1956 in film

T

• Tea and Sympathy, directed by Vincente Minnelli, starring Deborah Kerr and John Kerr
• The Teahouse of the August Moon, starring Marlon Brando and Glenn Ford
• The Ten Commandments, directed by Cecil B. DeMille, starring Charlton Heston, Yul Brynner, Anne Baxter, Yvonne De Carlo, Edward G. Robinson
• There's Always Tomorrow, starring Barbara Stanwyck, Fred MacMurray, Joan Bennett
• Three Brave Men, starring Ray Milland
• Time Table, directed by and starring Mark Stevens, with Felicia Farr
• Toward the Unknown, starring William Holden and Virginia Leith
• A Town Like Alice, starring Virginia McKenna and Peter Finch – (GB)
• Trapeze, directed by Carol Reed, starring Burt Lancaster, Tony Curtis, Gina Lollobrigida
• Tribute to a Bad Man, directed by Robert Wise, starring James Cagney, Irene Papas, Stephen McNally, Don Dubbins, Vic Morrow
• The Twelve Months (Dvenadtsat mesyatsev) – (USSR)

U

• Uncle Hyacynth (Mi tío Jacinto) – (Spain)

V

• Valley of Peace (Dolina miru) – (Yugoslavia)
• I Vampiri (The Vampire) – (Italy)

W

• War and Peace, directed by King Vidor, starring Audrey Hepburn, Henry Fonda, Mel Ferrer, Anita Ekberg
• Wakeful Eyes, directed by Ezz El-Dine Zulficar, starring Salah Zulfikar and Shadia – (Egypt)
• What a Woman!, starring Sophia Loren, Charles Boyer and Marcello Mastroianni – (Italy)
• While the City Sleeps, starring Dana Andrews, Ida Lupino, Rhonda Fleming, George Sanders, Vincent Price
• Who Done It?, starring Benny Hill – (GB)
• A Woman's Devotion, starring Ralph Meeker and Janice Rule
• Written on the Wind, directed by Douglas Sirk, starring Rock Hudson, Lauren Bacall, Robert Stack, Dorothy Malone
• The Wrong Man, directed by Alfred Hitchcock, starring Henry Fonda and Vera Miles

X

• X the Unknown, starring Dean Jagger and Leo McKern – (GB)

Y

• Yield to the Night, starring Diana Dors – (GB)
• You Can't Run Away from It, directed by Dick Powell, starring June Allyson and Jack Lemmon

Z

• Zarak, starring Victor Mature – (GB)

Serials

• Blazing the Overland Trail, starring Lee Roberts and Dennis Moore
• Perils of the Wilderness

Short film series

• Looney Tunes (1930–1969)
• Terrytoons (1930–1964)
• Merrie Melodies (1931–1969)
• Popeye (1933–1957)
• The Three Stooges (1934–1959)
• Bugs Bunny (1940–1964)
• Tom and Jerry (1940–1958)
• Droopy (1943–1958)
• Yosemite Sam (1945–1963)
• Speedy Gonzales (1953–1968)
• Woody Woodpecker (1940–1972)

• Donald Duck (1934-1956)
• Chip 'n' Dale (1943-1956)

