1933 in film

The Film Daily Yearbook listed the following as the ten leading news events of the year in North America.^[2]

• The motion picture industry goes under the National Recovery Administration code.
• Receivers appointed for Paramount Publix, RKO, and Fox Theatres.
• The film industry takes an eight-week salary cut.
• The Sirovich bill for a sweeping probe of film industry is defeated.
• John D. Hertz withdraws as Paramount Publix finance chairman, and Adolph Zukor appoints George J. Schaefer as general manager.
• Sidney Kent effects financial reorganization of Fox Film Corp., averting receivership, and company shows its first profit since 1930.
• Ruling of the United States District Court for the District of Delaware creates an "open market" for sound equipment.
• Nathan Nathanson regains control of Famous Players Canadian circuit.
• Darryl F. Zanuck quits Warner Bros-First National and with Joseph M. Schenck forms Twentieth Century Pictures, turning out eight productions in the first four months, beginning with The Bowery.
• Harold B. Franklin resigns as president of RKO Theaters.

Other notable events include:

• January 11 – Radio City Music Hall in New York City starts screening motion pictures.^[3]
• January 20 – The film Ecstasy premieres in Czechoslovakia; its foreign distribution presents many difficulties as 18-year-old actress Hedy Lamarr is shown naked in it.
• March – German director Fritz Lang is informed by Joseph Goebbels that the release of Lang's crime-thriller The Testament of Dr. Mabuse will not be permitted by the newly formed Reich Ministry of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda. The German-language premiere takes place on April 21 in Budapest, Hungary. On April 20, Lang divorces his wife, the film's writer Thea von Harbou, and on July 31, he leaves Germany permanently, initially settling in Paris, France.^[4]
• March 2 – King Kong premieres at Radio City Music Hall in New York City;^[5] opening weekend ticket sales are estimated at US$90,000.
• March 9 – Punyal na Ginto (The Golden Dagger), the first Filipino-language film made in the Philippines, is released.^[6]
• March 11 – 42nd Street sparks a major comeback for the musical genre.^[3]
• March 15 – Australian actor Errol Flynn makes his screen debut in the lead role of Fletcher Christian in In the Wake of the Bounty.^[7]
• June 6 – Chemical company executive Richard Hollingshead opens a drive-in theater near Camden, New Jersey, according to his U.S patent granted on May 16.^[8][9] The first film shown is Wives Beware.
• September 6 – Daily Variety, a trade newspaper, is published for the first time in Hollywood.^[10]
• December 29 – Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers appear on screen together for the first time in Flying Down to Rio.
• Ang Aswang, the first sound film made in the Philippines, is released.^[11]
• Makata At Paraluman (The Poet and the Maiden), the first talking film in vernacular made in the Philippines, is released.^[12]
• The British Film Institute is founded.^[13]
• The GPO Film Unit is established in the United Kingdom under John Grierson, taking over responsibility for documentary film making from the Empire Marketing Board.
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) once again expresses interest in The Wizard of Oz books for a series of animated shorts. But once again, the studio fails to make a deal with the estate of writer L. Frank Baum.
• The Private Life of Henry VIII becomes the first British film to win an American Academy Award. Featured actor Charles Laughton wins the 1933 Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance. The film is the first British production to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture.
• The book Upton Sinclair Presents William Fox is published, detailing what William Fox considers to be the conspiracy that forced him from control of Fox Film in 1930.

The 6th Academy Awards were held on March 16, 1934, at The Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles. They were hosted by Will Rogers, who also presented all of the awards. This was the last time that the Oscars' eligibility period was spread over two different calendar years, creating the longest time frame for which films could be nominated: the seventeen months from August 1, 1932, to December 31, 1933.

