text:
1933 in film

The following is an overview of 1933 in film, including significant events, a list of films released, and notable births and deaths.

Top-grossing films (U.S.)
The top ten 1933 released films by box office gross in North America are as follows:

Events
The Film Daily Yearbook listed the following as the ten leading news events of the year in North America.
 * Motion picture industry goes under National Recovery Administration code.
 * Receivers appointed for Paramount Publix, RKO and Fox Theatres.
 * Film industry takes eight week salary cut.
 * Sirovich bill for sweeping probe of film industry is defeated.
 * John D. Hertz withdraws as Paramount Publix finance chairman and Adolph Zukor appoints George J. Schaefer as general manager.
 * Sidney Kent effects financial reorganization of Fox Film Corp., averting receivership, and company shows first profit since 1930.
 * Ruling of the United States District Court for the District of Delaware creates "open market" for sound equipment.
 * Nathan Nathanson regains control of Famous Players Canadian circuit.
 * Darryl F. Zanuck quits Warner Bros-First National and with Joseph M. Schenck forms Twentieth Century Pictures, turning out eight productions in the first four months, beginning with The Bowery.
 * Harold B. Franklin resigns as president of RKO Theaters.

Other notable events include:
 * January 11 – Radio City Music Hall in New York City starts showing films.
 * January 20 – The film Ecstasy premieres in Czechoslovakia film; its foreign distribution presents difficulties as 18-year-old actress Hedy Lamarr is seen naked in it.
 * March – Director Fritz Lang is informed by Joseph Goebbels that release of Lang's crime-thriller The Testament of Dr. Mabuse in Germany will not be permitted by the newly formed Reich Ministry of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda. The German-language premiere takes place on April 21 in Budapest (Hungary). On April 20, Lang divorces his wife, the film's writer Thea von Harbou, and on July 31 leaves Germany permanently, initially settling in Paris.
 * March 2 – King Kong premieres at Radio City Music Hall in New York City; opening weekend takings are estimated at US$90,000.
 * March 9 – Punyal na Ginto (The Golden Dagger), the first Filipino-language film made in the Philippines, is released.
 * March 11 – 42nd Street sparks a comeback for musical film.
 * June 6 – Chemical company executive Richard Hollingshead opens a drive-in theater near Camden, New Jersey, according to his U.S patent granted May 16.
 * September 6 – Daily Variety, a trade newspaper, is published for the first time in Hollywood.
 * October 10 – John Wayne appears as Singin' Sandy Saunders in Riders of Destiny.
 * December 29 – Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers appear on screen together for the first time in Flying Down to Rio.
 * Ang Aswang, the first sound film made in the Philippines, is released.
 * Makata At Paraluman (The Poet and the Maiden), the first talking film in vernacular made in the Philippines, is released.
 * British Film Institute founded.
 * GPO Film Unit established in the United Kingdom under John Grierson, taking over responsibility for documentary film making from the Empire Marketing Board.
 * Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) once again expresses interest in The Wizard of Oz books for a series of animated shorts, but once again fail to make a deal with the estate of creator L. Frank Baum.
 * The Private Life of Henry VIII becomes the first British film to win an American Academy Award. Featured actor Charles Laughton wins the 1933 Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance. The film is the first British production to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture.
 * The book Upton Sinclair Presents William Fox is published, detailing what William Fox considers to be the conspiracy that forced him from control of Fox Film in 1930.

Academy Awards
The 6th Academy Awards were held on March 16, 1934, at The Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles. They were hosted by Will Rogers and Rogers also presented all of the awards. This was the last time that the Oscars' eligibility period was spread over two different calendar years, creating the longest time frame for which films could be nominated: the seventeen months from August 1, 1932, to December 31, 1933.

Most nominations: Cavalcade (Fox Film); A Farewell to Arms (Paramount Pictures) and Lady for a Day (Columbia Pictures) – 4

Major awards:
 * Best Picture: Cavalcade – Fox Film
 * Best Director: Frank Lloyd – Cavalcade
 * Best Actor: Charles Laughton – The Private Life of Henry VIII
 * Best Actress: Katharine Hepburn – Morning Glory

Most Awards: Cavalcade – 3 (Outstanding Production; Best Director; Best Art Direction)

1933 film releases
United States unless stated

January–March

 * January 1933
 * 3 January
 * The Bitter Tea of General Yen
 * 10 January
 * The Vampire Bat
 * 12 January
 * Laughter in Hell
 * 13 January
 * The Monkey's Paw
 * 20 January
 * Ecstasy (Czechoslovakia)
 * 21 January
 * Tonight Is Ours
 * 27 January
 * She Done Him Wrong
 * 28 January
 * Hard to Handle
 * Parachute Jumper
 * February 1933
 * 3 February
 * Hallelujah, I'm a Bum
 * 4 February
 * Ladies They Talk About
 * 10 February
 * State Fair
 * What! No Beer?
 * 17 February
 * Men Must Fight
 * 18 February
 * Mystery of the Wax Museum
 * 22 February
 * The House of Dora Green (Germany)
 * 23 February
 * Our Betters
 * 24 February
 * Perfect Understanding (GB)
 * Topaze
 * 28 February
 * The Good Companions
 * Oliver Twist
 * March 1933
 * 2 March
 * King Kong
 * 10 March
 * Fast Workers
 * King of the Jungle
 * Liebelei (Germany)
 * 11 March
 * 42nd Street
 * 15 March
 * In the Wake of the Bounty (Australia)
 * 21 March
 * The Flower of Hawaii (Die Blume von Hawaii)
 * 24 March
 * Pick-Up
 * 25 March
 * Okraina (The Outskirts) (U.S.S.R.)
 * 31 March
 * Gabriel Over the White House

April–June

 * April 1933
 * 7 April
 * Zero for Conduct (Zéro de conduite) (France)
 * 14 April
 * Today We Live
 * 15 April
 * Cavalcade
 * 20 April
 * The Working Man
 * 21 April
 * Supernatural
 * 22 April
 * A Bedtime Story
 * 27 April
 * Dragnet Girl (Hijosen no onna)
 * 28 April
 * Looking Forward
 * May 1933
 * 5 May
 * The Devil's Brother
 * 6 May
 * The Eagle and the Hawk
 * Picture Snatcher
 * 12 May
 * The Story of Temple Drake
 * 14 May
 * A Study in Scarlet
 * 15 May
 * Ex-Lady
 * 19 May
 * Adorable
 * 25 May
 * Don Quixote
 * 26 May
 * Peg o' My Heart
 * 27 May
 * Gold Diggers of 1933
 * International House
 * 29 May
 * Ganga Bruta (Brazil)
 * June 1933
 * 9 June
 * Professional Sweetheart
 * 23 June
 * The Mayor of Hell
 * When Ladies Meet
 * 28 June
 * Samarang
 * 30 June
 * Hold Your Man
 * Midnight Mary

July–September

 * July 1933
 * 1 July
 * Baby Face
 * 3 July
 * Loyalties
 * 8 July
 * It's Great to Be Alive
 * 14 July
 * Bed of Roses
 * Storm at Daybreak
 * 15 July
 * She Done Him Wrong
 * 17 June
 * Heroes for Sale
 * 20 July
 * Secret of the Blue Room
 * 28 July
 * The Stranger's Return
 * 29 July
 * Midnight Club
 * August 1933
 * 1 August
 * Employees' Entrance
 * 5 August
 * Voltaire
 * 8 August
 * Three-Cornered Moon
 * 13 August
 * Deluge
 * 16 August
 * The Power and the Glory
 * 17 August
 * The Private Life of Henry VIII
 * 18 August
 * Morning Glory
 * Pilgrimage
 * 25 August
 * This Day and Age
 * Turn Back the Clock
 * 29 August
 * Dinner at Eight
 * 30 August
 * S.O.S Iceberg (S.O.S. Eisberg) (Germany)
 * 31 August
 * Bitter Sweet (GB)
 * September 1933
 * 1 September
 * Beauty for Sale
 * One Sunday Afternoon
 * 7 September
 * Passing Fancy (Dekigokoro) (Japan)
 * 8 September
 * Penthouse
 * Torch Singer
 * 13 September
 * Lady for a Day
 * 15 September
 * Berkeley Square
 * 16 September
 * Bureau of Missing Persons
 * 22 September
 * Doctor Bull
 * 23 September
 * I Loved a Woman
 * 26 September
 * Ann Vickers
 * 29 September
 * The Emperor Jones

October–December

 * October 1933
 * 6 October
 * I'm No Angel
 * 7 October
 * Wild Boys of the Road
 * 13 October
 * Bombshell
 * The Bowery
 * Tillie and Gus
 * 21 October
 * Footlight Parade
 * 26 October
 * After Tonight
 * 27 October
 * Man's Castle
 * 28 October
 * Ever in My Heart
 * November 1933
 * 1 November
 * Only Yesterday
 * 10 November
 * The Prizefighter and the Lady
 * 13 November
 * The Invisible Man
 * 16 November
 * Little Women
 * 17 November
 * Blood Money
 * Duck Soup
 * November 20
 * The Wandering Jew
 * 24 November
 * Dancing Lady
 * 25 November
 * The World Changes
 * December 1933
 * 3 December
 * Lady Killer
 * 11 December
 * Counsellor at Law
 * 14 December
 * Convention City
 * 18 December
 * By Candlelight
 * 21 December
 * Flying Down to Rio
 * 22 December
 * Alice in Wonderland
 * Going Hollywood
 * Mr. Skitch
 * The Son of Kong
 * 23 December
 * The House on 56th Street
 * Viktor und Viktoria (Germany)
 * 25 December
 * Roman Scandals
 * 26 December
 * Queen Christina
 * 29 December
 * Design for Living
 * Sons of the Desert

Notable films released in 1933
United States unless stated

0-9

 * 42nd Street, directed by Lloyd Bacon, starring Warner Baxter, Bebe Daniels, George Brent, Una Merkel and Dick Powell

A

 * Adorable, directed by William Dieterle, starring Janet Gaynor
 * After Tonight, directed by George Archainbaud, starring Constance Bennett and Gilbert Roland
 * Alice in Wonderland, directed by Norman Z. McLeod, starring Charlotte Henry, Richard Arlen, Gary Cooper, W. C. Fields, Cary Grant and Jack Oakie
 * Ann Vickers, directed by John Cromwell, starring Irene Dunne and Walter Huston

B

 * Baby Face, directed by Alfred E. Green, starring Barbara Stanwyck and George Brent
 * Beauty for Sale, directed by Richard Boleslawski, starring Madge Evans, Alice Brady and Una Merkel
 * Bed of Roses, directed by Gregory La Cava, starring Constance Bennett and Joel McCrea
 * A Bedtime Story, directed by Norman Taurog, starring Maurice Chevalier and Helen Twelvetrees
 * Berkeley Square, directed by Frank Lloyd, starring Leslie Howard
 * Bitter Sweet, directed by Herbert Wilcox, starring Anna Neagle – (GB)
 * The Bitter Tea of General Yen, directed by Frank Capra, starring Barbara Stanwyck and Nils Asther
 * Blood Money, directed by Rowland Brown, starring George Bancroft
 * Bombshell, directed by Victor Fleming, starring Jean Harlow, Lee Tracy, Frank Morgan, Franchot Tone, Pat O'Brien and Una Merkel
 * The Bowery, directed by Raoul Walsh, starring Wallace Beery, George Raft, Jackie Cooper and Fay Wray
 * Bureau of Missing Persons, directed by Roy Del Ruth, starring Bette Davis, Lewis Stone, Pat O'Brien and Glenda Farrell
 * By Candlelight, directed by James Whale

C

 * Cash, directed by Zoltan Korda, starring Robert Donat – (GB)
 * Cavalcade, directed by Frank Lloyd, starring Diana Wynyard and Clive Brook
 * Convention City (lost), directed by Archie Mayo, starring Joan Blondell, Adolphe Menjou, Dick Powell and Mary Astor
 * Counsellor at Law, directed by William Wyler, starring John Barrymore and Bebe Daniels

