Overview of the events of 1989 in film
The year 1989 involved many significant films.
Highest-grossing films
The top 10 films released in 1989 by worldwide gross are as follows:[ 1]
Highest-grossing films of 1989[ 2]
Rank
Title
Distributor
Worldwide gross
1
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Paramount
$474,171,806
2
Batman
Warner Bros.
$411,569,241
3
Back to the Future Part II
Universal
$332,950,002
4
Look Who's Talking
TriStar
$297,999,813
5
Dead Poets Society
Disney
$235,860,116
6
Lethal Weapon 2
Warner Bros.
$227,853,986
7
Honey, I Shrunk the Kids
Disney
$222,724,172
8
Ghostbusters II
Columbia
$215,394,738
9
The Little Mermaid
Disney
$184,155,863[ 3]
10
Born on the Fourth of July
Universal
$162,001,698
Events
Actress Kim Basinger and her brother Mick purchase Braselton, Georgia , for $20 million. Basinger would lose the town to her partner in the deal, the pension fund of Chicago -based Ameritech Corp., in 1993 after being forced to file for bankruptcy when a California judge ordered her to pay $7.4 million for refusing to honor a verbal contract to star in the film Boxing Helena .
A director's cut of Lawrence of Arabia is released with a 227-minute length. The restoration was undertaken by Robert A. Harris under the supervision of director David Lean .
April 23 – Field of Dreams , starring Kevin Costner , James Earl Jones , and Burt Lancaster , is released.
May 24 – Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade is released. It is the third installment of the Indiana Jones series.
June 13 – The James Bond film Licence to Kill is released. It would be followed by years of legal wrangling over the future of the popular series. The next Bond film, GoldenEye , is not released until 1995.
June 16 – Ghostbusters II is released.
June 23
June 30 – Do the Right Thing released. It was added to the National Film Registry in 1999.
July 7 – Lethal Weapon 2 is released and becomes the highest-grossing film in the franchise. As well as the highest grossing R-rated film of the year at the domestic box office.
July 11 – Screen, stage, and Shakespearian legend Laurence Olivier died peacefully in his home in England, after appearing in his last filmed role as an old soldier in War Requiem .
August 2 – Ron Howard 's family comedy Parenthood , starring Steve Martin , Tom Hulce , and Rick Moranis , is released.
September 28 – Sony announce its intention to buy Columbia Pictures and Tri-Star Pictures . The deal is completed in November for a total cost of nearly $5 billion. They appoint Peter Guber and Jon Peters as co-chairman, in a further deal that cost up to $1 billion, after settling a lawsuit with Warner Bros.
November 7 – Andrew G. Vajna agrees to sell his stake in Carolco Pictures to his co-chairman and co-founder Mario Kassar for $106 million.
November 17 – The Little Mermaid becomes a critical and commercial success and brings new life to Walt Disney Feature Animation . The Little Mermaid also reinvigorated public and critical interest in The Walt Disney Company , which would become one of the most prestigious corporations of the 1990s.
November 22 – Back to the Future Part II is released.
Awards
1989 films
By country/region
By genre/medium
Births
January 1 – Adele Haenel , French actress
January 3 – Alex D. Linz , American actor
January 8 – Karan Soni , Indian-American actor
January 9 – Nina Dobrev , Bulgarian-Canadian actress and model
January 13 – Andy Allo , Cameroonian-American singer-songwriter and actress
January 14 – Emma Greenwell , American-born English actress
January 16
January 17 – Kelly Marie Tran , American actress
January 23 – April Pearson , English actress
January 20 – Piret Krumm , Estonian actress
January 26 – Hannah Arterton , American actress
January 29 – Kaspar Velberg , Estonian actor
January 30
February 1 – Marco Pigossi , Brazilian actor
February 3 – Ryne Sanborn , American former actor
February 4
February 5 – Jeremy Sumpter , American actor
February 10 – Olga Korsak , Latvian actress
February 12 – Odelya Halevi , Israeli actress
February 13
February 16 – Elizabeth Olsen , American actress
February 21
February 24 – Daniel Kaluuya , English actor
