Year 1971 in Film & Television

• Jan 12 "All in the Family" premieres on CBS featuring 1st toilet flush on TV
• Jan 18 Ivan Koloff beats Bruno Sammartino in New York, to become WWF champ

• Jan 21 "Alias Smith & Jones" premieres on ABC TV
• Jan 25 WHMB TV channel 40 in Indianapolis, IN (IND) begins broadcasting
• Feb 3 KTSC TV channel 8 in Pueblo-Colorado Spgs, CO (PBS) 1st broadcast

• Feb 8 Pedro Morales beats Ivan Koloff in NY, to become WWF wrestling champ
• Feb 9 Probably 1st gay theme TV episode - All in the Family
• Feb 9 5 men are killed near a BBC transmitter on Brougher Mountain, County Tyrone, in a landmine attack carried out by the Irish Republican Army
• Feb 14 Movie "Ben Hur" 1st shown on television

• Feb 20 National Emergency Center erroneously orders US radio & TV stations to go off the air. Mistake wasn't resolved for 30 minutes
• Feb 28 WDRB TV channel 41 in Louisville, Kentucky (IND) begins broadcasting

• Mar 16 KDCD TV channel 18 in Midland, TX (IND) suspends broadcasting
• Mar 21 WCPB TV channel 28 in Salisbury, MD (PBS) begins broadcasting


• Mar 26 "Cannon" with William Conrad premieres on CBS-TV
• Mar 29 WSVN (now WSBN) TV channel 47 in Norton, VA (PBS) begins broadcasting
• Apr 2 Dark Shadows, American Gothic soap opera, concludes an almost 5 year run
• Apr 5 WNJT TV channel 52 in Trenton, NJ (PBS) begins broadcasting
• Apr 7 WCJB TV channel 20 in Gainesville, FL (ABC/NBC) begins broadcasting 3-judge US Circuit Court of Appeals
• Apr 11 WBFF TV channel 45 in Baltimore, MD (IND) begins broadcasting
• Apr 15 43rd Academy Awards: "Patton", George C Scott & Glenda Jackson win

• Apr 20 Barbra Streisand records "We've Only Just Begun"
• May 9 23rd Emmy Awards: All in the Family, Jack Klugman & Jean Stapleton win
• May 27 24th Cannes Film Festival: "The Go-Between" directed by Joseph Losey wins the Grand Prix du Festival International du Film
• May 31 WDXR (now WKPD) TV channel 29 in Paducah, KY (PBS) begins broadcasting

• Jun 6 "Ed Sullivan Show" last broadcasts on CBS-TV
• Jun 6 WHAE (now WGNX) TV channel 46 in Atlanta, GA (CBN) begins broadcasting
• Jun 23 WTVP TV channel 47 in Peoria, IL (PBS) begins broadcasting

• Jun 26 21st Berlin International Film Festival: "The Garden of the Finzi-Continis" wins the Golden Bear
• Jul 24 WUHQ TV channel 41 in Battle Creek, MI (ABC) begins broadcasting
• Jul 28 Dutch ends censorship of "Blue Movie"


• Aug 1 CBS presents Masterpiece Theatre's 6 Wives of Henry VIII
• Aug 5 WNPE TV channel 16 in Watertown, NY (PBS) begins broadcasting
• Aug 6 3rd San Diego Comic-Con International opens at Muir College, University of California
• Aug 23 WGTU TV channel 29 in Traverse City, MI (ABC) begins broadcasting
• Aug 25 32nd Venice Film Festival opens
• Aug 30 WNPI TV channel 18 in Norwood, NY (PBS) begins broadcasting

• Sep 10 KVUE TV channel 24 in Austin, Texas (ABC) begins broadcasting
• Sep 11 Laurel Lea Schaefer (Ohio), 22, crowned 44th Miss America 1972
• Sep 13 WIIQ TV channel 41 in Demopolis, AL (PBS) begins broadcasting
• Sep 15 1st broadcast of "Columbo" starring Peter Falk on NBC
• Sep 26 WGBY TV channel 57 in Springfield, MA (PBS) begins broadcasting
• Sep 29 "McMillan & Wife" debuts on NBC-TV
• Oct 1 Walt Disney World opens in Bay Lake, Florida
• Oct 4 Borden's opens a turn-of-century ice cream parlor at Disney World
• Oct 4 KMPH TV channel 26 in Visalia-Fresno, CA (IND) begins broadcasting

