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1972 in film

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{{Year nav topic5|1972|film|radio|television|music}}

{{Yearsinfilm}}

The year 1972 in film involved several significant events.

Universal Pictures and Paramount Pictures celebrated their 60th anniversaries and Motion Picture Association of America clebrated their 50th anniversary.

Highest-grossing films (U.S.)

{{see also|List of 1972 box office number-one films in the United States}}

The top ten 1972 released films by box office gross in North America are as follows:

class="wikitable sortable" style="margin:auto; margin:auto;"

|+ Highest-grossing films of 1972

RankTitleDistributorDomestic rentals
style="text-align:center;"| 1

| The Godfather

| Paramount

| $86,300,000{{cite book |last=Finler |first=Joel Waldo |year=2003 |title=The Hollywood Story |publisher=Wallflower Press |isbn=978-1-903364-66-6 |pages=[https://books.google.com/books?id=rvVhEJmbfrsC&pg=PA358#v=twopage 358–359]}}

style="text-align:center;"| 2

|The Poseidon Adventure

| 20th Century Fox

| $42,000,000

style="text-align:center;"| 3

|What's Up, Doc?

| rowspan="3"| Warner Bros.

| $28,000,000

style="text-align:center;"| 4

| Deliverance

| $22,500,000

style="text-align:center;"| 5

| Jeremiah Johnson

| $21,900,000[https://web.archive.org/web/20080615024149/http://www.boxofficereport.com/database/1972.shtml Top 20 Films of 1972 by Domestic Revenue]

style="text-align:center;"| 6

|Cabaret

| Allied Artists

| $20,250,000

style="text-align:center;"| 7

| Deep Throat

| Bryanston

| $20,000,000

style="text-align:center;"| 8

| The Getaway

| National General

| $18,000,000

style="text-align:center;"| 9

| Brother of the Wind

| Sun International

| $12,000,000{{cite news|work=Variety|title=All-Time Film Rental Champs|date=October 15, 1990|page=M148|first=Lawrence|last=Cohn}}

style="text-align:center;"| 10

| Lady Sings the Blues

| Paramount

| $9,666,000

Awards

class="wikitable" style="font-size: 90%;"
rowspan="2" style="width:20px;"| Category/Organizationcolspan="2" style="width:250px;"| 30th Golden Globe Awards
January 28, 1973		rowspan="2" style="width:250px;"| 26th BAFTA Awards
February 28, 1973		rowspan="2" style="width:250px;"| 45th Academy Awards
March 27, 1973
width=200| Dramastyle="width:200px;"| Musical or Comedy
Best FilmThe Godfathercolspan="2" | CabaretThe Godfather
Best Directorcolspan="2" | Francis Ford Coppola
The Godfather		colspan="2" | Bob Fosse
Cabaret
Best ActorMarlon Brando
The Godfather		Jack Lemmon
Avanti!		Gene Hackman
The Poseidon Adventure
The French Connection		Marlon Brando
The Godfather
Best ActressLiv Ullmann
The Emigrants		colspan="3" | Liza Minnelli
Cabaret
Best Supporting Actorcolspan="2" | Joel Grey
Cabaret		Ben Johnson
The Last Picture Show		Joel Grey
Cabaret
Best Supporting Actresscolspan="2" | Shelley Winters
The Poseidon Adventure		Cloris Leachman
The Last Picture Show		Eileen Heckart
Butterflies Are Free
Best Screenplay, Adaptedcolspan="2" rowspan="2" | Francis Ford Coppola and Mario Puzo
The Godfather		rowspan="2" | Paddy Chayefsky
The Hospital
Peter Bogdanovich and Larry McMurtry
The Last Picture Show		Francis Ford Coppola and Mario Puzo
The Godfather
Best Screenplay, OriginalJeremy Larner
The Candidate
Best Original Scorecolspan="3" | Nino Rota
The Godfather		Charlie Chaplin, Raymond Rasch and Larry Russell
Limelight
Ralph Burns
Cabaret
Best Original Songcolspan="2" | "Ben"
Ben		N/A"The Morning After"
The Poseidon Adventure
Best Foreign Language Filmcolspan="2" | The Emigrants
The New Land		N/AThe Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie

