1970 in film

Events

• February 11 – The film The Magic Christian, starring Peter Sellers and Ringo Starr premieres in New York City. The film's soundtrack album, including Badfinger's "Come and Get It," (which is written and produced by Paul McCartney), is also released on Apple Records.
• The IMAX motion picture projection system premieres at the Fuji Pavilion, at EXPO '70 in Osaka, Japan
• MGM sells off its studio and props.

Top grossing films

North America

1. Airport
2. M*A*S*H, starring Donald Sutherland and Elliott Gould, Palme d'Or winner
3. Patton, starring George C. Scott
4. Bob and Carol and Ted and Alice
5. Woodstock
6. Hello, Dolly!
7. Cactus Flower
8. Catch-22
9. On Her Majesty's Secret Service
10. The Reivers

Academy Awards

• Best Picture: Patton – 20th Century-Fox
• Best Director: Franklin J. Schaffner – Patton
• Best Actor: George C. Scott – Patton (declined)
• Best Actress: Glenda Jackson – Women in Love
• Best Supporting Actor: John Mills – Ryan's Daughter
• Best Supporting Actress: Helen Hayes – Airport

Births

• April 29 – Uma Thurman, actress
• May 22 – Naomi Campbell, model, actress
• May 27 – Joseph Fiennes, actor
• June 26 – Chris O'Donnell, actor
• July 24 – Jennifer Lopez, actress, singer
• August 6 – M. Night Shyamalan, film director, writer, producer, actor
• August 23 – Jay Mohr, actor, comedian
• October 8 – Matt Damon, actor

Deaths

• January 23 – Nell Shipman, actress, writer, producer
• March 23 – Del Lord, pioneer Hollywood director
• April 11 – Cathy O'Donnell, actress
• April 25 – Anita Louise, actress
• April 26 – Gypsy Rose Lee, burlesque performer, actress, author
• April 28 – Ed Begley, actor
• April 30 – Inger Stevens, actress
• May 14 – Billie Burke, actress, The Wizard of Oz
• July 6 – Marjorie Rambeau, actress
• July 14 – Preston Foster, actor
• July 22 – Fritz Kortner, director
• August 1 – Frances Farmer, actress
• September 29 – Edward Everett Horton, actor
• October 10 – Grethe Weiser, actress
• December 23 – Charles Ruggles, actor
• December 30 – Lenore Ulric, actress

Other movies released

• Myra Breckinridge
• The Aristocats
• Soldier Blue
• ...tick...tick...tick...
• Love Story
• Little Big Man starring Dustin Hoffman
• Chariots of the Gods
• Joe
• Ann och Eve – de erotiska
• Beneath the Planet of the Apes
• Tora! Tora! Tora!
• The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes
• Andrei Roublev
• Five Easy Pieces
• Women in Love
• The Strawberry Statement
• Scrooge with Albert Finney
• Ryan's Daughter
• Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion
• The Great White Hope
• I Never Sang for My Father
• The Vampire Lovers