1980 in film

Events

• April 30 – The Roger Daltrey film, McVicar, opens in London.
• Sharon Stone makes her film debut in the Woody Allen movie Stardust Memories (released September 26 in USA)

Top three grossing films

North America

1. Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
2. Superman II starring the late Christopher Reeve
3. Nine to Five starring Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, and Dolly Parton

Academy Awards

• Best Picture: Ordinary People – Wildwood, Paramount
• Best Director: Robert Redford – Ordinary People
• Best Actor: Robert De Niro – Raging Bull
• Best Actress: Sissy Spacek – Coal Miner's Daughter
• Best Supporting Actress: Mary Steenburgen – Ordinary People
• Best Supporting Actor: Timothy Hutton – Melvin and Howard

Deaths

• January 29 – Jimmy Durante, actor
• February 13 – David Janssen, actor
• March 5 – Jay Silverheels, actor (Tonto)
• March 28 – Dick Haymes, actor, singer
• April 29 – Alfred Hitchcock, director
• July 6 – Gail Patrick, actress
• July 24 – Peter Sellers, actor
• July 31 – Bobby Van, actor, dancer
• August 14 – Dorothy Stratten, actress, Playboy Magazine model
• August 25 – Gower Champion, actor, dancer, choreographer
• October 6 – Hattie Jacques, actress
• November 7 – Steve McQueen, actor
• November 22 – Mae West, actress
• November 24 – George Raft, actor
• November 26 – Rachel Roberts, actress
• December 8 – John Lennon, singer/songwriter
• December 31 – Raoul Walsh, director

Other movies released

• Caddyshack, starring Bill Murray, Chevy Chase, Rodney Dangerfield, Ted Knight and others
• The Elephant Man
• Ordinary People
• Raging Bull
• Nine to Five, starring Dolly Parton
• Stir Crazy, starring Richard Pryor
• Any Which Way You Can
• Urban Cowboy
• Friday the 13th
• Mon oncle d'Amérique, Cannes Special Jury Prize
• Kagemusha, Palme d'Or winner
• All That Jazz, Palme d'Or winner
• Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears Academy Award for Best Foreign -Language Film
• Gloria, Golden Lion winner
• Atlantic City, Golden Lion winner
• Heartland, Golden Bear winner
• Palmero oder Wolsfburg, Golden Bear winner
• Loulou
• Tess
• The Stunt Man
• The Great Santini
• Fame
• Yanks
• Flash Gordon
• No Child's Land
• O Megalexandros
• The Constant Factor
• The Club
• Breaker Morant
• The Young Master