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The following is an overview of events in 1985 in film, including the highest-grossing films, award ceremonies and festivals, a list of films released and notable births and deaths.

Highest-grossing films (U.S.)

The top ten 1985 released films by box office gross in North America are as follows:

Highest-grossing films of 1985[1]
RankTitleDistributorBox-office gross
1 Back to the Future Universal $210,609,762
2 Rambo: First Blood Part II TriStar / Carolco $150,415,432
3 Rocky IV MGM $127,873,716
4 The Color Purple Warner Bros. $94,175,854
5 Out of Africa Universal $87,071,205
6 Cocoon 20th Century Fox $76,113,124
7 The Jewel of the Nile $75,973,200
8 Witness Paramount $68,706,993
9 The Goonies Warner Bros. $61,389,680
10 Spies Like Us $60,088,980

Context

The year was considered an unsuccessful one for film. Despite a record number of film releases, many films failed at the box office, and ticket sales were down 17% compared with 1984.[2][3] Industry executives believed the problem, in part, was a lack of original concepts.[4] Films about fantasy and magic failed, as audiences leaned towards science-fiction.[5][3] Janet Maslin said the fault for this lay partly with Steven Spielberg, who had created such a successful template with films like E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial and Close Encounters of the Third Kind that many fantasy films had imitated them.[6] There was also a saturation of youth-oriented films targeted at those under 18. Executives were not fond of these films, but the financial rewards were too significant to ignore. The few films aimed at older audiences, like Cocoon, were surprise successes.[3][7] Only Back to the Future and Rambo: First Blood Part II were successful blockbusters, earning more than double the box office of Cocoon.[3] Films offering escapism and pro-America themes like Rambo: First Blood Part II and Rocky IV had also fared well.[7]

The glut of youth-targeted films like Return to Oz and The Black Cauldron, and science-fiction comedies like Weird Science, Real Genius, and My Science Project had resulted in a string of failures. Executives said that the films were all very similar and marketed in the same way, offering no variety for audiences.[3][5]

Events

Awards

Category/Organization43rd Golden Globe Awards
January 24, 1986
39th BAFTA Awards
March 16, 1986
58th Academy Awards
March 24, 1986
DramaMusical or Comedy
Best FilmOut of AfricaPrizzi's HonorThe Purple Rose of CairoOut of Africa
Best DirectorJohn Huston
Prizzi's Honor
N/ASydney Pollack
Out of Africa
Best ActorJon Voight
Runaway Train
Jack Nicholson
Prizzi's Honor
William Hurt
Kiss of the Spider Woman
Best ActressWhoopi Goldberg
The Color Purple
Kathleen Turner
Prizzi's Honor
Peggy Ashcroft
A Passage to India
Geraldine Page
The Trip to Bountiful
Best Supporting ActorKlaus Maria Brandauer
Out of Africa
Denholm Elliott
Defence of the Realm
Don Ameche
Cocoon
Best Supporting ActressMeg Tilly
Agnes of God
Rosanna Arquette
Desperately Seeking Susan
Anjelica Huston
Prizzi's Honor
Best Screenplay, AdaptedWoody Allen
The Purple Rose of Cairo
Richard Condon and Janet Roach
Prizzi's Honor
Kurt Luedtke
Out of Africa
Best Screenplay, OriginalWoody Allen
The Purple Rose of Cairo
Earl W. Wallace, William Kelley and Pamela Wallace
Witness
Best Original ScoreJohn Barry
Out of Africa
Maurice Jarre
Witness
John Barry
Out of Africa
Best Original Song"Say You, Say Me"
White Nights
N/A"Say You, Say Me"
White Nights
Best Foreign Language FilmThe Official StoryColonel RedlThe Official Story

Palme d'Or (Cannes Film Festival):

When Father Was Away on Business (Otac na službenom putu), directed by Emir Kusturica, Yugoslavia

Golden Lion (Venice Film Festival):

Vagabond (Sans toit ni loi), directed by Agnès Varda, France / U.K.

