The year 1937 in film involved some significant events, including the Walt Disney production of the first American full-length animated film, '' Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs''.

Top-grossing films (U.S.)

The top ten 1937 released films by box office gross in North America are as follows:

Events

* March 26 – London Films abandons production of '' I, Claudius'' two weeks after its female lead, Merle Oberon, is injured in a car crash. * April 16 –

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) ...

comedy '' Way Out West'' premieres in the US. * May 7 – Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers musical comedy '' Shall We Dance'' premieres in the US. * May 11 – Drama '' Captains Courageous'', starring Spencer Tracy, premieres in New York, going into general release on June 25. * June 7 – Jean Harlow, one of the biggest Hollywood stars of the decade, dies aged 26 at Good Samaritan Hospital, Los Angeles. The official cause of death is listed as cerebral edema, a complication of kidney failure. * June 11 – Marx Brothers comedy '' A Day at the Races'' premieres in the U.S. * July 9 – The silent film archives of Fox Film Corporation are destroyed by the 1937 Fox vault fire. * July 23 – Six weeks after Jean Harlow's death, her final film, '' Saratoga'', is released. It is an instant box office success and becomes the year's highest-grossing film, as well as the highest-grossing film of her career. * December 21 – Walt Disney's debut feature film '' Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs'', the first feature-length cartoon to be made in America, in Technicolor, and in sound, premieres at the Carthay Circle Theatre in

Los Angeles 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 film opens nationwide on February 4, 1938, and is a massive box office success, briefly holding the record as the highest-grossing sound film of all time. * Monogram Pictures, who had merged with Republic Pictures two years earlier, decide to separate and distribute their own films again.

Academy Awards

* Best Picture: '' The Life of Emile Zola'' – Warner Bros. * Best Director: Leo McCarey – '' The Awful Truth'' * Best Actor: Spencer Tracy – '' Captains Courageous'' * Best Actress: Luise Rainer – '' The Good Earth'' * Best Supporting Actor: Joseph Schildkraut – '' The Life of Emile Zola'' * Best Supporting Actress: Alice Brady – '' In Old Chicago''

Top ten money-making stars

1937 film releases

January–March

*January 1937 **13 January ***'' Thunder in the City'' ( GB) **14 January ***'' Action for Slander'' **17 January ***'' Battle of Greed'' **26 January ***'' Without Dowry'' ( U.S.S.R.) **28 January ***'' Pépé le Moko'' (

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 ...

) **29 January ***'' The Good Earth'' ***'' You Only Live Once'' **30 January ***'' Black Legion'' *February 1937 **2 February ***'' Dreaming Lips'' (Britain) **4 February ***'' The Daughter of the Samurai'' (

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 ...

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 ...

) **12 February ***'' Head Over Heels'' ( GB) ***'' On the Avenue'' **13 February ***'' The Great O'Malley'' **19 February ***'' The Last of Mrs. Cheyney'' *March 1937 **2 March ***'' Lost Horizon'' **3 March ***'' Maid of Salem'' **5 March ***'' Fire Over England'' ( GB) ***'' History is Made at Night'' ***'' Jump for Glory'' ( GB) **12 March ***'' A Family Affair'' ***'' Nancy Steele Is Missing!'' **22 March ***'' Layla and Majnun'' (Iran) **25 March ***'' Seventh Heaven'' **26 March ***'' Maytime'' ***'' Quality Street'' **27 March *'' Girl Loves Boy''

April–June

*April 1937 **5 April ***'' Elephant Boy'' ( GB) **9 April ***'' The Soldier and the Lady'' **10 April ***'' Marked Woman'' ***'' The Tale of the Fox'' (Germany) **16 April ***'' Way Out West'' **18 April ***'' Love from a Stranger'' (GB) **20 April ***'' A Star Is Born'' **23 April ***'' The Woman I Love'' **28 April ***'' Woman Chases Man'' **30 April ***'' Night Must Fall'' *May 1937 **7 May ***'' Shall We Dance'' ***'' They Gave Him a Gun'' **8 May ***'' The Prince and the Pauper'' **9 May ***'' Make Way for Tomorrow'' ***'' The Vicar of Bray'' **19 May ***'' Academy Award Review of Walt Disney Cartoons'' **21 May ***'' Charlie Chan at the Olympics'' ***'' Pick a Star'' **26 May ***'' Kid Galahad'' **28 May ***'' This Is My Affair'' *June 1937 **1 June ***'' Knight Without Armour'' ( GB) ***'' The Road Back'' **4 June ***'' Parnell'' **8 June ***'' Grand Illusion'' (

) **11 June ***'' A Day at the Races'' **12 June ***'' Storm in a Teacup'' ( GB) **17 June ***'' King Solomon's Mines'' (GB) **23 June ***'' Slim'' **25 June ***'' Captains Courageous'' ***'' Wee Willie Winkie'' **30 June ***'' Silver Blaze''

July–September

*July 1937 **6 July ***'' The Edge of the World'' ( GB) **7 July ***'' Easy Living'' **14 July ***'' They Won't Forget'' **15 July ***'' Ever Since Eve'' **16 July ***'' Topper'' **21 July ***'' High, Wide, and Handsome'' **23 July ***'' Saratoga'' **24 July ***'' Street Angel'' (

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 ...