Most nominations: Cavalcade (Fox Film); A Farewell to Arms (Paramount Pictures) and Lady for a Day (Columbia Pictures) – 4

Major awards:

• Best Picture: Cavalcade – Fox Film
• Best Director: Frank Lloyd – Cavalcade
• Best Actor: Charles Laughton – The Private Life of Henry VIII
• Best Actress: Katharine Hepburn – Morning Glory

Most Awards: Cavalcade – 3 (Outstanding Production; Best Director; Best Art Direction)

The top ten films released in 1933 by box office earnings in North America are as follows:

United States unless stated

United States unless stated

• Clancy of the Mounted
• Fighting with Kit Carson
• Gordon of Ghost City
• The Mystery Squadron
• The Perils of Pauline, starring Evalyn Knapp
• The Phantom of the Air
• The Return of Chandu
• Tarzan the Fearless, starring Buster Crabbe
• The Three Musketeers, starring Jack Mulhall and John Wayne
• The Whispering Shadow, starring Bela Lugosi
• The Wolf Dog, starring Rin Tin Tin, Jr.

• Harold Lloyd (1913–1938)
• Charlie Chaplin (1914–1940)
• Lupino Lane (1915–1939)
• Buster Keaton (1917–1944)
• Laurel and Hardy (1921–1945)
  • Dirty Work
• Our Gang (1922–1944)
• Harry Langdon (1924–1936)
• Wheeler and Woolsey (1929–1937)
• Marx Brothers (1929–1946)
• Ted Healy and His Stooges (1933–1934)

• Aesop's Film Fables (1921–1933)
• Krazy Kat (1925–1940)
• Oswald the Lucky Rabbit (1927–1938)
• Mickey Mouse (1928–1953)
• Silly Symphonies
  • Birds in the Spring
  • Father Noah's Ark
  • Three Little Pigs
  • Old King Cole
  • Lullaby Land
  • The Pied Piper
  • The Night Before Christmas
• Screen Songs (1929–1938)
• Looney Tunes (1930–1969)
• Flip the Frog (1930–1933)
• Terrytoons (1930–1964)
• Merrie Melodies (1931–1969)
• Scrappy (1931–1941)
• Tom and Jerry (Van Beuren) (1931–1933)
• Betty Boop (1932–1939)
  • Betty Boop's Ker-Choo
  • Betty Boop's Crazy Inventions
  • Is My Palm Read?
  • Betty Boop's Penthouse
  • Snow White
  • Betty Boop's Birthday Party
  • Betty Boop's May Party
  • Betty Boop's Big Boss
  • Mother Goose Land
  • Popeye the Sailor
  • The Old Man of the Mountain
  • I Heard
  • Morning, Noon and Night
  • Betty Boop's Hallowe'en Party
  • Parade of the Wooden Soldiers
• Popeye the Sailor (1933–1957)
• Pooch the Pup (1932-1933)
• Willie Whopper (1933–1934)
• ComiColor Cartoons (1933–1936)
• Cubby Bear (1933–1934)
• The Little King (1933–1934)