D

 * Dancing Lady, directed by Robert Z. Leonard, starring Joan Crawford, Clark Gable and Franchot Tone
 * Daybreak (Tiānmíng), directed by Sun Yu – (China)
 * Deluge, directed by Felix E. Feist, starring Sidney Blackmer
 * The Deserter (Dezertir), directed by Vsevolod Pudovkin – (U.S.S.R.)
 * Design for Living, directed by Ernst Lubitsch, starring Fredric March, Gary Cooper and Miriam Hopkins
 * The Devil's Brother, directed by Hal Roach, starring Laurel and Hardy
 * Dick Turpin, directed by Victor Hanbury, starring Victor McLaglen – (GB)
 * Dinner at Eight, directed by George Cukor, starring Marie Dressler, John Barrymore, Wallace Beery, Jean Harlow, Lionel Barrymore, Lee Tracy and Billie Burke
 * Doctor Bull, directed by John Ford, starring Will Rogers
 * Don Quixote, directed by G.W. Pabst, starring Feodor Chaliapin – (France/GB)
 * Dora's Dunking Doughnuts, directed by Harry Edwards, starring Shirley Temple
 * Dragnet Girl (Hijōsen no Onna), directed by Yasujirō Ozu, starring Kinuyo Tanaka – (Japan)
 * Duck Soup, directed by Leo McCarey, starring the Marx Brothers

E

 * The Eagle and the Hawk, directed by Stuart Walker, starring Fredric March, Cary Grant, Carole Lombard and Jack Oakie
 * Ecstasy (Extase), directed by Gustav Machatý, starring Hedy Lamarr – (Czechoslovakia)
 * The Emperor Jones, starring Paul Robeson
 * Employees' Entrance, starring Warren William and Loretta Young
 * Ever in My Heart, starring Barbara Stanwyck
 * Ex-Lady, starring Bette Davis

F

 * Fast Workers, starring John Gilbert and Mae Clarke
 * The Flower of Hawaii (Die Blume von Hawaii), directed by Richard Oswald – (Germany)
 * Flying Down to Rio, starring Dolores del Río and Gene Raymond. Also starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers in their first of 10 films together
 * Footlight Parade, starring James Cagney, Joan Blondell and Ruby Keeler
 * Friday the Thirteenth, directed by Victor Saville, starring Jessie Matthews – (GB)

G

 * Gabriel Over the White House, directed by Gregory La Cava, starring Walter Huston, Produced by William Randolph Hearst
 * Ganga Bruta, directed by Humberto Mauro, starring Durval Bellini and Déa Selva (Brazil)
 * The Ghoul, starring Boris Karloff, Cedric Hardwicke and Ernest Thesiger – (GB)
 * The Ghost Camera, directed by Bernard Vorhaus, starring Ida Lupino, John Mills – (GB)
 * Going Hollywood, starring Marion Davies, Bing Crosby, Patsy Kelly, Fifi D'Orsay and Sterling Holloway
 * Gold Diggers of 1933, directed by Mervyn LeRoy, starring Joan Blondell, Ruby Keeler, Dick Powell, Ginger Rogers and Warren William
 * The Good Companions, directed by Victor Saville, starring Jessie Matthews, Edmund Gwenn and John Gielgud – (GB)
 * Goodbye Again, starring Joan Blondell and Warren William

H

 * Hallelujah, I'm a Bum, starring Al Jolson
 * Hard to Handle, starring James Cagney
 * Heroes for Sale, starring Loretta Young and Richard Barthelmess
 * Hold Your Man, starring Jean Harlow and Clark Gable
 * The House on 56th Street, starring Kay Francis
 * The House of Dora Green, directed by Henrik Galeen, starring Mady Christians – (Germany)
 * The Hymn of Leuthen, directed by Carl Froelich – (Germany)

I

 * I Loved a Woman (1933), starring Edward G. Robinson and Kay Francis
 * I'm No Angel, starring Mae West and Cary Grant. West also wrote the story and screenplay.
 * In the Wake of the Bounty, starring Errol Flynn as Fletcher Christian – (Australia)
 * International House, starring W. C. Fields, George Burns, Gracie Allen
 * The Invisible Man, starring Claude Rains in the title role with Gloria Stuart
 * It's Great to Be Alive, directed by Alfred L. Werker and starring Raul Roulien and Gloria Stuart

K

 * Każdemu wolno kochać (Anybody Can Love), by Mieczysław Krawicz – (Poland)
 * The Kennel Murder Case, starring William Powell and Mary Astor, directed by Michael Curtiz
 * The Keyhole, starring Kay Francis and George Brent, directed by Michael Curtiz
 * King Kong, starring Fay Wray and Robert Armstrong
 * King of the Jungle, starring Buster Crabbe

L

 * Ladies They Talk About, starring Barbara Stanwyck
 * Lady for a Day, directed by Frank Capra, starring Warren William and May Robson
 * Lady Killer, starring James Cagney
 * Liebelei, directed by Max Ophüls – (Germany)
 * Life Is a Dog (Život je pes), directed by Martin Frič – (Czechoslovakia)
 * Little Toys (Xiáo wǎnyì), directed by Sun Yu – (China)
 * Little Women, directed by George Cukor, starring Katharine Hepburn and Joan Bennett
 * Looking Forward, directed by Clarence Brown, starring Lionel Barrymore
 * Lot in Sodom, starring Friedrich Haak
 * Loyalties, starring Basil Rathbone – (GB)

M

 * Man's Castle, starring Spencer Tracy and Loretta Young
 * The Mayor of Hell, starring James Cagney
 * Men Must Fight, starring Diana Wynyard
 * Midnight Club, starring George Raft and Clive Brook
 * Midnight Mary, directed by William A. Wellman, starring Loretta Young
 * The Midnight Patrol, starring Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy
 * Money for Speed, directed by Bernard Vorhaus, starring John Loder and Ida Lupino – (GB)
 * The Monkey's Paw, directed by Ernest B. Schoedsack
 * Morning Glory, starring Katharine Hepburn and Douglas Fairbanks Jr.
 * Mr. Skitch, starring Will Rogers
 * Mystery of the Wax Museum, starring Lionel Atwill and Fay Wray

O

 * Okraina (The Outskirts) – (U.S.S.R.)
 * Oliver Twist, starring Dickie Moore
 * One Sunday Afternoon, starring Gary Cooper and Fay Wray
 * Only Yesterday, starring Margaret Sullavan
 * Our Betters, starring Constance Bennett, Gilbert Roland and Anita Louise

P

 * Parachute Jumper, starring Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Bette Davis and Frank McHugh
 * Passing Fancy (Dekigokoro), directed by Yasujirō Ozu – (Japan)
 * Peg o' My Heart, starring Marion Davies, Onslow Stevens and J. Farrell MacDonald
 * Penthouse, starring Warner Baxter and Myrna Loy
 * Perfect Understanding, starring Gloria Swanson and Laurence Olivier – (GB)
 * Pick-Up, starring Sylvia Sidney and George Raft
 * Picture Snatcher, starring James Cagney
 * Pilgrimage, directed by John Ford
 * The Power and the Glory, starring Spencer Tracy
 * The Private Life of Henry VIII, directed by Alexander Korda, starring Charles Laughton – (GB)
 * The Prizefighter and the Lady, starring Max Baer, Myrna Loy, Primo Carnera and Jack Dempsey
 * Professional Sweetheart, starring Ginger Rogers

Q-R

 * Queen Christina, directed by Rouben Mamoulian, starring Greta Garbo and John Gilbert
 * Refugees – (Germany)
 * Roman Scandals, starring Eddie Cantor, Ruth Etting, Gloria Stuart

S

 * S.O.S Iceberg (S.O.S. Eisberg), starring Leni Riefenstahl – (Germany)
 * Secret of the Blue Room, starring Paul Lukas, Gloria Stuart and Lionel Atwill
 * Secrets, starring Mary Pickford in her last film
 * She Done Him Wrong, starring Mae West and Cary Grant in his first notable film role
 * She Had to Say Yes, starring Loretta Young and Lyle Talbot, directed by Busby Berkeley and George Amy
 * The Son of Kong, starring Robert Armstrong and Helen Mack
 * Sons of the Desert, starring Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy
 * A Southern Maid, starring Bebe Daniels and Clifford Mollison – (GB)
 * Spring Silkworms (Chung Can) – (China)
 * State Fair, starring Janet Gaynor, Will Rogers and Lew Ayres
 * Storm at Daybreak, starring Walter Huston and Kay Francis
 * The Story of Temple Drake, starring Miriam Hopkins and Jack La Rue
 * The Stranger's Return, starring Miriam Hopkins and Lionel Barrymore
 * A Study in Scarlet, Sherlock Holmes film written by Robert Florey, directed by Edwin Marin, starring Reginald Owen as Holmes and Warburton Gamble as Watson
 * Supernatural, starring Carole Lombard, Alan Dinehart, Vivienne Osborne and Randolph Scott

T

 * The Testament of Dr. Mabuse, directed by Fritz Lang, starring Otto Wernicke – (Germany)
 * This Day and Age, Cecil B. Demille's now cult-favorite, starring Richard Cromwell and featuring then-teenager: Baby Peggy.
 * This Is America, the first full-length documentary feature film ever made.
 * This Week of Grace' directed by Maurice Elvey, starring Gracie Fields – (Britain)
 * Three-Cornered Moon, starring Claudette Colbert and Richard Arlen
 * Three Little Pigs, an animated short
 * Tillie and Gus, starring Alison Skipworth and W. C. Fields
 * Today We Live, starring Joan Crawford and Gary Cooper
 * Tonight Is Ours, starring Fredric March and Claudette Colbert
 * Topaze, starring John Barrymore and Myrna Loy
 * Torch Singer, starring Claudette Colbert
 * Tugboat Annie, starring Marie Dressler and Wallace Beery
 * Turn Back the Clock, starring Lee Tracy and Mae Clarke

V-W

 * The Vampire Bat, starring Lionel Atwill and Fay Wray
 * Viktor und Viktoria – (Germany)
 * Voltaire, starring George Arliss
 * When Ladies Meet, starring Ann Harding, Robert Montgomery and Myrna Loy
 * The Wandering Jew, starring Conrad Veidt
 * What! No Beer?, starring Buster Keaton
 * The White Rose, directed by Mohammed Karim, starring Mohammed Abdel Wahab – (Egypt)
 * The World Changes, starring Mary Astor and Paul Muni
 * Wild Boys of the Road, starring Frankie Darro and Edwin Phillips
 * The Working Man, starring George Arliss and Bette Davis

Y-Z

 * You Made Me Love You starring Stanley Lupino and Thelma Todd – (GB)
 * Zero for Conduct (Zéro de conduite), directed by Jean Vigo – (France)

Serials

 * Clancy of the Mounted
 * Fighting with Kit Carson
 * Gordon of Ghost City
 * The Mystery Squadron
 * The Perils of Pauline, starring Evalyn Knapp
 * The Phantom of the Air
 * The Return of Chandu
 * Tarzan the Fearless, starring Buster Crabbe
 * The Three Musketeers, starring Jack Mulhall and John Wayne
 * The Whispering Shadow, starring Bela Lugosi
 * The Wolf Dog, starring Rin Tin Tin, Jr.

