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Comedy box office · 1939

Comedy Box Office 1939: Highest-Grossing Comedy Movies

The Wizard of Oz (1939) is the highest-grossing comedy movie released in 1939, with $25.6M worldwide, ahead of The Rules of the Game (1939) at $273.6K and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) at $146.1K. 7 comedy films released in 1939 report a worldwide gross, $26.1M in all, 96% of it from the US & Canada. By language, English leads with $25.7M across 4 comedy releases.

1939 releases with a gross
7
combined worldwide
$26.1M
The Wizard of Oz (1939), the #1
$25.6M
earned in the US & Canada
96%
The Wizard of Oz (1939) movie poster #1 of 7
#1 comedy movie of 1939

The Wizard of Oz (1939)

1939 · Adventure, Fantasy

$25.6M worldwide · 98% of the chart's total

$24.7M US & Canada · 96% $969K elsewhere · 4%
Top 5

What Were the Biggest Comedy Hits of 1939?

The Wizard of Oz (1939) leads with $25.6M, 98% of the total. The top 5 together took $26.1M, almost all of what the 7 films earned. Each bar splits a film's gross into the US & Canada and the rest of the world.

  1. The Wizard of Oz (1939) movie poster Number 1
    $25.6M The Wizard of Oz (1939)
    $24.7M US & Canada · 96% $969K elsewhere · 4%
  2. The Rules of the Game (1939) movie poster Number 2
    $273.6K The Rules of the Game (1939)
    $273.6K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  3. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) movie poster Number 3
    $146.1K Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)
    $144.7K US & Canada · 99% $1.4K elsewhere · <1%
  4. The Foundling (1939) movie poster Number 4
    $21.9K The Foundling (1939)
    No US & Canada figure reported
  5. Fifth Avenue Girl (1939) movie poster Number 5
    $9.6K Fifth Avenue Girl (1939)
    No US & Canada figure reported

US & Canada (domestic) Rest of the world

The chart

Every Comedy Release of 1939, Ranked by Worldwide Gross

Lifetime worldwide grosses in US dollars, not adjusted for inflation; domestic means the US & Canada. Films are grouped by their release date in 1939.

  1. 1 The Wizard of Oz (1939) movie poster
    The Wizard of Oz (1939) Aug 25, 1939 · English · Adventure, Fantasy, Comedy $25.6M worldwide
    Aug 25, 1939 US and Canada: $24.7M Rest of the world: $969K Worldwide: $25.6M
  2. 2 The Rules of the Game (1939) movie poster
    The Rules of the Game (1939) Jul 8, 1939 · French · Drama, Comedy, Romance $273.6K worldwide
    Jul 8, 1939 US and Canada: $273.6K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $273.6K
  3. 3 Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) movie poster
    Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) Oct 19, 1939 · Drama, Comedy $146.1K worldwide
    Oct 19, 1939 US and Canada: $144.7K Rest of the world: $1.4K Worldwide: $146.1K
  4. 4 The Foundling (1939) movie poster
    The Foundling (1939) Nov 18, 1939 · Russian · Comedy, Drama $21.9K worldwide
    Nov 18, 1939 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $21.9K
  5. 5 Fifth Avenue Girl (1939) movie poster
    Fifth Avenue Girl (1939) Aug 25, 1939 · English · Romance, Comedy $9.6K worldwide
    Aug 25, 1939 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $9.6K
  6. 6 Ninotchka (1939) movie poster
    Ninotchka (1939) Nov 9, 1939 · English · Comedy, Romance $4.4K worldwide
    Nov 9, 1939 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $4.4K
  7. 7 Bachelor Mother (1939) movie poster
    Bachelor Mother (1939) Jun 30, 1939 · English · Comedy, Romance $4.1K worldwide
    Jun 30, 1939 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $4.1K
US & Canada vs the world

Where Did the Money Come From in 1939?

Of the top 7, The Rules of the Game (1939) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while The Wizard of Oz (1939) made 4% of its gross abroad. Across all 7 films, $25.1M (96%) came from the US & Canada. 4 films of the top 7 report no US & Canada figure.

