The Best Movies of 1970

Updated September 4, 2020 9.3k votes 439 voters 18.5k views124 items

List RulesOnly movies released in theaters in 1970.

List of the best movies of 1970, with movie trailers when available. Some of the biggest actors of all time, including Sylvester Stallone, Robert Downey Jr., Danny DeVito and Tommy Lee Jones had their first big screen roles in 1970. These top movies of 1970 are listed by popularity, so the movies with the most votes are at the top. This list consists of all different movie genres, but each film was released in 1970.

You can filter this list of films that came out in 1970 for various bits of information, such as who directed the movie and what genre it is. Think the best 1970 movie isn't as high as it should be? Vote up your favorite so it will rise to the top. List movies include Patton, MASH and many more.

This list answers the questions, "What are the best movies from 1970?" and "What are the most popular movies of 1970?"

1970 was a great year for movies, since a lot of classic films were released in 1970. This is a crowd sourced list that has been voted on by many people, so these top films of 1970 aren't just one persons opinion.

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Patton
George C. Scott, Karl Malden
Released: 1970
Directed by: Franklin J. Schaffner
Patton is a 1970 American epic biographical film about U.S. General George S. Patton during... more on Wikipedia
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Two Mules for Sister Sara
Clint Eastwood, Shirley MacLaine
Released: 1970
Directed by: Don Siegel
Two Mules for Sister Sara is an American-Mexican western film starring Shirley MacLaine set... more on Wikipedia
More Two Mules for Sister Sara
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Airport
Jacqueline Bissett, Dean Martin
Released: 1970
Directed by: Henry Hathaway, George Seaton
Airport is a 1970 American drama film starring Burt Lancaster and Dean Martin, directed and... more on Wikipedia
More Airport
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Little Big Man
Dustin Hoffman, Faye Dunaway
Released: 1970
Directed by: Arthur Penn
Little Big Man is a 1970 American revisionist Western directed by Arthur Penn and based on the... more on Wikipedia
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Chisum
John Wayne, Ben Johnson
Released: 1970
Directed by: Andrew V. McLaglen
Chisum is a 1970 Warner Bros. Technicolor Western film starring John Wayne. The large cast... more on Wikipedia
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Tora! Tora! Tora!
Jason Robards Jr., Martin Balsam
Released: 1970
Directed by: Richard Fleischer, Toshio Masuda, Kinji Fukasaku
Tora! Tora! Tora! is a 1970 AmericanJapanese film directed by Richard Fleischer and stars an... more on Wikipedia
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Beneath the Planet of the Apes
Charlton Heston, Roddy McDowall
Released: 1970
Directed by: Ted Post
Beneath the Planet of the Apes is a 1970 American science fiction film directed by Ted Post... more on Wikipedia
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Kelly's Heroes
Clint Eastwood, Donald Sutherland
Released: 1970
Directed by: Brian G. Hutton
Kelly's Heroes is a 1970 comedy film directed by Brian G. Hutton, about a group of WWII... more on Wikipedia
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Rio Lobo
John Wayne, Jennifer O'Neill
Released: 1970
Directed by: Howard Hawks
Rio Lobo is a 1970 American Western film starring John Wayne. The film was the last film... more on Wikipedia
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MASH
Robert Duvall, Donald Sutherland
Released: 1970
Directed by: Robert Altman
MASH is a 1970 American satirical black comedy film directed by Robert Altman and written by... more on Wikipedia
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The Aristocats
Eva Gabor, Ruth Buzzi
Released: 1970
Directed by: Wolfgang Reitherman
The Aristocats is a 1970 American animated feature film produced and released by Walt Disney... more on Wikipedia
More The Aristocats
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Woodstock
Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin
Released: 1970
Directed by: Michael Wadleigh
Woodstock is a 1970 American documentary of the watershed counterculture Woodstock Festival... more on Wikipedia
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Scars of Dracula
Christopher Lee, Patrick Troughton
Released: 1970
Directed by: Roy Ward Baker
Scars of Dracula is a 1970 British horror film directed by Roy Ward Baker for Hammer... more on Wikipedia
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They call me MISTER Tibbs
Sidney Poitier, Ed Asner
Released: 1970
Directed by: Gordon Douglas
They Call Me Mister Tibbs!, stylized with emphasis on "Mister", is a 1970 film, a sequel to... more on Wikipedia
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Scrooge
Alec Guinness, Albert Finney
Released: 1970
Directed by: Ronald Neame
Scrooge is a 1970 musical film adaptation of Charles Dickens' classic 1843 story, A Christmas... more on Wikipedia
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The Cheyenne Social Club
James Stewart, Henry Fonda
Released: 1970
Directed by: Gene Kelly
The Cheyenne Social Club is a 1970 Western comedy, written by James Lee Barrett, directed and... more on Wikipedia
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The Bird with the Crystal Plumage
Mario Adorf, Tony Musante
Released: 1970
Directed by: Dario Argento
The Bird with the Crystal Plumage is a 1970 Italian giallo film directed by Dario Argento, in... more on Wikipedia
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The Wild Country
Ron Howard, Clint Howard
Released: 1970
Directed by: Robert Totten
The Wild Country is a film directed by Robert Totten released on December 15, 1970.
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El Topo
David Silva, Alejandro Jodorowsky
Released: 1970
Directed by: Alejandro Jodorowsky
El Topo is a 1970 American-Mexican western film written and directed by and starring Alejandro... more on Wikipedia
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Cold Sweat
Charles Bronson, Liv Ullmann
Released: 1970
Directed by: Terence Young
Cold Sweat is a 1970 French/ Italian international co-production starring Charles Bronson and... more on Wikipedia
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The Boatniks
Stefanie Powers, Don Ameche
Released: 1970
Directed by: Norman Tokar
The Boatniks is a 1970 American comedy film starring Robert Morse, Stefanie Powers, Don Ameche... more on Wikipedia
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Julius Caesar
Charlton Heston, Christopher Lee
Released: 1970
Directed by: Stuart Burge
Julius Caesar is a 1970 British independent film adaptation of William Shakespeare's play,... more on Wikipedia
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Donkey Skin
Catherine Deneuve, Jean Marais
Released: 1970
Directed by: Jacques Demy
Peau d'Âne is a 1970 French musical film directed by Jacques Demy. It is also known by the... more on Wikipedia
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Tropic of Cancer
Ellen Burstyn, Rip Torn
Released: 1970
Directed by: Joseph Strick
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The Twelve Chairs
Mel Brooks, Frank Langella
Released: 1970
Directed by: Mel Brooks
The Twelve Chairs is a 1970 American comedy film directed by Mel Brooks, starring Frank... more on Wikipedia