- The Last Waltz, directed by Martin Scorsese, featuring The Band, Van Morrison, Neil Young, Bob Dylan
- Long Weekend, starring John Hargreaves – (Australia)
- The Lord of the Rings, animated film by Ralph Bakshi, with voices of William Squire, John Hurt, Anthony Daniels
M[]
- Magic, directed by Richard Attenborough, starring Anthony Hopkins, Ann-Margret, Burgess Meredith, Ed Lauter
- De Mantel der Liefde (The Mantle of Love) – (Netherlands)
- Mean Dog Blues, starring Gregg Henry, Kay Lenz, Tina Louise and George Kennedy
- The Medusa Touch, starring Richard Burton, Lino Ventura and Lee Remick – (U.K.)
- Midnight Express, directed by Alan Parker, starring Brad Davis, Randy Quaid, John Hurt – (U.K./U.S.)
- Moment by Moment, directed by Jane Wagner, starring John Travolta and Lily Tomlin
- Movie Movie, directed by Stanley Donen, starring George C. Scott, Harry Hamlin, Barry Bostwick, Trish Van Devere, Red Buttons, Art Carney
- Muqaddar Ka Sikandar (Conqueror of Destiny), starring Amitabh Bachchan – (India)
N[]
- National Lampoon's Animal House, directed by John Landis, starring John Belushi, Tim Matheson, Peter Riegert, Tom Hulce, Karen Allen, John Vernon
- Newsfront, directed by Phillip Noyce, starring Wendy Hughes and Bryan Brown – (Australia)
- A Night Full of Rain (Una notte piena di pioggia), directed by Lina Wertmüller, starring Giancarlo Giannini and Candice Bergen – (Italy/U.S.)
- The Night the Prowler, directed by Jim Sharman – (Australia)
O[]
- Occupation in 26 Pictures (Okupacija u 26 slika) – (Yugoslavia)
- Oliver's Story, directed by John Korty, starring Ryan O'Neal and Candice Bergen
- The One and Only, directed by Carl Reiner, starring Henry Winkler and Kim Darby
- Orchestra Rehearsal (Prova d'orchestra), directed by Federico Fellini – (Italy)
P[]
- Paradise Alley, directed by and starring Sylvester Stallone, with Armand Assante and Anne Archer
- Passion Flower Hotel (Leidenschaftliche Blümchen), starring Nastassja Kinski – (West Germany)
- Perceval le Gallois (Percival the Gaul), directed by Éric Rohmer – (France)
- Piranha, directed by Joe Dante, starring Bradford Dillman, Heather Menzies, Kevin McCarthy
- The Place Without Limits (El lugar sin límites) – (Mexico)
- Pretty Baby, directed by Louis Malle, starring Keith Carradine, Susan Sarandon, Brooke Shields
- The Prophet, the Gold and the Transylvanians (Profetul, aurul si Ardelenii) – (Romania)
- Pugachev – (U.S.S.R.)
R[]
- Rabbit Test, directed by Joan Rivers, starring Billy Crystal
- Remember My Name, starring Geraldine Chaplin and Anthony Perkins
- Renaldo and Clara, directed by and starring Bob Dylan
- Return from Witch Mountain, starring Bette Davis and Christopher Lee
- Revenge of the Pink Panther, starring Peter Sellers, Herbert Lom and Dyan Cannon – (U.K./U.S.)
- Rhinegold – (West Germany)
- Ringing Bell (Chirin no Suzu), an anime film – (Japan)
- Rockers, starring Burning Spear, Gregory Isaacs and Big Youth – (Jamaica)
S[]
- The Sailor's Return, starring Tom Bell – (U.K.)
- Same Time Next Year, starring Alan Alda and Ellen Burstyn
- The Second Awakening of Christa Klages, directed by Margarethe von Trotta – (West Germany)
- Sextette, starring Mae West, Timothy Dalton, Dom DeLuise, Ringo Starr, Keith Moon, George Hamilton, Alice Cooper
- Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, starring Peter Frampton, Steve Martin and the Bee Gees with music by The Beatles
- Shogun's Samurai (Yagu ichizoku no inbō), starring Sonny Chiba – (Japan)
- The Shout, directed by Jerzy Skolimowski, starring Alan Bates, John Hurt and Susannah York – (U.K.)
