Cineliteracy: What You Need to Know about 1991 as Movie Year
My Pioneering Oscar Book:
Top-Grossing Films of 1991
Rank Title Distributor Worldwide gross
1 Terminator 2: Judgment Day Tri-Star / Carolco $520,881,154
2 Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves Warner Bros. $390,493,908
3 Beauty and the Beast Buena Vista $346,317,207
4 Hook TriStar $300,854,984
5 The Silence of the Lambs Orion $272,742,922
6 JFK Warner Bros. $205,405,498
7 The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear Paramount $192,230,411
8 The Addams Family Paramount / Orion $191,502,426
9 Cape Fear Universal $182,291,969
10 Hot Shots! 20th Century Fox $181,096,164
Events
February 14 – The Silence of the Lambs is released and becomes only the third film after It Happened One Night (1934) and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975) to win the top five categories at the Academy Awards: Best Picture; Best Director (Jonathan Demme); Best Actor (Anthony Hopkins); Best Actress (Jodie Foster); and Best Adapted Screenplay (Ted Tally). It is also the first, and to date only, Best Picture winner considered to be horror film.
March 20 – Frank Mancuso Sr. leaves as head of Paramount
July 1 – Brandon Tartikoff is appointed as chairman of Paramount Pictures.
July 3 – Terminator 2: Judgment Day, one of landmarks for sci-fi actioners with groundbreaking visual effects from Industrial Light & Magic.
August 7 – Sony Pictures Entertainment is formed, acquiring Columbia Pictures. Tri-Star Pictures drops the hyphen from its name and becomes TriStar Pictures, and RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video becomes Columbia-TriStar Home Video.
October – Mark Canton replaces Frank Price as chairman of Columbia Pictures.
November 22 –
Disney Pictures releases Beauty and the Beast, based on original fairy tale and Jean Cocteau’s 1946 film. One of the most prestigious and greatest animated and romantic films in history, it becomes the first animated film nominated for for Best Picture Oscar.
Festival Awards:
Palme d’Or (Cannes Film Fest): Barton Fink, Joel and Ethan Coen, US
Golden Lion (Venice Film Fest): Close to Eden (Urga), Nikita Mikhalkov, USSR
Golden Bear (Berlin Film Fest): La Casa del sorriso (House of Smiles), Marco Ferreri, Italy
Oscars: 64th Academy Awards, March 30, 1992
Best Film: The Silence of the Lambs
Best Director: Jonathan Demme, The Silence of the Lambs
Best Actor Anthony Hopkins, The Silence of the Lambs
Best Actress Jodie Foster, The Silence of the Lambs
Best Supporting Actor: Jack Palance, City Slickers
Best Supporting Actress Mercedes Ruehl, The Fisher King
Best Screenplay, Adapted, The Silence of the Lambs, Ted Tally
Best Screenplay, Original: Thelma & Louise, Callie Khouri
Best Original Score Beauty and the Beast
Alan Menken Cyrano de Bergerac
Jean-Claude Petit Beauty and the Beast
Alan Menken
Best Original Song “Beauty and the Beast”
Best Foreign Language Film: Mediterraneo
Deaths
Month Date Name Age Country Profession Notable films
January 2 Pato Guzman 57 US Production Designer
The In-LawsDown and Out in Beverly Hills
4 Richard Maibaum 81 US Screenwriter
James BondRansom!
