This page covers significant events of the year 1973 in film.
Quick Facts List of years in film ...
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United States and Canada
The top ten 1973 released films by box office gross in the United States and Canada are as follows:
More information Rank, Title ...
Highest-grossing films of 1973
Rank | Title | Distributor | Domestic rentals |
1 |
The Exorcist |
Warner Bros. |
$88,500,000[1] |
2 |
The Sting |
Universal |
$79,000,000[1] |
3 |
American Graffiti |
$55,900,000[1] |
4 |
Papillon |
Allied Artists |
$22,500,000[1] |
5 |
The Way We Were |
Columbia |
$22,457,000[2] |
6 |
Magnum Force |
Warner Bros. |
$20,100,000[2] |
7 |
Last Tango in Paris |
United Artists |
$16,711,000[2] |
8 |
Paper Moon |
Paramount |
$16,559,000[2] |
9 |
Live and Let Die |
United Artists |
$15,925,000[2] |
10 |
Serpico |
Paramount Pictures |
$15,400,000[3] |
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Outside North America
The highest-grossing 1973 films in countries outside of North America.
More information Country, Title ...
Country | Title | Studio | Gross | Ref |
France |
The Mad Adventures of Rabbi Jacob |
SNC |
7,295,727 admissions |
[4] |
Germany |
Papillon |
Columbia Pictures |
8,500,000 admissions |
[5] |
Hong Kong |
The House of 72 Tenants |
Shaw Brothers Studio |
HK$5,600,000 |
[6] |
India |
Bobby |
R. K. Films |
₹110,000,000 (US$14,210,000) |
[7][nb 1] |
Italy |
Malicious |
Paramount Pictures |
11,756,327 admissions |
[9] |
Soviet Union |
The Headless Horseman |
Lenfilm |
64,900,000 admissions |
[10] |
Spain |
Cabaret |
TBD |
125.8 million ₧ |
[11] |
United Kingdom |
Live and Let Die |
Eon Productions |
9,000,000 admissions |
[12] |
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The following table lists known worldwide gross revenue figures for several high-grossing films that originally released in 1973. Note that this list is incomplete and is therefore not representative of the highest-grossing films worldwide in 1973. This list also includes gross revenue from later re-releases.
More information Title, Worldwide gross ...
Title | Worldwide gross | Country | Ref |
The Exorcist |
$441,306,145[nb 2] |
United States |
[13] |
Enter the Dragon |
$400,000,000[nb 2] |
Worldwide |
[14] |
The Sting |
$257,000,000 |
United States |
[15][16] |
Live and Let Die |
$161,800,000 |
United Kingdom |
[17] |
American Graffiti |
$140,000,000 |
United States |
[18] |
Bobby |
$39,000,000 |
India |
[19][20] |
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The year's highest-grossing actor worldwide was Hong Kong martial arts film star Bruce Lee, who died the same year.[21]
More information Category/Organization, 31st Golden Globe Awards January 26, 1974 ...
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Palme d'Or (Cannes Film Festival):
- The Hireling, directed by Alan Bridges, United Kingdom
- Scarecrow, directed by Jerry Schatzberg, United States
Golden Bear (Berlin Film Festival):
- Ashani Sanket (Distant Thunder), directed by Satyajit Ray, India
- January 4 - Damon Gupton, American actor
- January 7 – Baiba Broka, Latvian actress
- January 10 – Ryan Drummond, American actor and comedian
- January 14 – Katie Griffin, Canadian actress and singer.
