# 1952 in film

The year 1952 in film involved some significant events.

## Top-grossing films
### United States

The top ten 1952 released films by box office gross in the United States are as follows:
Highest-grossing films of 1952 :
| Rank | Title | Distributor(s) | Domestic rentals |
| 1 | The Greatest Show on Earth | Paramount | $12,800,000 |
| 2 | This Is Cinerama | Cinerama Releasing | $12,500,000 |
| 3 | The Snows of Kilimanjaro | 20th Century Fox | $6,500,000 |
| 4 | Hans Christian Andersen | RKO | $6,000,000 |
| 5 | Ivanhoe | MGM | $5,810,000 |
| 6 | Sailor Beware | Paramount | $4,300,000 |
| 7 | Moulin Rouge | United Artists | $4,252,000 |
| 8 | Jumping Jacks | Paramount | $4,000,000 |
| 9 | The Quiet Man | Republic | $3,800,000 |
| 10 | High Noon | United Artists | $3,750,000 |

### International

| Country | Title | Director | Studio(s) | Gross |
| France | Little World of Don Camillo | Julien Duvivier | Cineriz, Francinex | 12,791,168 admissions |
| India | Aan | Mehboob Khan | Mehboob Productions | $5,880,000 |
| Italy | Little World of Don Camillo | Julien Duvivier | Cineriz, Francinex | 13,215,653 admissions |
| Japan | Himeyuri no Tō | Tadashi Imai | Toei Company | ¥176,590,000 |
| Soviet Union | Tarzan the Ape Man | W. S. Van Dyke | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer | 42,900,000 admissions |
| United Kingdom | The Greatest Show on Earth | Cecil B. DeMille | Paramount Pictures | 13,000,000 admissions |

## Events

* January 10 – Cecil B. DeMille's circus epic, The Greatest Show on Earth, is premièred at Radio City Music Hall in New York City.
* March 27 – The MGM musical Singin' in the Rain premieres at Radio City Music Hall in New York City.
* May 26 – Decision reached in Joseph Burstyn, Inc. v. Wilson determining that certain provisions of the New York Education Law allowing a censor to forbid the commercial showing of any non-licensed motion picture film, or revoke or deny the license of a film deemed to be "sacrilegious," was a "restraint on freedom of speech" and thereby a violation of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.
* September 19 – While Charlie Chaplin is at sea on his way to the United Kingdom, the United States Attorney-General, James P. McGranery, announces plans to review his right to return to the US.
* September 30 – The Cinerama multiple-projection widescreen system, invented by Fred Waller, makes its début in New York with the film This Is Cinerama.
* November 27 – Bwana Devil, the first American, feature-length, color 3-D film, is released, and begins the demand for 3-D films that lasts for the next two years.

## Awards

| Category/Organization | 10th Golden Globe Awards February 26, 1953 | 10th Golden Globe Awards February 26, 1953 | 25th Academy Awards March 19, 1953 |
| Category/Organization | Drama | Comedy or Musical | 25th Academy Awards March 19, 1953 |
| Best Film | The Greatest Show on Earth | With a Song in My Heart | The Greatest Show on Earth |
| Best Director | Cecil B. DeMille The Greatest Show on Earth | Cecil B. DeMille The Greatest Show on Earth | John Ford The Quiet Man |
| Best Actor | Gary Cooper High Noon | Donald O'Connor Singin' in the Rain | Gary Cooper High Noon |
| Best Actress | Shirley Booth Come Back, Little Sheba | Susan Hayward With a Song in My Heart | Shirley Booth Come Back, Little Sheba |
| Best Supporting Actor | Millard Mitchell My Six Convicts | Millard Mitchell My Six Convicts | Anthony Quinn Viva Zapata! |
| Best Supporting Actress | Katy Jurado High Noon | Katy Jurado High Noon | Gloria Grahame The Bad and the Beautiful |
| Best Screenplay, Adapted | Michael Wilson 5 Fingers | Michael Wilson 5 Fingers | Charles Schnee The Bad and the Beautiful |
| Best Screenplay, Original | Michael Wilson 5 Fingers | Michael Wilson 5 Fingers | T. E. B. Clarke The Lavender Hill Mob |

## Notable films released in 1952

United States unless stated
* 1st of April, 2000 – (Austria)
* 5 Fingers, directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz, starring James Mason

