The year 1966 in film involved some significant events. A Man for All Seasons won six Academy Awards, including Best Picture.
Top-grossing films North America
The top ten 1966 released films by box office gross in North America are as follows:
+ Highest-grossing films of 1966 Rank Title Distributor Domestic rentals 1 Hawaii United Artists $15,600,000 2 The Bible: In the Beginning... 20th Century Fox $15,000,000 3 Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Warner Bros. $14,500,000 4 The Sand Pebbles 20th Century Fox $13,500,000 5 A Man for All Seasons Columbia $12,800,000 6 The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming United Artists $9,800,000 7 Grand Prix MGM $9,300,000 8 The Professionals Columbia $8,800,000 9 Alfie Paramount $8,500,000Top 20 Films of 1966 by Domestic Revenue 10 Georgy Girl Columbia $7,600,000
Outside North America The highest-grossing 1966 films in countries outside North America.
Country Title Studio Gross India Phool Aur Patthar Ralhan Productions $11,790,000 Soviet Union War and Peace Mosfilm $64,000,000
Events October 19 – Gulf and Western Industries acquire Paramount Pictures. November – Seven Arts Productions reach agreement to acquire Warner Bros. for $32 million, later forming a new company Warner Bros.-Seven Arts. December 15 – Entertainment pioneer Walt Disney, best known for his creation of Mickey Mouse, breakthroughs in the field of animation, filmmaking, theme park design and other achievements, dies at the age of 65. He died while he was producing The Jungle Book, The Happiest Millionaire, and Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day; the last three films under his personal supervision.
Awards Academy Awards:
Best Picture: A Man for All Seasons – Highland, Columbia Best Director: Fred Zinnemann – A Man for All Seasons Best Actor: Paul Scofield – A Man for All Seasons Best Actress: Elizabeth Taylor – Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Best Supporting Actor: Walter Matthau – The Fortune Cookie Best Supporting Actress: Sandy Dennis – Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Best Foreign Language Film: A Man and a Woman (Un homme et une femme), directed by Claude Lelouch, France
BAFTA Film Awards:
Best Film from any Source: Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Best British film: The Spy Who Came In from the Cold
Golden Globe Awards:
Drama: Best Picture: A Man for All Seasons Best Actor: Paul Scofield – A Man for All Seasons Best Actress: Anouk Aimée – A Man and a Woman
Comedy or Musical: Best Picture: The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming Best Actor: Alan Arkin – The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming Best Actress: Lynn Redgrave – Georgy Girl
Other Best Supporting Actor: Richard Attenborough – The Sand Pebbles Best Supporting Actress: Jocelyne LaGarde – Hawaii Best Director: Fred Zinnemann – A Man for All Seasons
Palme d'Or (Cannes Film Festival): A Man and a Woman (Un homme et une femme), directed by Claude Lelouch, France Signore & Signori (The Birds, the Bees and the Italians), directed by Pietro Germi, Italy
Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists, Location: Italy
Silver Ribbon Best Actor winner in Questa volta parliamo di uomini (This Time Let's Talk about Men): Nino Manfredi Nominee in The 10th Victim: Marcello Mastroianni A third nominee was not determined. Best Actress winner in La fuga: Giovanna Ralli Nominees in Juliet of the Spirits: Giulietta Masina and in The Mandrake: Rosanna Schiaffino Best Supporting Actor winner in I Knew Her Well: Ugo Tognazzi Nominees in The Mandrake: Totò and Romolo Valli Best Supporting Actress winner in Juliet of the Spirits: Sandra Milo Nominee in Made in Italy Anna Magnani A third nominee was not determined. Best Director winner in I Knew Her Well: Antonio Pietrangeli Nominees in Fists in the Pocket: Marco Bellocchio and in Juliet of the Spirits: Federico Fellini Best Foreign Director winner in The Servant: Joseph Losey Nominees in Hamlet (1964 film): Grigori Kozintsev and in King and Country: Joseph Losey Best Screenplay winner in I Knew Her Well: Ettore Scola, Antonio Pietrangeli and Ruggero Maccari Nominees in Fists in the Pocket: Marco Bellocchio and in Sandra: Suso Cecchi d'Amico, Enrico Medioli, Luchino Visconti Best Cinematography, B/W winner in Sandra: Armando Nannuzzi Best Cinematography, Color winner in Juliet of the Spirits: Gianni Di Venanzo. In memory of. Best Costume Design winner in Juliet of the Spirits: Piero Gherardi Best Score winner in Seven Golden Men: Armando Trovajoli Best Producer – Short Film winner in Con il cuore fermo Sicilia: Clodio Cinematografica Best Short Film winner in Antonio Ligabue, pittore: Raffaele Andreassi Best Original Story winner in Fists in the Pocket: Marco Bellocchio Nominees in I Knew Her Well: Ruggero Maccari, Ettore Scola, Antonio Pietrangeli and in Seven Golden Men: Marco Vicario Best Producer winner in Seven Golden Men: Marco Vicario Nominee in Fists in the Pocket: Enzo Doria A third nominee was not determined. Best Production Design winner in Juliet of the Spirits: Piero Gherardi.