- The Silent Partner, directed by Daryl Duke, starring Elliott Gould, Christopher Plummer, Susannah York
- Slow Dancing in the Big City, directed by John G. Avildsen, starring Paul Sorvino
- The Small One
- Snake in the Eagle's Shadow (Shé xíng diāo shǒu), starring Jackie Chan – (Hong Kong)
- Somebody Killed Her Husband, starring Farrah Fawcett and Jeff Bridges
- Stevie, starring Glenda Jackson and Trevor Howard – (U.K.)
- Straight Time, directed by Ulu Grosbard, starring Dustin Hoffman, Theresa Russell, Harry Dean Stanton, Gary Busey
- The Stud, starring Joan Collins – (U.K.)
- Superman, directed by Richard Donner, starring Christopher Reeve, Marlon Brando, Gene Hackman, Margot Kidder, Valerie Perrine, Ned Beatty, Glenn Ford
- The Swarm, starring Michael Caine, Katharine Ross, Richard Widmark, Henry Fonda, Fred MacMurray, Olivia de Havilland, Ben Johnson, Lee Grant
- The Swissmakers (Die Schweizermacher) – (Switzerland)
T[]
- Thank God It's Friday, starring Debra Winger, Donna Summer, Jeff Goldblum
- Three from Prostokvashino (Troye iz Prostokvashino) – (U.S.S.R.)
- Toplo (Heat) – (Bulgaria)
- The Tree of Wooden Clogs (L'Albero degli zoccoli), directed by Ermanno Olmi – (Italy) – Palme d'Or winner
- Trishul, starring Sanjeev Kumar and Amitabh Bachchan – (India)
- Las truchas (The Trout) – (Spain) – Golden Bear winner
- Two Solitudes, starring Jean-Pierre Aumont and Stacy Keach – (Canada)
U[]
- Uncle Joe Shannon, starring Burt Young
- An Unmarried Woman, directed by Paul Mazursky, starring Jill Clayburgh, Alan Bates, Michael Murphy
- Up in Smoke, starring Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong
V[]
- Violette Nozière, directed by Claude Chabrol, starring Isabelle Huppert and Stéphane Audran – (France)
W[]
- Ward Six (Paviljon VI) – (Yugoslavia)
- Warriors Two (Zan xian sheng yu zhao qian Hua), starring Bryan Leung and Sammo Hung – (Hong Kong)
- The Water Babies, directed by Lionel Jeffries, starring James Mason, Bernard Cribbins, Billie Whitelaw – (U.K./Poland)
- Watership Down, animated film directed by Martin Rosen, with the voices of John Hurt and Richard Briers – (U.K.)
- A Wedding, directed by Robert Altman, starring Desi Arnaz, Jr., Carol Burnett, Geraldine Chaplin, Lauren Hutton, Paul Dooley, Mia Farrow
- Who Is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe?, starring George Segal and Jacqueline Bisset – (West Germany/U.S.)
- Who'll Stop the Rain, directed by Karel Reisz, starring Nick Nolte and Tuesday Weld
- The Wild Geese, starring Richard Burton, Roger Moore, Richard Harris – (U.K.)
- Without Anesthesia (Bez znieczulenia), directed by Andrzej Wajda – (Poland)
- The Wiz, directed by Sidney Lumet, starring Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Nipsey Russell
- Wolf Lake, directed by Burt Kennedy, starring Rod Steiger
Y[]
- You Are Not Alone (Du er ikke alene) – (Denmark)
Births[]
- January 1 – Christian Tessier, Canadian actor
- January 3 – Kimberley Locke, American singer-songwriter and model
- January 5
- Clarine Harp, American voice actress
- America Olivo, American actress and singer
- January 8 – Scott Whyte, American actor
- January 9 – A. J. McLean, American musician, singer, dancer, actor, and entertainer
- January 10 – Antonio Cupo, Canadian film and television actor
- January 15
- Eddie Cahill, American actor
- Jamie Clayton, actress, model
- January 17
- Pampita, Argentine model, actress, television personality
- Takatoshi Kaneko, Japanese actor
- Pater Sparrow, Hungarian actor, filmmaker
- Ricky Wilson, English actor, singer
- January 20 – Omar Sy, French actor
- January 24 – Mark Hildreth, Canadian actor, voice actor
- January 27 – Jake Pavelka, American pilot, television personality
- January 28 – Stephen Farrelly, Irish actor, professional wrestler
- February 7 – Ashton Kutcher, American actor
- February 9 – A. J. Buckley, Canadian actor
- February 12 –
- Paul Anderson, British actor
- Gethin Jones, Welsh television presenter
- February 14 – Danai Gurira, actress, playwright
