The year 1941 in film involved some significant events, in particular the release of a film consistently rated as one of the greatest of all time, Citizen Kane.
Events
- January 17 â A film based on the best-selling novel Gone with the Wind goes into general release in the United States after touring in a roadshow version during 1940. Becoming a cultural phenomenon, it sells an estimated 60 million tickets this year alone. Adjusted for inflation with numerous rereleases, it remains the highest grossing domestic film of all time with $1.8 billion.
- March 24 â Glenn Miller begins work on his orchestra's first movie Sun Valley Serenade for Twentieth Century Fox.
- May 1 â Orson Welles' Citizen Kane, consistently rated as one of the films considered the all-time best, is premiered at the Palace Theatre (New York City).
- June â An Airman's Letter to His Mother, a British propaganda film based on true events, is released in cinemas, directed by Michael Powell and narrated by John Gielgud.
- July 2 â Sergeant York, the film biopic of World War I hero Alvin C. York, starring Gary Cooper in the title role, premieres in New York City. It is the highest-grossing picture of the year and earns Cooper the first of two Academy Awards for Best Actor.
- July 28 - The assets of Hollywood studios in Japan are frozen by Japan's Ministry of Finance.
- September â Senate Investigation into Motion Picture War Propaganda in the United States.
- October 3 â The Maltese Falcon, considered one of the greatest films noir, is released.
Academy Awards
Top-grossing films (U.S.)
The top ten 1941 released films by box office gross in North America are as follows:
Films by country/region
Notable films
Films produced in the United States unless stated otherwise
#
A
B
- Babes on Broadway, directed by Busby Berkeley, starring Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland
- Back Street, directed by Robert Stevenson, starring Charles Boyer and Margaret Sullavan
- Ball of Fire, directed by Howard Hawks, starring Gary Cooper and Barbara Stanwyck
- The Big Store, directed by Charles Reisner, starring the Marx Brothers and Tony Martin
- The Black Cat, directed by Albert S. Rogell, starring Basil Rathbone and Bela Lugosi
- Blood and Sand, directed by Rouben Mamoulian, starring Tyrone Power, Linda Darnell and Rita Hayworth
- Blossoms in the Dust, directed by Mervyn LeRoy, starring Greer Garson and Walter Pidgeon
- Blues in the Night, directed by Anatole Litvak, starring Priscilla Lane
- The Bride Came C.O.D., directed by William Keighley, starring James Cagney and Bette Davis
- Brothers and Sisters of the Toda Family (Toda-ke no kyÃ
Âdai), directed by YasujirÃ
 Ozu â (Japan)
- Buck Privates, directed by Arthur Lubin, starring Abbott and Costello and the Andrews Sisters
C
- Caught in the Draft, directed by David Butler, starring Bob Hope and Dorothy Lamour
- Charlie Chan in Rio, directed by Harry Lachman, starring Sidney Toler
- Charley's Aunt, directed by Archie Mayo, starring Jack Benny and Kay Francis
- The Chocolate Soldier, directed by Roy Del Ruth, starring Nelson Eddy and Risë Stevens
- Citizen Kane, directed by and starring Orson Welles, with Joseph Cotten and Agnes Moorehead
- The Corsican Brothers, directed by Gregory Ratoff, starring Douglas Fairbanks Jr.
- Cottage to Let, directed by Anthony Asquith, starring Leslie Banks, Alastair Sim and John Mills â (GB)
D
F
G
H
- H.M. Pulham, Esq., directed by King Vidor, starring Hedy Lamarr and Robert Young
- Hellzapoppin', directed by H. C. Potter, starring Ole Olsen, Chic Johnson and Martha Raye
- Here Comes Mr. Jordan, directed by Alexander Hall, starring Robert Montgomery and Claude Rains
- High Sierra, directed by Raoul Walsh, starring Ida Lupino and Humphrey Bogart
- Hold Back the Dawn, directed by Mitchell Leisen, starring Charles Boyer, Olivia de Havilland and Paulette Goddard
- Hold That Ghost, directed by Arthur Lubin, starring Abbott and Costello, the Andrews Sisters and Ted Lewis
- Honky Tonk, directed by Jack Conway, starring Clark Gable and Lana Turner
- How Green Was My Valley, directed by John Ford, starring Walter Pidgeon, Maureen O'Hara and Roddy McDowall
I
K
L
- Ladies in Retirement, directed by Charles Vidor, starring Ida Lupino and Louis Hayward
- Lady Be Good, directed by Norman Z. McLeod, starring Eleanor Powell, Ann Sothern, Robert Young, Lionel Barrymore and Red Skelton
- The Lady Eve, directed by Preston Sturges, starring Barbara Stanwyck and Henry Fonda
