Oscars 1972
by emilyjeanlocke | created - 11 Apr 2021 | updated - 11 Apr 2021 | Public- Instant Watch Options
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1. The French Connection (1971)
R | 104 min | Action, Crime, Drama
A pair of NYPD detectives in the Narcotics Bureau stumble onto a heroin smuggling ring based in Marseilles, but stopping them and capturing their leaders proves an elusive goal.
Director: William Friedkin | Stars: Gene Hackman, Roy Scheider, Fernando Rey, Tony Lo Bianco
Votes: 135,734 | Gross: $15.63M
2. Sunday Bloody Sunday (1971)
R | 110 min | Drama
The emotional intricacies of a polyamorous relationship between young artist Bob and his two lovers: a lonely male doctor and a frustrated female office worker.
Director: John Schlesinger | Stars: Peter Finch, Glenda Jackson, Murray Head, Peggy Ashcroft
Votes: 7,066 | Gross: $0.54M
3. Kotch (1971)
GP | 113 min | Comedy, Drama
Wanting to avoid settling in a nursing home, Joseph Kotcher, a retired salesman, is obliged to leave his son's family. He embarks on a road trip during which he strikes up a friendship with... See full summary »
Director: Jack Lemmon | Stars: Walter Matthau, Deborah Winters, Felicia Farr, Charles Aidman
Votes: 1,627 | Gross: $1.33M
4. The Hospital (1971)
PG-13 | 103 min | Comedy, Drama, Mystery
A hospital's chief-of-staff struggles to find meaning in his life during a spate of staff deaths.
Director: Arthur Hiller | Stars: George C. Scott, Diana Rigg, Barnard Hughes, Richard Dysart
Votes: 7,333 | Gross: $19.71M
5. Fiddler on the Roof (1971)
G | 181 min | Drama, Family, Musical
In pre-revolutionary Russia, a Jewish peasant with traditional values contends with marrying off three of his daughters with modern romantic ideals while growing anti-Semitic sentiment threatens his village.
Director: Norman Jewison | Stars: Topol, Norma Crane, Leonard Frey, Molly Picon
Votes: 47,883 | Gross: $80.50M
6. The Last Picture Show (1971)
R | 118 min | Drama, Romance
In 1951, a group of high schoolers come of age in a bleak, isolated, atrophied North Texas town that is slowly dying, both culturally and economically.
Director: Peter Bogdanovich | Stars: Timothy Bottoms, Jeff Bridges, Cybill Shepherd, Ben Johnson
Votes: 52,404 | Gross: $29.13M
7. Sometimes a Great Notion (1971)
PG | 114 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
A family of fiercely independent Oregon loggers struggle to keep the family business alive amidst changing times.
Director: Paul Newman | Stars: Paul Newman, Henry Fonda, Lee Remick, Michael Sarrazin
Votes: 4,495 | Gross: $9.20M
8. Klute (1971)
R | 114 min | Crime, Mystery, Thriller
A small-town detective searching for a missing man has only one lead: a connection with a New York prostitute.
Director: Alan J. Pakula | Stars: Jane Fonda, Donald Sutherland, Charles Cioffi, Roy Scheider
Votes: 29,631 | Gross: $17.44M
9. McCabe & Mrs. Miller (1971)
R | 120 min | Drama, Western
A gambler and a prostitute become business partners in a remote Old West mining town, and their enterprise thrives until a large corporation arrives on the scene.
Director: Robert Altman | Stars: Warren Beatty, Julie Christie, Rene Auberjonois, William Devane
Votes: 27,654 | Gross: $8.20M
10. Mary, Queen of Scots (1971)
PG-13 | 128 min | Biography, Drama, History
During the sixteenth century, the Catholic Mary, Queen of Scots engages in over two decades of religious and political conflict with her cousin, the Protestant Queen Elizabeth I of England, amidst political intrigue in her native land.
Director: Charles Jarrott | Stars: Vanessa Redgrave, Glenda Jackson, Patrick McGoohan, Timothy Dalton
Votes: 4,882 | Gross: $2.33M
11. Nicholas and Alexandra (1971)
GP | 183 min | Biography, Drama, History
Tsar Nicholas II, the inept last monarch of Russia, insensitive to the needs of his people, is overthrown and exiled to Siberia with his family.
