Events in Film & TV
- Jan 25 1st broadcast of "Guiding Light" on NBC radio
Academy Awards
Mar 4 9th Academy Awards: "The Great Ziegfeld", Paul Muni & Luise Rainer wins
Paul Muni
Luise Rainer
Event of Interest
Mar 14 Battle of the Century: Fred Allen & Jack Benny meet on radio during their "feud"
Jack Benny
- Apr 28 1st animated cartoon electric sign displayed (NYC)
Event of Interest
Jul 3 Del Mar Turf Club, with crooner Bing Crosby as president and actor Pat O'Brien as a club officer, opens for racing
Bing Crosby
Historic Publication
Sep 21 J. R. R. Tolkien's 'The Hobbit' is published by George Allen and Unwin in London
J. R. R. Tolkien
Film Premier
Dec 21 The first full-length animated feature film and the earliest in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series, "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs", premieres at the Carthay Circle Theatre
Walt Disney
- Dec 25 Arturo Toscanini conducts 1st Symphony of the Air over NBC Radio
Birthdays in Film & TV
- Jan 3 Glen Larson, American television producer & writer (Battlestar Galactica, Magnum PI, & Knight Rider), born in Long Beach, CA, (d. 2014)
- Jan 4 Dyan Cannon [Samile Diane Friesen], American actress, director and producer (Heaven Can Wait), born in Tacoma, Washington
- Jan 12 Marie Dubois, French actress (Wise Guys, Jules & Jim), born in Paris, France (d. 2014)
- Jan 14 Shoban Babu, Indian actor, born in Nandigama, India (d. 2008)
- Jan 15 Margaret O'Brien, American actress (Jane Eyre, Meet Me in St Louis), born in San Diego, California
- Jan 16 Bob Bogle, American surf rock bassist and guitarist (Ventures - "Walk, Don't Run"), born in Wagoner, Oklahoma (d. 2009)
- Jan 16 Lorraine Bayly, Australian actress, born in Narrandera, Australia
- Jan 20 Dorothy Provine, American actress (Good Neighbor Sam, Darn Cat), born in Deadwood, South Dakota
- Jan 28 Ken Hill, English playwright and director, born in Birmingham, England (d. 1995)
- Jan 30 Vanessa Redgrave, British actress (Blow-Up, Julia, Orient Express), born in London, England
- Jan 30 Ed Hansen, American film director & editor, born in Minnesota, United States (d. 2005)
- Jan 31 Suzanne Pleshette, American actress (Birds, Emily-Bob Newhart Show), born in NYC, New York
- Jan 31 Regimantas Adomaitis, Lithuanian actor
- Feb 1 Garrett Morris, actor (SNL, Martin, Carwash), born in New Orleans, Louisiana
- Feb 2 Tommy Smothers, American comedian and folk singer (The Smothers Brothers Show; Serial), born in NYC, New York
- Feb 2 Remak Ramsay, American actor
- Feb 4 Collin Wilcox, Highlands NC, actor (To Kill a Mocking Bird)
- Feb 4 David Newman, American filmmaker (d. 2003)
- Feb 5 Stuart Damon, American actor (Alan Quartermaine-General Hospital), born in Brooklyn, New York
- Feb 8 Joe Raposa, American composer and songwriter (Sesame Street), born in Fall River Massachusetts (d. 1989)
- Feb 8 Manfred Krug, German actor (Boxer), born in Duisburg, Germany (d. 2016)
- Feb 21 Gary Lockwood, Van Nuys Cal, actor (2001, Survival Zone, Lieutenant)
- Feb 25 Bob Schieffer, newscaster (CBS Weekend News), born in Austin, Texas
- Feb 25 Tom Courtenay, England, actor (Dresser, Doctor Zhivago, To Catch a Spy)
- Mar 1 Jed Allan, actor (Days of our Lives, CC-Santa Barbara), born in The Bronx, New York
- Mar 3 Bobby Driscoll, American actor (d. 1968)