### A

* Abbott and Costello Meet Captain Kidd, starring Bud Abbott and Lou Costello
* Above and Beyond, starring Robert Taylor and Eleanor Parker
* Affair in Trinidad, starring Rita Hayworth and Glenn Ford
* Against All Flags, starring Errol Flynn and Maureen O'Hara
* Alraune, starring Hildegard Knef and Erich von Stroheim – (West Germany)
* Andrine og Kjell – (Norway)
* Androcles and the Lion, starring Jean Simmons and Victor Mature
* Angel Face, starring Robert Mitchum and Jean Simmons
* Angels One Five, starring Jack Hawkins – (GB)
* Anhonee, starring Raj Kapoor and Nargis – (India)
* At Sword's Point, starring Maureen O'Hara and Cornel Wilde
* The Atomic City, starring Gene Barry and Lydia Clarke

### B

* Babes in Bagdad, starring Paulette Goddard and Gypsy Rose Lee
* The Bad and the Beautiful, starring Lana Turner, Kirk Douglas, Walter Pidgeon, Dick Powell, Barry Sullivan, Gloria Grahame
* Baiju Bawra, starring Meena Kumari – (India)
* The Beast Must Die (La Bestia debe morir) – (Argentina)
* Because of You, starring Loretta Young
* Because You're Mine, starring Mario Lanza
* The Belle of New York, starring Fred Astaire and Vera-Ellen
* Les Belles de nuit (Beauties of the Night), directed by René Clair – (France)
* Belles on Their Toes, starring Myrna Loy, Jeanne Crain, Debra Paget
* Bend of the River, directed by Anthony Mann, starring James Stewart, Arthur Kennedy, Julie Adams, Rock Hudson
* Beware, My Lovely, starring Ida Lupino and Robert Ryan
* Big Jim McLain, starring John Wayne and James Arness
* The Big Sky, starring Kirk Douglas
* The Big Trees, starring Kirk Douglas
* The Black Castle, starring Stephen McNally, Boris Karloff, Lon Chaney Jr.
* Blackbeard the Pirate, starring Robert Newton
* Brandy for the Parson, starring James Donald and Kenneth More – (GB)
* Buffalo Bill in Tomahawk Territory, starring Clayton Moore
* The Bushwackers, starring John Ireland and Lawrence Tierney

### C

* California Conquest, starring Cornel Wilde and Teresa Wright
* Captive Women, starring Robert Clarke
* Carbine Williams, starring James Stewart and Jean Hagen
* The Card, starring Alec Guinness, Glynis Johns, Petula Clark – (GB)
* Carrie, starring Laurence Olivier, Jennifer Jones, Miriam Hopkins
* Carson City, starring Randolph Scott
* Casque d'Or (Golden Helmet), directed by Jacques Becker, starring Simone Signoret – (France)
* Children of Hiroshima (Gembaku no ko) – (Japan)
* Ciguli Miguli – (Yugoslavia)
* The City Stands Trial (Processo alla città), directed by Luigi Zampa – (Italy)
* Clash by Night, directed by Fritz Lang, starring Barbara Stanwyck, Robert Ryan, Paul Douglas, Marilyn Monroe
* Come Back, Little Sheba, starring Burt Lancaster and Shirley Booth
* The Crimson Pirate, starring Burt Lancaster

### D

* Dark River (Las aguas bajan turbias) – (Argentina)
* Deadline - U.S.A., directed by Richard Brooks, starring Humphrey Bogart, Ethel Barrymore, Kim Hunter, Jim Backus, Martin Gabel
* Denver and Rio Grande, starring Edmond O'Brien and Sterling Hayden
* Derby Day, starring Anna Neagle and Michael Wilding – (Britain)
* Desperate Search, starring Howard Keel and Jane Greer
* The Devil Makes Three, starring Gene Kelly
* Diplomatic Courier, directed by Henry Hathaway, starring Tyrone Power
* Don't Bother to Knock, starring Richard Widmark, Anne Bancroft, Marilyn Monroe
* Down Among the Z Men, starring The Goons – (GB)
* Dreamboat, starring Ginger Rogers, Clifton Webb, Elsa Lanchester, Anne Francis

### E

* Emergency Call, directed by Lewis Gilbert, starring Jack Warner, Anthony Steel, Joy Shelton and Freddie Mills – (U.K.)
* Europa '51, directed by Roberto Rossellini, starring Ingrid Bergman – (Italy)
* The Eyes Leave Tracks (Los ojos dejan huella), starring Raf Vallone – (Spain)

