#1 of 7 #1 documentary movie of 1972
1972 · Documentary, Music
$587.8K worldwide · 87% of the chart's total
$587.8K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
Documentary box office · 1972
Documentary Box Office 1972: Highest-Grossing Documentary Movies
Elvis on Tour (1972) is the highest-grossing documentary movie released in 1972, with $587.8K worldwide, ahead of Morning of the Earth (1972) at $34.7K and Cousin Jules (1972) at $29.3K. 7 documentary films released in 1972 report a worldwide gross, $676.7K in all, 91% of it from the US & Canada. By language, English leads with $631.2K across 5 documentary releases.
- 1972 releases with a gross
- 7
- combined worldwide
- $676.7K
- Elvis on Tour (1972), the #1
- $587.8K
- earned in the US & Canada
- 91%
#1 of 7 Top 5
What Were the Biggest Documentary Hits of 1972?
Elvis on Tour (1972) leads with $587.8K, 87% of the total. The top 5 together took $673.2K, 99% of what all 7 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 Documentary Release of 1972, 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 1972.
- 1 Nov 1, 1972 US and Canada: $587.8K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $587.8K
- 2 Feb 25, 1972 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $34.7K
- 3 1972 US and Canada: $29.3K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $29.3K
- 4 Dec 26, 1972 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $16.2K
- 5 Jan 26, 1972 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $5.2K
- 6
Jan 27, 1972 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $2.8K - 7
Mar 24, 1972 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $692
By release month
Which Month of 1972 Earned the Most?
November releases took the most, $587.8K from 1 film, led by Elvis on Tour (1972). March was the quietest month ($692). Each column is a release month and links to that month's chart.
- January Jan Cousin Jules (1972) $37.3K Cousin Jules (1972)
- February Feb Morning of the Earth (1972) $34.7K Morning of the Earth (1972)
- March Mar Five Summer Stories (1972) $692 Five Summer Stories (1972)
- April Apr No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- May May No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- June Jun No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- July Jul No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- August Aug No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- September Sep No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- October Oct No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- November Nov Elvis on Tour (1972) $587.8K Elvis on Tour (1972)
- December Dec Chung Kuo: China (1972) $16.2K Chung Kuo: China (1972)
Last 10 years
How Does 1972 Compare With Previous Years?
Of these 10 years, 1972 earned the most: $676.7K from 7 films, led by Elvis on Tour (1972).
| Year | Films | Worldwide | Change | Biggest film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1963 1 film | 1 | $55K | – | The Lovely Month of May (1963) $55K |
| 1964 1 film · −95% | 1 | $2.8K | −95% | Love Meetings (1964) $2.8K |
| 1965 1 film · −80% | 1 | $568 | −80% | Catembe (1965) $568 |
| 1966 1 film · +2057% | 1 | $12.3K | +2057% | The Endless Summer (1966) $12.3K |
| 1967 3 films · +100% | 3 | $24.5K | +100% | A Man Vanishes (1967) $15.5K |
| 1968 1 film · +95% | 1 | $47.8K | +95% | The Queen (1968) $47.8K |
| 1969 No films | 0 | – | – | – |
| 1970 4 films | 4 | $357.4K | – | Woodstock (1970) $321.3K |
| 1971 1 film · −91% | 1 | $31.4K | −91% | Bushman (1971) $31.4K |
| 1972 7 films · +2057% | 7 | $676.7K | +2057% | Elvis on Tour (1972) $587.8K |
Archive
Documentary Box Office Year by Year
Every year from 1918 to 2026 with its total and its biggest film. 2013 leads with $696.2M, led by Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa (2013).
