1970 in film

Last updated October 24, 2025

The year 1970 in film involved some significant events.

Highest-grossing films (U.S.)

The top ten 1970 released films by box office gross in North America are as follows:

Highest-grossing films of 1970
Rank	Title	Distributor	Domestic rentals
1	Love Story	Paramount	$50,000,000^[1]
2	Airport	Universal	$44,500,000^[1]
3	MASH*	20th Century Fox	$30,000,000^[1]
4	Patton	20th Century Fox	$27,000,000^[1]
5	Woodstock	Warner Bros.	$16,400,000^[2]
6	Little Big Man	National General Pictures	$15,000,000^[1]
7	Tora! Tora! Tora!	20th Century Fox/Toei	$13,700,000^[1]
8	Ryan's Daughter	MGM	$13,400,000^[1]
9	Catch-22	Paramount	$12,300,000^[1]
10	The Owl and the Pussycat	Columbia	$11,500,000^[1]

Events

January 9 – Larry Fine, the second member of The Three Stooges, suffers a massive stroke, effectively ending his career.
February 11 – The Magic Christian , starring Peter Sellers and Ringo Starr, premieres in New York City. The film's soundtrack album, including Badfinger's "Come and Get It" (written and produced by Paul McCartney), is released on Apple Records.
March 12 – Film debut of Ornella Muti in La moglie più bella (The Most Beautiful Wife) 3 days after her 15th birthday.^[3]
March 17 – The controversial film The Boys in the Band , directed by William Friedkin and based on Mart Crowley's hit off-Broadway play, opens in theaters.
July – Stanley R. Jaffe appointed as president of Paramount Pictures, succeeding Charles Bludhorn who remained chairman and CEO.
October 24 – Joan Crawford's final film, the low-budget horror picture Trog , opens in theaters.
December 1 – Yousuf Khan Sher Bano is the first Pashto film released.
December 14 – John Lennon and Yoko Ono film Up Your Legs Forever with 367 participants in New York City.^[4]
The IMAX motion picture projection system premieres at the Fuji Pavilion, at Expo '70 in Osaka, Japan.
In Culver City, California, MGM begins selling off its studio back lot property and movie props.

Awards

Category/Organization	28th Golden Globe Awards February 5, 1971		24th BAFTA Awards March 4, 1971	43rd Academy Awards April 15, 1971
Category/Organization	Drama	Musical or Comedy	24th BAFTA Awards March 4, 1971	43rd Academy Awards April 15, 1971
Best Film	Love Story	MASH*	Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid	Patton
Best Director	Arthur Hiller Love Story		George Roy Hill Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid	Franklin J. Schaffner Patton
Best Actor	George C. Scott Patton	Albert Finney Scrooge	Robert Redford Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid Downhill Racer Tell Them Willie Boy Is Here	George C. Scott Patton
Best Actress	Ali MacGraw Love Story	Carrie Snodgress Diary of a Mad Housewife	Katharine Ross Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid Tell Them Willie Boy Is Here	Glenda Jackson Women in Love
Best Supporting Actor	John Mills Ryan's Daughter		Colin Welland Kes	John Mills Ryan's Daughter
Best Supporting Actress	Karen Black Five Easy Pieces Maureen Stapleton Airport		Susannah York They Shoot Horses, Don't They?	Helen Hayes Airport
Best Screenplay, Adapted	Erich Segal Love Story		William Goldman Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid	Ring Lardner Jr. MASH*
Best Screenplay, Original	Erich Segal Love Story		William Goldman Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid	Francis Ford Coppola and Edmund H. North Patton
Best Original Score	Francis Lai Love Story		N/A	Francis Lai Love Story The Beatles Let It Be
Best Original Song	"Whistling Away The Dark" Darling Lili		N/A	"For All We Know" Lovers and Other Strangers
Best Foreign Language Film	Rider on the Rain		N/A	Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion

Cannes Film Festival (Palme d'Or):

