The following is an overview of 1931 in film, including significant events, a list of films released and notable births and deaths.

Top-grossing films (U.S.)

The top ten 1931 released films by box office gross in North America are as follows:

Events

* January 5: RKO acquires the producing and distribution arm of Pathé for $4.6 million. * March 14: '' Alam Ara'', the first Indian-made sound film, premieres at the Majestic Cinema in

Bombay Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial centre, financial capital and the list of cities i ...

. * June 20: Monogram Pictures releases its first film, ''Ships of Hate''. * July 7: Anti-competitive practices disclosed about certain distributors and producers in Canada. * November 17: E. R. Tinker elected president of Fox Films replacing Harley L. Clarke. * December 14: RKO refinancing plan approved.

Best money stars

'' Variety'' reported the following as the biggest male stars in the U.S. in alphabetical order although grouped George Arliss and Ronald Colman together as having equal ranking. The following were the biggest women names in the U.S. in alphabetical order but again grouped two actresses together to denote they were ranked the same.

Academy Awards

The 4th Academy Awards were awarded to films completed and screened released between August 1, 1930, and July 31, 1931, by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Most Nominations: '' Cimarron'' ( RKO Pictures) – 7 Major Awards * Best Picture: '' Cimarron'' – RKO * Best Director: Norman Taurog – '' Skippy'' * Best Actor: Lionel Barrymore – '' A Free Soul'' * Best Actress: Marie Dressler – '' Min and Bill'' Most Awards: '' Cimarron'' – 3 (Best Picture; Best Adaptation and Best Art Direction) '' Cimarron'' was the first Western to win Best Picture, and would remain the only one to do so for 59 years (until '' Dances with Wolves'' won in 1991). It received a then-record seven nominations, and was the first film to win more than two awards. The 5th Academy Awards were conducted by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on November 18, 1932, at a ceremony held at The Ambassador Hotel in

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

. The ceremony was hosted by Conrad Nagel. Films screened in Los Angeles between August 1, 1931, and July 31, 1932, were eligible to receive awards. Most nominations: '' Arrowsmith'' ( Samuel Goldwyn Productions) and '' The Champ'' (

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, commonly shortened to MGM or MGM Studios) is an American Film production, film and television production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered ...

) – 4 Major Awards * Best Actor: Wallace Beery – ''The Champ'' and Fredric March – '' Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde'' * Best Actress: Helen Hayes – '' The Sin of Madelon Claudet'' * Best Director: Frank Borzage – '' Bad Girl'' Most Awards: ''Bad Girl'' (Best Director and Best Adaptation) and ''The Champ'' (Best Actor and Best Original Story) – 2 Note: The Academy Award for Best Picture went to 1932's '' Grand Hotel''.

1931 film releases

January–March

*January 1931 **3 January ***'' The Criminal Code'' **9 January ***'' Little Caesar'' **17 January ***'' Other Men's Women'' **26 January ***'' Cimarron'' *February 1931 **3 February ***'' Trader Horn'' **14 February ***'' Dracula'' **28 February ***'' Parlor, Bedroom and Bath'' *March 1931 **5 March ***'' The Speckled Band'' **6 March ***'' Ten Cents a Dance'' **7 March ***'' City Lights'' **14 March ***'' Kiki'' **20 March ***'' The Sleeping Cardinal'' **21 March ***'' Honor Among Lovers'' **29 March ***'' Bad Sister''

April–June

*April 1931 **4 April ***'' The Front Page'' **6 April ***'' A Connecticut Yankee'' **15 April ***'' Bachelor Apartment'' **18 April ***'' City Streets'' ***'' The Secret Six'' **23 April ***'' The Public Enemy'' **24 April ***'' Dracula'' **30 April ***''

Iron Man Iron Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Co-created by writer and editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, the character first appearan ...

'' *May 1931 **1 May ***'' The Millionaire'' **11 May ***'' M'' **16 May ***'' Indiscreet'' **22 May ***'' Svengali'' *June 1931 **13 June ***'' The Maltese Falcon'' **20 June ***'' A Free Soul'' **21 June ***'' The Black Camel'' **27 June ***'' I Take This Woman'' **28 June ***'' Goldie''

July–September

*July 1931 **11 July ***'' Smart Money'' *August 1931 **1 August ***'' The Smiling Lieutenant'' ***'' Tabu'' **7 August ***'' Huckleberry Finn'' ***'' The Miracle Woman'' **8 August ***'' Bought!'' ***'' Night Nurse'' **14 August ***'' Bad Girl'' **15 August ***'' Pardon Us'' **22 August ***'' An American Tragedy'' ***'' Guilty Hands'' **29 August ***'' The Last Flight'' ***'' This Modern Age'' *September 1931 **1 September ***'' Waterloo Bridge'' **5 September ***'' Daughter of the Dragon'' ***'' Secrets of a Secretary'' ***'' The Squaw Man'' ***'' Street Scene'' **12 September ***''

Alexander Hamilton Alexander Hamilton (January 11, 1755 or 1757July 12, 1804) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father who served as the first U.S. secretary of the treasury from 1789 to 1795 dur ...

