1966 in film

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	In television 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 In radio 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969
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The year 1966 in film involved some significant events. A Man for All Seasons won six Academy Awards, including Best Picture.

Top-grossing films

North America

The top ten 1966 released films by box office gross in North America are as follows:

Highest-grossing films of 1966
Rank	Title	Studio	Box-office gross rental
1	Hawaii	United Artists/The Mirisch Corporation	$15,600,000[1]
2	The Bible: In the Beginning...	20th Century Fox	$15,000,000[1]
3	Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?	Warner Bros.	$14,500,000[1]
4	The Sand Pebbles	20th Century Fox	$13,500,000[1]
5	A Man for All Seasons	Columbia Pictures	$12,800,000[1]
6	Lt. Robin Crusoe, U.S.N.	Walt Disney/Buena Vista Distribution	$10,164,000[2]
7	The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming	United Artists/The Mirisch Corporation	$9,800,000[1]
8	Grand Prix	Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer	$9,300,000[1]
9	The Professionals	Columbia Pictures	$8,800,000[1]
10	Alfie	Paramount Pictures	$8,500,000[2]

Outside North America

The highest-grossing 1966 films in countries outside North America.

Country	Title	Studio	Gross
India	Phool Aur Patthar	Ralhan Productions	$11,790,000[n 1]
Soviet Union	War and Peace	Mosfilm	$64,000,000[n 2]

Events

October 19 - Gulf and Western Industries acquire Paramount Pictures.
November - Seven Arts Productions reach agreement to acquire Warner Bros. for $32 million, later forming a new company Warner Bros.-Seven Arts.
December 15 - Entertainment pioneer Walt Disney, best known for his creation of Mickey Mouse, breakthroughs in the field of animation, filmmaking, theme park design and other achievements, dies at the age of 65. He died while he was producing The Jungle Book, The Happiest Millionaire, and Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day; the last three films under his personal supervision.

Awards

Academy Awards:

Best Picture: A Man for All Seasons - Highland, Columbia

Best Director: Fred Zinnemann - A Man for All Seasons

Best Actor: Paul Scofield - A Man for All Seasons

Best Actress: Elizabeth Taylor - Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

Best Supporting Actor: Walter Matthau - The Fortune Cookie

Best Supporting Actress: Sandy Dennis - Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

Best Foreign Language Film: A Man and a Woman (Un homme et une femme), directed by Claude Lelouch, France

BAFTA Film Awards:

Best Film from any Source: Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

Best British film: The Spy Who Came In from the Cold

Golden Globe Awards:

Drama:

Best Picture: A Man for All Seasons

Best Actor: Paul Scofield – A Man for All Seasons

Best Actress: Anouk Aimée – A Man and a Woman

Comedy or Musical:

Best Picture: The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming

Best Actor: Alan Arkin – The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming

Best Actress: Lynn Redgrave – Georgy Girl

Other

Best Supporting Actor: Richard Attenborough – The Sand Pebbles

Best Supporting Actress: Jocelyne LaGarde – Hawaii

Best Director: Fred Zinnemann – A Man for All Seasons

Palme d'Or (Cannes Film Festival):

A Man and a Woman (Un homme et une femme), directed by Claude Lelouch, France

Signore & Signori (The Birds, the Bees and the Italians), directed by Pietro Germi, Italy

Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists, Location: Italy

Silver Ribbon

Best Actor winner in Questa volta parliamo di uomini (This Time Let's Talk about Men): Nino Manfredi
- Nominee in The 10th Victim: Marcello Mastroianni
- A third nominee was not determined.
Best Actress winner in La fuga: Giovanna Ralli
- Nominees in Juliet of the Spirits: Giulietta Masina and in The Mandrake: Rosanna Schiaffino
Best Supporting Actor winner in I Knew Her Well: Ugo Tognazzi
- Nominees in The Mandrake: Totò and Romolo Valli
Best Supporting Actress winner in Juliet of the Spirits: Sandra Milo
- Nominee in Made in Italy Anna Magnani
- A third nominee was not determined.
Best Director winner in I Knew Her Well: Antonio Pietrangeli
- Nominees in Fists in the Pocket: Marco Bellocchio and in Juliet of the Spirits: Federico Fellini
Best Foreign Director winner in The Servant: Joseph Losey
- Nominees in Hamlet (1964 film): Grigori Kozintsev and in King and Country: Joseph Losey
Best Screenplay winner in I Knew Her Well: Ettore Scola, Antonio Pietrangeli and Ruggero Maccari
- Nominees in Fists in the Pocket: Marco Bellocchio and in Sandra: Suso Cecchi d'Amico, Enrico Medioli, Luchino Visconti
Best Cinematography, B/W winner in Sandra: Armando Nannuzzi
Best Cinematography, Color winner in Juliet of the Spirits: Gianni Di Venanzo. In memory of.
Best Costume Design winner in Juliet of the Spirits: Piero Gherardi
Best Score winner in Seven Golden Men: Armando Trovajoli
Best Producer - Short Film winner in Con il cuore fermo Sicilia: Clodio Cinematografica
Best Short Film winner in Antonio Ligabue, pittore: Raffaele Andreassi
Best Original Story winner in Fists in the Pocket: Marco Bellocchio
- Nominees in I Knew Her Well: Ruggero Maccari, Ettore Scola, Antonio Pietrangeli and in Seven Golden Men: Marco Vicario
Best Producer winner in Seven Golden Men: Marco Vicario
- Nominee in Fists in the Pocket: Enzo Doria
- A third nominee was not determined.
Best Production Design winner in Juliet of the Spirits: Piero Gherardi.

