#1 of 4 #1 comedy movie of May 1982
Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid (1982)
1982 · Mystery, Thriller
$18.2M worldwide · 82% of the chart's total
$18.2M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
Comedy box office · May 1982
Comedy Box Office, May 1982: Top-Grossing Releases
Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid (1982) is the highest-grossing comedy movie released in May 1982, with $18.2M worldwide, ahead of Wrong Is Right (1982) at $3.6M and Britannia Hospital (1982) at $375.7K. 4 comedy films released in May 1982 report a worldwide gross, $22.3M in all, 100% of it from the US & Canada. That is down 39% on April 1982, whose releases took $36.5M.
- May 1982 releases with a gross
- 4
- combined worldwide
- $22.3M
- Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid (1982), the #1
- $18.2M
- vs April 1982
- −39%
#1 of 4 Top 4
What Were the Biggest Comedy Hits of May 1982?
Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid (1982) leads with $18.2M, 82% of the total. The top 4 together took $22.3M, 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 May 1982, 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 May 1982.
- 1 Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid (1982)May 21, 1982 US and Canada: $18.2M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $18.2M
May 21, 1982 · English · Mystery, Thriller, Comedy $18.2M worldwide - 2 May 14, 1982 US and Canada: $3.6M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $3.6M
- 3 May 27, 1982 US and Canada: $375.7K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $375.7K
- 4 May 28, 1982 US and Canada: $143.4K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $143.4K
US & Canada vs the world
Where Did the Money Come From in May 1982?
Of the top 4, Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid (1982) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while The Escape Artist (1982) made 0% of its gross abroad. Across all 4 films, $22.3M (100%) came from the US & Canada.
- 1 Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid (1982) $18.2M $18.2M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 2 Wrong Is Right (1982) $3.6M $3.6M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 3 Britannia Hospital (1982) $375.7K $375.7K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 4 The Escape Artist (1982) $143.4K $143.4K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
By release week
Which Week of May 1982 Had the Biggest Releases?
Films released in week 21 (May 16–22) took $18.2M, led by Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid (1982). Each column links to that week's chart; weeks are Sunday to Saturday.
- Week 18 Wk 18 Apr 25–May 1 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- Week 19 Wk 19 May 2–8 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- Week 20 Wk 20 May 9–15 Wrong Is Right (1982) $3.6M Wrong Is Right (1982)
- Week 21 Wk 21 May 16–22 Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid (1982) $18.2M Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid (1982)
- Week 22 Wk 22 May 23–29 Britannia Hospital (1982) $519.1K Britannia Hospital (1982)
- Week 23 Wk 23 May 30–Jun 5 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
Earlier years
How Does May 1982 Compare With May in Earlier Years?
Of these 10 years, May 1977 earned the most: $127.6M from 4 films, led by Smokey and the Bandit (1977). May 1982 took $22.3M.
| Month | Films | Worldwide | Change | Biggest film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 1973 2 films | 2 | $1.1K | – | Paper Moon (1973) $591 |
| May 1974 2 films · +1977236% | 2 | $21.8M | +1977236% | Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974) $21.7M |
| May 1975 2 films · +92% | 2 | $41.8M | +92% | The Return of the Pink Panther (1975) $41.8M |
| May 1976 No films | 0 | – | – | – |
| May 1977 4 films | 4 | $127.6M | – | Smokey and the Bandit (1977) $126.8M |
| May 1978 2 films · −65% | 2 | $44.9M | −65% | The End (1978) $44.9M |
| May 1979 4 films · −51% | 4 | $22M | −51% | La Cage aux Folles (1979) $20.4M |
| May 1980 5 films · +6% | 5 | $23.3M | +6% | The Nude Bomb (1980) $14.7M |
| May 1981 4 films · +250% | 4 | $81.7M | +250% | The Four Seasons (1981) $50.4M |
| May 1982 4 films · −73% | 4 | $22.3M | −73% | Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid (1982) $18.2M |
Archive
Comedy Box Office in 1982, Month by Month
The months of 1982 with their totals: December leads with $396.5M, led by Tootsie (1982).
- January No grosses
- February $5.3M #1 Cannery Row (1982)
- March $216.2M #1 Porky's (1982)
- April $36.5M #1 Some Kind of Hero (1982)
- May $22.3M #1 Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid (1982)
- June $38.4M #1 Grease 2 (1982)
- July $191.3M #1 The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1982)
- August $64.1M #1 Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982)
- September $19.2M #1 Zapped! (1982)
- October $36.6M #1 My Favorite Year (1982)
- November $42.6M #1 Creepshow (1982)
- December $396.5M #1 Tootsie (1982)
FAQ
Comedy Box Office May 1982: 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 May 1982?
Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid (1982) leads with $18.2M worldwide, $18.2M of it in the US & Canada. Next come Wrong Is Right (1982) at $3.6M and Britannia Hospital (1982) at $375.7K.
How much did comedy movies released in May 1982 earn?
4 comedy films released in May 1982 report a worldwide gross, $22.3M in all, or $5.6M per film on average. April 1982 releases took $36.5M.
How many comedy movies released in May 1982 made $1 billion?
None. The biggest, Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid (1982), earned $18.2M.
How is the May 1982 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 May 1982. 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 May 1982 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.