'' **18 September ***'' Peludópolis'' (Argentina) **19 September ***'' Monkey Business'' **23 September ***'' Palmy Days'' **26 September ***'' Five Star Final'' ***'' Sidewalks of New York'' **30 September ***'' Alice in Wonderland''

October–December

*October 1931 **10 October ***'' 24 Hours'' **24 October ***'' The Sin of Madelon Claudet'' **31 October ***'' Platinum Blonde'' *November 1931 **1 November ***'' The Cisco Kid'' **7 November ***'' The Mad Genius'' **9 November ***'' The Champ'' **10 November ***'' Secret Service'' **21 November ***''

Frankenstein ''Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus'' is an 1818 Gothic novel written by English author Mary Shelley. ''Frankenstein'' tells the story of Victor Frankenstein, a young scientist who creates a Sapience, sapient Frankenstein's monster, crea ...

'' ***'' Possessed'' **28 November ***'' Battling with Buffalo Bill'' *December 1931 **2 December ***'' Anna Christie'' (

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

) **3 December ***'' Blonde Crazy'' **7 December ***'' Arrowsmith'' **10 December ***'' The Struggle'' **12 December ***'' Private Lives'' **17 December ***'' Tonight or Never'' **24 December ***'' Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde'' **26 December ***'' Mata Hari''

Notable films released in 1931

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

unless stated

0-9

*'' 24 Hours'', directed by Marion Gering, starring Clive Brook, Kay Francis and Miriam Hopkins

A

*'' À Nous la Liberté (Freedom for Us)'', directed by René Clair – (

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

) *'' Alam Ara (The Light of the World)'' (lost), directed by Ardeshir Irani – (

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

) *''

'', directed by John G. Adolfi, starring George Arliss *'' Alibi'' (lost), directed by Leslie S. Hiscott – ( GB) *'' Alice in Wonderland'', directed by Bud Pollard *'' Alone (Sola)'', directed by Henri Diamant-Berger – (

) *'' Alone (Odna)'', directed by Leonid Trauberg and Grigori Kozintsev – (

USSR The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

) *'' An American Tragedy'', directed by Josef von Sternberg, starring Phillips Holmes and Sylvia Sidney *'' Arrowsmith'', directed by

John Ford John Martin Feeney (February 1, 1894 – August 31, 1973), better known as John Ford, was an American film director and producer. He is regarded as one of the most important and influential filmmakers during the Golden Age of Hollywood, and w ...

, starring Ronald Colman and Helen Hayes

B

*'' Bachelor Apartment'', starring and directed by Lowell Sherman with Irene Dunne *'' The Bachelor Father'', directed by Robert Z. Leonard, starring Marion Davies and Ray Milland *'' Bad Girl'', directed by Frank Borzage, starring Sally Eilers and James Dunn *'' Bad Sister'', directed by Hobart Henley, starring Conrad Nagel, Sidney Fox, Bette Davis,

Humphrey Bogart Humphrey DeForest Bogart ( ; December 25, 1899 – January 14, 1957), nicknamed Bogie, was an American actor. His performances in classic Hollywood cinema made him an American cultural icon. In 1999, the American Film Institute selected Bogart ...

and ZaSu Pitts *'' Berlin-Alexanderplatz'', directed by Phil Jutzi, starring Heinrich George, based on the 1929

novel A novel is an extended work of narrative fiction usually written in prose and published as a book. The word derives from the for 'new', 'news', or 'short story (of something new)', itself from the , a singular noun use of the neuter plural of ...

by Alfred Döblin – (

) *'' The Black Camel'', directed by Hamilton MacFadden, starring Warner Oland, Sally Eilers and Bela Lugosi *'' Blonde Crazy'', directed by Roy Del Ruth, starring James Cagney and Joan Blondell *'' Bought!'', directed by Archie Mayo, starring Constance Bennett *'' Business Under Distress (To neznáte Hadimršku)'', Karel Lamač and Martin Frič – (

Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakia ( ; Czech language, Czech and , ''Česko-Slovensko'') was a landlocked country in Central Europe, created in 1918, when it declared its independence from Austria-Hungary. In 1938, after the Munich Agreement, the Sudetenland beca ...

)

C

*'' The Champ'', directed by

King Vidor King Wallis Vidor ( ; February 8, 1894 – November 1, 1982) was an American film director, film producer, and screenwriter whose 67-year film-making career successfully spanned the silent and sound eras. His works are distinguished by a vivid, ...

