#1 of 4 #1 documentary movie of 1981
1981 · Biography, Music
$2M worldwide · 95% of the chart's total
$2M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
Documentary box office · 1981
Documentary Box Office 1981: Highest-Grossing Documentary Movies
This Is Elvis (1981) is the highest-grossing documentary movie released in 1981, with $2M worldwide, ahead of Dance Craze (1981) at $97.2K and The Killing of America (1981) at $533. 4 documentary films released in 1981 report a worldwide gross, $2.1M in all, 95% of it from the US & Canada.
- 1981 releases with a gross
- 4
- combined worldwide
- $2.1M
- This Is Elvis (1981), the #1
- $2M
- earned in the US & Canada
- 95%
#1 of 4 Top 4
What Were the Biggest Documentary Hits of 1981?
This Is Elvis (1981) leads with $2M, 95% of the total. The top 4 together took $2.1M, 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 Documentary Release of 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 1981.
- 1 Apr 10, 1981 US and Canada: $2M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $2M
- 2 Feb 10, 1981 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $97.2K
- 3 Sep 5, 1981 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $533
- 4 The Decline of Western Civilization (1981)Jul 5, 1981 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $440
Jul 5, 1981 · English · History, Music, Documentary $440 worldwide
By release month
Which Month of 1981 Earned the Most?
April releases took the most, $2M from 1 film, led by This Is Elvis (1981). July was the quietest month ($440). Each column is a release month and links to that month's chart.
- January Jan No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- February Feb Dance Craze (1981) $97.2K Dance Craze (1981)
- March Mar No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- April Apr This Is Elvis (1981) $2M This Is Elvis (1981)
- May May No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- June Jun No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- July Jul The Decline of Western Civilization (1981) $440 The Decline of Western Civilization (1981)
- August Aug No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- September Sep The Killing of America (1981) $533 The Killing of America (1981)
- October Oct No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- November Nov No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- December Dec No reported grosses – No reported grosses
Last 10 years
How Does 1981 Compare With Previous Years?
Of these 10 years, 1974 earned the most: $27.2M from 6 films, led by That's Entertainment! (1974). 1981 took $2.1M.
| Year | Films | Worldwide | Change | Biggest film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 7 films | 7 | $676.7K | – | Elvis on Tour (1972) $587.8K |
| 1973 2 films · −98% | 2 | $16.7K | −98% | Wattstax (1973) $16.2K |
| 1974 6 films · +162579% | 6 | $27.2M | +162579% | That's Entertainment! (1974) $26.9M |
| 1975 2 films · −100% | 2 | $40.9K | −100% | Grey Gardens (1975) $39.9K |
| 1976 3 films · +12114% | 3 | $5M | +12114% | That's Entertainment, Part II (1976) $5M |
| 1977 6 films · −94% | 6 | $298.5K | −94% | ABBA: The Movie (1977) $144.4K |
| 1978 2 films · +22% | 2 | $363.8K | +22% | The Last Waltz (1978) $363.5K |
| 1979 No films | 0 | – | – | – |
| 1980 1 film | 1 | $5.3M | – | Divine Madness (1980) $5.3M |
| 1981 4 films · −60% | 4 | $2.1M | −60% | This Is Elvis (1981) $2M |
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 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 documentary movie in 1981?
This Is Elvis (1981) leads with $2M worldwide, $2M of it in the US & Canada. Next come Dance Craze (1981) at $97.2K and The Killing of America (1981) at $533.
How much did documentary movies released in 1981 earn?
4 documentary films released in 1981 report a worldwide gross, $2.1M in all, or $531.7K per film on average.
How many documentary movies released in 1981 made $1 billion?
None. The biggest, This Is Elvis (1981), earned $2M.
How is the 1981 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 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 1981 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.