Overview of the events of 1940 in film
The year 1940 in film involved some significant events, including the premieres of the Walt Disney films Pinocchio Fantasia
The top ten 1940 released films by box office gross in North America are as follows:
Highest-grossing films of 1940
Rank
Title
Distributor
Domestic rentals
1
Boom Town MGM
$3,664,000[ 1]
2
The Great Dictator United Artists
$3,500,000[ 2]
3
Rebecca United Artists/Selznick International
$3,000,000[ 3]
4
North West Mounted Police Paramount
$2,750,000[ 4]
5
Strike Up the Band MGM
$2,265,000[ 1]
6
Northwest Passage $2,169,000[ 1]
7
Andy Hardy Meets Debutante $1,945,000[ 1]
8
The Fighting 69th Warner Bros.
$1,822,000[ 5]
9
Santa Fe Trail $1,748,000[ 5]
10
Kitty Foyle RKO
$1,710,000[ 6] [ 7]
Events
February 7 – Walt Disney 's second animated feature film Pinocchio Center Theatre in New York City. Although not a box office success upon its initial release, the film receives critical acclaim and wins two Academy Awards , including one for Best Original Song for "When You Wish Upon a Star ". Over the years, Pinocchio has gained a cult following and is now considered one of the greatest films of all time.
February 10 – Tom and Jerry make their debut in the animated cartoon Puss Gets the Boot
April 12 – Alfred Hitchcock 's first American film Rebecca David O. Selznick . It would go on to win the Academy Award for Best Picture .
May – A reproduction of "America's First Movie Studio", Thomas Edison 's Black Maria , is constructed.
July 27 – Bugs Bunny makes his official debut in the animated cartoon A Wild Hare
October 15 – Charlie Chaplin 's The Great Dictator
November 13 – World premiere of Walt Disney's animated film Fantasia Broadway Theatre in New York City, the first film to be released in a multi-channel sound format (see Fantasound ). The film also marks the first use of the click track while recording the soundtrack, overdubbing of orchestral parts, simultaneous multitrack recording and is cited as a key chapter in the conception and development of the multi-channel surround system. Like Pinocchio , the film is a box office failure for Disney, though it recoups its cost years later and becomes one of the most highly regarded of Disney's films.
November 25 – Woody Woodpecker makes his debut in the Andy Panda cartoon Knock Knock
December 5 – Release of The Thief of Bagdad chroma key effects.
In the United Kingdom, the Crown Film Unit supersedes the GPO Film Unit in the production of documentary films .
Academy Awards
1940 film releases
United States unless stated
January 1940
February 1940
August 1940
September 1940
October 1940
November 1940
December 1940
Notable films released in 1940
United States unless stated
A
Abe Lincoln in Illinois Raymond Massey All This and Heaven Too Bette Davis and Charles Boyer Andy Hardy Meets Debutante Lewis Stone , Mickey Rooney , Cecilia Parker and Fay Holden Angels Over Broadway Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. and Rita Hayworth Anne of Windy Poplars Anne Shirley The Ape Boris Karloff Arise, My Love Claudette Colbert and Ray Milland Arizona Jean Arthur and William Holden
B
Band Waggon Marcel Varnel , starring Arthur Askey – (GB )The Bank Dick W. C. Fields Beating Heart Danielle Darrieux and Claude Dauphin – (France )Before I Hang Boris Karloff The Biscuit Eater Stuart Heisler Bismarck Paul Hartmann – (Germany )Black Friday Boris Karloff and Béla Lugosi The Blue Bird Shirley Temple Boom Town Clark Gable , Claudette Colbert , Spencer Tracy , Hedy Lamarr The Boys from Syracuse Allan Jones Boys of the City East Side Kids Brigham Young Tyrone Power and Linda Darnell British Intelligence Boris Karloff Broadway Melody of 1940 Fred Astaire and Eleanor Powell – final film of seriesBrother Orchid Edward G. Robinson , Ann Sothern , Humphrey Bogart
C
Calling Philo Vance James Stephenson Castle on the Hudson Anatole Litvak , starring John Garfield and Ann Sheridan The Catacombs Martin Frič – (Czechoslovakia )Charlie Chan at the Wax Museum Sidney Toler Charlie Chan in Panama Sidney Toler Christmas in July Preston Sturges A Chump at Oxford Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy , featuring a young Peter Cushing City for Conquest James Cagney Confucius China )Contraband Michael Powell , starring Conrad Veidt and Valerie Hobson – (GB )Convicted Woman Rochelle Hudson and June Lang Convoy Pen Tennyson , starring Clive Brook , John Clements (UK)Crimes at the Dark House George King , starring Tod Slaughter – (GB )
