List of American films of 1961

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A list of American films released in 1961.

Top-grossing films (U.S.)

Rank	Title	Studio	Gross
1.	One Hundred and One Dalmatians*	Disney	$186,648,000
2.	West Side Story	United Artists	$19,646,000
3.	The Guns of Navarone	Columbia	$13,000,000
4.	El Cid	Allied Artists	$12,000,000
5.	The Absent-Minded Professor*	Disney	$11,426,000
6.	The Parent Trap*	Disney	$11,322,000
7.	La Dolce Vita*	Astor/AIP	$8,000,000
8.	Lover Come Back	Universal	$7,625,000
9.	King of Kings	MGM	$6,520,000
10.	Poor White Trash*	CDA/United Artists	$6,000,000

A–B

Title	Director	Cast	Genre	Note
The Absent-Minded Professor	Robert Stevenson	Fred MacMurray, Nancy Olson, Keenan Wynn, Tommy Kirk	Comedy	Disney; remade in 1997; 3 Oscar nominations
Ada	Daniel Mann	Susan Hayward, Dean Martin	Political drama	MGM; based on novel by Wirt Williams
All in a Night's Work	Joseph Anthony	Dean Martin, Shirley MacLaine, Cliff Robertson	Romantic comedy	Paramount
All Hands on Deck	Norman Taurog	Pat Boone, Barbara Eden	Comedy	20th Century Fox
Angel Baby	Paul Wendkos	George Hamilton, Mercedes McCambridge, Joan Blondell	Drama	Allied Artists
Aquamania	Wolfgang Reitherman		Animated
Armored Command	Byron Haskin	Howard Keel, Tina Louise, Earl Holliman	War	Allied Artists
Atlantis, the Lost Continent	George Pal	John Dall, Edward Platt	Science fiction	MGM
Babes in Toyland	Jack Donohue	Tommy Sands, Annette Funicello, Ray Bolger, Ed Wynn	Musical	Disney; based on Victor Herbert operetta
Bachelor in Paradise	Jack Arnold	Bob Hope, Lana Turner, Paula Prentiss, Janis Paige	Comedy	MGM
Back Street	David Miller	Susan Hayward, John Gavin, Vera Miles	Drama	from Fannie Hurst novel; remake of 1932 and 1941
The Beast of Yucca Flats	Coleman Francis	Tor Johnson	Sci-fi
Beep Prepared	Chuck Jones	voice of Paul Julian	Animated
The Big Bankroll	Joseph M. Newman	David Janssen, Dianne Foster, Diana Dors	Crime	aka King of the Roaring '20s
The Big Gamble	Richard Fleischer	Stephen Boyd, Juliette Greco, David Wayne	Adventure	20th Century Fox
Blast of Silence	Allen Baron	Allen Baron, Larry Tucker	Thriller
Bloodlust!	Ralph Brooke	Robert Reed, June Kenney	Horror
Blue Hawaii	Norman Taurog	Elvis Presley, Joan Blackman, Angela Lansbury	Musical	Paramount
Boys Beware	Sid Davis		Documentary
Breakfast at Tiffany's	Blake Edwards	Audrey Hepburn, George Peppard, Buddy Ebsen, Patricia Neal, Martin Balsam, Mickey Rooney	Drama	based on Truman Capote story; won 2 Oscars
Bridge to the Sun	Étienne Périer	Carroll Baker, James Shigeta	Drama	MGM
By Love Possessed	John Sturges	Lana Turner, Efrem Zimbalist, Jr., Jason Robards	Drama	United Artists

