#1 of 2 #1 crime movie of December 1981
1981 · Action, Drama
$35.6M worldwide · 84% of the chart's total
$35.6M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
Crime box office · December 1981
Crime Box Office, December 1981: Top-Grossing Releases
Sharky's Machine (1981) is the highest-grossing crime movie released in December 1981, with $35.6M worldwide, ahead of The Amateur (1981) at $6.9M. 2 crime films released in December 1981 report a worldwide gross, $42.5M in all, 100% of it from the US & Canada.
- December 1981 releases with a gross
- 2
- combined worldwide
- $42.5M
- Sharky's Machine (1981), the #1
- $35.6M
- earned in the US & Canada
- 100%
#1 of 2 The chart
Every Crime Release of December 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 December 1981.
- 1 Dec 18, 1981 US and Canada: $35.6M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $35.6M
- 2
Dec 11, 1981 US and Canada: $6.9M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $6.9M
Archive
Crime Box Office in 1981, Month by Month
The months of 1981 with their totals: April leads with $45.4M, led by Nighthawks (1981).
- January No grosses
- February $35.6M #1 Fort Apache the Bronx (1981)
- March $25.8M #1 The Postman Always Rings Twice (1981)
- April $45.4M #1 Nighthawks (1981)
- May $17.4M #1 Outland (1981)
- June $31.2M #1 The Great Muppet Caper (1981)
- July No grosses
- August $32.2M #1 Body Heat (1981)
- September $12.9M #1 True Confessions (1981)
- October $777.1K #1 Lonely Heart (1981)
- November $3.7M #1 The Pursuit of D.B. Cooper (1981)
- December $42.5M #1 Sharky's Machine (1981)
FAQ
Crime Box Office December 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 2 films as the chart.
What is the highest-grossing crime movie in December 1981?
Sharky's Machine (1981) leads with $35.6M worldwide, $35.6M of it in the US & Canada. Next come The Amateur (1981) at $6.9M.
How much did crime movies released in December 1981 earn?
2 crime films released in December 1981 report a worldwide gross, $42.5M in all, or $21.3M per film on average.
How many crime movies released in December 1981 made $1 billion?
None. The biggest, Sharky's Machine (1981), earned $35.6M.
How is the December 1981 crime 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 December 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 December 1981 crime 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.