) *August 1937 **3 August ***'' You Can't Have Everything'' **4 August ***'' Artists and Models'' **6 August ***'' Stella Dallas'' **9 August ***'' Souls at Sea'' **11 August ***'' The Life of Emile Zola'' **19 August ***'' Confession'' **20 August ***'' Broadway Melody of 1938'' **25 August ***'' Humanity and Paper Balloons'' (

) **27 August ***'' Dead End'' **31 August ***'' To New Shores'' (

) *September 1937 **1 September ***'' The Firefly'' **2 September ***'' The Prisoner of Zenda'' **3 September ***'' Big City'' **5 September ***'' One Hundred Men and a Girl'' **7 September ***'' It Happened in Hollywood'' **10 September ***'' Annapolis Salute'' ***'' Gribouille'' (

) **16 September ***'' Victoria the Great'' ( GB) **18 September ***'' That Certain Woman'' **24 September ***'' Tři vejce do skla'' (

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 ...

) **26 September ***'' The Dybbuk'' **30 September ***'' Something to Sing About''

October–December

*October 1937 **1 October ***'' Madame X'' **2 October ***'' Love Is on the Air'' **8 October ***''

Stage Door ''Stage Door'' is a 1937 American Tragicomedy, tragicomedy film directed by Gregory La Cava, and starring Katharine Hepburn, Ginger Rogers, Adolphe Menjou, Gail Patrick, Constance Collier, Andrea Leeds, Samuel S. Hinds, and Lucille Ball. Adapt ...

'' **10 October ***'' Law for Tombstone'' **12 October ***'' Green Fields'' **14 October ***'' Think Fast, Mr. Moto'' **15 October ***'' The Bride Wore Red'' ***'' Double Wedding'' ***'' Heidi'' **20 October ***'' Bizarre, Bizarre'' (

) **21 October ***'' The Awful Truth'' **22 October ***'' Conquest'' ***'' Yoshiwara'' (

) **23 October ***'' The Perfect Specimen'' **29 October ***'' Ali Baba Goes to Town'' ***'' Angel'' ***'' Stand-In'' **30 October ***'' The Great Garrick'' *November 1937 **9 November ***'' The Hurricane'' **12 November ***'' The Last Gangster'' **19 November ***'' A Damsel in Distress'' ***'' Navy Blue and Gold'' **20 November ***'' It's Love I'm After'' **25 November ***'' Nothing Sacred'' *December 1937 **2 December ***'' Andula Won'' (

) ***'' The Seven Ravens'' (

) **4 December ***'' First Lady'' **7 December ***'' Telephone Operator'' **10 December ***'' Born to the West'' **17 December ***'' Daughter of Shanghai'' **18 December ***'' La Habanera'' (

) **21 December ***'' Skeleton on Horseback'' (

) **24 December ***'' Rosalie'' ***'' True Confession'' **25 December ***'' Tovarich'' **29 December ***'' You're a Sweetheart'' **31 December ***''

Wells Fargo Wells Fargo & Company is an American multinational financial services company with a significant global presence. The company operates in 35 countries and serves over 70 million customers worldwide. It is a systemically important fi ...

'' ***'' Wise Girl''

Notable films released in 1937

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.

#

*'' 100 Men and a Girl'', directed by Henry Koster, starring Deanna Durbin, Leopold Stokowski and Adolphe Menjou

A

*'' Academy Award Review of Walt Disney Cartoons'' *'' Action for Slander'', directed by Tim Whelan, starring Clive Brook and Ann Todd – ( GB) *'' Ali Baba Goes to Town'', directed by David Butler, starring Eddie Cantor and Tony Martin *'' Andula Won (Andula vyhrála)'', directed by

Miroslav Cikán Miroslav Cikán (11 February 1896 – 1 February 1962 in Prague) was a Czechoslovak film director. He frequently worked with actors such as Hugo Haas, Jan Werich, and Vlasta Burian. Filmography *''The Mystery of the Blue Room'' (1933) *''Dum na ...

, starring Věra Ferbasová – (

) *'' Angel'', directed by Ernst Lubitsch, starring Marlene Dietrich, Herbert Marshall and Melvyn Douglas *'' Annapolis Salute'', directed by Christy Cabanne, starring James Ellison, Marsha Hunt, Harry Carey and Van Heflin *'' Artists and Models'', directed by Raoul Walsh, starring Jack Benny, Ida Lupino and Richard Arlen *'' The Awful Truth'', directed by Leo McCarey, starring Irene Dunne, Cary Grant and Ralph Bellamy

B

*'' Battle of Greed'', directed by Howard Higgin, starring Tom Keene *'' Bezhin Meadow'', directed by Sergei Eisenstein – ( USSR) *'' Big City'', directed by Frank Borzage, starring Luise Rainer and Spencer Tracy *'' Bizarre, Bizarre (Drôle de drame)'', directed by Marcel Carné, starring Louis Jouvet and Michel Simon – (

) *'' Black Legion'', directed by Archie Mayo, starring Humphrey Bogart and Ann Sheridan *'' Born to the West'', directed by Charles Barton, starring John Wayne, Marsha Hunt and John Mack Brown *'' The Bride Wore Red'', directed by Dorothy Arzner, starring Joan Crawford, Franchot Tone, Robert Young and Billie Burke *'' Brief Ecstasy'', directed by Edmond T. Gréville, starring Paul Lukas – ( GB) *'' Broadway Melody of 1938'', directed by Roy Del Ruth, starring Robert Taylor, Eleanor Powell and Judy Garland *'' Bulldog Drummond's Revenge'', directed by Louis King, starring John Barrymore and John Howard