M*A*S*H , directed by Robert Altman, United States

1970 films

By genre/medium

Births

January 1
- Robert Barton, British actor
- Neal Huff, American actor
- Gabriel Jarret, American actor
January 3 - Matt Ross, American actor
January 4 - Josh Stamberg, American actor
January 7 - Doug E. Doug, American actor, comedian, screenwriter, producer and director
January 11 - Lisa Ann Hadley, American actress
January 17 - Genndy Tartakovsky, Russian-American animator, director, producer, screenwriter, voice actor and storyboard artist
January 19
- Essie Davis, Australian actress and singer
- Kipp Marcus, American actor, screenwriter and producer
January 20
- Branka Katić, Serbian actress
- Skeet Ulrich, American actor
January 21 - Ken Leung, American actor
January 22 - Dan Finnerty, American actor and singer
January 24 – Matthew Lillard, American actor, voice actor, director and producer
January 25 - Stephen Chbosky, American director, screenwriter and author
January 27 - Todd Louiso, American actor and director
January 29
- Dominic Coleman, British actor
- Heather Graham, American actress
January 31 - Minnie Driver, English actress
February 3
- WC, American rapper and actor
- Warwick Davis, English actor
- Matt Winston, American actor
February 4
- Gabrielle Anwar, British-American actress
- Jon Spaihts, American screenwriter and voice actor
February 8 - Stephanie Courtney, American actress and comedian
February 10 - Daniel Wyllie, Australian actor
February 14 - Simon Pegg, English actor
February 16 - Scott Yaphe, Canadian actor and comedian
February 17 - Dominic Purcell, Australian actor
February 18 - Susan Egan, American actress, voice actress, singer and dancer
February 23
- Marie-Josée Croze, Canadian actress
- Niecy Nash, American actress, comedian and television host
February 24
- Monica Staggs, American stuntwoman and actress
- Jonathan Ward, American retired actor
February 25 - Heather Simms, American actress
February 28 - Tangi Miller, American actress and director
March 2 - Alexander Armstrong, English actor, comedian, television personality, television presenter and singer
March 3 - Julie Bowen, American actress
March 4
- Sergio Basáñez, Mexican actor
- Will Keen, English actor
- Angela V. Shelton, American actress and comedian
March 5 - Rimantė Valiukaitė, Lithuanian actress
March 6 - Dan Põldroos, Estonian actor (d. 2007)
March 7 - Rachel Weisz, English actress
March 8
- Meredith Scott Lynn, American actress, producer and director
- Jed Rees, Canadian actor
March 12 - Troy Winbush, American actor
March 13 - Tim Story, American filmmaker
March 14 - Meredith Salenger, American actress
March 18 - Queen Latifah, American actress and rapper
March 20
- Linda Larkin, American actress and voice actress
- Michael Rapaport, American actor and comedian
March 23 - Kate Jennings Grant, American actress
March 24
- Lara Flynn Boyle, American actress and producer
- Robbie Gee, British actor
- Taizo Harada, Japanese actor and comedian
March 27 - Elizabeth Mitchell, American actress
March 28
- Björn Freiberg, German actor
- Vince Vaughn, American actor, writer and producer
March 30 - Leleti Khumalo, South African actress
March 31 - Damon Herriman, Australian actor
April 4 - Barry Pepper, Canadian actor
April 7 - Ivelin Giro, Cuban-American actress
April 12 - Retta, American stand-up comedian and actress
April 13 - Ricky Schroder, American actor
April 15 - Flex Alexander, American actor and comedian
April 20 - Shemar Moore, American actor
April 21
- Rob Riggle, American actor, comedian, and marine
- Nicole Sullivan, American actress, voice artist and comedian
April 22 - Mireille Soria, American producer
April 25
- Jonathan Brugh, New Zealand comedian, actor and musician
- Jason Lee, American actor, comedian, and professional skateboarder
April 29
- Paweł Deląg, Polish actor
- Uma Thurman, American actress
May 1 - Dave Willis, American actor, writer, animator, producer, and voice actor
May 2
- Golda Rosheuvel, British actress and singer
- Matt Gerald, American actor and screenwriter
May 3 - Bobby Cannavale, American actor
May 4 - Will Arnett, Canadian actor
