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Drama box office · 1939

Drama Box Office 1939: Highest-Grossing Drama Movies

Wuthering Heights (1939) is the highest-grossing drama movie released in 1939, with $624.6K worldwide, ahead of The Rules of the Game (1939) at $273.6K and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) at $146.1K. 8 drama films released in 1939 report a worldwide gross, $1.1M in all, 96% of it from the US & Canada. By language, English leads with $643.9K across 4 drama releases.

1939 releases with a gross
8
combined worldwide
$1.1M
Wuthering Heights (1939), the #1
$624.6K
earned in the US & Canada
96%
Wuthering Heights (1939) movie poster #1 of 8
#1 drama movie of 1939

Wuthering Heights (1939)

1939 · Drama, Romance

$624.6K worldwide · 57% of the chart's total

$624.6K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
Top 5

What Were the Biggest Drama Hits of 1939?

Wuthering Heights (1939) leads with $624.6K, 57% of the total. The top 5 together took $1.1M, 99% of what all 8 films earned. Each bar splits a film's gross into the US & Canada and the rest of the world.

  1. Wuthering Heights (1939) movie poster Number 1
    $624.6K Wuthering Heights (1939)
    $624.6K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  2. The Rules of the Game (1939) movie poster Number 2
    $273.6K The Rules of the Game (1939)
    $273.6K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  3. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) movie poster Number 3
    $146.1K Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)
    $144.7K US & Canada · 99% $1.4K elsewhere · <1%
  4. The Foundling (1939) movie poster Number 4
    $21.9K The Foundling (1939)
    No US & Canada figure reported
  5. Drums Along the Mohawk (1939) movie poster Number 5
    $10.4K Drums Along the Mohawk (1939)
    No US & Canada figure reported

US & Canada (domestic) Rest of the world

The chart

Every Drama Release of 1939, 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 1939.

  1. 1 Wuthering Heights (1939) movie poster
    Wuthering Heights (1939) Mar 24, 1939 · English · Drama, Romance $624.6K worldwide
    Mar 24, 1939 US and Canada: $624.6K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $624.6K
  2. 2 The Rules of the Game (1939) movie poster
    The Rules of the Game (1939) Jul 8, 1939 · French · Drama, Comedy, Romance $273.6K worldwide
    Jul 8, 1939 US and Canada: $273.6K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $273.6K
  3. 3 Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) movie poster
    Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) Oct 19, 1939 · Drama, Comedy $146.1K worldwide
    Oct 19, 1939 US and Canada: $144.7K Rest of the world: $1.4K Worldwide: $146.1K
  4. 4 The Foundling (1939) movie poster
    The Foundling (1939) Nov 18, 1939 · Russian · Comedy, Drama $21.9K worldwide
    Nov 18, 1939 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $21.9K
  5. 5 Drums Along the Mohawk (1939) movie poster
    Drums Along the Mohawk (1939) Nov 2, 1939 · English · Drama, War, History $10.4K worldwide
    Nov 2, 1939 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $10.4K
  6. 6 Only Angels Have Wings (1939) movie poster
    Only Angels Have Wings (1939) May 12, 1939 · English · Adventure, Drama, Romance $8.6K worldwide
    May 12, 1939 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $8.6K
  7. 7 The Story of the Last Chrysanthemum (1939) movie poster
    The Story of the Last Chrysanthemum (1939) Oct 13, 1939 · Japanese · Drama, Romance $6.1K worldwide
    Oct 13, 1939 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $6.1K
  8. 8 Dark Victory (1939) movie poster
    Dark Victory (1939) Apr 20, 1939 · English · Drama, Romance $345 worldwide
    Apr 20, 1939 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $345
US & Canada vs the world

Where Did the Money Come From in 1939?

Of the top 8, Wuthering Heights (1939) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) made <1% of its gross abroad. Across all 8 films, $1M (96%) came from the US & Canada. 5 films of the top 8 report no US & Canada figure.

  1. 1 Wuthering Heights (1939) $624.6K
    $624.6K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  2. 2 The Rules of the Game (1939) $273.6K
    $273.6K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  3. 3 Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) $146.1K
    $144.7K US & Canada · 99% $1.4K elsewhere · <1%
  4. 4 The Foundling (1939) $21.9K
    No US & Canada figure reported
  5. 5 Drums Along the Mohawk (1939) $10.4K
    No US & Canada figure reported
  6. 6 Only Angels Have Wings (1939) $8.6K
    No US & Canada figure reported
  7. 7 The Story of the Last Chrysanthemum (1939) $6.1K
    No US & Canada figure reported
  8. 8 Dark Victory (1939) $345
    No US & Canada figure reported
By release month

Which Month of 1939 Earned the Most?