Comedy film series

 * Harold Lloyd (1913–1938)
 * Charlie Chaplin (1914–1940)
 * Lupino Lane (1915–1939)
 * Buster Keaton (1917–1944)
 * Laurel and Hardy (1921–1945)
 * Dirty Work
 * Our Gang (1922–1944)
 * Harry Langdon (1924–1936)
 * Wheeler and Woolsey (1929–1937)
 * Marx Brothers (1929–1946)
 * Ted Healy and His Stooges (1933–1934)

Animated short film series

 * Aesop's Film Fables (1921-1933)
 * Krazy Kat (1925–1940)
 * Oswald the Lucky Rabbit (1927–1938)
 * Mickey Mouse (1928–1953)
 * Silly Symphonies
 * Birds in the Spring
 * Father Noah's Ark
 * Three Little Pigs
 * Old King Cole
 * Lullaby Land
 * The Pied Piper
 * The Night Before Christmas
 * Screen Songs (1929–1938)
 * Looney Tunes (1930–1969)
 * Flip the Frog (1930-1933)
 * Terrytoons (1930–1964)
 * Merrie Melodies (1931–1969)
 * Scrappy (1931–1941)
 * Tom and Jerry (Van Beuren) (1931-1933)
 * Betty Boop (1932–1939)
 * Betty Boop's Ker-Choo
 * Betty Boop's Crazy Inventions
 * Is My Palm Read?
 * Betty Boop's Penthouse
 * Snow White
 * Betty Boop's Birthday Party
 * Betty Boop's May Party
 * Betty Boop's Big Boss
 * Mother Goose Land
 * Popeye the Sailor
 * The Old Man of the Mountain
 * I Heard
 * Morning, Noon and Night
 * Betty Boop's Hallowe'en Party
 * Parade of the Wooden Soldiers
 * Popeye the Sailor (1933–1957)
 * Pooch the Pup (1932-1933)
 * Willie Whopper (1933–1934)
 * ComiColor Cartoons (1933–1936)
 * Cubby Bear (1933–1934)
 * The Little King (1933–1934)

Births

 * January 6 – Mark Forest, American actor and bodybuilder (d. 2022)
 * January 8 – Jean-Marie Straub, French director (d. 2006)
 * January 9
 * Ken Barrie, English voice actor and singer (d. 2016)
 * Ann Firbank, actress
 * January 12 – Liliana Cavani, Italian director
 * January 18 – John Boorman, English director
 * January 23 – Chita Rivera, American actress, dancer and singer (d. 2024)
 * January 28 – Jack Hill, American director and screenwriter
 * February 2 – Tony Jay, English actor, voice actor and singer (d. 2006)
 * February 3 – Polde Bibič, Slovenian film and stage actor and memoir writer (d. 2012)
 * February 9 – Ronnie Claire Edwards, American actress (d. 2016)
 * February 12 – Costa-Gavras, Greek-French director, screenwriter and producer
 * February 13
 * Caroline Blakiston, English actress
 * Patrick Godfrey, English actor
 * Kim Novak, American actress
 * February 14 – Madhubala, Indian actress (d. 1969)
 * February 16 – Ron Faber, American actor (d. 2023)
 * February 18
 * Yoko Ono, Japanese multimedia artist, singer and songwriter
 * Željko Senečić, Croatian film, television production designer (d. 2018)
 * Mary Ure, Scottish actress (d. 1975)
 * March 2 – Ziva Rodann, Israeli-American actress and mime artist
 * March 3
 * John Dair, Scottish actor (d. 2005)
 * Tomas Milian, Cuban actor and singer (d. 2017)
 * March 7 - Donald Douglas, Scottish actor
 * March 11 – Sandra Milo, Italian actress (d. 2024)
 * March 12 – Barbara Feldon, American actress
 * March 13 - Gloria McMillan, American actress (d. 2022)
 * March 14 – Michael Caine, English actor
 * March 19
 * Renée Taylor, American actress, screenwriter, playwright, producer and director
 * Richard Williams, Canadian-British animator (d. 2019)
 * March 22 – Richard Easton, Canadian actor (d. 2019)
 * March 23 – Laura Soveral, Portuguese actress (d. 2018)
 * March 24 - William Smith, American actor (d. 2021)
 * April 2 - Joseph Rigano, American character actor (d. 2014)
 * April 5 – Frank Gorshin, American actor and comedian (d. 2005)
 * April 9 – Jean-Paul Belmondo, French actor (d. 2021)
 * April 14 – Shani Wallis, British actress and singer
 * April 15 – Elizabeth Montgomery, American actress (d. 1995)
 * April 16 – Ric Mancini, American actor (d. 2006)
 * April 19 – Jayne Mansfield, American actress (d. 1967)
 * April 20 – George R. Robertson, Canadian actor (d. 2023)
 * April 22 – Mark Damon, American actor and producer (d. 2024)
 * April 26 – Carol Burnett, American actress, television host and comedian
 * April 29 – Willie Nelson, American musician and actor
 * May 10 – Francoise Fabian, French actress
 * May 14 - Siân Phillips, Welsh actress
 * May 20 – Constance Towers, American actress and singer
 * May 21 – Richard Libertini, American actor (d. 2016)
 * May 23 – Joan Collins, English actress
 * May 28 - Zelda Rubinstein, American actress (d. 2010)
 * June 1 - Antony Ponzini, American actor (d. 2002)
 * June 8 - Joan Rivers, American comedian, actress, producer, writer and television host (d. 2014)
 * June 9 - Mario Donatone, Italian actor (d. 2020)
 * June 11 – Gene Wilder, American actor (d. 2016)
 * June 20
 * Danny Aiello, American actor (d. 2019)
 * Brett Halsey, American actor
 * June 21 – Bernie Kopell, American character actor
 * July 6 - Sajjad Kishwar, Pakistani actor (d. 2022)
 * July 12 - Max Julien, American actor (d. 2022)
 * July 13 - Theresa Amayo, Brazilian actress (d. 2022)
 * July 24 – John Aniston, Greek-born American actor (d. 2022)
 * July 25 - Ken Swofford, American actor (d. 2018)
 * July 26
 * Kathryn Hays, American actress (d. 2022)
 * Chino 'Fats' Williams, American actor (d. 2000)
 * July 29
 * Lou Albano, Italian-born American professional wrestler and actor (d. 2009)
 * Robert Fuller, American retired actor
 * August 1 – Dom DeLuise, American actor and comedian (d. 2009)
 * August 2 – Tom Bell, English actor (d. 2006)
 * August 10 - Lynn Cohen, American actress (d. 2020)
 * August 16 – Julie Newmar, American actress, dancer and singer
 * August 18 – Roman Polanski, Polish director
 * August 19 – Debra Paget, American actress and entertainer
 * August 21 – Barry Norman, English critic (d. 2017)
 * August 25 – Tom Skerritt, American actor
 * August 28 – Philip French, English critic (d. 2015)
 * September 4 – Richard S. Castellano, American actor (d. 1988)
 * September 14 - Zoe Caldwell, Australian-born actress (d. 2020)
 * September 15 - Henry Darrow, American character actor (d. 2021)
 * September 17 – Pat Crowley, American actress
 * September 18
 * Robert Blake, American actor (d. 2023)
 * Fred Willard, American actor (d. 2020)
 * September 19 – David McCallum, British-American actor and musician (d. 2023)
 * September 27 - Kathleen Nolan, American actress
 * September 28 – Robert Hogan, American actor (d. 2021)
 * September 29
 * Franca Parisi, Italian actress
 * James Villiers, English character actor (d. 1998)
 * September 30
 * Ben Cooper, American actor (d. 2020)
 * Barbara Knox, English actress
 * October 24
 * J. J. Johnston, American actor and writer (d. 2022)
 * Enzo Robutti, Italian actor, voice actor, comedian, playwright and writer (d. 2022)
 * October 25 - Peter Dennis, English actor (d. 2009)
 * November 3 – Jeremy Brett, English actor (d. 1995)
 * November 9 - Louise Troy, American actress (d. 1994)
 * November 13 - Karl-Otto Alberty, German actor (d. 2015)
 * November 17 – Terry, American performing Cairn Terrier (d. 1945)
 * November 19 - Larry King, American television and radio host (d. 2021)
 * November 21 - J. Don Ferguson, American character actor (d. 2008)
 * November 25 – Kathryn Crosby, American actress
 * November 26 - Robert Goulet, American-Canadian actor and singer (d. 2007)
 * November 28 – Hope Lange, American actress (d. 2003)
 * November 30 – Warren Munson, American actor
 * December 3 - Rosalind Knight, English actress (d. 2020)
 * December 4 – Wink Martindale, American radio personality, game show host and producer
 * December 5 - Adolph Caesar, American actor (d. 1986)
 * December 8 - Ana Ofelia Murguía, Mexican actress (d. 2023)
 * December 10 - Mako, Japanese-American actor (d. 2006)
 * December 13 – Lou Adler, American producer
 * December 15 – Tim Conway, American actor and comedian (d. 2019)
 * December 22 - Elizabeth Hubbard, American actress (d. 2023)
 * December 26 - Caroll Spinney, American puppeteer (d. 2019)
 * December 31 - Edward Bunker, American actor (d. 2005)

Deaths

 * January 3 – Jack Pickford, Canadian-born American actor and director (born 1896)
 * January 25 – Lewis J. Selznick, Ukrainian-born American producer (born 1870)
 * February 15 – Pat Sullivan, Australian-born American director/producer of animated films, alleged co-creator of Felix the Cat (born 1885/87)
 * February 23 – David Horsley, English-born American film executive (born 1873)
 * February 26 – Spottiswoode Aitken, American actor (born 1868)
 * March 8 – Alan Roscoe, American actor (born 1886)
 * March 23 – Francine Mussey, French actress (born 1897)
 * May 15 – Ernest Torrence, Scottish actor (born 1878)
 * June 18 – Harry Sweet, American actor and director (born 1901)
 * June 29 – Roscoe Arbuckle, American actor (born 1887)
 * June 30 – Georg Blomstedt, Swedish actor (born 1872)
 * August 18 – James Williamson, Scottish film developer and film director (born 1855)
 * August 28 – Helen Dunbar, American actress (born 1863)
 * September 23 – Sime Silverman, 60, American newspaper publisher, founder of Variety
 * September 24 – Ferdinand Bonn, German actor (born 1861)
 * October 5 – Renée Adorée, French actress (born 1898)
 * October 30 – Svend Kornbeck, Danish actor (born 1869)
 * December 19 – Jimmie Adams, American comedian (born 1888)

title: 1933 in film


text:
1932 in film

The following is an overview of 1932 in film, including significant events, a list of films released and notable births and deaths.

Top-grossing films (U.S.)
The top ten 1932 released films by box office gross in North America are as follows:

Events
The Film Daily Yearbook listed the following as the ten leading headline events of the year.
 * Sidney Kent leaves Paramount Pictures and joins Fox Film.
 * Merlin H Aylesworth succeeds Hiram S Brown as president of RKO.
 * Jesse L. Lasky leaves Paramount and becomes an independent producer for Fox.
 * Sam Katz leaves Paramount.
 * James R Grainger leaves Fox and is succeeded by John D Clark, formerly of Paramount.
 * Publix and Fox decentralization of cinemas.
 * New industry program, including standard exhibition contract along lines of 5-5-5, proposed by Motion Picture Theater Owners of America and Allied.
 * Joe Brandt retires from Columbia Pictures, joins World-Wide, and later resigns again.
 * Two Radio City theaters open, under direction of "Roxy", with coincident acquisition of the Rockefeller interests of 100,000 shares of RKO stock and 100,000 shares of RCA stock.
 * Experimentation with exclusive runs.

Other notable events include:
 * Ingrid Bergman's film career begins
 * Cary Grant's film career begins
 * Katharine Hepburn's film career begins
 * Shirley Temple's film career begins
 * Disney releases Flowers and Trees, the first cartoon in three-strip Technicolor
 * The term "Tollywood" is first used to describe the cinema of West Bengal, based at Tollygunge

Top Ten Money Making Stars
Exhibitors selected the following as the Top Ten Money Making Stars for 1931–1932 in Quigley Publishing Company's first annual poll.

Academy Awards
The 5th Academy Awards were conducted by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on November 18, 1932, at a ceremony held at The Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, California. The ceremony was hosted by Conrad Nagel. Films screened in Los Angeles between August 1, 1931, and July 31, 1932, were eligible to receive awards.

Major awards:
 * Best Picture: Grand Hotel – Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
 * Best Director: Frank Borzage – Bad Girl
 * Best Actor: Fredric March – Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde & Wallace Beery – The Champ
 * Best Actress: Helen Hayes – The Sin of Madelon Claudet

Note: Prior to 1933 awards were not based on calendar years, which is how there are no Best Actor, Best Actress or Best Director awards for 1932 films. The 1931–32 awards went to 1931 films.

