| List of years in film |
|---|
| Years in film |
|---|
| |
| 19th century |
| 1870s |
The following is an overview of events in 1981 in film, including the highest-grossing films, award ceremonies and festivals, a list of films released and notable deaths.
The top ten films released in 1981 by box office gross in North America are as follows:
| Rank | Title | Distributor | Box-office gross |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Raiders of the Lost Ark | Paramount | $212,222,025 |
| 2 | On Golden Pond | Universal | $119,285,432 |
| 3 | Superman II | Warner Bros. | $108,185,706 |
| 4 | Arthur | $95,461,682 | |
| 5 | Stripes | Columbia | $85,297,000 |
| 6 | The Cannonball Run | 20th Century Fox | $72,179,579 |
| 7 | Chariots of Fire | Warner Bros. / 20th Century Fox | $58,972,904 |
| 8 | For Your Eyes Only | United Artists | $54,812,802 |
| 9 | The Four Seasons | Universal | $50,427,646 |
| 10 | Time Bandits | Embassy | $42,365,581 |
Palme d'Or (Cannes Film Festival):
Golden Lion (Venice Film Festival):
Golden Bear (Berlin Film Festival):
| Month | Date | Name | Age | Country | Profession | Notable films |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 10 | Katharine Alexander | 82 | US | Actress | |
| 10 | Richard Boone | 63 | US | Actor | ||
| 11 | Beulah Bondi | 91 | US | Actress | ||
| 12 | Isobel Elsom | 87 | UK | Actress | ||
| 16 | Bernard Lee | 73 | UK | Actor | ||
| 21 | Allyn Joslyn | 79 | US | Actor | ||
| February | 1 | Wanda Hendrix | 52 | US | Actress | |
| 2 | Louise Lorraine | 76 | US | Actress | ||
| 4 | Mario Camerini | 85 | Italy | Director, Screenwriter | ||
| 11 | Ketti Frings | 71 | US | Screenwriter | ||
| 12 | Jean Dixon | 84 | US | Actress | ||
| 21 | Bernard B. Brown | 82 | US | Sound Engineer, Composer | ||
| 21 | Ron Grainer | 58 | Australia | Composer | ||
| 22 | Curtis Bernhardt | 81 | Germany | Director | ||
| 28 | Virginia Huston | 55 | US | Actress | ||
| 28 | Robert L. Wolfe | 52 | US | Film Editor | ||
| March | 4 | Torin Thatcher | 76 | UK | Actor | |
| 5 | Brenda de Banzie | 71 | UK | Actress | ||
| 6 | E.Y. Harburg | 84 | US | Lyricist | ||
| 14 | Eleanor Perry | 66 | US | Screenwriter | ||
| 15 | René Clair | 82 | France | Director, Screenwriter | ||
| 17 | Dorothy Dwan | 74 | US | Actress | ||
| 27 | Oliver A. Unger | 66 | US | Producer | ||
| 31 | Hank Henry | 74 | US | Actor | ||
| April | 7 | Norman Taurog | 82 | US | Director | |
| 14 | Sergio Amidei | 76 | Italy | Screenwriter | ||
| 26 | Madge Evans | 71 | US | Actress | ||
| 26 | Jim Davis | 71 | US | Actor | ||
| 26 | Herb Voland | 62 | US | Actor | ||
| May | 1 | Marlin Skiles | 74 | US | Composer, Musical Director | |
| 9 | Margaret Lindsay | 70 | US | Actress | ||
| 17 | Hugo Friedhofer | 80 | US | Composer | ||
| 18 | Richard Hale | 88 | US | Actor | ||
| 18 | Arthur O'Connell | 73 | US | Actor | ||
| 22 | Boris Sagal | 57 | Ukraine | Director | ||
| 23 | George Jessel | 83 | US | Actor, Producer | ||
| 28 | Henry Blanke | 79 | US | Producer | ||
| June | 5 | Miguel Torres | 81 | Mexico | Director | |
| 9 | Russell Hayden | 68 | US | Actor | ||
| 10 | Jenny Maxwell | 39 | US | Actress | ||
| 12 | Eleanor Hunt | 71 | US | Actress | ||
| 12 | Evalyn Knapp | 74 | US | Actress | ||
| 17 | Lou Forbes | 78 | US | Composer | ||
| 19 | Alfred Santell | 85 | US | Director | ||
| 22 | Lola Lane | 75 | US | Actress | ||
| 23 | Zarah Leander | 74 | Sweden | Actress | ||
| July | 1 | George Voskovec | 76 | Czech Republic | Actor | |
| 2 | Edward Killy | 78 | US | Director | ||
| 3 | Ross Martin | 61 | Poland | Actor | ||
| 7 | Keefe Brasselle | 58 | US | Actor | ||
| 20 | Dale Hennesy | 54 | US | Production Designer, Art Director | ||
| 25 | Gerardo de Leon | 67 | Philippines | Director, Actor | ||
| 27 | William Wyler | 79 | Germany | Director, Producer | ||
| August | 1 | Paddy Chayefsky | 58 | US | Screenwriter | |
| 4 | Melvyn Douglas | 80 | US | Actor | ||
| 12 | Shirley Grey | 79 | US | Actress | ||
| 16 | Robert Krasker | 68 | Australia | Cinematographer | ||
| 18 | Anita Loos | 93 | US | Screenwriter | ||
| 19 | Jessie Matthews | 74 | UK | Actress, Singer | ||
| 21 | Eddie Byrne | 70 | Ireland | Actor | ||
| 30 | Vera-Ellen | 60 | US | Actress, Dancer | ||
| September | 1 | Ann Harding | 79 | US | Actress | |
| 6 | Maria Palmer | 64 | Austria | Actress | ||
| 11 | Frank McHugh | 83 | US | Actor | ||
| 15 | Sara Haden | 81 | US | Actress | ||
| 22 | Harry Warren | 87 | US | Composer | ||
| 23 | Chief Dan George | 82 | Canada | Actor | ||
| 24 | Patsy Kelly | 71 | US | Actress | ||
| 27 | Robert Montgomery | 77 | US | Actor, Director | ||
| October | 4 | Dorothy Dare | 70 | US | Actress | |
| 5 | Gloria Grahame | 54 | US | Actress | ||
| 15 | Frank de Kova | 71 | US | Actor | ||
| 19 | Nils Asther | 84 | Denmark | Actor | ||
| 24 | Edith Head | 83 | US | Costume Designer | ||
| 26 | Glenn Anders | 92 | US | Actor | ||
| November | 2 | Ghislain Cloquet | 57 | France | Cinematographer | |
| 3 | Jean Eustache | 42 | France | Director | ||
| 12 | William Holden | 63 | US | Actor | ||
| 16 | Morgan Conway | 78 | US | Actor | ||
| 21 | Ejner Federspiel | 85 | Denmark | Actor | ||
| 21 | Harry von Zell | 75 | US | Actor | ||
| 25 | Jack Albertson | 74 | US | Actor | ||
| 27 | Lotte Lenya | 83 | Austria | Actress | ||
| 29 | Natalie Wood | 43 | US | Actress | ||
| 30 | Robert H. Harris | 70 | US | Actor | ||
| December | 5 | Charles Barton | 79 | US | Director | |
| 15 | Karl Struss | 95 | US | Cinematographer | ||
| 17 | Ada Kramm | 82 | Norway | Actress | ||
| 27 | Hoagy Carmichael | 82 | US | Actor, Composer | ||
| 28 | Allan Dwan | 96 | Canada | Director |