12 Keye Luke 86 China Actor
GremlinsThe Green Hornet
14 David Arkin 49 US Actor
All the President’s MenMASH
19 Don Beddoe 87 US Actor
The Best Years of Our LivesThe Night of the Hunter
19 Jo Eisinger 81 US Screenwriter
GildaNight and the City
19 John Russell 70 US Actor
Pale RiderRio Bravo
25 Lilian Bond 83 UK Actress
The Old Dark HouseThe Westerner
Jan 30
John McIntire 83 US Actor, Psycho, The Asphalt Jungle
February
Feb 1 Carol Dempster 89 US Actress
Sally of the SawdustDream Street
1 James MacDonald 84 UK Sound Engineer, Voice Actor
Alice in WonderlandCinderella
2 Natalie Kingston 85 US Actress
Tarzan the TigerRiver of Romance
3 Nancy Kulp 69 US Actress
ShaneSabrina
5 Dean Jagger 87 US Actor
White ChristmasElmer Gantry
6 Danny Thomas 77 US Actor
The Jazz SingerI’ll See You in My Dreams
19 Peggy Mondo 63 US Actress
The Music ManFatso
24 George Gobel 71 US Actor
I Married a WomanThe Birds and the Bees
24 Jean Rogers 74 US Actress
Flash GordonBacklash
25 John Dunning 74 US Film Editor
Ben-HurJulius Caesar
26 Bernard W. Burton 92 US Film Editor
The Beast from 20,000 FathomsOne Hundred Men and a Girl
26 Slim Gaillard 75 US Singer, Actor
Sweetheart of Sigma ChiSky Bandits
March
March 3 Vance Colvig 72 US Actor, UHFBarfly
March 5, Ian McLellan Hunter 71 UK Screenwriter
Roman Holiday, Second Chorus
6 Salvo Randone 84 Italy Actor
Fellini SatyriconHands Over the City
7 Morton S. Fine 74 US Screenwriter
The PawnbrokerThe Greek Tycoon
14 Howard Ashman 40 US Lyricist
The Little MermaidBeauty and the Beast
15 George Sherman 78 US Director
Big JakeLarceny
18 Vilma Bánky 90 Hungary Actress
The Winning of Barbara WorthTwo Lovers
18 Narda Onyx 59 Estonia Actress
Jesse James Meets Frankenstein’s DaughterHitler
22 Gloria Holden 82 UK Actress
The Life of Emile ZolaDracula’s Daughter
22 R. L. Ryan 44 US Actor
MannequinThe Toxic Avenger
23 Mona Maris 87 Argentina Actress
Romance of the Rio GrandeThe Falcon in Mexico
27 Aldo Ray 64 US Actor
We’re No AngelsBattle Cry
28 Carlos Montalbán 87 Mexico Actor
BananasThe Out-of-Towners
April
Apr 3 Graham Greene 86 UK Screenwriter
The Third ManOur Man in Havana
9 Maurice Binder 72 UK Title Designer
James BondThe Last Emperor
10 Kevin Peter Hall 35 US Actor
PredatorHarry and the Hendersons
10 Natalie Schafer 90 US Actress
AnastasiaThe Snake Pit
12 Tom Rosqui 62 US Actor
The Godfather Part IIThe Thomas Crown Affair
16 David Lean 83 UK Director
Lawrence of ArabiaDoctor Zhivago
20 Don Siegel 78 US Director
Dirty HarryThe Shootist
23 William Dozier 83 US Producer
BatmanAmerican Gigolo
26 Carmine Coppola 80 US Composer
Apocalypse NowThe Godfather Part III
26 A. B. Guthrie Jr. 90 US Screenwriter
ShaneThe Kentuckian
28 Ken Curtis 74 US Actor
The SearchersThe Alamo
May
May 1 Richard Thorpe 95 US Director
Jailhouse RockIvanhoe
2 Jerzy Kosiński 57 Poland Screenwriter, Actor
Being ThereReds
5 Laura Kerr 88 US Screenwriter
The Farmer’s DaughterGrounds for Marriage
6 Wilfrid Hyde-White 87 UK Actor
My Fair LadyThe Third Man
8 Ronnie Brody 72 UK Actor
Superman IIIA Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
