Top movies of 1970: These 10 blockbusters & Oscar winners defined a year
From high-stakes dramas to cutting-edge science fiction — plus an animated Disney classic — 1970 offered something for every taste, leaving a lasting impact on the landscape of film. In hindsight, it’s amazing so many of these incredible (and iconic!) movies came out in the same year.
As we look back at the top movies of 1970, we’ll not only revisit these crowd-pleasers but also highlight the movies that caught the eye of the Academy.
Top movies of 1970: Top 10 highest-grossing films
What were the top movies of 1970? Here’s a list of the top 10 films released in 1970, ranked by their box office gross earnings in North America.
1. Love Story (Paramount)
Starring Ali McGraw & Ryan O’Neal
- Ali MacGraw, Ryan O'Neal, John Marley (Actors)
- Arthur Hiller (Director) - Erich Segal (Writer) - David Golden (Producer)
- German, English, French, Italian, Italian (Subtitles)
2. Airport (Universal)
Starring Burt Lancaster, Dean Martin, Helen Hayes, Van Heflin, Jacqueline Bisset, Jean Seberg, George Kennedy, Maureen Stapleton
- Factory sealed DVD
- Burt Lancaster, Dean Martin, Jean Seberg (Actors)
- George Seaton (Director) - Ross Hunter (Producer)
3. M*A*S*H (20th Century Fox)
Starring Donald Sutherland, Elliott Gould, Tom Skerritt
- Amazon Prime Video (Video on Demand)
- Donald Sutherland, Elliott Gould, Tom Skerritt (Actors)
- Robert Altman (Director) - Ring Lardner Jr. (Writer) - Richard Preminger (Producer)
4. Patton (20th Century-Fox)
Starring George C Scott, Karl Malden
- Amazon Prime Video (Video on Demand)
- George C. Scott, Karl Malden, Stephen Young (Actors)
- Franklin J Schaffner (Director) - Francis Ford Coppola (Writer) - Frank McCarthy (Producer)
5. Woodstock (Warner Bros.)
- Amazon Prime Video (Video on Demand)
- The Who, Jimi Hendrix, Santana (Actors)
- Michael Wadleigh (Director) - Dale Bell (Producer)
6. The Aristocats (Walt Disney)
- Amazon Prime Video (Video on Demand)
- Phil Harris, Eva Gabor, Sterling Holloway (Actors)
- Wolfgang Reitherman (Director) - Larry Clemmons (Writer) - Winston Hibler (Producer)
7. Little Big Man (National General)
Starring Dustin Hoffman
- Amazon Prime Video (Video on Demand)
- Dustin Hoffman, Martin Balsam, Jeff Corey (Actors)
- Arthur Penn (Director) - Calder Wilingham (Writer) - Stuart Millar (Producer)
8. Ryan’s Daughter (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer)
Starring Robert Mitchum
- Amazon Prime Video (Video on Demand)
- Robert Mitchum, Sarah Miles, John Mills (Actors)
- David Lean (Director) - Robert Bolt (Writer) - Anthony Havelock-Allan (Producer)
9. Tora! Tora! Tora! (20th Century-Fox)
- Amazon Prime Video (Video on Demand)
- E.G. Marshall, James Whitmore, Sô Yamamura (Actors)
- Kinji Fukasaku (Director) - Larry Forrester (Writer) - Elmo Williams (Producer)
10. Chariots of the Gods (Constantin Film / Sunn Classic Pictures)
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Box office statistics via Wikipedia
Top movies of 1970: Academy Awards nominations for 1970
From the Fond Du Lac Commonwealth Reporter (Wisconsin) – February 23, 1971
The advance indications pointing to a contest of love and war proved true today when the nominees for awards oi the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science were announced. The film industry’s 43rd Oscar derby reached the semi-finals Monday.
“Airport” and “Patton” scored top honors in the 43rd Motion Picture Academy nominations today with 10 apiece.
“Love Story” placed third with seven, followed by “M*A*S*H” and “Tora! Tora! Tora!” with five each.
Best Actress
The accent was on youth in nominations for best actress; all were newcomers: Jane Alexandre, “The Great White Hope”; Glenda Jackson “Women in Love”; All McGraw. “Love Story”: Sarah Miles. “Ryan’s Daughter” and Carrie Snodgrass. “Diary of a Mad Housewife.”
Best Actor
Melvyn Douglas, winner for best supporting actor in 1963 in “Hud,” vied with four younger actors for best actor.
Douglas was nominated for “I Never Sang for my Father.” The others: James Earl Jones, “The Great White Hope”; Jack Nicholson, “Five Easy Pieces”; Ryan O’Neal, “Love Story”; and George C. Scott, “Patton.”
Nominees for best motion picture of 1970
“Airport,” “Five Easy Pieces,” “Love Story,” “M-A-S-H” and “Patton.”
Best Supporting Actor
Best performance by an actor in a supporting role: Richard Castellano in “Lovers and Other Strangers”; Chief Dan George, “Little Big Man”; Gene Hackman, “I Never Sang for My Father”; John Marley, “Love Story”; John Mills, “Ryan’s Daughter.”
Best Supporting Actress
Best performance by an actress in a supporting role: Karen Black, “Five Easy Pieces”; Lee Grant, “The Landlord”; Helen Hayes, “Airport”; Sally Kellerman. “M-A-S-H”; Maureen Stapleton, “Airport.”
Best Direction: Federico Fellini. “Satyricon”; Arthur Hiller, “Love Story”; Robert Altman, “M-A-S-H”; Franklin J. Schaffner, “Patton”; Ken Russell, “Women In Love.”
Scott may refuse
The Oscar campaign, which had been in a lull since the deadline for nominations a week ago, now begins in earnest. A question mark in this year’s race is George C. Scott.
His portrayal of Gen. George Patton was certain to be nominated for best actor. But all of the 2,986 Academy voters are aware that Scott once tried to decline his nomination for best supporting actor in “The Hustler.”
Now he has been quoted from a location in Spain that he still thinks the Academy Awards are bunk, and he would refuse an Oscar if he won it.
How the Academy voters will react to Scott’s latest outburst a will be revealed on the night of April 15, when the presenter says to the man from Price, Waterhouse: “The envelope, please.”
Top movies of 1970: Academy Awards winners of 1970
Best Picture: Patton
Best Director: Franklin J. Schaffner – Patton
Best Actor: George C. Scott – Patton
Best Actress: Glenda Jackson – Women in Love
Best Supporting Actor: John Mills – Ryan’s Daughter
Best Supporting Actress: Helen Hayes – Airport
