1960s Timeline

Dec. 31, 1961 - Universal Pictures has acquired Western Hemisphere distribution rights to “The Day the Earth Caught Fire,” a British-made...

Dec. 30, 1961 - Bosley Crowther, New York Times film critic, has listed his “ten best” films of 1961, in order of their release: The...

Dec. 28, 1961 - “West Side Story” was voted the best motion picture of the year in the 27th annual poll of The New York Film Critics....

Dec. 28, 1961 - Elizabeth Taylor was named the movies’ top money-making star today in the 30th annual poll of exhibitors by The Motion...

Dec. 28, 1961 - Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Jacobs, parents of actress Piper Laurie (left), today announced her engagement to Joseph M....

Dec. 26, 1961 - The film version of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel “Tender is the Night,” with Jennifer Jones and Jason Robards Jr., will...

Dec. 20, 1961 - Spencer Tracy, now starring in “Judgment at Nuremberg,” has been signed for a key role in Stanley Kramer’s forthcoming...

Dec. 20, 1961 - Today’s new film is “One, Two, Three,” a comedy with James Cagney, Horst Buchholz (pictured), Pamela Tiffin, and Arlene...

Dec. 20, 1961 - Sophia Loren, the actress, brought suit today because she didn’t get equal billing with Charlton Heston on a...

Dec. 19, 1961 - Actor Anthony Franciosa (pictured) and Judith R. Balaban Kanter obtained a marriage license at New York’s Municipal...

Dec. 19, 1961 - Opening in local theatres today is “Judgment at Nuremberg,” directed and produced by Stanley Kramer, written by Abby...

Dec. 15, 1961 - A Shakespearean love story played by Albert Finney (pictured) and Zoe Caldwell has turned into romance offstage. Mr....

Dec. 14, 1961 - An Berlin audience viewed the world premiére of the American film, “Judgment at Nuremberg.” A capacity audience of 1,200...

Dec. 12, 1961 - Opening in local theatres today is “The Colossus of Rhodes,” a dubbed Italian import with Rory Calhoun (left) and Lea...

Dec. 12, 1961 - West German newspapers were unanimous today in approving the verdict against Adolf Eichmann (pictured in 1942) by an...

Dec. 11, 1961 - Israeli judges rejected one by one today the arguments that Adolf Eichmann hoped would gain some mitigation of sentence...

Dec. 10, 1961 - Scheduled to arrive this week in local theatres is “El Cid,” a biographical adventure with Charlton Heston and Sophia...

Dec. 10, 1961 - Adolf Eichmann was convicted in a Jerusalem court this morning of crimes against the Jewish people, crimes against...

Dec. 6, 1961 - What happens to a producer-director when he is ready to begin shooting his movie and then has to wait a year for his star?...

Dec. 2, 1961 - 26-year-old Alain Delon, one of France’s top screen idols whose success this year in the French “Purple Noon” and the...