D
Dance, Girl, Dance Maureen O'Hara , Louis Hayward , Lucille Ball Dark Command John Wayne Dead Man's Shoes Thomas Bentley , starring Leslie Banks – (GB )The Devil Bat Béla Lugosi A Dispatch from Reuter's Edward G. Robinson Dívka v modrém Czechoslovakia )Doomed to Die Boris Karloff Down Argentine Way Don Ameche , Betty Grable and Carmen Miranda Dr. Cyclops Ernest B. Schoedsack , starring Albert Dekker Dr. Ehrlich's Magic Bullet Edward G. Robinson , Ruth Gordon , Otto Kruger , Donald Crisp
E
F
Fantasia The Fatal Hour Boris Karloff Flowing Gold John Garfield and Frances Farmer Foreign Correspondent Alfred Hitchcock , starring Joel McCrea Four Sons Archie Mayo , starring Don Ameche The Fox of Glenarvon Max W. Kimmich – (Germany )French Without Tears Ray Milland – (GB )
G
Gaslight Anton Walbrook – (GB )The Ghost Breakers Bob Hope and Paulette Goddard Girl in the News Margaret Lockwood – (GB )Give Us Wings Dead End Kids Go West Marx Brothers The Grapes of Wrath John Ford , starring Henry Fonda The Great Dictator Charlie Chaplin with Paulette Goddard and Jack Oakie The Great McGinty Brian Donlevy Green Hell Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. and Joan Bennett
H
Here Is the Point Cantinflas – (Mexico )His Girl Friday Howard Hawks , starring Cary Grant , Rosalind Russell , Ralph Bellamy Hoots Mon! Roy William Neill , starring Max Miller and Florence Desmond (Britain)The House Across the Bay George Raft The House of the Seven Gables George Sanders The Howards of Virginia Cary Grant and Martha Scott Hullabaloo Frank Morgan
I
J
K
L
M
Maddalena, Zero for Conduct Vittorio De Sica – (Italy )The Man from Dakota Wallace Beery The Man Who Talked Too Much George Brent The Marines Fly High Lucille Ball and Richard Dix The Mark of Zorro Tyrone Power and Linda Darnell The Middle Watch Thomas Bentley , starring Jack Buchanan and Greta Gynt (Britain )The Minister's Girlfriends Czechoslovakia )Millionaires in Prison Lee Tracy The Mortal Storm Margaret Sullavan and James Stewart The Mummy's Hand Dick Foran My Favorite Wife Irene Dunne and Cary Grant My Little Chickadee Mae West and W. C. Fields
N
O
P
Pastor Hall Roy Boulting – (GB )The Philadelphia Story George Cukor , starring Katharine Hepburn , Cary Grant , James Stewart Pinocchio Ben Sharpsteen and Hamilton Luske , starring Dickie Jones Pride and Prejudice Greer Garson and Laurence Olivier Primrose Path Ginger Rogers and Joel McCrea The Proud Valley Paul Robeson – (GB )
Q
R
S
Saps at Sea Laurel and Hardy The Sea Hawk Errol Flynn Seven Sinners Marlene Dietrich and John Wayne The Shop Around the Corner Ernst Lubitsch , starring Margaret Sullavan and James Stewart The Siege of the Alcazar Italy )Sky Murder Walter Pidgeon Son of Ingagi Richard Kahn The Son of Monte Cristo Louis Hayward and Joan Bennett Spring Parade Deanna Durbin The Stars Look Down Carol Reed , starring Michael Redgrave and Margaret Lockwood – (GB )The Stationmaster Germany )Strange Cargo Clark Gable and Joan Crawford Stranger on the Third Floor Peter Lorre Strike Up the Band Busby Berkeley , starring Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney South of Suez George Brent Swiss Family Robinson Thomas Mitchell and Edna Best
T
They Drive by Night George Raft , Humphrey Bogart , Ida Lupino They Knew What They Wanted Garson Kanin , starring Charles Laughton and Carole Lombard The Thief of Bagdad Conrad Veidt and Sabu – (GB )'Til We Meet Again Merle Oberon and George Brent Tom Brown's School Days Cedric Hardwicke Too Many Girls Lucille Ball Too Many Husbands Jean Arthur , Fred MacMurray , Melvyn Douglas Tørres Snørtevold Norway )Torrid Zone James Cagney , Ann Sheridan , Pat O'Brien Turnabout John Hubbard and Carole Landis
V
W
Waterloo Bridge Vivien Leigh and Robert Taylor The Well-Digger's Daughter Marcel Pagnol , starring Raimu and Fernandel – (France )The Westerner Gary Cooper , Walter Brennan , Dana Andrews , Forrest Tucker Where's That Fire? Will Hay – (GB )Wild Horse Range Jack Randall Women in War Elsie Janis and Patric Knowles
Y
Serials
Adventures of Red Ryder William Witney and John English Deadwood Dick James W. Horne Drums of Fu Manchu Henry Brandon and Robert Kellard , directed by William Witney and John English Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe Buster Crabbe The Green Archer Victor Jory , directed by James W. Horne The Green Hornet Warren Hull Junior G-Men Dead End Kids King of the Royal Mounted Allan Lane , directed by William Witney and John English Mysterious Doctor Satan Eduardo Ciannelli , directed by William Witney and John English The Shadow Victor Jory , directed by James W. Horne Terry and the Pirates William Tracy , directed by James W. Horne Winners of the West Dick Foran and Anne Nagel
