1945 in film

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Last updated November 26, 2024

The year 1945 in film involved some significant events. With 1945 being the last year of World War II, the many films released this year had themes of patriotism, sacrifices, and peace.^[1] In the United States, there were more than eighteen thousand movie theatres operating in 1945, a figure that grew by a third from a decade earlier.^[2]

Top-grossing films (U.S.)

The top ten 1945 released films by box office gross in North America are as follows:

Highest-grossing films of 1945
Rank	Title	Distributor	Domestic rentals
1	The Bells of St. Mary's	RKO	$8,000,000^[3]
2	Leave Her to Heaven	20th Century Fox	$5,550,000^[3]
3	Spellbound	United Artists	$4,975,000^[4]
4	The Valley of Decision	MGM	$4,566,000^[5]
5	Anchors Aweigh		$4,498,000^[5]
6	Week-End at the Waldorf		$4,364,000^[5]
7	Thrill of a Romance		$4,338,000^[5]
8	The Lost Weekend	Paramount	$4,300,000^[4]
9	State Fair	20th Century Fox	$4,050,000^[4]
10	National Velvet	MGM	$3,678,000^[5]

Events

January 26 – The film National Velvet , starring Mickey Rooney, Elizabeth Taylor, Donald Crisp and Anne Revere, is released nationally in the United States. The film is an instant critical and commercial success, propelling 12-year-old Taylor to stardom and earning Revere the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.
January 30 – Restricted release of Kolberg , an historical epic which is one of the last Nazi Germany propaganda pieces, in war-torn Berlin. Given its cast of 187,000 (including serving military personnel), probably fewer people watched it than appeared in it.
April 20 – Release of Son of Lassie , the 2nd Lassie film and the first film ever to be filmed using the Technicolor monopack method, where a single magazine of film is used to record all of the primary colors. Prior to this method, the most popular recording method was 3-Strip Technicolor, which simultaneously used 3 individual film magazines to record the primary colors.
August 10 – Animated Donald Duck short Duck Pimples is released.
September 27 – Release of Roberto Rossellini's Roma Città aperta marks the beginning of Italian neorealism in film.
October 5 – A strike between the set decorators' union and the studios boils over and becomes known as the Hollywood Black Friday.
October 31 – Spellbound , a psychological thriller directed by Alfred Hitchcock, premieres in New York City.
November 16 – Paramount Pictures releases theatrical short cartoon titled The Friendly Ghost , introducing a ghost named Casper.
November 29 – At the Nuremberg trials a documentary on the Nazi concentration camps directed by John Ford is exhibited as evidence.

Awards

Category/Organization	18th Academy Awards March 7, 1946	3rd Golden Globe Awards March 30, 1946
Best Film	The Lost Weekend
Best Director	Billy Wilder The Lost Weekend
Best Actor	Ray Milland The Lost Weekend
Best Actress	Joan Crawford Mildred Pierce	Ingrid Bergman The Bells of St. Mary's
Best Supporting Actor	James Dunn A Tree Grows in Brooklyn	J. Carrol Naish A Medal for Benny
Best Supporting Actress	Anne Revere National Velvet	Angela Lansbury The Picture of Dorian Gray

1945 film releases

January–March

January 1945
- 4 January
  - This Man's Navy
- 8 January
  - Frenchman's Creek
- 18 January
  - A Song to Remember
- 26 January
  - National Velvet
February 1945
- 2 February
  - Here Come the Co-eds
- 15 February
  - The Seventh Veil
March 1945
- 3 March
  - The Picture of Dorian Gray
- 16 March
  - The House of Fear

April–June

April 1945
- 7 April
  - Brewster's Millions
- 17 April
  - Rockin' in the Rockies
- 20 April
  - The Horn Blows at Midnight
- 29 April
  - Tarzan and the Amazons
May 1945
- 25 May
  - The Clock
June 1945
- 1 June
  - That's the Spirit
- 23 June
  - Murder, He Says
- 30 June
  - Conflict

July–September

July 1945
- 13 July
  - The Story of G.I. Joe
- 19 July
  - Along Came Jones
- 27 July
  - The Woman in Green
August 1945
- 11 August
  - Christmas in Connecticut
- 30 August
  - State Fair
September 1945
- 22 September
  - Rhapsody in Blue