- February 17 – Ashton Holmes, American actor
- February 20
- Jay Hernandez, American actor
- Julia Jentsch, German actress
- February 23 – Kris Lemche, Canadian actor
- February 24 – Nicole Lyn, Canadian actress
- March 1 – Jensen Ackles, American actor
- March 2 – Chris Powell, American personal trainer, reality show personality, and author
- March 3 – Aarti Mann, Indian-American actress
- March 5 – Kimberly McCullough, American actress, dancer, director
- March 8 – Nick Zano, American actor
- March 17
- Patrick Seitz, American voice actor
- March 21
- Kevin Federline, American rapper, DJ, actor, television personality, professional wrestler, and fashion model
- Rani Mukerji, Indian actress
- March 23 – Nicholle Tom and David Tom, American actress and actor
- March 24 - Amanda Brugel, Canadian actress
- April 1 – Anamaria Marinca, Romanian actress
- April 2 – Deon Richmond, American actor
- April 3 – Matthew Goode, English actor
- April 7
- Duncan James, English actor, television presenter and singer
- Scott McGillivray, Canadian businessman, investor, television host, author, and educator
- April 12 – Riley Smith, American actor
- April 13 – Kyle Howard, American actor
- April 16 – Lara Dutta, Indian actress
- April 19
- James Franco, American actor
- Joanna Gaines, American designer, businesswoman, entrepreneur, television personality
- April 20
- Matt Austin, Canadian actor
- Clayne Crawford, American actor
- April 23 – Ian Brennan, American writer, actor, producer
- April 26
- Stana Katic, Canadian-American actress, producer
- Pablo Schreiber, Canadian actor
- April 28
- Nate Richert, American actor, musician
- Drew Scott, Canadian actor, realtor, and entrepreneur
- Jonathan Scott, Canadian reality television personality, contractor, illusionist, and television and film producer
- April 29 – Tyler Labine, Canadian actor
- April 30 – Sandra Huller, German actress
- May 1 – James Badge Dale, American actor
- May 2 - Kumail Nanjiani, Pakistani-American comedian, actor and screenwriter
- May 5 – Santiago Cabrera, Venezuelan-born Chilean actor
- May 8
- Matthew Davis, American actor
- Ana Maria Lombo, American musician and television personality
- Josie Maran, American model, actress, and entrepreneur
- May 9 – Daniel Franzese, American actor, comedian and activist
- May 10 – Kenan Thompson, American actor, comedian
- May 11 – Warren Brown, English actor and former professional Thai boxer
- May 12
- Aaron Abrams, Canadian actor, writer
- Malin Åkerman, Swedish-Canadian actress
- Jason Biggs, American actor
- May 15
- Caroline Dhavernas, Canadian actress
- David Krumholtz, American actor
- May 16 – Jim Sturgess, English actor
- May 18 – Chad Donella, Canadian actor
- May 21 – Chris Santos, American actor
- May 22 – Ginnifer Goodwin, American actress
- May 24 – Bryan Greenberg, American actor
- May 25 – Brian Urlacher, former American football linebacker
- May 26 – Laurence Fox, English actor, singer-songwriter, and guitarist
- May 28 – Jake Johnson, actor, comedian
- May 29 – Adam Rickitt, English actor, singer and model
- June 2
- Dominic Cooper, English actor
- Nikki Cox, American actress
- Justin Long, American actor
- June 4
- Josh McDermitt, American film and television actor and comedian
- Robin Lord Taylor, American actor
- June 5
- Nick Kroll, American actor, comedian, writer and producer
- Jeff Schroeder, American television and online talk show host
- June 6 - Judith Barsi, American child actress (d. 1988)
- June 7
- Bill Hader, American actor, comedian
- Anna Torv, Australian actress
- June 8 – Maria Menounos, American actress
- June 9 – Michaela Conlin, American actress
- June 10
- DJ Qualls, American actor
- Shane West, American actor
- June 11 – Joshua Jackson, Canadian actor
- June 13 – Ethan Embry, American actor
- June 14 - Diablo Cody, Canadian writer
- June 16 – Daniel Brühl, German actor
- June 18 – Tara Platt, American voice actress
- June 19
- Mía Maestro, Argentine actress and singer-songwriter
- Zoe Saldana, American actress