### F

* Face to Face, starring James Mason and Robert Preston
* Fanfan la Tulipe (a.k.a. Fearless Little Soldier), starring Gérard Philipe and Gina Lollobrigida – (France)
* Flaming Feather, starring Sterling Hayden
* Flavor of Green Tea Over Rice ( Ochazuke no aji), directed by Yasujirō Ozu – (Japan)
* Flesh and Fury, starring Tony Curtis and Jan Sterling
* Forbidden Games (Jeux interdits), directed by René Clément – winner of Oscar for best foreign language film – (France)

### G

* A Girl in Every Port, starring Groucho Marx, William Bendix, Marie Wilson, Dee Hartford
* Gloria Mairena, directed by Luis Lucia, starring Juanita Reina, Eduardo Fajardo, Rafael Arcos (Spain)
* The Golden Coach (Le Carrosse d'or), directed by Jean Renoir, starring Anna Magnani – (France/Italy)
* The Greatest Show on Earth, directed by Cecil B. DeMille, starring Betty Hutton, Cornel Wilde, Charlton Heston, Gloria Grahame, Dorothy Lamour, James Stewart

### H

* Hangman's Knot, starring Randolph Scott, Donna Reed, Lee Marvin
* Hans Christian Andersen, starring Danny Kaye and Farley Granger
* The Happy Family, directed by Muriel Box, starring Stanley Holloway and Kathleen Harrison – (GB)
* The Happy Time, starring Charles Boyer and Bobby Driscoll
* Has Anybody Seen My Gal?, starring Piper Laurie, Rock Hudson, Charles Coburn
* Heidi, directed by Luigi Comencini – (Switzerland)
* Hellgate, starring Sterling Hayden
* Hiawatha, starring Vince Edwards
* High Noon, directed by Fred Zinnemann, starring Gary Cooper (Oscar for best actor) and Grace Kelly
* Los hijos de María Morales (The Children of Maria Morales), starring Pedro Infante – (Mexico)
* Holiday for Sinners, starring Gig Young and Janice Rule
* The Holly and the Ivy, starring Ralph Richardson and Celia Johnson – (GB)
* Home at Seven, directed by and starring Ralph Richardson – (GB)
* Horizons West, starring Robert Ryan, Rock Hudson, Raymond Burr
* Hunted, directed by Charles Crichton, starring Dirk Bogarde and Jon Whiteley – (GB)

### I

* The I Don't Care Girl, starring Mitzi Gaynor and Oscar Levant
* I Dream of Jeanie, starring Bill Shirley
* Ikiru (To Live), directed by Akira Kurosawa, starring Takashi Shimura – winner of Golden Bear – (Japan)
* The Importance of Being Earnest, directed by Anthony Asquith, starring Michael Redgrave – (GB)
* Indian Uprising, starring George Montgomery
* It Grows on Trees, starring Irene Dunne
* Ivanhoe, starring Robert Taylor, Joan Fontaine, Elizabeth Taylor

### J

* Jaal (Net), starring Dev Anand – (India)
* Jack and the Beanstalk, starring Bud Abbott and Lou Costello
* Japanese War Bride, starring Shirley Yamaguchi and Don Taylor
* The Jazz Singer, starring Danny Thomas and Peggy Lee
* Jolanda la figlia del corsaro nero (Jolanda, the Daughter of the Black Corsair) – (Italy)
* Jumping Jacks, starring Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis
* Just This Once, starring Janet Leigh, Peter Lawford

### K

* Kangaroo, starring Maureen O'Hara, Peter Lawford
* Kansas City Confidential, starring John Payne and Coleen Gray
* Kid Monk Baroni, starring Leonard Nimoy

### L

* Lady in the Iron Mask, starring Louis Hayward
* Lambert the Sheepish Lion
* The Last Page, a.k.a. Man Bait, starring George Brent, Marguerite Chapman, Diana Dors – (GB)
* The Life of Oharu (Saikaku ichidai onna), directed by Kenji Mizoguchi – (Japan)
* Lightning (Inazuma), directed by Mikio Naruse – (Japan)
* Limelight, directed by and starring Charlie Chaplin, with Claire Bloom
* Lola the Coalgirl, directed by Luis Lucia and starring Juanita Reina, Virgílio Teixeira (Spain)
* Lone Star, starring Clark Gable and Ava Gardner
* Lost in Alaska, starring Bud Abbott and Lou Costello
* Lovely to Look At, starring Kathryn Grayson, Howard Keel, Red Skelton
* Lure of the Wilderness, starring Jean Peters, Jeffrey Hunter, Walter Brennan
* The Lusty Men, starring Robert Mitchum

