#1 of 4 #1 comedy movie of July 1981
1981 · Comedy, Romance
$95.5M worldwide · 72% of the chart's total
$95.5M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
Comedy box office · July 1981
Comedy Box Office, July 1981: Top-Grossing Releases
Arthur (1981) is the highest-grossing comedy movie released in July 1981, with $95.5M worldwide, ahead of Under the Rainbow (1981) at $18.8M and S.O.B. (1981) at $14.9M. 4 comedy films released in July 1981 report a worldwide gross, $132M in all, 100% of it from the US & Canada. That is down 40% on June 1981, whose releases took $220.4M.
- July 1981 releases with a gross
- 4
- combined worldwide
- $132M
- Arthur (1981), the #1
- $95.5M
- vs June 1981
- −40%
#1 of 4 Top 4
What Were the Biggest Comedy Hits of July 1981?
Arthur (1981) leads with $95.5M, 72% of the total. The top 4 together took $132M, almost all of what the 4 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
US & Canada (domestic) Rest of the world
The chart
Every Comedy Release of July 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 July 1981.
- 1 Jul 17, 1981 US and Canada: $95.5M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $95.5M
- 2 Jul 31, 1981 US and Canada: $18.8M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $18.8M
- 3 Jul 1, 1981 US and Canada: $14.9M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $14.9M
- 4 Jul 24, 1981 US and Canada: $2.9M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $2.9M
US & Canada vs the world
Where Did the Money Come From in July 1981?
Of the top 4, Arthur (1981) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while Gas (1981) made 0% of its gross abroad. Across all 4 films, $132M (100%) came from the US & Canada.
- 1 Arthur (1981) $95.5M $95.5M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 2 Under the Rainbow (1981) $18.8M $18.8M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 3 S.O.B. (1981) $14.9M $14.9M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 4 Gas (1981) $2.9M $2.9M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
By release week
Which Week of July 1981 Had the Biggest Releases?
Films released in week 29 (Jul 12–18) took $95.5M, led by Arthur (1981). Each column links to that week's chart; weeks are Sunday to Saturday.
- Week 27 Wk 27 Jun 28–Jul 4 S.O.B. (1981) $14.9M S.O.B. (1981)
- Week 28 Wk 28 Jul 5–11 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- Week 29 Wk 29 Jul 12–18 Arthur (1981) $95.5M Arthur (1981)
- Week 30 Wk 30 Jul 19–25 Gas (1981) $2.9M Gas (1981)
- Week 31 Wk 31 Jul 26–Aug 1 Under the Rainbow (1981) $18.8M Under the Rainbow (1981)
Earlier years
How Does July 1981 Compare With July in Earlier Years?
Of these 10 years, July 1978 earned the most: $193M from 4 films, led by Hooper (1978). July 1981 took $132M.
| Month | Films | Worldwide | Change | Biggest film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 1972 1 film | 1 | $9K | – | The Canterbury Tales (1972) $9K |
| July 1973 No films | 0 | – | – | – |
| July 1974 No films | 0 | – | – | – |
| July 1975 1 film | 1 | $36.9M | – | The Apple Dumpling Gang (1975) $36.9M |
| July 1976 1 film · −41% | 1 | $21.9M | −41% | Gus (1976) $21.9M |
| July 1977 2 films · −12% | 2 | $19.3M | −12% | The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training (1977) $19.1M |
| July 1978 4 films · +898% | 4 | $193M | +898% | Hooper (1978) $78M |
| July 1979 2 films · −87% | 2 | $25.8M | −87% | Breaking Away (1979) $16.4M |
| July 1980 6 films · +639% | 6 | $190.5M | +639% | Airplane! (1980) $83.5M |
| July 1981 4 films · −31% | 4 | $132M | −31% | Arthur (1981) $95.5M |
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 July 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 4 films as the chart.
What is the highest-grossing comedy movie in July 1981?
Arthur (1981) leads with $95.5M worldwide, $95.5M of it in the US & Canada. Next come Under the Rainbow (1981) at $18.8M and S.O.B. (1981) at $14.9M.
How much did comedy movies released in July 1981 earn?
4 comedy films released in July 1981 report a worldwide gross, $132M in all, or $33M per film on average. June 1981 releases took $220.4M.
How many comedy movies released in July 1981 made $1 billion?
None. The biggest, Arthur (1981), earned $95.5M.
How is the July 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 July 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 July 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.