| List of years in film |
|---|
| Years in film |
|---|
| 19th century |
| 1870s |
The following is an overview of events in1987 in film, including the highest-grossing films, award ceremonies and festivals, a list of films released and notable deaths.Paramount Pictures celebrated its 75th anniversary in 1987.
The top ten 1987 released films by box office gross in North America are as follows:
| Rank | Title | Distributor | Box-office gross |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Three Men and a Baby | Buena Vista | $167,780,960 |
| 2 | Fatal Attraction | Paramount | $156,645,693 |
| 3 | Beverly Hills Cop II | $153,665,036 | |
| 4 | Good Morning, Vietnam | Buena Vista | $123,922,370 |
| 5 | Moonstruck | MGM | $80,640,528 |
| 6 | The Untouchables | Paramount | $76,270,454 |
| 7 | The Secret of My Success | Universal | $66,995,000 |
| 8 | Stakeout | Buena Vista | $65,673,233 |
| 9 | Lethal Weapon | Warner Bros. | $65,207,127 |
| 10 | The Witches of Eastwick | $63,766,510 |
Palme d'Or (Cannes Film Festival):
Golden Lion (Venice Film Festival):
Golden Bear (Berlin Film Festival):
| Month | Date | Name | Age | Country | Profession | Notable films |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 3 | David Maysles | 55 | US | Documentarian | |
| 9 | Arthur Lake | 81 | US | Actor | ||
| 14 | Douglas Sirk | 89 | Germany | Director | ||
| 15 | Ray Bolger | 83 | US | Actor, Singer | ||
| 15 | George Markstein | 60 | UK | Screenwriter | ||
| 16 | Joyce Jameson | 54 | US | Actress | ||
| 27 | Norman McLaren | 72 | UK | Animator, Director | ||
| February | 1 | Alessandro Blasetti | 86 | Italy | Director, Screenwriter | |
| 22 | David Susskind | 66 | US | Producer | ||
| 23 | William Rose | 68 | US | Screenwriter | ||
| 23 | Esmond Knight | 80 | UK | Actor | ||
| 25 | James Coco | 56 | US | Actor | ||
| 25 | John Collin | 58 | UK | Actor | ||
| 28 | Joan Greenwood | 65 | UK | Actress | ||
| March | 2 | Randolph Scott | 89 | US | Actor | |
| 3 | Danny Kaye | 74 | US | Actor, Singer | ||
| 7 | Henri Decaë | 71 | France | Cinematographer | ||
| 7 | Waldo Salt | 72 | US | Screenwriter | ||
| 21 | Dean Paul Martin | 35 | US | Actor | ||
| 21 | Robert Preston | 68 | US | Actor | ||
| 22 | Morton Haack | 62 | US | Costume Designer | ||
| 27 | William Bowers | 71 | US | Screenwriter | ||
| 28 | Patrick Troughton | 67 | UK | Actor | ||
| April | 6 | Philip M. Jefferies | 61 | US | Production Designer | |
| 11 | Kent Taylor | 79 | US | Actor | ||
| 17 | Dick Shawn | 63 | US | Actor | ||
| 19 | Milt Kahl | 78 | US | Animator | ||
| May | 2 | Michael Gover | 73 | UK | Actor | |
| 4 | Paul Groesse | 81 | US | Art Director | ||
| 7 | Colin Blakely | 56 | Ireland | Actor | ||
| 14 | Rita Hayworth | 68 | US | Actress | ||
| 21 | Alejandro Rey | 57 | Argentina | Actor | ||
| 24 | Hermione Gingold | 89 | UK | Actress | ||
| 29 | Howard Shoup | 83 | US | Costume Designer | ||
| June | 1 | Khwaja Ahmad Abbas | 72 | India | Director, Screenwriter | |
| 3 | Will Sampson | 53 | US | Actor | ||
| 6 | Fulton Mackay | 64 | UK | Actor | ||
| 8 | Daniel Mandell | 91 | US | Film Editor | ||
| 10 | Elizabeth Hartman | 43 | US | Actress | ||
| 11 | Dan Vadis | 49 | China | Actor | ||
| 13 | Geraldine Page | 62 | US | Actress | ||
| 22 | Fred Astaire | 88 | US | Actor | ||
| 24 | Jackie Gleason | 71 | US | Actor | ||
| July | 1 | Jerry Livingston | 78 | US | Songwriter | |
| 3 | Viola Dana | 90 | US | Actress | ||
| 5 | Phil Abramson | 54 | US | Set Decorator | ||
| 7 | Hannelore Schroth | 65 | Germany | Actress | ||
| 12 | Harold Goodwin | 84 | US | Actor | ||
| 15 | Alfie Bass | 71 | UK | Actor | ||
| 17 | Yūjirō Ishihara | 52 | Japan | Actor, Singer | ||
| 20 | Richard Egan | 65 | US | Actor | ||
| 22 | Adele Comandini | 89 | US | Screenwriter | ||
| 31 | Joseph E. Levine | 81 | US | Producer | ||
| August | 1 | Pola Negri | 90 | Poland | Actress | |
| 17 | Clarence Brown | 97 | US | Director | ||
| 17 | Shaike Ophir | 58 | Israel | Actor | ||
| 19 | Hayden Rorke | 76 | US | Actor | ||
| 21 | Bombolo | 56 | Italy | Actor | ||
| 22 | Ted Sherdeman | 78 | US | Screenwriter | ||
| 28 | John Huston | 81 | US | Actor, Director, Screenwriter | ||
| 29 | Lee Marvin | 63 | US | Actor | ||
| September | 1 | Philip Friend | 72 | UK | Actor | |
| 4 | Richard Marquand | 49 | UK | Director | ||
| 5 | Bill Fraser | 79 | UK | Actor | ||
| 11 | Lorne Greene | 72 | Canada | Actor | ||
| 12 | John Qualen | 87 | US | Actor | ||
| 13 | Mervyn LeRoy | 86 | US | Director | ||
| 23 | Bob Fosse | 60 | US | Director, Screenwriter | ||
| 23 | Erland Van Lidth De Jeude | 34 | Netherlands | Actor | ||
| 25 | Mary Astor | 81 | US | Actress | ||
| 25 | Emlyn Williams | 81 | UK | Actor, Screenwriter | ||
| October | 2 | Madeleine Carroll | 81 | UK | Actress | |
| 21 | Bob Simmons | 64 | UK | Stuntman | ||
| 22 | Lino Ventura | 68 | Italy | Actor | ||
| November | 4 | Danielle Gaubert | 44 | France | Actress | |
| 5 | Georges Franju | 75 | France | Director, Screenwriter | ||
| 11 | John 'Dusty' King | 78 | US | Actor, Singer | ||
| 23 | Marcia Henderson | 58 | US | Actress | ||
| 26 | Morton Lowry | 73 | UK | Actor | ||
| 29 | Irene Handl | 85 | UK | Actress | ||
| December | 4 | Rouben Mamoulian | 90 | Georgia | Director | |
| 8 | Fay Baker | 70 | US | Actress | ||
| 14 | Clinton Sundberg | 84 | US | Actor | ||
| 21 | Robert Paige | 76 | US | Actor | ||
| 21 | Ralph Nelson | 71 | US | Director |