1929 in film

The days of the silent film are numbered. A mad scramble to provide synchronized sound is on.

• February 1 – The Broadway Melody is released by MGM and becomes the first major musical film of the sound era, sparking a host of imitators as well as a series of Broadway Melody films that will run until 1940.
• February 18 – The first Academy Awards, or Oscars, are announced for the year ended August 1, 1928.
• March 3 – William Fox announces that he has taken control of Loews Inc., including its subsidiary Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, buying shares from Marcus Loew's widow and sons and Nicholas Schenck for $50 million. The acquisition eventually falls through.
• May 16 – The first Academy Awards are distributed at The Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel in Los Angeles.
• May 26 – Fox Grandeur News is shown in Fox Film's new widescreen 70 mm Grandeur film format
• July 13 – The first all color talkie (in Technicolor), On with the Show, is released by Warner Bros. who lead the way in a new color revolution just as they had ushered in that of the talkies.
• July 17 – William Fox is badly injured in a car accident which kills his chauffeur.
• August 3 – The Cock-Eyed World beats every known gross for any box office attraction throughout the world with a reported first week gross of $173,391 at the Roxy Theatre (New York City).^[1]
• August 20 – Hallelujah! is the first Hollywood film to contain an entire black cast.
• August 22 – First in the Walt Disney Productions' animated short Silly Symphony series, The Skeleton Dance, is released.
• September – Paramount Pictures acquires 49% of CBS.
• October 24 – Jean Harlow signs a five-year, $100 per week contract with Howard Hughes.
• October 30 – Entertainment newspaper Variety report that Wall Street Lays An Egg leading to many prominent showman and film stars losing money on their investments.
• November – Warner Bros. gain complete control of First National Pictures buying Fox Film's 36% stake for $10 million^[2]
• November 10 – Première of John Grierson's documentary film Drifters about North Sea herring fishermen, made for the Empire Marketing Board, effectively inaugurating the British Documentary Film Movement. (It debuts at the private Film Society in London on a double-bill with the U.K. première of Eisenstein's The Battleship Potemkin.)^[3]
• November 15 – U.K. release of Atlantic, a film about the sinking of the RMS Titanic which is one of the first British sound-on-film movies and, in its simultaneously-shot German-language version, the first to be released in Germany; also the first Titanic movie with sound.
• December – Anti-trust suits are filed against William Fox and Warner Bros. by the US Department of Justice for Fox's acquisition of Loews and Warners' acquisition of the Stanley Corporation of America and First National.

The 2nd Academy Awards honored the best films released between August 1, 1928, and July 31, 1929. They took place on April 3, 1930, at an awards banquet in the Cocoanut Grove of the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles.

Most nominations: In Old Arizona (Fox Film Corporation) – 5

• Best Picture: The Broadway Melody (MGM)
• Best Director: Frank Lloyd – The Divine Lady
• Best Actor: Warner Baxter – In Old Arizona
• Best Actress: Mary Pickford – Coquette

Most awards – no film won more than 1 award

Note: Prior to 1933, awards were not based on calendar years. Best Picture, Actress and Director went to 1930 films.

The top ten 1929 released films by box office gross in North America are as follows:

United States unless stated otherwise.

• The Ace of Scotland Yard, 10 chapters (215 minutes)
• The Black Book, 10 chapters
• The Diamond Master, 10 chapters
• The Fatal Warning, 10 chapters (200 min)
• The Fire Detective, 10 chapters
• The King of the Kongo, 10 chapters (213 min)
• The Pirate of Panama, 12 chapters
• Queen of the Northwoods, 10 chapters
• Tarzan the Tiger, 15 chapters (266 min)

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

• Felix the Cat (1919–1936)
• Aesop's Film Fables (1921–1933)
• Krazy Kat (1925–1940)
• Oswald the Lucky Rabbit (1927–1938)
• Inkwell Imps (1927–1929)
• Mickey Mouse
  • The Barn Dance
  • The Opry House
  • When The Cat's Away
  • The Barnyard Battle
  • The Plow Boy
  • The Karnival Kid
  • Mickey's Follies
  • Mickey's Choo-Choo
  • The Jazz Fool
  • Jungle Rhythm
  • The Haunted House
  • Wild Waves
• Silly Symphonies
  • The Skeleton Dance
  • El Terrible Toreador
  • Springtime
  • Hell's Bells
  • The Merry Dwarfs
• Screen Songs (1929–1938)
• Talkartoons (1929–1932)

