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 | 6 | The Cannonball Run | Fox | $72,179,579 | 1,692 | $11,765,654 | 1,673 | 6/19 | | 2 | 3 | Superman II | WB | $108,185,706 | 1,878 | $14,100,523 | 1,397 | 6/19 | | 3 | 17 | Sharky's Machine | WB | $35,610,100 | 1,388 | $3,022,041 | 1,388 | 12/18 | | 4 | 24 | Neighbors | Par. | $29,916,207 | 1,387 | $6,481,386 | 1,387 | 12/18 | | 5 | 35 | Friday the 13th Part 2 | Par. | $21,722,776 | N/A | $6,429,784 | 1,350 | 4/30 | | 6 | 30 | Halloween II | Uni. | $25,533,818 | N/A | $7,446,508 | 1,211 | 10/30 | | 7 | 29 | Modern Problems | Fox | $26,154,211 | 1,119 | N/A | 1,111 | 12/25 | | 8 | 1 | Raiders of the Lost Ark | Par. | $212,222,025 | 1,078 | $8,305,823 | 1,078 | 6/12 | | 9 | 5 | Stripes | Col. | $85,297,000 | N/A | $6,130,197 | 1,074 | 6/26 | | 10 | 56 | The Legend of the Lone Ranger | Uni. | $12,617,845 | N/A | $2,945,600 | 1,018 | 5/22 | | 11 | 66 | Wolfen | WB | $10,626,725 | N/A | $3,037,911 | 967 | 7/24 | | 12 | 8 | For Your Eyes Only | MGM | $54,812,802 | N/A | $6,834,967 | 952 | 6/26 | | 13 | 36 | The Final Conflict: Omen III | Fox | $20,471,382 | N/A | $5,571,675 | 918 | 3/20 | | 14 | 23 | An American Werewolf in London | Uni. | $30,565,292 | N/A | $3,786,512 | 870 | 8/21 | | 15 | 53 | Dragonslayer | Par. | $14,110,013 | N/A | $2,407,939 | 868 | 6/26 | | 16 | 84 | The Pursuit of D.B. Cooper | Uni. | $3,702,028 | N/A | $1,214,767 | 867 | 11/13 | | 17 | 47 | Continental Divide | Uni. | $15,578,237 | N/A | $3,218,347 | 864 | 9/18 | | 18 | 20 | Bustin' Loose | Uni. | $31,261,269 | N/A | $6,622,753 | 828 | 5/22 | | 19 | 10 | Time Bandits | Emb | $42,365,581 | 821 | $6,507,356 | 821 | 11/6 | | 20 | 72 | The Fun House | Uni. | $7,886,857 | N/A | $2,765,456 | 814 | 3/13 | | 21 | 61 | Back Roads | WB | $11,809,387 | N/A | $3,046,339 | 805 | 3/13 | | 22 | 37 | The Incredible Shrinking Woman | Uni. | $20,259,961 | N/A | $4,279,264 | 789 | 1/30 | | 23 | 65 | Rollover | WB | $10,851,261 | 755 | $2,260,689 | 755 | 12/11 | | 24 | 96 | King of the Mountain | Uni. | $1,791,147 | N/A | $958,637 | 703 | 5/1 | | 25 | 4 | Arthur | WB | $95,461,682 | 701 | $2,719,534 | 701 | 7/17 | | 26 | 18 | Excalibur | WB | $34,967,437 | N/A | $4,519,706 | 692 | 4/10 | | 27 | 49 | Nighthawks | Uni. | $14,905,359 | N/A | $2,525,360 | 659 | 4/10 | | 28 | 94 | Honky Tonk Freeway | Uni. | $2,004,742 | N/A | $939,423 | 629 | 8/21 | | 29 | 81 | Student Bodies | Par. | $5,165,432 | N/A | $1,582,148 | 628 | 8/7 | | 30 | 9 | The Four Seasons | Uni. | $50,427,646 | N/A | $4,365,643 | 623 | 5/22 | | 31 | 70 | Whose Life Is It, Anyway? | MGM | $8,206,145 | 615 | $1,348,576 | 615 | 12/2 | | 32 | 22 | Endless Love | Uni. | $31,184,024 | N/A | $4,163,623 | 574 | 7/17 | | 33 | 26 | Cinderella (Re-issue) (1981) | BV | $28,040,000 | N/A | $1,300,000 | 560 | 12/18 | | 34 | 34 | Ghost Story | Uni. | $23,371,905 | 600 | $2,105,729 | 548 | 12/16 | | 35 | 91 | Heartbeeps | Uni. | $2,154,696 | N/A | $407,464 | 493 | 12/18 | | 36 | 40 | Under the Rainbow | WB | $18,826,490 | N/A | $2,297,493 | 488 | 7/31 | | 37 | 19 | History of the World, Part I | Fox | $31,672,907 | N/A | $4,792,731 | 484 | 6/12 | | 38 | 13 | Reds | Par. | $40,382,659 | 644 | $2,325,029 | 396 | 12/4 | | 39 | 83 | All Night Long | Uni. | $4,454,295 | N/A | $1,392,852 | 362 | 3/6 | | 40 | 44 | Outland | WB | $17,374,595 | N/A | $3,059,638 | 331 | 5/22 | | 41 | 68 | Pennies From Heaven | MGM | $9,171,289 | N/A | $520,000 | 315 | 12/11 | | 42 | 92 | This Is Elvis | WB | $2,028,612 | N/A | $429,146 | 309 | 4/10 | | 43 | 98 | Silence of the North | Uni. | $1,622,898 | N/A | $344,837 | 272 | 10/23 | | 44 | 73 | Buddy Buddy | MGM | $7,258,543 | 248 | $189,000 | 248 | 12/11 | | 45 | 106 | Cattle Annie and Little Britches | Uni. | $534,816 | N/A | $115,679 | 215 | 4/24 | | 46 | 93 | Sphinx | WB | $2,022,771 | N/A | $439,564 | 214 | 2/13 | | 47 | 95 | Raggedy Man | Uni. | $1,976,198 | N/A | $287,081 | 199 | 9/18 | | 48 | 90 | The Hand | WB | $2,447,576 | N/A | $566,736 | 183 | 4/24 | | 49 | 101 | Eyes of a Stranger | WB | $1,118,634 | N/A | $546,724 | 180 | 3/27 | | 50 | 28 | Private Lessons | JenF | $26,279,000 | 224 | $1,056,158 | 179 | 8/28 | | 51 | 21 | The Great Muppet Caper | Uni. | $31,206,251 | N/A | $2,968,990 | 73 | 6/26 | | 52 | 85 | Zoot Suit | Uni. | $3,256,082 | N/A | $63,356 | 57 | 10/2 | | 53 | 33 | Body Heat | WB | $24,058,838 | N/A | $564,593 | 34 | 8/28 | | 54 | 63 | Ragtime | Par. | $11,099,118 | 447 | $151,351 | 5 | 11/20 | | 55 | 7 | Chariots of Fire | Col. | $58,972,904 | 810 | $68,907 | 3 | 9/25 | | 56 | 16 | Taps | Fox | $35,856,053 | 792 | $93,005 | 3 | 12/9 | | 57 | 71 | Prince of the City | WB | $8,124,257 | N/A | $64,713 | 3 | 8/19 | | 58 | 2 | On