2020s 7 years · $644.6M
2010s 10 years · $2.7B
- 2019 $145.4M #1 Apollo 11 (2019)
- 2018 $257.3M #1 Believer (2018)
- 2017 $172.8M #1 Reset (2017)
- 2016 $149.8M #1 A Beautiful Planet (2016)
- 2015 $203.5M #1 Northern Limit Line (2015)
- 2014 $126.7M #1 Bears (2014)
- 2013 $696.2M #1 Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa (2013)
- 2012 $288M #1 Switch (2012)
- 2011 $288.8M #1 Justin Bieber: Never Say Never (2011)
- 2010 $338.6M #1 Jackass 3-D (2010)
2000s 10 years · $2.1B
- 2009 $401.6M #1 This Is It (2009)
- 2008 $118.2M #1 U2 3D (2008)
- 2007 $137.8M #1 Sea Monsters: A Prehistoric Adventure (2007)
- 2006 $286.9M #1 Deep Sea (2006)
- 2005 $284.9M #1 March of the Penguins (2005)
- 2004 $339.9M #1 Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004)
- 2003 $123.3M #1 Bugs! (2003)
- 2002 $239M #1 Space Station 3D (2002)
- 2001 $39.4M #1 Shackleton’s Antarctic Adventure (2001)
- 2000 $81.4M #1 The Original Kings of Comedy (2000)
1990s 10 years · $226.1M
- 1999 $50.2M #1 Buena Vista Social Club (1999)
- 1998 $60.8M #1 Mysteries of Egypt (1998)
- 1997 $22M #1 Thrill Ride: The Science of Fun (1997)
- 1996 $5.9M #1 When We Were Kings (1996)
- 1995 $13.9M #1 Born to Be Wild (1995)
- 1994 $26.8M #1 Hoop Dreams (1994)
- 1993 $733.8K #1 The Wonderful, Horrible Life of Leni Riefenstahl (1993)
- 1992 $7.2M #1 My Crasy Life (1992)
- 1991 $37.7M #1 Madonna: Truth or Dare (1991)
- 1990 $785.7K #1 Listen Up: The Lives of Quincy Jones (1990)
1980s 10 years · $174.2M
- 1989 $9.3M #1 Roger & Me (1989)
- 1988 $15.3M #1 U2: Rattle and Hum (1988)
- 1987 $54.3M #1 Eddie Murphy: Raw (1987)
- 1986 $1.4M #1 Home of the Brave: A Film by Laurie Anderson (1986)
- 1985 $1.8M #1 The Dream Is Alive (1985)
- 1984 $24.1M #1 Stop Making Sense (1984)
- 1983 $16.2M #1 Richard Pryor: Here and Now (1983)
- 1982 $44.4M #1 Richard Pryor: Live on the Sunset Strip (1982)
- 1981 $2.1M #1 This Is Elvis (1981)
- 1980 $5.3M #1 Divine Madness (1980)
1970s 9 years · $33.9M
- 1978 $363.8K #1 The Last Waltz (1978)
- 1977 $298.5K #1 ABBA: The Movie (1977)
- 1976 $5M #1 That's Entertainment, Part II (1976)
- 1975 $40.9K #1 Grey Gardens (1975)
- 1974 $27.2M #1 That's Entertainment! (1974)
- 1973 $16.7K #1 Wattstax (1973)
- 1972 $676.7K #1 Elvis on Tour (1972)
- 1971 $31.4K #1 Bushman (1971)
- 1970 $357.4K #1 Woodstock (1970)
1960s 6 years · $143K
1950s 5 years · $233.2K
1920s 2 years · $201.5K
1910s 1 year · $9.7K
FAQ
Documentary Box Office 1972: 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 7 films as the chart.
What is the highest-grossing documentary movie in 1972?
Elvis on Tour (1972) leads with $587.8K worldwide, $587.8K of it in the US & Canada. Next come Morning of the Earth (1972) at $34.7K and Cousin Jules (1972) at $29.3K.
How much did documentary movies released in 1972 earn?
7 documentary films released in 1972 report a worldwide gross, $676.7K in all, or $96.7K per film on average.
How many documentary movies released in 1972 made $1 billion?
None. The biggest, Elvis on Tour (1972), earned $587.8K.
How is the 1972 documentary 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 1972. 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 1972 documentary 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.