- June 20 – Quinton Jackson, American mixed martial artist, actor and former professional wrestler
- June 21 – Erica Durance, Canadian actress
- June 27 – Courtney Ford, actress
- June 29 –
- Luke Kirby, Canadian actor
- Nicole Scherzinger, American singer, songwriter, dancer, actress and television personality
- July 2 – Owain Yeoman, Welsh actor
- July 3 – Ian Anthony Dale, American actor
- July 4 – Becki Newton, American actress
- July 6
- Adam Busch, American actor, film director and singer
- Tia Mowry and Tamera Mowry, American actresses
- July 8 – Rachael Lillis, American voice actress
- July 9 – Kyle Davis, American actor
- July 11
- Dustin Demri-Burns, English actor, comedian, and writer
- Thomas Stone, Hungarian pornographic actor
- July 12
- Topher Grace, American actor
- Michelle Rodriguez, American actress
- July 15 – Greg Sestero, American actor, writer
- July 17 – R. J. Williams, American actor, television host, CEO of Young Hollywood
- July 20
- Charlie Korsmo, American former child actor
- Anatol Yusef, English stage, film and television actor
- July 21
- Justin Bartha, American actor
- Josh Hartnett, American actor
- July 22 – A. J. Cook, Canadian actress
- July 24 – Jeff Mauro, American actor, chef
- August 2 – Natashia Williams, American actress, model
- August 3
- Tommy Dewey, American actor, producer, writer
- Shanelle Workman, American actress, voice actress, producer and director
- August 4 – Mick Cain, American actor
- August 8 – Countess Vaughn, American actress
- August 10 – Leo Fitzpatrick, American actor
- August 16 – Josh Casaubon, American actor
- August 18 – Andy Samberg, American actor, comedian
- August 20 – Kris Smith, English Australian model, television presenter and rugby league footballer
- August 22 – James Corden, English singer, actor, television host
- August 23 – Andrew Rannells, American actor, voice actor, singer
- August 24 – Beth Riesgraf, American actress
- August 25 – Kel Mitchell, American actor, comedian
- August 28 – Sam Wills, New Zealand prop comic, busker, clown, and mime
- August 30 – Gianpaolo Venuta, Canadian actor
- August 31 – Mike Erwin, American actor
- September 3 – Nick Wechsler, American actor
- September 4 – Wes Bentley, American actor
- September 7 – Devon Sawa, Canadian actor
- September 12 – Benjamin McKenzie, American actor
- September 18 – Billy Eichner, American comedian, actor, writer, and television personality
- September 20 – Charlie Weber, American actor
- September 21 – Paulo Costanzo, Canadian actor
- September 22 – Daniella Alonso, American actress and fashion model
- September 23 – Anthony Mackie, American actor
- September 24 - Christopher Nowinski, American author, co-founder and executive director of the Concussion Legacy Foundation; as well as a former professional wrestler with World Wrestling Entertainment
- September 25 – Rossif Sutherland, Canadian actor
- September 28 – Lucas Bryant, Canadian actor
- September 29 – Nathan West, American actor
- October 1 – Katie Aselton, American actress, film director and producer
- October 3 – Shannyn Sossamon, American actress
- October 9 – Randy Spelling, American actor
- October 10 – Trevor Eyster, American actor
- October 11 – Trevor Donovan, American actor
- October 14 – Usher, American singer, actor
- October 15 - Devon Gummersall, American actor
- October 16 – Kala Savage, American actress
- October 18 – Wesley Jonathan, American actor
- October 21
- Will Estes, American actor
- Michael McMillian, American actor
- October 26 –
- CM Punk, American mixed martial artist, comic book writer and retired professional wrestler
- Anthony Carrino, American contractor, designer, developer and television personality
- October 27 – David Walton, American actor
- October 28 – Justin Guarini, American singer and actor
- October 30 - Matthew Morrison, American singer, actor
- October 31 – Brian Hallisay, American actor
- November 1 – Mary Kate Schellhardt, American actress
- November 2 – Whit Hertford, American theatre director, writer and actor
