# 1973 in film
1973 in film refers to the significant events and releases in cinema during the calendar year 1973, a year remembered for the commercial triumph of *The Exorcist*, the Academy Award sweep of *The Sting*, a strong showing for American and European art cinema at Cannes, and the first use of computer-generated imagery in a feature film.
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Best Picture | *The Sting* won Best Picture, Directing (George Roy Hill), Art Direction, Costume Design (Edith Head), Film Editing, and the original story and screenplay award at the 46th Academy Awards[1](https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1974) |
| Biggest hit | *The Exorcist* grossed $441.3 million worldwide on a $12.0 million budget, a 36.78x return[2](https://filmdb.co.uk/box-office/year/1973) |
| Oscar leader | *The Exorcist* received 10 nominations and 2 wins (Sound; Adapted Screenplay by William Peter Blatty)[1](https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1974) |
| Record performance | Tatum O'Neal won Best Supporting Actress for *Paper Moon*, becoming the youngest actor ever to win a competitive Academy Award[1](https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1974) • [3](https://www.fernbyfilms.com/2016/10/01/landmark-films-of-the-20th-century-1970-1979/) |
| Cannes | *Scarecrow* and *The Hireling* shared the Grand Prix; Jean Eustache's *La Maman et la Putain* took the Jury's Special Grand Prix[4](https://www.festival-cannes.com/en/retrospective/1973/awards/) |
| Technical first | Michael Crichton's *Westworld* was the first film to use computer-generated imagery as a special effect[5](https://michaelcrichton.com/works/westworld/) |
| Industry health | US national box-office gross fell by roughly 10% to 15% from 1972, and admissions also declined[6](https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Variety/Variety-40th-1973.pdf) |
## The 46th Academy Awards
The Academy Awards honoring 1973 releases were presented on Tuesday, April 2, 1974, at the [Dorothy Chandler Pavilion](https://www.edgepedia.org/dorothy-chandler-pavilion)[1](https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1974). *The Sting*, George Roy Hill's con-artist comedy, won seven awards including Best Picture and Best Director[1](https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1974). Its competitors for the top prize were *American Graffiti*, *Cries and Whispers*, *The Exorcist*, and *A Touch of Class*[1](https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1974).
*The Exorcist*, William Friedkin's adaptation of [William Peter Blatty](https://www.edgepedia.org/william-peter-blatty)'s novel, led the nominations with ten and won two: Sound and Blatty's Adapted Screenplay[1](https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1974). *American Graffiti* earned five nominations, including Best Picture and Directing for George Lucas[1](https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1974).
The acting awards went to [Jack Lemmon](https://www.edgepedia.org/jack-lemmon) for *Save the Tiger*, Glenda Jackson for *A Touch of Class*, John Houseman for *The Paper Chase*, and [Tatum O'Neal](https://www.edgepedia.org/tatum-oneal) for *Paper Moon*[1](https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1974). O'Neal's win made her the youngest actor ever to receive a competitive Academy Award, a record set apart from the now-defunct juvenile awards once given to performers such as [Shirley Temple](https://www.edgepedia.org/shirley-temple) and Mickey Rooney[3](https://www.fernbyfilms.com/2016/10/01/landmark-films-of-the-20th-century-1970-1979/). Ingmar Bergman's *Cries and Whispers* won Cinematography for Sven Nykvist, and the Foreign Language Film award went to François Truffaut's *Day for Night* for France[1](https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1974).
The [National Board of Review](https://www.edgepedia.org/national-board-of-review) also named *The Sting* Best Film, while giving its Best Director award to [Ingmar Bergman](https://www.edgepedia.org/ingmar-bergman) for *Cries and Whispers* and its Best Actor award to [Al Pacino](https://www.edgepedia.org/al-pacino) for *Serpico*[7](https://nationalboardofreview.org/award-years/1973/).
## Cannes and international recognition
The 1973 Cannes Film Festival split its top honor, awarding the Grand Prix International du Festival jointly to Jerry Schatzberg's *Scarecrow* and Alan Bridges's *The Hireling*[4](https://www.festival-cannes.com/en/retrospective/1973/awards/). Jean Eustache's *La Maman et la Putain* received the Jury's Special Grand Prix and shared the FIPRESCI International Critic's Prize with Marco Ferreri's *La Grande Bouffe*[4](https://www.festival-cannes.com/en/retrospective/1973/awards/). René Laloux's animated *La Planète Sauvage* (*Fantastic Planet*) took a Special Prize, and Ingmar Bergman received the Grand Prix de la Commission Supérieure Technique for *Viskningar och rop* (*Cries and Whispers*)[4](https://www.festival-cannes.com/en/retrospective/1973/awards/).
British cinema had a notable year as well. The BFI notes that the Brits won the [Palme d'Or](https://www.edgepedia.org/palme-dor) that year, and its retrospective list of ten great British films of 1973 ranges from [Sidney Lumet](https://www.edgepedia.org/sidney-lumet)'s *The Offence* with [Sean Connery](https://www.edgepedia.org/sean-connery) to Douglas Hickox's *Theatre of Blood* with Vincent Price[8](https://www.bfi.org.uk/lists/10-great-british-films-1973). At the British Academy Film Awards ceremony for 1973, *Cabaret* won Best Film, with Bob Fosse taking Direction and Liza Minnelli Actress[9](https://www.bafta.org/awards/film/?award-year=1973).