1932 film releases
United States unless stated

January–March

 * January 1932
 * January 2
 * Emma
 * January 14
 * Union Depot
 * January 15
 * Forbidden
 * The Local Bad Man
 * January 16
 * Hell Divers
 * January 19
 * Broken Lullaby
 * January 22
 * Charlie Chan's Chance
 * January 23
 * Taxi!
 * February 1932
 * February 6
 * The Passionate Plumber
 * February 12
 * Shanghai Express
 * February 13
 * The Beast of the City
 * February 18
 * Law and Order
 * February 20
 * Freaks
 * The Man Who Played God
 * February 21
 * Murders in the Rue Morgue
 * March 1932
 * March 1
 * Impatient Maiden
 * March 6
 * Business and Pleasure
 * March 22
 * One Hour with You
 * Tarzan the Ape Man
 * March 24
 * Das blaue Licht (Germany)
 * March 30
 * Santa (Mexico)
 * No Man Of Her Own (1932 film not to be confused with the 1950 film of the same title)

April–June

 * April 1932
 * April 9
 * Scarface
 * April 12
 * Grand Hotel
 * April 17
 * Young America
 * April 18
 * Night After Night (France)
 * May 1932
 * May 6
 * Vampyr
 * May 7
 * The Mouthpiece
 * May 12
 * The Sign of Four
 * May 14
 * Kuhle Wampe oder: Wem gehört die Welt? (Germany)
 * May 17
 * The Last of the Mohicans
 * May 20
 * Cruiser Emden
 * Raid in St. Pauli
 * May 21
 * Attorney for the Defense
 * May 28
 * As You Desire Me
 * Two Seconds
 * June 1932
 * June 2
 * What Price Hollywood?
 * June 3
 * I Was Born, But... (Japan)
 * June 8
 * L'Atlantide (Germany/France)
 * The Dark Horse
 * June 17
 * Is My Face Red?
 * June 25
 * Red-Headed Woman

July–September

 * July 1932
 * July 8
 * Million Dollar Legs
 * July 18
 * Hotel Splendide
 * July 28
 * White Zombie
 * August 1932
 * August 4
 * American Madness
 * Back Street
 * August 6
 * Downstairs
 * August 12
 * Devil and the Deep
 * Movie Crazy
 * August 13
 * Jewel Robbery
 * Speak Easily
 * August 17
 * The Last Mile
 * August 18
 * The Bartered Bride (Germany)
 * Love Me Tonight
 * August 19
 * The Age of Consent
 * Horse Feathers
 * Mr. Robinson Crusoe
 * August 20
 * Crooner
 * September 1932
 * September 10
 * Big City Blues
 * September 13
 * Bird of Paradise
 * September 16
 * Blonde Venus
 * The Most Dangerous Game
 * September 17
 * Pack Up Your Troubles
 * September 18
 * Off His Base
 * September 22
 * Tiger Shark
 * September 23
 * A Blonde Dream (Ein blonder Traum) (Germany)
 * The Phantom President
 * September 24
 * Smilin' Through
 * September 30
 * A Bill of Divorcement

October–December

 * October 1932
 * October 8
 * The Big Stampede
 * October 12
 * Rain
 * October 14
 * The Big Broadcast
 * October 15
 * Cabin in the Cotton
 * Faithless
 * Thirteen Women
 * October 20
 * The Old Dark House
 * October 21
 * Trouble in Paradise
 * October 22
 * Red Dust
 * October 25
 * Virtue
 * October 28
 * Fanny (France)
 * Lord Camber's Ladies (GB)
 * October 29
 * Three on a Match
 * October 30
 * Night After Night
 * November 1932
 * November 1
 * Prosperity
 * November 2
 * Scarlet Dawn
 * November 3
 * Air Mail
 * November 4
 * Odds 777
 * Spring Shower (Hungary/France)
 * November 7
 * Payment Deferred
 * November 8
 * Happy Ever After (UK/Germany)
 * November 10
 * I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang
 * November 11
 * Boudu Saved from Drowning
 * November 17
 * The Kid from Spain
 * November 24
 * Call Her Savage
 * December 1932
 * December 1
 * Silver Dollar
 * December 2
 * If I Had a Million
 * December 3
 * A Simple Case
 * Me and My Gal
 * December 8
 * A Farewell to Arms
 * Flesh
 * December 16
 * Anton Spelec, Sharp-Shooter (Czechoslovakia)
 * Fast Life
 * December 22
 * The Mummy
 * They Just Had to Get Married
 * December 23
 * Rasputin and the Empress
 * December 24
 * 20,000 Years in Sing Sing
 * December 25
 * The Sign of the Cross
 * December 28
 * The Animal Kingdom
 * December 30
 * No Man of Her Own

Notable films released in 1932
United States unless stated

#

 * 20,000 Years in Sing Sing, directed by Michael Curtiz, starring Spencer Tracy and Bette Davis

A

 * The Age of Consent, directed by Gregory La Cava
 * Air Mail, directed by John Ford, starring Ralph Bellamy, Gloria Stuart and Pat O'Brien
 * American Madness, directed by Frank Capra, starring Walter Huston and Pat O'Brien
 * The Animal Kingdom, directed by Edward H. Griffith, starring Ann Harding, Leslie Howard and Myrna Loy
 * Anton Spelec, Sharp-Shooter (Anton Špelec, ostrostřelec), directed by Martin Frič – (Czechoslovakia)
 * As You Desire Me, directed by George Fitzmaurice, starring Greta Garbo, Melvyn Douglas and Erich von Stroheim
 * L'Atlantide, directed by G. W. Pabst, starring Brigitte Helm – (Germany/France)
 * Attorney for the Defense, directed by Irving Cummings, starring Edmund Lowe and Evelyn Brent

B

 * Back Street, directed by John M. Stahl, starring Irene Dunne and John Boles
 * The Bartered Bride (Die verkaufte Braut), directed by Max Ophüls – (Germany)
 * The Beast of the City, directed by Charles Brabin, starring Walter Huston, Jean Harlow and Wallace Ford
 * The Big Broadcast, directed by Frank Tuttle, starring Bing Crosby and Leila Hyams
 * Big City Blues, directed by Mervyn LeRoy, starring Joan Blondell and Eric Linden
 * The Big Stampede, directed by Tenny Wright, starring John Wayne and Noah Beery
 * A Bill of Divorcement, directed by George Cukor, starring John Barrymore, Katharine Hepburn and Billie Burke
 * Bird of Paradise, directed by King Vidor, starring Dolores del Río and Joel McCrea
 * Das blaue Licht (The Blue Light), starring and directed by Leni Riefenstahl – (Germany)
 * A Blonde Dream (Ein blonder Traum), directed by Paul Martin, starring Lilian Harvey, Willy Fritsch and Willi Forst – (Germany)
 * Blonde Venus, directed by Josef von Sternberg, starring Marlene Dietrich, Herbert Marshall and Cary Grant
 * Blondie of the Follies, directed by Edmund Goulding, starring Marion Davies, Robert Montgomery, Billie Dove, and Jimmy Durante
 * Boudu Saved from Drowning (Boudu sauvé des eaux), directed by Jean Renoir, starring Michel Simon – (France)
 * Broken Lullaby, directed by Ernst Lubitsch, starring Lionel Barrymore
 * Business and Pleasure, directed by David Butler, starring Will Rogers

C

 * The Cabin in the Cotton, directed by Michael Curtiz, starring Richard Barthelmess and Bette Davis
 * Call Her Savage, directed by John Francis Dillon, starring Clara Bow, Gilbert Roland and Thelma Todd
 * Charlie Chan's Chance (lost), directed by John G. Blystone, starring Warner Oland
 * Cruiser Emden (Kreuzer Emden), starring and directed by Louis Ralph – (Germany)

D

 * Dance Pretty Lady, directed by Anthony Asquith – (GB)
 * Dancers in the Dark, directed by David Burton, starring Miriam Hopkins and Jack Oakie
 * The Dark Horse, directed by Alfred E. Green, starring Warren William and Bette Davis
 * The Dentist, directed by Leslie Pearce, starring W. C. Fields
 * Destry Rides Again, directed by Benjamin Stoloff, starring Tom Mix
 * Devil and the Deep, directed by Marion Gering, starring Tallulah Bankhead, Gary Cooper, Charles Laughton and Cary Grant
 * Downstairs, directed by Monta Bell, starring John Gilbert

E–F

 * Emma, directed by Clarence Brown, starring Marie Dressler and Myrna Loy
 * F.P.1 (F.P.1 antwortet nicht), directed by Karl Hartl – (Germany)
 * Faithless, directed by Harry Beaumont, starring Tallulah Bankhead and Robert Montgomery
 * Fanny, directed by Marc Allégret, starring Raimu – (France)
 * A Farewell to Arms, directed by Frank Borzage, starring Helen Hayes, Gary Cooper and Adolphe Menjou
 * Fast Life, directed by Harry A. Pollard, starring William Haines, Madge Evans and Conrad Nagel
 * Flesh, directed by John Ford, starring Wallace Beery, Ricardo Cortez and Karen Morley
 * Flowers and Trees, a Walt Disney animated short
 * Forbidden, directed by Frank Capra, starring Barbara Stanwyck, Adolphe Menjou and Ralph Bellamy
 * Freaks, directed by Tod Browning, starring Wallace Ford and Leila Hyams

G–H

 * Goodnight, Vienna, directed by Herbert Wilcox, starring Jack Buchanan and Anna Neagle – (GB)
 * Grand Hotel, directed by Edmund Goulding, starring Greta Garbo, John Barrymore, Joan Crawford, Wallace Beery, Lionel Barrymore and Lewis Stone
 * Hell Divers, directed by George Hill, starring Wallace Beery, Clark Gable and Conrad Nagel
 * Horse Feathers, directed by Norman Z. McLeod, starring the Marx Brothers and Thelma Todd
 * Hotel Splendide, directed by Michael Powell – (GB)

I

 * I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang, directed by Mervyn LeRoy, starring Paul Muni and Glenda Farrell
 * I Was Born, But... (Otona no miru ehon – Umarete wa mita keredo), directed by Yasujirō Ozu – (Japan)
 * If I Had a Million, starring Gary Cooper, George Raft, Charles Laughton, Jack Oakie and W. C. Fields
 * The Impatient Maiden, directed by James Whale, starring Lew Ayres and Mae Clarke
 * Island of Lost Souls, directed by Erle C. Kenton, starring Charles Laughton, Bela Lugosi, Richard Arlen and Leila Hyams, based on the 1896 novel The Island of Dr. Moreau by H. G. Wells
 * Ivan – directed by Alexander Dovzhenko – (U.S.S.R.)

J–K

 * Jack's the Boy directed by Walter Forde, starring Jack Hulbert – (GB)
 * Jewel Robbery, directed by William Dieterle, starring William Powell and Kay Francis
 * The Kid from Spain, directed by Leo McCarey, starring Eddie Cantor
 * Kuhle Wampe, oder: Wem gehört die Welt? (Kuhle Wampe, or: Who Owns the World?), directed by Slatan Dudow – (Germany)

L

 * The Last Mile, directed by Samuel Bischoff, starring Preston Foster
 * The Last of the Mohicans, 12-part serial directed by Ford Beebe and B. Reeves Eason, starring Harry Carey
 * Law and Order, directed by Edward L. Cahn, starring Walter Huston and Harry Carey
 * Lord Camber's Ladies, directed by Benn Levy, starring Gerald du Maurier and Gertrude Lawrence – (GB)
 * The Local Bad Man, directed by Otto Brower, starring Hoot Gibson
 * Love Me Tonight, directed by Rouben Mamoulian, starring Maurice Chevalier, Jeanette MacDonald and Myrna Loy
 * The Lucky Number, directed by Anthony Asquith, starring Gordon Harker – (GB)

M

 * The Man Who Played God, directed by John G. Adolfi, starring George Arliss and Bette Davis
 * Me and My Gal, directed by Raoul Walsh, starring Spencer Tracy and Joan Bennett
 * Merrily We Go to Hell, directed by Dorothy Arzner, starring Sylvia Sidney and Fredric March
 * The Midshipmaid, directed by Albert de Courville, starring Jessie Matthews – (GB)
 * Million Dollar Legs, directed by Edward F. Cline, starring Jack Oakie and W. C. Fields
 * The Missing Rembrandt (lost), directed by Leslie S. Hiscott, starring Arthur Wontner and Ian Fleming – (GB)
 * The Most Dangerous Game, directed by Ernest B. Schoedsack and Irving Pichel, starring Joel McCrea, Fay Wray, Leslie Banks and Robert Armstrong
 * The Mouthpiece, directed by James Flood and Elliott Nugent, starring Warren William
 * Movie Crazy, directed by Clyde Bruckman, starring Harold Lloyd
 * Mr. Robinson Crusoe, directed by A. Edward Sutherland, starring Douglas Fairbanks
 * The Mummy, directed by Karl Freund, starring Boris Karloff
 * Murders in the Rue Morgue, directed by Robert Florey, starring Bela Lugosi and Sidney Fox