Palme d'Or (Cannes Film Festival):

:The Working Class Goes to Heaven (La classe operaia va in paradiso), directed by Elio Petri, Italy

:The Mattei Affair (Il Caso Mattei), directed by Francesco Rosi, Italy

Golden Bear (Berlin Film Festival):

:The Canterbury Tales (I Racconti di Canterbury), directed by Pier Paolo Pasolini, Italy / France

1972 films

= By country/region =

=By genre/medium=

Births

Deaths

cellspacing="0" cellpadding="4" border="0"
style="background:#dae3e7; text-align:center;"

| Month

DateNameAgeCountryProfessionNotable films
valign="top"

| rowspan=9 style="text-align:center; vertical-align:top;"| January

| style="text-align:center;"| 1

Maurice Chevalierstyle="text-align:center;"| 83style="text-align:center;"| Francestyle="text-align:center;"| Actor, Singer{{hlist|Gigi|Can-Can}}
style="text-align:center;"| 8Wesley Rugglesstyle="text-align:center;"| 82style="text-align:center;"| USstyle="text-align:center;"| Director, Producer{{hlist|I'm No Angel|Arizona}}
style="text-align:center;"| 17Rochelle Hudsonstyle="text-align:center;"| 55style="text-align:center;"| USstyle="text-align:center;"| Actress{{hlist|Rebel Without a Cause|Les Miserables}}
style="text-align:center;"| 18George Mitchellstyle="text-align:center;"| 66style="text-align:center;"| USstyle="text-align:center;"| Actor{{hlist|The Andromeda Strain|Kid Galahad}}
style="text-align:center;"| 19Richard Fraserstyle="text-align:center;"| 58style="text-align:center;"| Scotlandstyle="text-align:center;"| Actor{{hlist|The Picture of Dorian GrayThe Fatal Witness}}
style="text-align:center;"| 22Alec Coppelstyle="text-align:center;"| 64style="text-align:center;"| Australiastyle="text-align:center;"| Screenwriter{{hlist|The Captain's Paradise| Vertigo}}
style="text-align:center;"| 24Jerome Cowanstyle="text-align:center;"| 74style="text-align:center;"| USstyle="text-align:center;"| Actor{{hlist|The Maltese Falcon|Miracle on 34th Street}}
style="text-align:center;"| 27Herbert Hübnerstyle="text-align:center;"| 82style="text-align:center;"| Germanystyle="text-align:center;"| Actor{{hlist|Storm in a Water Glass|Robert and Bertram}}
style="text-align:center;"| 29Hugh McDermottstyle="text-align:center;"| 65style="text-align:center;"| Scotlandstyle="text-align:center;"| Actor{{hlist|David Livingstone|Devil Girl from Mars}}
rowspan=5 style="text-align:center; vertical-align:top;"| February

| style="text-align:center;"| 2

Jessie Royce Landisstyle="text-align:center;"| 75style="text-align:center;"| USstyle="text-align:center;"| Actress{{hlist|North by Northwest|To Catch a Thief}}
style="text-align:center;"| 7Walter Langstyle="text-align:center;"| 75style="text-align:center;"| USstyle="text-align:center;"| Director{{hlist|The King and I|The Little Princess}}
style="text-align:center;"| 19John Griersonstyle="text-align:center;"| 73style="text-align:center;"| Scotlandstyle="text-align:center;"| Director, Producer{{hlist|The Song of Ceylon|The Brave Don't Cry}}
style="text-align:center;"| 20Walter Winchellstyle="text-align:center;"| 74style="text-align:center;"| USstyle="text-align:center;"| Commentator{{hlist|Wake Up and Live| Love and Hisses}}
style="text-align:center;"| 21Bronislava Nijinskastyle="text-align:center;"| 64style="text-align:center;"| Polandstyle="text-align:center;"| Choreographer{{hlist|A Midsummer Night's Dream}}
rowspan=6 style="text-align:center; vertical-align:top;"| March

