List of Famous people who died in 1961

Samuel Dashiell Hammett was an American author of hard-boiled detective novels and short stories. He was also a screenwriter and political activist. Among the enduring characters he created are Sam Spade, Nick and Nora Charles, the Continental Op and the comic strip character Secret Agent X-9.

Captain Ronald Olaf Hambro was a British merchant banker. He was chairman of Hambros Bank from 1932 to 1961.

Luis Abraham Delgadillo was a Nicaraguan composer. He was director-general of musical culture for Nicaragua and later led the National School of Music in Managua and the National Symphony Orchestra.

Michael William Bray was an American lawyer and politician. He was Lieutenant Governor of New York from 1933 to 1938.

Ma-Xu Weibang was a Chinese film director active in mainland China from the 1920s to 1940s, and later in Hong Kong, perhaps best known for his work in the horror genre, the most important unarguably being The Phantom of the Opera-inspired, Song at Midnight. Ma-Xu was also known for a few acting roles early in his career, as well as for being a screenwriter. The director of 33 known films, much of Ma-Xu's early work has been lost.

Emily Greene Balch was an American economist, sociologist and pacifist. Balch combined an academic career at Wellesley College with a long-standing interest in social issues such as poverty, child labor, and immigration, as well as settlement work to uplift poor immigrants and reduce juvenile delinquency.

John Stone was an American film producer and screenwriter. He was born in New York City and died in Los Angeles, California. He produced 77 films between 1930 and 1946. He also wrote for 65 films between 1921 and 1948. He was the father of the screenwriter Peter Stone.

Alan Marshal was an actor who performed on stage in the United States and in Hollywood films. He was sometimes billed as Alan Marshall or Alan Willey.