Short film series
Animated short film series
Births
January 3 – Thelma Schoonmaker , American editor
January 10 – Walter Hill , American director, screenwriter and producer
January 20 – Krishnam Raju , Indian actor (died 2022)
January 22 – John Hurt , English actor (died 2017)[ 8]
January 25 – Paolo Graziosi , Italian actor (died 2022)
January 27
January 29 – Katharine Ross , American actress
January 31 – Stuart Margolin , American actor and director (died 2022)
February 2 - David Jason , British actor
February 4
February 5 – Dick Warlock , American actor and stuntman
February 11
February 12 – Ralph Bates , English actor (died 1991)
February 17
Matija Barl , Slovenian actor, producer and translator (died 2018)Jo Kendall , British actress (died 2022)
February 19 – Carlin Glynn , American singer and actress (died 2023)
February 23 – Peter Fonda , American actor (died 2019)
February 27
February 29 – Harvey Jason , English actor
March 3 – Patricia Gage , Scottish actress (died 2010)
March 7 – Daniel J. Travanti , American actor
March 9 – Raul Julia , Puerto Rican actor (died 1994)
March 10 – Chuck Norris , American actor and martial artist
March 11 – William Callaway , American retired voice actor
March 13 - Toby Sabot , American actor (died 2024)
March 26 – James Caan , American actor (died 2022)
March 27 – Austin Pendleton , American actor, playwright, theatre director and instructor
April 1 – Aliza Gur , Israeli actress
April 3 – Wolf Kahler , German actor
April 6 – Pedro Armendáriz Jr. , Mexican actor (died 2011)
April 14 – Julie Christie , British actress
April 15 – Julie Sommars , American actress
April 17 – Billy Fury , English singer and actor (died 1983)
April 20 – James Gammon , American actor (died 2010)
April 21 – George DiCenzo , American character actor (died 2010)
April 24 – Michael Parks , American actor and singer (died 2017)
April 25 – Al Pacino , American actor
April 29 – Max Cullen , Australian actor
April 30 – Burt Young , American actor (died 2023)
May 2 – Jo Ann Pflug , American actress
May 5 – Lance Henriksen , American actor
May 7 – John Irvin , English director
May 8 – Emilio Delgado , Mexican-American actor, voice artist and singer (died 2022)
May 15 – Lainie Kazan , American actress and singer
May 17
May 28 – Josie Lloyd , American actress and director (died 2020)
June 1 – René Auberjonois , American actor (died 2019)
June 2 – Maree Cheatham , American actress
June 7
June 8 – Nancy Sinatra , American singer and actress
June 20 – John Mahoney , English-born American actor (died 2018)
June 21 – Mariette Hartley , American actress
June 22 – Abbas Kiarostami , Iranian director (died 2016)
June 23 – Adam Faith , English actor and singer (died 2003)
June 26 – Luis Valdez , American playwright, screenwriter, director and actor
July 4 – Karolyn Grimes , American actress
July 7 – Ringo Starr , English drummer (The Beatles )
July 13 – Patrick Stewart , English actor
July 18 – James Brolin , American actor
July 22 – Alex Trebek , Canadian-American game show host and television personality (died 2020)
July 24 – Dan Hedaya , American actor
July 28 – Phil Proctor , American actor, voice actor and member of the Firesign Theatre
July 30 – Nicolau Breyner , Portuguese actor (died 2016)
August 3 – Martin Sheen , American actor
August 15
August 19
August 23 – Tony Bill , American actor, producer and director
August 25 – Wilhelm von Homburg , German boxer, actor and professional wrestler (died 2004)
August 26 – Don LaFontaine , American voice actor (died 2008)
August 27 – Sonny Sharrock , American jazz guitarist (died 1994)
August 31
September 2 – Harry Northup , American actor
September 3 – Pauline Collins , British actress
September 5 – Raquel Welch , American actress (died 2023 )
September 7 – Dario Argento , Italian director, producer and screenwriter
September 11 – Brian De Palma , American director, producer and screenwriter
September 12 – Linda Gray , American actress, director and producer
September 18 – Frankie Avalon , American actor and singer
September 19
September 20 – Jonathan Hardy , New Zealand-Australian actor, writer and director (died 2012)
September 21 – Bill Kurtis , American producer and narrator