C

*'' Captains Courageous'', directed by Victor Fleming, starring Freddie Bartholomew, Spencer Tracy, Lionel Barrymore and Melvyn Douglas *'' Charlie Chan at the Olympics'', directed by H. Bruce Humberstone, starring Warner Oland *'' Confession'', directed by Joe May, starring Kay Francis and Basil Rathbone *'' Conquest'', directed by Clarence Brown, starring Greta Garbo and Charles Boyer *'' Crossroads (Shízì jiētóu)'', directed by Shen Xiling, starring Bai Yang and Zhao Dan – (

)

D

*'' A Damsel in Distress'', directed by George Stevens, starring Fred Astaire, George Burns,

Gracie Allen Grace Ethel Cecile Rosalie Allen (July 26, 1895 – August 27, 1964) was an American vaudevillian, singer, actress, and comedian who became internationally famous as the zany partner and comic foil of husband George Burns, her straight man, ap ...

and Joan Fontaine *'' Daughter of Shanghai'', directed by Robert Florey, starring Anna May Wong, Philip Ahn and Charles Bickford *'' The Daughter of the Samurai (Die Tochter des Samurai / Atarashiki tsuchi)'', directed by Arnold Fanck and Mansaku Itami, starring Setsuko Hara and Sessue Hayakawa – (

) *'' A Day at the Races'', directed by Sam Wood, starring the Marx Brothers, Allan Jones and Maureen O'Sullivan *'' Dead End'', directed by William Wyler, starring Sylvia Sidney, Joel McCrea, Humphrey Bogart and Claire Trevor *'' Double Wedding'', directed by Richard Thorpe, starring William Powell and Myrna Loy *'' Dreaming Lips'', directed by Paul Czinner, starring Elisabeth Bergner and Raymond Massey – ( GB) *'' Duniya Na Mane (Kunku / The Unexpected)'', directed by V. Shantaram, starring Shanta Apte – (

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 ...

) *'' The Dybbuk (Der Dibuk)'', directed by Michał Waszyński – (

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

)

E

*'' Easy Living'', directed by

Mitchell Leisen James Mitchell Leisen (October 6, 1898 – October 28, 1972) was an American film director, director, art director, and costume designer. Film career He entered the film industry in the 1920s, beginning in the art and costume departments. He d ...

, starring Jean Arthur, Edward Arnold and Ray Milland *'' The Edge of the World'', directed by

Michael Powell Michael Latham Powell (30 September 1905 – 19 February 1990) was an English filmmaker, celebrated for his partnership with Emeric Pressburger. Through their production company Powell and Pressburger, The Archers, they together wrote, produced ...

– ( GB) *'' Elephant Boy'', directed by Robert J. Flaherty and Zoltan Korda, starring Sabu – ( GB) *'' España 1936'', a documentary directed by Jean-Paul Le Chanois, produced and co-written by

Luis Buñuel Luis Buñuel Portolés (; 22 February 1900 – 29 July 1983) was a Spanish and Mexican filmmaker who worked in France, Mexico and Spain. He has been widely considered by many film critics, historians and directors to be one of the greatest and ...

– (

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

) *'' Ever Since Eve'', directed by Lloyd Bacon, starring Marion Davies and Robert Montgomery

F

*'' A Family Affair'', directed by George B. Seitz, starring Lionel Barrymore, Cecilia Parker and

Mickey Rooney Mickey Rooney (born Ninnian Joseph Yule Jr.; other pseudonym Mickey Maguire; September 23, 1920 – April 6, 2014) was an American actor. In a career spanning nearly nine decades, he appeared in more than 300 films and was among the last survivi ...

*'' Fire Over England'', directed by William K. Howard, starring Flora Robson, Laurence Olivier, Vivien Leigh and Raymond Massey – ( GB) *'' The Firefly'', directed by Robert Z. Leonard, starring Jeanette MacDonald, Allan Jones and Warren William *'' First Lady'', directed by Stanley Logan, starring Kay Francis and Preston Foster

G

*'' Gangway'', directed by Sonnie Hale, starring Jessie Matthews – ( GB) *'' Girl Loves Boy'', directed by W. Duncan Mansfield, starring Eric Linden and Cecilia Parker *'' The Good Earth'', directed by Sidney Franklin, starring Paul Muni and Luise Rainer *'' Good Morning, Boys'', directed by Marcel Varnel, starring Will Hay and Graham Moffatt – ( GB) *'' La Grande Illusion (The Grand Illusion)'', directed by Jean Renoir, starring Jean Gabin, Dita Parlo and Erich von Stroheim – (

) *'' The Great Barrier'', directed by

Milton Rosmer Milton Rosmer (4 November 1881 – 7 December 1971) was a British actor, film director and screenwriter. He made his screen debut in ''The Mystery of a Hansom Cab'' (1915) and continued to act in theatre, film and television until 1956. In ...

