- Jan 1 Rika Hopper, Dutch actress (Comedia, Anastasia), dies at ~86
- Jan 4 Ralph Dumke, American actor (Movieland Quiz), dies at 64
- Jan 15 (Weldon Leo) "Jack" Teagarden, American jazz trombonist (Paul Whiteman, 1933-38; Louis Armstrong's All-Stars, 1946-51), singer ("Basin Street Blues"), and bandleader, dies from bronchial pneumonia at 58
- Jan 21 Joseph Schildkraut, Austrian actor (Cleopatra, Joseph Schildkraut Presents, Diary of Anne Frank), dies from a heart attack at 68
- Jan 29 Alan Ladd, American actor (Shane, Carpetbaggers), dies from an overdose at 50
- Feb 22 Edie Martin, actor (Titfield Thunderbolt), dies at 84
- Feb 24 Frank Conroy, British actor (Midnight Mary, Threat), dies at 73
- Feb 29 Frank Albertson, American actor (Psycho, It's a Wonderful Life, Alice Adams), dies in his sleep at 55
- Mar 6 Edward Van Sloan, American actor (Frankenstein, Dracula), dies at 81
- Mar 9 Johanna "Mina" Bakker, Dutch actress (Boefje), dies at 87
- Mar 15 Paul Cavanagh, British actor (The Woman in Green, Tarzan & his Mate), dies at 75
- Mar 16 Nicholas Joy, French actor (Gentleman's Agreement; Desk Set; Boss Lady), dies at 80
- Mar 22 Addison Richards, American actor (Pentagon, Fighting Seabees), dies at 61
- Mar 23 Peter Lorre, Hungarian-American actor (M, Casablanca, Beast with 5 Fingers), dies from a stroke at 59
- Apr 14 Earle Hodgins, American fast-talking film and television character actor (Guestward Ho!), dies at 70
- Apr 18 Ben Hecht, American novelist, screenwriter and playwright (The Front Page), dies at 71
- May 3 Diana Wynyard, British stage and film actress (Cavalcade), dies of renal disease at 58
- Jun 6 Robert Warwick, American actor (Konga; Zorro; Lady Godiva), dies at 85
- Jun 19 Hans Moser, Austrian actor (Hello Service Man, Once Upon a Time), dies at 83
- Jun 20 Edgar Barrier, American actor (Phantom of the Opera, Macbeth, Rocky, Cornered), dies from a heart attack at 57
- Jun 28 King Calder, actor (Lt Grey-Martin Kane Private Eye), dies at 64
- Jul 19 Carol Veazie, actress (Maude-Norby), dies at 69
- Jul 31 Jim Reeves, American country singer ("He'll Have To Go"; "Distant Drums"), and actor (Kimberley Jim), dies in airplane crash at 39
- Aug 2 Jack Kirkwood, Scottish actor (Fibber McGee & Molly), dies at 69
- Aug 6 Cedric Hardwicke, British stage actor (Rope; Suspicion; Peter Pan; Richard III), dies at 71
- Aug 12 Ian Fleming, English author (James Bond novels), dies at 56
- Aug 16 Jack Pennick, American actor (Lady From Louisiana), dies at 68
- Aug 27 Gracie Allen, American actress and comedienne (Burns & Allen), dies at 62
- Aug 28 Lumsden Hare, Irish actor (Oregon Trail, Desert Fox, Young Bess), dies at 89
- Sep 2 Morris Ankrum, American actor (Kronos, Earth vs Flying Saucers), dies at 67
- Sep 25 Ida Moore, American character actress (Mr. Music; Ma and Pa Kettle; Desk Set), dies at 82
- Sep 28 Harpo Marx [Adolph], American actor and comedian (Marx brothers), dies at 75
- Oct 10 Eddie Cantor, American comedian (Eddie Cantor Comedy Theater), dies at 72
- Oct 10 Guru Dutt [Vasanth Padukone], Indian Bollywood actor, regarded as one of the greatest film directors of all time (Pyaasa, Kaagaz Ke Phool), dies from an accidental overdose at 39
- Oct 19 Maurice Gosfield, actor (Doberman-Phil Silvers Show), dies at 51
- Oct 25 Belle Montrose, actress (Mrs Harrison-Hathaways), dies at 78
- Oct 27 Sammee Tong, actor (Bachelor Father, Mickey), dies at 63
- Nov 10 Jimmie Dodd, American actor (The Mickey Mouse Club; Thundering Trails; Riders of the Rio Grande), and singer-songwriter, dies of cancer at 54
- Nov 14 Hendrik Gerrit Cannegieter, meteorology/director KNMI, dies at 85
- Nov 16 John Emery, American actor (Ship Ahoy, Kronos, Mademoiselle Fifi), dies at 59
- Nov 25 Clarence Kolb, American actor (My Little Margie - "Mr. Honeywell"), dies at 90
- Nov 28 Charles Meredith, American actor (Court of Last Resort), dies at 70
- Dec 5 Remy Angenot, Flemish actor (Met den helm geboren, Patriot, Idiot), dies at 70
- Dec 11 Percy Kilbride, American stage and screen actor (The Egg and I; Ma and Pa Kettle films), dies at 76
- Dec 14 William Bendix, American actor (Lifeboat, Babe Ruth Story, Life of Riley), dies from lobar pneumonia at 58
- Dec 25 Cheerio Meredith, actress (One Happy Family), dies at 74
- Dec 31 Gertrude Michael, American actress (Cleopatra, Menace, Club Havana, caged), dies from undisclosed causes at 53
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