| List of years in film |
|---|
| Years in film |
|---|
| |
| 19th century |
| 1870s |
The following is an overview of events in 1986 in film, including the highest-grossing films, award ceremonies and festivals, a list of films released and notable births and deaths.
The top ten 1986 released films by box office gross in North America are as follows:
| Rank | Title | Distributor | Box-office gross |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Top Gun | Paramount | $180,470,489 |
| 2 | Crocodile Dundee | $174,803,506 | |
| 3 | Platoon | Orion | $137,900,000 |
| 4 | The Karate Kid Part II | Columbia | $115,103,979 |
| 5 | Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home | Paramount | $109,713,132 |
| 6 | Back to School | Orion | $91,258,000 |
| 7 | Aliens | 20th Century Fox | $86,160,248 |
| 8 | The Golden Child | Paramount | $79,817,937 |
| 9 | Ruthless People | Buena Vista | $71,624,879 |
| 10 | Ferris Bueller's Day Off | Paramount | $70,136,169 |
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 | 1 | Emmet Lavery | 83 | US | Screenwriter | |
| 2 | Una Merkel | 82 | US | Actress | ||
| 14 | Donna Reed | 64 | US | Actress | ||
| 24 | Gordon MacRae | 64 | US | Actor, Singer | ||
| 27 | Lilli Palmer | 78 | Germany | Actress | ||
| 29 | Leif Erickson | 74 | US | Actor | ||
| February | 2 | Donald Eccles | 77 | UK | Actor | |
| 6 | Ray Moyer | 87 | US | Set Decorator | ||
| 6 | Dandy Nichols | 78 | UK | Actress | ||
| 10 | Brian Aherne | 83 | UK | Actor | ||
| 16 | Howard Da Silva | 82 | US | Actor | ||
| 17 | Paul Stewart | 77 | US | Actor | ||
| 19 | Adolfo Celi | 63 | Italy | Actor | ||
| 22 | Bill Hickman | 65 | US | Stuntman, Actor | ||
| 23 | Nino Taranto | 78 | Italy | Actor | ||
| 25 | Pasquale Festa Campanile | 58 | Italy | Director, Screenwriter | ||
| 27 | Eugene Forde | 87 | US | Director | ||
| March | 3 | Peter Capell | 73 | Germany | Actor | |
| 6 | Adolph Caesar | 52 | US | Actor | ||
| 10 | Ray Milland | 77 | UK | Actor, Director | ||
| 14 | Edith Atwater | 74 | US | Actress | ||
| 21 | Derek Farr | 74 | UK | Actor | ||
| 22 | Olive Deering | 67 | US | Actress | ||
| 22 | Charles Starrett | 82 | US | Actor | ||
| 25 | Gloria Blondell | 75 | US | Actress | ||
| 28 | Virginia Gilmore | 66 | US | Actress | ||
| 29 | Harry Ritz | 86 | US | Comedian, Actor | ||
| 30 | Herman A. Blumenthal | 69 | US | Art Director, Production Designer | ||
| 30 | James Cagney | 86 | US | Actor | ||
| 31 | Jerry Paris | 60 | US | Actor, Director | ||
| April | 3 | Mary C. McCall Jr. | 81 | US | Screenwriter | |
| 7 | Chester Erskine | 77 | US | Screenwriter, Director | ||
| 13 | Stephen Stucker | 38 | US | Actor | ||
| 15 | Tim McIntire | 41 | US | Actor | ||
| 20 | Max Benedict | 66 | Austria | Film Editor | ||
| 21 | Marjorie Eaton | 85 | US | Actress | ||
| 23 | Harold Arlen | 81 | US | Composer | ||
| 23 | Otto Preminger | 80 | Austria | Director, Producer, Actor | ||
| 26 | Broderick Crawford | 74 | US | Actor | ||
| 26 | Bessie Love | 87 | US | Actress | ||
| 30 | Robert Stevenson | 81 | UK | Director | ||
| May | 1 | Hylda Baker | 81 | UK | Actress | |
| 3 | Robert Alda | 72 | US | Actor | ||
| 9 | Herschel Bernardi | 62 | US | Actor | ||
| 12 | Elisabeth Bergner | 88 | Ukraine | Actress | ||
| 13 | George Gaines | 52 | US | Set Decorator | ||
| 22 | Martin Gabel | 73 | US | Actor | ||
| 23 | Sterling Hayden | 70 | US | Actor | ||
| 24 | Yakima Canutt | 90 | US | Actor, Stuntman, Director | ||