- January 17 - Bob Persichetti, American animator, story artist, storyboard artist, screenwriter and director
- January 18 - Ben Willbond, English actor and screenwriter
- January 23 – Lanei Chapman, American actress
- January 24 – William Gregory Lee, American actor
- January 29 – Arben Bajraktaraj, Korovan-born French actor
- January 30 - Jordan Prentice, Canadian actor
- January 31
- February 12 – Tara Strong, Canadian-American voice actress
- February 14 - Kristen Dalton, American actress
- February 15 - Sarah Wynter, Australian actress
- February 17 – Lucy Davis, English actress
- February 18 – Tom Wisdom, English actor
- February 25 – Anson Mount, American actor
- February 27 – Li Bingbing, Chinese actress
- March 1 – Jack Davenport, English actor
- March 3 - Matthew Marsden, English-American actor, producer and singer
- March 4 – Len Wiseman, American director, screenwriter and producer
- March 8 - Boris Kodjoe, German actor and producer
- March 10 – Natasha Alam, Uzbekistani–American actress and model
- March 13 – Ólafur Darri Ólafsson, Icelandic-American actor, producer and screenwriter
- March 16 - Jerome Flynn, English actor and singer
- March 18 – Luci Christian, American voice actress
- March 19 - Jill Culton, American animator, storyboard artist, director and screenwriter
- March 20
- March 21 - Vanessa Branch, English-born American actress
- March 22 - Clay Kaytis, American animator and director
- March 24 – Jim Parsons, American actor and producer
- April 1 - Kris Marshall, English actor
- April 2
- April 3 – Adam Scott, American actor, comedian and producer
- April 6
- April 10 – Guillaume Canet, French actor
- April 11
- April 12 - Amr Waked, Egyptian actor
- April 13 – Bokeem Woodbine, American actor
- April 14 – Adrien Brody, American actor
- April 19
- April 22 – Christopher Sabat, American voice actor
- April 30
- May 5 – Tina Yothers, American actress
- May 8
- May 10 – Tora Sudiro, Indonesian actor
- May 12 - Mackenzie Astin, American actor
- May 17
- May 21 - Noel Fielding, English comedian, writer, actor, artist, musician and television presenter
- May 27 - Jack McBrayer, American actor, singer and comedian
- May 30 - Minae Noji, Japanese-American actress
- June 1 - Adam Garcia, Australian actor
- June 2 - Kevin Feige, American producer
- June 4 - Matt Corboy, American actor
- June 8 - Lexa Doig, Canadian actress
- June 9 - Orlando Wells, English actor and writer
- June 12 - Mel Rodriguez, American actor
- June 15 – Neil Patrick Harris, American actor
- June 16 – Eddie Cibrian, American actor
- June 17 - Louis Leterrier, French director and producer
- June 18 - Julie Depardieu, French actress
- June 19 - Leticia Spiller, Brazilian actress
- June 21 – Juliette Lewis, American actress
- June 22 - Tracy Melchior, American actress
- June 24 - Alexander Beyer, German actor
- June 27 - Razaaq Adoti, British actor, producer and screenwriter
- June 29 - Lance Barber, American actor
- July 2 - Peter Kay, English comedian and actor
- July 3 - Patrick Wilson, American actor, director and singer
- July 6 - William Lee Scott, American actor
- July 8 - Sebastian Maniscalco, American stand-up comedian and actor
- July 9 - Enrique Murciano, American actor
- July 10 - Annie Mumolo, American actress, screenwriter, comedian and producer
- July 11 - Jason Liebrecht, American voice actor
- July 15 - Rachel Pickup, British actress
- July 16 - Robert Jayne, American actor
- July 19 - Saïd Taghmaoui, French-American actor and screenwriter
- July 20 – Omar Epps, American actor, rapper and producer
- July 22 - Jaime Camil, Mexican actor and singer
- July 23
- July 24 - Jamie Denbo, American actress, writer and comedian
- July 25 - David Denman, American actor
