Film and TV History in 1981
Film & TV History
Jan 4 Victor Gialanella's stage adaptation of Mary Shelley's novel "Frankenstein", starring John Carradine and Dianne Wiest, opens and closes at the Palace Theatre, NYC, after 1 performance [1]
- Jan 5 Late night television news program "Nightline" with Ted Koppel extended from 20 mins to 30 mins
"The Pirates of Penzance"
Jan 8 Joseph Papp's revival of Gilbert and Sullivan's operetta "The Pirates of Penzance", starring Linda Ronstadt, Rex Smith, and Kevin Kline, opens at the Uris Theater, NYC; runs for 772 performances and wins a Tony Award
- Jan 15 Police drama "Hill Street Blues" premieres on NBC-TV
"Fort Apache: The Bronx"
Feb 6 Crime film "Fort Apache: The Bronx" starring Paul Newman released amid protests in the US
- Feb 6 TV sitcom "The Brady Brides", a sequel to "The Brady Brunch" debuts on NBC TV, runs for 10 episodes
- Feb 13 31st Berlin International Film Festival: "Hurry, Hurry!" wins the Golden Bear
- Feb 21 Charles Rocket clearly says "f*ck" on "Saturday Night Live"
- Mar 7 First homicide at Disneyland, 18-year-old Mel Yorba is stabbed to death during a fight with James O'Driscoll after allegedly pinching his girlfriend’s bottom
Film & TV History
Mar 9 Dan Rather becomes primary anchorman of CBS-TV News
- Mar 30 "Chariots of Fire" directed by Hugh Hudson and starring Ben Cross and Ian Charleson premieres at a Royal Command Film Performance (Best Picture 1982)
- Mar 31 1st Golden Raspberry Awards: "Can't Stop the Music" wins
- Mar 31 53rd Academy Awards: "Ordinary People", Robert De Niro & Sissy Spacek win
- Apr 20 Final performance of TV show "Soap" airs
- Apr 28 "We’re Fighting Back" premieres on CBS in the US, based on the formation of the Guardian Angels
- May 6 A. Marcus Hemphill's stage comedy "Inacent Black", starring Melba Moore and Reginald Vel Johnson, opens at Biltmore Theater, NYC; runs for 14 performances
- May 12 "Lena Horne: Lady, Music" opens at Nederlander, NYC: runs for 333 performances
- May 15 SCTV Network 90, sequel to Second City Television, debuts on NBC
Television Debut
May 15 TV comedy film "The Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan's Island" airs on NBC
- May 17 A. Marcus Hemphill's stage comedy "Inacent Black", starring Melba Moore and Reginald Vel Johnson, closes at Biltmore Theater, NYC, after 14 performances
- May 21 Kim Seelbrede, (Ohio), crowned 30th Miss USA
- May 27 34th Cannes Film Festival: "Man of Iron" directed by Andrzej Wajda wins the Palme d'Or
- May 30 "Nightline" extends from 4 nights to 5 nights a week (Friday)
- Jun 14 No Nukes concert at Hollywood Bowl
- Jun 23 NYC Mayor Koch turns down a $7,500 offer to perform comedy
For Your Eyes Only
Jun 24 "For Your Eyes Only", 12th James Bond, starring Roger Moore and 1st drected by John Glen premieres in London
Donkey Kong Released
Jul 9 Nintendo release arcade game "Donkey Kong" created by Shigeru Miyamoto in Japan (July 31 in the US)
- Jul 10 Walt Disney's "Fox & The Hound" released
- Jul 20 Irene Sáez, of Venezuela, crowned 30th Miss Universe
- Jul 23 14th San Diego Comic-Con International opens at El Cortez Hotel
Endless Love
Aug 1 "Endless Love" single released by Diana Ross and Lionel Richie (Billboard Song of the Year 1981, Billboard Greatest Song Duet of All-Time)
- Aug 1 Music video cable channel MTV debuts in the US at 12:01 AM with The Buggles' song "Video Killed the Radio Star"
- Aug 13 Last broadcast of "The Waltons" on CBS-TV
- Sep 2 38th Venice Film Festival: "Die bleierne Zeit" directed by Margarethe von Trotta wins Golden Lion
- Sep 6 Albert Innaurato's stage comedy "Gemini" closes at the Little Theatre, NYC, after1,819 performances
They're Playing Our Song
Sep 6 Marvin Hamlisch, Carole Bayer Sager, and Neil Simon's musical "They're Playing Our Song", starring Robert Klein and Lucie Arnaz, closes at Imperial Theatre, NYC, after 1082 performances
- Sep 7 Jerry Lewis' 16th Muscular Dystrophy telethon raises $31,500,000
- Sep 8 British TV comedy "Only Fools and Horses" created by John Sullivan, starring David Jason, Nicholas Lyndhurst and Lennard Pearce premieres on BBC One
- Sep 12 Elizabeth Ward (Arkansas), 20, crowned 54th Miss America 1982
Sep 13 33rd Emmy Awards: "Taxi", "Hill Street Blues"; Judd Hirsch and Isabel Sanford win
- Sep 14 Entertainment Tonight premieres on TV
- Sep 19 6th Toronto International Film Festival: "Chariots of Fire" directed by Hugh Hudson wins the People's Choice Award
- Sep 27 Frank Lazarus and Dick Vosburgh's musical double feature "A Day in Hollywood / A Night in the Ukraine" closes at Royale Theatre, NYC, after 588 performances and 2 Tony Awards
- Oct 31 1st live US radio drama in 25 years (Halloween Story on NBC)
- Nov 12 Pilin Leon of Venezuela, crowned 31st Miss World
- Nov 13 Ringo Starr releases single "Wrack My Brain", written and produced by George Harrison, in the UK
- Nov 20 Ringo Starr releases album "Stop and Smell the Roses" in the UK
- Nov 21 Olivia Newton-John's "Physical" single goes #1 & stays for 10 weeks
- Dec 4 "Falcon Crest" premieres on CBS-TV
- Dec 31 CNN Headline News cable TV channel debuts in US
Famous Film Stars
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