- Life Begins for Andy Hardy, directed by George B. Seitz, starring Lewis Stone, Mickey Rooney, Fay Holden and Judy Garland
- The Little Foxes, directed by William Wyler, starring Bette Davis and Herbert Marshall
- Louisiana Purchase, directed by Irving Cummings, starring Bob Hope
- Love on the Dole, directed by John Baxter, starring Deborah Kerr â (GB)
M
- Major Barbara, directed by Gabriel Pascal, starring Wendy Hiller and Rex Harrison â (GB)
- The Maltese Falcon, directed by John Huston, starring Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor and Peter Lorre
- Man Hunt, directed by Fritz Lang, starring Walter Pidgeon, Joan Bennett and George Sanders
- Man-Made Monster, directed by George Waggner, starring Lon Chaney Jr. and Lionel Atwill
- Manpower, directed by Raoul Walsh, starring Edward G. Robinson, Marlene Dietrich and George Raft
- Meet John Doe, directed by Frank Capra, starring Gary Cooper and Barbara Stanwyck
- Men of Boys Town, directed by Norman Taurog, starring Spencer Tracy and Mickey Rooney
- Moon Over Miami, directed by Walter Lang, starring Don Ameche, Betty Grable and Robert Cummings
- Mr. & Mrs. Smith, directed by Alfred Hitchcock, starring Carole Lombard, Robert Montgomery and Gene Raymond
- Mr. Bug Goes to Town, animated film directed by Dave Fleischer
N
O
P
R
S
- The Sea Wolf, directed by Michael Curtiz, starring Edward G. Robinson, Ida Lupino and John Garfield
- Sergeant York, directed by Howard Hawks, starring Gary Cooper and Walter Brennan
- Shadow of the Thin Man, directed by W. S. Van Dyke, starring William Powell and Myrna Loy
- The Shanghai Gesture, directed by Josef von Sternberg, starring Gene Tierney, Walter Huston and Victor Mature
- The Shepherd of the Hills, directed by Henry Hathaway, starring John Wayne and Harry Carey
- Skylark, directed by Mark Sandrich, starring Claudette Colbert and Ray Milland
- Spooks Run Wild, directed by Phil Rosen, starring Bela Lugosi and the East Side Kids
- Stormy Waters (Remorques), directed by Jean Grémillon, starring Jean Gabin and Michèle Morgan â (France)
- The Strawberry Blonde, directed by Raoul Walsh, starring James Cagney, Olivia de Havilland and Rita Hayworth
- Sullivan's Travels, directed by Preston Sturges, starring Joel McCrea and Veronica Lake
- Sun Valley Serenade, directed by H. Bruce Humberstone, starring Sonja Henie, John Payne and Glenn Miller
- Suspicion, directed by Alfred Hitchcock, starring Cary Grant and Joan Fontaine
- Swamp Water, directed by Jean Renoir, starring Walter Brennan, Walter Huston, Anne Baxter and Dana Andrews
T
- Target for Tonight, a propaganda documentary directed by Harry Watt â (GB)
- Tarzan's Secret Treasure, directed by Richard Thorpe, starring Johnny Weissmuller and Maureen O'Sullivan
- That Hamilton Woman, directed by Alexander Korda, starring Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier â (GB)
- That Night in Rio, directed by Irving Cummings, starring Alice Faye, Don Ameche and Carmen Miranda
- They Died with Their Boots On, directed by Raoul Walsh, starring Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland
- Tobacco Road, directed by John Ford, starring Charley Grapewin, Marjorie Rambeau and Gene Tierney
W
- Week-End in Havana, directed by Walter Lang, starring Alice Faye, Carmen Miranda, John Payne and Cesar Romero
- Western Union, directed by Fritz Lang, starring Robert Young and Randolph Scott
- When Ladies Meet, directed by Robert Z. Leonard, starring Joan Crawford, Robert Taylor, Greer Garson and Herbert Marshall
- The Wolf Man, directed by George Waggner, starring Lon Chaney Jr., Claude Rains, Warren William and Ralph Bellamy
- A Woman's Face, directed by George Cukor, starring Joan Crawford, Melvyn Douglas and Conrad Veidt
Y
Z
1941 film releases
United States unless stated
JanuaryâÂÂMarch
AprilâÂÂJune
JulyâÂÂSeptember
OctoberâÂÂDecember
Serials
- The Adventures of Captain Marvel, starring Tom Tyler, directed by William Witney and John English
- Dick Tracy vs Crime Inc, starring Ralph Byrd, directed by William Witney and John English
- The Green Hornet, starring Gordon Jones
- Holt of the Secret Service, directed by James W. Horne
- The Iron Claw, directed by James W. Horne
- Jungle Girl, starring Frances Gifford, directed by William Witney and John English
- King of the Texas Rangers, directed by William Witney and John English
- Riders of Death Valley, directed by Ray Taylor and Ford Beebe
