1939 in film

• February 15 – John Ford's Western film Stagecoach starring John Wayne premieres in New York City and Los Angeles. • March 31 – Release of the 20th Century Fox film version of The Hound of the Baskervilles, first of a Sherlock Holmes film series starring Basil Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes and Nigel Bruce as Dr. Watson. • June 10 – MGM's first successful animated character, Barney Bear, makes his debut in ''The Bear That Couldn't Sleep''. • July – Principal photography begins for Germany's first colour feature film, Women Are Better Diplomats, as Joseph Goebbels forces the use of the experimental Agfacolor process. • August 10 – The Wizard of Oz premieres at the Orpheum Theatre in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Its Hollywood premiere takes place on August 15 at Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles. • October 1 – The Film Law goes into effect in Japan as Imperial Rescript no. 66. • November 6 – ''Hedda Hopper's Hollywood'', hosted by gossip columnist Hedda Hopper, is first broadcast on radio in the United States with; the show runs until 1951, making Hopper a powerful figure among the Hollywood elite. • December 15 – The epic historical romance film Gone with the Wind, starring Vivien Leigh, Clark Gable, Olivia de Havilland and Leslie Howard, premieres at Loew's Grand Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia, with a three-day-long festival. Based on Margaret Mitchell's best-selling novel of 1936, it is the longest American film made up to this date (at nearly four hours) and rapidly becomes the highest-grossing film up to this time. • Canada establishes a National Film Commission, predecessor of the National Film Board of Canada, with John Grierson as first Commissioner. == Nominations for the Academy Award for Best Picture and Director ==

The year 1939 was one in which the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences nominated ten films for Best Picture: • Dark Victory • Gone with the Wind (Best Picture winner) • Goodbye, Mr. Chips • Love Affair • Mr. Smith Goes to Washington • Ninotchka • Of Mice and Men • Stagecoach • The Wizard of Oz • Wuthering Heights These films came from a wide variety of film genres and sources for their stories and settings, including: historical fiction (Gone with the Wind), contemporary affairs (Mr. Smith Goes to Washington and Of Mice and Men), love stories, classic novels (Wuthering Heights), fantasies/musicals, (The Wizard of Oz), tragic plays (Dark Victory), westerns (Stagecoach), and comedies (Ninotchka). Each of the five nominees for Best Director of 1939 were or went on to become a legendary film director with multiple acclaimed films to his credit: Frank Capra (previous winner of the award), Victor Fleming, John Ford (who won a record four Best Director awards), Sam Wood, and William Wyler (who leads all directors in nominations with 11 while having three wins). ==Academy Awards==

• Best Picture: Gone with the Wind – David O. Selznick; Selznick International, MGM • Best Director: Victor Fleming – Gone with the Wind • Best Actor: Robert Donat – Goodbye, Mr. Chips • Best Actress: Vivien Leigh – Gone with the Wind • Best Supporting Actor: Thomas Mitchell – Stagecoach • Best Supporting Actress: Hattie McDaniel – Gone with the Wind (first African-American to win an Academy Award) Gone with the Wind received in all ten Academy Awards (eight competitive, two honorary) from thirteen nominations. ==Top-grossing films (U.S.)==

The top ten 1939 released films by box office gross in North America are as follows: ==Films by country/region==

• List of American films of 1939 • List of Argentine films of 1939 • List of Brazilian films of 1939 • List of British films of 1939 • List of French films of 1939 • List of German films of 1939 • List of Egyptian films of 1939 • List of Hindi films of 1939 • List of Italian films of 1939 • List of Japanese films of 1939 • List of Marathi films of 1939 • List of Soviet films of 1939 == Serials ==

• Buck Rogers, starring Buster Crabbe • ''Dick Tracy's G-Men'', starring Ralph Byrd • Daredevils of the Red Circle, starring Herman Brix and Charles B. Middleton • Flying G-Men • The Lone Ranger Rides Again • Mandrake the Magician, starring Warren Hull • The Oregon Trail • Overland with Kit Carson • The Phantom Creeps, starring Bela Lugosi • Scouts to the Rescue • ''Zorro's Fighting Legion'', starring Reed Hadley == Comedy film series ==