C–I

Title	Director	Cast	Genre	Note
The Children's Hour	William Wyler	Audrey Hepburn, Shirley MacLaine, James Garner	Drama	from Lillian Hellman play; 5 Oscar nominations
Claudelle Inglish	Gordon Douglas	Diane McBain, Arthur Kennedy, Chad Everett	Drama	Warner Bros.
The Comancheros	Michael Curtiz	John Wayne, Stuart Whitman, Ina Balin	Western	20th Century Fox; final film for Curtiz
Come September	Robert Mulligan	Rock Hudson, Gina Lollobrigida, Bobby Darin, Sandra Dee	Comedy	Universal
Creature from the Haunted Sea	Roger Corman	Antony Carbone, Betsy Jones-Moreland	Science fiction
Cry for Happy	George Marshall	Glenn Ford, Donald O'Connor, James Shigeta	Comedy	Columbia
Daffy's Inn Trouble	Robert McKimson	voice of Mel Blanc	Animated
The Deadly Companions	Sam Peckinpah	Maureen O'Hara, Brian Keith, Chill Wills	Western	Peckinpah's first film
The Devil at 4 O'Clock	Mervyn LeRoy	Spencer Tracy, Frank Sinatra, Grégoire Aslan	Disaster	Columbia
Dondi	Albert Zugsmith	David Janssen, Patti Page, Walter Winchell	Comedy	based on comic strip
Down and Outing	Gene Deitch	voice of Allen Swift	Animated
El Cid	Anthony Mann	Charlton Heston, Sophia Loren, Raf Vallone, Geneviève Page, Herbert Lom	Historical epic	Allied Artists; 3 Oscar nominations
The Errand Boy	Jerry Lewis	Jerry Lewis, Brian Donlevy	Comedy	Paramount
Everything's Ducky	Don Taylor	Buddy Hackett, Mickey Rooney, Jackie Cooper	Comedy	Columbia
The Exiles	Kent Mackenzie		Documentary
The Explosive Generation	Buzz Kulik	William Shatner, Patty McCormack	Drama	United Artists
Fanny	Joshua Logan	Leslie Caron, Charles Boyer	Drama	5 Oscar nominations
A Fever in the Blood	Vincent Sherman	Efrem Zimbalist, Jr., Angie Dickinson, Don Ameche	Crime drama	Warner Bros.
The Fiercest Heart	George Sherman	Stuart Whitman, Juliet Prowse, Geraldine Fitzgerald	Drama	20th Century Fox
Five Golden Hours	Mario Zampi	Ernie Kovacs, Cyd Charisse	Crime comedy	Columbia
Five Minutes to Live	Bill Karn	Johnny Cash, Cay Forrester	Crime drama	written by Forrester
Flight of the Lost Balloon	Nathan Juran	Mala Powers	Sci-fi
Flower Drum Song	Henry Koster	Nancy Kwan, James Shigeta, Jack Soo, Miyoshi Umeki	Musical	Universal; based on play; 5 Oscar nominations
Francis of Assisi	Michael Curtiz	Bradford Dillman, Dolores Hart, Stuart Whitman	Drama	Fox
The George Raft Story	Joseph M. Newman	Ray Danton, Jayne Mansfield, Julie London	Biography
Gidget Goes Hawaiian	Paul Wendkos	Deborah Walley, James Darren	Comedy	sequel to Gidget
Gold of the Seven Saints	Gordon Douglas	Clint Walker, Roger Moore	Adventure	Warner Bros.
Goodbye Again	Anatole Litvak	Ingrid Bergman, Anthony Perkins	Drama	based on Françoise Sagan novel
The Great Impostor	Robert Mulligan	Tony Curtis, Edmond O'Brien, Karl Malden	Biography	based on Robert Crichton book
The Happy Thieves	George Marshall	Rex Harrison, Rita Hayworth	Comedy	United Artists
Havoc in Heaven	Wan Laiming		Animated
Hercules in the Haunted World	Mario Bava	Reg Park, Christopher Lee	Adventure	filmed in Italy
Hey, Let's Twist!	Greg Garrison	Joey Dee, Jo Ann Campbell	Musical	Paramount
Homicidal	William Castle	Glenn Corbett	Suspense
The Honeymoon Machine	Richard Thorpe	Steve McQueen, Jim Hutton, Paula Prentiss	Comedy	MGM; based on play by Lorenzo Semple, Jr.
Hoodlum Priest	Irvin Kershner	Don Murray, Keir Dullea	Biography	United Artists
The Hustler	Robert Rossen	Paul Newman, Jackie Gleason, Piper Laurie, George C. Scott, Myron McCormick	Drama	based on a novel by Walter Tevis; 9 Oscar nominations