N–O

 * Night After Night, directed by Archie Mayo, starring George Raft and Mae West
 * Night at the Crossroads (La Nuit du carrefour), directed by Jean Renoir – (France)
 * No Man of Her Own, directed by Wesley Ruggles, starring Clark Gable and Carole Lombard
 * Odds 777, directed by George Schnéevoigt – (Denmark)
 * The Old Dark House, directed by James Whale, starring Boris Karloff, Melvyn Douglas, Gloria Stuart, Charles Laughton and Raymond Massey
 * One Hour with You, directed by Ernst Lubitsch, starring Maurice Chevalier and Jeanette MacDonald
 * One Way Passage, directed by Tay Garnett, starring William Powell and Kay Francis

P

 * Pack Up Your Troubles, directed by George Marshall and Ray McCarey, starring Laurel and Hardy
 * The Passionate Plumber, directed by Edward Sedgwick, starring Buster Keaton and Jimmy Durante
 * Payment Deferred, directed by Lothar Mendes, starring Charles Laughton and Maureen O'Sullivan
 * The Phantom President, directed by Norman Taurog, starring George M. Cohan, Claudette Colbert and Jimmy Durante
 * Polly of the Circus, directed by Alfred Santell, starring Marion Davies and Clark Gable
 * Prosperity, directed by Sam Wood, starring Marie Dressler, Polly Moran and Anita Page

R

 * Rain, directed by Lewis Milestone, starring Joan Crawford and Walter Huston
 * Rasputin and the Empress, directed by Richard Boleslawski, starring John Barrymore, Ethel Barrymore and Lionel Barrymore
 * Rasputin, Demon with Women (Rasputin, Dämon der Frauen), directed by Adolf Trotz, starring Conrad Veidt – (Germany)
 * Raid in St. Pauli (Razzia in St. Pauli), directed by Werner Hochbaum – (Germany)
 * Red Dust, directed by Victor Fleming, starring Clark Gable, Jean Harlow, Mary Astor and Gene Raymond
 * Red-Haired Alibi, directed by Christy Cabanne
 * Red-Headed Woman, directed by Jack Conway, starring Jean Harlow, Chester Morris, Lewis Stone, Leila Hyams and Una Merkel
 * Rome Express, directed by Walter Forde, starring Esther Ralston and Conrad Veidt – (GB)

S

 * Santa, directed by Antonio Moreno, starring Lupita Tovar – (Mexico)
 * Scarface, directed by Howard Hawks, starring Paul Muni, Ann Dvorak, George Raft and Boris Karloff
 * Scarlet Dawn, directed by William Dieterle, starring Douglas Fairbanks Jr. and Nancy Carroll
 * Shanghai Express, directed by Josef von Sternberg, starring Marlene Dietrich, Clive Brook, Anna May Wong and Warner Oland
 * Sherlock Holmes, directed by William K. Howard, starring Clive Brook and Ernest Torrence
 * The Sign of Four, directed by Graham Cutts, starring Arthur Wontner and Ian Hunter – (GB)
 * The Sign of the Cross, directed by Cecil B. DeMille, starring Fredric March, Claudette Colbert and Charles Laughton
 * Silver Dollar, directed by Alfred E. Green, starring Edward G. Robinson and Bebe Daniels
 * A Simple Case (Prostoy sloochay), directed by Vsevolod Pudovkin and Mikhail Doller – (USSR)
 * Smilin' Through, directed by Sidney Franklin, starring Norma Shearer, Fredric March and Leslie Howard
 * Speak Easily, directed by Edward Sedgwick, starring Buster Keaton, Jimmy Durante and Thelma Todd
 * Spring Shower (Tavaszi zápor), directed by Pál Fejős – (France/Hungary)
 * Strange Interlude, directed by Robert Z. Leonard, starring Norma Shearer and Clark Gable

T

 * Tarzan the Ape Man, directed by W. S. Van Dyke, starring Johnny Weissmuller, Maureen O'Sullivan and Neil Hamilton
 * Taxi!, directed by Roy Del Ruth, starring James Cagney and Loretta Young
 * They Just Had to Get Married, directed by Edward Ludwig, starring Slim Summerville and ZaSu Pitts
 * Thirteen Women, directed by George Archainbaud, starring Irene Dunne, Ricardo Cortez and Myrna Loy
 * Three Modern Women (Sāngè Módēng Nǚxìng) (lost), directed by Bu Wancang, starring Ruan Lingyu and Jin Yan – (China)
 * Three on a Match, directed by Mervyn LeRoy, starring Joan Blondell, Warren William, Ann Dvorak and Bette Davis
 * Tiger Shark, directed by Howard Hawks, starring Edward G. Robinson and Richard Arlen
 * Trouble in Paradise, directed by Ernst Lubitsch, starring Miriam Hopkins, Kay Francis and Herbert Marshall
 * Two Seconds, directed by Mervyn LeRoy, starring Edward G. Robinson

U–V

 * The Undertaker (Funebrák), directed by Karel Lamač – (Czechoslovakia)
 * Unheimliche Geschichten (Uncanny Stories), directed by Richard Oswald, starring Paul Wegener – (Germany)
 * Union Depot, directed by Alfred E. Green, starring Douglas Fairbanks Jr. and Joan Blondell
 * Vampyr, directed by Carl Theodor Dreyer – (Germany/France)
 * Virtue, directed by Edward Buzzell, starring Carole Lombard and Pat O'Brien

W–Y

 * Washington Merry-Go-Round, directed by James Cruze, starring Lee Tracy
 * What Price Hollywood?, directed by George Cukor, starring Constance Bennett, Lowell Sherman and Neil Hamilton
 * What Scoundrels Men Are! (Gli uomini, che mascalzoni!), directed by Mario Camerini, starring Vittorio De Sica – (Italy)
 * White Zombie, directed by Victor Halperin, starring Bela Lugosi
 * Wooden Crosses (Les Croix de Bois), directed by Raymond Bernard – (France)
 * Young America, directed by Frank Borzage, starring Spencer Tracy and Ralph Bellamy

Serials
Ordered by release date:
 * January 4: Detective Lloyd, 12 chapters (216 min)
 * February 1: The Shadow of the Eagle, 12 chapters (218 minutes)
 * March 28: The Airmail Mystery, 12 chapters (225 min)
 * May 17: The Last of the Mohicans, 12 chapters (231 minutes)
 * June 20: Heroes of the West, 12 chapters (225 min)
 * August 1: The Hurricane Express, 12 chapters (227 min)
 * September 5: The Last Frontier, 12 chapters (213 minutes)
 * September 12: Jungle Mystery, 12 chapters (240 min)
 * November 1: The Devil Horse, 12 chapters (216 min)
 * December 5: The Lost Special, 12 chapters (240 minutes)

Short film series
Ordered by release date:
 * Buster Keaton (1917–1923, 1934–1937, 1939–1941)
 * Laurel and Hardy (1927–1935); the team later made one instructional short subject, released nontheatrically in 1943
 * Our Gang (1922–1944) The series was officially called both Our Gang and Hal Roach's Rascals until 1932, when Our Gang became the sole title of the series.
 * Shirley Temple (1932–1934)

Animated short film series
Ordered by release date of the film series. This list only includes shorts released in 1932:
 * Aesop's Film Fables (1921–1933)
 * Krazy Kat (1925–1940)
 * Oswald the Lucky Rabbit (1927–1938)
 * Mickey Mouse (1928–1953)
 * Silly Symphonies (1929–1939)
 * The Bird Store
 * The Bears and the Bees
 * Just Dogs
 * Flowers and Trees
 * King Neptune
 * Bugs in Love
 * Babes in the Woods
 * Santa's Workshop
 * Screen Songs (1929–1938)
 * Sweet Jennie Lee (January 9)
 * Show Me the Way to Go Home (January 30)
 * When the Red, Red Robin Comes Bob, Bob, Bobbin' Along (February 19)
 * Wait Till the Sun Shines, Nellie (March 4)
 * Just One More Chance (April 1)
 * Oh! How I Hate to Get Up in the Morning (April 22)
 * Shine On Harvest Moon (May 6)
 * Let Me Call You Sweetheart (May 20)
 * I Ain't Got Nobody (June 17)
 * You Try Somebody Else (July 29)
 * Rudy Vallee Melodies (August 5)
 * Down Among the Sugar Cane (August 26)
 * Just a Gigolo (September 9)
 * School Days (September 30)
 * Romantic Melodies (October 21)
 * When It's Sleepy Time Down South (November 11)
 * Sing a Song (December 2)
 * Time on My Hands (December 23)
 * Talkartoons (1929–1932)
 * Minnie the Moocher (featuring Betty Boop)
 * Sink or Swim S.O.S (featuring Betty Boop)
 * Looney Tunes (1930–1969)
 * Bosko's Store
 * Bosko and Honey
 * Bosko the Lumberjack
 * Bosko and Bruno
 * Bosko's Party
 * Flip the Frog (1930–1933)
 * Terrytoons (1930–1964)
 * Merrie Melodies (1931–1969)
 * Scrappy (1931–1941)
 * Tom and Jerry (Van Beuren) (1931–1933)
 * Betty Boop (1932–1939)
 * Stopping the Show
 * Betty Boop's Bizzy Bee
 * Betty Boop, M.D.
 * Betty Boop's Bamboo Isle
 * Betty Boop's Ups and Down
 * Betty Boop for President
 * I'll Be Glad When You're Dead, You Rascal You
 * Betty Boop's Museum
 * Pooch the Pup (1932–1933)
 * The Athlete (August 29)
 * The Butcher Boy (September 26)
 * The Crowd Snores (October 24)
 * The Under Dog (November 7)
 * Cats and Dogs (December 5)
 * Flowers and Trees (1933)