and Geoffrey Barkas, starring Richard Arlen and Lilli Palmer – ( GB) *'' The Great Garrick'', directed by James Whale, starring Brian Aherne and Olivia de Havilland *'' The Great O'Malley'', 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 Pat O'Brien, Humphrey Bogart and Ann Sheridan *'' Green Fields'', directed by Jacob Ben-Ami and Edgar G. Ulmer *'' Gribouille (The Meddler)'', directed by Marc Allégret, starring Raimu and Michèle Morgan – (

)

H

*'' La Habanera'', directed by Douglas Sirk, starring Zarah Leander – (

) *'' Head Over Heels'', directed by Sonnie Hale, starring Jessie Matthews – ( GB) *'' Heidi'', directed by Allan Dwan, starring Shirley Temple and Jean Hersholt *'' High, Wide, and Handsome'', directed by Rouben Mamoulian, starring Irene Dunne and Randolph Scott *'' History is Made at Night'', directed by Frank Borzage, starring Charles Boyer and Jean Arthur *'' The Hound of the Baskervilles (Der Hund von Baskerville)'', directed by Karel Lamač – (

) *'' Humanity and Paper Balloons (Ninjō kami fūsen)'', directed by Sadao Yamanaka – (

) *'' The Hurricane'', 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 Dorothy Lamour, Mary Astor, Raymond Massey and John Carradine

I

*'' It Happened in Hollywood'', directed by Harry Lachman, starring Richard Dix and Fay Wray *'' It's Love I'm After'', directed by Archie Mayo, starring Leslie Howard, Bette Davis and Olivia de Havilland

J

*'' Jump for Glory'', directed by Raoul Walsh, starring Douglas Fairbanks Jr. and Valerie Hobson – ( GB)

K

*'' Kid Galahad'', directed by Michael Curtiz, starring Edward G. Robinson, Bette Davis and Humphrey Bogart *'' King Solomon's Mines'', directed by Robert Stevenson, starring Cedric Hardwicke and Paul Robeson – ( GB) *'' Knight Without Armour'', directed by Jacques Feyder, starring Marlene Dietrich and Robert Donat – ( GB)

L

*'' Lancashire Luck'', directed by Henry Cass, starring Wendy Hiller – ( GB) *'' The Last Gangster'', directed by Edward Ludwig, starring Edward G. Robinson and James Stewart *'' The Last of Mrs. Cheyney'', directed by Richard Boleslawski, starring Joan Crawford, William Powell, Robert Montgomery and

Frank Morgan Francis Phillip Wuppermann (June 1, 1890 – September 18, 1949), known professionally as Frank Morgan, was an American character actor. He was best known for his appearances in films starting in the silent era in 1916, and then numerous sound ...

*'' Law for Tombstone'', directed by and starring Buck Jones *'' Layla and Majnun (Leyli va Majnun)'', directed by Abdolhossein Sepanta – (

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 ...

) *'' The Life of Emile Zola'', directed by

, starring Paul Muni *'' Lost Horizon'', directed by Frank Capra, starring Ronald Colman and Jane Wyatt *'' Love from a Stranger'', directed by Rowland V. Lee, starring Ann Harding and Basil Rathbone – ( GB) *'' Love Is on the Air'', directed by Nick Grinde, starring

Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan (February 6, 1911 – June 5, 2004) was an American politician and actor who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He was a member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party a ...

and June Travis

M

*'' Madame X'', directed by Sam Wood, starring Gladys George and Warren William *'' Maid of Salem'', directed by Frank Lloyd, starring Claudette Colbert and Fred MacMurray *'' Make Way for Tomorrow'', directed by Leo McCarey, starring Victor Moore and Beulah Bondi *'' The Man Who Could Work Miracles'', directed by Lothar Mendes, starring Roland Young and Ralph Richardson – ( GB) *'' The Man Who Was Sherlock Holmes (Der Mann, der Sherlock Holmes war)'', directed by Karl Hartl, starring Hans Albers and Heinz Rühmann – (

) *'' Marked Woman'', directed by Lloyd Bacon, starring Bette Davis and Humphrey Bogart *'' Maytime'', directed by Robert Z. Leonard, starring Jeanette MacDonald, Nelson Eddy and John Barrymore *'' Morality Above All Else (Mravnost nade vše)'', directed by Martin Frič, starring Hugo Haas – (

)

N

*'' Nancy Steele Is Missing'', directed by George Marshall and

Otto Preminger Otto Ludwig Preminger ( ; ; 5 December 1905 – 23 April 1986) was an Austrian Americans, Austrian-American film and theatre director, film producer, and actor. He directed more than 35 feature films in a five-decade career after leaving the the ...

, starring Victor McLaglen and Peter Lorre *'' Navy Blue and Gold'', directed by Sam Wood, starring James Stewart, Robert Young and Lionel Barrymore *'' Night Must Fall'', directed by Richard Thorpe, starring Robert Montgomery and Rosalind Russell *'' Nothing Sacred'', directed by William A. Wellman, starring Carole Lombard and Fredric March

O

*'' O-Kay for Sound'', directed by Marcel Varnel, starring the Crazy Gang – ( GB) *'' Oh, Mr Porter!'', directed by Marcel Varnel, starring Will Hay, Moore Marriott and Graham Moffatt – ( GB) *'' The Old Mill'', a Silly Symphonies cartoon directed by

Wilfred Jackson Wilfred Emmons Jackson (January 24, 1906 – August 7, 1988) was an American animator, arranger, musical arranger and film director, director best known for his work with The Walt Disney Company, Walt Disney Productions. Jackson joined Walt Dis ...