May 6 - Tristán Ulloa, Spanish actor, writer and director
May 9 - Helen Hill, American animator (d. 2007)
May 10 - Dallas Roberts, American actor
May 11 - Nicky Katt, American actor (d. 2025)
May 12
- Samantha Mathis, American actress
- Larry Rickles, American screenwriter and producer (d. 2011)
- Nae Yūki, Japanese actress and singer
May 16 - Chuti Tiu, American actress
May 18 - Tina Fey, American comedian, screenwriter, producer, and actress
May 19 - Jason Gray-Stanford, Canadian actor
May 20 - Sally Phillips, English actress, television presenter and comedian
May 21 - Seth Morris, American actor, comedian and writer
May 22
- Naomi Campbell, English model and actress
- Ayberk Pekcan, Turkish actor (d. 2022)
May 23 - Nanette Burstein, American director, producer, and screenwriter
May 25
- Jamie Kennedy, American actor, screenwriter, stand-up comedian and television producer
- Octavia Spencer, American actress
May 26 - John Hamburg, American writer and director
May 27 - Joseph Fiennes, English actor
May 28 - Glenn Quinn, Irish actor (d. 2002)
June 1 - Paula Malcomson, North Irish actress
June 4 - Izabella Scorupco, Polish-Swedish actress and singer
June 8 - Seu Jorge, Brazilian musical artist, songwriter and actor
June 15
- Justin Fletcher, English comedian, children's television presenter
- Leah Remini, American actress, author and activist
June 16 - Clifton Collins Jr., American actor
June 17 - Will Forte, American actor and comedian
June 22
- Richard Yearwood, Canadian actor
- Michael Trucco, American actor
June 24 - Andres Raag, Estonian actor
June 26
- Paul Thomas Anderson, American filmmaker
- Sean Hayes, American actor and comedian
- Matt Letscher, American actor and director
- Chris O'Donnell, American actor
- Nick Offerman, American actor, writer, comedian and producer
June 28
- Rio Hackford, American actor (d. 2022)
- Mike White, American writer, actor and producer
June 30 - Brian Bloom, American actor and screenwriter
July 2 - Scott Aukerman, American writer, actor, comedian, director and producer
July 3
- Audra McDonald, American actress and singer
- Benedict Wong, British actor
July 4 - Lewis MacLeod, Scottish actor and voice actor
July 11- Justin Chambers, American actor
July 12 - Lee Byung-hun, South Korean actor
July 13 - Sharon Horgan, Irish actress, writer, director, producer and comedian
July 14
- Catherine Curtin, American actress
- Mike McFarland, American voice actor
- Nina Siemaszko, American actress
July 16 - Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Thai film director
July 17 - Gary Gulman, American stand-up comedian and actor
July 22 - Jonathan Zaccaï, Belgian actor, director and screenwriter
July 23 - Charisma Carpenter, American actress
July 24 - Velibor Topić, Bosnian-British actor
July 27 - Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Danish actor and producer
July 30 - Christopher Nolan, English-American film director, producer and writer
August 1 - Jennifer Gareis, American actress
August 2 - Kevin Smith, American filmmaker, actor and comedian
August 3 - Thierry Neuvic, French actor
August 4 - Ron Lester, American actor (d. 2016)
August 6 - M. Night Shyamalan, American film director, writer, producer and actor
August 9 - Thomas Lennon, American actor, comedian, screenwriter, producer and director
August 15
- Anthony Anderson, American actor
- Maddie Corman, American actress
August 16
- Saif Ali Khan, Indian actor
- Kaili Närep, Estonian actress
August 17 - Rupert Degas, British-Australian actor
August 18 - Malcolm-Jamal Warner, American actor (d. 2025)
August 18 - Scott Waugh, American director, producer and editor
August 21 - Marc Evan Jackson, American comedian and actor
August 23
- Jay Mohr, American actor and comedian
- River Phoenix, American actor (d. 1993)
August 25 - Claudia Schiffer, German model and actress
August 26 - Melissa McCarthy, American actress, comedian and film producer
August 29 - Alessandra Negrini, Brazilian actress
August 31 - Debbie Gibson, American singer and actress
September 2 - Jesse Burch, American actor
September 3 - Maria Bamford, American stand-up comedian, actress and voice actress