, starring Wallace Beery and Jackie Cooper *'' The Cheat'', directed by George Abbott, starring Tallulah Bankhead *'' La Chienne (The Bitch)'', directed by Jean Renoir, starring Michel Simon – (

) *'' Cimarron'', directed by Wesley Ruggles, starring Richard Dix and Irene Dunne *'' The Cisco Kid'', directed by

Irving Cummings Irving Cummings (October 9, 1888 – April 18, 1959) was an American movie actor and director. Career Born in New York City, Cummings started his acting career at age 16 in ''Diplomacy (play), Diplomacy''. His Broadway theatre, Broadway, p ...

, starring Warner Baxter *'' City Lights'', a

Charlie Chaplin Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin (16 April 188925 December 1977) was an English comic actor, filmmaker, and composer who rose to fame in the era of silent film. He became a worldwide icon through his screen persona, the Tramp, and is considered o ...

film *'' City Streets'', directed by Rouben Mamoulian, starring Gary Cooper and Sylvia Sidney *'' A Connecticut Yankee'', directed by David Butler, starring Will Rogers *'' The Criminal Code'', directed by

Howard Hawks Howard Winchester Hawks (May 30, 1896December 26, 1977) was an American film director, Film producer, producer, and screenwriter of the Classical Hollywood cinema, classic Hollywood era. Critic Leonard Maltin called him "the greatest American ...

, starring Walter Huston

D

*'' Daughter of the Dragon'', directed by Lloyd Corrigan, starring Anna May Wong, Warner Oland and Sessue Hayakawa *'' David Golder'', directed by

Julien Duvivier Julien Duvivier (; 8 October 1896 – 29 October 1967) was a French film director and screenwriter. He was prominent in French cinema in the years 1930–1960. Amongst his most original films, chiefly notable are ''La Bandera (film), La Bandera'', ...

– (

) *'' Dishonored'', directed by Josef von Sternberg, starring Marlene Dietrich and Victor McLaglen *'' Down River'', directed by Peter Godfrey, starring Charles Laughton – ( GB) *'' Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde'', directed by Rouben Mamoulian, starring Fredric March and Miriam Hopkins *'' Dracula'', directed by Tod Browning, starring Bela Lugosi *'' Dracula'', directed by George Melford, starring Carlos Villarías

E

*'' Elisabeth of Austria (Elisabeth von Österreich)'', directed by Adolf Trotz, starring Lil Dagover and Paul Otto – (

) *''

Emil and the Detectives ''Emil and the Detectives'' () is a 1929 novel set mainly in Berlin, by the German writer Erich Kästner and illustrated by Walter Trier. It was Kästner's first major success and the only one of his pre-1945 works to escape Nazi censorship. The ...

(Emil und die Detektive)'', directed by

Gerhard Lamprecht Gerhard Lamprecht (6 October 1897 – 4 May 1974) was a German film director, screenwriter and film historian. He directed 63 films between 1920 and 1958. He also wrote for 26 films between 1918 and 1958. Life and career Lamprecht was fasci ...

, starring Rolf Wenkhaus, Käthe Haack and Fritz Rasp – (

) *'' Expensive Women'', directed by Hobart Henley, starring Dolores Costello

F

*'' Five and Ten'', directed by Robert Z. Leonard, starring Marion Davies and Leslie Howard *'' Five Star Final'', directed by

Mervyn LeRoy Mervyn LeRoy (; October 15, 1900 – September 13, 1987) was an American film director and producer. During the 1930s, he was one of the two great practitioners of economical and effective film directing at Warner Bros., Warner Brothers studios, ...

, starring Edward G. Robinson *''

'', directed by James Whale, starring Colin Clive, Mae Clarke, John Boles and

Boris Karloff William Henry Pratt (23 November 1887 – 2 February 1969), known professionally as Boris Karloff () and occasionally billed as Karloff the Uncanny, was a British actor. His portrayal of Frankenstein's monster in the horror film ''Frankenstei ...

*'' A Free Soul'', directed by Clarence Brown, starring Norma Shearer, Leslie Howard, Lionel Barrymore and

Clark Gable William Clark Gable (February 1, 1901November 16, 1960) was an American actor often referred to as the "King of Cinema of the United States, Hollywood". He appeared in more than 60 Film, motion pictures across a variety of Film genre, genres dur ...

*'' From Saturday to Sunday (Ze soboty na neděli)'', directed by Gustav Machatý – (

) *'' The Front Page'', directed by Lewis Milestone, starring Adolphe Menjou and Pat O'Brien

G

*'' Girls About Town'', directed by

George Cukor George Dewey Cukor ( ; July 7, 1899 – January 24, 1983) was an American film director and film producer, producer. He mainly concentrated on comedies and literary adaptations. His career flourished at RKO Pictures, RKO when David O. Selzn ...

, starring Kay Francis, Joel McCrea and Lilyan Tashman *'' Goldie'', directed by

Benjamin Stoloff Benjamin Stoloff (October 6, 1895 – September 8, 1960) was an American film director and producer. He began his career as a director of short films, and he moved into directing and producing feature films. Director filmography 1940s–1950s *' ...