*'' On the Avenue'', directed by Roy Del Ruth, starring Dick Powell, Madeleine Carroll and Alice Faye

P

*'' Parnell'', directed by John M. Stahl, starring Clark Gable and Myrna Loy *'' Pépé le Moko'', 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'', ...

, starring Jean Gabin – (

) *'' The Perfect Specimen'', directed by Michael Curtiz, starring

Errol Flynn Errol Leslie Thomson Flynn (20 June 1909 – 14 October 1959) was an Australian and American actor who achieved worldwide fame during the Golden Age of Hollywood. He was known for his romantic swashbuckler roles, frequent partnerships with Oliv ...

and Joan Blondell *'' Pick a Star'', 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 Patsy Kelly and Jack Haley *'' Popeye the Sailor Meets Ali Baba's Forty Thieves'', directed by Dave Fleischer, starring Jack Mercer *'' The Prince and the Pauper'', directed by William Keighley, starring

and

Claude Rains William Claude Rains (10 November 188930 May 1967) was a British and American actor whose career spanned almost seven decades. He was the recipient of numerous accolades, including four Academy Award nominations for Academy Award for Best Supp ...

*'' The Prisoner of Zenda'', directed by John Cromwell, starring Ronald Colman, Madeleine Carroll, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Raymond Massey, Mary Astor and David Niven

Q

*'' Quality Street'', directed by George Stevens, starring Katharine Hepburn and Franchot Tone

R

*'' The Road Back'', directed by James Whale *'' Rosalie'', directed by W. S. Van Dyke, starring Nelson Eddy, Eleanor Powell and

S

*'' Saratoga'', directed by Jack Conway, starring Clark Gable, Jean Harlow, Lionel Barrymore,

, Walter Pidgeon and Una Merkel *'' The Seven Ravens (Die sieben Raben)'', directed by the Diehl Brothers – (

) *'' Seventh Heaven'', directed by Henry King, starring Simone Simon and James Stewart *'' Shall We Dance'', directed by Mark Sandrich, starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers *'' Il signor Max (Mr. Max)'', directed by Mario Camerini, starring Vittorio De Sica – (

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

) *'' Silver Blaze (US: Murder at the Baskervilles)'', directed by Thomas Bentley, starring Arthur Wontner and Ian Fleming – ( GB) *'' Skeleton on Horseback (Bílá nemoc)'', directed by and starring Hugo Haas – (

) *'' Slave Ship'', directed by

Tay Garnett William Taylor "Tay" Garnett (June 13, 1894 – October 3, 1977) was an American film director, writer, and producer. He made nearly 50 films in various genres during his 55-year career, ''The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946 film), The Postman ...

, starring Warner Baxter, Wallace Beery and

*'' Slim'', directed by Ray Enright, starring Pat O'Brien and Henry Fonda *'' Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs'', directed by David Hand, William Cottrell,

, Larry Morey, Perce Pearce, and Ben Sharpsteen, starring Adriana Caselotti *'' The Soldier and the Lady'', directed by George Nicholls Jr., starring Anton Walbrook and Elizabeth Allan *'' Something to Sing About'', directed by Victor Schertzinger, starring James Cagney and William Frawley *'' Song at Midnight (Yèbàn gēshēng)'', directed by Ma-Xu Weibang, starring Jin Shan – (

) *'' Souls at Sea'', directed by Henry Hathaway, starring Gary Cooper and

George Raft George Raft (né Ranft; September 26, 1901 – November 24, 1980) was an American film actor and dancer identified with portrayals of gangsters in crime melodramas of the 1930s and 1940s. A stylish leading man in dozens of movies, Raft is remembe ...

*''

'', directed by

Gregory La Cava Gregory La Cava (March 10, 1892 – March 1, 1952) was an American film director of Italian descent best known for his films of the 1930s, including ''My Man Godfrey'' and ''Stage Door'', which earned him nominations for Academy Award for Best ...

, starring Katharine Hepburn, Ginger Rogers and Adolphe Menjou *'' Stand-In'', directed by

, starring Leslie Howard, Joan Blondell and Humphrey Bogart *'' A Star Is Born'', directed by William A. Wellman, starring Janet Gaynor, Fredric March and Adolphe Menjou *'' Stella Dallas'', directed by King Vidor, starring Barbara Stanwyck and John Boles *'' Storm in a Teacup'', directed by Ian Dalrymple and Victor Saville, starring Vivien Leigh and Rex Harrison – ( GB) *'' Street Angel (Mǎlù tiānshǐ)'', directed by Yuan Muzhi, starring Zhou Xuan – (

)

T

*'' The Tale of the Fox (Le Roman de Renard)'', directed by Ladislas Starevich – (

) *'' That Certain Woman'', directed by Edmund Goulding, starring Bette Davis and Henry Fonda *'' They Gave Him a Gun'', directed by W. S. Van Dyke, starring Spencer Tracy, Gladys George and Franchot Tone *'' They Won't Forget'', directed by Mervyn LeRoy, starring