- Mar 6 Doug Dillard, American country rock musician (The Dillards, Gene Clark, Dillard & Clark) and actor (Clem-Popeye), born in East St. Louis, Illinois (d. 2012)
- Mar 7 Anne Kristen, Scottish actress (Coronation St, Sunset Song), (d. 1996)
- Mar 10 Joe Viterelli, American actor (d. 2004)
- Mar 11 Carlos Larrañaga, Spanish actor
- Mar 17 Adam Wade, actor (Kiss Me Goodbye, Crazy Joe)
- Mar 20 Jerry Reed, American country music singer (When You're Hot, You're Hot) and actor (Bat 21, Smokey & the Bandit), born in Atlanta, Georgia (d. 2008)
- Mar 22 Angelo Badalamenti, American film composer (Twin Peaks, The Straight Story, Blue Velvet, Mulholland Drive), born in Brooklyn, New York
- Mar 23 Tony Burton, actor (Rocky films) and boxer, born in Flint, Michigan (d. 2016)
- Mar 30 Jay W Macintosh, American actress (Sons & Daughters), born in Gainesville, Georgia
Warren Beatty
Mar 30 Warren Beatty, American actor (Bonnie & Clyde, Shampoo, Dick Tracy), born in Richmond, Virginia
Warren Beatty
Billy Dee Williams
Apr 6 Billy Dee Williams, Harlem actor (Chiefs, Empire Strikes Back), born in NYC, New York
Billy Dee Williams
Merle Haggard
Apr 6 Merle Haggard, country singer (Death Valley Days), born in Bakersfield, California (d. 2016)
Merle Haggard
- Apr 9 Valerie Singleton, British broadcaster (Blue Peter), born in Hitchin, Hertfordshire, England
- Apr 11 Jill Gascoine, British pioneering TV actress (The Gentle Touch), born in London, England (d. 2020)
- Apr 13 Edward Fox, English actor (The Day of the Jackal, Gandhi), born in Chelsea, London
- Apr 17 Daffy Duck, Warner Bros. cartoon character created by Tex Avery and Bob Clampett (Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series), first debuts in "Porky's Duck Hunt"
- Apr 18 Robert Hooks, African-American actor (Fast Walking, Aaron Loves Angela), born in Washington, D.C.
- Apr 19 Elinor Donahue, American actress (Father Knows Best, Get a Life), born in Tacoma, Washington
Joseph Estrada
Apr 19 Joseph Estrada, Filipino actor and 13th President of the Philippines (1998-01), born in Tondo, Philippines
Joseph Estrada
George Takei
Apr 20 George Takei, American actor (Sulu-Star Trek, Green Berets), born in Los Angeles, California
George Takei
Jack Nicholson
Apr 22 Jack Nicholson, American actor (One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, The Shining), born in Neptune City, New Jersey
Jack Nicholson
- Apr 25 Bo Brundin, Swedish actress (Rhinemann Exchange), born in Stockholm, Sweden
- Apr 27 Sandy Dennis, American actress (Up the Down Staircase), born in Hastings, Nebraska (d. 1992)
- May 1 Una Stubbs, English actress (Till Death Us Do Part), born in Welwyn Garden City
- May 2 Lorenzo Music, American writer, actor and voice actor (Carlton-Rhoda, Garfield), born in Brooklyn, New York (d. 2001)
- May 4 Mr. Fuji [Harry Masayoshi Fujiwara], American professional wrestler, born in Honolulu, Hawaii (d. 2016)
- May 12 George Carlin, comedian (7 dirty words, AM & FM, Carwash), born in The Bronx, New York
- May 13 Zohra Lampert, American actress (Doctor's Hospital, Girl With Something Extra), born in NYC, New York
- May 14 Eric Herfst, Dutch cabaret performer/actor (Floris)
- May 16 Yvonne Craig, actress (Batgirl-Batman, Kissin Cousin), born in Taylorville, Illinois (d. 2015)
- May 19 Pat Roach, English actor and wrestler (d. 2004)