- July 26 – Kate Beckinsale, English actress
- July 29
- August 2 - Simon Kinberg, British-born American filmmaker
- August 3 - Michael Ealy, American actor
- August 5 - Michael Hollick, American actor
- August 6
- August 8 – Jessica Calvello, American voice actress
- August 9 - Kevin McKidd, Scottish actor and television director
- August 19 - Ahmed Best, American actor, comedian and musician
- August 22 – Kristen Wiig, American actress and comedian
- August 24
- August 25 - Ben Falcone, American filmmaker, comedian and actor
- August 26 - Andy Muschietti, Argentine filmmaker
- August 28 - Kirby Morrow, Canadian actor, comedian and writer (d. 2020)
- September 1 - Guillem Morales, Spanish director
- September 4
- Jason David Frank, American actor and mixed martial artist (d. 2022)
- Lazlow Jones, American writer, producer, director, voice actor and radio personality
- September 5
- September 7 – Shannon Elizabeth, American actress
- September 12 –
- September 13 - Travis Knight, American animator, producer and director
- September 14 – Andrew Lincoln, English actor
- September 18 – James Marsden, American actor
- September 19 - Nicholas Bishop, English-born Australian actor
- September 25 - Bridgette Wilson, American actress and singer
- September 26 – Julienne Davis, American actress and model
- September 27 - Indira Varma, British actress and narrator
- October 1 – Christian Borle, American actor and singer
- October 2 – Efren Ramirez, American actor
- October 3
- October 6 – Ioan Gruffudd, Welsh actor
- October 8 - Jan Pavel Filipensky, Czech actor
- October 10
- October 21 - Sasha Roiz, Israeli-born Canadian actor
- October 22 – Carmen Ejogo, British actress and singer
- October 23 - Stéphane Debac, French actor
- October 24
- October 26 – Seth MacFarlane, American actor, animator, screenwriter, comedian, director and singer
- October 28 – Kim Seo-hyung, South Korean actress
- October 30
- November 1
- November 2 - Marisol Nichols, American actress
- November 4 - Steven Ogg, Canadian actor
- November 11 - Chris McKay, American filmmaker
- November 12 - Radha Mitchell, Australian actress
- November 14 - Dana Snyder, American actor and voice actor
- November 21 - Brook Kerr, American actress
- November 24
- November 26 – Peter Facinelli, American actor
- November 27
- December 1 - Lombardo Boyar, American actor
- December 3 - Bruno Campos, Brazilian-American actor and lawyer
- December 4 - Tyra Banks, American television personality, producer, writer and actress
- December 11 - Mos Def, American rapper, singer-songwriter and actor
- December 14
- December 17 - Rian Johnson, American filmmaker
- December 28 - Seth Meyers, American talkshow host, actor, comedian
Month | Date | Name | Age | Country | Profession | Notable films |
January |
2 | Franciska Gaal | 68 | Hungary | Actress, Singer | |
15 | Coleman Francis | 53 | US | Actor, Director | |
19 | Max Adrian | 69 | Northern Ireland | Actor | |
24 | J. Carrol Naish | 77 | US | Actor | |
26 | Edward G. Robinson | 79 | Romania | Actor | |
29 | Ludwig Stossel | 89 | Austria | Actor | |
31 | Jack MacGowran | 54 | Ireland | Actor | |
February |
13 | David Bauer | 55 | US | Actor | |
15 | Tim Holt | 54 | US | Actor | |
15 | Wally Cox | 48 | US | Actor | |
22 | Katina Paxinou | 72 | Greece | Actress | |
24 | Art Smith | 73 | US | Actor | |
28 | Cecil Kellaway | 82 | South Africa | Actor | |
March |
5 | Rupert Crosse | 45 | US | Actor | |
10 | Robert Siodmak | 72 | Germany | Director | |
11 | Gregorio Fernandez | 68 | Philippines | Actor, Director | |
13 | Melville Cooper | 76 | England | Actor | |
16 | Carl Benton Reid | 79 | US | Actor | |
19 | Lauritz Melchior | 82 | US | Singer | |
22 | Kane Richmond | 66 | US | Actor | |