| style="text-align:center;"| 3

Harold Youngstyle="text-align:center;"| 74style="text-align:center;"| USstyle="text-align:center;"| Director, Editor{{hlist|The Scarlet Pimpernel| The Mummy's Tomb}}
style="text-align:center;"| 19Albert Mannheimerstyle="text-align:center;"| 59style="text-align:center;"| USstyle="text-align:center;"| Screenwriter{{hlist|Born Yesterday|Bloodhounds of Broadway}}
style="text-align:center;"| 20Marilyn Maxwellstyle="text-align:center;"| 51style="text-align:center;"| USstyle="text-align:center;"| Actress{{hlist|Champion|The Lemon Drop Kid}}
style="text-align:center;"| 29J. Arthur Rankstyle="text-align:center;"| 83style="text-align:center;"| Englandstyle="text-align:center;"| Executive{{hlist|So Well Remembered|Quartet}}
style="text-align:center;"| 29Hal Roach Jr.style="text-align:center;"| 53style="text-align:center;"| USstyle="text-align:center;"| Director, Producer{{hlist|One Million B.C.}}
style="text-align:center;"| 30Peter Whitneystyle="text-align:center;"| 55style="text-align:center;"| USstyle="text-align:center;"| Actor{{hlist|The Big Heat|In the Heat of the Night}}
rowspan=10 style="text-align:center; vertical-align:top;"| April

| style="text-align:center;"| 5

Brian Donlevystyle="text-align:center;"| 71style="text-align:center;"| Irelandstyle="text-align:center;"| Actor{{hlist|Kiss of Death|Wake Island}}
style="text-align:center;"| 5Isabel Jewellstyle="text-align:center;"| 64style="text-align:center;"| USstyle="text-align:center;"| Actress{{hlist|Gone with the Wind|Lost Horizon}}
style="text-align:center;"| 7Betty Blythestyle="text-align:center;"| 78style="text-align:center;"| USstyle="text-align:center;"| Actress{{hlist|The Queen of Sheba| She}}
style="text-align:center;"| 13Dorothy Daltonstyle="text-align:center;"| 78style="text-align:center;"| USstyle="text-align:center;"| Actress{{hlist|Behind Masks| The Woman Who Walked Alone}}
style="text-align:center;"| 20Jorge Mistralstyle="text-align:center;"| 51style="text-align:center;"| Spainstyle="text-align:center;"| Actor{{hlist|Andalusia Express|The White Sister}}
style="text-align:center;"| 25George Sandersstyle="text-align:center;"| 65style="text-align:center;"| Englandstyle="text-align:center;"| Actor{{hlist|All About Eve|Rebecca}}
style="text-align:center;"| 25Alfred J. Gouldingstyle="text-align:center;"| 87style="text-align:center;"| Australiastyle="text-align:center;"| Director{{hlist|Step Lively|A Chump at Oxford}}
style="text-align:center;"| 27Bobby Howesstyle="text-align:center;"| 76style="text-align:center;"| Englandstyle="text-align:center;"| Producer, Director{{hlist|Sweet Devil| Yes, Madam?}}
style="text-align:center;"| 28Harry Joe Brownstyle="text-align:center;"| 81style="text-align:center;"| USstyle="text-align:center;"| Producer, Director{{hlist|Captain Blood| Knickerbocker Holiday}}
style="text-align:center;"| 30Gia Scalastyle="text-align:center;"| 38style="text-align:center;"| Englandstyle="text-align:center;"| Actor{{hlist|The Guns of Navarone|Don't Go Near the Water}}
rowspan=12 style="text-align:center; vertical-align:top;"| May

