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1931 in film

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

List of years in film
In television
1928
1929
1930
1931
1932
1933
1934
In radio
1928
1929
1930
1931
1932
1933
1934
In music
1928
1929
1930
1931
1932
1933
1934
+...

Top-grossing films (U.S.)

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

Highest-grossing films of 1931
Rank Title Distributor Domestic rentals
1 City Lights United Artists $2,000,000[1]
2 Trader Horn MGM $1,642,000[2]
3 Palmy Days United Artists $1,601,000[3]
4 The Man Who Came Back Fox Film $1,400,000[4]
5 Merely Mary Ann $1,300,000[4]
6 Arrowsmith
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde 		United Artists
Paramount 		$1,250,000[5]
7 A Connecticut Yankee Fox Film $1,200,000[5]
8 Cimarron RKO $1,122,000[6]
9 Bad Girl Fox Film $1,100,000[4]
10 Possessed MGM $1,030,000[2]

Events

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  • January 5: RKO acquires the producing and distribution arm of Pathé for $4.6 million.[7]
  • March 14: Alam Ara, the first Indian-made sound film, premieres at the Majestic Cinema in Bombay.
  • June 20: Monogram Pictures releases its first film, Ships of Hate.[8]
  • July 7: Anti-competitive practices disclosed about certain distributors and producers in Canada.[9]
  • November 17: E. R. Tinker elected president of Fox Films replacing Harley L. Clarke.[9]
  • December 14: RKO refinancing plan approved.[9]

Best money stars

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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.[10]

Actor
George Arliss

Ronald Colman

Wallace Beery
Maurice Chevalier
Clark Gable
Edward G. Robinson
Will Rogers

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.[10]

Actress
Constance Bennett
Joan Crawford
Marlene Dietrich
Greta Garbo

Marie Dressler

Janet Gaynor
Norma Shearer

Academy Awards

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Main article: 4th Academy Awards
Main article: 5th 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

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,[11] at a ceremony held at The Ambassador Hotel[11] in Los Angeles, California. The ceremony was hosted by Conrad Nagel.[11] Films screened in Los Angeles between August 1, 1931, and July 31, 1932, were eligible to receive awards.[11]

Most nominations: Arrowsmith (Samuel Goldwyn Productions) and The Champ (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer) – 4

Major Awards

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

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January–March

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April–June

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July–September

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October–December

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Notable films released in 1931

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United States unless stated

0-9

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A

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B

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C

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D

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E

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F

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G

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H

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I

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J

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K

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L

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M

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N

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O

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P

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Q

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R

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S

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T

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W

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Serials

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Short film series

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Animated short film series

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Births

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Deaths

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Film debuts

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References

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Citations
  1. ^ Block, Alex Ben; Wilson, Lucy Autry (March 30, 2010). George Lucas's blockbusting: A Decade-by-Decade Survey of Timeless Movies Including Untold Secrets of Their Financial and Cultural Success. It Books. pp. 160–161. ISBN 978-0-0619-6345-2.
  2. ^ a b The Eddie Mannix Ledger, Los Angeles, California: Margaret Herrick Library, Center for Motion Picture Study.
  3. ^ Jones, Lon (March 4, 1944). "Which Cinema Films Have Earned the Most Money Since 1914?". The Argus. Melbourne. p. 3 Supplement: The Argus Weekend magazine. Retrieved August 6, 2012 – via National Library of Australia.
  4. ^ a b c Finler 2003, pp. 356–357.
  5. ^ a b Quigley Publishing Company "The All Time Best Sellers", International Motion Picture Almanac 1937-38 (1938) (pg. 942); accessed April 19, 2014
  6. ^ Richard Jewel, 'RKO Film Grosses: 1931-1951', Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television, Vol 14 No 1, 1994 p56
  7. ^ "Att'y Gen Scans R-K-O-Pathe Deal on Plea of Defeated Insurgents". Variety. January 7, 1931. p. 3. Retrieved May 8, 2018.
  8. ^ Ships of Hate at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films
  9. ^ a b c Ten Leading Events in the News of Motion Pictures During the Year 1931. p. 9. Retrieved May 8, 2018. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  10. ^ a b "Six Best Money Stars". Variety. January 5, 1932. p. 1.
  11. ^ a b c d "The 5th Academy Awards – 1933". Archived from the original on 2012-09-04.
Bibliography
  • Block, Alex Ben; Wilson, Lucy Autrey (2010). George Lucas's blockbusting: a decade-by-decade survey of timeless movies, including untold secrets of their financial and cultural success. New York, New York: ItBooks.
  • Finler, Joel Waldo (2003). The Hollywood Story. Wallflower Press. ISBN 978-1-903364-66-6.
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