The year 1969 in film involved some significant events, with Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid dominating the U.S. box office and becoming one of the highest-grossing films of all time and Midnight Cowboy, a film rated X, winning the Academy Award for Best Picture. United Artists would celebrate their 50th anniversary.
Top-grossing films (U.S.)
The top ten 1969 released films by box office gross in North America are as follows:
+ Highest-grossing films of 1969 Rank Title Distributor Domestic rentals 1 Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid 20th Century Fox $29,200,000 2 The Love Bug Buena Vista $21,000,000 3Midnight Cowboy United Artists $20,500,000Top 20 Films of 1969 by Domestic Revenue 4 Easy Rider Columbia $16,900,000 5 Hello, Dolly! 20th Century Fox $15,000,000 6Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice Columbia $14,600,000 7Paint Your WagonParamount $14,500,000 8 True Grit $14,300,000 9 A Boy Named Charlie Brown National General Pictures $12,000,000 10 Cactus Flower Columbia $11,900,000
Events January 14 - Louis F. Polk Jr. becomes president and CEO of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer February 23 - Madhubala dies due to a congenital heart disease, at age 36. June 22 - American singer and actress Judy Garland dies at age 47 of an accidental barbiturate overdose in London. July 8 - Kinney National Services Inc. acquire substantially all of the assets of Warner Bros.-Seven Arts. July 13 - Al Pacino's film debut (Me, Natalie). Summer - Last year for prize giving at the Venice Film Festival until it is revived in 1980. From 1969 to 1979, the festival is non-competitive. August 8 - Kirk Kerkorian buys 24% of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, becoming the biggest shareholder. August 9 - Tate murders: Sharon Tate, the 26-year-old pregnant actress, model and Roman Polanski's wife, is murdered by Charles Manson's "Family" at 10050 Cielo Drive in Beverly Hills, California, aside three friends and an unrelated man. August 29 - The Color of Pomegranates now regarded as a landmark in film history September 20 - Injun Trouble featuring Cool Cat is released, becoming the final entry of Merrie Melodies before Warner Bros.-Seven Arts Animation was shut down. November 10 - Elvis Presley's film career ends with the release of Change of Habit. Jack and Jill: A Postscript becomes the first feature film to receive an Australian Film Institute Award.
Awards Category/Organization 27th Golden Globe AwardsFebruary 2, 1970 23rd BAFTA AwardsMarch 8, 1970 42nd Academy AwardsApril 7, 1970 Drama Musical or Comedy Best Film Anne of the Thousand Days The Secret of Santa Vittoria Midnight Cowboy Best Director Charles JarrottAnne of the Thousand Days John SchlesingerMidnight Cowboy Best Actor John WayneTrue Grit Peter O'TooleGoodbye, Mr. Chips Dustin HoffmanJohn and Mary / Midnight Cowboy John WayneTrue Grit Best Actress Genevieve BujoldAnne of the Thousand Days Patty DukeMe, Natalie Maggie SmithThe Prime of Miss Jean Brodie Best Supporting Actor Gig YoungThey Shoot Horses, Don't They? Laurence OlivierOh! What a Lovely War Gig YoungThey Shoot Horses, Don't They? Best Supporting Actress Goldie HawnCactus Flower Celia JohnsonThe Prime of Miss Jean Brodie Goldie HawnCactus Flower Best Screenplay, Adapted Bridget Boland, John Hale and Richard SokoloveAnne of the Thousand Days Waldo SaltMidnight Cowboy Waldo SaltMidnight Cowboy Best Screenplay, Original William GoldmanButch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid Best Original Score Burt BacharachButch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid N/A Burt BacharachButch Cassidy and the Sundance KidLennie Hayton and Lionel NewmanHello, Dolly! Best Original Song "Jean"The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie N/A "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head"Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid Best Foreign Language Film Z N/A Z
Palme d'Or (Cannes Film Festival): If...., directed by Lindsay Anderson, United Kingdom