### M

* Macao, starring Robert Mitchum and Jane Russell
* Mandy, starring Phyllis Calvert and Jack Hawkins – (GB)
* The Marrying Kind, starring Judy Holliday
* Meet Danny Wilson, starring Frank Sinatra
* The Member of the Wedding, starring Julie Harris
* The Merry Widow, starring Lana Turner
* Mexican Bus Ride (Subida al cielo), directed by Luis Buñuel – (Mexico)
* Million Dollar Mermaid, starring Esther Williams and Victor Mature
* The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima, starring Gilbert Roland
* Les Misérables, starring Michael Rennie, Robert Newton, Debra Paget
* Monkey Business, starring Cary Grant, Ginger Rogers, Charles Coburn, Marilyn Monroe
* Monsoon, starring Diana Douglas and Ursula Thiess
* Montana Belle, starring Jane Russell
* Moulin Rouge, starring José Ferrer and Zsa Zsa Gabor – (GB)
* My Cousin Rachel, starring Olivia de Havilland and Richard Burton
* My Pal Gus, starring Richard Widmark and George Winslow
* My Six Convicts, starring Gilbert Roland
* My Son John, starring Robert Walker and Van Heflin

### N

* The Narrow Margin, directed by Richard Fleischer, starring Charles McGraw
* Neighbours – (Canada)
* Never Look Back directed by Francis Searle, starring Rosamund John – (GB)
* No Room for the Groom, directed by Douglas Sirk, starring Tony Curtis and Piper Laurie

### O

* O. Henry's Full House, an anthology film starring Charles Laughton, David Wayne, Marilyn Monroe, Richard Widmark, Anne Baxter, Jeanne Crain
* One Big Affair, starring Evelyn Keyes
* One Minute to Zero, directed by Tay Garnett, starring Robert Mitchum and Ann Blyth
* Othello (a.k.a. The Tragedy of Othello: The Moor of Venice), written, directed by and starring Orson Welles
* Outcast of the Islands, directed by Carol Reed, starring Ralph Richardson and Trevor Howard – (GB)
* The Overcoat (Il Cappotto) – (Italy)

### P

* Pahit-Pahit Manis, starring Titien Sumarni and Chatir Harro (Indonesia)
* Panta Rhei, directed by Bert Haanstra
* Pat and Mike, starring Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn
* Phone Call from a Stranger, starring Shelley Winters and Gary Merrill
* The Pickwick Papers, starring James Hayter and James Donald – (GB)
* Le Plaisir (a.k.a. House of Pleasure), directed by Max Ophüls, starring Claude Dauphin – (France)
* The Planter's Wife, directed by Ken Annakin, starring Claudette Colbert, Jack Hawkins & Anthony Steel – (GB)
* Pony Soldier, starring Tyrone Power
* The Pride of St. Louis, starring Dan Dailey
* The Prisoner of Zenda, starring Stewart Granger, Deborah Kerr, James Mason, Jane Greer

### Q

* The Quiet Man, directed by John Ford, starring John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara

### R

* Rancho Notorious, starring Marlene Dietrich
* Red Ball Express, starring Jeff Chandler
* Red Planet Mars, starring Peter Graves
* Retreat, Hell!, starring Frank Lovejoy
* Return of the Texan, starring Dale Robertson and Joanne Dru
* Reverón, directed by Margot Benacerraf
* Road to Bali, starring Bing Crosby and Bob Hope
* Rome 11:00 – (Italy)
* Room for One More, starring Cary Grant and Betsy Drake
* Ruby Gentry, starring Jennifer Jones, Charlton Heston and Karl Malden