September 4 - Ione Skye, British-born American actress
September 5 - Johnny Vegas, English comedian, actor, writer and director
September 7
- Tom Everett Scott, American actor
- Monique Gabriela Curnen, American actress
- N'Bushe Wright, American actress
September 10 - Tim Plester, British actor and filmmaker
September 11 - Taraji P. Henson, American actress
September 12 - Pippa Grandison, Australian actress and singer
September 13 - Louise Lombard, English actress
September 16 - Knowl Johnson, American actor
September 18 - Gina Shay, American producer
September 22 - Rupert Penry-Jones, British actor
September 28 - David Wills, American voice actor
September 29 - Emily Lloyd, English actress
September 30
- Tony Hale, American actor
- Dragan Mićanović, Serbian actor
October 1 - Gerald Downey, American actor
October 2
- Catherine Kellner, American character actress
- Kelly Ripa, American actress and television host
- Maribel Verdú, Spanish actress
October 3 - Kirsten Nelson, American actress and director
October 5 - Josie Bissett, American actress
October 7 - Nicole Ari Parker, American actress and model
October 8
- Matt Damon, American actor
- Anne-Marie Duff, English actress and narrator
October 9 - Jason Butler Harner, American actor
October 12
- Cody Cameron, American voice actor and director
- Kirk Cameron, American actor
- Cláudia Abreu, Brazilian actress
October 15
- Noel Gugliemi, American actor
- Zak Orth, American actor
October 17 - J. C. MacKenzie, Canadian actor
October 18 - Mike Mitchell, American director, writer, producer, actor and animator
October 19 - Chris Kattan, American actor and comedian
October 21 - Autumn de Wilde, American photographer and film director
October 22 - Amy Redford, American actress, director and producer
October 24 - Raul Esparza, American actor
October 25
- Adam Goldberg, American character actor, filmmaker and musician
- Adam Pascal, American actor, singer and musician
October 26 - Lisa Ryder, Canadian actress
October 28 - Greg Eagles, American actor, producer and writer
October 29 - Michael Daingerfield, Canadian actor
October 30 - Nia Long, American actress
October 31
- Rob Letterman, American director and screenwriter
- Nolan North, American actor and voice actor
November 1 - Merle Palmiste, Estonian actress
November 6 - Ethan Hawke, American actor
November 7 - Morgan Spurlock, American filmmaker and screenwriter (d. 2024)
November 10 - Vince Vieluf, American actor
November 12
- Aitor Iturrioz, Mexican actor
- Michael Greco, British actor
- Craig Parker, New Zealand actor
November 13 - José María Yazpik, Mexican actor
November 15 - Danny Sapani, British actor
November 16 - Martha Plimpton, American actress
November 18
- Mike Epps, American stand-up comedian, producer and actor
- Peta Wilson, Australian actress and model
November 20 - Melissa Disney, American voice actress and writer
November 22 - Joe Son, South Korean-born American former actor
November 23
- Oded Fehr, Israeli actor
- Danny Hoch, American actor, writer and director
November 24 - Madis Milling, Estonian actor and presenter (d. 2022)
November 27 - Brooke Langton, American actress
November 29 - Larry Joe Campbell, American actor and comedian
November 30 - Perrey Reeves, American actress
December 1
- Jouko Ahola, Finnish powerlifter and actor
- Sarah Silverman, American stand-up comedian, actress, singer and writer
December 2 - Joe Lo Truglio, American actor, comedian, writer and producer
December 4 - Kevin Sussman, American actor and comedian
December 5 - Adam Levy, British actor
December 12
- Jennifer Connelly, American actress
- Regina Hall, American actress
December 13 - Bart Johnson, American actor
December 17 - Sean Patrick Thomas, American actor
December 18
- Gero Camilo, Brazilian actor and singer-songwriter
- Victoria Pratt, Canadian actress and model
December 20
- Nicole de Boer, Canadian actress
- Todd Phillips, American director, producer and screenwriter
December 23 - Anatole Taubman, Swiss actor
December 24 - Amaury Nolasco, Puerto Rican actor and producer
December 25 - Andy Fickman, American filmmaker
December 28 - Elaine Hendrix, American actress

