#1 of 6 #1 comedy movie of October 1981
1981 · Comedy, Romance
$18.8M worldwide · 99% of the chart's total
$18.8M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
Comedy box office · October 1981
Comedy Box Office, October 1981: Top-Grossing Releases
Paternity (1981) is the highest-grossing comedy movie released in October 1981, with $18.8M worldwide, ahead of Roar (1981) at $110.4K and Le Pont du Nord (1981) at $17.1K. 6 comedy films released in October 1981 report a worldwide gross, $19M in all, 100% of it from the US & Canada. By language, English leads with $19M across 5 comedy releases.
- October 1981 releases with a gross
- 6
- combined worldwide
- $19M
- Paternity (1981), the #1
- $18.8M
- earned in the US & Canada
- 100%
#1 of 6 Top 5
What Were the Biggest Comedy Hits of October 1981?
Paternity (1981) leads with $18.8M, 99% of the total. The top 5 together took $19M, almost all of what the 6 films earned. Each bar splits a film's gross into the US & Canada and the rest of the world.
- Number 1
-
Number 2 -
Number 3 -
Number 4 -
Number 5
US & Canada (domestic) Rest of the world
The chart
Every Comedy Release of October 1981, 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 October 1981.
- 1 Oct 2, 1981 US and Canada: $18.8M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $18.8M
- 2 Oct 30, 1981 US and Canada: $110K Rest of the world: $401 Worldwide: $110.4K
- 3 Oct 7, 1981 US and Canada: $17.1K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $17.1K
- 4 Oct 11, 1981 US and Canada: $5.1K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $5.1K
- 5 Oct 31, 1981 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $645
- 6
Oct 23, 1981 US and Canada: $560 Rest of the world: Worldwide: $560
US & Canada vs the world
Where Did the Money Come From in October 1981?
Of the top 6, Paternity (1981) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while Roar (1981) made <1% of its gross abroad. Across all 6 films, $19M (100%) came from the US & Canada. 1 film of the top 6 reports no US & Canada figure.
- 1 Paternity (1981) $18.8M $18.8M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 2 Roar (1981) $110.4K $110K US & Canada · 100% $401 elsewhere · <1%
- 3 Le Pont du Nord (1981) $17.1K $17.1K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 4 My Dinner with Andre (1981) $5.1K $5.1K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 5 Shock Treatment (1981) $645 No US & Canada figure reported
- 6 The Pit (1981) $560 $560 US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
By release week
Which Week of October 1981 Had the Biggest Releases?
Films released in week 40 (Sep 27–Oct 3) took $18.8M, led by Paternity (1981). Each column links to that week's chart; weeks are Sunday to Saturday.
- Week 40 Wk 40 Sep 27–Oct 3 Paternity (1981) $18.8M Paternity (1981)
- Week 41 Wk 41 Oct 4–10 Le Pont du Nord (1981) $17.1K Le Pont du Nord (1981)
- Week 42 Wk 42 Oct 11–17 My Dinner with Andre (1981) $5.1K My Dinner with Andre (1981)
- Week 43 Wk 43 Oct 18–24 The Pit (1981) $560 The Pit (1981)
- Week 44 Wk 44 Oct 25–31 Roar (1981) $111.1K Roar (1981)
Earlier years
How Does October 1981 Compare With October in Earlier Years?
Of these 10 years, October 1979 earned the most: $110.5M from 2 films, led by 10 (1979). October 1981 took $19M.
| Month | Films | Worldwide | Change | Biggest film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 1972 No films | 0 | – | – | – |
| October 1973 1 film | 1 | $483 | – | Bawdy Tales (1973) $483 |
| October 1974 2 films · +2096% | 2 | $10.6K | +2096% | Female Trouble (1974) $9.8K |
| October 1975 No films | 0 | – | – | – |
| October 1976 No films | 0 | – | – | – |
| October 1977 2 films | 2 | $48.9M | – | Oh, God! (1977) $41.7M |
| October 1978 2 films · −58% | 2 | $20.5M | −58% | The Big Fix (1978) $13.1M |
| October 1979 2 films · +439% | 2 | $110.5M | +439% | 10 (1979) $74.9M |
| October 1980 6 films · −11% | 6 | $98.6M | −11% | Private Benjamin (1980) $69.8M |
| October 1981 6 films · −81% | 6 | $19M | −81% | Paternity (1981) $18.8M |
Archive
Comedy Box Office in 1981, Month by Month
The months of 1981 with their totals: June leads with $220.4M, led by Stripes (1981).
- January $20.3M #1 The Incredible Shrinking Woman (1981)
- February No grosses
- March $35.2M #1 The Devil and Max Devlin (1981)
- April $46.3M #1 Take This Job and Shove It (1981)
- May $81.7M #1 The Four Seasons (1981)
- June $220.4M #1 Stripes (1981)
- July $132M #1 Arthur (1981)
- August $55.5M #1 Private Lessons (1981)
- September $41.1M #1 Only When I Laugh (1981)
- October $19M #1 Paternity (1981)
- November $42.4M #1 Time Bandits (1981)
- December $58.5M #1 Neighbors (1981)
FAQ
Comedy Box Office October 1981: 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 6 films as the chart.
What is the highest-grossing comedy movie in October 1981?
Paternity (1981) leads with $18.8M worldwide, $18.8M of it in the US & Canada. Next come Roar (1981) at $110.4K and Le Pont du Nord (1981) at $17.1K.
How much did comedy movies released in October 1981 earn?
6 comedy films released in October 1981 report a worldwide gross, $19M in all, or $3.2M per film on average.
How many comedy movies released in October 1981 made $1 billion?
None. The biggest, Paternity (1981), earned $18.8M.
How is the October 1981 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 October 1981. 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 October 1981 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.