### S

* Sailor Beware, starring Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis
* Sangdil, starring Dilip Kumar and Madhubala – (India)
* Saturday Island, starring Linda Darnell and Tab Hunter – (GB)
* The Savage, starring Charlton Heston and Susan Morrow
* Scandal Sheet, starring Broderick Crawford and Donna Reed
* Scaramouche, starring Stewart Granger and Janet Leigh
* The Scarlet Flower (Alenkiy tsvetochek) – (U.S.S.R.)
* Sea Tiger, starring Marguerite Chapman
* Secrets of Women (Kvinnors väntan), directed by Ingmar Bergman, starring Eva Dahlbeck – (Sweden)
* Siempre tuya (Forever Yours) – (Mexico)
* Singin' in the Rain, starring Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds, Jean Hagen, Donald O'Connor
* The Sniper, directed by Edward Dmytryk
* The Snow Maiden (Snegurochka) – (U.S.S.R.)
* The Snows of Kilimanjaro, starring Gregory Peck and Ava Gardner
* Something Money Can't Buy, directed by Pat Jackson, starring Patricia Roc, Anthony Steel, Moira Lister & A.E. Matthews – (U.K.)
* Something to Live For, directed by George Stevens, starring Joan Fontaine and Teresa Wright
* Son of Paleface, directed by Frank Tashlin, starring Bob Hope, Jane Russell, Roy Rogers
* Song of the Sea (O canto do mar), directed by Alberto Cavalcanti – (Brazil)
* The Sound Barrier, directed by David Lean, starring Ralph Richardson – (GB)
* Springfield Rifle, starring Gary Cooper and Phyllis Thaxter
* The Star, starring Bette Davis and Sterling Hayden
* Stars and Stripes Forever, starring Clifton Webb, Debra Paget, Robert Wagner and Ruth Hussey
* Steel Town, starring Ann Sheridan and John Lund
* The Steel Trap, starring Joseph Cotten and Teresa Wright
* The Stooge, starring Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis
* Stop, You're Killing Me, starring Broderick Crawford and Claire Trevor
* The Story of Will Rogers, starring Will Rogers Jr. and Jane Wyman
* Sudden Fear, starring Joan Crawford, Jack Palance, Gloria Grahame

### T

* The Hour of 13, starring Peter Lawford
* The Thief, starring Ray Milland
* This Is Cinerama, directed by Merian C. Cooper
* Thunderbirds, starring John Derek
* Tico-Tico no Fubá, directed by Adolfo Celi – (Brazil)
* Toto in Colour (Totò a colori), starring Totò – (Italy)
* Toxi, directed by Robert A. Stemmle (West Germany)
* Trent's Last Case, starring Orson Welles and Michael Wilding – (GB)
* The Turning Point, starring William Holden, Alexis Smith, Edmond O'Brien
* Two Cents Worth of Hope (Due soldi di speranza) – (Italy)

### U

* Umberto D., directed by Vittorio De Sica – (Italy)
* Untamed Frontier, starring Joseph Cotten and Shelley Winters

### V

* La villa Santo-Sospir, short film directed by Jean Cocteau – (France)
* Viva Zapata!, starring Marlon Brando and Jean Peters

### W

* We're Not Married!, starring Ginger Rogers, Marilyn Monroe, Eve Arden, Paul Douglas, Eddie Bracken, Mitzi Gaynor
* The White Reindeer (Valkoinen peura) – (Finland)
* The White Sheik (Lo sceicco bianco), directed by Federico Fellini – (Italy)
* Who Goes There!, starring Nigel Patrick and Valerie Hobson – (GB)
* Wide Boy, starring Sydney Tafler and Susan Shaw – (GB)
* The Wild North, starring Stewart Granger and Cyd Charisse
* Wings of Danger, directed by Terence Fisher, starring Zachary Scott – (GB)
* The Witch (Noita palaa elämään) – (Finland)
* With a Song in My Heart, starring Susan Hayward
* A Woman Without Love (Una mujer sin amor), directed by Luis Buñuel – (Mexico)
* The World in His Arms, starring Gregory Peck, Anthony Quinn, Ann Blyth

### Y

* You for Me, starring Peter Lawford, Jane Greer, Gig Young
* Young Man with Ideas, starring Glenn Ford and Ruth Roman

## Film releases
### January–March

* February 7 – Viva Zapata!
* February 13 – Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (re-release)
* February 19 – Retreat, Hell!
* February 22
** 5 Fingers
** One Big Affair

### April–June

* April 4 – With a Song in My Heart
* May 2 – The Narrow Margin
* May 15 – Outcast of the Islands
* June 13 – No Room for the Groom
* June 26 – The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men

### July–September

* July 21 – One Minute to Zero
* July 23 – Untamed Frontier
* August 21 – The Quiet Man
* September 18 – O. Henry's Full House

### October–December

* November 26 – Bwana Devil
* December 25
** The Bad and the Beautiful
** Come Back, Little Sheba