Deaths

January 7 - Jack Natteford, 75, American screenwriter, 1,000 Dollars a Minute , Black Bart
January 19 - Hal March, 49, American actor, Hear Me Good , Send Me No Flowers
January 23 - Nell Shipman, 77, Canadian actress, writer, producer, Back to God's Country , The Grub-Stake
January 25 - Eiji Tsuburaya, 68, Japanese film director and special effects designer, Godzilla , Godzilla, King of the Monsters!
January 27 - Rocco D'Assunta, 65, Italian actor, comedian and playwright
February 6 - Roscoe Karns, 76, American actor, It Happened One Night , Alibi Ike
February 19 - Jules Munshin, 54, American actor, On the Town , Take Me Out to the Ball Game
February 24 - Conrad Nagel, 72, American actor, All That Heaven Allows , The Divorcee
March 4 - Peter Godfrey, 70, British director, Christmas in Connecticut , The Two Mrs. Carrolls
March 6 - William Hopper, 55, American actor, Rebel Without a Cause , Track of the Cat
March 23 - Del Lord, 75, Canadian pioneer Hollywood director, A Plumbing We Will Go , All the World's a Stooge
March 25 - Virginia Van Upp, 68, American producer and screenwriter, Gilda , Cover Girl
March 26 - Patricia Ellis, 51, American actress, A Night at the Ritz , Rhythm in the Clouds
April 9 - Cobina Wright, 82, American singer and actress, The Razor's Edge , Footlight Serenade
April 11 - Cathy O'Donnell, 46, American actress, Ben-Hur , The Best Years of Our Lives
April 18
- Gay Seabrook, 69, American actress, Bedtime Worries , Wild Poses
- Glenn Tryon, 71, American actor and director, Lonesome , Miss Mink of 1949
April 19 - George Blair, 64, American director, Duke of Chicago , Streets of San Francisco
April 21 - Jose Corazon de Jesus Jr., 45, Filipino actor, Garrison 13, Higit Sa Lahat
April 25 - Anita Louise, 55, American actress, The Little Princess , The Story of Louis Pasteur
April 26 - Gypsy Rose Lee, 59, American burlesque performer and actress, Screaming Mimi , Belle of the Yukon
April 28 - Ed Begley, 69, American actor, 12 Angry Men , Patterns
April 30 - Inger Stevens, 35, Swedish actress, Hang 'Em High , A Guide for the Married Man
May 10 - Mari Blanchard, 43, American actress, Destry , She-Devil
May 14 - Billie Burke, 85, American actress, The Wizard of Oz , Father's Little Dividend
May 17 - Nigel Balchin, 61, British screenwriter, The Man Who Never Was , 23 Paces to Baker Street
May 21 - Vinton Hayworth, 63, American actor, playwright, screenwriter, Danger on Wheels, Enemy Agent
May 22 - Mahmoud Zulfikar, 56, Egyptian director, screenwriter, Aghla Min Hayati, Soft Hands
May 23 - Nydia Westman, 68, American actress, Ladies Should Listen , Dressed to Thrill
June 4 - Sonny Tufts, 58, American actor, The Virginian , Government Girl
June 11 - Frank Silvera, 55, Jamaican actor, Viva Zapata! , Hombre
June 14 - William Daniels, 68, American cinematographer, Camille , Ninotchka
July 6 - Marjorie Rambeau, 80, American actress, A Man Called Peter , Tobacco Road
July 9 - Sigrid Holmquist, 71, Swedish actress, Just Around the Corner , Meddling Women
July 11 - Andreas Malandrinos, 81, Greek actor
July 14 - Preston Foster, 69, American actor, The Informer , I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang
July 22 - Fritz Kortner, 78, German director, Pandora's Box , The Razor's Edge
July 26 - Claud Allister, 81, English actor, Lady Luck , The Trial of Mary Dugan
August 1 - Frances Farmer, 56, American actress, Come and Get It , The Toast of New York
September 3 - Vasil Gendov, 78, Bulgarian film director, actor and screenwriter, Bulgaran is Gallant
September 11 - Chester Morris, 69, American actor, Meet Boston Blackie , Five Came Back
September 18 - Jimi Hendrix, 27, American musician, Almost Famous , Wayne's World
September 29 - Edward Everett Horton, 84, American actor, Arsenic and Old Lace , Top Hat
October 2 - Grethe Weiser, 67, German actress, My Friend Barbara , Lemke's Widow
October 4 - Janis Joplin, 27, American singer, Watchmen , Three Kings
October 17 - Vola Vale, 73, American actress, The Phantom of the Opera
October 20 - Patrick Wymark, 44, British actor, Battle of Britain , Where Eagles Dare
October 21 - Ernest Haller, 74, American cinematographer, Gone with the Wind , Mildred Pierce
November 2 - Fernand Gravey, 64, French actor, The King and the Chorus Girl , The Great Waltz
November 17 - Naunton Wayne, 69, British actor, Crook's Tour , Dead of Night
November 25 - Louise Glaum, 82, American actress, Greater Than Love , Sex
December 2 - Pat Flaherty, 73, American actor, Convict's Code , The Cobra Strikes
December 12
- Carolyn Craig, 36, American actress, House on Haunted Hill , Portland Exposé
- George Terwilliger, 88, American director and screenwriter, The Fatal Hour , Bride's Play
December 23 - Charles Ruggles, 84, American actor, Bringing Up Baby , The Parent Trap
December 30 - Lenore Ulric, 78, American actress, Notorious , Camille
December 31 - Suzanne Dalbert, 43, French actress, Mark of the Gorilla , The 49th Man