February 28 – Angelababy , Hong Kong actress and singer
March 1 – Daniella Monet , American actress and singer
March 2 – Nathalie Emmanuel , English actress and model
March 3 – Andrea Brooks , Canadian actress and model
March 5
March 11
March 15
March 17
March 18 – Lily Collins , English-American actress
March 20 – Xavier Dolan , Canadian actor and director
March 21 – Takeru Sato , Japanese actor
March 23 – Ayesha Curry , Canadian-American actress
March 25
April 2 – Liis Lass , Estonian actress
April 5
April 8 – Gabriella Wilde , English model and actress
April 12 – Yoshi Sudarso , Indonesian-born American actor
April 18 – Alia Shawkat , American actress
April 19 – Simu Liu , Canadian actor, writer, producer and stuntman
April 26 – Luke Bracey , Australian actor
April 29
May 5 – Larissa Wilson , English actress
May 10 – Lindsey Shaw , American actress
May 12 – Mimi Gianopulos , American actress
May 16 – Pääru Oja , Estonian actor
May 18 – Jona Xiao , American actress
May 21 - Emily Robins , New Zealand actress
May 23 – Alberto Frezza , Italian–American actor
May 24
May 29
May 30 – Kevin Covais , American actor and singer-songwriter
June 3
June 12
June 14
June 18 – Renee Olstead , American actress and singer
June 19 – Giacomo Gianniotti , Italian-Canadian actor
June 20 – Christopher Mintz-Plasse , American actor
June 21 – Jascha Washington , American actor
June 23 – Marielle Jaffe , American actress, singer and model
June 25
Edgar Morais , Portuguese actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
Rafael Morais , Portuguese actor, director, and screenwriter
June 26 – Carlos Lopez , American stunt performer (died 2014)
June 27
July 1
July 3 – Kento Kaku , Japanese actor
July 11
July 12 – Phoebe Tonkin , Australian actress and model
July 14 – Alisha Wainwright , American actress
July 16 – Kim Woo-bin , South Korean actor
July 19 – James Austin Johnson , American comedian and actor
July 21
July 23 – Daniel Radcliffe , English actor[ 4]
July 25 – Andrew Caldwell , American actor
July 27 – Charlotte Arnold , Canadian actress
July 31
August 1 – Landry Allbright , American actress, writer and editor
August 2 – Priscilla Betti , French actress
August 10 – Brenton Thwaites , Australian actor
August 14 – Artyom Bogucharsky , Russian actor
August 15
August 18 – Anna Akana , American filmmaker, actress, comedian, musician and YouTuber
August 21
September 5
September 7
September 8 – Domee Shi , Canadian filmmaker
September 14
September 17 – Danielle Brooks , American actress and singer
September 19 – Lorenza Izzo , Chilean actress and model
September 22 – Sofía Espinosa , Mexican actress, writer and director
September 26 – Emma Rigby , English actress
October 1 – Brie Larson , American actress
October 4 – Dakota Johnson , American actress
October 10 – Aimee Teegarden , American actress, model and producer
October 14 – Mia Wasikowska , Australian actress
October 24 – Shenae Grimes , Canadian actress
October 30 – Dustin Ybarra , American stand-up comedian and actor
November 3 – Elliott Tittensor , English actor
November 8 – Nia DaCosta , American filmmaker
November 10
November 18 – Stephanie Nogueras , American actress
November 20
November 22 – Alden Ehrenreich , American actor
November 26 – Katie Sagona , American former child actress
December 2 – Cassie Steele , Canadian actress and singer
December 4 – Nafessa Williams , American actress
December 7
December 13 – Taylor Swift , American singer-songwriter, actress, and musician
December 15 – Nichole Sakura , American actress
December 18 – Ashley Benson , American actress and model
December 24 – Daniel Durant , American actor
December 28 – Jessie Buckley , Irish actress and singer
December 29
December 30 – Letícia Colin , Brazilian actress
Deaths
Month
Date
Name
Age
Country
Profession
Notable films
January
3
Nell O'Day
79
US
Actress
3
Jean Willes
65
US
Actress
8
Kenneth McMillan
56
US
Actor
15
Helen Logan
82
US
Screenwriter
15
Joe Spinell
52
US
Actor
16
Prem Nazir
62
India
Actor
16
Trey Wilson
40
US
Actor
19
Norma Varden
90
UK
Actress
20
Beatrice Lillie
94
Canada
Actress
23
Arthur Lonergan
83
US
Art Director
26
