#1 of 11 #1 comedy movie of May 1991
1991 · Comedy
$63.7M worldwide · 31% of the chart's total
$63.7M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
Comedy box office · May 1991
Comedy Box Office, May 1991: Top-Grossing Releases
What About Bob? (1991) is the highest-grossing comedy movie released in May 1991, with $63.7M worldwide, ahead of Soapdish (1991) at $36.5M and Only the Lonely (1991) at $25.1M. 11 comedy films released in May 1991 report a worldwide gross, $208.8M in all, 98% of it from the US & Canada. That is 3.4 times the total of April 1991, whose releases took $62.1M. By language, English leads with $207.6M across 10 comedy releases.
- May 1991 releases with a gross
- 11
- combined worldwide
- $208.8M
- What About Bob? (1991), the #1
- $63.7M
- vs April 1991
- ×3.4
#1 of 11 Top 5
What Were the Biggest Comedy Hits of May 1991?
What About Bob? (1991) leads with $63.7M, 31% of the total. The top 5 together took $163.6M, 78% of what all 11 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 May 1991, 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 1991.
- 1 May 17, 1991 US and Canada: $63.7M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $63.7M
- 2 May 31, 1991 US and Canada: $36.5M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $36.5M
- 3 May 24, 1991 US and Canada: $21.8M Rest of the world: $3.3M Worldwide: $25.1M
- 4 May 10, 1991 US and Canada: $21.1M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $21.1M
- 5 May 24, 1991 US and Canada: $17.2M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $17.2M
- 6
May 10, 1991 US and Canada: $15.5M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $15.5M - 7
May 24, 1991 US and Canada: $13.9M Rest of the world: $6K Worldwide: $13.9M - 8
May 3, 1991 US and Canada: $10.4M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $10.4M - 9
May 17, 1991 US and Canada: $3.8M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $3.8M - 10
May 16, 1991 US and Canada: $1.2M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $1.2M - 11
May 10, 1991 US and Canada: $382.5K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $382.5K
US & Canada vs the world
Where Did the Money Come From in May 1991?
Of the top 10, What About Bob? (1991) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while Only the Lonely (1991) made 13% of its gross abroad. Across all 11 films, $205.6M (98%) came from the US & Canada.
- 1 What About Bob? (1991) $63.7M $63.7M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 2 Soapdish (1991) $36.5M $36.5M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 3 Only the Lonely (1991) $25.1M $21.8M US & Canada · 87% $3.3M elsewhere · 13%
- 4 F/X2 (1991) $21.1M $21.1M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 5 Hudson Hawk (1991) $17.2M $17.2M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 6 Switch (1991) $15.5M $15.5M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 7 Drop Dead Fred (1991) $13.9M $13.9M US & Canada · 100% $6K elsewhere · <1%
- 8 A Rage in Harlem (1991) $10.4M $10.4M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 9 Mannequin: On the Move (1991) $3.8M $3.8M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 10 Toto the Hero (1991) $1.2M $1.2M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
Gross bands
How Many May 1991 Releases Crossed $100 Million?
None of the 11 films reached $100M. 3 films, 27% of the list, earned under $10M. Each band shows its films and its share of the $208.8M total.
97%
- $1B or more 0 films, 0% of the list No films
- $500M to $1B 0 films, 0% of the list No films
- $100M to $500M 0 films, 0% of the list No films
- $10M to $100M 8 films, 73% of the list $203.5M · 97% of the gross
- Under $10M 3 films, 27% of the list $5.4M · 3% of the gross
By release week
Which Week of May 1991 Had the Biggest Releases?
Films released in week 20 (May 12–18) took $68.7M, led by What About Bob? (1991). Each column links to that week's chart; weeks are Sunday to Saturday.
- Week 18 Wk 18 Apr 28–May 4 A Rage in Harlem (1991) $10.4M A Rage in Harlem (1991)
- Week 19 Wk 19 May 5–11 F/X2 (1991) $37M F/X2 (1991)
- Week 20 Wk 20 May 12–18 What About Bob? (1991) $68.7M What About Bob? (1991)
- Week 21 Wk 21 May 19–25 Only the Lonely (1991) $56.2M Only the Lonely (1991)
- Week 22 Wk 22 May 26–Jun 1 Soapdish (1991) $36.5M Soapdish (1991)
Earlier years
How Does May 1991 Compare With May in Earlier Years?
Of these 10 years, May 1990 earned the most: $435.8M from 8 films, led by Back to the Future Part III (1990). May 1991 took $208.8M.
| Month | Films | Worldwide | Change | Biggest film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 1982 4 films | 4 | $22.3M | – | Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid (1982) $18.2M |
| May 1983 2 films · +16% | 2 | $25.9M | +16% | Still Smokin (1983) $15.5M |
| May 1984 7 films · +208% | 7 | $79.8M | +208% | Breakin' (1984) $38.7M |
| May 1985 10 films · +68% | 10 | $134.4M | +68% | Fletch (1985) $59.6M |
| May 1986 5 films · −51% | 5 | $65.3M | −51% | Short Circuit (1986) $40.7M |
| May 1987 10 films · +442% | 10 | $354.2M | +442% | Beverly Hills Cop II (1987) $300M |
| May 1988 6 films · −32% | 6 | $241.5M | −32% | Crocodile Dundee II (1988) $239.6M |
| May 1989 12 films · −71% | 12 | $70M | −71% | See No Evil, Hear No Evil (1989) $46.9M |
| May 1990 8 films · +523% | 8 | $435.8M | +523% | Back to the Future Part III (1990) $245.1M |
| May 1991 11 films · −52% | 11 | $208.8M | −52% | What About Bob? (1991) $63.7M |
By language
Which Languages Do the Biggest Comedy Movies Speak in May 1991?
English-language comedy films took $207.6M across 10 films, 99% of the total, ahead of French-language comedy films ($1.2M).
Archive
Comedy Box Office in 1991, Month by Month
The months of 1991 with their totals: December leads with $460.7M, led by Hook (1991).
- January $49.3M #1 Green Card (1991)
- February $114M #1 King Ralph (1991)
- March $163.7M #1 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze (1991)
- April $62.1M #1 Oscar (1991)
- May $208.8M #1 What About Bob? (1991)
- June $339.8M #1 City Slickers (1991)
- July $232.3M #1 Hot Shots! (1991)
- August $126M #1 Doc Hollywood (1991)
- September $93.5M #1 The Fisher King (1991)
- October $128.4M #1 Curly Sue (1991)
- November $372M #1 The Addams Family (1991)
- December $460.7M #1 Hook (1991)
FAQ
Comedy Box Office May 1991: 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 11 films as the chart.
What is the highest-grossing comedy movie in May 1991?
What About Bob? (1991) leads with $63.7M worldwide, $63.7M of it in the US & Canada. Next come Soapdish (1991) at $36.5M and Only the Lonely (1991) at $25.1M.
How much did comedy movies released in May 1991 earn?
11 comedy films released in May 1991 report a worldwide gross, $208.8M in all, or $19M per film on average. April 1991 releases took $62.1M.
How many comedy movies released in May 1991 made $1 billion?
None. The biggest, What About Bob? (1991), earned $63.7M.
How is the May 1991 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 1991. 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 1991 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.