Births

 * January 3 – Dabney Coleman, American character actor (died 2024)
 * January 4
 * Carlos Saura, Spanish director (died 2023)
 * Richard Stahl, American comic actor (died 2006)
 * January 11 – Alfonso Arau, Mexican filmmaker, actor and singer
 * January 19 – Richard Lester, American-born director working in England
 * January 22 – Piper Laurie, American actress (died 2023)
 * January 23 – James Rado, American actor, playwright, director and composer (died 2022)
 * January 24 - Julie Bennett, American actress, realtor and talent agent (died 2020)
 * February 3 – Peggy Ann Garner, American actress (died 1984)
 * February 6 – François Truffaut, French director (died 1984)
 * February 8 – John Williams, American film composer
 * February 13
 * Susan Oliver, American actress (died 1990)
 * Barbara Shelley, English actress, "The First Leading Lady of British Horror" (died 2021)
 * February 14
 * Harriet Andersson, Swedish actress
 * Alexander Kluge, German director
 * February 18 – Miloš Forman, Czech-born director (died 2018)
 * February 23 – Majel Barrett, American actress (died 2008)
 * February 24
 * Michel Legrand, French film composer (died 2019)
 * John Vernon, Canadian actor (died 2005)
 * February 27 – Elizabeth Taylor, English-American actress (died 2011)
 * February 28 – Francisco Colmenero, Mexican voice actor and voice director
 * March 14 – Hiroshi Ōtake, Japanese actor and voice actor (died 2022)
 * March 27 – Robert Sacchi, Italian-American character actor (died 2021)
 * March 31 – Nagisa Oshima, Japanese director (died 2013)
 * April 1 – Debbie Reynolds, American singer, actress and dancer (died 2016)
 * April 4
 * Anthony Perkins, American actor (died 1992)
 * Andrei Tarkovsky, Russian director (died 1986)
 * April 9 - Jack Smethurst, English actor (died 2022)
 * April 10
 * Delphine Seyrig, French actress (died 1990)
 * Omar Sharif, Egyptian actor (died 2015)
 * April 11 - Joel Grey, American actor, singer, dancer and director
 * April 21 - Elaine May, American comedian, director, screenwriter, playwright and actor
 * April 25 - William Roache, English actor
 * April 26 – Francis Lai, French film composer (died 2018)
 * April 27
 * Anouk Aimée, French actress (died 2024)
 * Casey Kasem, American disc jockey, music historian, radio personality, actor and voice actor (died 2014)
 * May 2 - Bruce Glover, American character actor
 * May 8 - Phyllida Law, Scottish actress
 * May 9 - Geraldine McEwan, English actress (died 2015)
 * May 22 - Seth Sakai, American actor (died 2007)
 * May 15 - John Glen, retired English director and editor
 * May 27 - Steve Franken, American actor (died 2012)
 * June 6
 * Anne Claire Poirier, Canadian director, producer and screenwriter
 * Billie Whitelaw, English actress (died 2014)
 * June 10 – Branko Lustig, Croatian-born producer (died 2019)
 * June 11 – Athol Fugard, South African playwright, actor and director
 * June 12 - Mae Mercer, American singer and actress (died 2008)
 * June 13 – Bob McGrath, American actor, singer and musician (died 2022)
 * June 17 – Peter Lupus, American bodybuilder and actor
 * June 18
 * David Herriot, Irish actor (died 2000)
 * Sérgio Ricardo, Brazilian director and composer (died 2020)
 * June 19
 * Marisa Pavan, Italian actress (died 2023)
 * Anna Maria Pierangeli, Italian actress (died 1971)
 * June 22
 * Amrish Puri, Indian actor (died 2005)
 * Prunella Scales, English actress
 * June 29 – Soon-Tek Oh, Korean-American actor (died 2018)
 * July 1 – Sonny Caldinez, Trinidadian actor, previously professional wrestler (died 2022)
 * July 2 - Kenneth McMillan, American actor (died 1989)
 * July 10 – Neile Adams, Filipino-American actress, singer and dancer
 * July 29 – Mike Hodges, English screenwriter and director (died 2022)
 * July 30 – Edd Byrnes, American actor (died 2020)
 * August 2 – Peter O'Toole, Anglo-Irish actor (died 2013)
 * August 5 – Ja'Net DuBois, American actress, singer and dancer (Good Times) (died 2020)
 * August 9 – Denys Hawthorne, Irish actor (died 2009)
 * August 10 - Murray Melvin, English actor (died 2023)
 * August 15 – Bob Elkins, American character actor (died 2022)
 * August 24 – W. Morgan Sheppard, English actor and voice actor (died 2019)
 * August 25 – Nun Zairina, Indonesian dancer, actress, dance instructor, and model (died 2017)
 * September 3 – Eileen Brennan, American actress (died 2013)
 * September 4 – Edward de Souza, British character actor
 * September 5 – Carol Lawrence, American actress
 * September 12 – Kim Hamilton, American actress (died 2013)
 * September 16 - George Chakiris, American actor
 * September 21 – Mickey Kuhn, American actor (died 2022)
 * September 26 – Richard Herd, American actor (died 2020)
 * September 29 – Mehmood Ali, Indian actor, director and producer (died 2004)
 * October 4
 * Felicia Farr, American actress and model
 * Edward Judd, British actor (died 2009)
 * October 6 - Anna Quayle, English actress (died 2019)
 * October 13
 * Dušan Makavejev, Serbian director (died 2019)
 * Liliane Montevecchi, French-Italian actress and singer (died 2018)
 * October 20 – William Christopher, American actor (died 2016)
 * October 22 - Sheila Allen, English actress (died 2011)
 * October 30 - Louis Malle, French director, screenwriter and producer (died 1995)
 * November 1 - John Clark, English actor, director and producer (died 2023)
 * November 2 - Terry Richards, British actor and stuntman (died 2014)
 * November 10 – Roy Scheider, American actor (died 2008)
 * November 12 - Jerry Douglas, American actor (died 2021)
 * November 13
 * Al Mancini, American actor (died 2007)
 * Richard Mulligan, American actor (died 2000)
 * J. A. Preston, American actor
 * November 15 – Petula Clark, English singer, actress and film composer
 * November 20 - Richard Dawson, English-American actor, comedian and game-show host (died 2012)
 * November 22 – Robert Vaughn, American actor (died 2016)
 * November 25 - Takayo Fischer, American actress
 * December 7 – Ellen Burstyn, American actress
 * December 14 – Henry Blair, American child actor
 * December 25 - Mabel King, American actress and singer (died 1999)
 * December 26 - Robert V. Barron, American director, producer, screenwriter and actor (died 2000)
 * December 28 – Nichelle Nichols, American actress (died 2022)
 * December 30 - Macon McCalman, American actor (died 2005)

Deaths

 * February 15 – Minnie Maddern Fiske, American stage star, also appeared in silent films (born 1865)
 * June 30 – Bruno Kastner, German actor (born 1890)
 * July 17 – Rasmus Rasmussen, Norwegian actor (born 1862)
 * August 1 – James R. Quirk, American editor and publisher of Photoplay magazine (born 1884)
 * August 10 – Rin Tin Tin, canine actor (born 1918)
 * September 1 – Guy Oliver, American actor (born 1878)
 * September 16 – Peg Entwistle, British-born American actress (born 1908)
 * November 27 – Evelyn Preer, American actress, singer (born 1896)

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: 1932 in film


text:
Vertical Horizon

Vertical Horizon is an American alternative rock band, formed in Washington, D.C. Vocalists and guitarists Matt Scannell and Keith Kane started the band in 1991 when they were students at Georgetown University. The band have undergone multiple line-up changes since their formation, with Scannell overseeing every iteration as the band's leader. Vertical Horizon are best known for their Billboard number one single "Everything You Want", the title track to their third studio album. Other notable singles from the band's career include "You're a God", "Best I Ever Had (Grey Sky Morning)", and "I'm Still Here".

Early years (1991–1998)
Vertical Horizon was formed in 1991 by Georgetown University undergraduate students Matt Scannell and Keith Kane. In 1992, after graduating from Georgetown, the duo relocated to Boston and self-released their debut album There and Back Again. Scannell and Kane toured as a duo for the next few years, mostly appearing with similar bands, such as Jackopierce. Their next album was 1995's Running on Ice, produced by John Alagia (Dave Matthews Band, John Mayer), Doug Derryberry, and Scannell. Drummer Ed Toth joined the band in 1996.

The band released a live album, Live Stages, in January 1997. In 1998, bassist Sean Hurley was invited to join Vertical Horizon. The band's indie albums began to attract record executives from several record labels during the late 1990s. The band signed with RCA Records in 1998. RCA re-released Vertical Horizon's independent albums, with new packaging and graphics. Before the RCA re-release, the band's first three albums had sold 70,000 combined units.

Everything You Want (1999–2000)
The band's first album with a major label was 1999's Everything You Want. It was a breakthrough album for the band. Four singles were released from the album. The album's first single was "We Are," which reached the Modern Rock Tracks chart and peaked at no. 21. The album's second single was "Everything You Want." The song became a massive hit, reaching number one at the Billboard Hot 100 chart and the Adult Top 40 chart and becoming Billboard's Most Played Single of 2000. As of 2022, "Everything You Want" is Vertical Horizon's most successful single. Two other singles from the album, "You're a God" and "Best I Ever Had (Grey Sky Morning)," were also hits; they peaked at 23 and 58, respectively, at the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

The Everything You Want album was certified double platinum by the RIAA.

Go and Go 2.0 (2001–2005)
Vertical Horizon's next album, Go, was released in September 2003. Go was released while RCA was going through a major restructuring and as a result, the album received little support from the label. The album's first single, "I'm Still Here," peaked at number 17 on the Adult Top 40. RCA did little to promote the album causing Scannell to state "Without the label behind us, it just floundered and sort of withered on the vine, which is just a heartbreaker."

Burning the Days (2006–2010)
Burning the Days was released on September 22, 2009, and was the group's first release after a five-year hiatus. Singer/songwriter Matt Scannell has said that Burning the Days marks a shift in his songwriting, both musically and lyrically. According to Scannell, "There is a lot more variety and quite a few different artistic moods on this record - almost different sonic landscapes... a lot of these songs feel like a faster tempo than anything we’ve ever done before."

The late Neil Peart of the Canadian rock band Rush played drums on three songs on the album, "Save Me From Myself," "Welcome to the Bottom," and "Even Now." "Even Now" was co-written by Scannell and Peart, with Peart writing the lyrics and Scannell writing the music.

On June 3, 2010, Keith Kane confirmed his departure from the band.

Echoes from the Underground and The Lost Mile (2011–present)
Vertical Horizon announced in June 2011 that they had begun recording new material for a new album. The album, Echoes from the Underground, was released on October 8, 2013.

In June 2017, Scannell announced at a concert in Fairfax, Virginia, that another album was forthcoming. The band's seventh album, The Lost Mile, was released on February 23, 2018.

Members
Current
 * Matt Scannell – lead vocals, lead guitar (1990–present)
 * Ron LaVella – drums, percussion (2009–present)
 * Mark Pacificar – bass, backing vocals (2016–present)
 * John Wesley – rhythm guitar, backing vocals (2021–present)

Former
 * Keith Kane – backing and lead vocals, rhythm guitar (1990–2010)
 * Andrew O’Brien – backing vocals, rhythm and acoustic guitar (1989–1991)
 * Ryan "Chopper" Fisher – bass (1995–1997)
 * Ed Toth – drums, percussion (1996–2005)
 * Seth Horan – bass, backing vocals (1997–1998)
 * Sean Hurley – bass, backing vocals (1998–2008)
 * Steve Fekete – rhythm guitar, backing and lead vocals (2009–2012)
 * Jenn Oberle – bass, backing vocals (2011–2012)
 * Jeffrey Jarvis – bass, backing vocals (2013–2016)
 * Donovan White – rhythm guitar, backing vocals (2012–2021)

Former touring musicians
 * Jason Sutter – drums (also studio) (2009–2010)
 * Corey McCormick – bass guitar (2009–2010)
 * Eric Holden – bass, backing vocals (2009–2011)
 * Jason Orme – rhythm guitar, backing vocals (2011–2012)
 * Cedric LeMoyne – bass, backing vocals (2011–2012)
 * Matthew Robbins – rhythm guitar (2015–2018)

Timeline

Discography

 * Studio albums
 * There and Back Again (1992)
 * Running on Ice (1995)
 * Everything You Want (1999)
 * Go (2003)
 * Burning the Days (2009)
 * Echoes from the Underground (2013)
 * The Lost Mile (2018)

title: Vertical Horizon


text:
1931 in film

The following is an overview of 1931 in film, including significant events, a list of films released and notable births and deaths.

Top-grossing films (U.S.)
The top ten 1931 released films by box office gross in North America are as follows:

Events

 * January 5: RKO acquires the producing and distribution arm of Pathé for $4.6 million.
 * March 14: Alam Ara, the first Indian-made sound film, premieres at the Majestic Cinema in Bombay.
 * June 20: Monogram Pictures releases its first film, Ships of Hate.
 * July 7: Anti-competitive practices disclosed about certain distributors and producers in Canada.
 * November 17: E. R. Tinker elected president of Fox Films replacing Harley L. Clarke.
 * December 14: RKO refinancing plan approved.

Best money stars
Variety reported the following as the biggest male stars in the U.S. in alphabetical order although grouped George Arliss and Ronald Colman together as having equal ranking.

The following were the biggest women names in the U.S. in alphabetical order but again grouped two actresses together to denote they were ranked the same.

Academy Awards
The 4th Academy Awards were awarded to films completed and screened released between August 1, 1930, and July 31, 1931, by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Most Nominations: Cimarron (RKO Pictures) – 7

Major Awards
 * Best Picture: Cimarron – RKO
 * Best Director: Norman Taurog – Skippy
 * Best Actor: Lionel Barrymore – A Free Soul
 * Best Actress: Marie Dressler – Min and Bill

Most Awards: Cimarron – 3 (Best Picture; Best Adaptation and Best Art Direction)

Cimarron was the first Western to win Best Picture, and would remain the only one to do so for 59 years (until Dances with Wolves won in 1991). It received a then-record seven nominations, and was the first film to win more than two awards.

The 5th Academy Awards were conducted by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on November 18, 1932, at a ceremony held at The Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, California. The ceremony was hosted by Conrad Nagel. Films screened in Los Angeles between August 1, 1931, and July 31, 1932, were eligible to receive awards.

Most nominations: Arrowsmith (Samuel Goldwyn Productions) and The Champ (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer) – 4

Major Awards
 * Best Actor: Wallace Beery – The Champ and Fredric March – Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
 * Best Actress: Helen Hayes – The Sin of Madelon Claudet
 * Best Director: Frank Borzage – Bad Girl

Most Awards: Bad Girl (Best Director and Best Adaptation) and The Champ (Best Actor and Best Original Story) – 2

Note: The Academy Award for Best Picture went to 1932's Grand Hotel.