Golden Lion (Venice Film Festival):

The Battle of Algiers (La Battaglia di Algeri), directed by Gillo Pontecorvo, Algeria / Italy

Golden Bear (Berlin Film Festival):

Cul-de-sac, directed by Roman Polanski, United Kingdom

1966 film releases

United States unless stated

January–March

January 1966
- 5 January
  - 7 Women
- 9 January
  - Dracula: Prince of Darkness (U.K.)
- 16 January
  - Our Man Flint
- 20 January
  - The Ghost and Mr. Chicken
February 1966
- 2 February
  - The Rare Breed
- 9 February
  - Made in Paris
- 18 February
  - The Silencers
- 19 February
  - The Chase
- 23 February
  - Harper
March 1966
- 4 March
  - The Group
  - The Oscar
- 9 March
  - Johnny Reno
- 25 March
  - A Man Could Get Killed
- 30 March
  - Hold On!
  - The Trouble with Angels
- 31 March
  - Frankie and Johnny

April–June

April 1966
- 4 April
  - The Singing Nun
- 17 April
  - Gamera vs. Barugon (Japan)
May 1966
- 5 May
  - Arabesque
  - Our Man in Marrakesh
- 11 May
  - The Fat Spy
- 25 May
  - The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming
- 31 May
  - A Big Hand for the Little Lady
June 1966
- 1 June
  - The Daydreamer
- 7 June
  - Fireball 500
- 8 June
  - Boy, Did I Get a Wrong Number!
- 9 June
  - The Glass Bottom Boat
  - Paradise, Hawaiian Style
- 10 June
  - Nevada Smith
- 15 June
  - Assault on a Queen
  - Duel at Diablo
  - Munster, Go Home!
  - Stagecoach
  - The Endless Summer
- 22 June
  - Around the World Under the Sea
  - Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
- 29 June
  - A Fine Madness
  - Walk, Don't Run

July–September

July 1966
- 7 July
  - Three on a Couch
- 13 July
  - How to Steal a Million
- 14 July
  - Torn Curtain
- 20 July
  - The Wild Angels
- 29 July
  - Lt. Robin Crusoe, U.S.N.
- 30 July
  - Batman
- 31 July
  - The War of the Gargantuas (Japan)
August 1966
- 3 August
  - The Man Called Flintstone
  - This Property Is Condemned
- 5 August
  - Daleks – Invasion Earth: 2150 A.D. (U.K.)
- 24 August
  - Fantastic Voyage
- 31 August
  - What Did You Do in the War, Daddy?
September 1966
- 1 September
  - Waco
- 15 September
  - Chelsea Girls
- 16 September
  - Fahrenheit 451 (U.K.)
- 28 September
  - The Bible: In the Beginning...

October–December

October 1966
- 5 October
  - Seconds
- 10 October
  - Hawaii
- 11 October
  - Mister Buddwing
- 12 October
  - Dead Heat on a Merry-Go-Round
- 16 October
  - A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (U.S./U.K.)
- 17 October
  - Spinout
- 19 October
  - The Fortune Cookie
- 21 October
  - Way...Way Out
- 23 October
  - Ride in the Whirlwind
- 27 October
  - Texas Across the River
- 28 October
  - An American Dream
November 1966
- 2 November
  - The Professionals
- 5 November
  - Chappaqua
- 8 November
  - Madame X
- 10 November
  - Penelope
- 18 November
  - Let's Kill Uncle
December 1966
- 1 December
  - Follow Me, Boys!
- 9 December
  - You're a Big Boy Now
- 12 December
  - Thunderbirds Are Go
- 15 December
  - The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
- 17 December
  - Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster (Japan)
- 20 December
  - Murderers' Row
  - The Sand Pebbles
- 21 December
  - Gambit
  - Grand Prix
- 30 December
  - One Million Years B.C. (U.K.)
- December 1966
  - Andrei Rublev

Notable films released in 1966