## Serials

* Blackhawk, starring Kirk Alyn
* King of the Congo, starring Buster Crabbe
* Radar Men from the Moon, starring George D. Wallace and Aline Towne
* Son of Geronimo starring Clayton Moore
* Zombies of the Stratosphere, starring Judd Holdren and Leonard Nimoy

## Short film series

* Mickey Mouse (1928–1953)
* Looney Tunes (1930–1969)
* Terrytoons (1930–1964)
* Merrie Melodies (1931–1969)
* Popeye (1933–1957)
* The Three Stooges (1934–1959)
* Donald Duck (1936)-(1956)
* Goofy (1939–1953)
* Tom and Jerry (1940–1958)
* Bugs Bunny (1940–1962)
* Mighty Mouse (1942–1955)
* Chip and Dale (1943–1956)
* Droopy (1943–1958)
* Yosemite Sam (1945–1963)

## Births

* January 1 – David Andrews, American character actor
* January 6
** Armelia McQueen, American actress (died 2020)
** Frank Sivero, Italian-American character actor
* January 11 – Bille Brown, Australian actor (died 2013)
* January 17 – Kevin Reynolds, American director and screenwriter
* January 18 – Michael Angelis, English actor (died 2020)
* January 22 – Ace Vergel, Filipino actor (died 2007)
* February 2 – Carol Ann Susi, American actress (died 2014)
* February 4
** Lisa Eichhorn, American actress
** Richard Lineback, American actor
* February 12 – Simon MacCorkindale, English actor (died 2010)
* February 14 – Anton Lesser, English actor
* February 22 – Issey Ogata, Japanese actor and comedian
* March 2 – Laraine Newman, American actress, voice actress, comedian and writer
* March 4 – Ronn Moss, American actor, musician and singer-songwriter
* March 6 – John David Carson, American actor (died 2009)
* March 11 – James Fleet, English actor
* March 13 - Jeffrey Nagler, American actor (died 2024)
* March 19 – Harvey Weinstein, American producer
* March 24 – Nicholas Campbell, Canadian actor and filmmaker
* March 27 – Kalju Orro, Estonian actor
* April 1 – Annette O'Toole, American actress
* April 5 – Mitch Pileggi, American actor
* April 6 – Marilu Henner, American actress
* April 7
** Dennis Hayden, American actor, producer and writer
** Clarke Peters, American-British actor, writer and director
* April 8 – Andrew Stahl, American actor
* April 10
** Robert Miranda, American actor
** Steven Seagal, American actor & martial artist
* April 11 – Michael Thomas, British actor (died 2019)
* April 13 – Erick Avari, Indian-American actor
* April 15 – Glenn Shadix, American actor (died 2010)
* April 16 – Billy West, American voice actor, musician, singer and songwriter
* April 17 – Joe Alaskey, American stand-up comedian, actor, voice artist, and impressionist (died 2016)
* April 19 - Tony Plana, Cuban-American actor and director
* April 26 – Spice Williams-Crosby, American actress
* April 28 – Mary McDonnell, American actress
* April 29 – Nora Dunn, American actress and comedian
* May 1
** Margaret Michaels, former American actress
** Pierre van Pletzen, South African actor, writer and director
* May 2
** Christine Baranski, American actress
** Thom Gossom Jr., American actor
* May 6
** Gregg Henry, American actor & musician
** Fred Newman, American actor and comedian
* May 9 – Patrick Ryecart, English actor
* May 11
** Shohreh Aghdashloo, Iranian-American actress
** Frances Fisher, British-born American actress
* May 14 – Robert Zemeckis, American director
* May 15 – Chazz Palminteri, American actor
* May 20 – Julia Deakin, English actress
* May 21 – Mr. T, American actor, bodyguard, television personality and retired professional wrestler
* May 22 – Mike Muscat, American actor
* May 28 – Denis Akiyama, Canadian actor (died 2018)
* May 31 – Carole Achache, French writer, photographer and actress (died 2016)
* June 4 – Kerry Shale, Canadian actor and writer
* June 5 – Connie Chiume, South African actress and filmmaker (died 2024)
* June 7 – Liam Neeson, Northern Irish actor
* June 18
** Miriam Flynn, American voice actress and character actress
** Carol Kane, American actress
** Isabella Rossellini, Italian actress
* June 19 – Virginia Hey, Australian actress
* June 20
** John Goodman, American actor
** Larry Riley, American actor and musician (died 1992)
* June 22 – Graham Greene, Canadian actor
* June 26 – Peter Crombie, American actor (died 2024)
* June 30 – Patrick Pinney, American actor
* July 1
** Dan Aykroyd, Canadian actor & comedian
** Brian George, Israeli-English actor, voice artist, comedian and singer
* July 3