• Oct 13 WTZH TV channel 24 in Meridian, MS (CBS) suspends broadcasting
• Oct 23 WXLT (now WWSB) TV channel 40 in Sarasota-Bradenton, FL (ABC) begins
• Nov 19 Disney World's Fort Wilderness opens
• Nov 29 1st pro golf championship at Walt Disney World
• Nov 30 TV movie "Brian's Song" airs for 1st time on ABC-TV
• Dec 5 KCBJ (now KMIZ) TV channel 17 in Columbia, MO (ABC) 1st broadcast
• Dec 14 U.S. premiere of "Nicholas and Alexandra", film adaptation of Robert K. Massie's best selling novel
• Dec 17 "Diamonds are Forever", 7th James Bond film, last starring Sean Conner, also starring Jill St. John is 1st released in West Germany
• Dec 18 1st Candlelight Processional at the EPCOT Center, Disney World
• Dec 18 CBS radio cancels Saturday morning band concerts
• Dec 19 CBS airs "Homecoming A Christmas Story," (introducing the Waltons)

• Dec 22 KUAC TV channel 9 in Fairbanks/College, AK (PBS) begins broadcasting
• Dec 31 KAID TV channel 4 in Boise, ID (PBS) begins broadcasting

Birthdays 1 - 100 of 258

• Jan 2 Taye Diggs, American actor
• Jan 4 Jeremy Licht, American actor (Mark-Valerie/Hogan Family), born in Los Angeles, California
• Jan 5 Mayuko Takata, Japanese actress, born in Tokyo, Japan
• Jan 7 C.W. Anderson, American professional wrestler, born in Emit, North Carolina
• Jan 8 Brook Lee, American actress & model (Miss Hawaii 1997, Miss USA 1997, Miss Universe 1997), born in Pearl City, Hawaii

