1981 DOMESTIC GROSSESTotal Grosses of all Movies Released in 1981
#1–100 - #101–113| < Previous Year |
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| Total Gross / Theaters | Opening / Theaters | Open | | 1 | 29 | Modern Problems | Fox | $26,154,211 | 1,119 | N/A | 1,111 | 12/25 | | 2 | 17 | Sharky's Machine | WB | $35,610,100 | 1,388 | $3,022,041 | 1,388 | 12/18 | | 3 | 24 | Neighbors | Par. | $29,916,207 | 1,387 | $6,481,386 | 1,387 | 12/18 | | 4 | 26 | Cinderella (Re-issue) (1981) | BV | $28,040,000 | N/A | $1,300,000 | 560 | 12/18 | | 5 | 91 | Heartbeeps | Uni. | $2,154,696 | N/A | $407,464 | 493 | 12/18 | | 6 | 34 | Ghost Story | Uni. | $23,371,905 | 600 | $2,105,729 | 548 | 12/16 | | 7 | 65 | Rollover | WB | $10,851,261 | 755 | $2,260,689 | 755 | 12/11 | | 8 | 68 | Pennies From Heaven | MGM | $9,171,289 | N/A | $520,000 | 315 | 12/11 | | 9 | 73 | Buddy Buddy | MGM | $7,258,543 | 248 | $189,000 | 248 | 12/11 | | 10 | 16 | Taps | Fox | $35,856,053 | 792 | $93,005 | 3 | 12/9 | | 11 | 2 | On Golden Pond | Uni. | $119,285,432 | 1,015 | $89,213 | 2 | 12/4 | | 12 | 13 | Reds | Par. | $40,382,659 | 644 | $2,325,029 | 396 | 12/4 | | 13 | 70 | Whose Life Is It, Anyway? | MGM | $8,206,145 | 615 | $1,348,576 | 615 | 12/2 | | 14 | 12 | Absence of Malice | Col. | $40,716,963 | 994 | $97,667 | 2 | 11/20 | | 15 | 63 | Ragtime | Par. | $11,099,118 | 447 | $151,351 | 5 | 11/20 | | 16 | 108 | Man of Iron | MGM | $492,035 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 11/20 | | 17 | 84 | The Pursuit of D.B. Cooper | Uni. | $3,702,028 | N/A | $1,214,767 | 867 | 11/13 | | 18 | 10 | Time Bandits | Emb | $42,365,581 | 821 | $6,507,356 | 821 | 11/6 | | 19 | 30 | Halloween II | Uni. | $25,533,818 | N/A | $7,446,508 | 1,211 | 10/30 | | 20 | 98 | Silence of the North | Uni. | $1,622,898 | N/A | $344,837 | 272 | 10/23 | | 21 | 75 | All the Marbles | MGM | $6,468,195 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 10/16 | | 22 | 51 | Rich and Famous | MGM | $14,492,125 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 10/9 | | 23 | 82 | The Watcher in the Woods | BV | $5,000,000 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 10/7 | | 24 | 39 | Paternity | Par. | $18,838,812 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 10/2 | | 25 | 85 | Zoot Suit | Uni. | $3,256,082 | N/A | $63,356 | 57 | 10/2 | | 26 | 7 | Chariots of Fire | Col. | $58,972,904 | 810 | $68,907 | 3 | 9/25 | | 27 | 54 | True Confessions | MGM | $12,850,276 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 9/25 | | 28 | 67 | Carbon Copy | Emb | $9,566,593 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 9/25 | | 29 | 31 | Only When I Laugh | Col. | $25,524,778 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 9/23 | | 30 | 27 | The French Lieutenant's Woman | MGM | $26,890,068 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 9/18 | | 31 | 38 | Mommie Dearest | Par. | $19,032,261 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 9/18 | | 32 | 47 | Continental Divide | Uni. | $15,578,237 | N/A | $3,218,347 | 864 | 9/18 | | 33 | 95 | Raggedy Man | Uni. | $1,976,198 | N/A | $287,081 | 199 | 9/18 | | 34 | 100 | Night School | Par. | $1,169,875 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 9/11 | | 35 | 28 | Private Lessons | JenF | $26,279,000 | 224 | $1,056,158 | 179 | 8/28 | | 36 | 33 | Body Heat | WB | $24,058,838 | N/A | $564,593 | 34 | 8/28 | | 37 | 77 | Gallipoli | Par. | $5,732,587 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 