Film debuts

Isabelle Adjani – Le Petit bougnat
Jane Alexander – The Great White Hope
Carmen Argenziano – Cover Me Babe
Linda Blair – The Way We Live Now
Dennis Christopher – Didn't You Hear?
Frances de la Tour – Every Home Should Have One
Danny DeVito – Dreams of Glass
George DiCenzo – House of Dark Shadows
Robert Downey Jr. – Pound
Alice Drummond – Where's Poppa?
Shelley Duvall – Brewster McCloud
Jayne Eastwood – Goin' Down the Road
Erik Estrada – The Cross and the Switchblade
George Buck Flower – Norma
Scott Glenn – The Baby Maker
Pam Grier – Beyond the Valley of the Dolls
Philip Baker Hall – Cowards
Dan Hedaya – Myra Breckinridge
Ken Howard – Tell Me That You Love Me, Junie Moon
Peter Jason – Rio Lobo
Don Johnson – The Magic Garden of Stanley Sweetheart
Jeffrey Jones – The Revolutionary
Tommy Lee Jones – Love Story
Diane Keaton – Lovers and Other Strangers
Frank Langella – Diary of a Mad Housewife
Darrell Larson – The Student Nurses
Michael Lerner – Alex in Wonderland
Stephen McHattie – The People Next Door
Anne Meara – The Out-of-Towners
Garrett Morris – Where's Poppa?
Ornella Muti – The Most Beautiful Wife
Stephen Rea – Cry of the Banshee
Susan Sarandon – Joe
John Schuck – M*A*S*H
Arnold Schwarzenegger – Hercules in New York
Tom Selleck – Myra Breckinridge
Pepe Serna – The Student Nurses
Sam Shepard – Brand X
Sab Shimono – Loving
Paul Sorvino – Where's Poppa?
Jerry Stiller – Lovers and Other Strangers
Fred Williamson – M*A*S*H
Burt Young – Carnival of Blood
Harris Yulin – End of the Road

References

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Finler, Joel Waldo (2003). The Hollywood Story. Wallflower Press. pp. 358–359. ISBN 978-1-903364-66-6.
↑ Top 20 Films of 1970 by Domestic Revenue
↑ IMDB
↑ Keith Badman (28 October 2009). The Beatles Diary Volume 2: After The Break-Up 1970-2001. Omnibus Press. p. 49. ISBN 978-0-85712-001-4.

External links

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[Finler-1] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Finler, Joel Waldo (2003). The Hollywood Story. Wallflower Press. pp. 358–359. ISBN 978-1-903364-66-6.

[1970DomesticRevenue-2] Top 20 Films of 1970 by Domestic Revenue

[IMDB-3] IMDB

[Badman2009-4] Keith Badman (28 October 2009). The Beatles Diary Volume 2: After The Break-Up 1970-2001. Omnibus Press. p. 49. ISBN 978-0-85712-001-4.

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