• Jan 13 John Mallory Asher, American film actor/director

• Jan 16 Josh Evans, American actor (Ricochett, The Doors), and film producer, born in New York City
• Jan 17 Kid Rock [Robert James Ritchie], American rapper, songwriter, musician and actor (Devil Without a Cause), born in Romeo, Michigan
• Jan 17 Youki Kudoh, Japanese actress, born in Hachioji, Tokyo, Japan
• Jan 18 Seamus O'Regan, Canadian politician & television personality, born in St. John's, Canada
• Jan 19 Shawn Wayans, American actor (In Living Color), born in NYC, New York
• Jan 21 Tommy Puett, actor (Tyler-Life Goes On, America's Top 10), born in Gary, Indiana
• Jan 24 Saalman Raelyn, American actress (Attack of 60' Centerfold), born in Fostoria, Ohio
• Jan 24 Tonya Crowe, American actress (Olivia-Knots Landing), born in Long Beach, California
• Jan 24 Andrea Mackris, American television producer, born in Missouri, United States
• Jan 25 China Kantner, American actress & daughter of Grace Slick, born in San Francisco, California
• Jan 25 Ana Ortiz, American actress (Ugly Betty - "Hilda"), and singer, born in Manhattan, New York
• Jan 26 Bryan Callen, American actor, born in Manila, Philippines
• Jan 26 Dorian Gregory, American actor, born in Washington, D.C.
• Jan 30 Darren Boyd, British actor, born in Hastings, United Kingdom
• Jan 31 Lee Young Ae, South Korean actress, born in Seoul, South Korea
• Jan 31 Patrick Kielty, Northern Irish comedian, born in Dundrum, United Kingdom
• Feb 1 Michael C. Hall, American actor (Dexter, Six Feet Under), born in Raleigh, North Carolina
• Feb 3 Elisa Donovan, American actress
• Feb 3 Hong Seok-cheon, South Korean actor
• Feb 4 Michael Goorjian, American actor (Party Of Five, SLC Punk!), born in San Francisco, California
• Feb 4 Rob Corddry, American actor and comedian
• Feb 5 Marcus Redman, American actor (Raymond-Doogie Howser)
• Feb 6 Dana Eskelson, American actress, born in Dallas, Texas
• Feb 6 Brian Stepanek, American actor, born in Cleveland, Ohio
• Feb 9 Sharon Case, Det Mich, actress (Sharon Collins-Young & Restless)
• Feb 10 Louie Spicolli [Louis Mucciolo Jr.], American wrestler, born in San Pedro, California (d. 1998)
• Feb 11 Damian Lewis, British actor, born in St John's Wood, London
• Feb 14 Kris Aquino, Filipino actress & TV host, born in Quezon City, Philippines
• Feb 14 Tommy Dreamer, American professional wrestler, born in Yonkers, New York
• Feb 15 Renee O'Connor, American actress (Xena Warrior Princess), born in Katy, Texas
• Feb 17 Jeremy Edwards, British actor (Holby City), born in London, England
• Feb 17 Denise Richards, American actress (The World is not Enough), born in Downers Grove, Illinois
• Feb 21 Jose Solano, American actor (Baywatch), born in Inglewood, California
• Feb 22 Lea Salonga, Filipina singer & actress (Miss Siagon), born in Manila, Philippines
• Feb 23 Jason Keller, American actor (Jason-Out of the Blue), born in Scarsdale, New York
• Feb 23 Shane Keller, American actor (Shane-Out of the Blue), born in Scarsdale, New York
• Feb 23 Jeong Chan, South Korean actor, born in Boryeong, South Korea
• Feb 23 Melinda Messenger, English television presenter, born in Swindon, Wiltshire
• Feb 25 Sean Astin, American actor (Goonies, The Lord of the Rings), born in Los Angeles, California
• Feb 28 Peter Stebbings, Canadian actor
• Mar 2 Amber Smith, actress (Faithful, Funeral, Mirror Has 2 Faces), born in Tampa, Florida
• Mar 2 Dave Gorman, English documentary comedian
• Mar 2 Elizabeth Lackey, American actress
• Mar 4 Shavar Ross, American actor-turned film director, writer, film producer and editor
• Mar 4 Nick Stabile, American actor
• Mar 5 Yuri Lowenthal, American actor/author/painter
• Mar 6 Sean Morley, American professional wrestler
• Mar 7 Peter Sarsgaard, American actor (The Killing), born in St Clair, Illinois
• Mar 7 Matthew Vaughn, British producer and director (Kingsman films), born in London, England
• Mar 9 Emmanuel Lewis, American actor (Webster), born in Brooklyn, New York

• Mar 11 Johnny Knoxville, American television personality
• Mar 13 Tracy Wells, American actress (Heather-Mr Belvedere), born in Encino, Los Angeles
• Mar 13 Annabeth Gish, American actress (Shag, Hiding Out), born in Albuquerque, New Mexico
• Mar 15 Penny Lancaster, English model
• Mar 16 Alan Tudyk, American actor
• Mar 19 Dalton James, actor (My Father the Hero, Mark-Beverly Hills 90201)
• Mar 19 Nadja Auermann, German supermodel
• Mar 22 Will Yun Lee, American actor
• Mar 23 Hiroyoshi Yamamoto, wrestler (NJPW)
• Mar 23 Karen McDougal, American Playboy model (Playmate of the year 1998), alleged affair with Donald Trump, born in Merrillville, Indiana
• Mar 23 Yasmeen Ghauri, Canadian model (Valentino Perfume), born in Montreal, Canada
• Mar 23 Gail Porter, British television presenter
• Mar 24 Megyn Price, American actress
• Mar 27 Nathan Fillion, Canadian actor (Castle), born in Edmonton, Alberta