, starring Jean Harlow and Spencer Tracy *'' The Guardsman'', directed by Sidney Franklin, starring Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne *'' Guilty Hands'', directed by W. S. Van Dyke, starring Lionel Barrymore and Kay Francis

H

*'' Her Grace Commands (Ihre Hoheit befiehlt)'', directed by Hanns Schwarz, starring Willy Fritsch and Käthe von Nagy – (

) *'' Hobson's Choice'' (lost), directed by Thomas Bentley – ( GB) *'' Honor Among Lovers'', directed by Dorothy Arzner, starring Claudette Colbert and Fredric March *'' The Hound of the Baskervilles'', directed by Gareth Gundrey – ( GB) *'' Huckleberry Finn'', directed by Norman Taurog, starring Jackie Coogan *'' Hyppolit, the Butler (Hyppolit, a lakáj)'', directed by István Székely – (

Hungary Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia and ...

)

I

*'' I Take This Woman'', directed by Marion Gering, starring Gary Cooper and Carole Lombard *'' Indiscreet'', directed by Leo McCarey, starring Gloria Swanson and Ben Lyon *''

'', directed by Tod Browning, starring Lew Ayres and Jean Harlow *'' It's a Wise Child'', directed by Robert Z. Leonard, starring Marion Davies

J

*'' Just a Gigolo'', directed by Jack Conway, starring William Haines

K

*'' Kalidas'' (lost), directed by H. M. Reddy – ( Tamil) *'' Kameradschaft (Comradeship)'', directed by G. W. Pabst – (

) *'' Kiki'', directed by Sam Taylor, starring Mary Pickford *'' Der Kongreß tanzt (The Congress Dances)'', directed by Erik Charell, starring Lilian Harvey, Willy Fritsch, Conrad Veidt and Lil Dagover – (

)

L

*'' The Last Flight'', directed by

William Dieterle William Dieterle (July 15, 1893 – December 9, 1972) was a German-born actor and film director who emigrated to the United States in 1930 to leave a worsening political situation. He worked in Cinema of the United States, Hollywood primarily a ...

, starring Richard Barthelmess *'' The Last Kiss'', first full-length film produced in Dhallywood, Bangladesh *'' Limite'', directed by Mário Peixoto – (

Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...

) *'' Little Caesar'', directed by

, starring Edward G. Robinson, Douglas Fairbanks Jr. and Glenda Farrell

M

*'' M'', directed by

Fritz Lang Friedrich Christian Anton Lang (; December 5, 1890 – August 2, 1976), better known as Fritz Lang (), was an Austrian-born film director, screenwriter, and producer who worked in Germany and later the United States.Obituary ''Variety Obituari ...

, starring Peter Lorre – (

) *'' The Mad Genius'', directed by Michael Curtiz, starring John Barrymore *'' Mädchen in Uniform'', directed by Leontine Sagan, starring Hertha Thiele – (

) *'' The Maltese Falcon'', directed by Roy Del Ruth, starring Bebe Daniels, Ricardo Cortez and Una Merkel *'' Marius'', directed by

Alexander Korda Sir Alexander Korda (; born Sándor László Kellner; ; 16 September 1893 – 23 January 1956)

, starring Raimu and Pierre Fresnay – (

) *'' Mata Hari'', directed by

George Fitzmaurice George Fitzmaurice (13 February 1885 – 13 June 1940) was a French-born film director and Film producer, producer. Career Fitzmaurice's career first started as a set designer on stage. Beginning in 1914, and continuing until his death in 1940 ...

, starring Greta Garbo, Ramon Novarro, Lewis Stone and Lionel Barrymore *'' Le Million'', directed by René Clair – (

) *'' The Millionaire'', directed by John G. Adolfi, starring George Arliss *'' The Miracle Woman'', directed by

Frank Capra Frank Russell Capra (born Francesco Rosario Capra; May 18, 1897 – September 3, 1991) was an Italian-American film director, producer, and screenwriter who was the creative force behind Frank Capra filmography#Films that won Academy Award ...

, starring Barbara Stanwyck *'' Monkey Business'', directed by Norman Z. McLeod, starring the Marx Brothers *'' My Sin'', directed by George Abbott, starring Tallulah Bankhead and Fredric March

N

*'' The Neighbor's Wife and Mine (Madamu to nyōbō)'', directed by Heinosuke Gosho – (

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

) *'' A Night in Montmartre'', directed by Leslie S. Hiscott – ( GB) *'' Night Nurse'', directed by William A. Wellman, starring Barbara Stanwyck, Ben Lyon, Joan Blondell and

O

*'' Other Men's Women'', directed by William A. Wellman, starring Grant Withers, Regis Toomey and Mary Astor

P

*'' Palmy Days'', directed by A. Edward Sutherland, starring Eddie Cantor *'' Pardon Us'', directed by James Parrott, starring

Laurel and Hardy Laurel and Hardy were a British-American double act, comedy duo during the early Classical Hollywood cinema, Classical Hollywood era of American cinema, consisting of Englishman Stan Laurel (1890–1965) and American Oliver Hardy (1892–1957) ...