*'' Thin Ice'', directed by Sidney Lanfield, starring Sonja Henie and Tyrone Power *'' Think Fast, Mr. Moto'', directed by Norman Foster, starring Peter Lorre *'' This Is My Affair'', directed by William A. Seiter, starring Robert Taylor, Barbara Stanwyck and Victor McLaglen *'' The Three Garridebs'', directed by Eustace Wyatt, starring Louis Hector''First Actor to Portray Sherlock Holmes on TV''
Guinness World Records online; retrieved November 2016 *'' Thunder in the City'', directed by Marion Gering, starring Edward G. Robinson and Nigel Bruce – ( GB) *'' To New Shores (Zu neuen Ufern)'', directed by Douglas Sirk, starring Zarah Leander – (

) *'' Topper'', directed by Norman Z. McLeod, starring Constance Bennett, Cary Grant, Roland Young and Billie Burke *'' Tovarich'', directed by Anatole Litvak, starring Claudette Colbert, Charles Boyer and Basil Rathbone *'' Tři vejce do skla (Three Eggs in a Glass)'', directed by Martin Frič – (

) *'' True Confession'', directed by Wesley Ruggles, starring Carole Lombard, Fred MacMurray, John Barrymore and Una Merkel

V

*'' The Vicar of Bray'', directed by Henry Edwards, starring Stanley Holloway – ( GB) *'' Victoria the Great'', directed by Herbert Wilcox, starring Anna Neagle and Anton Walbrook – ( GB)

W

*'' Way Out West'', directed by James W. Horne, starring

*'' Wee Willie Winkie'', directed by

, starring Shirley Temple, Victor McLaglen and Cesar Romero *''

'', directed by Frank Lloyd, starring Joel McCrea *'' What Did the Lady Forget? (Shukujo wa nani wo wasureta ka)'', directed by Yasujirō Ozu – (

) *'' Wise Girl'', directed by Leigh Jason, starring Miriam Hopkins and Ray Milland *'' Without a Dowry (Bespridannitsa)'', directed by Yakov Protazanov – ( USSR) *'' Woman Chases Man'', directed by John G. Blystone, starring Miriam Hopkins and Joel McCrea *'' The Woman I Love'', directed by Anatole Litvak, starring Paul Muni and Miriam Hopkins

Y

*'' Yoshiwara'', directed by Max Ophüls, starring Sessue Hayakawa – (

) *'' You Can't Have Everything'', directed by Norman Taurog, starring Alice Faye and Don Ameche *'' You Only Live Once'', directed by Fritz Lang, starring Sylvia Sidney and Henry Fonda *'' Young and Innocent'', directed by Alfred Hitchcock, starring Nova Pilbeam and Derrick De Marney – ( GB) * '' You're a Sweetheart'', directed by David Butler, starring Alice Faye *'' You're Only Young Once'', directed by George B. Seitz, starring Lewis Stone, Cecilia Parker,

and Fay Holden

Z

*'' Znachor (The Quack)'', directed by Michał Waszyński – (

)

Serials

* '' Blake of Scotland Yard'', starring Ralph Byrd and Herbert Rawlinson * '' Dick Tracy'', starring Ralph Byrd * '' Jungle Jim'' * '' Jungle Menace'', starring Frank Buck * '' The Mysterious Pilot'', starring Frank Hawks * '' The Painted Stallion'', starring Ray Corrigan * '' Radio Patrol'' * '' Secret Agent X-9'', starring Scott Kolk * '' S.O.S. Coast Guard'', starring Ralph Byrd and Bela Lugosi * '' Tim Tyler's Luck'', starring Frankie Thomas * '' Wild West Days'' * '' Zorro Rides Again'', starring John Carroll

Comedy film series

* '' Harold Lloyd'' (1913–1938) * ''

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 ...

'' (1914–1940) * '' Lupino Lane'' (1915–1939) * '' Buster Keaton'' (1917–1944) * ''

'' (1921– 1945) * '' Our Gang'' ( 1922– 1944) * '' Wheeler and Woolsey'' (1929–1937) * '' The Marx Brothers'' (1929–1946) * '' The Three Stooges'' (1934–1959)

Animated short film series

* '' 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 ...

'' ( 1928– 1953) * '' Silly Symphonies'' ** ''Woodland Café'' ** ''Little Hiawatha'' ** ''The Old Mill'' * '' Screen Songs'' ( 1929–

) * ''

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) * '' Terrytoons'' ( 1930– 1964) * '' Merrie Melodies'' ( 1931– 1969) * '' Scrappy'' ( 1931– 1941) * '' Betty Boop'' ( 1932– 1939) * '' Popeye'' ( 1933– 1957) * '' Happy Harmonies'' ( 1934–

) * '' Color Rhapsodies'' ( 1934–

1949 Events January * January 1 – A United Nations-sponsored ceasefire brings an end to the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947. The war results in a stalemate and the division of Kashmir, which still continues as of 2025 * January 2 – Luis ...

) * '' Meany, Miny, and Moe'' ( 1936-1937) * '' Donald Duck'' (1937– 1956)

Births

* January 1 - Suzy Kendall, British actress * January 4 – Dyan Cannon, American actress * January 7 – Harvey Evans, American actor (d. 2021) * January 10 – John M. Watson Sr., American actor and musician (d. 2006) * January 11 – Felix Silla, Italian actor, musician, stunt artist and voice artist (d. 2021) * January 12 – Shirley Eaton, English actress and model * January 14 – Stefano Satta Flores, Italian actor and voice actor (d. 1985) * January 15 – Margaret O'Brien, American actress * January 16 – Lorraine Bayly, Australian actress, singer, director and writer * January 17 – Dick Durock, American actor and stuntman (d.