| style="text-align:center;"| 3

Bruce Cabotstyle="text-align:center;"| 68style="text-align:center;"| USstyle="text-align:center;"| Actor{{hlist|King Kong|Diamonds Are Forever}}
style="text-align:center;"| 4Elsa Ratasseppstyle="text-align:center;"|79style="text-align:center;"| Estoniastyle="text-align:center;"| ActressLibahunt
style="text-align:center;"| 5Frank Tashlinstyle="text-align:center;"| 59style="text-align:center;"| USstyle="text-align:center;"| Director{{hlist|Son of Paleface|Artists and Models}}
style="text-align:center;"| 7Henri Diamant-Bergerstyle="text-align:center;"| 76style="text-align:center;"| Francestyle="text-align:center;"| Director, producer, screenwriter{{hlist|Les Trois Mousquetaires|Monsieur Fabre}}
style="text-align:center;"| 12Steve Ihnatstyle="text-align:center;"| 37style="tech-align:center;"| Czechoslovakiastyle="text-align:center;"| Actor{{hlist|Madigan| Zig Zag}}
style="text-align:center;"| 13Dan Blockerstyle="text-align:center;"| 43style="text-align:center;"| USstyle="text-align:center;"| Actor{{hlist|Lady in Cement|Come Blow Your Horn}}
style="text-align:center;"| 15Nigel Greenstyle="text-align:center;"| 47style="text-align:center;"| South Africastyle="text-align:center;"| Actor{{hlist|The Ipcress File|Zulu}}
style="text-align:center;"| 18Sidney Franklinstyle="text-align:center;"| 79style="text-align:center;"| USstyle="text-align:center;"| Director, Producer{{hlist|Duel in the Sun|The Good Earth}}
style="text-align:center;"| 22Margaret Rutherfordstyle="text-align:center;"| 80style="text-align:center;"| Englandstyle="text-align:center;"| Actress{{hlist|The V.I.P.s|Murder, She Said}}
style="text-align:center;"| 23Richard Daystyle="text-align:center;"| 76style="text-align:center;"| Canadastyle="text-align:center;"| Art director{{hlist|How Green Was My Valley| On the Waterfront}}
style="text-align:center;"| 24Asta Nielsenstyle="text-align:center;"| 90style="text-align:center;"| Denmarkstyle="text-align:center;"| Actress{{hlist|Hamlet: The Drama of Vengeance| Impossible Love}}
style="text-align:center;"| 25Charles C. Colemanstyle="text-align:center;"| 70style="text-align:center;"| USstyle="text-align:center;"| Director{{hlist|Homicide Bureau| The Shadow}}
rowspan=6 style="text-align:center; vertical-align:top;"| June

| style="text-align:center;"| 17

Jean Brochardstyle="text-align:center;"| 79style="text-align:center;"| Francestyle="text-align:center;"| Actor{{hlist|The Law Is the Law|Les Diaboliques}}
style="text-align:center;"| 17Gale Henrystyle="text-align:center;"| 79style="text-align:center;"| USstyle="text-align:center;"| Actress{{hlist|Two-Time Mama|Darkened Rooms}}
style="text-align:center;"| 20Sidney Lanfieldstyle="text-align:center;"| 74style="text-align:center;"| USstyle="text-align:center;"| Director{{hlist|The Hound of the Baskervilles| The Lemon Drop Kid}}
style="text-align:center;"| 22Paul Czinnerstyle="text-align:center;"| 82style="text-align:center;"| Hungarystyle="text-align:center;"| Director, screenwriter{{hlist|Dreaming Lips| Ariane, jeune fille russe}}
style="text-align:center;"| 25Nicholas Hannenstyle="text-align:center;"| 74style="text-align:center;"| Englandstyle="text-align:center;"| Director{{hlist|The Dictator| Richard III}}
style="text-align:center;"| 27Thomy Bourdellestyle="text-align:center;"| 81style="text-align:center;"| Francestyle="text-align:center;"| Actor{{hlist|The Return of Don Camillo|The Call of Silence}}
rowspan=6 style="text-align:center; vertical-align:top;"| July

| style="text-align:center;"| 3

Hal Walkerstyle="text-align:center;"| 76style="text-align:center;"| USstyle="text-align:center;"| Director{{hlist|Sailor Beware|At War with the Army}}
style="text-align:center;"| 6Brandon deWildestyle="text-align:center;"| 30style="text-align:center;"| USstyle="text-align:center;"| Actor{{hlist|Shane|Hud}}
style="text-align:center;"| 10Emrys Jonesstyle="text-align:center;"| 56style="text-align:center;"| Englandstyle="text-align:center;"| Actor{{hlist|One of Our Aircraft Is Missing| Nicholas Nickleby}}
style="text-align:center;"| 10Harmon Jonesstyle="text-align:center;"| 61style="text-align:center;"| Canadastyle="text-align:center;"| Director{{hlist|Pride of St. Louis| The Kid from Left Field}}
style="text-align:center;"| 19Sally Bensonstyle="text-align:center;"| 74style="text-align:center;"| USstyle="text-align:center;"| Screenwriter{{hlist|Shadow of a Doubt| Viva Las Vegas}}
style="text-align:center;"| 28Helen Traubelstyle="text-align:center;"| 73style="text-align:center;"| USstyle="text-align:center;"| Actress, Singer{{hlist|Deep in My Heart|The Ladies Man}}
rowspan=7 style="text-align:center; vertical-align:top;"| August