Births

• January 1 – Sheila McCarthy, Canadian actress and singer
• January 2 – John Bedford Lloyd, American character actor
• January 3 – Mel Gibson, American Irish actor and director
• January 4 – Ann Magnuson, American actress
• January 6 - Angus Deayton, English actor, writer, musician, comedian and broadcaster
• January 7 – David Caruso, American actor
• January 9
• Kimberly Beck, American actress
• Tim Kelleher, American writer, actor and director
• Imelda Staunton, English actress
• January 13 – Janet Hubert, American actress
• January 20 – Bill Maher, American comedian, writer, producer, actor and television host
• January 21
• Geena Davis, American actress
• Robby Benson, American actor
• January 22 – Michael Kopsa, Canadian actor (d. 2022)
• January 24 – Peter Woodward, English actor, screenwriter and stuntman
• January 25
• Dinah Manoff, American actress and director
• Kevin O'Rourke, American actor
• January 27
• Susan Blakeslee, American voice actress and musical theatre actress
• Kevyn Major Howard, Canadian actor (d. 2025)
• Mimi Rogers, American actress
• January 30 – Ann Dowd, American actress
• January 31 – John Lydon, English actor
• February 2 - Philip Franks, English actor and director
• February 3 – Nathan Lane, American actor
• February 12 – Arsenio Hall, American comedian, actor and talk show host
• February 13 – Jimmy Yuill, Scottish actor
• February 14 – Tom Burlinson, Canadian-Australian actor and singer
• February 15 – Olga Merediz, American actress and singer
• February 17 – Richard Karn, American actor
• February 19 – Kathleen Beller, American actress
• February 26 – Jonathan Schmock, American actor, director, producer and writer
• February 27 – Angela Aames, American actress (d. 1988)
• February 28 – Lloyd Sherr, American voice actor
• March 1 – Tim Daly, American actor
• March 2 – Ángel Salazar, Cuban-American comedian and actor (d. 2024)
• March 5 – Adriana Barraza, Mexican actress
• March 7 – Bryan Cranston, American actor and director
• March 8 – John Kapelos, Canadian actor
• March 10 – Lesley Dunlop, English actress
• March 11 – Rob Paulsen, American voice actor
• March 12 – Lesley Manville, English Actress
• March 13 – Dana Delany, American actress
• March 16 – Clifton Powell, American actor
• March 25 – Matthew Garber, British actor and filmmaker (d. 1977)
• March 26 – Erika Kaljusaar, Estonian actress
• March 27 – Michael Harney, American actor
• March 30 – Paul Reiser, American comedian, actor and musician
• April 8 – Jim Piddock, English actor, producer and writer
• April 12 – Andy García, Cuban-American actor
• April 17 – Vyto Ruginis, English actor and producer
• April 18 – Eric Roberts, American actor
• April 20 – Georgie Glen, Scottish actress
• April 22 – Bruce A. Young, American actor, writer and screenwriter
• April 27 – Kevin McNally, English actor and writer
• April 30 – Lars von Trier, Danish director
• May 4 – Ralph Seymour, American actor
• May 5 – Lisa Eilbacher, American actress
• May 7 – S. Scott Bullock, American voice actor
• May 9 – Wendy Crewson, Canadian actress
• May 10
• Mickey Faerch, Danish-Canadian actress and dancer
• Paige O'Hara, American actress, voice actress, singer and painter
• Jonathan Roberts, American screenwriter, producer and author
• May 12
• Christopher Good, English actor
• Kimiko Yo, Japanese actress
• May 13
• Fred Melamed, American actor, comedian and writer
• Kirk Thornton, American voice actor, director and screenwriter
• May 17 – Bob Saget, American stand-up comedian, actor and television host (d. 2022)
• May 19 – Steven Ford, American actor
• May 24 - Hennie Bosman, South African stuntman and actor
• June 1 – Tom Irwin, American actor
• June 4 – Keith David, American actor
• June 5 – Roger Michell, British director (d. 2021)
• June 9 – Kelly Connell, American actor
• June 15
• Ava Cadell, former actress, writer and producer
• Robin Curtis, American actress
• June 18
• Dominic Guard, English former actor
• Marsha Garces Williams, American producer
• June 22 – Tim Russ, American actor, director, screenwriter and musician
• June 25
• Chloe Webb, American actress
• Bob West, American voice actor, singer and graphic designer
• June 27 – John Michael Bolger, American actor
• June 30 – David Alan Grier, American actor, singer and comedian
• July 1
• Matthew Jacobs, British writer, director, producer and actor
• Lorna Patterson, American retired actress
• Alan Ruck, American actor
• July 2 – Jerry Hall, American actress and model
• July 9 – Tom Hanks, American actor and director
• July 10 - Alok Nath, Indian former actor
• July 11 – Sela Ward, American actress
• July 14 - Vladimir Kulich, Czech-Canadian actor
• July 16 – Tony Kushner, American author, playwright and screenwriter
• July 17 - Margot Rose, American actress and composer
• July 18 – Audrey Landers, American actress and singer
• July 19 – Peter Barton, American retired actor
• July 25 – Roger Clinton Jr., American actor and musician
• July 31
• Michael Biehn, American actor
• R. A. Mihailoff, American actor
• August 10 – Peter Robbins, American child actor (d. 2022)
• August 12 – Bruce Greenwood, Canadian actor
• August 15 - Jacek Koman, Polish actor and singer
• August 17 – Mahendra Perera, Sri Lankan actor
• August 19 – Adam Arkin, American actor and director
• August 20
• Joan Allen, American actress
• Simon Shepherd, English actor
• August 21 – Kim Cattrall, English-born Canadian actress
• August 23 – Skipp Sudduth, American actor
• August 24 – Kevin Dunn, American actor
• August 26 – Brett Cullen, American actor
• August 28 – Luis Guzman, Puerto Rican character actor
• September 5 – Debbie Turner, American actress
• September 7 – Michael Beattie, Canadian-American actor
• September 11
• Tony Gilroy, American filmmaker
• Adriane Lenox, American actress
• September 16 – Jimmy Chisholm, Scottish actor
• September 17 – Susie Silvey, English actress, dancer and model
• September 18 – Tim McInnerny, English actor
• September 20
• Gary Cole, American actor
• Debbi Morgan, American actress
• September 26 – Linda Hamilton, American actress
• September 28 – Kiran Shah, Kenyan-Indian actor and stunt double
• September 29 – Stuart Charno, American actor
• October 2 – Charlie Adler, American voice actor and voice director
• October 3 – Hart Bochner, Canadian actor, director, screenwriter and producer
• October 4 – Christoph Waltz, Austrian-German actor
• October 10
• Amanda Burton, Northern Irish actress
• Fiona Fullerton, British actress and singer
• October 11 – Stephen Spinella, American actor
• October 14 – Bruce MacVittie, American actor (d. 2022)
• October 20 – Danny Boyle, English director and producer
• October 21 – Carrie Fisher, American actress (d. 2016)
• October 23 – Dwight Yoakam, American singer-songwriter, actor and filmmaker
• October 24 – Erich Anderson, American actor (d. 2024)
• October 26 – Rita Wilson, American actress and producer
• October 30 – Juliet Stevenson, English actress
• November 3 – Gary Ross, American director, writer and producer
• November 8 – Richard Curtis, New Zealand-born British director and screenwriter
• November 9 – Tyler Coppin, American-Australian actor
• November 10
• Matt Craven, Canadian character actor
• Sinbad, American stand-up comedian and actor
• November 13 – Rex Linn, American actor
• November 16 – Dan Shor, American actor, director and writer
• November 17 – Kelly Ward, American actor and voice director
• November 20 – Bo Derek, American actress and model
• November 21 – Cherry Jones, American actress
• November 22 – Richard Kind, American actor and voice actor
• November 24 – Ruben Santiago-Hudson, American actor and director
• November 26 – Don Lake, Canadian actor and writer
• November 27 – William Fichtner, American actor
• December 2 – Steven Bauer, Cuban-born American actor
• December 7 – Mark Rolston, American character actor
• December 8 – Michael C. Burgess, British actor
• December 10
• John Lee Hancock, American filmmaker
• Catherine Parks, American actress
• December 17
• Peter Farrelly, American film director
• Patrick Murray, British actor (d. 2025)
• December 18 – T. K. Carter, American actor (d. 2026)
• December 20 – Blanche Baker, American actress and filmmaker
• December 22 – Ray Lui, Hong Kong actor