• Apr 1 Jessica Collins [Capogna], actress (Dinah Lee Mayberry-Loving)
• Apr 1 Lachy Hulme, Australian actor and screenwriter
• Apr 2 Todd Woodbridge OAM, Australian tennis player (16 x Grand Slam doubles titles; 6 x GS mixed doubles titles; Olympic gold 1996) and broadcaster (7 Network, 9 Network), born in Sydney, New South Wales
• Apr 4 John Zandig, American professional wrestler, born in Sewell, New Jersey
• Apr 7 Guillaume Depardieu, French actor
• Apr 8 Craig Mazin, American scriptwriter and film director (Chernobyl), born in Brooklyn, New York
• Apr 9 Austin Peck, American actor (Austin Reed-Days of Our Lives), born in Honolulu, Hawaii
• Apr 11 Vicellous Reon Shannon, American actor (The Hurricane), born in Memphis, Tennessee

• Apr 12 Nicholas Brendon, American actor (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), born in Los Angeles, California
• Apr 13 Cory Yothers, American actor (Off the Rock), born in Los Angeles, California
• Apr 13 Dina Korzun, Russian actress, born in Smolensk, Russia
• Apr 15 Katy Hill, British television presenter
• Apr 16 Max Beesley, English musician and actor, born in Burnage, Lancashire
• Apr 16 Moses Chan, Hong Kong actor (Heart of Greed), born in Hong Kong
• Apr 17 Jim Acosta, American journalist (CNN White House correspondent), born in Washington, D.C.
• Apr 18 Tamara Braun, American actress (Ava Vitali-Days of Our Lives), born in Evanston, Illinois

• Apr 22 Ingo Rademacher, German FR, actor (Jasper Jacks-General Hospital)
• Apr 22 Eric Mabius, American actor
• Apr 25 Tomoko Kawakami, Japanese voice actress, born in Tokyo, Japan (d. 2011)
• Apr 27 Hayley Carr, Salzburg Austria, actress (Courtney-As the World Turns)
• Apr 27 Tess Daly, British television presenter (Strictly Come Dancing), born in Stockport, Cheshire, England
• Apr 28 Chris Young, Penn, actor (Bryce Lynch-Max Headroom, Great Outdoors)
• Apr 28 Simbi Khali, actress (Nina-Third Rock From the Sun)
• Apr 28 Bridget Moynahan, American actress, born in Binghamton, New York

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• Jul 19 "The Who" lead singer Roger Daltrey (27) weds model Heather Taylor