Golden Bear (Berlin Film Festival): Rani Radovi (Early Works), directed by Želimir Žilnik, Yugoslavia
1969 films By country/region List of American films of 1969 List of Argentine films of 1969 List of Australian films of 1969 List of Bangladeshi films of 1969 List of British films of 1969 List of Canadian films of 1969 List of French films of 1969 List of Hong Kong films of 1969 List of Indian films of 1969 List of Hindi films of 1969 List of Kannada films of 1969 List of Malayalam films of 1969 List of Marathi films of 1969 List of Tamil films of 1969 List of Telugu films of 1969 List of Japanese films of 1969 List of Mexican films of 1969 List of Pakistani films of 1969 List of South Korean films of 1969 List of Soviet films of 1969 List of Spanish films of 1969
By genre/medium List of action films of 1969 List of animated feature films of 1969 List of avant-garde films of 1969 List of comedy films of 1969 List of drama films of 1969 List of horror films of 1969 List of science fiction films of 1969 List of thriller films of 1969 List of western films of 1969
Short film series Looney Tunes (1930–1969) Merrie Melodies (1931–1969) Cool Cat (1967—1969) Merlin the Magic Mouse (1967—1969) The Pink Panther (1963–1969, 1971–1977, 1978–1980) The Inspector (1965-1969) The Ant and the Aardvark (1969–1971) Roland and Rattfink (1968–1971) Tijuana Toads (1969–1972) Woody Woodpecker (1941–1949, 1951–1972) Chilly Willy (1955–1972) The Beary Family (1962–1972)
Births January 1 Morris Chestnut, American actor Mr. Lawrence, American voice actor, comedian, writer, storyboard artist, animator and director Verne Troyer, American actor (died 2018) January 2 Nicholas Gleaves, English actor Tommy Morrison, American professional boxer, mixed martial artist and actor (d. 2013) January 3 - John Ales, American actor January 5 - Shea Whigham, American actor January 6 - Norman Reedus, American actor January 8 - Ami Dolenz, American former actress January 11 - Kyle Richards, American actress January 14 – Jason Bateman, American actor January 15 - Meret Becker, German actress and singer January 17 Nigel Lindsay, English actor James Waterston, American actor January 18 – Dave Bautista, American actor and former professional wrestler January 20 - Reno Wilson, American actor January 21 Karina Lombard, Tahitan actress Matt Willig, American actor and former football player January 22 Olivia d'Abo, British actress and singer Xu Qing, Chinese actress January 23 - Stephanie Romanov, American actress January 27 – Patton Oswalt, American stand-up comedian, actor, voice actor, and writer January 28 - Kathryn Morris, American actress January 29 - Sam Trammell, American actor February 3 - Shane Rangi, New Zealand actor February 4 - Brandy Ledford, American actress and model February 5 Bobby Brown, American singer-songwriter and actor Michael Sheen, Welsh actor and producer February 6 April Haney, American former actress and singer Masaharu Fukuyama, Japanese actor and singer David Hayter, Canadian actor, screenwriter, director, and producer February 8 Brian Krause, American actor Mary McCormack, American actress February 11 Jennifer Aniston, American actress Lee Tockar, Canadian voice actor and visual artist February 12 - Darren Aronofsky, American director, producer and screenwriter February 13 JB Blanc, French actor Andrew Bryniarski, American actor February 15 - James Riordan, American actor February 21 - Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, American actress February 22 - Thomas Jane, American actor February 26 - Steve Agee, American comedian, actor, writer and musician February 28 - Robert Sean Leonard, American actor March 1 – Javier Bardem, Spanish actor March 6 Adam Fogerty, English actor Amy Pietz, American actress and singer March 8 - Don Hall, American director, voice actor and writer March 10 Paget Brewster, American actress Dave Sheridan, American actor, comedian, writer, producer and musician March 11 – Terrence Howard, American actor March 13 - Ross Harris, American former actor March 15 - Kim Raver, American