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 ...

) * January 24 – Julie Gregg, American actress (d. 2016) * January 30 – Vanessa Redgrave, English actress * January 31 – Suzanne Pleshette, American actress (d. 2008) * February 1 – Garrett Morris, American comedian, actor and singer * February 2 –

Tom Smothers Thomas Bolyn Smothers III (February 2, 1937 – December 26, 2023) was an American comedian, actor, composer, and musician, widely known as half of the musical comedy duo the Smothers Brothers, alongside his younger brother Dick Smothers, Dick. I ...

, American comedian and musician (d. 2023) * February 14 – Soher Al Bably, Egyptian actress (d. 2021) * February 17 – Benjamin Whitrow, English actor (d. 2017) * February 19 – David Margulies, American actor (d. 2016) * February 21 – Gary Lockwood, American actor * February 24 – Shawn Elliott, American actor and singer (d. 2016) * February 25 – Tom Courtenay, English actor * February 27 – Barbara Babcock, American character actress * March 2 – BarBara Luna, American actress * March 3 – Bobby Driscoll, American actor (d. 1968) * March 5 – Sal Borgese, Italian actor * March 10 – Joe Viterelli, American actor (d.

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 ...

) * March 19 - Maurice Roëves, British actor (d. 2020) * March 21 – Bill Capizzi, American voice actor (d. 2007) * March 22 – Angelo Badalamenti, American screen composer (d. 2022) * March 23 – Tony Burton, American actor (d. 2016) * March 30 ** Warren Beatty, American actor and director ** James D. Brubaker, American film producer (d. 2023) * April 1 ** Jordan Charney, American character actor ** Yılmaz Güney, Kurdish director, screenwriter, actor, producer and author (d. 1984) * April 2 – Ken Olfson, American actor (d. 1997) * April 3 – Lawrence Dane, Canadian actor and producer (d. 2022) * April 6 ** Terrence Hardiman, English actor (d. 2023) ** Billy Dee Williams, American actor * April 9 - Marty Krofft, Canadian puppeteer and film producer (d. 2023) * April 12 - Dennis Banks, Native American actor and activist (d. 2017) * April 13 ** Corinne Cole, American actress ** Edward Fox, English actor * April 15 ** Rochelle Oliver, American actress (d. 2024) ** Uldis Pūcītis, Latvian actor (d. 2000) ** Frank Vincent, American actor (d. 2017) * April 18 – Robert Hooks, American actor and producer * April 19 – Elinor Donahue, American actress * April 20 – George Takei, American actor, author and activist * April 22 – Jack Nicholson, American actor * April 27 – Sandy Dennis, American actress (d. 1992) * May 5 – John Martino, American actor * May 8 – Shin Seong-il, South Korean actor (d. 2018) * May 12 **

George Carlin George Denis Patrick Carlin (May 12, 1937 – June 22, 2008) was an American stand-up comedian, social critic, actor and author. Regarded as one of the greatest and most influential comedians of all time, he was dubbed "the dean of countercultur ...

, American stand-up comedian, actor, social critic and author (d. 2008) ** Susan Hampshire, English actress * May 16 – Yvonne Craig, American actress (d. 2015) * May 19 – Pat Roach, English actor and professional wrestler (d.

) * June 1 – Morgan Freeman, American actor and director * June 2 – Sally Kellerman, American actress and singer (d. 2022) * June 10 – Luciana Paluzzi, Italian actress * June 11 ** Johnny Brown, American actor and singer (d. 2022) ** Chad Everett, American actor (d. 2012) * June 14 – Jørgen Leth, Danish director * June 16 – Charmian May, English character actress (d. 2002) * June 17 - Arthur Schmidt, American film editor (d. 2023) * June 26 – Sombat Metanee, Thai actor and film director (d. 2022) * June 28 – Richard Bright, American actor (d. 2006) * July 2 – Polly Holliday, American retired actress * July 6 – Ned Beatty, American character actor (d. 2021) * July 12 – Bill Cosby, American stand-up comedian and actor * July 16 – Ada Rogovtseva, Ukrainian actress * July 19 – Richard Jordan, American actor (d. 1993) * July 20 ** Ken Ogata, Japanese actor (d. 2008) ** Timothy Scott, American actor (d. 1995) * July 21 – Gray Frederickson, American film producer (d. 2022) * July 25 – Paul Collins, British actor * July 28 – Viktor Merezhko, Russian screenwriter, actor, writer and television presenter (d. 2022) * August 3 ** Steven Berkoff, British actor and playwright ** Richard Foronjy, American actor (d. 2024) * August 5 – Alan Howard, English actor (d. 2015) * August 6 –

Barbara Windsor Dame Barbara Windsor (born Barbara Ann Deeks; 6 August 193710 December 2020) was an English actress, known for her roles in the Carry On (franchise), ''Carry On'' films and for playing Peggy Mitchell in the BBC One soap opera ''EastEnders''.