- November 8 – Keir O'Donnell, Australian-American actor
- November 9 – Sisqó, American singer, actor, songwriter
- November 10
- David Paetkau, Canadian actor
- Diplo, American actor, DJ, record producer, rapper, songwriter
- November 17
- Zoe Bell, New Zealand stuntwoman, actress
- Tom Ellis, Welsh actor
- Rachel McAdams, Canadian actress
- November 19 – Eric Nenninger, American actor
- November 20 - Nadine Velazquez, American actress and model
- November 21 – Yasmine Al Massri, International actress, dancer, video artist and human rights advocate
- November 23 – Kayvan Novak, British actor, voice actor, and comedian
- November 24 – Katherine Heigl, American actress
- November 28 – Jodie Resther, Canadian actress
- November 29 – Lauren German, actress
- November 30 – Gael García Bernal, Mexican film actor, director, and producer
- December 1 – Stefan Kapičić, Serbian actor
- December 7
- Shiri Appleby, American actress
- Kristofer Hivju, Norwegian film actor, producer and writer
- December 8 – Ian Somerhalder, American actor
- December 9 – Jesse Metcalfe, American actor
- December 13 – Cameron Douglas, American actor
- December 15 – Will Wikle, American actor and reality television personality
- December 16 – Joe Absolom, English actor
- December 17 – Douglas Tait, American actor, stuntman, filmmaker
- December 18
- Josh Dallas, American actor
- Katie Holmes, American actress
- December 21
- Charles Dera, American pornographic actor, dancer, model, martial artist, and former U.S. Marine
- Mike Vitar, American actor
- December 22 – Mia Tyler, American actress, model, author, visual artist, media personality, socialite, fashion designer, talent manager and music promoter
- December 24 – Carlson Twins, American actors, models
- December 25 – Jeremy Strong, American film, television, and stage actor
- December 27 - Lisa Jakub, Canadian writer and former actress
- December 28 – John Legend, American composer and actor
- December 30 – Tyrese Gibson, American actor, singer, model
- December 31 – Johnny Sins, pornographic actor, director, and Internet personality
Deaths[]
| Month | Date | Name | Age | Country | Profession | Notable films |
| January | 5 | Sally Eilers | 69 | US | Actress |
|
| 12 | Arthur Sheekman | 76 | US | Screenwriter |
| |
| 23 | Jack Oakie | 74 | US | Actor |
| |
| 26 | Leo Genn | 72 | UK | Actor |
| |
| 27 | Oskar Homolka | 79 | Austria | Actor |
| |
| 29 | Tim McCoy | 86 | US | Actor | ||
| February | 2 | Wendy Barrie | 69 | UK | Actress |
|
| 14 | Claude Binyon | 72 | US | Writer, Director |
| |
| 15 | Ilka Chase | 77 | US | Actress |
| |
| 18 | Kathleen Lockhart | 83 | UK | Actress |
| |
| 18 | Maggie McNamara | 48 | US | Actress |
| |
| 24 | Franco Arcalli | 48 | Italy | Screenwriter |
| |
| 28 | Philip Ahn | 72 | US | Actor |
| |
| March | 12 | John Cazale | 42 | US | Actor |
|
| 16 | Reb Russell | 72 | US | Actor | ||
| 18 | Peggy Wood | 86 | US | Actress |
| |
| 24 | Leigh Brackett | 62 | US | Screenwriter |
| |
| 25 | Leslie Fenton | 76 | UK | Actor, Director |
| |
| 25 | Jack Hulbert | 85 | UK | Actor | ||
| 25 | Hanna Ralph | 92 | Germany | Actress |
| |
| 31 | Astrid Allwyn | 72 | US | Actress |
| |
| April | 1 | Lynne Roberts | 56 | US | Actress | |
| 9 | Michael Wilson | 63 | US | Screenwriter |
| |
| 13 | Paul McGrath | 74 | US | Actor |
| |
| 22 | Will Geer | 76 | US | Actor |
| |
| May | 6 | Loyal Griggs | 71 | US | Cinematographer |
|
| 11 | Philip Ray | 79 | UK | Actor |
| |
| 12 | Robert Coogan | 53 | US | Actor |
| |
| 16 | Robert Florey | 78 | France | Director |
| |
| June | 20 | Mark Robson | 64 | Canada | Director |
|
| 29 | Bob Crane | 49 | US | Actor |
| |
| 30 | Frank Santillo | 65 | US | Editor |
| |
| July | 3 | James Daly | 59 | US | Actor |
|
| 14 | Jack Woolgar | 64 | UK | Actor |
| |
| 17 | Thayer David | 51 | US | Actor |
| |
| 19 | Agnes Christine Johnston | 82 | US | Screenwriter | ||
| August | 5 | Queenie Smith | 79 | US | Actress |
|