Golden Bear (Berlin Film Festival):

Die Frau und der Fremde (The Woman and the Stranger), directed by Rainer Simon, East Germany
Wetherby, directed by David Hare, United Kingdom

1985 films

By country/region

By genre/medium

Births

Deaths

MonthDateNameAgeCountryProfessionNotable films
January 5Robert Surtees78USCinematographer
5John Paxton73USScreenwriter
11Edward Buzzell89USDirector
12Paul Luty52UKActor
13Carol Wayne42USActress
14Jetta Goudal93NetherlandsActress
18Wilfrid Brambell72IrelandActor
18Georgie Stoll82USComposer, Musical Director
25Paul J. Smith78USComposer
February 4John Wexley77USScreenwriter
6Neil McCarthy52UKActor
10Wanda Tuchock86USScreenwriter
11Henry Hathaway86USDirector
11Heinz Roemheld83USComposer
12Nicholas Colasanto61USActor
19Dorothy Black85South AfricaActress
20Clarence Nash80USVoice Actor
21Ina Claire91USActress
21Louis Hayward75South AfricaActor
22Alexander Scourby71USActor
24Joseph C. Wright92USArt Director
27J. Pat O'Malley80UKActor
27David Huffman39USActor
March 1Alfred Zeisler92USProducer, Director
3Connie Gilchrist89USActress
3Noel Purcell84IrelandActor
5Thomas Little98USSet Decorator
8Edward Andrews70USActor
19Anthony Nelson Keys73UKProducer
21Michael Redgrave77UKActor
21Michael Trubshawe79UKActor
April 16Scott Brady60USActor
21John Welsh70IrelandActor
23Kent Smith78USActor
25Richard Haydn80UKActor
26Albert Maltz76USScreenwriter
May 1George Pravda68Czech RepublicActor
4Harry Earles83USActor
7Dawn Addams54UKActress
8Susan Morrow53USActress
8Dolph Sweet64USActor
9Edmond O'Brien69USActor
13Selma Diamond64CanadaActress
13Leatrice Joy91USActress
14Frank Westmore62 ??Makeup Artist
16Margaret Hamilton82USActress
17Hugh Burden72UKActor
20George Memmoli46USActor
22Wolfgang Reitherman75GermanyAnimator, Director
22Gerald Case80UKActor
25Robert Nathan91USScreenwriter
26Harold Hecht77USProducer
30Talbot Jennings90USScreenwriter
June 1Richard Greene66UKActor
7Gordon Rollings59UKActor
8Charles LeMaire88USCostume Designer
9Clifford Evans73UKActor
10George Chandler86USActor
12Dominique Laffin33FranceActress
17John Boulting71UKProducer, Director
17Georgia Hale84USActress
24Valentine Dyall77UKActor
28James Craig73USActor
July 3Nelson Leigh80USActor
7Ewen Solon67New ZealandActor
8Phil Foster71USActor
8Victor Rendina68USActor
9Rafael Campos49Dominican RepublicActor
10Arthur J. Ornitz68USCinematographer
16Elsie Wagstaff86UKActress
17Margo68MexicoActress
19Henry Mollison80UKActor
20Estelle Evans78BahamasActress
21Alvah Bessie81USScreenwriter
23Mickey Shaughnessy64USActor
23Tom Waldman63USScreenwriter
27Michel Audiard65FranceScreenwriter, Director
28Grant Williams53USActor
August 1Al Overton73USSound Engineer
1Joseph Walker92USCinematographer
2Bob Holt56USActor
2Frank Faylen79USActor
7Grayson Hall62USActress
8Louise Brooks78USActress
8Milton H. Greene63USProducer
10Kenny Baker72USSinger, Actor
12Patrick Hines55USActor
13Marion Martin77USActress
14Gale Sondergaard86USActress
15Lester Cole81USScreenwriter
24Morrie Ryskind89USScreenwriter
28Ruth Gordon88USActress, Screenwriter
29Evelyn Ankers67ChileActress
29Patrick Barr77UKActor
30Tom Howard75UKSpecial Effects Artist
September 4Isabel Jeans93UKActress
4George O'Brien86USActor
6Johnny Desmond65USActor, Singer
6Jane Frazee67USActress, Singer
10Alexa Kenin23USActress
11William Alwyn79UKComposer
14Julian Beck60USActor
23Harvey Parry85USStuntman
24Paul Mann71CanadaActor
26Frank Bracht75USFilm Editor
27Lloyd Nolan83USActor
28L. B. Abbott77USSpecial Effects Artist
29Arthur Krams73USSet Decorator
30Simone Signoret64FranceActress
30Floyd Crosby85USCinematographer
October 2Rock Hudson59USActor
6Nelson Riddle64USComposer
8Theresa Harris78USActress
10Yul Brynner65RussiaActor
10Orson Welles70USActor, Director, Screenwriter
11Elwood Ullman82USScreenwriter
13Francesca Bertini93ItalyActress
16Franklin Milton78USSound Engineer
21Diane Thomas39USScreenwriter
22Stefano Satta Flores48ItalyActor
24Masaichi Nagata79JapanProducer
28William Bramley57USActor
29John Davis Lodge82USActor
30Kirby Grant73USActor
30David Oxley64UKActor
November 1Phil Silvers74USActor
6Sanjeev Kumar47IndiaActor
9Helen Rose81USCostume Designer
19Jimmy Ritz81USActor
19Stepin Fetchit83USActor
27Harry Harvey Sr.84USActor
December 3Sam Gilman70USActor
5Howard Rodman73USScreenwriter
8Jack H. Skirball89USProducer
11Kathleen Ryan63IrelandActress
12Anne Baxter62USActress
12Phil Karlson77USDirector
14Bruce Weintraub33USSet Decorator
17Harry M. Leonard85USSound Engineer
22Lawrence Hauben54USScreenwriter
23Gina Kaus92AustriaScreenwriter
26Margarete Schön90GermanyActress
28Renato Castellani72ItalyDirector, Screenwriter
31Ricky Nelson45USActor, Singer
31Sam Spiegel84PolandProducer

