#1 of 15 #1 drama movie of 1946
The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
1946 · Drama, Romance
$23.7M worldwide · 43% of the chart's total
$23.7M US & Canada · 100% $17.1K elsewhere · <1%
Drama box office · 1946
Drama Box Office 1946: Highest-Grossing Drama Movies
The Best Years of Our Lives (1946) is the highest-grossing drama movie released in 1946, with $23.7M worldwide, ahead of Duel in the Sun (1946) at $20.4M and Cloak and Dagger (1946) at $9.7M. 15 drama films released in 1946 report a worldwide gross, $54.6M in all, 99% of it from the US & Canada. That is up 148% on 1945, whose releases took $22M. By language, English leads with $54.3M across 11 drama releases.
- 1946 releases with a gross
- 15
- combined worldwide
- $54.6M
- The Best Years of Our Lives (1946), the #1
- $23.7M
- vs 1945
- +148%
#1 of 15 Top 5
What Were the Biggest Drama Hits of 1946?
The Best Years of Our Lives (1946) leads with $23.7M, 43% of the total. The top 5 together took $54.3M, 99% of what all 15 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 Drama Release of 1946, 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 1946.
- 1 Dec 25, 1946 US and Canada: $23.7M Rest of the world: $17.1K Worldwide: $23.7M
- 2 Dec 29, 1946 US and Canada: $20.4M Rest of the world: $20.6K Worldwide: $20.4M
- 3 Sep 5, 1946 US and Canada: $9.7M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $9.7M
- 4 Sep 25, 1946 US and Canada: $298.7K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $298.7K
- 5 Nov 1, 1946 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $231.3K
- 6
Aug 24, 1946 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $119.4K - 7
Sep 6, 1946 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $117.1K - 8
Apr 27, 1946 US and Canada: $34.7K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $34.7K - 9
Oct 16, 1946 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $16.4K - 10
Mar 14, 1946 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $6K - 11
Apr 10, 1946 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $5.4K - 12
Ivan the Terrible, Part II: The Boyars’ Plot (1946)Feb 1, 1946 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $1.7K
Feb 1, 1946 · Russian · History, Drama $1.7K worldwide - 13
Sep 18, 1946 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $967 - 14
The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946)May 2, 1946 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $380
May 2, 1946 · English · Drama, Mystery, Thriller $380 worldwide - 15
Dec 25, 1946 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $24
US & Canada vs the world
Where Did the Money Come From in 1946?
Of the top 10, Cloak and Dagger (1946) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while Duel in the Sun (1946) made <1% of its gross abroad. Across all 15 films, $54.1M (99%) came from the US & Canada. 5 films of the top 10 report no US & Canada figure.
- 1 The Best Years of Our Lives (1946) $23.7M $23.7M US & Canada · 100% $17.1K elsewhere · <1%
- 2 Duel in the Sun (1946) $20.4M $20.4M US & Canada · 100% $20.6K elsewhere · <1%
- 3 Cloak and Dagger (1946) $9.7M $9.7M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 4 Beauty and the Beast (1946) $298.7K $298.7K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 5 A Matter of Life and Death (1946) $231.3K No US & Canada figure reported
- 6 Brief Encounter (1946) $119.4K No US & Canada figure reported
- 7 Notorious (1946) $117.1K No US & Canada figure reported
- 8 Shoeshine (1946) $34.7K $34.7K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 9 My Darling Clementine (1946) $16.4K No US & Canada figure reported
- 10 Gilda (1946) $6K No US & Canada figure reported
Gross bands
How Many 1946 Releases Crossed $100 Million?
None of the 15 films reached $100M. 13 films, 87% of the list, earned under $10M. Each band shows its films and its share of the $54.6M total.
81% 19%
- $1B or more 0 films, 0% of the list No films
- $500M to $1B 0 films, 0% of the list No films
- $100M to $500M 0 films, 0% of the list No films
- $10M to $100M 2 films, 13% of the list $44.1M · 81% of the gross
- Under $10M 13 films, 87% of the list $10.6M · 19% of the gross
By release month
Which Month of 1946 Earned the Most?
December releases took the most, $44.1M from 3 films, led by The Best Years of Our Lives (1946). May was the quietest month ($380). Each column is a release month and links to that month's chart.