actress and producer March 16 - Judah Friedlander, American actor and comedian March 17 - Patrick Van Horn, American actor March 19 Kevin Shinick, American actor, writer, producer and director Connor Trinneer, American actor March 21 - Allen Coulter, American director March 22 - Andreas Pietschmann, German actor March 23 - Richard Cadell, Illusionist, puppeteer and screenwriter March 27 - Kevin Corrigan, American character actor March 28 - Brett Ratner, American director and producer March 31 - Eijiro Ozaki, Japanese actor April 2 – Ajay Devgan, Indian actor April 3 – Ben Mendelsohn, Australian actor April 6 – Paul Rudd, American actor April 14 - James Gray, American filmmaker, producer and screenwriter April 21 Toby Stephens, English actor Joel de la Fuente, American actor April 23 – Byron Thames, American actor April 24 - Rory McCann, Scottish actor April 25 Gina Torres, American actress Renée Zellweger, American actress April 29 Paul Adelstein, American actor Jo Martin, British actress May 1 – Wes Anderson, American director May 2 - Karel Dobrý, Czech actor May 7 - Jerry Della Salla, American actor May 9 - Joe Carnahan, American director, screenwriter, producer and actor May 10 Rebecca Root, English actress and comedian Lenny Venito, American actor May 12 - Kim Fields, American actress and director May 14 – Cate Blanchett, Australian actress May 15 - Kirk DeMicco, American filmmaker May 16 – David Boreanaz, American actor, television producer and director May 22 Michael Kelly, American actor Cle Shaheed Sloan, American actor May 24 – Carl Anthony Payne II, American actor May 25 – Anne Heche, American actress (d. 2022) May 27 - Glenn Ficarra, American screenwriter, director and producer May 28 - Justin Kirk, American actor June 1 – Teri Polo, American actress June 2 - Ol Parker, English director, producer and screenwriter June 3 - Tate Taylor, American filmmaker and actor June 4 Rob Huebel, American actor, comedian and writer Horatio Sanz, Chilean-born American actor and comedian June 6 - Nina Sosanya, English actress and narrator June 7 Adam Buxton, English actor, comedian and writer Kim Rhodes, American actress Anthony Simcoe, Australian actor June 8 J. P. Manoux, American actor, director and writer David Sutcliffe, Canadian former actor June 9 - Josh Hamilton, American actor June 11 – Peter Dinklage, American actor June 12 - Andrew Howard, Welsh actor June 13 - Laura Kightlinger, American actress, writer and comedian June 15 Ice Cube, American actor and rapper Patrick Mofokeng, South African actor June 16 - Karina Arroyave, Colombian-American actress June 18 - Ella Kenion, English comedy actress June 19 - Sean Anders, American director and screenwriter June 21 - Lloyd Avery II, American actor (d. 2005) June 23 - Martin Klebba, American character actor and stunt performer June 24 - Jensen Daggett, American actress June 28 Tichina Arnold, American actress Angeline Ball, Irish actress Ayelet Zurer, Israeli actress June 29 - Aleks Paunovic, Canadian actor July 2 - John Emmet Tracy, American-Canadian actor July 3 Shawnee Smith, American actress and singer Gedeon Burkhard, German actor July 4 - Charles Paraventi, American-born Brazilian actor July 5 - RZA, American rapper, actor and filmmaker July 6 - Brian Van Holt, American actor July 7 Cree Summer, American-Canadian actress, voice actress and singer Robin Weigert, American actress July 8 - Rachael Lillis, American voice actress and screenwriter (d. 2024) July 9 - Carlos Leal, Swiss actor July 10 Jamie Glover, English actor Gale Harold, American Actor July 13 - Ken Jeong, American stand-up comedian, actor and producer July 17 Jason Clarke, Australian actor Kazuki Kitamura, Japanese actor July 20 - Josh Holloway, American actor July 21 – Godfrey, American actor, comedian July 22 – James Arnold Taylor, American actor, writer and producer July 24 Rick Fox, Canadian-Bahamian former basketball player and actor Jennifer Lopez, American actress, singer July 25 - Dave B. Mitchell, American voice actor July 28 Alexis Arquette, American actress (d. 2016)