Director: Franklin J. Schaffner | Stars: Michael Jayston, Janet Suzman, Roderic Noble, Ania Marson
Votes: 5,566 | Gross: $3.96M
12. Carnal Knowledge (1971)
R | 98 min | Comedy, Drama
Chronicling the lifelong sexual development of two men who meet and become friends in college.
Director: Mike Nichols | Stars: Jack Nicholson, Candice Bergen, Art Garfunkel, Ann-Margret
Votes: 14,897 | Gross: $28.62M
13. Who Is Harry Kellerman and Why Is He Saying Those Terrible Things About Me? (1971)
R | 108 min | Comedy, Drama
Georgie Soloway, a pop hit love song writer who cannot love, himself, or others. He spends his days with various women flying his plane, and dropping in to the world around him.
Director: Ulu Grosbard | Stars: Dustin Hoffman, Barbara Harris, Jack Warden, David Burns
Votes: 1,072 | Gross: $0.23M
14. The Go-Between (1971)
GP | 116 min | Drama, Romance
A tale of torrid and forbidden love between a couple in the English countryside.
Director: Joseph Losey | Stars: Julie Christie, Alan Bates, Dominic Guard, Margaret Leighton
Votes: 6,305 | Gross: $0.75M
15. The Andromeda Strain (1971)
G | 131 min | Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Top scientists work feverishly in a secret, state-of-the-art laboratory to discover what killed the citizens of a small town and how the deadly contagion can be stopped.
Director: Robert Wise | Stars: James Olson, Arthur Hill, David Wayne, Kate Reid
Votes: 40,448 | Gross: $3.42M
16. Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971)
G | 117 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
An apprentice witch, three kids and a cynical magician conman search for the missing component to a magic spell to be used in the defense of Britain in World War II.
Directors: Robert Stevenson, Ward Kimball | Stars: Angela Lansbury, David Tomlinson, Roddy McDowall, Sam Jaffe
Votes: 40,731 | Gross: $18.53M
17. Summer of '42 (1971)
PG | 104 min | Drama, Romance
During his summer vacation on Nantucket Island in 1942, a youth eagerly awaiting his first sexual encounter finds himself developing an innocent love for a young woman awaiting news on her soldier husband's fate in WWII.
Director: Robert Mulligan | Stars: Jennifer O'Neill, Gary Grimes, Jerry Houser, Oliver Conant
Votes: 9,123 | Gross: $7.38M
18. Death in Venice (1971)
GP | 130 min | Drama, Romance
While recovering in Venice, sickly composer Gustav von Aschenbach becomes dangerously fixated with teenager Tadzio.
Director: Luchino Visconti | Stars: Dirk Bogarde, Romolo Valli, Mark Burns, Nora Ricci
Votes: 23,041 | Gross: $0.15M
19. What's the Matter with Helen? (1971)
R | 101 min | Crime, Horror, Musical
Two middle-aged women move to Hollywood, California after their sons are convicted of a notorious murder and open a dance school for children eager to tap their way to stardom.
Director: Curtis Harrington | Stars: Debbie Reynolds, Shelley Winters, Dennis Weaver, Micheál MacLiammóir
Votes: 2,300
20. A Clockwork Orange (1971)
R | 136 min | Crime, Sci-Fi
In the future, a sadistic gang leader is imprisoned and volunteers for a conduct-aversion experiment, but it doesn't go as planned.
Director: Stanley Kubrick | Stars: Malcolm McDowell, Patrick Magee, Michael Bates, Warren Clarke
Votes: 881,462 | Gross: $6.21M
21. The Hellstrom Chronicle (1971)
G | 90 min | Documentary, Drama
A scientist explains how the savagery and efficiency of the insect world could result in their taking over the world.
Directors: Walon Green, Ed Spiegel | Stars: Lawrence Pressman, Conlan Carter, Ian McShane, Suzanne Pleshette
Votes: 962 | Gross: $0.04M
23. On Any Sunday (1971)
G | 96 min | Documentary, Sport
Documentary on motorcycle racing featuring stars of the sport, including film star Steve McQueen, a racer in his own right.