*'' Parlor, Bedroom and Bath'', directed by

Edward Sedgwick Edward Sedgwick, Jr. (November 7, 1889 – May 7, 1953) was an American film director, screenwriter, writer, actor and film producer, producer. Early life He was born in Galveston, Texas, the son of Edward Sedgwick, Sr. and Josephine Walker, ...

, starring Buster Keaton *'' The Peach Girl (Tao hua qi xue ji)'', directed by Bu Wancang, starring Ruan Lingyu – (

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

) *'' Peludópolis'' (lost), directed by Quirino Cristiani – (

Argentina Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...

) *'' Platinum Blonde'', directed by

, starring Loretta Young, Robert Williams and Jean Harlow *'' Possessed'', directed by Clarence Brown, starring Joan Crawford and

*'' Private Lives'', directed by Sidney Franklin, starring Norma Shearer and Robert Montgomery *'' The Public Enemy'', directed by William A. Wellman, starring James Cagney, Jean Harlow and Joan Blondell

Q

*'' Quick Millions'', directed by

Rowland Brown Rowland Brown (November 6, 1900 – May 6, 1963), born Chauncey Rowland Brown in Canton, Ohio, was an American screenwriter and film director, whose career as a director ended in the early 1930s after he started many more films than he finished. ...

, starring Spencer Tracy

R

*'' Revenge on the Brother (Enteghm-e baradar)'', directed Ebrahim Moradi – (

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...

)

S

*'' Sally in Our Alley'', directed by

Maurice Elvey Maurice Elvey (11 November 1887 – 28 August 1967) was one of the most prolific film directors in British history. He directed nearly 200 films between 1913 and 1957. During the silent film era he directed as many as twenty films per year. He a ...

, starring Gracie Fields – ( GB) *'' Secret Service'', directed by J. Walter Ruben, starring Richard Dix *'' The Secret Six'', directed by George Hill, starring Wallace Beery, Lewis Stone, Johnny Mack Brown, Jean Harlow and

*'' Secrets of a Secretary'', directed by George Abbott, starring Claudette Colbert and Herbert Marshall *'' Sidewalks of New York'', directed by Zion Myers and Jules White, starring Buster Keaton, Anita Page and Cliff Edwards *'' The Sin of Madelon Claudet'', directed by Edgar Selwyn, starring Helen Hayes *'' The Sleeping Cardinal'', directed by Leslie S. Hiscott, starring Arthur Wontner – ( GB) *'' Smart Money'', directed by Alfred E. Green, starring Edward G. Robinson and James Cagney *'' The Smiling Lieutenant'', directed by Ernst Lubitsch, starring Maurice Chevalier, Claudette Colbert and Miriam Hopkins *'' The Speckled Band'', directed by Jack Raymond, starring Raymond Massey – ( GB) *'' A Spray of Plum Blossoms (Yī jiǎn méi)'', directed by Bu Wancang, starring Ruan Lingyu – (

) *'' The Squaw Man'', directed by Cecil B. DeMille, starring Warner Baxter and Lupe Vélez *'' The Stolen Jools'', directed by William C. McGann *'' Street Scene'', directed by

, starring Sylvia Sidney and Estelle Taylor *'' The Struggle'', directed by D.W. Griffith *'' Svengali'', directed by Archie Mayo, starring John Barrymore and Marian Marsh

T

*'' Tabu: A Story of the South Seas'', directed by F. W. Murnau *'' Tell England'', directed by Anthony Asquith and Geoffrey Barkas – ( GB) *'' Ten Cents a Dance'', directed by Lionel Barrymore, starring Barbara Stanwyck and Ricardo Cortez *'' The Theft of the Mona Lisa (Der Raub der Mona Lisa)'', directed by Géza von Bolváry – (

) *'' This Modern Age'', directed by Nick Grinde, starring Joan Crawford and Neil Hamilton *''

The Threepenny Opera ''The Threepenny Opera'' ( ) is a 1928 German "play with music" by Bertolt Brecht, adapted from a translation by Elisabeth Hauptmann of John Gay's 18th-century English ballad opera, '' The Beggar's Opera'', and four ballads by François V ...

(Die 3 Groschen-Oper)'', directed by G. W. Pabst, starring Lotte Lenya – (

) *'' Tilly of Bloomsbury'', directed by Jack Raymond, starring Sydney Howard and Phyllis Konstam – ( GB) *'' Tokyo Chorus (Tōkyō no kōrasu)'', directed by

Yasujirō Ozu was a Japanese filmmaker. He began his career during the era of silent films, and his last films were made in colour in the early 1960s. Ozu first made a number of short comedies, before turning to more serious themes in the 1930s. The most pr ...