• January 6 – Mark Forest, American actor and bodybuilder (d. 2022)
• January 8 – Jean-Marie Straub, French director (d. 2006)
• January 9
  • Ken Barrie, English voice actor and singer (d. 2016)
  • Ann Firbank, British actress
• January 10 - Anton Rodgers, English actor (d. 2007)^[19]
• January 12 – Liliana Cavani, Italian director
• January 18 – John Boorman, English director
• January 23 – Chita Rivera, American actress, dancer and singer (d. 2024)
• January 28 – Jack Hill, American director and screenwriter
• February 2 – Tony Jay, English actor, voice actor and singer (d. 2006)
• February 3 – Polde Bibič, Slovenian film and stage actor and memoir writer (d. 2012)
• February 9 – Ronnie Claire Edwards, American actress (d. 2016)
• February 12 – Costa-Gavras, Greek-French director, screenwriter and producer
• February 13
  • Caroline Blakiston, English actress
  • Patrick Godfrey, English actor
  • Kim Novak, American actress
• February 14 – Madhubala, Indian actress (d. 1969)
• February 16 – Ron Faber, American actor (d. 2023)
• February 18
  • Yoko Ono, Japanese multimedia artist, singer and songwriter
  • Željko Senečić, Croatian film, television production designer (d. 2018)
  • Mary Ure, Scottish actress (d. 1975)
• March 2 – Ziva Rodann, Israeli-American actress and mime artist
• March 3
  • John Dair, Scottish actor (d. 2005)
  • Tomas Milian, Cuban actor and singer (d. 2017)
• March 7 - Donald Douglas, Scottish actor (d. 2026)
• March 11 – Sandra Milo, Italian actress (d. 2024)
• March 12 – Barbara Feldon, American actress
• March 13 – Gloria McMillan, American actress (d. 2022)
• March 14 – Michael Caine, English actor
• March 19
  • Renée Taylor, American actress, screenwriter, playwright, producer and director
  • Richard Williams, Canadian-British animator (d. 2019)
• March 22 – Richard Easton, Canadian actor (d. 2019)
• March 23 – Laura Soveral, Portuguese actress (d. 2018)
• March 24 – William Smith, American actor (d. 2021)
• April 2 – Joseph Rigano, American character actor (d. 2014)
• April 5 – Frank Gorshin, American actor and comedian (d. 2005)
• April 9 – Jean-Paul Belmondo, French actor (d. 2021)
• April 14 – Shani Wallis, British actress and singer
• April 15 – Elizabeth Montgomery, American actress (d. 1995)
• April 16 – Ric Mancini, American actor (d. 2006)
• April 18 – Harold Innocent, English actor (d. 1993)
• April 19 – Jayne Mansfield, American actress (d. 1967)
• April 20 – George R. Robertson, Canadian actor (d. 2023)
• April 22 – Mark Damon, American actor and producer (d. 2024)
• April 26 – Carol Burnett, American actress, television host and comedian
• April 29 – Willie Nelson, American musician and actor
• May 10
  • Francoise Fabian, French actress
  • Pat Gorman, British actor (d. 2018)
• May 14 - Siân Phillips, Welsh actress
• May 20 – Constance Towers, American actress and singer
• May 21 – Richard Libertini, American actor (d. 2016)
• May 23 – Joan Collins, English actress
• May 28 - Zelda Rubinstein, American actress (d. 2010)
• June 1 - Antony Ponzini, American actor (d. 2002)
• June 8 - Joan Rivers, American comedian, actress, producer, writer and television host (d. 2014)
• June 9 - Mario Donatone, Italian actor (d. 2020)
• June 11 – Gene Wilder, American actor (d. 2016)
• June 20
  • Danny Aiello, American actor (d. 2019)
  • Brett Halsey, American actor
• June 21 – Bernie Kopell, American character actor
• June 30 – Lea Massari, Italian actress (d. 2025)
• July 6 - Sajjad Kishwar, Pakistani actor (d. 2022)
• July 11 - Per Myrberg, Swedish actor and singer (d. 2023)
• July 12 - Max Julien, American actor (d. 2022)
• July 13 - Theresa Amayo, Brazilian actress (d. 2022)
• July 24 – John Aniston, Greek-born American actor (d. 2022)
• July 25 - Ken Swofford, American actor (d. 2018)
• July 26
  • Kathryn Hays, American actress (d. 2022)
  • Chino 'Fats' Williams, American actor (d. 2000)
• July 29
  • Lou Albano, Italian-born American professional wrestler and actor (d. 2009)
  • Robert Fuller, American actor
• August 1 – Dom DeLuise, American actor and comedian (d. 2009)
• August 2 – Tom Bell, English actor (d. 2006)
• August 10 – Lynn Cohen, American actress (d. 2020)
• August 13 - Vyjayanthimala, Indian former actress
• August 16 – Julie Newmar, American actress, dancer and singer
• August 18 – Roman Polanski, Polish director
• August 19 – Debra Paget, American actress and entertainer
• August 21 – Barry Norman, English critic (d. 2017)
• August 25 – Tom Skerritt, American actor
• August 28 – Philip French, English critic (d. 2015)
• September 4 – Richard S. Castellano, American actor (d. 1988)
• September 14 - Zoe Caldwell, Australian-born actress (d. 2020)
• September 15 - Henry Darrow, American character actor (d. 2021)
• September 17 – Pat Crowley, American actress (d. 2025)
• September 18
  • Robert Blake, American actor (d. 2023)
  • Fred Willard, American actor (d. 2020)
• September 19 – David McCallum, British-American actor and musician (d. 2023)
• September 27 – Kathleen Nolan, American actress
• September 28 – Robert Hogan, American actor (d. 2021)
• September 29
  • Franca Parisi, Italian actress
  • James Villiers, English character actor (d. 1998)
• September 30
  • Ben Cooper, American actor (d. 2020)
  • Barbara Knox, English actress
• October 24
  • J. J. Johnston, American actor and writer (d. 2022)
  • Enzo Robutti, Italian actor, voice actor, comedian, playwright and writer (d. 2022)
• October 25 - Peter Dennis, English actor (d. 2009)
• November 3 – Jeremy Brett, English actor (d. 1995)
• November 9 - Louise Troy, American actress (d. 1994)
• November 13 - Karl-Otto Alberty, German actor (d. 2015)
• November 15 - Donald Pickering, English actor (d. 2009)
• November 17 – Terry, American performing Cairn Terrier (d. 1945)
• November 19 - Larry King, American television and radio host (d. 2021)
• November 21 - J. Don Ferguson, American character actor (d. 2008)
• November 25 – Kathryn Crosby, American actress (d. 2024)
• November 26 - Robert Goulet, American-Canadian actor and singer (d. 2007)
• November 28 – Hope Lange, American actress (d. 2003)
• November 30 – Warren Munson, American actor
• December 3 – Rosalind Knight, English actress (d. 2020)
• December 4 – Horst Buchholz, German actor (d. 2003)^[20]
• December 5 - Adolph Caesar, American actor (d. 1986)
• December 8 - Ana Ofelia Murguía, Mexican actress (d. 2023)
• December 10 - Mako, Japanese-American actor (d. 2006)
• December 13 – Lou Adler, American producer
• December 15 – Tim Conway, American actor and comedian (d. 2019)
• December 22 - Elizabeth Hubbard, American actress (d. 2023)
• December 26 - Caroll Spinney, American puppeteer (d. 2019)
• December 31 - Edward Bunker, American actor (d. 2005)