J–R

Title	Director	Cast	Genre	Note
Judgment at Nuremberg	Stanley Kramer	Spencer Tracy, Marlene Dietrich, Richard Widmark, Maximilian Schell, Burt Lancaster, Judy Garland, Montgomery Clift	Drama	United Artists; Academy Awards for Schell, script; 11 nominations
King of Kings	Nicholas Ray	Jeffrey Hunter, Robert Ryan, Hurd Hatfield, Rip Torn, Siobhan McKenna, Ron Randell, Rita Gam	Biblical drama	MGM; remake of 1927 film
The Ladies Man	Jerry Lewis	Jerry Lewis	Comedy	Paramount
The Last Sunset	Robert Aldrich	Rock Hudson, Kirk Douglas, Dorothy Malone	Western	Universal; based on Howard Rigsby novel
The Last Time I Saw Archie	Jack Webb	Robert Mitchum, Jack Webb, Martha Hyer	Comedy	United Artists
The Lawbreakers	Joseph M. Newman	Jack Warden, Vera Miles	Crime drama	MGM
The Little Shepherd of Kingdom Come	Andrew McLaglen	Jimmie Rodgers, Luana Patten	Drama	20th Century Fox
Look in Any Window	William Alland	Paul Anka, Gigi Perreau	Drama	Allied Artists
Lover Come Back	Delbert Mann	Doris Day, Rock Hudson, Tony Randall, Edie Adams	Romantic comedy	Universal
Mad Dog Coll	Burt Balaban	John Davis Chandler, Kay Doubleday, Jerry Orbach	Crime drama
A Majority of One	Mervyn LeRoy	Rosalind Russell, Alec Guinness	Comedy	Warner Bros.; based on Leonard Spigelgass play
Man-Trap	Edmond O'Brien	Jeffrey Hunter, David Janssen, Stella Stevens	Crime drama	Paramount
Marines, Let's Go	Raoul Walsh	Tom Tryon, David Hedison	War	20th Century Fox
The Mark	Guy Green	Stuart Whitman, Rod Steiger	Drama	Whitman Oscar-nominated
The Marriage-Go-Round	Walter Lang	Julie Newmar, James Mason, Susan Hayward	Comedy	Fox; based on Leslie Stevens play
Master of the World	William Witney	Vincent Price, Charles Bronson	Adventure	A.I.P.
The Misfits	John Huston	Clark Gable, Marilyn Monroe, Montgomery Clift	Drama	United Artists; final film for Gable, Monroe
Misty	James B. Clark	Arthur O'Connell, Anne Seymour, David Ladd	Family
Morgan, the Pirate	André de Toth	Steve Reeves	Adventure
Mysterious Island	Cy Endfield	Gary Merrill, Herbert Lom, Beth Rogan	Science fiction	Columbia; based on Jules Verne novel
The Naked Edge	Michael Anderson	Gary Cooper, Deborah Kerr	Suspense	United Artists; final film for Cooper
Night Tide	Curtis Harrington	Dennis Hopper, Marjorie Cameron, Linda Lawson	Fantasy	A.I.P.
Nude on the Moon	Doris Wishman		Adult
On the Double	Melville Shavelson	Danny Kaye, Dana Wynter	Comedy	Paramount
One-Eyed Jacks	Marlon Brando	Marlon Brando, Karl Malden, Katy Jurado	Western	Paramount; only film directed by Brando
One Hundred and One Dalmatians	3 directors	Ben Wright, Betty Lou Gerson, Rod Taylor (voices)	Animated	Disney; live-action remake in 1996
One, Two, Three	Billy Wilder	James Cagney, Horst Bucholtz, Pamela Tiffin	Comedy	United Artists; Cagney's last film until 1981
The Outsider	Delbert Mann	Tony Curtis, James Franciscus, Bruce Bennett	Biography	Universal; story of Ira Hayes
The Parent Trap	David Swift	Hayley Mills, Brian Keith, Maureen O'Hara	Comedy	Disney; remade in 1998
Paris Blues	Martin Ritt	Sidney Poitier, Paul Newman, Joanne Woodward	Comedy	United Artists
Parrish	Delmer Daves	Troy Donahue, Claudette Colbert, Karl Malden	Drama	Warner Bros.
The Phantom Planet	William Marshall	Coleen Gray	Sci-fi
The Pit and the Pendulum	Roger Corman	Vincent Price, John Kerr	Horror	from Edgar Allan Poe story
The Pleasure of His Company	George Seaton	Fred Astaire, Debbie Reynolds, Lilli Palmer, Tab Hunter	Comedy	Paramount
Pocketful of Miracles	Frank Capra	Bette Davis, Glenn Ford, Hope Lange, Peter Falk, Arthur O'Connell, Ann-Margret	Comedy	Capra's final film; based on a story by Damon Runyon
Portrait of a Mobster	Joseph Pevney	Vic Morrow, Leslie Parrish	Crime
Posse from Hell	Herbert Coleman	Audie Murphy, Lee Van Cleef, Vic Morrow	Western	Universal
Question 7	Stuart Rosenberg	Michael Gwynn	Drama
A Raisin in the Sun	Daniel Petrie	Sidney Poitier, Ruby Dee	Drama	Columbia; based on Lorraine Hansberry play
Reptilicus	Sidney W. Pink		Sci-fi
Return to Peyton Place	José Ferrer	Carol Lynley, Jeff Chandler, Eleanor Parker	Drama	sequel to Peyton Place
The Right Approach	David Butler	Frankie Vaughan, Martha Hyer, Juliet Prowse	Drama	20th Century Fox
Romanoff and Juliet	Peter Ustinov	John Gavin, Sandra Dee	Comedy	Universal
The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone	Jose Quintero	Vivien Leigh, Warren Beatty	Drama	based on Tennessee Williams play