** Rick Ducommun, Canadian stand-up comedian, actor, writer and producer (died 2015)
** Cork Hubbert, American actor (d. 2003)
* July 6
** Grant Goodeve, American actor
** Dean Parisot, American director
* July 8 – Mary Ellen Trainor, American character actress (died 2015)
* July 11
** Tim de Zarn, American actor
** Stephen Lang, American actor
* July 13 – Rosemary Dunsmore, Canadian actress and director
* July 14
** Stan Shaw, American actor
** Joel Silver, American producer
* July 15
** Celia Imrie, English actress
** Terry O'Quinn, American actor
** Judson Scott, American actor
* July 17 – David Hasselhoff, American actor, singer, producer and television personality
* July 20
** Adrian Biddle, English cinematographer (died 2005)
** Nathaniel Lees, New Zealand actor and director
* July 21 – George Wallace, American comedian and actor
* July 24 – Gus Van Sant, American director
* August 6 - Brian Levant, American filmmaker
* August 10
** Daniel Hugh Kelly, American actor
** Diane Venora, American actress
* August 12 – Ronald Guttman, Belgian actor and producer
* August 16 – Reginald VelJohnson, American actor
* August 18 – Patrick Swayze, American actor & dancer (died 2009)
* August 19 – Jonathan Frakes, American actor & director
* August 26 – Michael Jeter, American actor (died 2003)
* August 27 – Paul Reubens, American actor, comedian, writer and producer (died 2023)
* September 1 – Michael Massee, American actor (died 2016)
* September 4
** Alan Blumenfeld, American character actor
** Rishi Kapoor, Indian actor (died 2020)
* September 5 – Michael Horton, American actor
* September 6 – Vitali Baganov, Russian actor
* September 8 – David R. Ellis, American director and stunt performer (died 2013)
* September 9 – Angela Cartwright, British-American actress
* September 13 – Christine Estabrook, American actress
* September 16 – Mickey Rourke, American actor and screenwriter
* September 19 – Rein Aedma, Estonian actor
* September 24 – Christopher Reeve, American actor (died 2004)
* September 25 – Colin Friels, Scottish-born Australian actor
* September 26 – James Keane, American actor
* September 29 – Gábor Csupó, Hungarian animator, writer, director, producer, and graphic designer
* September 30
** John Finn, American character actor
** Al Leong, American stuntman and actor
** Jack Wild, English actor and singer (died 2006)
* October 5 – Harold Faltermeyer, German musician and composer
* October 6 - Jim Downey, American writer, producer and actor
* October 7
** Mary Badham, American actress
** Tom McBride, American actor (died 1995)
* October 8 – Edward Zwick, American filmmaker
* October 13 – John Lone, Chinese-American actor
* October 14 – Rick Aviles, American stand-up comedian and actor (died 1995)
* October 22
** Jeff Goldblum, American actor
** John Howard, Australian actor
* October 27 – Roberto Benigni, Italian actor
* October 28
** Annie Potts, American actress
** Jim Turner, American actor and stand-up comedian
* October 30 – Emily Kuroda, American actress
* November 3
** Roseanne Barr, American actress and stand-up comedian
** Jim Cummings, American voice actor
* November 6 – Gary Goetzman, American producer and actor
* November 8 – Alfre Woodard, American actress
* November 9 – John Megna, American actor and director (died 1995)
* November 13 – Art Malik, Pakistani-born British actor
* November 14
** Bill Farmer, American voice actor and comedian
** Chris Noonan, Australian filmmaker and actor
** Maggie Roswell, American actress, comedian, writer and producer
* November 15 – Randy Savage, American professional wrestler, commentator, actor, rapper and professional baseball player (died 2011)
* November 18 – Delroy Lindo, British actor
* November 24 – Ulrich Seidl, Austrian director
* November 28 – S. Epatha Merkerson, American actress
* November 29 – Jeff Fahey, American actor
* November 30 – Mandy Patinkin, American actor
* December 1 – Forry Smith, American actor
* December 2 – Keith Szarabajka, American actor
* December 3 – Mel Smith, English comedian, actor and director (died 2013)
* December 8 – Greg Collins, American character actor and former professional football linebacker
* December 9 – Michael Dorn, American actor
* December 12 – Sarah Douglas, English actress
* December 20 – Jenny Agutter, English actress
* December 21 – Dennis Boutsikaris, American character actor
* December 25 – CCH Pounder, Guayanese-born American actress
* December 29 – Külliki Saldre, Estonian actress