Golden Lion (Venice Film Festival): The Battle of Algiers (La Battaglia di Algeri), directed by Gillo Pontecorvo, Algeria / Italy
Golden Bear (Berlin Film Festival): Cul-de-sac, directed by Roman Polanski, United Kingdom
1966 film releases United States unless stated
January–March January 1966 5 January 7 Women Agent for H.A.R.M. 9 January Dracula: Prince of Darkness (U.K.) 16 January Our Man Flint 20 January The Ghost and Mr. Chicken Judith 27 January Moment to Moment February 1966 2 February The Rare Breed 9 February Made in Paris 12 February Drop Dead Darling 18 February The Silencers 19 February The Chase 21 February Lord Love a Duck 23 February Harper 25 February The Sword of Doom (Japan) March 1966 2 March Blood Bath 4 March The Group The Oscar 5 March The Magic Serpent (Japan) 9 March Johnny Reno 14 March Born Free (U.K.) War and Peace Part I (USSR) 25 March A Man Could Get Killed (U.K.) 30 March Cast a Giant Shadow Hold On! The Trouble with Angels 31 March Frankie and Johnny
April–June April 1966 1 April Hold On! 4 April The Singing Nun 6 April Django 7 April Hold Me While I'm Naked 10 April Tokyo Drifter (Japan) 13 April The Dirty Game 17 April Daimajin (Japan) Gamera vs. Barugon (Japan) May 1966 5 May Arabesque (U.K.) Our Man in Marrakesh (U.K.) Modesty Blaise (U.K.) 11 May The Fat Spy 14 May Destination Inner Space 19 May The Deadly Bees (U.K.) 25 May Au hasard Balthazar (France) Blindfold The Last of the Secret Agents? The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming 27 May The Wrong Box (U.K.) 31 May A Big Hand for the Little Lady June 1966 1 June
7 June Fireball 500 8 June Boy, Did I Get a Wrong Number! 9 June The Glass Bottom Boat Paradise, Hawaiian Style 10 June Nevada Smith 15 June Assault on a Queen Duel at Diablo Munster, Go Home! Stagecoach The Endless Summer 21 June The Blue Max 22 June Around the World Under the Sea Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? The Daydreamer 29 June A Fine Madness Walk, Don't Run
July–September July 1966 1 July Incident at Phantom Hill 7 July Three on a Couch 12 July A Man and a Woman (France) 13 July How to Steal a Million 14 July Torn Curtain 20 July War and Peace Part II (USSR) The Wild Angels 29 July Lt. Robin Crusoe, U.S.N. 30 July Batman 31 July The War of the Gargantuas (Japan) August 1966 3 August The Man Called Flintstone This Property Is Condemned 5 August Daleks – Invasion Earth: 2150 A.D. (U.K.) 10 August The Idol 13 August Return of Daimajin (Japan) 16 August The Plainsman 24 August Alfie Fantastic Voyage 31 August Persona (Sweden) What Did You Do in the War, Daddy? September 1966 1 September Waco 2 September The Brides of Fu Manchu 7 September Beau Geste 8 September After the Fox Kiss the Girls and Make Them Die 14 September Ambush Bay Lost Command 15 September The Appaloosa Chelsea Girls 16 September Fahrenheit 451 (U.K.) 28 September The Bible: In the Beginning...