• Charlie Chaplin (1914–1940) • Lupino Lane (1915–1939) • Buster Keaton (1917–1944) • Laurel and Hardy (1927–1945) • Our Gang (1922–1944) • The Marx Brothers (1929–1946) • The Three Stooges (1934–1959) == Animated short film series ==

• Krazy Kat (1925–1940) • Mickey Mouse (1928–1953) • Silly Symphonies (1929–1939) • The Practical Pig • The Ugly Duckling • Looney Tunes (1930–1969) • Terrytoons (1930–1964) • Merrie Melodies (1931–1969) • Scrappy (1931–1941) • Betty Boop (1932–1939) • Popeye (1933–1957) • Color Rhapsodies (1934–1949) • Donald Duck (1937–1956) • Barney Bear (1939–1954) • Walter Lantz Cartunes (also known as New Universal Cartoons or Cartune Comedies) (1938–1942) • The Captain and the Kids (1938–1939) • Goofy (1939–1955) • Andy Panda (1939–1949) • Nertsery Rhyme Cartoons (1939 only) • Crackpot Cruise Cartoons (1939 only) • ''Lil' Eightball'' (1939 only) • Count Screwloose and J.R. (1939 only) == Births ==

• January 4 – Burt Sugarman, American film producer • January 8 – Ruth Maleczech, American actress (died 2013) • January 9 – Susannah York, English actress (died 2011) • January 10 – Sal Mineo, American actor (died 1976) • January 17 – Maury Povich, American television personality • January 22 – Sonny Chiba, Japanese actor and martial artist (died 2021) • January 26 – Scott Glenn, American actor • January 30 – János Zsombolyai, Hungarian cinematographer, film director and screenwriter (died 2015) • February 3 – Michael Cimino, American director, producer and screenwriter (died 2016) • February 6 – Mike Farrell, American actor • February 9 – Janet Suzman, South African actress and director • February 10 – Peter Purves, British actor and television presenter • February 16 – Angelo Infanti, Italian actor (died 2010) • February 20 – Antonina Girycz, Polish actress (died 2022) • February 23 – Denis Arndt, American actor (died 2025) • February 24 • Marisa Mell, Austrian actress (died 1992) • Yoshiko Sakuma, Japanese actress • February 28 – Tommy Tune, American dancer, choreographer and actor • March 1 – David Weatherley, British-born New Zealand actor (died 2024) • March 4 • John Moreno, British actor • Robert Shaye, American actor and producer • Carlos Vereza, Brazilian actor • March 5 • Samantha Eggar, English actress (died 2025) • Benyamin Sueb, Indonesian actor, comedian and singer (died 1995) • March 7 – Michael Chow, Chinese-born British-American former actor • March 14 • Raymond J. Barry, American actor • Héctor Bonilla, Mexican actor (died 2022) • March 21 – Marino Masé, Italian actor (died 2022) • March 26 - Phillip R. Allen, American actor (died 2012) • March 28 – Vic Vargas, Filipino actor (died 2003) • March 29 – Terence Hill, Italian actor, director, screenwriter and producer • April 1 – Ali MacGraw, American actress • April 5 – Roger Davis, American actor • April 7 – Francis Ford Coppola, director; producer; screenwriter • April 9 – Romeo Vasquez, Filipino actor (died 2017) • April 11 – Louise Lasser, American actress, writer and director • April 13 – Paul Sorvino, American actor (died 2022) • April 22 – Mark Jones, English actor (died 2010) • April 23 • David Birney, American actor and director (died 2022) • Lee Majors, American actor • May 4 – Paul Gleason, American actor (died 2006) • May 7 • Ruggero Deodato, Italian director and screenwriter (died 2022) • Marco St. John, American actor • May 13 – Harvey Keitel, American actor • May 15 – Barbara Hammer, American filmmaker (died 2019) • May 18 – Hark Bohm, German actor, screenwriter and director (died 2025) • May 19 • James Fox, English actor • Nancy Kwan, Chinese-American actress • May 22 – Paul Winfield, American actor (died 2004) • May 23 – Reinhard Hauff, German film director • May 25 • Ian McKellen, English actor • Dixie Carter, American actress (died 2010) • May 28 – Beth Howland, American actress (died 2015) • May 30 – Michael J. Pollard, American actor (died 2019) • May 31 - Jerry Ziesmer, American assistant director, production manager and actor (died 2021) • June 4 – Henri Pachard, American film director (died 2008) • June 8 • Bernie Casey, American actor (died 2017) • Geoffrey Hutchings, English actor (died 2010) • Pat Laffan, Irish actor (died 2019) • June 11 – Christina Crawford, American actress • June 15 - Daniel Richter, American mime and actor • June 20 - Peter MacDonald, English director, cinematographer and producer • June 24 – Michael Gothard, English actor (died 1992) • June 25 – Barbara Montgomery, American actress and director • June 30 - John Fortune, English actor (died 2013) • July 1 • Karen Black, American actress, screenwriter and singer-songwriter (died 2013) • Ines Aru, Estonian actress • July 5 – Sergio Di Stefano, Italian actor and