23 | Ken Maynard | 77 | US | Actor | |
26 | Noël Coward | 73 | England | Actor, Songwriter | |
April |
11 | Ted de Corsia | 69 | US | Actor | |
12 | Arthur Freed | 78 | US | Songwriter, Producer | |
14 | Minna Gombell | 80 | US | Actress | |
20 | Robert Armstrong | 82 | US | Actor | |
21 | Merian C. Cooper | 79 | US | Director, Producer, Screenwriter | |
21 | Ursula Jeans | 73 | UK | Actress | |
26 | Irene Ryan | 70 | US | Actress | |
May |
4 | Charles Grayson | 69 | US | Screenwriter | |
6 | Myrna Fahey | 40 | US | Actress | |
7 | Maxine Doyle | 58 | US | Actress | |
10 | Jack E. Leonard | 63 | US | Actor, Comedian | |
11 | Lex Barker | 54 | US | Actor | |
12 | Frances Marion | 84 | US | Screenwriter | |
21 | Vaughn Monroe | 61 | US | Singer, Actor | |
29 | P. Ramlee | 44 | Malaysia | Actor, Director | |
June |
5 | Max Terhune | 87 | US | Actor | |
10 | William Inge | 60 | US | Screenwriter, Playwright | |
16 | Louise Latimer | 60 | US | Actress | |
18 | Roger Delgado | 55 | England | Actor | |
23 | Fay Holden | 79 | England | Actress | |
25 | Lars Tvinde | 86 | Norway | Actor | |
26 | Ernest Truex | 83 | US | Actor | |
July |
2 | Betty Grable | 56 | US | Actress | |
2 | George Macready | 73 | US | Actor | |
6 | Joe E. Brown | 80 | US | Actor | |
7 | Veronica Lake | 50 | US | Actress | |
11 | Robert Ryan | 63 | US | Actor | |
12 | Lon Chaney Jr. | 67 | US | Actor | |
18 | Jack Hawkins | 62 | England | Actor | |
20 | Bruce Lee | 32 | US | Actor | |
30 | Guy Middleton | 65 | England | Actor | |
August |
2 | Jean-Pierre Melville | 55 | France | Director | |
5 | Warren Duff | 69 | US | Producer, Screenwriter | |
10 | Douglas Kennedy | 57 | US | Actor | |
11 | Peggie Castle | 45 | US | Actress | |
16 | Veda Ann Borg | 58 | US | Actress | |
17 | Eve Miller | 50 | US | Actress | |
22 | Louise Huff | 77 | US | Actress | |
30 | Michael Dunn | 38 | US | Actor, Singer | |
31 | John Ford | 79 | US | Director | |
September |
13 | Betty Field | 60 | US | Actress | |
20 | Glenn Strange | 74 | US | Actor | |
21 | Diana Sands | 39 | US | Actress | |
24 | Ted Adams | 83 | US | Actress | |
26 | Anna Magnani | 65 | Italy | Actress | |
28 | Norma Crane | 44 | US | Actress | |
28 | Mantan Moreland | 71 | US | Actor, Comedian | |
October |
6 | Sidney Blackmer | 78 | US | Actor | |
6 | Dennis Price | 58 | UK | Actor | |
16 | Cleo Moore | 48 | US | Actress | |
18 | Crane Wilbur | 86 | US | Screenwriter, Director | |
27 | Allan Lane | 64 | US | Actor | |
November |
13 | Lila Lee | 72 | US | Actress | |
20 | Viola Lawrence | 78 | US | Film Editor | |
23 | Claire Dodd | 64 | US | Actress | |
23 | Robert Ellis | 40 | US | Actor | |
23 | Constance Talmadge | 75 | US | Actress | |
23 | Sessue Hayakawa | 84 | Japan | Actor | |
23 | Adele Buffington | 73 | US | Screenwriter | |
25 | Laurence Harvey | 45 | Lithuania | Actor | |
December |
4 | Michael O'Shea | 67 | US | Actor | |
12 | Ranald MacDougall | 58 | US | Screenwriter, Director | |
20 | Bobby Darin | 37 | US | Actor, Singer | |
26 | Steven Geray | 69 | Ukraine | Actor | |
26 | William Haines | 73 | US | Actor | |
31 | A. Edward Sutherland | 78 | England | Director | |
Includes gross revenue from re-releases
Wilson, Wayne (2001). Bruce Lee. Mitchell Lane Publishers. pp. 30–1. ISBN 978-1-58415-066-4. After its release, Enter the Dragon became Warner Brothers' highest grossing movie of 1973. It has earned well over $400 million
"Universal's Foreign Champs". Daily Variety. February 6, 1990. p. 122. Foreign $101.0m
"Live and Let Die". The Numbers. Nash Information Services, LLC. Archived from the original on 31 May 2012. Retrieved 31 October 2011.
"U.S. Rage of Chop-Socky Films; Karate Breaks Out of Chinatown". Variety. January 9, 1974. p. 72.