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 | 3 | Superman II | WB | $108,185,706 | 1,878 | $14,100,523 | 1,397 | 6/19 | | 2 | 6 | The Cannonball Run | Fox | $72,179,579 | 1,692 | $11,765,654 | 1,673 | 6/19 | | 3 | 1 | Raiders of the Lost Ark | Par. | $212,222,025 | 1,078 | $8,305,823 | 1,078 | 6/12 | | 4 | 30 | Halloween II | Uni. | $25,533,818 | N/A | $7,446,508 | 1,211 | 10/30 | | 5 | 8 | For Your Eyes Only | MGM | $54,812,802 | N/A | $6,834,967 | 952 | 6/26 | | 6 | 20 | Bustin' Loose | Uni. | $31,261,269 | N/A | $6,622,753 | 828 | 5/22 | | 7 | 10 | Time Bandits | Emb | $42,365,581 | 821 | $6,507,356 | 821 | 11/6 | | 8 | 24 | Neighbors | Par. | $29,916,207 | 1,387 | $6,481,386 | 1,387 | 12/18 | | 9 | 35 | Friday the 13th Part 2 | Par. | $21,722,776 | N/A | $6,429,784 | 1,350 | 4/30 | | 10 | 5 | Stripes | Col. | $85,297,000 | N/A | $6,130,197 | 1,074 | 6/26 | | 11 | 36 | The Final Conflict: Omen III | Fox | $20,471,382 | N/A | $5,571,675 | 918 | 3/20 | | 12 | 19 | History of the World, Part I | Fox | $31,672,907 | N/A | $4,792,731 | 484 | 6/12 | | 13 | 18 | Excalibur | WB | $34,967,437 | N/A | $4,519,706 | 692 | 4/10 | | 14 | 9 | The Four Seasons | Uni. | $50,427,646 | N/A | $4,365,643 | 623 | 5/22 | | 15 | 37 | The Incredible Shrinking Woman | Uni. | $20,259,961 | N/A | $4,279,264 | 789 | 1/30 | | 16 | 22 | Endless Love | Uni. | $31,184,024 | N/A | $4,163,623 | 574 | 7/17 | | 17 | 23 | An American Werewolf in London | Uni. | $30,565,292 | N/A | $3,786,512 | 870 | 8/21 | | 18 | 47 | Continental Divide | Uni. | $15,578,237 | N/A | $3,218,347 | 864 | 9/18 | | 19 | 44 | Outland | WB | $17,374,595 | N/A | $3,059,638 | 331 | 5/22 | | 20 | 61 | Back Roads | WB | $11,809,387 | N/A | $3,046,339 | 805 | 3/13 | | 21 | 66 | Wolfen | WB | $10,626,725 | N/A | $3,037,911 | 967 | 7/24 | | 22 | 17 | Sharky's Machine | WB | $35,610,100 | 1,388 | $3,022,041 | 1,388 | 12/18 | | 23 | 21 | The Great Muppet Caper | Uni. | $31,206,251 | N/A | $2,968,990 | 73 | 6/26 | | 24 | 56 | The Legend of the Lone Ranger | Uni. | $12,617,845 | N/A | $2,945,600 | 1,018 | 5/22 | | 25 | 72 | The Fun House | Uni. | $7,886,857 | N/A | $2,765,456 | 814 | 3/13 | | 26 | 4 | Arthur | WB | $95,461,682 | 701 | $2,719,534 | 701 | 7/17 | | 27 | 49 | Nighthawks | Uni. | $14,905,359 | N/A | $2,525,360 | 659 | 4/10 | | 28 | 53 | Dragonslayer | Par. | $14,110,013 | N/A | $2,407,939 | 868 | 6/26 | | 29 | 13 | Reds | Par. | $40,382,659 | 644 | $2,325,029 | 396 | 12/4 | | 30 | 40 | Under the Rainbow | WB | $18,826,490 | N/A | $2,297,493 | 488 | 7/31 | | 31 | 65 | Rollover | WB | $10,851,261 | 755 | $2,260,689 | 755 | 12/11 | | 32 | 34 | Ghost Story | Uni. | $23,371,905 | 600 | $2,105,729 | 548 | 12/16 | | 33 | 81 | Student Bodies | Par. | $5,165,432 | N/A | $1,582,148 | 628 | 8/7 | | 34 | 83 | All Night Long | Uni. | $4,454,295 | N/A | $1,392,852 | 362 | 3/6 | | 35 | 70 | Whose Life Is It, Anyway? | MGM | $8,206,145 | 615 | $1,348,576 | 615 | 12/2 | | 36 | 26 | Cinderella (Re-issue) (1981) | BV | $28,040,000 | N/A | $1,300,000 | 560 | 12/18 | | 37 | 84 | The Pursuit of D.B. Cooper | Uni. | $3,702,028 | N/A | $1,214,767 | 867 | 11/13 | | 38 | 28 | Private Lessons | JenF | $26,279,000 | 224 | $1,056,158 | 179 | 8/28 | | 39 | 96 | King of the Mountain | Uni. | $1,791,147 | N/A | $958,637 | 703 | 5/1 | | 40 | 94 | Honky Tonk Freeway | Uni. | $2,004,742 | N/A | $939,423 | 629 | 8/21 | | 41 | 90 | The Hand | WB | $2,447,576 | N/A | $566,736 | 183 | 4/24 | | 42 | 33 | Body Heat | WB | $24,058,838 | N/A | $564,593 | 34 | 8/28 | | 43 | 101 | Eyes of a Stranger | WB | $1,118,634 | N/A | $546,724 | 180 | 3/27 | | 44 | 68 | Pennies From Heaven | MGM | $9,171,289 | N/A | $520,000 | 315 | 12/11 | | 45 | 93 | Sphinx | WB | $2,022,771 | N/A | $439,564 | 214 | 2/13 | | 46 | 92 | This Is Elvis | WB | $2,028,612 | N/A | $429,146 | 309 | 4/10 | | 47 | 91 | Heartbeeps | Uni. | $2,154,696 | N/A | $407,464 | 493 | 12/18 | | 48 | 98 | Silence of the North | Uni. | $1,622,898 | N/A | $344,837 | 272 | 10/23 | | 49 | 95 | Raggedy Man | Uni. | $1,976,198 | N/A | $287,081 | 199 | 9/18 | | 50 | 73 | Buddy Buddy | MGM | $7,258,543 | 248 | $189,000 | 248 | 12/11 | | 51 | 63 | Ragtime | Par. | $11,099,118 | 447 | $151,351 | 5 | 11/20 | | 52 | 106 | Cattle Annie and Little Britches | Uni. | $534,816 | N/A | $115,679 | 215 | 4/24 | | 53 | 12 | Absence of Malice | Col. | $40,716,963 | 994 | $97,667 | 2 | 11/20 | | 54 | 16 | Taps | Fox | $35,856,053 | 792 | $93,005 | 3 | 12/9 | | 55 | 2 | On Golden Pond | Uni. | $119,285,432 | 1,015 | $89,213 | 2 | 12/4 | | 56 | 7 | Chariots of Fire | Col. | $58,972,904 | 810 | $68,907 | 3 | 9/25 | | 57 | 71 | Prince of the City | WB | $8,124,257 | N/A | $64,713 | 3 | 8/19 | | 58 | 85 | Zoot Suit | Uni. | $3,256,082 | N/A | $63,356 | 57 | 10/2 | | 59 | 89 | Modern Romance | Col. | $2,863,642 | N/A | $18,225 | 1 | 3/13 | | 60 | 11 | Clash of the Titans (1981) | MGM | $41,092,328 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 6/12 | | 61 | 14 | The Fox and the Hound | BV | $39,900,000 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 7/10 | | 62 | 15 | Tarzan, the Ape Man | MGM | $36,565,280 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 7/24 | | 63 | 25 | Fort Apache, The Bronx | Fox | $29,200,000 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 2/6 | | 64 | 27 | The French Lieutenant's Woman | MGM | $26,890,068 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 9/18 | | 65 | 29 | Modern Problems | Fox | $26,154,211 | 1,119 | N/A | 1,111 | 12/25 | | 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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