• January 1 – Haruo Nakajima, Japanese actor (died 2017)^[20]
• January 3 – Sergio Leone, Italian director, producer and screenwriter (died 1989)^[21]
• January 7 – Terry Moore, American actress^[22]
• January 8 – Saeed Jaffrey, Indian-born actor (died 2015)^[23]
• January 9 – Ulu Grosbard, Belgian-American theatre and film director and film producer (died 2012)
• January 13 - Shigeru Kōyama, Japanese actor (died 2017)
• January 17 - Norman Kaye, Australian actor (died 2007)
• January 20 – Arte Johnson, American actor (died 2019)
• January 27 – Michael Craig, British actor and screenwriter
• January 31 – Jean Simmons, English-American actress (died 2010)
• February 4 – Jerry Adler, American actor (died 2025)
• February 8 – Claude Rich, French actor (died 2017)
• February 10 – Jerry Goldsmith, American composer (died 2004)
• February 13 - Lee Fierro, American actress (died 2020)
• February 14
  • Roman Kłosowski, Polish actor (died 2018)
  • Allan Miller, American actor and director
  • Vic Morrow, American actor (died 1982)
• February 17 - Patricia Routledge, English actress and singer (died 2025)
• February 22
  • James Hong, American actor, voice actor, producer and director of Chinese descent
  • Donald May, American actor (died 2022)
  • Rebecca Schull, American actress
• March 4 - Columba Domínguez, Mexican actress (died 2014)
• March 10 - Harry Bugin, American actor and musician (died 2005)
• March 11 – Timothy Carey, American actor (died 1994)
• March 13 – Peter Breck, American actor (died 2012)
• March 16 - Nadja Tiller, Austrian actress (died 2023)
• March 23 – Mark Rydell, American actor, director and producer
• March 24 – Pat Renella, American actor (died 2012)
• March 27
  • Anne Ramsey, American actress (died 1988)
  • Claire Maurier, French actress
• March 30 - Richard Dysart, American actor (died 2015)
• March 31 – Lee Patterson, Canadian actor (died 2007)
• April 1
  • Barbara Bryne, British-American actress (died 2023)
  • Jonathan Haze, American actor, producer and screenwriter (died 2024)
  • Jane Powell, American actress, singer and dancer (died 2021)^[24]
• April 5 – Nigel Hawthorne, English actor (died 2001)^[25]
• April 6 - Joi Lansing, American actress (died 1972)
• April 10
  • Liz Sheridan, American actress (died 2022)
  • Max von Sydow, Swedish actor (died 2020)
• April 11 - Jack Betts, American actor (died 2025)
• April 12 - Elspet Gray, Scottish actress (died 2013)
• April 15 – Mariano Laurenti, Italian director and actor (died 2022)
• April 17 – Michael Forest, American actor
• April 28
  • Bhanu Athaiya, Indian costume designer (died 2020)
  • Evangelina Elizondo, Mexican actress and singer (died 2017)
• May 2 – Eddie Garcia, Filipino actor (died 2019)
• May 4 – Audrey Hepburn, British actress (died 1993)
• May 5 – Ilene Woods, American actress and singer (died 2010)
• May 8 – Miyoshi Umeki, Japanese singer and actress (died 2007)
• May 10 - George Coe, American actor (died 2015)
• May 11 - Margaret Kerry, American actress and director
• May 17 – Miriam Byrd-Nethery, American actress (died 2003)
• May 23 – Paul Wexler, American actor (died 1979)
• May 24 - Brian Wenzel, Australian actor, comedian, director and singer (died 2024)
• May 25 – Ann Robinson, American actress
• May 26 – Lloyd Reckord, Jamaican actor and filmmaker (died 2015)
• May 28 – Shane Rimmer, Canadian actor (died 2019)
• May 31
  • Menahem Golan, Israeli director and producer (died 2014)
  • Fakhri Khorvash, Iranian actress (died 2023)
• June 3 – Chuck Barris, American game show host (died 2017)
• June 8 – Gastone Moschin, Italian actor (died 2017)
• June 16 – Gerson da Cunha, Indian actor (died 2022)
• June 17 – James Shigeta, American actor, singer and musician of Japanese descent (died 2014)
• June 19 - Thelma Barlow, English actress and writer
• June 20 – Bonnie Bartlett, American actress
• June 21 - John Brandon, American actor (died 2014)
• June 23 – Claude Goretta, Swiss producer and director (died 2019)
• July 5 – Katherine Helmond, American actress (died 2019)
• July 11 – David Kelly, Irish actor (died 2012)
• July 21
  • Asta Vihandi, Estonian opera singer, actress and dancer (died 1993)
  • John Woodvine, English actor (died 2025)
  • Jules Walter, British actor (died 2025)
• July 22 - Perry Lopez, American actor (died 2008)
• July 23 – Maya Buzinova, Russian animator (died 2022)
