How much of the 1940 Comedy box office came from the US and Canada?

$84.7M of the $123.3M total, or 69%, was earned in the US & Canada (the domestic market); the rest came from other countries. 5 films of the 7 report no domestic figure.

Comedy box office · 1940

Comedy Box Office 1940: Highest-Grossing Comedy Movies

Pinocchio (1940) is the highest-grossing comedy movie released in 1940, with $121.9M worldwide, ahead of The Great Dictator (1940) at $972.2K and The Philadelphia Story (1940) at $415K. 7 comedy films released in 1940 report a worldwide gross, $123.3M in all, 69% of it from the US & Canada. One film crossed $100 million; none reached $1 billion. That is 4.7 times the total of 1939, whose releases took $26.1M. By language, English leads with $122.9M across 6 comedy releases.

1940 releases with a gross: 7
combined worldwide: $123.3M
film crossed $100M: 1
vs 1939: ×4.7

#1 of 7

#1 comedy movie of 1940

Pinocchio (1940)

1940 · Fantasy, Comedy

$121.9M worldwide · 99% of the chart's total

$84.3M US & Canada · 69% $37.6M elsewhere · 31%

Top 5

What Were the Biggest Comedy Hits of 1940?

Pinocchio (1940) leads with $121.9M, 99% of the total. The top 5 together took $123.3M, 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.

Number 1

$121.9M Pinocchio (1940)
$84.3M US & Canada · 69% $37.6M elsewhere · 31%
Number 2

$972.2K The Great Dictator (1940)
No US & Canada figure reported
Number 3

$415K The Philadelphia Story (1940)
$404.5K US & Canada · 97% $10.5K elsewhere · 3%
Number 4

$42.2K The Shop Around the Corner (1940)
No US & Canada figure reported
Number 5

$1.9K His Girl Friday (1940)
No US & Canada figure reported

US & Canada (domestic) Rest of the world

The chart

Every Comedy Release of 1940, 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 1940.

1
Pinocchio (1940) Feb 23, 1940 · English · Fantasy, Comedy, Animation $121.9M worldwide

Feb 23, 1940 US and Canada: $84.3M Rest of the world: $37.6M Worldwide: $121.9M
2
The Great Dictator (1940) Oct 15, 1940 · English · Comedy, War $972.2K worldwide

Oct 15, 1940 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $972.2K
3
The Philadelphia Story (1940) Dec 5, 1940 · Comedy, Romance $415K worldwide

Dec 5, 1940 US and Canada: $404.5K Rest of the world: $10.5K Worldwide: $415K
4
The Shop Around the Corner (1940) Jan 12, 1940 · English · Drama, Comedy, Romance $42.2K worldwide

Jan 12, 1940 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $42.2K
5
His Girl Friday (1940) Jan 18, 1940 · English · Comedy, Drama, Romance $1.9K worldwide

Jan 18, 1940 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $1.9K
6
Christmas in July (1940) Oct 25, 1940 · English · Romance, Comedy $471 worldwide

Oct 25, 1940 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $471
7
His Girl Friday (1940) Jan 11, 1940 · English · Romance, Comedy $330 worldwide

Jan 11, 1940 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $330

By release month

Which Month of 1940 Earned the Most?

February releases took the most, $121.9M from 1 film, led by Pinocchio (1940). January was the quietest month ($44.4K). Each column is a release month and links to that month's chart.

Last 10 years

How Does 1940 Compare With Previous Years?

Of these 10 years, 1940 earned the most: $123.3M from 7 films, led by Pinocchio (1940).

Year	Films	Worldwide	Change	Biggest film
1931 1 film	1	$8.3K	–	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
1940 7 films · +373%	7	$123.3M	+373%	Pinocchio (1940) $121.9M

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 1940: 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 1940?

Pinocchio (1940) leads with $121.9M worldwide, $84.3M of it in the US & Canada. Next come The Great Dictator (1940) at $972.2K and The Philadelphia Story (1940) at $415K.

How much did comedy movies released in 1940 earn?

7 comedy films released in 1940 report a worldwide gross, $123.3M in all, or $17.6M per film on average. 1939 releases took $26.1M.

How many comedy movies released in 1940 made $1 billion?

None. 1 film crossed $100 million, led by Pinocchio (1940) with $121.9M.

How is the 1940 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 1940. 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 1940 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.