Cineliteracy: What You Need to Know About 1943 as a Movie Year
Top-Grossing Films (U.S.)
1. This is the Army Warner Bros. $8,301,000
2. For Whom the Bell Tolls Paramount, $6,300,000
3. The Song of Bernadette 20th Century Fox $5,000,000
4. Stage Door Canteen, UA $4,400,000
5. Star Spangled Rhythm Paramount, $3,900,000
6. Thousands Cheer, MGM $3,751,000
7. Casablanca Warner. $3,398,000
8. Coney Island, 20th Century Fox $3,305,000
9. Destination Tokyo Warner, $3,237,000
10. Dixie, Paramount, $3,100,000
Movie Events
January 23
Casablanca is released nationally and becomes one of the top-grossing pictures of 1943. It wins the Best Picture and Best Director awards at the 16th Oscars.
February 20:
Studio executives agree to allow the United States Office of War Information to censor films.
June 1:
Veteran English actor Leslie Howard, best known as Ashley Wilkes in Gone with the Wind, dies at age 50 in the crash of BOAC Flight 777 off the coast of Galicia, Spain.
November 23:
British Forces Broadcasting Service begins operation
December 31: New York City’s Times Square greets Frank Sinatra at Paramount Theater
Oscar Awards
16th Academy Awards–March 2, 1944
Best Film: Casablanca
Best Director: Michael Curtiz, Casablanca
Best Actor: Paul Lukas, Watch on the Rhine
Best Actress: Jennifer Jones, The Song of Bernadette
Best Supporting Actor
Best Supporting Actress: Katina Paxinou, For Whom the Bell Tolls
Top Ten Money Making Stars
1. Betty Grable
2. Bob Hope
3. Bud Abbott/Lou Costello
4. Bing Crosby
5. Gary Cooper
6. Greer Garson
7. Humphrey Bogart
8. James Cagney
9. Mickey Rooney
10. Clark Gable
Box-Office Hits (in Million of $)
This Is the Army $8.5 (million)
For Whom the Bell 6.3 (total 7.1)
The Song of Bernadette 5.0
Stage Door Canteen 4.3
Star Spangled Rhythm 3.8
Hitler’s Children 3.2
Old Acquaintance 2.7
Claudia 2.5
Watch on the Rhine 2.5
Phantom of the Opera 1.6
Cat People $1.2 (million)
Best Actress Awards
Oscar: Jennifer Jones, Song of Bernadette
N.Y. Film Critics Circle: Ida Lupino, The Hard Way
National Board of Review: Tie–Grace Fields, Holy Matrimony; Katina Paxinou, For Whom the Bell Tolls
Venice Film Fest: Not Held
Best Actor Awards
Oscar: Paul Lukas, Watch on the Rhine
N.Y. Film Critics Circle: Paul Lukas, Watch on the Rhine
National Board of Review: Paul Lukas, Watch on the Rhine
Venice Film Fest: Not Held
Significant Events
Cabin in the Sky, 1943; Minnelli’s debut, all-black musical (Lena Horne)