- May 26 Monkey Punch [Kazuhiko Kato], Japanese manga cartoonist (Lupin III), born in Hamanaka, Hokkaido, Empire of Japan (d. 2019)
- May 27 Allan Carr, American producer and director (Grease, Happiest Millionaire), born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 1999)
Morgan Freeman
Jun 1 Morgan Freeman, American academy award-winning actor (Driving Mrs Daisy, Glory), born in Memphis, Tennessee
Morgan Freeman
- Jun 1 Rosaleen Linehan, Irish actress, born in Dublin, Ireland
- Jun 4 Gorilla Monsoon, American pro wrestler (Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame) and commentator (WWF), born in Rochester, New York (d. 1999)
- Jun 11 Luciana Paluzzi, Italian-American actress (Five Fingers, Thunderball), born in Rome, Italy
- Jun 11 Chad Everett [Raymon Lee Cramton], American actor (Medical Center, Airplane II), born in South Bend, Indiana (d. 2012)
- Jun 11 Johnny Brown, American comedian (Good Times, Leslie Uggams), born in St Petersburg, Florida
- Jun 14 Jørgen Leth, Danish film director (A Sunday in Hell), born in Aarhus, Denmark
- Jun 17 Peter Lupus, American bodybuilder and actor (Mission Impossible), born in Indianapolis, Indiana
- Jun 18 Varbara Ann Teer, American actress/director (National Black Theatre Company)
- Jun 20 Jerry Keller, rocker/actor (If Ever I See You Again)
- Jun 26 Sombat Metanee, Thai film actor and director, born in Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand
- Jun 28 Richard Bright, American actor (Al Neri-Godfather), born in Brooklyn, New York (d. 2006)
- Jul 2 Polly Holliday, Jasper Ala, actress (Flo-Alice, Flo-Flo)
- Jul 6 Ned Beatty, American actor (Deliverance, Repossed, Network), born in Louisville, Kentucky
- Jul 8 Barbara Ann Loden, actress (Ernie Kovac's Show)
Bill Cosby
Jul 12 Bill Cosby, American actor and comedian (Cosby Show, I Spy, Leonard Part 6), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Bill Cosby
- Jul 13 Cal Ramsey, American basketball broadcaster, small forward (NY Knicks), born in Selma, Alabama (d. 2019)
- Jul 17 Elmer Fudd [originally Egghead], Warner Bros. cartoon character created by Tex Avery and Chuck Jones (Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series), first debut as Egghead in "Egghead Rides Again"
- Jul 19 Richard Jordan [Robert Anson Jordan Jr.], American actor (Dune, Gettysburg), born in NYC, New York
- Jul 20 Ken Ogata, Japanese actor
- Jul 22 Yasuhiro Kojima, Japanese professional wrestler (d. 1999)
- Jul 23 Bruce Surtees, American cinematographer (Dirty Harry, Lenny), born in Los Angeles, California (d. 2012)
- Jul 27 Don Galloway, American actor (Arrest & Trial, Ironside), born in Augusta, Kentucky (d. 2009)
- Jul 28 Francis Veber, French film director and screenwriter, born in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France
- Aug 3 Steven Berkoff, English actor (Rambo: First Blood Part II), born in Stepney, London
- Aug 5 Alan Howard, English theater and film actor (Royal Shakespeare Company), born in London, England (d. 2015)
- Aug 6 Barbara Windsor, British actress and Dame (Carry On films, EastEnders). born in London, England (d. 2020)
Dustin Hoffman
Aug 8 Dustin Hoffman, American actor (Graduate, Tootsie, Kramer vs Kramer), born in Los Angeles, California
Dustin Hoffman
- Aug 11 Allegra Kent, American ballet dancer and actress (The Addams Family), born in Santa Monica, California
- Aug 11 Anna Massey, actress (De Sade, Doll's House)