Director: Bruce Brown | Stars: Steve McQueen, Dave Aldana, Mark Brelsford, Bruce Brown
Votes: 1,545
24. The Ra Expeditions (1971)
G | 96 min | Documentary
Documentary of the Ra expedition organized by Thor Heyerdahl, which crossed the Atlantic Ocean in a papyrus boat in 1969 and 1970.
Directors: Lennart Ehrenborg, Thor Heyerdahl | Stars: Norman Baker, Roscoe Lee Browne, Abdullah Dilbrine, Santiago Geneves
Votes: 298
25. The Sorrow and the Pity (1969)
PG | 251 min | Documentary, History, War
An in-depth exploration of the various reactions by the French people to the Vichy government's acceptance of the German invasion.
Director: Marcel Ophüls | Stars: Helmut Tausend, Marcel Verdier, Alexis Grave, Louis Grave
Votes: 4,097
26. Sentinels of Silence (1971)
G | 18 min | Documentary, Short
An 18-minute helicopter-based aerial visit across the archaeological ruins in Mexico.
Director: Robert Amram | Stars: Ricardo Montalban, Orson Welles
Votes: 179
27. Adventures in Perception (1972)
21 min | Documentary, Short
An introduction to the work of graphic artist M.C. Escher.
Director: Han Van Gelder
Votes: 44
28. Art Is... (1972)
28 min | Documentary, Short
"What is art?" The film offers some new answers to the age old question.
Directors: Julian Krainin, DeWitt Sage
Votes: 31
29. The Numbers Start with the River (1971)
15 min | Documentary, Short
Depicts the quality of life in a small river town in the heartland of America. There are thousands of such towns across the United States. Illustrates an old farm couple's memories of play, work, family life, courtship, and marriage.
Director: Donald Wrye | Stars: Peter Haskell, William Challee, Florence White
Votes: 18
30. Somebody Waiting (1972)
24 min | Documentary, Short
At Corcoran Cottage at Sonoma State Hospital in California, staff try to improve the lives of intellectually disabled children.
Directors: Hal Riney, Dick Snider | Stars: James Daly, Marie Fitzgerald, Joan Mohr
Votes: 20
31. The Garden of the Finzi-Continis (1970)
R | 94 min | Drama, History, War
The story of the Finzi-Continis, a noble family of Ferrara, during the Jewish persecution in Italy's 1930s.
Director: Vittorio De Sica | Stars: Dominique Sanda, Lino Capolicchio, Helmut Berger, Fabio Testi
Votes: 7,674 | Gross: $0.60M
32. Dodes'ka-den (1970)
Not Rated | 140 min | Drama
Various tales in the lives of Tokyo slum dwellers, including a mentally deficient young man obsessed with driving his own commuter trolley.
Director: Akira Kurosawa | Stars: Yoshitaka Zushi, Kin Sugai, Toshiyuki Tonomura, Shinsuke Minami
Votes: 7,623
33. The Emigrants (1971)
PG | 151 min | Drama, History
Småland, Sweden, mid-19th century. A farming family struggle with their rocky, unyielding land, and decide to embark on the arduous journey to new hope in America.
Director: Jan Troell | Stars: Max von Sydow, Liv Ullmann, Eddie Axberg, Sven-Olof Bern
Votes: 7,467 | Gross: $1.16M
34. The Policeman (1971)
87 min | Comedy, Drama
One of Israel's most beloved films, this film centers around the policeman Azulai, who is as kind as he as inept.
Director: Ephraim Kishon | Stars: Shaike Ophir, Zaharira Harifai, Avner Hizkiyahu, Itzko Rachamimov
Votes: 810
35. Tchaikovsky (1970)
Not Rated | 157 min | Biography, Drama
The life and work of Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tschaikovsky is shown through his relationship with aristocratic art connoisseur Nadezhda Filaretovna von Meck.
Director: Igor Talankin | Stars: Innokentiy Smoktunovskiy, Antonina Shuranova, Kirill Lavrov, Vladislav Strzhelchik
Votes: 487
36. Shaft (1971)
R | 100 min | Action, Crime, Thriller
A crime lord hires black private eye, John Shaft, to find and retrieve his kidnapped daughter.