## Box office
*The Exorcist* dominated the year's worldwide grosses at $441.3 million against a $12.0 million budget, followed by *The Black Hand* at $230.0 million, *The Sting* at $159.6 million, *American Graffiti* at $140.0 million, and *Live and Let Die* at $126.4 million[2](https://filmdb.co.uk/box-office/year/1973). On return on investment, *American Graffiti* led at 180.9x, ahead of *The Exorcist* at 36.78x, *The Sting* at 29.02x and *Live and Let Die* at 18.06x[2](https://filmdb.co.uk/box-office/year/1973) • [13](https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/American-Graffiti-%281973%29?pubDate=20250906).
*American Graffiti* stands out for its economics: made for a reported $777,000, it returned $139.2 million over budget, a 180.18x return[2](https://filmdb.co.uk/box-office/year/1973). Lucasfilm describes it as [George Lucas](https://www.edgepedia.org/george-lucas)'s second feature film, a coming-of-age story inspired by his youth in [Modesto, California](https://www.edgepedia.org/modesto-california), and one of the most successful films in history[10](https://www.lucasfilm.com/productions/american-graffiti/).
The overall market was weaker than the hits suggest. Variety reported that two key barometers of the industry's economic health were off in 1973: US national box-office gross, down in the range of 10% to 15% from 1972, and US admissions[6](https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Variety/Variety-40th-1973.pdf).
## Notable films and trends
The year's releases spanned genres. Horror produced *The Exorcist*, *The Wicker Man*, and *Theatre of Blood*[8](https://www.bfi.org.uk/lists/10-great-british-films-1973). Crime and thriller fare included *Serpico*, *The Day of the Jackal*, *The Friends of Eddie Coyle*, and *Charley Varrick*; Roger Ebert's top-ten list for 1973 placed *The Day of the Jackal* seventh, calling it a suspense classic put together like a fine watch, and *The Friends of Eddie Coyle* tenth[11](https://www.rogerebert.com/chazs-blog/rogers-top-ten-lists-1973). Other releases of the year included *Paper Moon*, *The Last Detail*, *Badlands*, *Mean Streets*, *Amarcord*, *Enter the Dragon*, Disney's animated *Robin Hood*, and [John Frankenheimer](https://www.edgepedia.org/john-frankenheimer)'s *The Iceman Cometh*[3](https://www.fernbyfilms.com/2016/10/01/landmark-films-of-the-20th-century-1970-1979/).
**A technical first.** In *Westworld*, [Michael Crichton](https://www.edgepedia.org/michael-crichton) used digital processing of filmed footage to render a robot's point of view, making it the first film to use computer-generated imagery as a special effect and marking the beginning of motion-picture CGI[5](https://michaelcrichton.com/works/westworld/). Crichton wrote that no special-effects house had computers at the time, since effects were limited to purely photographic processes[5](https://michaelcrichton.com/works/westworld/).
Film historian Emanuel Levy counts 1973, together with 1975, among the momentous years in the evolution of the new American cinema, a period in which the studios were bought and managed by conglomerates with little connection to filmmaking[12](https://emanuellevy.com/review/american-cinemas-watershed-years-1973-1975-1/).
## Losses
1973 also marked the passing of several Hollywood figures: director John Ford, whose credits include *Stagecoach*, *The Searchers*, and *How Green Was My Valley*; gangster-film actor Edward G. Robinson of *Little Caesar*; Betty Grable; and martial-arts star Bruce Lee, who died as *Enter the Dragon* reached audiences[3](https://www.fernbyfilms.com/2016/10/01/landmark-films-of-the-20th-century-1970-1979/).
## References
1. [The 46th Academy Awards (1974), Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences](https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1974)
2. [1973 Box Office Rankings, FilmDB](https://filmdb.co.uk/box-office/year/1973)
3. [Landmark Films of the 20th Century – 1970–1979, Fernby Films](https://www.fernbyfilms.com/2016/10/01/landmark-films-of-the-20th-century-1970-1979/)
4. [Retrospective 1973 Awards, Festival de Cannes](https://www.festival-cannes.com/en/retrospective/1973/awards/)
5. [Westworld, Michael Crichton official site](https://michaelcrichton.com/works/westworld/)
6. [1973: Issues & Problems In Films, Variety 40th Anniversary issue](https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Variety/Variety-40th-1973.pdf)
7. [1973 Award Winners, National Board of Review](https://nationalboardofreview.org/award-years/1973/)
8. [10 great British films of 1973, BFI](https://www.bfi.org.uk/lists/10-great-british-films-1973)
9. [Film Awards 1973 Results, BAFTA](https://www.bafta.org/awards/film/?award-year=1973)
10. [American Graffiti, Lucasfilm](https://www.lucasfilm.com/productions/american-graffiti/)
11. [Roger's Top Ten Lists: Best Films of 1973, RogerEbert.com](https://www.rogerebert.com/chazs-blog/rogers-top-ten-lists-1973)
12. [American Cinema: Watershed Years 1973–1975, Emanuel Levy](https://emanuellevy.com/review/american-cinemas-watershed-years-1973-1975-1/)
13. [American Graffiti (1973) - Box Office and Financial Information](https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/American-Graffiti-%281973%29?pubDate=20250906)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Awards and screen reference › Box office records and number-one lists*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license