Morton DaCosta
74
US
Director
February
2
Walter M. Scott
82
US
Set Decorator
3
John Cassavetes
59
US
Actor, Director, Screenwriter
3
Lionel Newman
73
US
Composer
3
Paul Carson
54
US
Actor
4
Ferris Webster
76
US
Film Editor
5
Emrys James
60
UK
Actor
11
T. E. B. Clarke
81
UK
Screenwriter
11
Roland Gross
80
US
Film Editor
11
George O'Hanlon
76
US
Actor
17
Marguerite Roberts
83
US
Screenwriter
22
Roxanne Arlen
58
US
Actress
22
Joan Woodbury
73
US
Actress
March
6
Harry Andrews
77
UK
Actor, Director, Screenwriter
10
Maurizio Merli
49
Italy
Actor
12
Maurice Evans
87
UK
Actor
17
Merritt Butrick
29
US
Actor
19
Valérie Quennessen
31
France
Actress
21
Milton Frome
80
US
Actor
25
Reginald Le Borg
89
Austria
Director
27
May Allison
98
US
Actress
27
Jack Starrett
52
US
Actor, Director
28
Robert J. Wilke
74
US
Actor
29
Bernard Blier
73
France
Actor
30
Reg Allen
71
UK
Set Decorator
April
8
Mario Chiari
79
Italy
Production Designer
12
Gerald Flood
61
UK
Actor
15
Charles Vanel
96
France
Actor, Director
16
John Dighton
79
UK
Screenwriter
24
Clyde Geronimi
87
US
Animator, Director
25
George Coulouris
85
UK
Actor
26
Lucille Ball
77
US
Actress
28
Jack Cummings
84
US
Producer, Director
30
Sergio Leone
60
Italy
Director, Screenwriter
30
Guy Williams
65
US
Actor
May
2
James Crabe
57
US
Cinematographer
3
William Squire
71
UK
Actor
15
Johnny Green
80
US
Composer
19
Anton Diffring
72
Germany
Actor
19
Robert Webber
64
US
Actor
20
Lyn Murray
79
UK
Composer, Conductor
20
Gilda Radner
42
US
Actress
22
Gerd Oswald
69
Germany
Director
25
Brigid Bazlen
44
US
Actress
26
Albert Woodbury
79
US
Composer, Orchestrator
June
10
Richard Quine
68
US
Director
15
Victor French
54
US
Actor
15
Ray McAnally
63
Ireland
Actor
17
John Matuszak
38
US
Actor
20
Dona Drake
74
US
Actress
27
Jack Buetel
73
US
Actor
28
Joris Ivens
90
Netherlands
Director, Documentarian
July
2
Franklin J. Schaffner
79
US
Director
2
Ben Wright
74
UK
Actor
3
Jim Backus
76
US
Actor
10
Mel Blanc
81
US
Voice Actor
11
Laurence Olivier
82
UK
Actor, Director
18
Rebecca Schaeffer
21
US
Actress
20
Mary Treen
82
US
Actress
27
Warren Low
83
US
Film Editor
28
Jeff Richards
64
US
Actor
August
4
Maurice Colbourne
49
UK
Actor
11
John Meillon
55
Australia
Actor
16
Amanda Blake
60
US
Actress
20
Joseph LaShelle
89
US
Cinematographer
18
Robert Buckner
83
US
Screenwriter
30
Joe De Santis
80
US
Actor
31
Claire Luce
85
US
Actress
September
10
Gordon McCallum
70
US
Sound Engineer
14
John Bright
81
US
Screenwriter
15
Michael Klinger
68
UK
Producer
19
Philip Sayer
42
UK
Actor
21
Ertem Eğilmez
60
Turkey
Producer, Director
21
Corrado Gaipa
65
Italy
Actor
22
Irving Berlin
101
US
Composer
23
Angelo Ross
78
US
Film Editor
October
2
Vittorio Caprioli
68
Italy
Actor, Director
4
Graham Chapman
48
UK
Actor, Screenwriter
4
Betsy King Ross
68
US
Actress
5
Paul Lerpae
89
US
Special Effects Artist
5
Noël-Noël
92
France
Actor, Screenwriter
6
Bette Davis
81
US
Actress
8
Onest Conley
82
US
Actor
11
Paul Shenar
53
US
Actor
13
Cesare Zavattini
87
Italy
Screenwriter
14
Michael Carmine
30
US
Actor
15
James Lee Barrett
59
US
Screenwriter
16
Cornel Wilde
77
US
Actor, Director
20
Anthony Quayle
76
UK
Actor
21
Jean Image
78
Hungary
Director
22
Roland Winters
84
US
Actor
23
Armida
78
Mexico
Actress, Singer
29
Roland Anderson
85
US
Art Director
31
Monica Collingwood
81
US
Film Editor
November
1
Peter Childs
50
UK
Actor
6
Margit Makay
98
Hungary
Actress
6
Yūsaku Matsuda
40
Japan
Actor
7
Brunello Rondi
64
Italy
Screenwriter, Director
11
Roger Heman Jr
57
US
Sound Engineer
17
Billy Lee
60
US
Actor
20
Lynn Bari
75
US
Actress
21
Harvey Hart
61
Canada
Director
December
6
Frances Bavier
86
US
Actress
6
Sammy Fain
87
US
Composer
6
John Payne
77
US
Actor
11
Howard Lang
78
UK
Actor
15
Ben Barzman
79
Canada
Screenwriter
15
Emile de Antonio
70
US
Director
15
Jock Mahoney
70
US
Actor, Stuntman
15
Edward Underdown
81
UK
Actor
16
Aileen Pringle
94
US
Actress
16
Lee Van Cleef
64
US
Actor
16
Silvana Mangano
59
Italy
Actress
17
Luciano Salce
67
Italy
Director, Screenwriter
19
Audrey Christie
77
US
Actress
25
Betty Garde
84
US
Actress
25
Robert Pirosh
79
US
Director, Screenwriter
Film debuts
References
External links