, English comedy actress (d. 2020) * August 8 – Dustin Hoffman, American actor * August 14 ** Fran Bennett, American actress (d. 2021) ** Alberta Nelson, American actress (d. 2006) * August 16 – Lorraine Gary, American retired actress * August 19 – Evadne Baker, English actress (d. 1995) * August 26 – Kenji Utsumi, Japanese actor (d. 2013) * September 1 – Tsai Chin, Chinese actress, singer and director * September 4 ** Mikk Mikiver, Estonian actor and director (d. 2006) ** Nicholas Worth, American character actor (d. 2007) * September 6 – Jo Anne Worley, American actress, comedian and singer * September 7 ** Cüneyt Arkın, Turkish film actor, producer and director (d. 2022) ** John Phillip Law, American actor (d. 2008) * September 10 – Brian Murray, South African actor and theatre director (d. 2018) * September 13 ** Don Bluth, American director and producer ** Meeli Sööt, Estonian actress (d. 2024) * September 21 ** Ron Cobb, American-Australian graphic and film designer (d. 2020) ** Aarne Üksküla, Estonian actor (d. 2017) * September 24 – Dee Pollock, American actor (d. 2005) * September 26 – Jerry Weintraub, American producer and actor (d. 2015) * October 7 – Clive Graham, British actor (d. 2007) * October 10 ** Vic Tablian, Armenian-British actor ** Peter White, American actor (d. 2023) * October 11 – Ron Leibman, American actor (d. 2019) * October 15 – Linda Lavin, American actress and singer (d. 2024) * October 21 – Édith Scob, French actress (d. 2019) * October 22 – Alan Ladd Jr., American film producer (d. 2022) * November 4 – Loretta Swit, American actress (d. 2025) * November 5 – Harris Yulin, American actor (d. 2025) * November 10 - Albert Hall, American actor * November 17 – Peter Cook, British satirist and comedic actor (d. 1995) * November 21 ** Ingrid Pitt, Polish-born British actress (d. 2010) ** Marlo Thomas, American actress and producer * November 23 – Dora Cadavid, Colombian actress, singer and announcer (d. 2022) * November 27 – Rodney Bewes, English actor (d. 2017) * November 30 – Ridley Scott, English director and producer * December 4 ** Max Baer Jr., American actor, producer, comedian and director ** David Bailie, South African actor (d. 2021) * December 7 ** Kenneth Colley, English actor ** Larry Hankin, American character actor * December 8 – James MacArthur, American actor (d. 2010) * December 9 – Darwin Joston, American actor (d. 1998) * December 12 –

Connie Francis Concetta Rosa Maria Franconero ( ; born December 12, 1937), known as Connie Francis, is a retired American Pop music, pop singer, actress, and top-charting female vocalist of the late 1950s and early 1960s. She is estimated to have sold more th ...

, American singer and actress * December 16 – Joyce Bulifant, American actress * December 21 – Jane Fonda, American actress * December 29 – Barbara Steele, English actress * December 30 – Zaldy Zshornack, Filipino actor (d. 2002) * December 31 –

Anthony Hopkins Sir Philip Anthony Hopkins (born 31 December 1937) is a Welsh actor. Considered one of Britain's most recognisable and prolific actors, he is known for List of Anthony Hopkins performances, his performances on the screen and stage. Hopkins ha ...

, Welsh actor

Deaths

* January 2 – Ross Alexander, 29, American actor, '' Captain Blood'', '' A Midsummer Night's Dream'', '' Flirtation Walk'' * January 21 – Marie Prevost, 40, Canadian-born American actress, '' The Marriage Circle'', ''The Racket (1928 film), The Racket'', ''The Godless Girl'', ''Cain and Mabel'' * April 7 - Helen Burgess, 20, American actress, ''The Plainsman'', ''A Doctor's Diary'' * May 1 – Snitz Edwards, 69, Austro-Hungarian-born American actor, ''The Thief of Bagdad (1924 film), The Thief of Bagdad'', ''The Phantom of the Opera (1925 film), The Phantom of the Opera'', ''Seven Chances'', ''College (1927 film), College'' * May 10 – William Tedmarsh, 61, English-American silent film actor * June 7 ** Jean Harlow, 26, American actress, ''The Public Enemy'', ''Libeled Lady'', ''Suzy (film), Suzy'', ''Red Dust (1932 film), Red Dust'' **Monroe Owsley, 37, American actor, ''Holiday (1930 film), Holiday'', ''Indiscreet (1931 film), Indiscreet'', ''The Keyhole (1933 film), The Keyhole'', ''Ex-Lady'' * June 25 – Colin Clive, 37, British actor, ''Frankenstein (1931 film), Frankenstein'', ''Bride of Frankenstein'' * September 21 – Osgood Perkins, 45, American actor, ''Scarface (1932 film), Scarface'', ''Gold Diggers of 1937'' * November 13 – Mrs. Leslie Carter, 75, American stage and screen actress, ''Becky Sharp (film), Becky Sharp'', ''Rocky Mountain Mystery'' * December 21 – Ted Healy, 41, American actor and creator of The Three Stooges, ''San Francisco (1936 film), San Francisco'', ''Mad Love (1935 film), Mad Love'', ''Beer and Pretzels'', ''Soup to Nuts''

Film debuts

References

Sources

External links

List of 1937 films
at IMDb
List of 1937 deaths
at IMDb
List of 1937 births
at IMDb {{1937 films 1937 in film, Film by year