- Aug 16 Lorraine Gary, American actress (Jaws, Jaws 2, Jaws 4), born in NYC, New York
- Aug 18 William George Rushton, English actor, author and cartoonist (TW3), born in London, England (d. 1996)
- Aug 20 Jim Bowen, British TV game show host (Bullseye) and comedian, born in Heswall, England (d. 2018)
- Aug 20 El Fary, Spanish singer and actor, born in Madrid, Spain (d. 2007)
- Aug 27 Tommy Sands, American singer/actor (Teenage Rock, Dream With Me), born in Chicago, Illinois
- Aug 31 Guido de Moor, Dutch actor (Apart, Because the Cats)
- Aug 31 Warren Berlinger, actor (Larry-Joey Bishop Shop, Take Two), born in Brooklyn, New York
- Sep 1 Ron O'Neal, actor (Superfly), born in Utica, New York
- Sep 2 Derek Fowlds, British actor (Yes Minister, The Basil Brush Show), born in London, England (d. 2020)
Weddings in Film & TV
Wedding of Interest
Feb 18 Actress Mary Astor (30) weds film editor Manuel del Campo (23) in Yuma, Arizona
Mary Astor
Wedding of Interest
Mar 2 Film director D. W. Griffith (61) weds actress Evelyn Baldwin (26)
D. W. Griffith
Wedding of Interest
Jun 26 Actress Mary Pickford (45) weds actor and band leader Charles Rogers (32)
Mary Pickford
Wedding of Interest
Jul 10 Actress Ingrid Bergman (21) weds dentist Petter Aron Lindström
Ingrid Bergman
- Oct 5 Two-time Oscar winner actor Anthony Quinn (22) weds actress Katherine de Mille (26)
Wedding of Interest
Nov 20 Actor Jackie Coogan (23) weds actress Betty Grable (20) at St. Brendan Catholic Church in Los Angeles
Jackie Coogan
Betty Grable
Deaths in Film & TV
- Jan 2 Ross Alexander, American stage and film actor (Captain Blood, Boulder Dam), commits suicide by gunshot at 29
- Jan 13 Martin Elmer Johnson, American adventurer and filmmaker, dies at 52
- Jan 21 Marie Prevost, Canadian actress (b. 1898)
- Feb 3 Marija Leiko, Latvian film actress (b. 1887)
- Mar 6 Frank Vosper, British actor (The Man Who Knew Too Much, Rome Express), dies at sea at 37
- Apr 29 William Gillette, American actor, playwright and manager (Sherlock Holmes on stage), dies at 83
- May 1 Snitz Edwards [Edward Neumann], Hungarian-American stage and silent film actor ("Phantom of the Opera"; "College"), dies at 69
- May 10 William Tedmarsh, British silent movie actor (Two Beds and No Sleep), dies at 61
Jean Harlow
Jun 7 Jean Harlow [Harlean Carpentier], American actress and 1930s' sex goddess (Dinner at 8, Bombshell), dies from gallbladder infection at 26
Jean Harlow
- Jun 25 Colin Clive, British actor (Frankenstein, Bride of Frankenstein, Mad Love), dies from complications of tuberculosis at 37
- Sep 2 Esther de Farmer-of Rich, actress (Kniertje-On hope of blessing), dies
- Sep 15 Clifford Heatherley, actress (For Love or Money, Cash), dies at 48
- Oct 15 James Marcus, American actor (The Eagle, The Lonely Trail), dies from a heart attack at 70
- Nov 6 Johnston Forbes-Robertson, British actor and theatre director (Kathleen), dies at 84
- Nov 10 Nikolai Batalov, Russian actor (Tretya meshchanskaya, Mother), dies from tuberculosis at 37
- Nov 13 Mrs. Leslie Carter, American actress and writer (Rocky Mountain Mystery, The Heart of Maryland), dies at 75
- Dec 12 Alfred Abel, actor (Dr Mabuse, Metropolis), dies at 57
- Dec 21 Ted Healy [Ernest Lee Nash], American actor and comedian (Mad Love, San Francisco, Soup to Nuts), dies from acute toxic nephritis at 41