March releases took the most, $624.6K from 1 film, led by Wuthering Heights (1939). April was the quietest month ($345). Each column is a release month and links to that month's chart.

  1. January Jan No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  2. February Feb No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  3. March Mar Wuthering Heights (1939) $624.6K Wuthering Heights (1939)
  4. April Apr Dark Victory (1939) $345 Dark Victory (1939)
  5. May May Only Angels Have Wings (1939) $8.6K Only Angels Have Wings (1939)
  6. June Jun No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  7. July Jul The Rules of the Game (1939) $273.6K The Rules of the Game (1939)
  8. August Aug No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  9. September Sep No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  10. October Oct Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) $152.2K Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)
  11. November Nov The Foundling (1939) $32.2K The Foundling (1939)
  12. December Dec No reported grosses – No reported grosses
Last 10 years

How Does 1939 Compare With Previous Years?

Of these 10 years, 1939 earned the most: $1.1M from 8 films, led by Wuthering Heights (1939).

Year Films Worldwide Change Biggest film
1930 3 films 3 $5.1K – The Blue Angel (1930) $4.4K
1931 5 films · +819% 5 $46.6K +819% M (1931) $35.6K
1932 5 films · +1% 5 $47.1K +1% The Old Dark House (1932) $34.6K
1933 2 films · +858% 2 $451.3K +858% Baby Face (1933) $451K
1934 3 films · −97% 3 $13.2K −97% L’Atalante (1934) $9.5K
1935 5 films · +3823% 5 $516K +3823% Sylvia Scarlett (1935) $497K
1936 5 films · +4% 5 $536.4K +4% Modern Times (1936) $463.6K
1937 3 films · −96% 3 $19.3K −96% Stage Door (1937) $8.8K
1938 4 films · +146% 4 $47.4K +146% Port of Shadows (1938) $39.6K
1939 8 films · +2205% 8 $1.1M +2205% Wuthering Heights (1939) $624.6K
By language

Which Languages Do the Biggest Drama Movies Speak in 1939?

English-language drama films took $643.9K across 4 films, 59% of the total, ahead of French-language drama films ($273.6K) and Russian-language drama films ($21.9K).

1939 Drama Box Office by Language

  1. English $643.9K
    4 films · #1 Wuthering Heights (1939)
  2. French $273.6K
    1 film · #1 The Rules of the Game (1939)
  3. Russian $21.9K
    1 film · #1 The Foundling (1939)
  4. Japanese $6.1K
    1 film · #1 The Story of the Last Chrysanthemum (1939)
Archive

Drama Box Office Year by Year

Every year from 1919 to 2026 with its total and its biggest film. 2019 leads with $13.9B, led by The Lion King (2019).

2020s 7 years · $50.1B
2010s 10 years · $113.6B
2000s 10 years · $70.7B
1990s 10 years · $42.3B
1980s 10 years · $14.2B
1970s 10 years · $5B
1960s 10 years · $865.1M
1950s 10 years · $438.7M
1940s 10 years · $775.9M
1930s 10 years · $2.8M
1920s 8 years · $10.4M
1910s 1 year · $160
FAQ

Drama Box Office 1939: 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 8 films as the chart.

What is the highest-grossing drama movie in 1939?

Wuthering Heights (1939) leads with $624.6K worldwide, $624.6K of it in the US & Canada. Next come The Rules of the Game (1939) at $273.6K and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) at $146.1K.

How much did drama movies released in 1939 earn?

8 drama films released in 1939 report a worldwide gross, $1.1M in all, or $136.5K per film on average.

How many drama movies released in 1939 made $1 billion?

None. The biggest, Wuthering Heights (1939), earned $624.6K.

How much of the 1939 Drama box office came from the US and Canada?

$1M of the $1.1M total, or 96%, was earned in the US & Canada (the domestic market); the rest came from other countries. 5 films of the 8 report no domestic figure.

How is the 1939 drama 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 1939. 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 1939 drama 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.