8/28 | | 38 | 23 | An American Werewolf in London | Uni. | $30,565,292 | N/A | $3,786,512 | 870 | 8/21 | | 39 | 57 | First Monday in October | Par. | $12,480,249 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 8/21 | | 40 | 94 | Honky Tonk Freeway | Uni. | $2,004,742 | N/A | $939,423 | 629 | 8/21 | | 41 | 71 | Prince of the City | WB | $8,124,257 | N/A | $64,713 | 3 | 8/19 | | 42 | 69 | Deadly Blessing | MGM | $8,279,042 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 8/14 | | 43 | 48 | The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia | AVCO | $14,923,752 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 8/7 | | 44 | 81 | Student Bodies | Par. | $5,165,432 | N/A | $1,582,148 | 628 | 8/7 | | 45 | 40 | Under the Rainbow | WB | $18,826,490 | N/A | $2,297,493 | 488 | 7/31 | | 46 | 64 | Victory | Par. | $10,853,418 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 7/31 | | 47 | 15 | Tarzan, the Ape Man | MGM | $36,565,280 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 7/24 | | 48 | 42 | Eye of the Needle | MGM | $17,583,634 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 7/24 | | 49 | 60 | Blow Out | Film | $12,000,000 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 7/24 | | 50 | 66 | Wolfen | WB | $10,626,725 | N/A | $3,037,911 | 967 | 7/24 | | 51 | 88 | Gas | Par. | $2,869,425 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 7/23 | | 52 | 4 | Arthur | WB | $95,461,682 | 701 | $2,719,534 | 701 | 7/17 | | 53 | 22 | Endless Love | Uni. | $31,184,024 | N/A | $4,163,623 | 574 | 7/17 | | 54 | 14 | The Fox and the Hound | BV | $39,900,000 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 7/10 | | 55 | 32 | Escape from New York | Emb | $25,244,626 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 7/10 | | 56 | 50 | S.O.B. | Par. | $14,867,086 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 7/1 | | 57 | 5 | Stripes | Col. | $85,297,000 | N/A | $6,130,197 | 1,074 | 6/26 | | 58 | 8 | For Your Eyes Only | MGM | $54,812,802 | N/A | $6,834,967 | 952 | 6/26 | | 59 | 21 | The Great Muppet Caper | Uni. | $31,206,251 | N/A | $2,968,990 | 73 | 6/26 | | 60 | 53 | Dragonslayer | Par. | $14,110,013 | N/A | $2,407,939 | 868 | 6/26 | | 61 | 3 | Superman II | WB | $108,185,706 | 1,878 | $14,100,523 | 1,397 | 6/19 | | 62 | 6 | The Cannonball Run | Fox | $72,179,579 | 1,692 | $11,765,654 | 1,673 | 6/19 | | 63 | 1 | Raiders of the Lost Ark | Par. | $212,222,025 | 1,078 | $8,305,823 | 1,078 | 6/12 | | 64 | 11 | Clash of the Titans (1981) | MGM | $41,092,328 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 6/12 | | 65 | 19 | History of the World, Part I | Fox | $31,672,907 | N/A | $4,792,731 | 484 | 6/12 | | 66 | 102 | Herbie Goes Bananas (Re-issue) | BV | $1,000,000 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 6/12 | | 67 | 103 | Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo (Re-issue) | BV | $1,000,000 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 6/12 | | 68 | 110 | Freaky Friday (Re-issue) | BV | $300,000 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 6/12 | | 69 | 111 | Sea Wolves | Par. | $220,181 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 6/5 | | 70 | 59 | Comin' at Ya! | Film | $12,000,000 | N/A | N/A | N/A | Dec | | 71 | 9 | The Four Seasons | Uni. | $50,427,646 | N/A | $4,365,643 | 623 | 5/22 | | 72 | 20 | Bustin' Loose | Uni. | $31,261,269 | N/A | $6,622,753 | 828 | 5/22 | | 73 | 44 | Outland | WB | $17,374,595 | N/A | $3,059,638 | 331 | 5/22 | | 