The following is an overview of 1936 in film, including significant events, a list of films released and notable births and deaths.
James Oliver Curwood was an American action-adventure writer and conservationist. His books were often based on adventures set in the Hudson Bay area, the Yukon or Alaska and ranked among the top-ten best sellers in the United States in the early and mid 1920s, according to Publishers Weekly. At least one hundred and eighty motion pictures have been based on or directly inspired by his novels and short stories; one was produced in three versions from 1919 to 1953. At the time of his death, Curwood was the highest paid author in the world.
Charles John Holt, Jr. was an American motion picture actor who was prominent in both silent and sound movies, particularly Westerns.
Roy Roberts was an American character actor. Over his more than 40-year career, he appeared in more than nine hundred productions on stage and screen.
Tom Tyler was an American actor known for his leading roles in low-budget Western films in the silent and sound eras, and for his portrayal of superhero Captain Marvel in the 1941 serial film The Adventures of Captain Marvel. Tyler also played Kharis in 1940's The Mummy's Hand, a popular Universal Studios monster film.
Morris Ankrum was an American radio, television, and film character actor.
William Farnum was an American actor. He was a star of American silent cinema, and he became one of the highest-paid actors during this time.
Raphael Kuhner Wuppermann, known professionally as Ralph Morgan, was a Hollywood stage and film character actor, and union activist. He was a brother of actor Frank Morgan as well as the father of actress Claudia Morgan.
Radar Patrol vs. Spy King is a 1949 12-chapter black-and-white spy film serial produced and distributed by Republic Pictures from an original, commissioned screenplay collaboratively written by Royal K. Cole, William Lively and Sol Shor. Kirk Alyn played the lead.
Fredrick Louis Kohler was an American actor.
The Oregon Trail is a 1936 American Western film directed by Scott Pembroke for Republic Pictures and starring John Wayne. It is a lost film with no known prints remaining. In 2013, film collector Kent Sperring discovered 40 photographs that were taken during the making of the film. The Oregon Trail started production on November 29, 1935, and was filmed at Alabama Hills.
Elisha Helm Calvert was an American film actor and director. He appeared in more than 170 films, as well as directing a further 60 titles.
William Desmond was an American actor. He appeared in more than 200 films between 1915 and 1948. He was nicknamed "The King of the Silent Serials."
Ann Hovey was an American chorus girl and minor film actress of the 1930s, primarily in B-movies.
Joan Barclay was an American film actress of the 1930s and 1940s, starring mostly in B-movies and cliffhangers, with her career starting during the silent film era.
Only the Brave is a 1930 American Pre-Code Civil War drama film directed by Frank Tuttle and starring Gary Cooper, Mary Brian, and Phillips Holmes.
Rebellion is a 1936 American Western film directed by Lynn Shores and starring Tom Keene, Rita Hayworth, and Duncan Renaldo.
John Hugh Elliott was an American actor who appeared on Broadway and in over 300 films during his career. He worked sporadically during the silent film era, but with the advent of sound his career took off, where he worked constantly for 25 years, finding a particular niche in "B" westerns.
Where Trails End is a 1942 American Western film directed by Robert Emmett Tansey and written by Robert Emmett Tansey and Frances Kavanaugh. The film stars Tom Keene, Frank Yaconelli, Joan Curtis, Don Stewart, Charles King and Wilhelm von Brincken. The film was released on May 1, 1942, by Monogram Pictures.
Men of the Plains is a 1936 American Western film directed by Robert F. Hill and written by Robert Emmett Tansey. The film stars Rex Bell, Joan Barclay, George Ball, Charles King, Forrest Taylor and Roger Williams. The film was released on September 29, 1936, by Colony Pictures.