| 24 | Louis Prima | 67 | US | Actor, Singer |
| |
| 26 | Charles Boyer | 78 | France | Actor |
| |
| 28 | Robert Shaw | 51 | UK | Actor |
| |
| 31 | Lee Garmes | 80 | US | Cinematographer |
| |
| September | 3 | Karin Molander | 89 | Sweden | Actress |
|
| 9 | Jack L. Warner | 86 | Canada | Producer, Studio Executive |
| |
| 12 | Frank Ferguson | 78 | US | Actor | ||
| 18 | Ann Shoemaker | 87 | US | Actress |
| |
| 24 | Ruth Etting | 80 | US | Singer, Actress |
| |
| 30 | Edgar Bergen | 75 | US | Actor, Ventriloquist |
| |
| October | 10 | Kathryn McGuire | 74 | US | Actress |
|
| 16 | Dan Dailey | 62 | US | Actor | ||
| 19 | Gig Young | 64 | US | Actor |
| |
| 30 | Brian Hayles | 47 | UK | Screenwriter |
| |
| November | 5 | Denis O'Dea | 73 | Ireland | Actor |
|
| 9 | Florence Marly | 59 | Czechoslovakia | Actress |
| |
| 16 | Claude Dauphin | 75 | France | Actor |
| |
| 20 | Robert Alan Aurthur | 56 | US | Screenwriter |
| |
| 23 | June Martel | 69 | US | Actress | ||
| 26 | Ford Beebe | 90 | US | Director |
| |
| 27 | Susan Shaw | 44 | UK | Actress |
| |
| 28 | André Morell | 69 | UK | Actor |
| |
| December | 7 | I. Stanford Jolley | 78 | US | Actor |
|
| 10 | Ed Wood | 54 | US | Director, Screenwriter, Actor |
| |
| 12 | Fay Compton | 84 | UK | Actress |
| |
| 15 | Chill Wills | 76 | US | Actor |
| |
| 19 | Duncan Lamont | 60 | UK | Actor |
| |
| 23 | Louis de Rochemont | 89 | US | Producer |
|
Film debuts[]
- Karen Allen – National Lampoon's Animal House
- Pedro Almodóvar (director) – Folle...folle...fólleme Tim!
- Kevin Bacon – National Lampoon's Animal House
- Jim Belushi – The Fury
- John Belushi - National Lampoon's Animal House
- Jake Busey – Straight Time
- Cheech & Chong – Up in Smoke
- Billy Connolly – Absolution
- Billy Crystal – Rabbit Test
- Jamie Lee Curtis – Halloween
- Eddie Deezen – Laserblast
- R. Lee Ermey – The Boys in Company C
- Corey Feldman – Born Again
- William Forsythe – Long Shot
- Dennis Franz – The Fury
- Harry Hamlin – Movie Movie
- Daryl Hannah – The Fury
- Mark Harmon – Comes a Horseman
- Ed Harris – Coma
- Mary Beth Hurt – Interiors
- Michael Keaton – Rabbit Test
- John Malkovich – A Wedding
- Laurie Metcalf – A Wedding
- Liam Neeson –
- Michael O'Keefe – Gray Lady Down
- Roddy Piper – The One and Only
- Annie Potts – Corvette Summer
- Christopher Reeve – Gray Lady Down
- James Remar – On the Yard
- Eric Roberts – King of the Gypsies
- Diana Scarwid – Pretty Baby
- James Spader – Team-Mates
- Mary Steenburgen – Goin' South
- Peter Stormare – The Score
- Alfre Woodard – Remember My Name
- Robert Zemeckis (director) – I Wanna Hold Your Hand
References[]
- ^ "Superman, Box Office Information". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved February 12, 2012.
- ^ "'Grease,' $4,500,000, In 1,248 Situations For Re-Re-Runs". Variety. May 23, 1979. p. 27.
- ^ "Animal House, Box Office Information". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved February 12, 2012.
- ^ "Every Which Way But Loose, Box Office Information". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved May 26, 2014.
- ^ "Heaven Can Wait, Box Office Information". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved May 26, 2014.
- ^ "Hooper, Box Office Information". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved June 24, 2012.
- ^ "Jaws 2, Box Office Information". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved February 12, 2012.
- ^ "Columbia Sets Cheech & Chong; They'll Write, Star and Direct". Variety. September 12, 1979. p. 6.
Meanwhile, "Smoke" continues to go higher and higher, with $76,000,000 domestic b.o. gross and $28,000,000 foreign
- ^ "Revenge of the Pink Panther, Box Office Information". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved February 12, 2012.
- ^ "The Deer Hunter, Box Office Information". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved May 26, 2014.
- ^ "The Astral Factor (1978), imdb". IMDb. Retrieved December 25, 2018.
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