74 | 56 | The Legend of the Lone Ranger | Uni. | $12,617,845 | N/A | $2,945,600 | 1,018 | 5/22 | | 75 | 113 | Glen or Glenda | Par. | $10,158 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 5/22 | | 76 | 43 | Take This Job and Shove It | Emb | $17,569,027 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 5/15 | | 77 | 86 | The Fan (1981) | Par. | $3,082,096 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 5/15 | | 78 | 96 | King of the Mountain | Uni. | $1,791,147 | N/A | $958,637 | 703 | 5/1 | | 79 | 107 | Hard Country | Uni. | $534,653 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 5/1 | | 80 | 35 | Friday the 13th Part 2 | Par. | $21,722,776 | N/A | $6,429,784 | 1,350 | 4/30 | | 81 | 90 | The Hand | WB | $2,447,576 | N/A | $566,736 | 183 | 4/24 | | 82 | 105 | Beyond the Reef | Uni. | $547,525 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 4/24 | | 83 | 106 | Cattle Annie and Little Britches | Uni. | $534,816 | N/A | $115,679 | 215 | 4/24 | | 84 | 112 | Second Hand Hearts | Par. | $19,450 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 4/24 | | 85 | 46 | Caveman | MGM | $15,965,924 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 4/17 | | 86 | 18 | Excalibur | WB | $34,967,437 | N/A | $4,519,706 | 692 | 4/10 | | 87 | 41 | The Howling | Emb | $17,985,893 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 4/10 | | 88 | 49 | Nighthawks | Uni. | $14,905,359 | N/A | $2,525,360 | 659 | 4/10 | | 89 | 79 | Going Ape! | Par. | $5,504,218 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 4/10 | | 90 | 92 | This Is Elvis | WB | $2,028,612 | N/A | $429,146 | 309 | 4/10 | | 91 | 99 | From Mao to Mozart | MGM | $1,205,934 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 4/10 | | 92 | 55 | Atlantic City | Par. | $12,729,675 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 4/3 | | 93 | 62 | Thief | MGM | $11,492,915 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 3/27 | | 94 | 101 | Eyes of a Stranger | WB | $1,118,634 | N/A | $546,724 | 180 | 3/27 | | 95 | 36 | The Final Conflict: Omen III | Fox | $20,471,382 | N/A | $5,571,675 | 918 | 3/20 | | 96 | 58 | The Postman Always Rings Twice | Par. | $12,376,625 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 3/20 | | 97 | 97 | Cutter's Way | MGM | $1,729,274 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 3/20 | | 98 | 109 | Kelly | Par. | $469,777 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 3/20 | | 99 | 61 | Back Roads | WB | $11,809,387 | N/A | $3,046,339 | 805 | 3/13 | | 100 | 72 | The Fun House | Uni. | $7,886,857 | N/A | $2,765,456 | 814 | 3/13 | | Summary of 113 Movies on Chart: | | Totals: | $2,290,052,401 | - | - | - | - | | Averages: | $20,265,950 | - | - | - | - |  |
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#1–100 - #101–113
Note: RELEASE DATE shows all movies that opened in a given time period and their total grosses. WIDE RELEASES shows only movies released in 600 or more theaters and their total grosses, grouped by wide release date. LIMITED RELEASES shows only movies released in less than 600 theaters and their total grosses, grouped by release date. CALENDAR GROSSES shows all movies playing during the indicated time period, both new and holdover, and their grosses (or estimated grosses) during that time period. Movies released outside the indicated time period are shown in italics. Click here for a full explanation of the various box office sections
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