Director: Gordon Parks | Stars: Richard Roundtree, Moses Gunn, Charles Cioffi, Christopher St. John
Votes: 21,030 | Gross: $16.69M
37. Straw Dogs (1971)
R | 113 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
A young American and his English wife come to rural England and face increasingly vicious local harassment.
Director: Sam Peckinpah | Stars: Dustin Hoffman, Susan George, Peter Vaughan, T.P. McKenna
Votes: 64,512
38. The Boy Friend (1971)
G | 137 min | Comedy, Musical, Romance
When the leading lady of a low-budget musical revue sprains her ankle, the assistant stage manager is forced to understudy and perform in her place, becoming a star and finding love in the process.
Director: Ken Russell | Stars: Twiggy, Christopher Gable, Max Adrian, Bryan Pringle
Votes: 3,587
39. Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971)
G | 100 min | Family, Fantasy, Musical
A poor but hopeful boy seeks one of the five coveted golden tickets that will send him on a tour of Willy Wonka's mysterious chocolate factory.
Director: Mel Stuart | Stars: Gene Wilder, Jack Albertson, Peter Ostrum, Roy Kinnear
Votes: 227,399 | Gross: $4.00M
40. Bless the Beasts & Children (1971)
GP | 109 min | Comedy, Drama
A group of social misfits at a summer camp for boys run away to save penned-in buffaloes from a rifle club's slaughter.
Director: Stanley Kramer | Stars: Bill Mumy, Barry Robins, Miles Chapin, Darel Glaser
Votes: 1,582 | Gross: $0.21M
41. The Crunch Bird (1971)
GP | 2 min | Animation, Short, Comedy
A woman goes into a pet store seeking a gift for her husband. She decides to get him a bird with a most unusual talent, but her gift brings about an unforeseen result.
Director: Ted Petok | Star: Len Maxwell
Votes: 566
42. Evolution (1971)
11 min | Animation, Short, Comedy
A humourous illustration of the natural process of evolution.
Director: Michael Mills
Votes: 251
43. The Selfish Giant (1971)
26 min | Animation, Short
A giant builds a wall to keep children out of his garden, but then winter sets in permanently.
Director: Peter Sander | Stars: Paul Hecht, Charles Aznavour, The King Sisters, Alyce King
Votes: 369
44. Good Morning (1971)
12 min | Short
A man wakes up hoping to have a good day, but reality keeps getting in the way.
Director: Ken Greenwald | Stars: Roger Carroll, Vern Rowe
Votes: 26
45. The Rehearsal (1969)
17 min | Short, Comedy
A humorous short where a director becomes frustrated with an inquisitive actress during the rehearsal of a play.
Director: Stephen Verona | Stars: Dick Clair, Jenna McMahon
Votes: 39
46. Diamonds Are Forever (1971)
PG | 120 min | Action, Adventure, Thriller
A diamond smuggling investigation leads James Bond to Las Vegas where he uncovers an evil plot involving a rich business tycoon.
Director: Guy Hamilton | Stars: Sean Connery, Jill St. John, Charles Gray, Lana Wood
Votes: 114,167 | Gross: $43.82M
47. When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth (1970)
G | 96 min | Adventure, Fantasy, Romance
Sanna escapes being sacrificed and meets Tara. Together, they live in a seaside tribe that worships the Sun God and survive the dangers of the creatures from the Mesozoic Era.
Director: Val Guest | Stars: Victoria Vetri, Robin Hawdon, Patrick Allen, Drewe Henley
Votes: 2,885 | Gross: $0.37M
48. The Conformist (1970)
R | 113 min | Drama
A weak-willed Italian man becomes a fascist flunky who goes abroad to arrange the assassination of his old teacher, now a political dissident.
Director: Bernardo Bertolucci | Stars: Jean-Louis Trintignant, Stefania Sandrelli, Gastone Moschin, Enzo Tarascio
Votes: 33,706 | Gross: $0.54M
49. Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion (1970)
R | 115 min | Crime, Drama
A chief of detectives, homicide section, kills his mistress and deliberately leaves clues to prove his own responsibility for the crime.
Director: Elio Petri | Stars: Gian Maria Volontè, Florinda Bolkan, Gianni Santuccio, Orazio Orlando
Votes: 13,341 | Gross: $0.27M
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