1931 in film

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

• January 5: RKO acquires the producing and distribution arm of Pathé for $4.6 million.[5]
• June 20: Monogram Pictures releases its first film, Ships of Hate.[6]
• July 7: Anti-competitive practices disclosed about certain distributors and producers in Canada.[7]
• November 17: E. R. Tinker elected president of Fox Films replacing Harley L. Clarke.[7]
• December 14: RKO refinancing plan approved.[7]

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.[8]

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.[8]

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,[9] at a ceremony held at The Ambassador Hotel[9] in Los Angeles, California. The ceremony was hosted by Conrad Nagel.[9] Films screened in Los Angeles between August 1, 1931, and July 31, 1932, were eligible to receive awards.[9]

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

United States unless stated

• 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

• Laurel and Hardy (1921–1943)
• Charley Chase (1924–1940)
• Buster Keaton (1917–1941)
• Our Gang (1922–1944)

• Aesop's Film Fables (1921–1933)
• Krazy Kat (1925–1940)
• Oswald the Lucky Rabbit (1927–1938)
• Mickey Mouse
  • 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 (1929–1938)
• Talkartoons (1929–1932)
  • Mask a Raid (featuring Betty Boop)
• Looney Tunes (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)

• January 3 – Conrad Brooks, né Biedrzycki, American actor and producer (died 2017)
• January 5 – Robert Duvall, American actor and director
• January 14 – Caterina Valente, French singer and actress
• January 17 – James Earl Jones, American actor
• February 6
  • Mamie Van Doren, American actress and sex symbol
  • Rip Torn, American actor and director (died 2019)
• February 8 – James Dean, American actor (died 1955)
• February 15 – Claire Bloom, English actress
• February 24 – Dominic Chianese, American actor
• March 22 – William Shatner, Canadian actor
• March 26 – Leonard Nimoy, American actor and director (died 2015)
• April 1 – Ita Ever, Estonian actress
• April 8 – John Gavin, American actor and diplomat (died 2018)
• May 10 – Ettore Scola, Italian director and screenwriter (died 2016)
• May 28 – Carroll Baker, American actress
• June 20 – Olympia Dukakis, Greek-American actress
• July 1 – Leslie Caron, French actress and dancer
• July 4 – Stephen Boyd, Irish actor (died 1977)
• July 5 – António de Macedo, Portuguese filmmaker, writer, university professor and lecturer (died 2017)
• July 11 – Tab Hunter, American actor and singer (died 2018)
• July 24 – Ermanno Olmi, Italian director and screenwriter (died 2018)
• August 23 – Barbara Eden, American actress
• August 12 – William Goldman, American screenwriter and novelist (died 2018)
• August 31 – Noble Willingham, American actor (died 2004)
• September 10 – Philip Baker Hall, American actor
• September 12 – Ian Holm, English actor (died 2020)
• September 17 – Anne Bancroft, American actress (died 2005)
• September 21 – Larry Hagman, American actor and director (died 2012)
• September 29 – Anita Ekberg, Swedish actress and sex symbol (died 2015)
• September 30 – Angie Dickinson, American actress
• October 10 – Román Chalbaud, Venezuelan director
• November 6 – Mike Nichols, German-born director (died 2014)
• November 10 – Don Henderson, English actor of stage, television and screen (died 1997)
• December 11 – Rita Moreno, Puerto Rican actress

• March 11 – F. W. Murnau, German director (born 1888)
• March 24
  • Charles Clary, silent film actor (born 1873)
  • Robert Edeson, stage and screen actor (born 1868)
• 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)
• 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)

• Ralph Bellamy – The Secret Six
• Bruce Cabot – Heroes of the Flames
• Bette Davis – Bad Sister
• Melvyn Douglas – Tonight or Never
• Alexander Knox – The Ringer
• Lotte Lenya – The Threepenny Opera
• Eric Linden – Are These Our Children?
• Ida Lupino – The Love Race
• Helen Mack – The Struggle
• Otto Preminger director, producer – The Great Love
• Gene Raymond – Personal Maid
• Ralph Richardson – Dreyfus
• Simone Simon – Durand contre Durand
• Robert Young – The Black Camel