October–December

October 1945
- 20 October
  - Mildred Pierce
- 26 October
  - Love Letters
- 31 October
  - And Then There Were None
  - Spellbound
November 1945
- 1 November
  - Vacation from Marriage
- 10 November
  - Confidential Agent
December 1945
- 7 December
  - House of Dracula
- 8 December
  - The Enchanted Forest
- 20 December
  - Dick Tracy
- 25 December
  - A Walk in the Sun
- 28 December
  - Scarlet Street
- 31 December
  - They Were Expendable

Notable films released in 1945

United States unless stated

W

A Walk in the Sun , starring Dana Andrews
War Comes to America , directed by Frank Capra and Anatole Litvak
Waterloo Road , starring John Mills and Stewart Granger – (GB)
The Way to the Stars , starring John Mills and Michael Redgrave, written by Terence Rattigan – (GB)
The Wicked Lady , starring Margaret Lockwood and James Mason – (GB)
Without Love , starring Spencer Tracy, Katharine Hepburn, Lucille Ball
The Woman in Green , a Sherlock Holmes mystery directed by Roy William Neill, starring Basil Rathbone as Holmes, and Nigel Bruce as Watson, co-starring Hillary Brook and Henry Daniell
Wonder Man , starring Danny Kaye and Virginia Mayo

Y

Yolanda and the Thief , starring Fred Astaire and Lucille Bremer

Z

Ziegfeld Follies , with an MGM all-star cast

Serials

Brenda Starr, Reporter , starring Joan Woodbury
Federal Operator 99 , starring Marten Lamont
Jungle Queen , starring Edward Norris and Eddie Quillan
Jungle Raiders
Manhunt on Mystery Island , starring Richard Bailey and Linda Stirling
The Master Key , starring Dennis Moore
The Monster and the Ape , starring Robert Lowery
The Purple Monster Strikes , starring Dennis Moore and Linda Stirling
The Royal Mounted Rides Again
Secret Agent X-9 , starring Lloyd Bridges
Who's Guilty?

