|
The year 1959 in film involved some significant events.
Events
Top grossing films (U.S.)
| Rank |
Title |
Studio |
Gross |
| 1. |
Ben-Hur |
MGM |
$56,992,000 |
| 2. |
Sleeping Beauty* |
Disney |
$51,998,000 |
| 3. |
The Shaggy Dog* |
Disney |
$12,317,000 |
| 4. |
Operation Petticoat |
Universal |
$9,322,000 |
| 5. |
Darby O'Gill and the Little People* |
Disney |
$8,336,000 |
| 6. |
Some Like it Hot |
United Artists |
$8,128,000 |
| 7. |
Pillow Talk |
Universal |
$7,670,000 |
| 8. |
North by Northwest |
MGM |
$6,703,000 |
| 9. |
Imitation of Life |
Universal |
$6,418,000 |
| 10. |
Suddenly, Last Summer |
Columbia |
$6,375,000 |
(*) After theatrical re-issue(s)
source: http://www.boxofficereport.com/database/1959.shtml
Awards
Academy Awards:
- Best Picture: Ben-Hur - Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
- Best Director: William Wyler - Ben-Hur
- Best Actor: Charlton Heston - Ben-Hur
- Best Actress: Simone Signoret - Room at the Top
- Best Supporting Actor: Hugh Griffith - Ben-Hur
- Best Supporting Actress: Shelley Winters - The Diary of Anne Frank
- Best Foreign Language Film: Black Orpheus (Orfeu Negro), directed by Marcel Camus, Brazil / France / Italy
Golden Globe Awards:
- Drama:
- Best Picture: Ben-Hur
- Best Actor: Anthony Franciosa - Career
- Best Actress: Elizabeth Taylor - Suddenly, Last Summer
- Musical or comedy:
- Best Picture (tie): Some Like It Hot
- Best Picture (tie): Porgy and Bess
- Best Actor: Jack Lemmon - Some Like It Hot
- Best Actress: Marilyn Monroe - Some Like It Hot
- Other
- Best Director: William Wyler - Ben-Hur
Palme d'Or (Cannes Film Festival):
- Black Orpheus (Orfeu Negro), directed by Marcel Camus, France
Golden Lion (Venice Film Festival):
- Il Generale della Rovere (General della Rovere), directed by Roberto Rosselini, Italy / France
- La grande guerra (The Great War), directed by Mario Monicelli, Italy / France
Golden Bear (Berlin Film Festival):
- Les cousins (The Cousins), directed by Claude Chabrol, France
Films released in 1959
Short Film Series
Births
Deaths
- February 1 - Madame Sul-Te-Wan, actress
- February 4 - Una O'Connor, actress
- March 3 - Lou Costello, comedian and actor, half of Abbott and Costello comedy team
- February 5 - Gwili Andre, actress
- June 16 - George Reeves, actor
- June 18 - Ethel Barrymore, actress
- October 14 - Errol Flynn, actor
- October 23 - Gerda Lundequist, actress
- November 20 - Sylvia Lopez, European actress
- November 25 - Gérard Philipe, French actor
|