– (

) *'' Tommi'', directed by Yakov Protazanov – (

) *'' Tonight or Never'', directed by

, starring Gloria Swanson and Melvyn Douglas

W

*'' Waterloo Bridge'', directed by James Whale, starring Mae Clarke *'' A Woman of Experience'', directed by Harry Joe Brown, starring Helen Twelvetrees

Serials

*'' Battling with Buffalo Bill'' *'' Danger Island'' *'' Finger Prints'' *'' The Galloping Ghost'', starring Harold Grange *'' Heroes of the Flames'' *'' King of the Wild'' *'' The Lightning Warrior'', starring Rin Tin Tin *''The Mystery Trooper'' *'' The Phantom of the West'' *''The Sign of the Wolf'' *'' The Spell of the Circus'' *'' The Vanishing Legion''

Short film series

*''

'' ( 1921–

1943 Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January 1 – WWII: The Soviet Union announces that 22 German divisions have been encircled at Stalingrad, with 175,000 killed and 137,650 captured. * January 4 � ...

) *'' Charley Chase'' ( 1924– 1940) *'' Buster Keaton'' ( 1917– 1941) *'' Our Gang'' ( 1922– 1944)

Animated short film series

*'' Aesop's Film Fables'' ( 1921– 1933) *'' Krazy Kat'' ( 1925– 1940) *'' Oswald the Lucky Rabbit'' ( 1927–

1938 Events January * January 1 – state-owned enterprise, State-owned railway networks are created by merger, in France (SNCF) and the Netherlands (Nederlandse Spoorwegen – NS). * January 20 – King Farouk of Egypt marries Saf ...

) *''

Mickey Mouse Mickey Mouse is an American cartoon character co-created in 1928 by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks. The longtime icon and mascot of the Walt Disney Company, Mickey is an anthropomorphic mouse who typically wears red shorts, large shoes, and white ...

'' ** '' The Birthday Party'' ** '' Traffic Troubles'' ** '' The Castaway'' ** '' The Moose Hunt'' ** '' The Delivery Boy'' ** ''Mickey Steps Out'' ** ''Blue Rhythm'' ** ''Fishin' Around'' ** ''The Barnyard Broadcast'' ** ''The Beach Party'' ** ''Mickey Cuts Up'' ** ''Mickey's Orphans'' *'' Silly Symphonies'' ** ''Birds of a Feather'' ** ''Mother Goose Melodies'' ** ''The China Plate'' ** ''The Busy Beavers'' ** ''The Cat's Out'' ** ''Egyptian Melodies'' ** ''The Clock Store'' ** ''The Spider and the Fly'' ** ''The Fox Hunt'' ** ''The Ugly Duckling'' *'' Screen Songs'' ( 1929–

) *'' Talkartoons'' ( 1929– 1932) ** ''Mask a Raid'' (featuring Betty Boop) *''

Looney Tunes ''Looney Tunes'' is an American media franchise produced and distributed by Warner Bros. The franchise began as a series of animated short films that originally ran from 1930 to 1969, alongside its spin-off series ''Merrie Melodies'', during t ...

'' ( 1930– 1969) *'' Flip the Frog'' ( 1930– 1933) *'' Terrytoons'' ( 1930– 1964) *'' Toby the Pup'' ( 1930-1931) *'' Merrie Melodies'' (1931– 1969) *'' Scrappy'' (1931– 1941) *'' Tom and Jerry (Van Beuren)'' (1931– 1933)

Births

*January 1 - Mona Hammond, British actress (died 2022) *January 3 – Conrad Brooks, née Biedrzycki, American actor and producer (died 2017) *January 5 – Robert Duvall, American actor and filmmaker *January 9 - Paul Mantee, American actor (died

2013 2013 was the first year since 1987 to contain four unique digits (a span of 26 years). 2013 was designated as: *International Year of Water Cooperation *International Year of Quinoa Events January * January 5 – 2013 Craig, Alask ...

) *January 13 - Charles Nelson Reilly, American comedian, actor, director and drama teacher (died 2007) *January 14 – Caterina Valente, French singer and actress (died 2024) *January 17 – James Earl Jones, American actor (died 2024) *January 20 - Jack Grinnage, American actor *January 22 - Mary Castle, American actress (died 1998) *January 25 - Dean Jones, American actor (died 2015) *January 26 – Mary Murphy, American actress (died

2011 The year marked the start of a Arab Spring, series of protests and revolutions throughout the Arab world advocating for democracy, reform, and economic recovery, later leading to the depositions of world leaders in Tunisia, Egypt, and Yemen ...

) *January 29 – Leslie Bricusse, English-born film composer and lyricist (died 2021) *January 30 - Read Morgan, American actor (died 2022) *February 6 ** Bryan O'Byrne, American character actor and acting coach (died

2009 2009 was designated as the International Year of Astronomy by the United Nations to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei's first known astronomical studies with a telescope and the publication of Astronomia Nova by Joha ...