Short film series

Births

January 5 – Roger Spottiswoode, Canadian-British-American director, editor and writer
January 9 – John Doman, American actor
January 14 - Kathleen Chalfant, American actress
January 16 – Élisabeth Margoni, French actress
January 22
- Jophery Brown, American pitcher, stuntman and actor (died 2014)
- Michael Cristofer, American actor and filmmaker
January 25 – Leigh Taylor-Young, American actress
January 28 – Marthe Keller, Swiss actress
January 29 – Tom Selleck, American actor
February 1 - Don Amendolia, American actor
February 3 – Marius Weyers, South African actor
February 4 – Tony Haygarth, English actor (died 2017)
February 8 – Louis Giambalvo, American actor
February 9 – Mia Farrow, American actress
February 12 – Maud Adams, Swedish actress
February 16 – Jeremy Bulloch, English actor (died 2020)
February 17
- Brenda Fricker, Irish actress
- Calvin Jung, American actor
February 20 – Brion James, American actor (died 1999)
February 24 – Barry Bostwick, American actor
February 27 – Carl Anderson, American singer and actor (died 2004)
February 28 – Bubba Smith, American professional football player and actor (died 2011)
March 1 – Dirk Benedict, American actor
March 3
- George Miller, Australian filmmaker
- Larry Pine, American actor
- Hattie Winston, American actress and voice artist
March 8 – Janet Wright, English-born Canadian actress (died 2016)
March 13 – Whitney Rydbeck, American actor (died 2024)
March 24
- Curtis Hanson, American director, screenwriter and producer (died 2016)
- Patrick Malahide, British actor and producer
March 28 – Raine Loo, Estonian actress (died 2020)
April 2 – Linda Hunt, American actress
April 3 – Catherine Spaak, Belgian-Italian actress and singer (died 2022)
April 4 – Caroline McWilliams, American actress (died 2010)
April 11 – Michael Brandon, American actor
April 19 – Cleo Sylvestre, English actress (died 2024)
May 14 – Francesca Annis, English actress
May 18 – Candice Azzara, American character actress
May 24 – Priscilla Presley, American actress
May 27 – Kip Niven, American actor (died 2019)
May 30 – Makram Khoury, Israeli-Arab actor
May 31 – Rainer Werner Fassbinder, German director, producer and screenwriter (died 1982)
June 2
- Jon Peters, American producer
- Joan Pringle, American actress
June 3 – Bill Paterson, Scottish actor
June 6 – David Dukes, American actor (died 2000)
June 11 – Adrienne Barbeau, American actress
June 12 – Edwin Neal, American actor
July 1 – Debbie Harry, American actress and singer (lead vocalist of Blondie (band))
July 3 – Mickey Rooney Jr., American actor (died 2022)
July 4 – Bruce French, American actor
July 6 – Burt Ward, American actor
July 19 – George Dzundza, American actor
July 21 – Sergio Calderón, Mexican-born American actor (died 2023)
July 23 – Edie McClurg, American actress and voice actress
July 26 – Helen Mirren, English actress
August 2 – Joanna Cassidy, American actress
August 5 – Loni Anderson, American actress
August 14
- Steve Martin, American actor and comedian
- Wim Wenders, German director, producer and screenwriter
August 15
- Jill Haworth, English-American actress (died 2011)
- Nigel Terry, English actor (died 2015)
August 16 – Bob Balaban, American actor, director, producer and writer
August 21 – Patty McCormack, American actress
August 23 – Bob Peck, English actor (died 1999)
August 24 – Cástulo Guerra, Argentine actor
August 28 – Jeannie Linero, American actress
September 10 – Dennis Burkley, American actor (died 2013)
September 11 – Felton Perry, American actor
September 15
- Roy Brocksmith, American actor (died 2001)
- Clive Merrison, British actor
September 17 – Bruce Spence, New Zealand actor
September 22 – Paul Le Mat, American actor
October 7 – Michael Wallis, American journalist and voice actor
October 17 – Thomas Kopache, American actor
October 18 – Huell Howser, American actor, television personality, host, comedian (died 2013)
October 19 – John Lithgow, American actor
October 20 – George Wyner, American actor
October 21 – Everett McGill, American actor
October 23 – Hugh Fraser, English actor
October 26 – Jaclyn Smith, American actress
October 27 – Carrie Snodgress, American actress (died 2004)
October 30 – Henry Winkler, American actor
October 31 – Brian Doyle-Murray, American actor and comedian
November 2 – JD Souther, American singer-songwriter and actor (died 2024)
November 8 – Angela Scoular, English actress (died 2011)
November 10
- Terence Davies, English screenwriter and director (died 2023)
- Douglas Gresham, American-British actor and producer
November 15
- Roger Donaldson, Australian-New Zealand director, screenwriter and producer
- Bob Gunton, American character actor
November 19 – Paula Weinstein, American producer (died 2024)
November 21 – Goldie Hawn, American actress
November 26 – Daniel Davis, American actor
November 27 – James Avery, American actor (died 2013)
November 28 – John Hargreaves, Australian actor (died 1996)
November 30 – Billy Drago, American actor (died 2019)
December 1 – Bette Midler, American actress, comedian and singer
December 7 – Clive Russell, Scottish actor
December 9 – Michael Nouri, American actor
December 13 – Heather North, American actress (died 2017)
December 17 – Ernie Hudson, American actor
December 21 – Mari Lill, Estonian actress
December 24 – Nicholas Meyer, American screenwriter, director and producer
December 25
- Rick Berman, American producer and screenwriter
- Gary Sandy, American actor
December 30 – Lloyd Kaufman, American director, screenwriter, producer and actor
December 31
- Barbara Carrera, Nicaraguan-born American actress
- Vernon Wells, Australian character actor