Deaths

• January 9 – Marion Leonard, 74, American early silent actress, The Prussian Spy, The Gibson Goddess
• January 12 – Norman Kerry, 61, American actor, The Phantom of the Opera, The Unknown
• January 19 – Charles Dingle, 68, American actor, Call Me Madam, State of the Union
• January 23 – Alexander Korda, 62, Hungarian film director, the founder of London Films, That Hamilton Woman, The Private Life of Henry VIII
• February 2
• Bob Burns, 65, American actor, Waikiki Wedding, Belle of the Yukon
• Charley Grapewin, 86, American actor, The Wizard of Oz, The Grapes of Wrath
• February 26 – Elsie Janis, 66, American actress and screenwriter, A Regular Girl, Women in War
• March 17 – Fred Allen, 61, American actor, It's in the Bag!, O. Henry's Full House
• March 24 – Jean Gehret, 56, Swiss actor and director, La Chienne, Madame Bovary
• March 25 – Robert Newton, 50, English actor, Oliver Twist, Odd Man Out
• April 4 – Lloyd Ingraham, 81, American actor and director, Scaramouche, West of the Rio Grande
• April 14 – Christian Rub, 70, Austrian actor, Father's Son, Something for the Birds
• April 15 – Kathleen Howard, 71, Canadian-American opera singer and actress, It's a Gift, Ball of Fire
• April 21 – Charles MacArthur, 60, American screenwriter and playwright, Wuthering Heights, His Girl Friday
• April 24 – Henry Stephenson, 85, British actor, Mutiny on the Bounty, Oliver Twist
• April 26 – Edward Arnold, 66, American actor, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Diamond Jim
• May 12 – Louis Calhern, 61, American actor, Duck Soup, Notorious, The Asphalt Jungle, High Society
• June 2 – Jean Hersholt, 69, Danish-American actor, Heidi
• June 6 – Margaret Wycherly, 74, English-American actress, White Heat, Sergeant York
• June 30 – Thorleif Lund, 76, Norwegian actor, Skibsrotten, Republikaneren
• July 8 – Mona MÃ¥rtenson, 54, Swedish actress, Pippi Longstocking, The Saga of Gosta Berling
• July 16 – Olof Winnerstrand, 80, Swedish actor, Torment, A Lesson in Love
• August 16 – Bela Lugosi, 73, Hungarian-born American actor, Dracula, White Zombie, The Black Cat
• August 23 – Kenji Mizoguchi, 58, Japanese director, The Life of Oharu, A Geisha
• October 2 – George Bancroft, 74, American actor, Stagecoach, Mr. Deeds Goes to Town
• October 9 – Marie Doro, 74, American actress, Oliver Twist, Sally Bishop
• October 17 – Anne Crawford, 35, British actress, Knights of the Round Table, Night Beat
• November 6 – Paul Kelly, 57, American actor, Juvenile Court, Adventure in Sahara
• November 10 – Victor Young, 56, American composer, Around the World in 80 Days, For Whom the Bell Tolls
• November 26 – Tommy Dorsey, 56, American musician, The Fabulous Dorseys, DuBarry Was a Lady, Ship Ahoy
• November 30 – Viggo Wiehe, 81, Danish actor, Doctor Nicholson and the Blue Diamond, Røverne fra Rold
• December 8 – Jack Cohn, 67, co-founder of Columbia Pictures
• December 12 – E. A. Dupont, 64, German writer, director, Jealousy, The Scarf
• December 26 – Holmes Herbert, 74, British actor, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, The Invisible Man

Film debuts

Notes

References

External links

• List of 1956 films at IMDb
• List of 1956 deaths at IMDb
• List of 1956 births at IMDb