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Drama box office · 1940

Drama Box Office 1940: Highest-Grossing Drama Movies

Gone with the Wind (1940) is the highest-grossing drama movie released in 1940, with $402.4M worldwide, ahead of The Fighting 69th (1940) at $2.3M and Rebecca (1940) at $113.3K. 9 drama films released in 1940 report a worldwide gross, $404.9M in all, 50% of it from the US & Canada. One film crossed $100 million; none reached $1 billion. That is 370.9 times the total of 1939, whose releases took $1.1M. By language, English leads with $404.9M across 8 drama releases.

1940 releases with a gross
9
combined worldwide
$404.9M
film crossed $100M
1
vs 1939
×370.9
Gone with the Wind (1940) movie poster #1 of 9
#1 drama movie of 1940

Gone with the Wind (1940)

1940 · Drama, History

$402.4M worldwide · 99% of the chart's total

$200.9M US & Canada · 50% $201.5M elsewhere · 50%
Top 5

What Were the Biggest Drama Hits of 1940?

Gone with the Wind (1940) leads with $402.4M, 99% of the total. The top 5 together took $404.9M, almost all of what the 9 films earned. Each bar splits a film's gross into the US & Canada and the rest of the world.

  1. Gone with the Wind (1940) movie poster Number 1
    $402.4M Gone with the Wind (1940)
    $200.9M US & Canada · 50% $201.5M elsewhere · 50%
  2. The Fighting 69th (1940) movie poster Number 2
    $2.3M The Fighting 69th (1940)
    No US & Canada figure reported
  3. Rebecca (1940) movie poster Number 3
    $113.3K Rebecca (1940)
    No US & Canada figure reported
  4. The Shop Around the Corner (1940) movie poster Number 4
    $42.2K The Shop Around the Corner (1940)
    No US & Canada figure reported
  5. Waterloo Bridge (1940) movie poster Number 5
    $31.1K Waterloo Bridge (1940)
    No US & Canada figure reported

US & Canada (domestic) Rest of the world

The chart

Every Drama Release of 1940, 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 1940.

  1. 1 Gone with the Wind (1940) movie poster
    Gone with the Wind (1940) Jan 17, 1940 · English · Drama, History, Romance $402.4M worldwide
    Jan 17, 1940 US and Canada: $200.9M Rest of the world: $201.5M Worldwide: $402.4M
  2. 2 The Fighting 69th (1940) movie poster
    The Fighting 69th (1940) Jan 26, 1940 · English · Action, Drama, War $2.3M worldwide
    Jan 26, 1940 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $2.3M
  3. 3 Rebecca (1940) movie poster
    Rebecca (1940) Apr 12, 1940 · English · Drama, Mystery, Thriller $113.3K worldwide
    Apr 12, 1940 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $113.3K
  4. 4 The Shop Around the Corner (1940) movie poster
    The Shop Around the Corner (1940) Jan 12, 1940 · English · Drama, Comedy, Romance $42.2K worldwide
    Jan 12, 1940 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $42.2K
  5. 5 Waterloo Bridge (1940) movie poster
    Waterloo Bridge (1940) May 17, 1940 · English · Drama, Romance, War $31.1K worldwide
    May 17, 1940 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $31.1K
  6. 6 The Grapes of Wrath (1940) movie poster
    The Grapes of Wrath (1940) Mar 15, 1940 · English · Drama, History $7.3K worldwide
    Mar 15, 1940 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $7.3K
  7. 7 From Mayerling to Sarajevo (1940) movie poster
    From Mayerling to Sarajevo (1940) Jan 27, 1940 · French · Romance, Drama, History $5.2K worldwide
    Jan 27, 1940 US and Canada: $5.2K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $5.2K
  8. 8 His Girl Friday (1940) movie poster
    His Girl Friday (1940) Jan 18, 1940 · English · Comedy, Drama, Romance $1.9K worldwide
    Jan 18, 1940 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $1.9K
  9. 9 Dr. Ehrlich’s Magic Bullet (1940) movie poster
    Dr. Ehrlich’s Magic Bullet (1940) Feb 8, 1940 · English · Drama $205 worldwide
    Feb 8, 1940 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $205
By release month

Which Month of 1940 Earned the Most?

January releases took the most, $404.7M from 5 films, led by Gone with the Wind (1940). February was the quietest month ($205). Each column is a release month and links to that month's chart.

  1. January Jan Gone with the Wind (1940) $404.7M Gone with the Wind (1940)
  2. February Feb Dr. Ehrlich’s Magic Bullet (1940) $205 Dr. Ehrlich’s Magic Bullet (1940)
  3. March Mar The Grapes of Wrath (1940) $7.3K The Grapes of Wrath (1940)
  4. April Apr Rebecca (1940) $113.3K Rebecca (1940)
  5. May May Waterloo Bridge (1940) $31.1K Waterloo Bridge (1940)
  6. June Jun No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  7. July Jul No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  8. August Aug No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  9. September Sep No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  10. October Oct No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  11. November Nov No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  12. December Dec No reported grosses – No reported grosses
Last 10 years

How Does 1940 Compare With Previous Years?

Of these 10 years, 1940 earned the most: $404.9M from 9 films, led by Gone with the Wind (1940).

Year Films Worldwide Change Biggest film
1931 5 films 5 $46.6K – 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
1940 9 films · +36990% 9 $404.9M +36990% Gone with the Wind (1940) $402.4M
By language

Which Languages Do the Biggest Drama Movies Speak in 1940?

English-language drama films took $404.9M across 8 films, 100% of the total, ahead of French-language drama films ($5.2K).

1940 Drama Box Office by Language

  1. English $404.9M
    8 films · #1 Gone with the Wind (1940)
  2. French $5.2K
    1 film · #1 From Mayerling to Sarajevo (1940)
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 1940: 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 9 films as the chart.

What is the highest-grossing drama movie in 1940?

Gone with the Wind (1940) leads with $402.4M worldwide, $200.9M of it in the US & Canada. Next come The Fighting 69th (1940) at $2.3M and Rebecca (1940) at $113.3K.

How much did drama movies released in 1940 earn?

9 drama films released in 1940 report a worldwide gross, $404.9M in all, or $45M per film on average. 1939 releases took $1.1M.

How many drama movies released in 1940 made $1 billion?

None. 1 film crossed $100 million, led by Gone with the Wind (1940) with $402.4M.

How much of the 1940 Drama box office came from the US and Canada?

$200.9M of the $404.9M total, or 50%, was earned in the US & Canada (the domestic market); the rest came from other countries. 7 films of the 9 report no domestic figure.

How is the 1940 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 1940. 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 1940 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.