11 Dino Diluca 88 Italy Actor
The CardinalLa Cieca di Sorrento
15 Ronald Lacey 55 UK Actor
Raiders of the Lost ArkFlesh & Blood
18 Edwina Booth 86 US Actress
The Midnight PatrolThe Vanishing Legion
18 Muriel Box 85 UK Director, Screenwriter
The Truth About WomenThe Seventh Veil
23 Fletcher Markle 70 Canada Director
The Man with a CloakJigsaw
26 Eugène Lourié 88 Ukraine Art Director, Production Designer
LimelightBronco Billy
29 Coral Browne 77 Australia Actress
Auntie MameThe Killing of Sister George
31 Manolo Gómez Bur 74 Spain Actor
Amor a la españolaUna chica casi decente
June
June 3 Eva Le Gallienne 92 UK Actress
ResurrectionThe Devil’s Disciple
8 Heidi Bruhl 49 Germany Actress
Captain SindbadThe Eiger Sanction
12 Peggy Ashcroft 83 UK Actress
A Passage to IndiaWhen the Wind Blows
12 Bernard Miles 83 UK Actor
The Man Who Knew Too MuchGreat Expectations
15 Barry Kelley 82 US Actor
The Asphalt JungleThe Manchurian Candidate
16 Joan Caulfield 69 US Actress
The UnsuspectedBlue Skies
18 Ronald Allen 60 UK Actor
A Night to RememberCircle of Deception
19 Jean Arthur 90 US Actress
Mr. Smith Goes to WashingtonShane
23 Lea Padovani 70 Italy Actress
Three Steps NorthThe Intruder
26 Jack Marta 88 US Cinematographer
Cat BallouWalking Tall
27 Milton Subotsky 69 US Producer, Screenwriter
Dr. Terror’s House of HorrorsTales from the Crypt
30 John B. Goodman 89 US Art Director
Hang ‘Em HighShadow of a Doubt
July
July 1 Michael Landon 54 US Actor
I Was a Teenage WerewolfThe Legend of Tom Dooley
2 Don Houghton 61 France Screenwriter
Dracula A.D. 1972The Satanic Rites of Dracula
2 Lee Remick 55 US Actress
Days of Wine and RosesAnatomy of a Murder
5 Mildred Dunnock 90 US Actress
The Story on Page OneBUtterfield 8
8 James Franciscus 57 US Actor
Beneath the Planet of the ApesMarooned
11 Atang de la Rama 89 Philippines Actress, Singer
Dalagang BukidWalang Sugat
15 Bert Convy 57 US Actor
Semi-ToughWeekend Warriors
21 Theodore Wilson 47 US Actor
The River NigerThe Hunter
August 1 Helen Page Camp 60 US Actress
Cold TurkeyTelefon
4 Don DaGradi 80 US Screenwriter
Mary PoppinsThe Love Bug
16 Bruno Nicolai 65 Italy Composer
CaligulaThe Mercenary
16 Luigi Zampa 86 Italy Director
The Traffic PolicemanDifficult Years
17 Don Dubbins 65 US Actor
Tribute to a Bad ManFrom the Earth to the Moon
18 David Gale 54 UK Actor
Re-AnimatorThe First Power
21 Richard Wilson 75 US Director
Invitation to a GunfighterAl Capone
22 Colleen Dewhurst 67 Canada Actress
The Nun’s StoryThe Last Run
25 Niven Busch 88 US Screenwriter
The Postman Always Rings TwiceDistant Drums
26 Alan Barrett 52-53 UK Costume Designer
The Seven-Per-Cent SolutionFar from the Madding Crowd
28 Alekos Sakellarios 77 Greece Director, Screenwriter
Thanassakis o politevomenosWoe to the Young
29 Dallas Adams 44 UK Actor
The Abominable Dr. PhibesKing Ralph
29 Dixie Dunbar 72 US Actress
Educating FatherSing and Be Happy
30 Alan Wheatley 84 UK Actor
Brighton RockThe Rake’s Progress
September 3
Sep 3 Jean Bourgoin 78 France Cinematographer
The Longest DayMon Oncle