) ** Rip Torn, American actor and director (died 2019) ** Mamie Van Doren, American actress and sex symbol *February 8 – James Dean, American actor (died 1955) *February 9 - Barbara Young, English actress (died 2023) *February 14 ** Charles Hyatt, Jamaican actor, playwright and director (died 2007) ** Margarita Lozano, Spanish actress (died 2022) *February 15 ** Claire Bloom, English actress ** Mohamed Hilmi, Algerian actor and director (died 2022) *February 18 - Laura Valenzuela, Spanish television presenter and actress (died 2023) *February 20 - Karl Spiehs, Austrian producer (died 2022) *February 24 – Dominic Chianese, American actor *February 26 - Shay Duffin, Irish character actor (died

2010 The year saw a multitude of natural and environmental disasters such as the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and the 2010 Chile earthquake. The 2009 swine flu pandemic, swine flu pandemic which began the previous year ...

) *February 28 - Gavin MacLeod, American actor (died 2021) *March 5 - George Ogilvie, Australian director and actor (died 2020) *March 8 - Gerald Potterton, British-Canadian director, writer, producer and animator (died 2022) *March 15 - James Ellis, Irish actor (died

2014 The year 2014 was marked by the surge of the Western African Ebola epidemic, West African Ebola epidemic, which began in 2013, becoming the List of Ebola outbreaks, most widespread outbreak of the Ebola, Ebola virus in human history, resul ...

) *March 20 – Hal Linden, American actor, director and musician *March 22 – William Shatner, Canadian actor *March 26 – Leonard Nimoy, American actor and director (died 2015) *March 27 - Marion Brash, American actress (died 2022) *April 1 – Ita Ever, Estonian actress (died 2023) *April 7 - Ted Kotcheff, Canadian-Bulgarian director and producer (died

2025 So far, the year has seen the continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudanese civil war, and the Gaza war. Internal crises in Bangladesh post-resignation v ...

) *April 8 – John Gavin, American actor and diplomat (died 2018) *April 14 -

Kenneth Cope Kenneth Charles Cope (14 April 1931 – 11 September 2024) was an English actor and scriptwriter. He was best known for his roles as Marty Hopkirk in '' Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased)'', Jed Stone in ''Coronation Street,'' Ray Hilton in '' ...

, English actor and scriptwriter (died 2024) *April 17 – Esteban Siller, Mexican voice actor (died

) *May 5 - Brian O'Shaughnessy, British actor (died 2001) *May 10 –

Ettore Scola Ettore Scola (; 10 May 1931 – 19 January 2016) was an Italian screenwriter and film director. He received a Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film, Golden Globe for Best Foreign Film in 1978 for his film ''A Special Day'' and over ...

, Italian director and screenwriter (died 2016) *May 13 - Zohra Lampert, American actress *May 15 - K. S. Sethumadhavan, Indian director and screenwriter (died 2021) *May 16 - Frank Albanese, American actor (died 2015) *May 18 – Robert Morse, American actor and singer (died 2022) *May 19 - James Greene, Northern Irish actor (died 2021) *May 23 ** Barbara Barrie, American actress ** Patience Cleveland, American actress (died

2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...

) *May 24 – Michael Lonsdale, British-French actor (died 2020) *May 28 ** Carroll Baker, American actress ** Bob Hornery, Australian actor (died 2015) *June 2 - Peter Cummins, Australian character actor (died 2024) *June 3 – Carmen Dell'Orefice, American supermodel and actress *June 7 - Virginia McKenna, English actress *June 14 – Marla Gibbs, American actress, singer, comedian, writer and producer *June 20 ** Olympia Dukakis, Greek-American actress (died 2021) ** James Tolkan, American actor *July 1 – Leslie Caron, French actress and dancer *July 2 ** Robert Ito, Canadian actor of Japanese ancestry ** Frank Williams, English actor (died 2022) *July 4 – Stephen Boyd, Irish actor (died 1977) *July 5 – António de Macedo, Portuguese filmmaker, writer, university professor and lecturer (died 2017) *July 6 ** Donal Donnelly, Irish actor died (

) ** Della Reese, American jazz and gospel singer, actress and ordinated minister (died 2017) *July 10 – Nick Adams, American actor and screenwriter (died 1968) *July 11 – Tab Hunter, American actor and singer (died 2018) *July 14 – Mirella Ricciardi, Kenyan photographer, writer and actress *July 24 – Ermanno Olmi, Italian director and screenwriter (died 2018) *July 27 – Jerry Van Dyke, American actor, musician and comedian (died 2018) *July 28 – Darryl Hickman, American actor, voice artist, screenwriter and television executive (died 2024) *August 1 - Pat Heywood, Scottish actress (died 2024) *August 19 ** Elena Cotta, Italian actress ** Marianne Koch, German actress *August 23 – Barbara Eden, American actress *August 12 –

William Goldman William Goldman (August 12, 1931 – November 16, 2018) was an American novelist, playwright, and screenwriter. He first came to prominence in the 1950s as a novelist before turning to screenwriting. Among other accolades, Goldman won two Aca ...

