James Dean dies in a car accident at age 26. The jump cut's assault on seamless editing and the presumption of time continuity opens new possibilities for filmmakers. 1960 Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho terrifies movie-goers and becomes one of the year's most successful films, as well as one of the most memorable psychological thrillers. Audrey Hepburn delights as Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffany's , but Henry Mancini emerges as the real star. 1962 Marilyn Monroe dies of a drug overdose at age 36.
Government regulations force studios out of the talent agency business.
Bonnie and Clyde and Red Desert make spectacular use of the recently perfected zoom lens, which increases the optical mobility of a shot and its expressive capacities. The Sound of Music premieres. An instant hit, the film was one of the top-grossing films of 1965 and remains one of film's most popular musicals. Midnight Cowboy wins the Best Picture Oscar, the first and only time an X-rated movie received the honor. George C. Scott gives one of film's most memorable performances in Patton.