Golden Pond | Uni. | $119,285,432 | 1,015 | $89,213 | 2 | 12/4 | | 59 | 12 | Absence of Malice | Col. | $40,716,963 | 994 | $97,667 | 2 | 11/20 | | 60 | 89 | Modern Romance | Col. | $2,863,642 | N/A | $18,225 | 1 | 3/13 | | 61 | 11 | Clash of the Titans (1981) | MGM | $41,092,328 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 6/12 | | 62 | 14 | The Fox and the Hound | BV | $39,900,000 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 7/10 | | 63 | 15 | Tarzan, the Ape Man | MGM | $36,565,280 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 7/24 | | 64 | 25 | Fort Apache, The Bronx | Fox | $29,200,000 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 2/6 | | 65 | 27 | The French Lieutenant's Woman | MGM | $26,890,068 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 9/18 | | 66 | 31 | Only When I Laugh | Col. | $25,524,778 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 9/23 | | 67 | 32 | Escape from New York | Emb | $25,244,626 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 7/10 | | 68 | 38 | Mommie Dearest | Par. | $19,032,261 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 9/18 | | 69 | 39 | Paternity | Par. | $18,838,812 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 10/2 | | 70 | 41 | The Howling | Emb | $17,985,893 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 4/10 | | 71 | 42 | Eye of the Needle | MGM | $17,583,634 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 7/24 | | 72 | 43 | Take This Job and Shove It | Emb | $17,569,027 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 5/15 | | 73 | 45 | The Devil and Max Devlin | BV | $16,000,000 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 2/6 | | 74 | 46 | Caveman | MGM | $15,965,924 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 4/17 | | 75 | 48 | The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia | AVCO | $14,923,752 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 8/7 | | 76 | 50 | S.O.B. | Par. | $14,867,086 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 7/1 | | 77 | 51 | Rich and Famous | MGM | $14,492,125 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 10/9 | | 78 | 52 | Scanners (1981) | Emb | $14,225,876 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 1/14 | | 79 | 54 | True Confessions | MGM | $12,850,276 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 9/25 | | 80 | 55 | Atlantic City | Par. | $12,729,675 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 4/3 | | 81 | 57 | First Monday in October | Par. | $12,480,249 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 8/21 | | 82 | 58 | The Postman Always Rings Twice | Par. | $12,376,625 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 3/20 | | 83 | 59 | Comin' at Ya! | Film | $12,000,000 | N/A | N/A | N/A | Dec | | 84 | 60 | Blow Out | Film | $12,000,000 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 7/24 | | 85 | 62 | Thief | MGM | $11,492,915 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 3/27 | | 86 | 64 | Victory | Par. | $10,853,418 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 7/31 | | 87 | 67 | Carbon Copy | Emb | $9,566,593 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 9/25 | | 88 | 69 | Deadly Blessing | MGM | $8,279,042 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 8/14 | | 89 | 74 | La Cage aux Folles 2 | MGM | $6,950,125 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 2/15 | | 90 | 75 | All the Marbles | MGM | $6,468,195 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 10/16 | | 91 | 76 | Eyewitness | Fox | $6,400,000 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 2/13 | | 92 | 77 | Gallipoli | Par. | $5,732,587 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 8/28 | | 93 | 78 | My Bloody Valentine (1981) | Par. | $5,672,031 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 2/11 | | 94 | 79 | Going Ape! | Par. | $5,504,218 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 4/10 | | 95 | 80 | The Dogs of War | MGM | $5,484,132 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 2/13 | | 96 | 82 | The Watcher in the Woods | BV | $5,000,000 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 10/7 | | 97 | 86 | The Fan (1981) | Par. | $3,082,096 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 5/15 | | 98 | 87 | The Last Metro | MGM | $3,007,436 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 2/13 | | 99 | 88 | Gas | Par. | $2,869,425 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 7/23 | | 100 | 97 | Cutter's Way | MGM | $1,729,274 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 3/20 | | 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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