• July 30 - Sid Krofft, Canadian puppeteer and film producer (died 2026)
• July 31
  • Pat Cooper, American actor and comedian (died 2023)
  • Don Murray, American actor (died 2024)
• August 1 – Camillo Milli, Italian actor (died 2022)
• August 12 - John Bluthal, Australian actor and comedian (died 2018)
• August 15 – George Martin, American actor (died 2010)
• August 21
  • Vija Artmane, Latvian actress (died 2008)
  • John McMartin, American actor (died 2016)
• August 28 – Ken Gampu, South African actor (died 2003)
• August 29 - Robert W. Castle, American actor (died 2012)
• September 1 - Tomisaburo Wakayama, Japanese actor (died 1992)
• September 2
  • Hal Ashby, American director (died 1988)
  • Victor Spinetti, Welsh actor, author, poet and raconteur (died 2012)
• September 3 – Irene Papas, Greek actress (died 2022)
• September 4 – Nina Urgant, Russian actress (died 2021)
• September 5
  • Edward S. Feldman, American producer (died 2020)
  • Bob Newhart, American actor and comedian (died 2024)
• September 11 – Eve Brent, American actress (died 2011)
• September 18 – Elizabeth Spriggs, English actress (died 2008)
• September 20
  • Kurt Kren, Austrian experimental director (died 1998)
  • Hans von Borsody, German actor (died 2013)
  • Vittorio Taviani, Italian director (died 2018)
• September 21
  • Héctor Alterio, Argentine actor (died 2025)
  • Elsa Raven, American character actress (died 2020)
• September 22 – Maria Charles, English actress, director and comedian (died 2023)
• September 25 – Ronnie Barker, English actor and comedian (died 2005)
• September 28 - Frances Taylor Davis, American dancer and actress (died 2018)
• October 2 – Moses Gunn, American actor (died 1993)
• October 4 - Scotty Beckett, American actor (died 1968)
• October 6 – Bruno Cremer, French actor (died 2010)
• October 14 – Norbert Gastell, German voice actor (died 2015)
• October 15 - Witold Sobociński, Polish actor (died 2018)
• October 16
  • Jane Griffiths, English actress (died 1975)
  • Fernanda Montenegro, Brazilian actress
• October 20
• Colin Jeavons, British actor
• October 24 – Clifford Rose, English actor (died 2021)
• October 28
  • Jack Hedley, British actor (died 2021)
  • Joan Plowright, English actress (died 2025)
• October 31 – Bud Spencer, Italian actor, professional swimmer and water polo player (died 2016)
• November 6 – June Squibb, American actress
• November 12
  • Etchika Choureau, French actress (died 2022)
  • Grace Kelly, American-Monégasque actress (died 1982)^[26]
• November 15 – Ed Asner, American actor (died 2021)
• November 20 – Jerry Hardin, American actor
• November 21 – Niall Tóibín, Irish actor and comedian (died 2019)
• November 28 – Berry Gordy, American producer
• November 30
  • Dick Clark, American television and radio personality, television producer and actor (died 2012)
  • Joan Ganz Cooney, American television writer and producer
• December 1 – David Doyle, American actor (died 1997)
• December 6 – Alain Tanner, Swiss film director (died 2022)
• December 8 – Paddy O'Byrne, Irish radio broadcaster and actor (died 2013)
• December 9 – John Cassavetes, American actor, director (died 1989)
• December 13 – Christopher Plummer, Canadian actor (died 2021)
• December 20 – Zebedy Colt, American actor, musician, adult film director and star (died 2004)
• December 31 - George Schlatter, American director and producer

• January 5 – Marc McDermott, Australian actor (born 1881)
• February 18
  • Hardee Kirkland, American stage and screen actor (born 1868)
  • William Russell, American actor (born 1884)
• February 24 – Frank Keenan, American actor (born 1858)
• May 9 – Fred C. Truesdell, stage & film actor (born 1870)
• May 12 – Charles Swickard, German-American director and actor (born 1861)
• July 2 – Gladys Brockwell, American actress (born 1894)
• July 3 – Dustin Farnum, American stage & silent screen star (born 1874)
• July 6 – Cliff Bowes, American comedian (born 1894)
• August 2 – Mae Costello, American actress (born 1882)
• September 2 – Paul Leni, German film and art director (born 1885)
• October 3 – Jeanne Eagels, American actress (born 1890)
• October 31 – Norman Pritchard, actor, Olympic athlete (born 1877)
• November 2 – Leo D. Maloney, actor and director (born 1888)
• November 24 – Raymond Hitchcock, American actor (born 1865)