January–March

 * January 1931
 * 3 January
 * The Criminal Code
 * 9 January
 * Little Caesar
 * 17 January
 * Other Men's Women
 * 26 January
 * Cimarron
 * February 1931
 * 3 February
 * Trader Horn
 * 14 February
 * Dracula
 * 28 February
 * Parlor, Bedroom and Bath
 * March 1931
 * 5 March
 * The Speckled Band
 * 6 March
 * Ten Cents a Dance
 * 7 March
 * City Lights
 * 14 March
 * Kiki
 * 20 March
 * The Sleeping Cardinal
 * 21 March
 * Honor Among Lovers
 * 29 March
 * Bad Sister

April–June

 * April 1931
 * 4 April
 * The Front Page
 * 6 April
 * A Connecticut Yankee
 * 15 April
 * Bachelor Apartment
 * 18 April
 * City Streets
 * The Secret Six
 * 23 April
 * The Public Enemy
 * 24 April
 * Dracula
 * 30 April
 * Iron Man
 * May 1931
 * 1 May
 * The Millionaire
 * 11 May
 * M
 * 16 May
 * Indiscreet
 * 22 May
 * Svengali
 * June 1931
 * 13 June
 * The Maltese Falcon
 * 20 June
 * A Free Soul
 * 21 June
 * The Black Camel
 * 27 June
 * I Take This Woman
 * 28 June
 * Goldie

July–September

 * July 1931
 * 11 July
 * Smart Money
 * August 1931
 * 1 August
 * The Smiling Lieutenant
 * Tabu
 * 7 August
 * Huckleberry Finn
 * The Miracle Woman
 * 8 August
 * Bought!
 * Night Nurse
 * 14 August
 * Bad Girl
 * 15 August
 * Pardon Us
 * 22 August
 * An American Tragedy
 * Guilty Hands
 * 29 August
 * The Last Flight
 * This Modern Age
 * September 1931
 * 1 September
 * Waterloo Bridge
 * 5 September
 * Daughter of the Dragon
 * Secrets of a Secretary
 * The Squaw Man
 * Street Scene
 * 12 September
 * Alexander Hamilton
 * 18 September
 * Peludópolis (Argentina)
 * 19 September
 * Monkey Business
 * 23 September
 * Palmy Days
 * 26 September
 * Five Star Final
 * Sidewalks of New York
 * 30 September
 * Alice in Wonderland

October–December

 * October 1931
 * 10 October
 * 24 Hours
 * 24 October
 * The Sin of Madelon Claudet
 * 31 October
 * Platinum Blonde
 * November 1931
 * 1 November
 * The Cisco Kid
 * 7 November
 * The Mad Genius
 * 9 November
 * The Champ
 * 10 November
 * Secret Service
 * 21 November
 * Frankenstein
 * Possessed
 * 28 November
 * Battling with Buffalo Bill
 * December 1931
 * 2 December
 * Anna Christie (Germany)
 * 3 December
 * Blonde Crazy
 * 7 December
 * Arrowsmith
 * 10 December
 * The Struggle
 * 12 December
 * Private Lives
 * 17 December
 * Tonight or Never
 * 24 December
 * Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
 * 26 December
 * Mata Hari

Notable films released in 1931
United States unless stated

0-9

 * 24 Hours, directed by Marion Gering, starring Clive Brook, Kay Francis and Miriam Hopkins

A

 * À Nous la Liberté (Freedom for Us), directed by René Clair – (France)
 * Alam Ara (The Light of the World) (lost), directed by Ardeshir Irani – (India)
 * Alexander Hamilton, directed by John G. Adolfi, starring George Arliss
 * Alibi (lost), directed by Leslie S. Hiscott – (GB)
 * Alice in Wonderland, directed by Bud Pollard
 * Alone (Sola), directed by Henri Diamant-Berger – (France)
 * Alone (Odna), directed by Leonid Trauberg and Grigori Kozintsev – (USSR)
 * An American Tragedy, directed by Josef von Sternberg, starring Phillips Holmes and Sylvia Sidney
 * Arrowsmith, directed by John Ford, starring Ronald Colman and Helen Hayes

B

 * Bachelor Apartment, starring and directed by Lowell Sherman with Irene Dunne
 * The Bachelor Father, directed by Robert Z. Leonard, starring Marion Davies and Ray Milland
 * Bad Girl, directed by Frank Borzage, starring Sally Eilers and James Dunn
 * Bad Sister, directed by Hobart Henley, starring Conrad Nagel, Sidney Fox, Bette Davis, Humphrey Bogart and ZaSu Pitts
 * Berlin-Alexanderplatz, directed by Phil Jutzi, starring Heinrich George, based on the 1929 novel by Alfred Döblin – (Germany)
 * The Black Camel, directed by Hamilton MacFadden, starring Warner Oland, Sally Eilers and Bela Lugosi
 * Blonde Crazy, directed by Roy Del Ruth, starring James Cagney and Joan Blondell
 * Bought!, directed by Archie Mayo, starring Constance Bennett
 * Business Under Distress (To neznáte Hadimršku), Karel Lamač and Martin Frič – (Czechoslovakia)

C

 * The Champ, directed by King Vidor, starring Wallace Beery and Jackie Cooper
 * The Cheat, directed by George Abbott, starring Tallulah Bankhead
 * La Chienne (The Bitch), directed by Jean Renoir, starring Michel Simon – (France)
 * Cimarron, directed by Wesley Ruggles, starring Richard Dix and Irene Dunne
 * The Cisco Kid, directed by Irving Cummings, starring Warner Baxter
 * City Lights, a Charlie Chaplin film
 * City Streets, directed by Rouben Mamoulian, starring Gary Cooper and Sylvia Sidney
 * A Connecticut Yankee, directed by David Butler, starring Will Rogers
 * The Criminal Code, directed by Howard Hawks, starring Walter Huston

D

 * Daughter of the Dragon, directed by Lloyd Corrigan, starring Anna May Wong, Warner Oland and Sessue Hayakawa
 * David Golder, directed by Julien Duvivier – (France)
 * Dishonored, directed by Josef von Sternberg, starring Marlene Dietrich and Victor McLaglen
 * Down River, directed by Peter Godfrey, starring Charles Laughton – (GB)
 * Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, directed by Rouben Mamoulian, starring Fredric March and Miriam Hopkins
 * Dracula, directed by Tod Browning, starring Bela Lugosi
 * Dracula, directed by George Melford, starring Carlos Villarías

E

 * Elisabeth of Austria (Elisabeth von Österreich), directed by Adolf Trotz, starring Lil Dagover and Paul Otto – (Germany)
 * Emil and the Detectives (Emil und die Detektive), directed by Gerhard Lamprecht, starring Rolf Wenkhaus, Käthe Haack and Fritz Rasp – (Germany)
 * Expensive Women, directed by Hobart Henley, starring Dolores Costello

F

 * Five and Ten, directed by Robert Z. Leonard, starring Marion Davies and Leslie Howard
 * Five Star Final, directed by Mervyn LeRoy, starring Edward G. Robinson
 * Frankenstein, directed by James Whale, starring Boris Karloff, Colin Clive and Mae Clarke
 * A Free Soul, directed by Clarence Brown, starring Norma Shearer, Leslie Howard, Lionel Barrymore and Clark Gable
 * From Saturday to Sunday (Ze soboty na neděli), directed by Gustav Machatý – (Czechoslovakia)
 * The Front Page, directed by Lewis Milestone, starring Adolphe Menjou and Pat O'Brien

G

 * Girls About Town, directed by George Cukor, starring Kay Francis, Joel McCrea and Lilyan Tashman
 * Goldie, directed by Benjamin Stoloff, starring Jean Harlow and Spencer Tracy
 * The Guardsman, directed by Sidney Franklin, starring Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne
 * Guilty Hands, directed by W. S. Van Dyke, starring Lionel Barrymore and Kay Francis

H

 * Her Grace Commands (Ihre Hoheit befiehlt), directed by Hanns Schwarz, starring Willy Fritsch and Käthe von Nagy – (Germany)
 * Hobson's Choice (lost), directed by Thomas Bentley – (GB)
 * Honor Among Lovers, directed by Dorothy Arzner, starring Claudette Colbert and Fredric March
 * The Hound of the Baskervilles, directed by Gareth Gundrey – (GB)
 * Huckleberry Finn, directed by Norman Taurog, starring Jackie Coogan
 * Hyppolit, the Butler (Hyppolit, a lakáj), directed by István Székely – (Hungary)

I

 * I Take This Woman, directed by Marion Gering, starring Gary Cooper and Carole Lombard
 * Indiscreet, directed by Leo McCarey, starring Gloria Swanson and Ben Lyon
 * Iron Man, directed by Tod Browning, starring Lew Ayres and Jean Harlow
 * It's a Wise Child, directed by Robert Z. Leonard, starring Marion Davies

J

 * Just a Gigolo, directed by Jack Conway, starring William Haines

K

 * Kalidas (lost), directed by H. M. Reddy – (Tamil)
 * Kameradschaft (Comradeship), directed by G. W. Pabst – (Germany)
 * Kiki, directed by Sam Taylor, starring Mary Pickford
 * Der Kongreß tanzt (The Congress Dances), directed by Erik Charell, starring Lilian Harvey, Willy Fritsch, Conrad Veidt and Lil Dagover – (Germany)

L

 * The Last Flight, directed by William Dieterle, starring Richard Barthelmess
 * The Last Kiss, first full-length film produced in Dhallywood, Bangladesh
 * Limite, directed by Mário Peixoto – (Brazil)
 * Little Caesar, directed by Mervyn LeRoy, starring Edward G. Robinson, Douglas Fairbanks Jr. and Glenda Farrell

M

 * M, directed by Fritz Lang, starring Peter Lorre – (Germany)
 * The Mad Genius, directed by Michael Curtiz, starring John Barrymore
 * Mädchen in Uniform, directed by Leontine Sagan, starring Hertha Thiele – (Germany)
 * The Maltese Falcon, directed by Roy Del Ruth, starring Bebe Daniels, Ricardo Cortez and Una Merkel
 * Marius, directed by Alexander Korda, starring Raimu and Pierre Fresnay – (France)
 * Mata Hari, directed by George Fitzmaurice, starring Greta Garbo, Ramon Novarro, Lewis Stone and Lionel Barrymore
 * Le Million, directed by René Clair – (France)
 * The Millionaire, directed by John G. Adolfi, starring George Arliss
 * The Miracle Woman, directed by Frank Capra, starring Barbara Stanwyck
 * Monkey Business, directed by Norman Z. McLeod, starring the Marx Brothers
 * My Sin, directed by George Abbott, starring Tallulah Bankhead and Fredric March

N

 * The Neighbor's Wife and Mine (Madamu to nyōbō), directed by Heinosuke Gosho – (Japan)
 * A Night in Montmartre, directed by Leslie S. Hiscott – (GB)
 * Night Nurse, directed by William A. Wellman, starring Barbara Stanwyck, Ben Lyon, Joan Blondell and Clark Gable

O

 * Other Men's Women, directed by William A. Wellman, starring Grant Withers, Regis Toomey and Mary Astor

P

 * Palmy Days, directed by A. Edward Sutherland, starring Eddie Cantor
 * Pardon Us, directed by James Parrott, starring Laurel and Hardy
 * Parlor, Bedroom and Bath, directed by Edward Sedgwick, starring Buster Keaton
 * The Peach Girl (Tao hua qi xue ji), directed by Bu Wancang, starring Ruan Lingyu – (China)
 * Peludópolis (lost), directed by Quirino Cristiani – (Argentina)
 * Platinum Blonde, directed by Frank Capra, starring Loretta Young, Robert Williams and Jean Harlow
 * Possessed, directed by Clarence Brown, starring Joan Crawford and Clark Gable
 * Private Lives, directed by Sidney Franklin, starring Norma Shearer and Robert Montgomery
 * The Public Enemy, directed by William A. Wellman, starring James Cagney, Jean Harlow and Joan Blondell

Q

 * Quick Millions, directed by Rowland Brown, starring Spencer Tracy

R

 * Revenge on the Brother (Enteghm-e baradar), directed Ebrahim Moradi – (Iran)