| 26 | Gunnar Björnstrand | 74 | Sweden | Actor | ||
| 28 | Lurene Tuttle | 78 | US | Actress | ||
| 31 | Sylvia Coleridge | 76 | UK | Actress | ||
| June | 3 | Anna Neagle | 81 | UK | Actress | |
| 10 | Paul Stevens | 65 | US | Actor | ||
| 11 | Reed De Rouen | 69 | UK | Actor | ||
| 13 | Benny Goodman | 77 | US | Musician | ||
| 14 | Alan Jay Lerner | 67 | US | Screenwriter, Lyricist | ||
| 17 | Ted J. Kent | 84 | US | Film Editor | ||
| 20 | Julie Duncan | 67 | US | Actress | ||
| 23 | Nigel Stock | 66 | UK | Actor | ||
| 29 | Robert Drivas | 50 | US | Actor | ||
| 30 | Margalo Gillmore | 89 | UK | Actress | ||
| July | 3 | Rudy Vallee | 84 | US | Actor, Singer | |
| 10 | Jody Lawrance | 55 | US | Actress | ||
| 15 | Benny Rubin | 87 | US | Actor | ||
| 18 | Buddy Baer | 71 | US | Actor | ||
| 19 | Daniel L. Fapp | 82 | US | Cinematographer | ||
| 19 | Harold D. Schuster | 83 | US | Film Editor, Director | ||
| 25 | Vincente Minnelli | 83 | US | Director | ||
| 28 | John Alcott | 55 | UK | Cinematographer | ||
| August | 6 | Emilio Fernández | 82 | Mexico | Actor, Director | |
| 10 | Jacqueline Gadsden | 86 | US | Actress | ||
| 13 | Helen Mack | 72 | US | Actress | ||
| 15 | Waldon O. Watson | 79 | US | Sound Engineer | ||
| 19 | Hermione Baddeley | 79 | UK | Actress | ||
| 20 | Walter Brooke | 71 | US | Actor | ||
| 21 | Bruce Cowling | 66 | US | Actor | ||
| 23 | Adrienne Fazan | 80 | US | Film Editor | ||
| 26 | Ted Knight | 62 | US | Actor | ||
| September | 1 | Murray Hamilton | 63 | US | Actor | |
| 6 | Blanche Sweet | 90 | US | Actress | ||
| 8 | Ray Nazarro | 83 | US | Director | ||
| 15 | Virginia Gregg | 70 | US | Actress | ||
| 26 | Brian Desmond Hurst | 91 | Ireland | Director | ||
| 28 | Denis Carey | 77 | UK | Actor | ||
| 28 | Robert Helpmann | 77 | Australia | Actor, Director | ||
| October | 5 | Hal B. Wallis | 88 | US | Producer | |
| 11 | David Hand | 86 | US | Animator, Director | ||
| 11 | Boris Leven | 78 | Russia | Production Designer | ||
| 14 | Yvette Dugay | 54 | US | Actress | ||
| 14 | Keenan Wynn | 70 | US | Actor | ||
| 14 | Spec O'Donnell | 75 | US | Actor | ||
| 17 | Leah Rhodes | 84 | US | Costume Designer | ||
| 25 | Forrest Tucker | 67 | US | Actor | ||
| 28 | Robert Arthur | 76 | US | Producer | ||
| 28 | Ian Marter | 42 | UK | Actor | ||
| 31 | Marcella Martin | 70 | US | Actress | ||
| November | 2 | Harry Brown | 69 | US | Screenwriter | |
| 8 | Beatrice Kay | 79 | US | Singer, Actress | ||
| 11 | Roger C. Carmel | 54 | US | Actor | ||
| 21 | Jerry Colonna | 82 | US | Actor | ||
| 21 | Dar Robinson | 39 | US | Stuntman | ||
| 22 | Scatman Crothers | 76 | US | Actor | ||
| 23 | Norman Maurer | 60 | US | Producer | ||
| 27 | Robert Priestley | 85 | US | Set Decorator | ||
| 29 | Herb Vigran | 76 | US | Actor | ||
| 29 | Cary Grant | 82 | UK | Actor | ||
| December | 1 | Frank McCarthy | 74 | US | Producer | |
| 2 | Ken Scott | 58 | US | Actor | ||
| 2 | Desi Arnaz | 69 | Cuba | Actor, Singer | ||
| 10 | Susan Cabot | 59 | US | Actress | ||
| 11 | Carlos Ramirez | 70 | Colombia | Actor, Singer | ||
| 12 | Clifford Stine | 80 | US | Cinematographer | ||
| 13 | Heather Angel | 77 | UK | Actress | ||
| 18 | George Amy | 83 | US | Film Editor | ||
| 18 | Mamo Clark | 72 | US | Actress | ||
| 22 | Harvey Stephens | 85 | US | Actor | ||
| 23 | Gerhard Bienert | 88 | Germany | Actor | ||
| 26 | Elsa Lanchester | 84 | UK | Actress | ||
| 28 | Andrei Tarkovsky | 54 | Russia | Director, Screenwriter |