, American screenwriter and novelist (died 2018) *August 31 – Noble Willingham, American actor (died

) *September 4 – Mitzi Gaynor, American actress, singer and dancer (died 2024) *September 9 **

Zoltán Latinovits Zoltán Latinovits (9 September 1931, in Budapest – 4 June 1976, in Balatonszemes) was a Hungarian actor. Early life His mother divorced his father Oszkár Latinovits in 1941 and married István Frenreisz, a medical doctor, with whom she ha ...

, Hungarian actor (died

1976 Events January * January 2 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force. * January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea. * January 18 – Full diplomatic ...

) ** Margaret Tyzack, English actress (died

) *September 10 – Philip Baker Hall, American actor (died 2022) *September 12 ** Ian Holm, English actor (died 2020) ** Bill McKinney, American character actor (died

) ** Silvia Pinal, Mexican actress (died 2024) *September 13 – Barbara Bain, American actress *September 17 – Anne Bancroft, American actress (died

2005 2005 was designated as the International Year for Sport and Physical Education and the International Year of Microcredit. The beginning of 2005 also marked the end of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, Internationa ...

) *September 20 - Ned Tanen, American producer (died

) *September 21 –

Larry Hagman Larry Martin Hagman (September 21, 1931 – November 23, 2012) was an American actor, best known for playing ruthless oil baron J. R. Ewing in the 1978–1991 primetime television soap opera ''Dallas'', and the handsome astronaut Major Anthon ...

, American actor and director (died

2012 2012 was designated as: *International Year of Cooperatives *International Year of Sustainable Energy for All Events January *January 4 – The Cicada 3301 internet hunt begins. * January 12 – Peaceful protests begin in the R ...

) *September 29 ** Eddie Barth, American actor (died

) ** Anita Ekberg, Swedish actress and sex symbol (died 2015) *September 30 – Angie Dickinson, American actress *October 10 – Román Chalbaud, Venezuelan director (died 2023) *October 12 - Yvonne Gilan, Scottish actress (died 2018) *October 19 - Rubens de Falco, Brazilian actor (died 2008) *October 21 – Vivian Pickles, English actress *October 25 - Bob Gurr, American amusement ride designer and Imagineer *October 30 - Ann Roth, American costume designer and actress *November 3 – Monica Vitti, Italian actress (died 2022) *November 5 - Gil Hill, American actor (died 2016) *November 6 – Mike Nichols, German-born director (died

) *November 10 – Don Henderson, English actor (died 1997) *November 12 – Mary Louise Wilson, American actress, singer and comedian *November 18 - Brad Sullivan, American character actor (died 2008) *November 30 – Jack Ging, American actor (died 2022) *December 2 – Nadja Regin, Serbian actress (died 2019) *December 3 - Jaye P. Morgan, retired American singer, actress and game show panellist *December 9 ** Paddi Edwards, British-American actress (died

1999 1999 was designated as the International Year of Older Persons. Events January * January 1 – The euro currency is established and the European Central Bank assumes its full powers. * January 3 – The Mars Polar Lander is launc ...

) ** William Reynolds, American actor (died 2022) *December 11 ** Anne Heywood, British actress (died 2023) ** Rita Moreno, Puerto Rican actress *December 20 - Mala Powers, American actress (died 2007) *December 23 – Ronnie Schell, American actor and stand-up comedian *December 24 - Robert Ridgely, American actor (died 1997) *December 28 – Martin Milner. American actor (died 2015)

Deaths

* February 18 - Louis Wolheim, American silent film/early sound film actor (born 1880) * March 11 – F. W. Murnau, German director (born 1888) * March 16 - James Neill, American silent film actor * March 24 ** Charles Clary, silent film actor (born 1873) ** Robert Edeson, stage and screen actor (born 1868) * April 9 - Thomas Santschi, American screen actor (born 1880) * June 7 – Viktor Schwanneke, German actor (born 1880) * August 14 – Janie Marèse, French actress (born 1908) * September 13 – Lawrence D'Orsay, English actor (born 1853) * October 18 -

Thomas Edison Thomas Alva Edison (February11, 1847October18, 1931) was an American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices in fields such as electric power generation, mass communication, sound recording, and motion pictures. These inventions, ...

, inventor (born 1847) * November 27 – Lya De Putti, Hungarian actress (born 1899) * December 23 – Tyrone Power, Sr., stage and film veteran, father of movie star Tyrone Power (born 1869)

Film debuts

References

;Citations ;Bibliography * *

External links

List of 1931 films
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IMDb IMDb, historically known as the Internet Movie Database, is an online database of information related to films, television series, podcasts, home videos, video games, and streaming content online – including cast, production crew and biograp ...

List of 1931 deaths
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List of 1931 births
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{{1931 films Film by year