| style="text-align:center;"| 7

Joi Lansingstyle="text-align:center;"| 43style="text-align:center;"| USstyle="text-align:center;"| Actress{{hlist|Touch of Evil|A Hole in the Head}}
style="text-align:center;"| 7Tom Nealstyle="text-align:center;"| 58style="text-align:center;"| USstyle="text-align:center;"| Actor{{hlist|Jungle Girl|Detour}}
style="text-align:center;"| 14Oscar Levantstyle="text-align:center;"| 65style="text-align:center;"| USstyle="text-align:center;"| Actor{{hlist|An American in Paris|The Band Wagon}}
style="text-align:center;"| 16Pierre Brasseurstyle="text-align:center;"| 66style="text-align:center;"| Francestyle="text-align:center;"| Actor{{hlist|Les Enfants du Paradis|Eyes Without a Face}}
style="text-align:center;"| 19Roger Fursestyle="text-align:center;"| 68style="text-align:center;"| Englandstyle="text-align:center;"| Costume and production designer{{hlist|Henry V|Hamlet}}
style="text-align:center;"| 24D. Ross Ledermanstyle="text-align:center;"| 77style="text-align:center;"| USstyle="text-align:center;"| Director{{hlist|Key Witness| The Body Disappears}}
style="text-align:center;"| 27Gaby Andréstyle="text-align:center;"| 52style="text-align:center;"| Francestyle="text-align:center;"| Actress{{hlist|Verdi, the King of Melody| Highway 301}}
rowspan=7 style="text-align:center; vertical-align:top;"| September

| style="text-align:center;"| 11

Max Fleischerstyle="text-align:center;"| 89style="text-align:center;"| USstyle="text-align:center;"| Animator, Director, Producer{{hlist|Popeye the Sailor|Betty Boop for President}}
style="text-align:center;"| 12William Boydstyle="text-align:center;"| 77style="text-align:center;"| USstyle="text-align:center;"| Actor{{hlist|Hop-Along Cassidy|The Volga Boatman}}
style="text-align:center;"| 14Lane Chandlerstyle="text-align:center;"| 73style="text-align:center;"| USstyle="text-align:center;"| Actor{{hlist|Open Range|The Cheyenne Cyclone}}
style="text-align:center;"| 17Akim Tamiroffstyle="text-align:center;"| 72style="text-align:center;"| Russiastyle="text-align:center;"| Actor{{hlist|Touch of Evil|Ocean's 11}}
style="text-align:center;"| 29Max Nosseckstyle="text-align:center;"| 70style="text-align:center;"| Germanystyle="text-align:center;"| Director{{hlist|Black Beauty| Dillinger}}
style="text-align:center;"| 29Edward Slomanstyle="text-align:center;"| 86style="text-align:center;"| USstyle="text-align:center;"| Actor{{hlist|Gun Smoke|The Lost Zeppelin}}
style="text-align:center;"| 30Edgar G. Ulmerstyle="text-align:center;"| 68style="text-align:center;"| Austriastyle="text-align:center;"| Director{{hlist|The Black Cat|Detour}}
rowspan=6 style="text-align:center; vertical-align:top;"| October