S–Z

Title	Director	Cast	Genre	Note
Sail a Crooked Ship	Irving Brecher	Robert Wagner, Dolores Hart, Ernie Kovacs	Crime comedy	Columbia
Sanctuary	Tony Richardson	Lee Remick, Yves Montand	Drama	20th Century Fox
The Second Time Around	Vincent Sherman	Debbie Reynolds, Steve Forrest, Andy Griffith	Comedy	20th Century Fox
The Secret Ways	Phil Karlson	Richard Widmark	Thriller	Universal
The Sinister Urge	Ed Wood	Kenne Duncan, Jean Fontaine	Drama
The Sins of Rachel Cade	Gordon Douglas	Angie Dickinson, Peter Finch, Roger Moore	Drama	Warner Bros.
Snow White and the Three Stooges	Walter Lang	Three Stooges, Carol Heiss	Comedy	20th Century Fox
Something Wild	Jack Garfein	Carroll Baker, Ralph Meeker	Drama	United Artists
Splendor in the Grass	Elia Kazan	Warren Beatty, Natalie Wood, Barbara Loden	Drama	Warner Bros.; Oscar for writer William Inge
The Steel Claw	George Montgomery	George Montgomery	Action
Stop, Look and Laugh	Don Appell, Louis Brandt	Three Stooges, Paul Winchell	Comedy	Columbia
Summer and Smoke	Peter Glenville	Laurence Harvey, Geraldine Page, Rita Moreno, Una Merkel	Drama	from Tennessee Williams play; 4 Oscar nominations
Susan Slade	Delmer Daves	Troy Donohue, Connie Stevens, Dorothy McGuire	Drama	Warner Bros.
Tammy Tell Me True	Harry Keller	Sandra Dee, John Gavin	Romance	2nd in Tammy series
A Thunder of Drums	Joseph M. Newman	Richard Boone, George Hamilton, Luana Patten	Western	MGM
Too Late Blues	John Cassavetes	Bobby Darin, Stella Stevens	Drama	Paramount
Town Without Pity	Gottfried Reinhardt	Kirk Douglas, E.G. Marshall, Robert Blake	Drama	United Artists
Twist Around the Clock	Oscar Rudolph	Chubby Checker, Dion DiMucci	Musical
Two Loves	Charles Walters	Shirley MacLaine, Laurence Harvey	Romance	MGM
Two Rode Together	John Ford	James Stewart, Richard Widmark, Shirley Jones	Western	Columbia
Underworld U.S.A.	Samuel Fuller	Cliff Robertson, Beatrice Kay	Film noir	Columbia
Very Nice, Very Nice	Arthur Lipsett		Short subject	7 min.
Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea	Irwin Allen	Walter Pidgeon, Joan Fontaine, Barbara Eden	Science fiction	20th Century Fox; became TV series
War Is Hell	Burt Topper	Audie Murphy	War
West Side Story	Robert Wise, Jerome Robbins	Richard Beymer, Natalie Wood, Rita Moreno, Russ Tamblyn, George Chakiris, Simon Oakland	Musical	United Artists; won 10 Oscars; based on stage musical and Romeo and Juliet
Wild in the Country	Philip Dunne	Elvis Presley, Tuesday Weld, Hope Lange	Comedy	20th Century Fox
X-15	Richard Donner	Charles Bronson, Kenneth Tobey, David McLean, Mary Tyler Moore	Adventure	United Artists
The Young Doctors	Phil Karlson	Ben Gazzara, Fredric March, Dick Clark	Drama	United Artists
The Young Savages	John Frankenheimer	Burt Lancaster, Dina Merrill, Shelley Winters	Drama	United Artists

External links

• 1961 films at the Internet Movie Database