- Sea Raiders, directed by Ray Taylor and Ford Beebe
- Sky Raiders, directed by Ray Taylor and Ford Beebe
- The Spider Returns, starring Warren Hull, directed by James W. Horne
- White Eagle, directed by James W. Horne
Comedy film series
Animated short film series
Births
- January 1
- Simón Andreu, Spanish actor
- Eva Ras, Serbian actress, writer and painter
- January 3 - Derrick O'Connor, Irish actor (died 2018)
- January 4
- George P. Cosmatos, Greek-Italian director and screenwriter (died 2005)
- John Bennett Perry, American actor
- January 7 - Harvey Evans, American actor (died 2021)
- January 8 - Graham Chapman, British actor (died 1989)
- January 10 â José Greci, Italian actress (died 2017)
- January 12 - Long John Baldry, English-Canadian singer, musician and voice actor (died 2005)
- January 14
- Faye Dunaway, American actress
- Jack Thibeau, American former actor
- January 15 - Geoffrey Beevers, British actor
- January 19 - Putter Smith, American jazz bassist and actor
- January 20 - Henry Cele, South African actor (died 2007)
- January 24 - Neil Diamond, American actor and singer
- January 27 - Jeannie Epper, American stuntwoman and actress (died 2024)
- January 31 â Jessica Walter, American actress (died 2021)
- February 5 - David Selby, American actor
- February 8 â Nick Nolte, American actor and producer
- February 10 â Michael Apted, English director, producer and screenwriter (died 2021)
- February 11 - Sonny Landham, American actor and stunt performer (died 2017)
- February 13 - Bo Svenson, Swedish-American actor, director, screenwriter and producer
- February 27 - Charlotte Stewart, American actress
- March 3 - Rada Rassimov, Italian actress
- March 4
- John Aprea, American actor and comedian (died 2024)
- Adrian Lyne, English director and producer
- March 6 - George P. Wilbur, American actor and professional stuntman (died 2023)
- March 14 â Wolfgang Petersen, German director, producer and screenwriter (died 2022)
- March 16
- Bernardo Bertolucci, Italian director (died 2018)
- Jerry Chipman, American actor (died 2020)
- March 18 - Frank McRae, American actor (died 2021)
- March 20 - Paul Junger Witt, American producer (died 2018)
- March 22 - Bruno Ganz, Swiss actor (died 2019)
- March 24 - David Fox, Canadian actor (died 2021)
- April 3 - Eric Braeden, German actor
- April 7
- Cornelia Frances, English-Australian actress (died 2018)
- Danny Wells, Canadian actor and comedian (died 2013)
- April 9 - Hannah Gordon, Scottish actress and presenter
- April 12 - Manuel de Blas, Spanish actor
- April 13 - Michael Alldredge, American actor (died 1997)
- April 20
- David Leland, English director (died 2023)
- Ryan O'Neal, American actor (died 2023)
- April 26 - Claudine Auger, French actress (died 2019)
- April 28 â Ann-Margret, Swedish-born American actress, dancer and singer
- May 2 - Paul Darrow, English actor (died 2019)
- May 13 â Senta Berger, Austrian actress and producer
- May 17 - Grace Zabriskie, American actress
- May 18 - Miriam Margolyes, British-Australian character actress
- May 19
- Nora Ephron, American writer and filmmaker (died 2012)
- Tania Mallet, English actress and model (died 2019)
- May 24 â Andrés GarcÃÂa, Dominican-Mexican actor
- May 29
- Nick McLean, American cinematographer and actor
- June 2
- Stacy Keach, American actor
- Mahmoud Yassine, Egyptian actor (died 2020)
- June 5 â Spalding Gray, American actor and screenwriter (died 2004)
- June 8 - Jessie Lawrence Ferguson, American actor (died 2019)
- June 10
- Mickey Jones, American musician and actor (died 2018)
- Jürgen Prochnow, German actor
- June 17 - Roberta Maxwell, Canadian actress
- June 20
- Stephen Frears, English film director
- Dieter Mann, German actor (died 2022)
- June 21
- Joe Flaherty, Canadian-American actor and comedian (died 2024)
- Lyman Ward, Canadian actor
- June 22 â Michael Lerner, American actor (died 2023)
- June 25 â Denys Arcand, Canadian director and screenwriter
- June 27 â Krzysztof KieÃ
Âlowski, Polish director (died 1996)
- July 1 - Milos Milos, Serbian-born American actor and stunt double (died 1966)
- July 9 - Yosef Shiloach, Israeli actor (died 2011)
- July 10 - Robert Pine, American actor
- July 13 - Robert Forster, American actor (died 2019)
- July 17 - Paula Shaw, American actress (died 2025)
- July 18 - Starletta DuPois, American actress
- July 21 - Edward Herrmann, American actor, director and writer (died 2014)
- July 26 - Darlene Love, American actress and singer