3 Frank Capra 94 US Director
It Happened One NightIt’s a Wonderful Life
4 Tom Tryon 65 US Actor
The CardinalIn Harm’s Way
7 Ben Piazza 58 US Actor
The Bad News BearsThe Hanging Tree
8 Brad Davis 41 US Actor
Midnight ExpressChariots of Fire
8 Alex North 80 US Composer
Viva Zapata!Spartacus
13 Joe Pasternak 89 Romania Producer
The Great CarusoThe Courtship of Eddie’s Father
14 Julie Bovasso 61 US Actress
Saturday Night FeverMoonstruck
15 John Hoyt 85 US Actor
Blackboard JungleWhen Worlds Collide
16 Carol White 48 UK Actress
Daddy’s Gone A-HuntingSomething Big
21 Angelo Rossitto 83 US Actor
FreaksMad Max Beyond Thunderdome
23 Chuck Vincent 51 US Director, Producer, Screenwriter
PreppiesHollywood Hot Tubs
24 Mary Lawrence 73 US Actress
County FairThe Stratton Story
25 Ralph Jester 90 US Costume Designer
The Ten CommandmentsThe Buccaneer
25 Viviane Romance 79 France Actress
LiliomLa Bandera
27 Floyd Huddleston 79 US Songwriter
The AristocatsRobin Hood
October
Oct 6 Phil Feldman 69 US Producer
The Wild BunchBlue Thunder
9 Thalmus Rasulala 51 US Actor
Cool BreezeMr. Ricco
11 Redd Foxx 68 US Actor, Comedian
Cotton Comes to HarlemHarlem Nights
12 Sheila Florance 75 Australia Actress
Mad MaxA Woman’s Tale
12 Diana Gibson 76 US Actress
Adventure’s EndBehind the Headlines
12 Aline MacMahon 92 US Actress
The Man from LaramieDiamond Head
12 Regis Toomey 93 US Actor
His Girl FridayMeet John Doe
13 Donald Houston 67 UK Actor
The Blue LagoonWhere Eagles Dare
14 Gene Roddenberry 70 US Producer
Star Trek: The Motion PicturePretty Maids All in a Row
15 Han Ying-chieh 64 China Actor
The Big BossCome Drink with Me
16 Arthur Arling 85 US Cinematographer
Pillow TalkThe Yearling
17 J. G. Devlin 84 Ireland Actor
Darby O’Gill and the Little PeopleThe Miracle
22 Judy Kelly 77 Australia Actress
Dead of NightPremiere
25 Khigh Dhiegh 81 USA Actor
The Manchurian CandidateSeconds
25 John Stratton 65 UK Actor
The Cruel SeaFrankenstein and the Monster from Hell
26 Joe Lapis 92 Hungary Sound Engineer
The Wolf ManSpartacus
28 Sylvia Fine 78 US Lyricist, Composer, Producer
The Court JesterThe Five Pennies
29 John DeCuir 73 US Art Director, Production Designer
CleopatraGhostbusters
November
Nov 2
Irwin Allen 75 US Producer, Director, Screenwriter
The Poseidon AdventureThe Towering Inferno
5 Fred MacMurray 83 US Actor
Double IndemnityThe Caine Mutiny
6 Gene Tierney 70 US Actress
Leave Her to HeavenLaura
10 Tutte Lemkow 73 Norway Actor, Choreographer
Fiddler on the RoofRaiders of the Lost Ark
11 Morton Stevens 62 US Composer
Wild and WonderfulHardly Working
12 Diane Brewster 60 US Actress
Torpedo RunThe Young Philadelphians
12 Gabriele Tinti 59 Italy Actor
Son of DjangoEmanuelle in America
13 Yves Montand 70 France Actor, Singer
The Wages of FearOn a Clear Day You Can See Forever
14 Tony Richardson 63 UK Director
Tom JonesHamlet
19 Reggie Nalder 84 Austria Actor
The Man Who Knew Too MuchMark of the Devil
20 Daniel Mann 89 US Director
Come Back, Little ShebaThe Rose Tattoo
21 Robert Kaufman 60 US Screenwriter
Divorce American StyleLove at First Bite