• January 3 – Jack Pickford, Canadian-born American actor and director (born 1896)
• January 25 – Lewis J. Selznick, Ukrainian-born American producer (born 1870)
• February 15 – Pat Sullivan, Australian-born American director/producer of animated films, alleged co-creator of Felix the Cat (born 1885/87)
• February 23 – David Horsley, English-born American film executive (born 1873)
• February 26 – Spottiswoode Aitken, American actor (born 1868)
• March 8 – Alan Roscoe, American actor (born 1886)
• March 23 – Francine Mussey, French actress (born 1897)
• May 15 – Ernest Torrence, Scottish actor (born 1878)
• June 18 – Harry Sweet, American actor and director (born 1901)
• June 29 – Roscoe Arbuckle, American actor (born 1887)
• June 30 – Georg Blomstedt, Swedish actor (born 1872)
• August 18 – James Williamson, Scottish film developer and film director (born 1855)
• August 28 – Helen Dunbar, American actress (born 1863)
• September 23 – Sime Silverman, 60, American newspaper publisher, founder of Variety
• September 24 – Ferdinand Bonn, German actor (born 1861)
• October 5 – Renée Adorée, French actress (born 1898)
• October 30 – Svend Kornbeck, Danish actor (born 1869)
• December 19 – Jimmie Adams, American comedian (born 1888)
• December 22 - William J. Dyer, American actor (born 1881)