S

 * Sally in Our Alley, directed by Maurice Elvey, starring Gracie Fields – (GB)
 * Secret Service, directed by J. Walter Ruben, starring Richard Dix
 * The Secret Six, directed by George Hill, starring Wallace Beery, Lewis Stone, Johnny Mack Brown, Jean Harlow and Clark Gable
 * Secrets of a Secretary, directed by George Abbott, starring Claudette Colbert and Herbert Marshall
 * Sidewalks of New York, directed by Zion Myers and Jules White, starring Buster Keaton, Anita Page and Cliff Edwards
 * The Sin of Madelon Claudet, directed by Edgar Selwyn, starring Helen Hayes
 * The Sleeping Cardinal, directed by Leslie S. Hiscott, starring Arthur Wontner – (GB)
 * Smart Money, directed by Alfred E. Green, starring Edward G. Robinson and James Cagney
 * The Smiling Lieutenant, directed by Ernst Lubitsch, starring Maurice Chevalier, Claudette Colbert and Miriam Hopkins
 * The Speckled Band, directed by Jack Raymond, starring Raymond Massey – (GB)
 * A Spray of Plum Blossoms (Yī jiǎn méi), directed by Bu Wancang, starring Ruan Lingyu – (China)
 * The Squaw Man, directed by Cecil B. DeMille, starring Warner Baxter and Lupe Vélez
 * The Stolen Jools, directed by William C. McGann
 * Street Scene, directed by King Vidor, starring Sylvia Sidney and Estelle Taylor
 * The Struggle, directed by D.W. Griffith
 * Svengali, directed by Archie Mayo, starring John Barrymore and Marian Marsh

T

 * Tabu: A Story of the South Seas, directed by F. W. Murnau
 * Tell England, directed by Anthony Asquith and Geoffrey Barkas – (GB)
 * Ten Cents a Dance, directed by Lionel Barrymore, starring Barbara Stanwyck and Ricardo Cortez
 * The Theft of the Mona Lisa (Der Raub der Mona Lisa), directed by Géza von Bolváry – (Germany)
 * This Modern Age, directed by Nick Grinde, starring Joan Crawford and Neil Hamilton
 * The Threepenny Opera (Die 3 Groschen-Oper), directed by G. W. Pabst, starring Lotte Lenya – (Germany)
 * Tilly of Bloomsbury, directed by Jack Raymond, starring Sydney Howard and Phyllis Konstam – (GB)
 * Tokyo Chorus (Tōkyō no kōrasu), directed by Yasujirō Ozu – (Japan)
 * Tommi, directed by Yakov Protazanov – (USSR)
 * Tonight or Never, directed by Mervyn LeRoy, starring Gloria Swanson and Melvyn Douglas

W

 * Waterloo Bridge, directed by James Whale, starring Mae Clarke
 * A Woman of Experience, directed by Harry Joe Brown, starring Helen Twelvetrees

Serials

 * Battling with Buffalo Bill
 * Danger Island
 * Finger Prints
 * The Galloping Ghost, starring Harold Grange
 * Heroes of the Flames
 * King of the Wild
 * The Lightning Warrior, starring Rin Tin Tin
 * The Mystery Trooper
 * The Phantom of the West
 * The Sign of the Wolf
 * The Spell of the Circus
 * The Vanishing Legion

Short film series

 * Laurel and Hardy (1921–1943)
 * Charley Chase (1924–1940)
 * Buster Keaton (1917–1941)
 * Our Gang (1922–1944)

Animated short film series

 * Aesop's Film Fables (1921–1933)
 * Krazy Kat (1925–1940)
 * Oswald the Lucky Rabbit (1927–1938)
 * Mickey Mouse
 * The Birthday Party
 * Traffic Troubles
 * The Castaway
 * The Moose Hunt
 * The Delivery Boy
 * Mickey Steps Out
 * Blue Rhythm
 * Fishin' Around
 * The Barnyard Broadcast
 * The Beach Party
 * Mickey Cuts Up
 * Mickey's Orphans
 * Silly Symphonies
 * Birds of a Feather
 * Mother Goose Melodies
 * The China Plate
 * The Busy Beavers
 * The Cat's Out
 * Egyptian Melodies
 * The Clock Store
 * The Spider and the Fly
 * The Fox Hunt
 * The Ugly Duckling
 * Screen Songs (1929–1938)
 * Talkartoons (1929–1932)
 * Mask a Raid (featuring Betty Boop)
 * Looney Tunes (1930–1969)
 * Flip the Frog (1930–1933)
 * Terrytoons (1930–1964)
 * Toby the Pup (1930-1931)
 * Merrie Melodies (1931–1969)
 * Scrappy (1931–1941)
 * Tom and Jerry (Van Beuren) (1931–1933)

==Births=
 * January 1 - Mona Hammond, British actress (died 2022)
 * January 3 – Conrad Brooks, né Biedrzycki, American actor and producer (died 2017)
 * January 5 – Robert Duvall, American actor and director
 * January 9 - Paul Mantee, American actor (died 2013)
 * January 13 - Rip Taylor, American actor and comedian (died 2019)
 * January 14 – Caterina Valente, French singer and actress
 * January 17 – James Earl Jones, American actor
 * January 22 - Mary Castle, American actress (died 1998)
 * January 25 - Dean Jones, American actor (died 2015)
 * January 26 – Mary Murphy, American actress (died 2011)
 * January 29 – Leslie Bricusse, English-born film composer and lyricist (died 2021)
 * January 30 - Read Morgan, American actor (died 2022)
 * February 6
 * Bryan O'Byrne, American character actor and acting coach (died 2009)
 * Rip Torn, American actor and director (died 2019)
 * Mamie Van Doren, American actress and sex symbol
 * February 8 – James Dean, American actor (died 1955)
 * February 9 - Barbara Young, English actress (died 2023)
 * February 14
 * Charles Hyatt, Jamaican actor, playwright and director (died 2007)
 * Margarita Lozano, Spanish actress (died 2022)
 * February 15
 * Claire Bloom, English actress
 * Mohamed Hilmi, Algerian actor and director (died 2022)
 * February 18 - Laura Valenzuela, Spanish television presenter and actress (died 2023)
 * February 20 - Karl Spiehs, Austrian producer (died 2022)
 * February 24 – Dominic Chianese, American actor
 * February 26 - Shay Duffin, Irish character actor (died 2010)
 * February 28 - Gavin MacLeod, American actor (died 2021)
 * March 5 - George Ogilvie, Australian director and actor (died 2020)
 * March 8 - Gerald Potterton, British-Canadian director, writer, producer and animator (died 2022)
 * March 15 - James Ellis, Irish actor (died 2014)
 * March 20 – Hal Linden, American actor, director and musician
 * March 22 – William Shatner, Canadian actor
 * March 26 – Leonard Nimoy, American actor and director (died 2015)
 * March 27 - Marion Brash, American actress (died 2022)
 * April 1 – Ita Ever, Estonian actress (died 2023)
 * April 8 – John Gavin, American actor and diplomat (died 2018)
 * April 17 – Esteban Siller, Mexican voice actor (died 2013)
 * May 5 - Brian O'Shaughnessy, British actor (died 2001)
 * May 10 – Ettore Scola, Italian director and screenwriter (died 2016)
 * May 15 - K. S. Sethumadhavan, Indian director and screenwriter (died 2021)
 * May 16 - Frank Albanese, American actor (died 2015)
 * May 18 – Robert Morse, American actor and singer (died 2022)
 * May 19 - James Greene, Northern Irish actor (died 2021)
 * May 23
 * Barbara Barrie, American actress
 * Patience Cleveland, American actress (died 2004)
 * May 24 – Michael Lonsdale, British-French actor (died 2020)
 * May 28
 * Carroll Baker, American actress
 * Bob Hornery, Australian actor (died 2015)
 * June 2 - Peter Cummins, Australian character actor
 * June 3 – Carmen Dell'Orefice, American supermodel and actress
 * June 7 - Virginia McKenna, English actress
 * June 14 – Marla Gibbs, American actress, singer, comedian, writer and producer
 * June 20
 * Olympia Dukakis, Greek-American actress (died 2021)
 * James Tolkan, American actor
 * July 1 – Leslie Caron, French actress and dancer
 * July 2
 * Robert Ito, Canadian actor of Japanese ancestry
 * Frank Williams, English actor (died 2022)
 * July 4 – Stephen Boyd, Irish actor (died 1977)
 * July 5 – António de Macedo, Portuguese filmmaker, writer, university professor and lecturer (died 2017)
 * July 6
 * Donal Donnelly, Irish actor died (2010)
 * Della Reese, American jazz and gospel singer, actress and ordinated minister (died 2017)
 * July 10 – Nick Adams, American actor and screenwriter (died 1968)
 * July 11 – Tab Hunter, American actor and singer (died 2018)
 * July 14 – Mirella Ricciardi, Kenyan photographer, writer and actress
 * July 24 – Ermanno Olmi, Italian director and screenwriter (died 2018)
 * July 27 – Jerry Van Dyke, American actor, musician and comedian (died 2018)
 * July 28 – Darryl Hickman, American actor, voice artist, screenwriter and television executive (died 2024)
 * August 19
 * Elena Cotta, Italian actress
 * Marianne Koch, German actress
 * August 23 – Barbara Eden, American actress
 * August 12 – William Goldman, American screenwriter and novelist (died 2018)
 * August 31 – Noble Willingham, American actor (died 2004)
 * September 4 – Mitzi Gaynor, American actress, singer and dancer
 * September 10 – Philip Baker Hall, American actor (died 2022)
 * September 12
 * Ian Holm, English actor (died 2020)
 * Bill McKinney, American character actor (died 2011)
 * September 13 – Barbara Bain, American actress
 * September 17 – Anne Bancroft, American actress (died 2005)
 * September 20 - Ned Tanen, American producer (died 2009)
 * September 21 – Larry Hagman, American actor and director (died 2012)
 * September 29
 * Eddie Barth, American actor (died 2010)
 * Anita Ekberg, Swedish actress and sex symbol (died 2015)
 * September 30 – Angie Dickinson, American actress
 * October 10 – Román Chalbaud, Venezuelan director (died 2023)
 * October 12 - Yvonne Gilan, Scottish actress (died 2018)
 * October 19 - Rubens de Falco, Brazilian actor (died 2008)
 * October 21 – Vivian Pickles, English actress
 * October 30 - Ann Roth, American costume designer and actress
 * November 3 – Monica Vitti, Italian actress (died 2022)
 * November 5 - Gil Hill, American actor (died 2016)
 * November 6 – Mike Nichols, German-born director (died 2014)
 * November 10 – Don Henderson, English actor (died 1997)
 * November 12 – Mary Louise Wilson, American actress, singer and comedian
 * November 18 - Brad Sullivan, American character actor (died 2008)
 * November 30 – Jack Ging, American actor (died 2022)
 * December 2 – Nadja Regin, Serbian actress (died 2019)
 * December 3 - Jaye P. Morgan, retired American singer, actress and game show panelist
 * December 9
 * Paddi Edwards, British-American actress (died 1999)
 * William Reynolds, American actor (died 2022)
 * December 11
 * Anne Heywood, British actress (died 2023)
 * Rita Moreno, Puerto Rican actress
 * December 14 - Abbe Lane, American singer and actress
 * December 20 - Mala Powers, American actress (died 2007)
 * December 23 – Ronnie Schell, American actor and stand-up comedian
 * December 24 - Robert Ridgely, American actor (died 1997)
 * December 28 – Martin Milner. American actor (died 2015)

Deaths

 * March 11 – F. W. Murnau, German director (born 1888)
 * March 24
 * Charles Clary, silent film actor (born 1873)
 * Robert Edeson, stage and screen actor (born 1868)
 * April 9 - Thomas Santschi, American screen actor (born 1880)
 * June 7 – Viktor Schwanneke, German actor (born 1880)
 * August 14 – Janie Marèse, French actress (born 1908)
 * September 13 – Lawrence D'Orsay, English actor (born 1853)
 * October 18 - Thomas Edison, inventor (born 1847)
 * November 27 – Lya De Putti, Hungarian actress (born 1899)
 * December 23 – Tyrone Power, Sr., stage and film veteran, father of movie star Tyrone Power (born 1869)

title: 1931 in film