• Jan 2 Willard Maas, American educator & experimental filmmaker (b. 1906)
• Jan 5 Douglas Shearer, Canadian film engineer (b. 1899)
• Jan 7 Richard "Dick" Kollmar, American actor (Broadway Spotlight, Guess What), dies from complications from a blood clotting disorder at 60
• Jan 7 Madame Spivy [LeVoe], actress (All Fall Down), dies at 64
• Jan 15 John Dall, actor (Corn is Green, Rope), dies of heart attack at 50
• Jan 16 Kermit Maynard, American cowboy actor (Valley of Terror, Saturday Roundup), dies at 73
• Jan 18 Catherine Calvert, actress (Fires of Faith), dies of stroke at 80
• Jan 20 Broncho Billy Anderson, American actor and the 1st cowboy in a movie (The Great Train, The Lucky Dog), dies at 88
• Feb 3 Jay C Flippen, American actor (Jet Pilot, The Killing, Thunder Bay), dies at 71
• Feb 12 George Shelton, actor (It Pays to be Ignorant), dies at 86
• Feb 17 Teddy Hart, American actor (After the Thin Man, 3 Men on a Horse), dies at 73
• Feb 22 Barry Macollum, actor (On the Waterfront), dies at 81
• Feb 22 Matt McHugh, American actor (Taxi, Freaks, Barbary Coast, Innocent Affair), dies at 77
• Feb 26 Fernandel [Fernand Contandin], French actor (The Little World of Don Camillo), dies of lung cancer at 67
• Feb 26 Tullio Carminati, Austrian actor (War and Peace, Roman Holiday), dies at 76
• Mar 5 Winnie Lightner, American actress (Gold Dust Gertie, Sit Tight), dies at 71
• Mar 8 Harold Lloyd sr, American silent film actor, comedian, and director (Why Worry, Safety Last!), dies of cancer at 77
• Mar 11 Philo Farnsworth, American inventor (created electronic television, video camera tube), dies of pneumonia at 64
• Mar 12 David Burns, American actor (Music Man, Hello Dolly!), dies of a heart attack at 68
• Mar 16 Bebe Daniels, actress (Silver Dollar, My Past), dies at 70
• Mar 30 Selmer Jackson, American actor (The Grapes of Wrath, Life & Legend of Wyatt Earp), dies at 82
• Mar 31 Liselotte Liselot Beekmeyer, Dutch actress (Child Crying), dies at 31
• Apr 20 Cecil Parker, British actor (The Lady Vanishes, Indiscreet, Tale of 2 Cities), dies at 73
• Apr 21 Edmund Lowe, American actor (Black Sheep, Good Sam, Dillinger, Hot Pepper), dies at 81
• May 1 Edith Day, American actress (A Romance of the Air), dies at 75
• May 1 Glenda Farrell, actress (Grand Slam, Exposed), dies at 66
• May 4 Louis de Bree [Louis Davids], actor (De man zonder hart, The Cross-Patch, Bluejackets), dies at 87
• May 5 Alice Tissot, French actress (Italian Straw Hat), dies of cancer at 81
• May 6 Helene Weigel, Austrian/German actress (Metropolis), dies at 70
• May 12 Tor Johnson [Tore Johansson], Swedish wrestler and actor (Bride of the Monster), dies at 67
• May 15 Sir Tyrone Guthrie, British actor, producer, writer and director, dies at 70
• May 21 Dennis King, English actor (Devil's Brother), dies of heart ailment at 73
• May 25 Terence De Marney, British actor (Lorna Doone, Doctor Who, The Immortal Gentleman), dies after accidentally falling under a subway at 63
• May 26 John Longden, British actor (Man From Interpol), dies at 70
• May 27 Chips Rafferty [John William Pilbean Goffage], Australian actor (Wake in Fright, Desert Rats), dies from a heart attack at 62
• May 28 Audie Murphy, American soldier who was among the most decorated in WW II with 33 medals and actor (To Hell and Back, Whispering Smiths), killed in a plane crash at 46
• May 28 Jean Vilar, French stage and film actor and director (Théâtre National Populaire), dies at 59
• May 30 Rodd Redwing, actor (Buffalo Bill in Tomahawk Territory), dies at 66
• Jun 9 Harold Lloyd Jr, American actor, singer and son of famous silent film actor Harold Lloyd sr (Frankenstein's Daughter), dies of a cerebral hemorrhage at 40
• Jun 10 Michael Rennie, English actor (Day the Earth Stood Still), dies at 61
• Jun 18 Thomas Gomez, American actor (Force of Evil, Key Largo, Kim, Sellout), dies after a car accident at 65
• Jun 24 Jack Good, actor (Father Goose), dies
• Jun 30 Herbert Biberman, Jewish American screenwriter and film director (b. 1900)
• Jul 3 Renie Riano, English-born American actress dies after long illness at 71
• Jul 12 Yvon Robert, French Canadian professional wrestler (b. 1914)
• Jul 15 Guy Wilkerson, American actor (Dead or Alive, West of Texas, Shootin' Iron), dies of cancer at 71
• Jul 23 Van Heflin [Emmett Evan Heflin Jr], American actor (Great Adventure, Madame Bovary), dies from a heart attack at 60