22 Tadashi Imai 79 Japan Director
Jun’ai MonogatariBushido, Samurai Saga
23 Klaus Kinski 65 Germany Actor
Aguirre, the Wrath of GodNosferatu the Vampyre
24 Anton Furst 47 UK Production Designer Full Metal Jacket, Batman
24 Freddie Mercury 45 UK Singer, Songwriter
Flash GordonHighlander
25 Eleanor Audley 86 US Actress
CinderellaSleeping Beauty
27 Ralph Bellamy 87 US Actor
His Girl FridayTrading Places
27 George Edwards 67 US Producer
Voyage to the Prehistoric PlanetHarper Valley PTA
Nov 28
Mel Dinelli 79 US Screenwriter, The Spiral Staircase, Beware, My Lovely
December
Dec 7 Herb Jaffe 70 US Producer
The Wind and the LionFright Night
11 Robert Q. Lewis 70 US Actor
Ski PartyAn Affair to Remember
11 Pat Walshe 91 US Actor The Wizard of Oz
12 Eleanor Boardman 93 US Actress
Vanity FairSouls for Sale
13 Judy Moorcroft 58 UK Costume Designer
The EuropeansA Passage to India
19 Ernest K. Gann 81 US Screenwriter
The High and the MightySoldier of Fortune
19 Paul Maxwell 70 Canada Actor
Indiana Jones and the Last CrusadeAliens
23 Gene Milford 89 US Film Editor
On the WaterfrontLost Horizon
18 Jacques Aubuchon 67 US Actor
Thunder RoadThe Silver Chalice
25 Curt Bois 90 Germany Actor
CasablancaWings of Desire
28 Cassandra Harris 43 Australia Actress, For Your Eyes Only (Bond), Rough Cut
Film Debuts
Bruce Altman – Regarding Henry
Tom Arnold – Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare
Monica Bellucci – La Riffa
Halle Berry – Jungle Fever
Jason Biggs – The Boy Who Cried Bitch
W. Earl Brown – Backdraft
Steve Carell – Curly Sue
James Caviezel – My Own Private Idaho
Morris Chestnut – Boyz n the Hood
Clifton Collins Jr. – Grand Canyon
Ice Cube – Boyz n the Hood
Leonardo DiCaprio – Critters 3
Wayne Duvall – Final Approach
Christopher Eccleston – Let Him Have It
Brendan Fraser – Dogfight
Edward Furlong – Terminator 2: Judgment Day
Janeane Garofalo – Late for Dinner
Paul Giamatti – Past Midnight
Eddie Griffin – Dice Rules
Jake Gyllenhaal – City Slickers
Philip Seymour Hoffman – Triple Bogey on a Par Five Hole
Joshua Jackson – Crooked Hearts
Keegan-Michael Key – Lunatics: A Love Story
Daniel Dae Kim – American Shaolin
Regina King – Boyz n the Hood
Queen Latifah – Jungle Fever
Denis Leary – Strictly Business
Téa Leoni – Switch
Matthew Lillard – Ghoulies III: Ghoulies Go to College
Jason London – The Man in the Moon
Breckin Meyer – Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare
Jeffrey Dean Morgan – Uncaged
Elisabeth Moss – Suburban Commando
Kathy Najimy – The Hard Way
Thandiwe Newton – Flirting
Sophie Okonedo – Young Soul Rebels
Gwyneth Paltrow – Shout
Teri Polo – Born to Ride
John Prosky – Late for Dinner
Richard Roxburgh – Dead to the World
Til Schweiger – Manta, Manta
David Schwimmer – Flight of the Intruder
Rufus Sewell – Twenty-One
Jeremy Sisto – Grand Canyon
Jon Tenney – Guilty by Suspicion
Maura Tierney – Dead Women in Lingerie
Vince Vaughn – For the Boys
Daniel von Bargen – The Silence of the Lambs
Isaiah Washington – The Color of Love
Reese Witherspoon – The Man in the Moon