  1. 1 The Wizard of Oz (1939) $25.6M
    $24.7M US & Canada · 96% $969K elsewhere · 4%
  2. 2 The Rules of the Game (1939) $273.6K
    $273.6K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  3. 3 Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) $146.1K
    $144.7K US & Canada · 99% $1.4K elsewhere · <1%
  4. 4 The Foundling (1939) $21.9K
    No US & Canada figure reported
  5. 5 Fifth Avenue Girl (1939) $9.6K
    No US & Canada figure reported
  6. 6 Ninotchka (1939) $4.4K
    No US & Canada figure reported
  7. 7 Bachelor Mother (1939) $4.1K
    No US & Canada figure reported
By release month

Which Month of 1939 Earned the Most?

August releases took the most, $25.6M from 2 films, led by The Wizard of Oz (1939). June was the quietest month ($4.1K). Each column is a release month and links to that month's chart.

  1. January Jan No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  2. February Feb No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  3. March Mar No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  4. April Apr No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  5. May May No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  6. June Jun Bachelor Mother (1939) $4.1K Bachelor Mother (1939)
  7. July Jul The Rules of the Game (1939) $273.6K The Rules of the Game (1939)
  8. August Aug The Wizard of Oz (1939) $25.6M The Wizard of Oz (1939)
  9. September Sep No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  10. October Oct Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) $146.1K Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)
  11. November Nov The Foundling (1939) $26.3K The Foundling (1939)
  12. December Dec No reported grosses – No reported grosses
Last 10 years

How Does 1939 Compare With Previous Years?

Of these 10 years, 1939 earned the most: $26.1M from 7 films, led by The Wizard of Oz (1939).

Year Films Worldwide Change Biggest film
1930 1 film 1 $1K – Madam Satan (1930) $1K
1931 1 film · +722% 1 $8.3K +722% Marius (1931) $8.3K
1932 4 films · +48% 4 $12.2K +48% Fanny (1932) $8.3K
1933 4 films · +790% 4 $108.6K +790% Duck Soup (1933) $106.3K
1934 4 films · −60% 4 $43.5K −60% It Happened One Night (1934) $17K
1935 6 films · +1124% 6 $532K +1124% Sylvia Scarlett (1935) $497K
1936 10 films · +780% 10 $4.7M +780% After the Thin Man (1936) $3.2M
1937 3 films · −100% 3 $19.3K −100% Stage Door (1937) $8.8K
1938 2 films · −6% 2 $18K −6% Bringing Up Baby (1938) $13.1K
1939 7 films · +144525% 7 $26.1M +144525% The Wizard of Oz (1939) $25.6M
Archive

Comedy Box Office Year by Year

Every year from 1921 to 2026 with its total and its biggest film. 2019 leads with $16.1B, led by The Lion King (2019).

2020s 7 years · $40.8B
2010s 10 years · $118B
2000s 10 years · $79.4B
1990s 10 years · $33.7B
1980s 10 years · $17.5B
1970s 10 years · $3.2B
1960s 10 years · $554.7M
1950s 10 years · $162M
1940s 10 years · $188M
1930s 10 years · $31.5M
1920s 7 years · $132.6K
FAQ

Comedy Box Office 1939: Questions & Answers

The chart's numbers in short: the #1 film, the total, the billion-dollar hits and the US & Canada share, answered from the same 7 films as the chart.

What is the highest-grossing comedy movie in 1939?

The Wizard of Oz (1939) leads with $25.6M worldwide, $24.7M of it in the US & Canada. Next come The Rules of the Game (1939) at $273.6K and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) at $146.1K.

How much did comedy movies released in 1939 earn?

7 comedy films released in 1939 report a worldwide gross, $26.1M in all, or $3.7M per film on average.

How many comedy movies released in 1939 made $1 billion?

None. The biggest, The Wizard of Oz (1939), earned $25.6M.

How much of the 1939 Comedy box office came from the US and Canada?

$25.1M of the $26.1M total, or 96%, was earned in the US & Canada (the domestic market); the rest came from other countries. 4 films of the 7 report no domestic figure.

How is the 1939 comedy box office chart ranked and where do the numbers come from?

Films are ranked by lifetime worldwide gross in US dollars, not adjusted for inflation, and grouped by their release date in 1939. The figures are the reported box office grosses in our database. A gross that looks misattributed, such as one figure shared by two unrelated films or a blockbuster total on an obscure title, is left out rather than shown as a fact.

How often is the 1939 comedy box office chart updated?

Grosses change while films are in theaters and whenever a new figure is reported; this chart reads the latest numbers in our database, so an older film can still move after a re-release.