September 22 – Anna Karina , Danish-born French actress, director and singer (died 2019)
September 25 – Roberto Del Giudice , Italian voice actor (died 2007 )
October 9 – John Lennon , English singer-songwriter and musician (The Beatles ) (shot to death 1980)
October 14 – Cliff Richard , English singer and actor
October 16 – Barry Corbin , American actor
October 19 – Michael Gambon , Irish-English actor (died 2023 )
October 25 – Jimmy Herman , Indigenous-Canadian actor (died 2013)
October 26 – Tilo Prückner , German actor (died 2020)
October 28 – Nic de Jager, South African actor
October 29 – Jack Shepherd , English actor
November 2 – Gigi Proietti , Italian actor (died 2020)
November 4 – Manuel Ojeda , Mexican actor (died 2022)
November 5 – Elke Sommer , German actress
November 7 – Dakin Matthews , American actor
November 13 – Rudolf Schwarzkogler , Austrian experimental filmmaker (died 1969)
November 14 – Bill Bolender , American character actor
November 15 – Sam Waterston , American actor
November 20 – Helma Sanders-Brahms , German director (died 2014)
November 22 – Terry Gilliam , American-born British screenwriter, director and animator (Monty Python's Flying Circus )
November 27 – Bruce Lee , Chinese-American martial artist and actor (died 1973)
December 1 – Richard Pryor , American comedian and actor (died 2005)
December 11 – Donna Mills , American actress
December 13
December 24
December 28 – Don Francisco , Chilean television host
December 31 – Tim Considine , American actor and writer (died 2022)
Deaths
January 4 – Flora Finch , 72, American actress, A Cure for Pokeritis The Cat and the Canary Quality Street Her Crowning Glory
January 22 – E. Alyn Warren , 65, American actor, The Mysterious Mr. Wong Get That Man Revolt of the Zombies Port of Seven Seas
February 20 – George Periolat , 66, American actor, The Mark of Zorro One Rainy Afternoon Morning Glory What Price Hollywood?
March 5 – Maxine Elliott , 66, American actress, Fighting Odds
April 9 – Mrs. Patrick Campbell , 75, English actress, Riptide One More River
April 11 – Hemmo Kallio , 77, Finnish actor, Anna Liisa
May 25 – Joe De Grasse , 67, Canadian-born American film director, Heart o' the Hills The Scarlet Car The Girl of the Night
May 28 - Walter Connolly , 53, American actor, It Happened One Night
July 1 – Ben Turpin , 70, American actor, Saps at Sea Mr. Flip A Clever Dummy
July 15 – Donald Calthrop , 52, English actor, Scrooge Blackmail Murder! Major Barbara
September 25 – Marguerite Clark , 57, American actress, Scrambled Wives Easy to Get All of a Sudden Peggy A Girl Named Mary
October 10 – Berton Churchill , 63, Canadian actor, Stagecoach I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang In Old Chicago Heroes for Sale
October 12 – Tom Mix , 60, American actor, The Miracle Rider Riders of the Purple Sage Sky High
December 13 – Wilfred Lucas , 69, Canadian-born American actor, screenwriter, director, Modern Times A Chump at Oxford The Girl and Her Trust
Debuts
References
^ a b c d The Eddie Mannix Ledger , Los Angeles: Margaret Herrick Library, Center for Motion Picture Study^ Susan Sackett, The Hollywood Reporter Book of Box Office Hits Billboard Books, 1996 p 28 ^ Chapman, James (2018). Hitchcock and the Spy Film . ISBN 978-1-78076-844-1 Although his most successful films of the war years were Selznick pictures – Rebecca (with a domestic box office gross of $3 million) and Spellbound ($4.9 million), with Rebecca also winning the Academy Award for Best Picture of 1940 – Hitchcock seems on the whole to have preferred his other assignments where he evidently enjoyed greater creative freedom. ^ "DeMille's Topper" . Variety ^ a b Warner Bros financial information in The William Schaefer Ledger. See Appendix 1, Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television, (1995) 15:sup1, 1-31 p 20 DOI: 10.1080/01439689508604551
^ Jewell, Richard B. (1994). "RKO Film Grosses, 1929-1951: the C.J. Tevlin ledger". Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television . 14 (1): 37–49. doi :10.1080/01439689400260031 . ^ Jewell, Richard B. (1994). "Appendix 1". Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television . 14 (S1): 1–11. doi :10.1080/01439689408604545 . ^ Coveney, Michael (28 January 2017). "Sir John Hurt obituary" . The Guardian . Retrieved 29 January 2017 .^ Anderson, Tre'vell (July 16, 2017). "George A. Romero, 'Night of the Living Dead' creator, dies at 77" . Los Angeles Times . Retrieved December 1, 2020 .
External links