## Deaths

* January 18 – Curly Howard, comedian (b. 1903), The Three Stooges
* January 25 – Polly Moran, actress (b. 1883), Chasing Rainbows, Adam's Rib
* March 1 – Gregory La Cava, director (b. 1892), My Man Godfrey, Stage Door
* March 26 – J. P. McGowan, director (b. 1880), Where the West Begins, Tarzan and the Golden Lion
* April 21 – Leslie Banks, actor (b. 1890), The Most Dangerous Game, Jamaica Inn
* May 8 – William Fox, movie executive (b. 1879), 7th Heaven
* May 9 – Canada Lee, actor (b. 1907), Lifeboat, Lost Boundaries, Cry, the Beloved Country
* May 21 – John Garfield, actor (b. 1913), Body and Soul, Nobody Lives Forever, Gentleman's Agreement
* May 26 – Richard Rober, actor (b. 1910), The Well, The File on Thelma Jordon
* June 27 – Elmo Lincoln, actor (b. 1889), Tarzan of the Apes, The Adventures of Tarzan
* July 6 – Gertrud Wolle, actress (b. 1891), The Hound of the Baskervilles
* August 2 – J. Farrell MacDonald, actor (b. 1875), Me and My Gal, The Last Alarm
* August 18 – Ralph Byrd, actor (b. 1909), Dick Tracy's Dilemma, The Vigilante
* August 28 – Lamar Trotti, screenwriter (b. 1900), The Ox-Bow Incident, Cheaper by the Dozen
* September 7 – Gertrude Lawrence, actress (b. 1898), Rembrandt, The Glass Menagerie
* October 11 – Jack Conway, director (b. 1888), Boom Town, Libeled Lady, Viva Villa!
* October 17 – Julia Dean, stage and screen actress (b. 1878), A Society Exile, The Curse of the Cat People
* October 20 – Basil Radford, actor (b. 1887), Crook's Tour, The Galloping Major
* October 23 – Susan Peters, actress (b. 1921), Song of Russia, Random Harvest
* October 26 – Hattie McDaniel, actress (b. 1893), Gone with the Wind, Saratoga
* November 1 – Dixie Lee, actress (b. 1912), Manhattan Love Song, Love in Bloom
* November 6 – George H. Reed, actor, (b. 1866), Huckleberry Finn, Green Pastures

## Film Debuts

* Nick Adams – Somebody Loves Me
* Jane Asher – Mandy
* Leon Askin – Assignment – Paris!
* Laurence Badie – Forbidden Games
* Anne Bancroft – Don't Bother to Knock
* Brigitte Bardot – Crazy for Love
* Geoffrey Bayldon – Trent's Last Case
* Erica Beer – Captive Soul
* Geraldine Chaplin – Limelight
* Sydney Chaplin – Limelight
* Barrie Chase – Scaramouche
* Booth Colman – The Big Sky
* Chuck Connors – Pat and Mike
* Mike Connors – Sudden Fear
* Brigitte Fossey – Forbidden Games
* Michael Fox – Without Warning!
* Robert Fuller – Above and Beyond
* Zsa Zsa Gabor – Lovely to Look At
* Larry Gates – Glory Alley
* Raja Gosavi – Lakhachi Gosht
* George Hamilton – Lone Star
* Julie Harris – The Member of the Wedding
* Earl Holliman – Pony Soldier
* Russell Johnson – For Men Only
* Carolyn Jones – The Turning Point
* Miriam Karlin – Down Among the Z Men
* Christine Kaufmann – The White Horse Inn
* Helen Kleeb – Kansas City Confidential
* Eve McVeagh – High Noon
* Mort Mills – Affair in Trinidad
* Lee Montague – Moulin Rouge
* Alvy Moore – Okinawa
* Julie Newmar – She's Working Her Way Through College
* James O'Hara – The Quiet Man
* Christopher Rhodes – Moulin Rouge
* Henry Silva – Viva Zapata!
* Larri Thomas – Road to Bali
* Robert Urquhart – You're Only Young Twice
* Lee Van Cleef – High Noon
* Gregory Walcott – Red Skies of Montana
* Dennis Weaver – Horizons West
* Kenneth Williams – Trent's Last Case