- July 28
- Peter Cullen, Canadian voice actor
- Colin Higgins, Australian-American screenwriter, actor, director and producer (died 1988)
- July 29 â David Warner, English actor (died 2022)
- August 4
- Martin Jarvis, English actor
- Paul Mooney, American comedian, writer and actor (died 2021)
- August 7 - Franco Columbu, Italian bodybuilder, actor and producer (died 2019)
- August 8 - Earl Boen, American actor (died 2023)
- August 12
- Dana Ivey, American actress
- Deborah Walley, American actress (died 2001)
- August 15 - Lou Perryman, American character actor (died 2009)
- August 26
- Joan Freeman, American retired actress
- Barbet Schroeder, Iranian-born Swiss director, producer and actor
- August 28 - Tony Barry, Australian actor (died 2022)
- August 29
- Ellen Geer, American actress
- Mark Kasdan, American screenwriter and producer
- Orestes Matacena, Cuban-American actor, director, producer and writer
- September 4 - Rochelle Kaffenberger, American actress (died 2024)
- September 18 - Gerry Bamman, American actor
- September 26 â Martine Beswick, English actress and model
- October 6
- Billy Murray, English actor
- Winston Ntshona, South African actor (died 2018)
- October 9 - Michael Goodwin, American character actor
- October 10 â Peter Coyote, American actor
- October 11 - Charles Shyer, American director, screenwriter and producer (died 2024)
- October 19 â Simon Ward, English actor (died 2012)
- October 20 â Clare Peploe, English-Italian screenwriter and director (died 2021)
- October 23 â Mel Winkler, American actor (died 2020)
- October 24 â Frank Aendenboom, Belgian actor (died 2018)
- October 25 â Gordon Tootoosis, Aboriginal Canadian actor (died 2011)
- October 31
- Mischa Hausserman, Austrian-born American actor (died 2021)
- Sally Kirkland, American actress (died 2025)
- November 1 â Robert Foxworth, American actor
- November 18 â David Hemmings, English actor, director and producer (died 2003)
- November 21 â Nessa Hyams, American casting director (died 2026)
- November 22 â Tom Conti, Scottish actor
- November 23 â Franco Nero, Italian actor
- November 25 â Tiit Lilleorg, Estonian actor (died 2021)
- November 27 - Tom Morga, American stuntman, stunt coordinator and actor
- November 30 - Sally Douglas, British actress (died 2001)
- December 4 â Leila Säälik, Estonian actress
- December 6
- Evald Hermaküla, Estonian actor and director (died 2000)
- Leon Russom, American actor
- December 8 â Valora Noland, American actress (died 2022)
- December 9 â Beau Bridges, American actor
- December 10 - Fionnula Flanagan, Irish actress
- December 11 - John Davidson, American actor, singer and game show host
- December 15 - Vladan Ã
½ivkoviÃÂ, Serbian actor (died 2022)
- December 25 - John Capodice, American character actor (died 2024)
- December 27 - Aharon Ipalé, Israeli-American actor (died 2016)
Deaths
- January 4 â Henri Bergson, 81, French writer
- January 10 â Joe Penner, 36, American comedian, actor, The Boys from Syracuse, Millionaire Playboy, The Day the Bookies Wept, Mr. Doodle Kicks Off
- March 13 â Stuart Walker, 63, American director, White Woman, Great Expectations
- April 23 â Stanley Fields, 57, American actor, The Great Plane Robbery, The Lady from Cheyenne
- May 8 â Tore Svennberg, 83, Swedish actor, The Phantom Carriage, A Woman's Face
- May 12 â Ruth Stonehouse, 48, American actress, film director, The Satin Woman
- May 22 â Ida Waterman, 89, American actress, Stella Maris, The Enchanted Cottage, Amarilly of Clothes-Line Alley, Esmerelda
- June 28 â Richard Carle, 69, American actor, The Little Red Schoolhouse, Love Before Breakfast, Rhythm in the Clouds, She Asked for It
- July 25 - Purnell Pratt, 55, American actor, Alibi, Scarface, The Mystery Squadron, Dancing Feet
- July 29 - James Stephenson, 52, English actor, The Letter, Shining Victory
- August 13 â J. Stuart Blackton, 66, British-American film producer and director, co-founder of Vitagraph Studios, The Glorious Adventure
- September 18 â Claude King, 66, English actor, Behind the Mask, It Couldn't Have Happened â But It Did
- October 9 â Helen Morgan, 41, American actress and singer, You Belong to Me, Applause, Show Boat
- October 26 â Victor Schertzinger, 53, American director, Paramount on Parade, Road to Zanzibar
- November 2 â Bengt Djurberg, 43, Swedish actor, Troll-elgen
- December 21 â David Howard, 45, American film director, Daniel Boone
Film debuts
References
External links