Film debuts

References

  1. "1985 Domestic Grosses". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 7 April 2014.
  2. Canby, Vincent (December 29, 1985). "Film View; Vivid Joys Among The Vast Array Of Failures". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 26, 2017. Retrieved August 28, 2020.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Harmetz, Aljean (September 2, 1985). "A Bleak Summer For Movie Makers". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 23, 2017. Retrieved August 28, 2020.
  4. Harmetz, Aljean (July 3, 1985). "'Pale Rider' Heads List In Theaters". The New York Times. Archived from the original on August 10, 2020. Retrieved August 27, 2020.
  5. 1 2 Canby, Vincent (September 8, 1985). "Film: Season Preview; Even Wands Can't Create Magic At The Box Office". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 22, 2017. Retrieved August 28, 2020.
  6. Maslin, Janet (July 21, 1985). "Film View; Maverick Tales Add Spice To Summer". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 25, 2017. Retrieved August 27, 2020.
  7. 1 2 Harmetz, Aljean (January 15, 1986). "Christmas Film Sales Set Record". The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 24, 2015. Retrieved August 28, 2020.
  8. "UPI Almanac for Saturday, Jan. 11, 2020". United Press International. January 11, 2020. Archived from the original on January 12, 2020. Retrieved February 3, 2020. …actor Aja Naomi King in 1985 (age 35)
  9. "Sidharth Malhotra turns 30, ready for 'action'". The Times of India. 16 January 2015. Retrieved 10 September 2015.
  10. "Damien Chazelle | Biography, Movies, & Facts". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved May 7, 2019.
  11. "Romain Cogitore". Télérama (in French). Retrieved 1 July 2023.
  12. "Emile Davenport Hirsch 03/13/1985". California Birth Index. Retrieved January 30, 2014.
  13. "Monitor". Entertainment Weekly. No. 1252. 29 March 2013. p. 30.
  14. Hooli, Shekhar H. (27 March 2018). "Ram Charan birthday: Rana, Kajal, others wish, share Rangasthalm star's rare photos". International Business Times, India Edition. Retrieved 9 November 2019.
  15. Vanessa Oswald (15 July 2019). Gal Gadot: A New Kind of Action Hero. Greenhaven Publishing LLC. p. 94. ISBN 978-1-5345-6778-8.
  16. Pulver, Andrew (4 April 2015). "A special intensity: How Carey Mulligan quietly grabbed Hollywood's attention". The Guardian. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  17. "Sonam Kapoor". Hindustan Times. 23 July 2013. Archived from the original on 11 December 2014. Retrieved 12 November 2013.
  18. Hiatt, Brian (July 18, 2014). "Lana Del Rey – The Saddest, Baddest Diva in Rock". Rolling Stone. No. 1212. p. 44.
  19. "I am only 23: Asin". The Times of India. 21 April 2009. Archived from the original on 21 October 2013. Retrieved 4 August 2013.
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