Deaths

January 14 – Heinrich Schroth, 73, German actor, Dr. Hart's Diary , Melody of a Great City , Die Entlassung , Rembrandt
February 18 - Jimmy Butler, 23, American actor
February 23 – Reginald Barker, 58, American director, Civilization , The Bargain , The Coward , The Moonstone
March 4 – Lucille La Verne, 72, American actress, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs , Abraham Lincoln , Orphans of the Storm , A Tale of Two Cities
March 4 – Mark Sandrich, 44, American director, The Gay Divorcee , Follow the Fleet , Holiday Inn
March 30 – Béla Balogh, 60, Hungarian director
April 10 – Gloria Dickson, 27, American actress, Lady of Burlesque , They Won't Forget
April 16 – Willie Fung, 49, Chinese-American actor, Come On, Cowboys , The Great Profile
April 29 – Malcolm McGregor, 52, American silent screen star, Lady of the Night , The Circle , The Whispering Shadow , The Ladybird
May 4 – Anna Dodge, 77, American actress, The Extra Girl , Ride for Your Life
July 13 – Alla Nazimova, 66, Ukrainian-born stage and film actress, Blood and Sand , Salomé , Since You Went Away , Madame Peacock
July 19 – George Barbier, 80, American actor, No One Man , Evenings for Sale , The Cat's-Paw , The Magnificent Dope
August 11 – Stefan Jaracz, 61, Polish actor, Countess Walewska
September 1 – Terry, 11, American performing Cairn Terrier, The Wizard of Oz
November 11 – Jerome Kern, 60, American composer, Show Boat , Swing Time
November 12 – Jaro Fürth, 74, Austrian actor, Diary of a Lost Girl , Joyless Street
November 21 – Robert Benchley, 56, American writer and actor, Foreign Correspondent , You'll Never Get Rich , Road to Utopia
December 25 – Russell Gleason, 37, American actor, Undercover Agent , The Covered Trailer , News Is Made at Night

Debuts

Robert Alda – Rhapsody in Blue
Barbara Billingsley – Adventure
Kathryn Card – Kiss and Tell
Mario Castellani – Romulus and the Sabines
Jeff Chandler – Thrill of a Romance
Steve Cochran – Booked on Suspicion
William Conrad – Pillow to Post
June Foray – Bring on the Girls
Vincent Gardenia – The House on 92nd Street
Vittorio Gassman – Inconto con Laura
Maxine Gates – Here Come the Co-Eds
Laura Gore – Romulus and the Sabines
Coleen Gray – State Fair
Jane Greer – Pan-Americana
Dwayne Hickman – Captain Eddie
John Ireland – A Walk in the Sun
David Janssen – It's a Pleasure
Silvana Mangano – The Last Judgment
E. G. Marshall – The House on 92nd Street
Murray Matheson – The Way to the Stars
Darren McGavin – A Song to Remember
Cameron Mitchell – What Next, Corporal Hargrove?
Roger Moore – Perfect Strangers
Phillip Pine – The Sailor Takes a Wife
John Russell – A Royal Scandal
Dean Stockwell – The Valley of Decision
Audrey Totter – Main Street After Dark
Howard Vernon – Boule de Suif

Star ranking according to Motion Picture Herald exhibitor's poll


Rank	Star
1	Bing Crosby
2	Van Johnson
3	Greer Garson
4	Betty Grable
5	Spencer Tracy
6	Humphrey Bogart, Gary Cooper
7	Bob Hope
8	Judy Garland
9	Margaret O'Brien
10	Roy Rogers

*Source: Best Years Going to the Movies, 1945-1946 ^[6]

Notes

1 2 Affron, Charles; Affron, Mirella Jona (2009). Best Years : Going to the Movies, 1945-1946. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press. pp. 1–9. ISBN 9786613588685.
↑ Film Daily Year Book (Reading, UK: Research Publications, 1947), microfilm, 59.
1 2 "All-Time Top Grossers". Variety . 6 January 1965. p. 39. Retrieved 29 December 2022– via Internet Archive.
1 2 3 "All-Time Top Grossers". Variety . 6 January 1965. p. 67. Retrieved 29 December 2022– via Internet Archive.
1 2 3 4 5 The Eddie Mannix Ledger, Los Angeles: Margaret Herrick Library, Center for Motion Picture Study.
↑ Affron, Charles; Affron, Mirella Jona (2009). Best Years Going to the Movies, 1945-1946. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press. p. 297. ISBN 9780813548456.