In memoriam: actors and TV figures we lost in 1961

Remembering 97 people from the world of film and television who died in 1961, most recent first, with the work they are best known for.

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Paul Butler

30 Dec 1961 · aged 56

Acting

Dick Elliott

22 Dec 1961 · aged 75

Acting

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Moss Hart

20 Dec 1961 · aged 57

Writing

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Ernie Alexander

12 Dec 1961 · aged 71

Acting

Tulsi Chakraborty

11 Dec 1961 · aged 62

Acting

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Fred Kruger

5 Dec 1961 · aged 48

Acting

Bransby Williams

3 Dec 1961 · aged 91

Acting

Ruth Chatterton

25 Nov 1961 · aged 68

Acting

James Raglan

15 Nov 1961 · aged 60

Acting

Douglas Walton

15 Nov 1961 · aged 51

Acting

Frederick Brady

11 Nov 1961 · aged 49

Acting

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Irwin Gielgud

9 Nov 1961 · aged 42

Writing

Hrachia Nersisyan

6 Nov 1961 · aged 65

Acting

Joan McCracken

1 Nov 1961 · aged 43

Acting

Jay Wilsey

25 Oct 1961 · aged 65

Acting

Jack Livesey

12 Oct 1961 · aged 60

Acting

Chico Marx

11 Oct 1961 · aged 74

Acting

Wallace Lupino

11 Oct 1961 · aged 63

Acting

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Ted Pearson

5 Oct 1961 · aged 58

Acting

Michael Shepley

28 Sep 1961 · aged 53

Acting

Eily Malyon

26 Sep 1961 · aged 81

Acting

Frank Fay

26 Sep 1961 · aged 69

Acting

John Eldredge

23 Sep 1961 · aged 57

Acting

Marion Davies

22 Sep 1961 · aged 64

Acting

Harry Tyler

15 Sep 1961 · aged 73

Acting

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Giovanna Cigoli

14 Sep 1961 · aged 76

Acting

John Salew

14 Sep 1961 · aged 59

Acting

Leo Carrillo

10 Sep 1961 · aged 81

Acting

Charles Coburn

30 Aug 1961 · aged 84

Acting

Gail Russell

27 Aug 1961 · aged 36

Acting

Hampe Faustman

22 Aug 1961 · aged 42

Directing

Gwen Lee

20 Aug 1961 · aged 56

Acting

Charles Gemora

19 Aug 1961 · aged 58

Acting

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Tom Reed

17 Aug 1961 · aged 59

Writing

Manuel Noriega

12 Aug 1961 · aged 81

Acting

Walter Franck

10 Aug 1961 · aged 65

Acting

Ryūzaburō Mitsuoka

4 Aug 1961 · aged 60

Acting

Joe Murphy

31 Jul 1961 · aged 84

Acting

Esther Dale

23 Jul 1961 · aged 75

Acting

Kit Guard

18 Jul 1961 · aged 67

Acting

Alberto Talegalli

11 Jul 1961 · aged 47

Acting

Gábor Rajnay

10 Jul 1961 · aged 76

Acting

Alan Marshal

10 Jul 1961 · aged 52

Acting

John Cason

7 Jul 1961 · aged 43

Acting

Franklyn Farnum

4 Jul 1961 · aged 83

Acting

Louis-Ferdinand Céline

1 Jul 1961 · aged 67

Writing

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Maria Wendt

1 Jul 1961 · aged 85

Acting

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Aurore Palmgren

28 Jun 1961 · aged 81

Acting

Paul Guilfoyle

27 Jun 1961 · aged 58

Acting

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Arno Frey

26 Jun 1961 · aged 60

Acting

Frances Raymond

18 Jun 1961 · aged 92

Acting

Jeff Chandler

17 Jun 1961 · aged 42

Acting

Vivienne Osborne

11 Jun 1961 · aged 64

Acting

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George S. Kaufman

2 Jun 1961 · aged 71

Writing

Victor Vina

28 May 1961 · aged 75

Acting

Joan Davis

22 May 1961 · aged 53

Acting

Edward F. Cline

22 May 1961 · aged 69

Directing

Ranko Hanai

21 May 1961 · aged 42

Acting

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Joseph E. Howard

19 May 1961 · aged 83

Acting

Henry O'Neill

18 May 1961 · aged 69

Acting

Ann Codee

18 May 1961 · aged 71

Acting

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Roland Jack

14 May 1961 · aged 57

Acting

Gary Cooper

13 May 1961 · aged 60

Acting

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Hugo Werner-Kahle

1 May 1961 · aged 78

Acting

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Billy Gilbert

29 Apr 1961 · aged 69

Acting

Roy Del Ruth

27 Apr 1961 · aged 67

Directing

George Melford

25 Apr 1961 · aged 84

Directing

Lee Moran

24 Apr 1961 · aged 72

Acting

James Melton

21 Apr 1961 · aged 57

Acting

Artur Cederborgh

15 Apr 1961 · aged 75

Acting

Alice Howell

12 Apr 1961 · aged 74

Acting

James Sheridan

12 Apr 1961 · aged 56

Acting

Maureen Delaney

27 Mar 1961 · aged 72

Acting

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John Sharplin

27 Mar 1961 · aged 47

Acting

Belinda Lee

12 Mar 1961 · aged 25

Acting

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Ruth Maitland

12 Mar 1961 · aged 81

Acting

Mignon O'Doherty

12 Mar 1961 · aged 71

Acting

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Georges Baconnet

9 Mar 1961 · aged 68

Acting

George Formby

6 Mar 1961 · aged 56

Acting

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Kathleen Kidd

23 Feb 1961

Acting

Keiichirō Akagi

21 Feb 1961 · aged 21

Acting

Cliff Nazarro

18 Feb 1961 · aged 57

Acting

Nita Naldi

17 Feb 1961 · aged 66

Acting

William Ricciardi

16 Feb 1961 · aged 89

Acting

Jack Whiting

15 Feb 1961 · aged 59

Acting

Wallis Clark

14 Feb 1961 · aged 78

Acting

William Duncan

7 Feb 1961 · aged 81

Acting

Anna May Wong

2 Feb 1961 · aged 56

Acting

J.H. Roberts

1 Feb 1961 · aged 76

Acting

Charlott Daudert

19 Jan 1961 · aged 47

Acting

Patrice Lumumba

17 Jan 1961 · aged 35

Acting

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Marty Maher

17 Jan 1961 · aged 84

Writing

Ernest Thesiger

14 Jan 1961 · aged 81

Acting

Barry Fitzgerald

14 Jan 1961 · aged 72

Acting

Nino Marchesini

13 Jan 1961 · aged 66

Acting

Ernst Brunman

1 Jan 1961 · aged 74

Acting

Olga Tainio

1 Jan 1961 · aged 80

Acting