| style="text-align:center;"| 4

Colin Gordonstyle="text-align:center;"| 61style="text-align:center;"| Englandstyle="text-align:center;"| Actor{{hlist|The Pink Panther|Casino Royale}}
style="text-align:center;"| 9Miriam Hopkinsstyle="text-align:center;"| 69style="text-align:center;"| USstyle="text-align:center;"| Actress{{hlist|Trouble in Paradise|Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde}}
style="text-align:center;"| 16Leo G. Carrollstyle="text-align:center;"| 85style="text-align:center;"| Englandstyle="text-align:center;"| Actor{{hlist|North by Northwest|Strangers on a Train}}
style="text-align:center;"| 22Jack Melfordstyle="text-align:center;"| 73style="text-align:center;"| Englandstyle="text-align:center;"| Actor{{hlist|A Shot in the Dark|Lust for a Vampire}}
style="text-align:center;"| 24Claire Windsorstyle="text-align:center;"| 80style="text-align:center;"| USstyle="text-align:center;"| Actor{{hlist|The Blot|Captain Lash}}
style="text-align:center;"| 28Mitchell Leisenstyle="text-align:center;"| 74style="text-align:center;"| USstyle="text-align:center;"| Director{{hlist|Midnight| Kitty}}
rowspan=7 style="text-align:center; vertical-align:top;"| November

| style="text-align:center;"| 5

Reginald Owenstyle="text-align:center;"| 85style="text-align:center;"| Englandstyle="text-align:center;"| Actor{{hlist|Mary Poppins|A Christmas Carol}}
style="text-align:center;"| 7Tod Andrewsstyle="text-align:center;"| 57style="text-align:center;"| Russiastyle="text-align:center;"| Actor{{hlist|From Hell It Came|Beneath the Planet of the Apes}}
style="text-align:center;"| 10Francis Chagrinstyle="text-align:center;"| 66style="text-align:center;"| Romaniastyle="text-align:center;"| Composer{{hlist|The Intruder|The Colditz Story}}
style="text-align:center;"| 16Vera Karallistyle="text-align:center;"| 83style="text-align:center;"| Russiastyle="text-align:center;"| Actress{{hlist|A Woman's Revenge|The King of Paris}}
style="text-align:center;"| 23Marie Wilsonstyle="text-align:center;"| 56style="text-align:center;"| USstyle="text-align:center;"| Actress{{hlist|Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation|My Friend Irma}}
style="text-align:center;"| 29Eve Southernstyle="text-align:center;"| 72style="text-align:center;"| USstyle="text-align:center;"| Actress{{hlist|Clothes Make the Woman|Morocco (film)}}
style="text-align:center;"| 30William P. S. Earlestyle="text-align:center;"| 89style="text-align:center;"| USstyle="text-align:center;"| Director{{hlist|The Way of a Maid|Love's Masquerade}}
rowspan=5 style="text-align:center; vertical-align:top;"| December

| style="text-align:center;"| 6

Janet Munrostyle="text-align:center;"| 38style="text-align:center;"| Englandstyle="text-align:center;"| Actress{{hlist|Swiss Family Robinson|Darby O'Gill and the Little People}}
style="text-align:center;"| 9William Dieterlestyle="text-align:center;"| 79style="text-align:center;"| Germanystyle="text-align:center;"| Director{{hlist|The Life of Emile Zola|The Story of Louis Pasteur}}
style="text-align:center;"| 9Louella Parsonsstyle="text-align:center;"| 91style="text-align:center;"| USstyle="text-align:center;"| Columnist, Screenwriter{{hlist|Hollywood Hotel|Starlift}}
style="text-align:center;"| 15Edward Earlestyle="text-align:center;"| 90style="text-align:center;"| Canadastyle="text-align:center;"| Actor{{hlist|The Law of the Yukon| Spite Marriage}}
style="text-align:center;"| 19Jacques Devalstyle="text-align:center;"| 77style="text-align:center;"| Francestyle="text-align:center;"| Director, Screenwriter{{hlist|Women's Club|Tovaritch}}

Film debuts

{{Column list|

}}

See also

References

{{reflist}}

External links

  • [https://www.imdb.com/search/title/?title_type=feature,short&release_date=1972-01-01,1972-12-31&adult=include&sort=num_votes,desc List of 1972 films] at IMDb
  • [https://www.imdb.com/search/name/?death_date=1972-01-01,1972-12-31&adult=include List of 1972 deaths] at IMDb
  • [https://www.imdb.com/search/name/?birth_date=1972-01-01,1972-12-31&adult=include List of 1972 births] at IMDb

{{1972 films}}

{{Portal bar|Film}}

Category:Film by year