1959 in film



The year 1959 in film involved some significant events, with Ben-Hur winning a record 11 Academy Awards.

Events

 * June 4 - The Three Stooges release their 190th and last short film, Sappy Bull Fighters.
 * September 18 - The Marx Brothers' Zeppo Marx marries his second wife, Barbara Blakely.
 * September 30 - The film of Mise Éire, made by George Morrison for Gael Linn, is premiered to close the Cork Film Festival, the first feature-length Irish language film.
 * November 18 - William Wyler's film Ben-Hur premieres at Loews Theater in New York City.
 * Sammy Davis, Jr. and May Britt start dating.

Top-grossing films (U.S.)
(*) After theatrical re-issue(s)

Awards
Palme d'Or (Cannes Film Festival):
 * Black Orpheus (Orfeu Negro), directed by Marcel Camus, France

Golden Lion (Venice Film Festival):
 * Il Generale della Rovere (General della Rovere), directed by Roberto Rossellini, Italy / France
 * La grande guerra (The Great War), directed by Mario Monicelli, Italy / France

Golden Bear (Berlin Film Festival):
 * Les Cousins (The Cousins), directed by Claude Chabrol, France

Romance films released in 1959

 * 1) Hiroshima mon amour