October–December October 1966 5 October Seconds 9 October Alvarez Kelly 10 October Hawaii 11 October Mister Buddwing 12 October Dead Heat on a Merry-Go-Round 13 October Any Wednesday 16 October A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (U.S./U.K.) The Poppy Is Also a Flower 17 October Georgy Girl Spinout 19 October The Fortune Cookie Return of the Seven 23 October Ride in the Whirlwind The Shooting 24 October 10:30 P.M. Summer 26 October Way...Way Out 27 October Texas Across the River 28 October An American Dream Chamber of Horrors Nashville Rebel November 1966 2 November Not with My Wife, You Don't! The Professionals What's Up, Tiger Lily? 5 November Chappaqua 7 November Cul-de-sac 8 November Madame X 10 November Is Paris Burning? (France) Penelope Wings (USSR) 18 November Let's Kill Uncle 19 November Castle of Evil December 1966 1 December Follow Me, Boys! 8 December La Grande Vadrouille (France)/(U.K.) 9 December Once Before I Die Triple Cross You're a Big Boy Now 10 December Daimajin Strikes Again (Japan) 12 December A Man for All Seasons Thunderbirds Are Go 15 December The Good, the Bad and the Ugly The Quiller Memorandum 16 December Andrei Rublev (USSR) 17 December El Dorado Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster (Japan) Rage 18 December Blowup 20 December Murderers' Row The Sand Pebbles 21 December Gambit Grand Prix 21 December King of Hearts (France) 22 December Funeral in Berlin (U.K./U.S.) 30 December One Million Years B.C. (U.K.)
Notable films released in 1966 United States unless stated
# 10:30 P.M. Summer, directed by Jules Dassin and starring Melina Mercouri and Romy Schneider 7 Women, the last film of John Ford, starring Anne Bancroft, Flora Robson, Margaret Leighton, Mildred Dunnock, Anna Lee
A Aakhri Khat (The Last Letter) – (India) Adobe and Mirror, directed by Ebrahim Golestan, starring Mohammad Ali Keshavarz, Jamshid Mashayekhi and Pari Saberi (Iran) After the Fox, starring Peter Sellers and Victor Mature Alfie, directed by Lewis Gilbert, starring Michael Caine, Shelley Winters, Millicent Martin – (U.K.) Alice in Wonderland, a TV film starring John Gielgud, Peter Cook, Peter Sellers – (U.K.) Alvarez Kelly, starring William Holden Ambush Bay, starring Hugh O'Brian, Mickey Rooney and James Mitchum An American Dream, starring Stuart Whitman, Janet Leigh, Eleanor Parker Amrapali, starring Vyjayanthimala and Sunil Dutt – (India) Andrei Rublev, directed by Andrei Tarkovsky – (USSR) The Appaloosa, starring Marlon Brando Arabesque, directed by Stanley Donen, starring Sophia Loren and Gregory Peck Around the World Under the Sea, starring Lloyd Bridges As Long as You've Got Your Health (Tant qu'on a la santé), directed by and starring Pierre Étaix – (France) Assault on a Queen, starring Frank Sinatra, Virna Lisi, Anthony Franciosa Au hasard Balthazar (Chosen by Lot Balthazar), directed by Robert Bresson – (France/Sweden) Aybolit-66 – (USSR)
B Bariera (Barrier), directed by Jerzy Skolimowski – (Poland) Batman, starring Adam West, Burt Ward, Burgess Meredith, Cesar Romero, Lee Meriwether, Frank Gorshin The Battle of Algiers, directed by Gillo Pontecorvo – Golden Lion winner – (Italy/Algeria) Beau Geste, directed by Douglas Heyes Beregis Avtomobilya (Beware of the Automobile) – (USSR) The Bible: In the Beginning..., directed by John Huston, starring Stephen Boyd, Franco Nero, Ava Gardner, Richard Harris, Peter O'Toole The Big Gundown (La resa dei conti), starring Lee Van Cleef – (Italy) A Big Hand for the Little Lady, starring Henry Fonda, Joanne Woodward, Jason Robards, Burgess Meredith, Kevin McCarthy The Birds, the Bees and the Italians (Signore & Signori), directed by Pietro Germi – (Italy) Birds Do It, starring Soupy Sales