• Aug 16 Elsie Baker, actress (Ghosts of Hanley House), dies at 78
• Aug 16 Spyros Skouras, Greek-born American movie executive (20th Century Fox), dies at 78
• Aug 17 Horace McMahon, American actor (Detective Story, Martin Kane Private Eye), dies from a heart ailment at 65
• Aug 23 Oliver McGowan, American actor (Banning, Stagecoach), dies at 64
• Sep 3 Veronica Turleigh, Irish actress (Promoter), dies at 68
• Sep 3 Dave Street [Patrick Devlin], American actor and singer (Moonrise, I Surrender Dear, Broadway Open House), dies of cancer at 53
• Sep 7 Spring Byington, actress (Lily Ruskin-December Bride), dies at 84
• Sep 10 Bella Darvi [Bajla Węgier], Polish actress (The Egyptian, Hell and High Water, Racers), commits suicide at 42
• Sep 10 Pier Angeli [Anna Maria Pierangeli], Italian actress (Sodom & Gomorrah, Vintage, Battle of the Bulge), dies of barbiturate overdose at 39
• Sep 11 Percy Helton, American actor (Jail Busters, Harbor of Missing Men), dies at 77
• Sep 13 Nelly A "Nell" Knoop, Dutch actress (Silent Waters), dies at 72
• Sep 20 James Westerfield, American actor (Jungle Heat, Lucky Johnny), dies from a heart attack at 59
• Sep 22 Joseph Ford McGuinn, American director and actor (Dick Tracy's G-Men), dies of heart attack at 67
• Sep 23 Billy Gilbert, American actor (Great Dictator, His Gal Friday), dies at 77
• Sep 26 Muriel Kirkland, actress (Nana, Fast Workers), dies of emphysema at 68
• Oct 4 Edit Angold, German actress (Suspense, Molly, Blue Angel), dies at 76
• Oct 8 Christopher Dark [Alfred Francis DeLeo], American actor, (World Without End, The Time Tunnel), dies of a heart attack at 51
• Oct 11 Chester Conklin, American actor (Every Day's a Holiday, Greed), dies at 85
• Oct 19 Betty Bronson, actress (Naked Kiss), dies after brief illness at 64
• Oct 21 Raymond Hatton, American actor (Girls in Prison, Lady Killer), dies of heart attack at 84
• Oct 25 Albert van Dalsum, Dutch actor and director (Wilton's Zoo, Little Rascal), dies at 82
• Oct 26 Robert Gordon director/writer (Loveless), dies at 76
• Oct 26 Vincent Coleman, American actor (For the Freedom of Ireland, Salome), dies at 71
• Nov 2 Martha Vickers, American actress (Alimony, Man I Love, Ruthless), dies after long illness at 46
• Nov 9 Maude Fealy, American actor and drama coach (The Ten Commandments), dies at 88
• Nov 16 Charlie Dell, American actor and comedian (Pickle in the Middle), dies at 90
• Nov 16 Edie Sedgwick, American actress (Andy Warhol) and socialite, dies at 28
• Nov 17 Gladys Cooper, actress (Margaret-The Rogues), dies at 83
• Nov 22 Walter Sande, American actor (To Have and Have Not), dies of heart attack at 65
• Nov 25 Hank Mann, American actor (City Lights, Smoky, Dawn Trail, Fugitive Road), dies at 84
• Dec 5 Hugh Wakefield, British actor (The Man Who Knew Too Much, Blithe Spirit), dies at 83
• Dec 12 David Sarnoff, American radio and television pioneer (RCA, NBC), dies at 80
• Dec 12 Frank Wolff, actor (Erotic Illusion, Last Gun), commits suicide at 43
• Dec 18 Diana Lynn [Dolores Eartha Loehr], American actress (Annapolis Story, Easy Come Easy Go), dies of a stroke at 45
• Dec 20 Roy O Disney, brother of Walt, dies of cerebral hemorrhage at 78
• Dec 26 Robert Lowery, actor (Circus Boy, Pistols 'n' Petticoats), dies at 57
• Dec 29 Stuart Holmes, American actor (Life's Shop Window, Prisoner of Zenda), dies of stomach ailment at 87
• Dec 30 Dorothy Comingore [Linda Winters], American actress (Citizen Kane), dies after illness at 58
• Dec 30 Melba Rae, American actress (Search for Tomorrow) (b. 1922)
• Dec 31 Peter Deuel, actor (Gidget, Love on a Rooftop), commits suicide at 31
• Dec 31 Pete Duel American actor (b. 1940)
• Dec 31 Marin Sais, American actress (b. 1890)