voice actor (died 2010) • July 14 – Sid Haig, American actor (died 2019) • July 15 • Abdulhussain Abdulredha, Kuwaiti actor (died 2017) • Patrick Wayne, American actor • July 16 – Corin Redgrave, British actor, political activist (died 2010) • July 21 – Sondra James, American sound coordinator and actress (died 2021) • July 22 • Gila Almagor, Israeli actress • Jennifer Bassey, American actress • July 28 – Charles Cyphers, American actor (died 2024) • July 30 – Peter Bogdanovich, American director, producer and screenwriter (died 2022) • July 31 – France Nuyen, French actress • August 1 – Terry Kiser, American actor • August 2 • Wes Craven, American director; producer; screenwriter (died 2015) • Robert Wall, American actor and martial artist (died 2022) • August 4 – Mapita Cortés, Mexican actress (died 2006) • August 6 - Steve Kahan, American character actor (died 2019) • August 7 – Anjanette Comer, American actress • August 9 – Bulle Ogier, French actress • August 12 • Oliver Ford Davies, English actor and writer • George Hamilton, American actor • August 16 - Carole Shelley, English actress (died 2018) • August 20 – Fernando Poe Jr., Filipino actor (died 2004) • August 21 – Clarence Williams III, American actor (died 2021) • August 23 – Fernando Luján, Mexican actor (died 2019) • August 25 – John Badham, English-American director • August 29 – Joel Schumacher, American film director, producer and screenwriter (died 2020) • August 30 – Elizabeth Ashley, American actress • September 1 – Lily Tomlin, American actress, comedian and producer • September 5 • William Devane, American actor • George Lazenby, Australian actor • September 8 - DeVeren Bookwalter, American actor and director (died 1987) • September 9 - Arthur Dignam, Australian actor (died 2020) • September 10 – David Stratton, English-born Australian film critic and historian (died 2025) • September 11 – Tom Dreesen, American actor and stand-up comedian • September 13 – Richard Kiel, American actor and voice artist (died 2014) • September 22 - Bette Bourne, British actor, drag queen, campaigner and activist (died 2024) • September 23 – Janusz Gajos, Polish actor • September 27 – Garrick Hagon, Canadian film, stage, television and radio actor • September 28 - Sandra Dorsey, American actress (died 2023) • September 29 – Werner Pochath, Austrian actor (died 1993) • September 30 – Len Cariou, Canadian actor and director • October 5 – Carmen Salinas, Mexican actress and comedian (died 2021) • October 6 – Ellen Travolta, American actress • October 8 – Paul Hogan, Australian comedian and actor • October 10 - Laurel Cronin, American actress and singer (died 1992) • October 13 – Melinda Dillon, American actress (died 2023) • October 17 – Robert F. Lyons, American actor • October 18 – Salme Poopuu, Estonian actress and filmmaker (died 2017) • October 21 - Peter Vere-Jones, English-born New Zealand actor (died 2021) • October 22 – Tony Roberts, American actor (died 2025) • October 23 • Stanley Anderson, American character actor (died 2018) • Edith Díaz, Puerto Rican actress (died 2009) • October 24 – F. Murray Abraham, American actor • October 25 – Nikos Nikolaidis, Greek film director (died 2007) • October 27 – John Cleese, English actor, comedian and producer • October 28 – Jane Alexander, American actress • October 29 – Elizabeth Moody, English-born New Zealand actress and director (died 2010) • October 31 – Ron Rifkin, American actor • November 1 - Barbara Bosson, American actress (died 2023) • November 8 – Meg Wynn Owen, Welsh actress (died 2022) • November 10 • Anton Gorchev, Bulgarian actor (died 2000) • Russell Means, Native American actor (died 2012) • November 13 – G. R. Perera, Sri Lankan actor (died 2023) • November 15 – Yaphet Kotto, American actor (died 2021) • November 17 - Yuya Uchida, Japanese singer and actor (died 2019) • November 18 • Max Phipps, Australian actor (died 2000) • Brenda Vaccaro, American actress • November 22 – Allen Garfield, American actor (died 2020) • November 23 - Maria Gladys, Brazilian actress • November 26 • Mark Margolis, American actor (died 2023) • Tina Turner, American-born Swiss singer, songwriter and actress (died 2023) • November 27 – Ulla Strömstedt, Swedish actress (died 1986) • December 3 - Don Calfa, American character actor (died 2016) • December 4 – Jimmy Hunt, American actor (died 2025) • December 13 • Eric Flynn, British actor (died 2002) • Akiko Wakabayashi, Japanese actress • December 20 - Kathryn Joosten, American actress (died 2012) • December 25 - Royce D. Applegate, American actor and screenwriter (died 2003) • December 27 – John Amos, American actor (died 2024) • December 28 – Gloria Manon, American actress (died 2018) == Deaths ==

• January 19 – Tom Ricketts, 86, English actor, director, Love Bound, Thrill of Youth • January 25 – Helen Ware, 61, American actress, Morning Glory, Abraham Lincoln • February 22 – Joe Brandt, 56, American film producer and co-founder of C.B.C. which became Columbia Pictures • April 22 – Ann Murdock, 48, American actress, Outcast, Please Help Emily • May 5 – Clara Schønfeld, 82, Danish actress, Master of the House, Praesten i Vejlby • June 9 – Owen Moore, 54, Irish actor, A Star is Born, She Done Him Wrong, The Red Mill, Cinderella • August 23 – Sidney Howard, 48, American writer, Gone with the Wind, Dodsworth, Arrowsmith, A Lady to Love • September 24 – Carl Laemmle, 72, German producer, Frankenstein, Dracula, Bride of Frankenstein, The Phantom of the Opera • October 13 – Ford Sterling, 55, American actor, Tango Tangles, The Show-Off, Between Showers • October 23 – Zane Grey, 67, American writer, Fighting Caravans, Riders of the Purple Sage, Western Union, Born to the West • October 28 – Alice Brady, 46, American actress, My Man Godfrey, Young Mr. Lincoln, The Gay Divorcee, In Old Chicago • November 7 – Kirsti Suonio, 67, Finnish stage and film actress, Substitute Wife • November 13 – George Nicholls, Jr., 42, American director, Anne of Green Gables, Man of Conquest • December 12 – Douglas Fairbanks, 56, American actor, The Thief of Bagdad, The Black Pirate, Robin Hood, Mr. Robinson Crusoe, and the father of Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. ==Film debuts==