- January Jan No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- February Feb Ivan the Terrible, Part II: The Boyars’ Plot (1946) $1.7K Ivan the Terrible, Part II: The Boyars’ Plot (1946)
- March Mar Gilda (1946) $6K Gilda (1946)
- April Apr Shoeshine (1946) $40.1K Shoeshine (1946)
- May May The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946) $380 The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946)
- June Jun No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- July Jul No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- August Aug Brief Encounter (1946) $119.4K Brief Encounter (1946)
- September Sep Cloak and Dagger (1946) $10.1M Cloak and Dagger (1946)
- October Oct My Darling Clementine (1946) $16.4K My Darling Clementine (1946)
- November Nov A Matter of Life and Death (1946) $231.3K A Matter of Life and Death (1946)
- December Dec The Best Years of Our Lives (1946) $44.1M The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
Last 10 years
How Does 1946 Compare With Previous Years?
Of these 10 years, 1940 earned the most: $404.9M from 9 films, led by Gone with the Wind (1940). 1946 took $54.6M.
| Year | Films | Worldwide | Change | Biggest film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1937 3 films | 3 | $19.3K | – | 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 |
| 1941 6 films · −100% | 6 | $1.8M | −100% | Citizen Kane (1941) $1.7M |
| 1942 9 films · +14637% | 9 | $270.1M | +14637% | Bambi (1942) $267.4M |
| 1943 4 films · −98% | 4 | $4.9M | −98% | Casablanca (1943) $4.7M |
| 1944 11 films · −98% | 11 | $102.5K | −98% | Henry V (1944) $62.6K |
| 1945 9 films · +21398% | 9 | $22M | +21398% | The Bells of St. Mary’s (1945) $21.3M |
| 1946 15 films · +148% | 15 | $54.6M | +148% | The Best Years of Our Lives (1946) $23.7M |
By language
Which Languages Do the Biggest Drama Movies Speak in 1946?
English-language drama films took $54.3M across 11 films, 99% of the total, ahead of French-language drama films ($298.7K) and Italian-language drama films ($35.6K).
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
- 2019 $13.9B #1 The Lion King (2019)
- 2018 $12.7B #1 Black Panther (2018)
- 2017 $12.5B #1 Wolf Warrior 2 (2017)
- 2016 $11.1B #1 The Jungle Book (2016)
- 2015 $11.6B #1 Inside Out (2015)
- 2014 $10.3B #1 The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 (2014)
- 2013 $12.1B #1 The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013)
- 2012 $12B #1 The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
- 2011 $7.8B #1 The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1 (2011)
- 2010 $9.6B #1 Inception (2010)
2000s 10 years · $70.7B
- 2009 $9.9B #1 2012 (2009)
- 2008 $10.6B #1 The Dark Knight (2008)
- 2007 $7.6B #1 I Am Legend (2007)
- 2006 $7.5B #1 The Devil Wears Prada (2006)
- 2005 $8.1B #1 War of the Worlds (2005)
- 2004 $6.4B #1 The Passion of the Christ (2004)
- 2003 $5B #1 Bruce Almighty (2003)
- 2002 $5.2B #1 Signs (2002)
- 2001 $4.6B #1 Pearl Harbor (2001)
- 2000 $5.8B #1 Gladiator (2000)
1990s 10 years · $42.3B
- 1999 $5.2B #1 The Sixth Sense (1999)
- 1998 $4.9B #1 Saving Private Ryan (1998)
- 1997 $5.9B #1 Titanic (1997)
- 1996 $4.5B #1 Twister (1996)
- 1995 $4.8B #1 Apollo 13 (1995)
- 1994 $4.3B #1 The Lion King (1994)
- 1993 $4.7B #1 Mrs. Doubtfire (1993)
- 1992 $2.9B #1 The Bodyguard (1992)
- 1991 $2.4B #1 Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991)
- 1990 $2.7B #1 Ghost (1990)
1980s 10 years · $14.2B
- 1989 $2B #1 Dead Poets Society (1989)
- 1988 $2.1B #1 Rain Man (1988)
- 1987 $1.7B #1 Fatal Attraction (1987)
- 1986 $1.4B #1 Top Gun (1986)
- 1985 $1.5B #1 Rocky IV (1985)
- 1984 $1.4B #1 Beverly Hills Cop (1984)
- 1983 $1.1B #1 Terms of Endearment (1983)
- 1982 $1.3B #1 Tootsie (1982)
- 1981 $889.5M #1 On Golden Pond (1981)
- 1980 $674.6M #1 Coal Miner's Daughter (1980)
1970s 10 years · $5B
- 1979 $919.3M #1 Kramer vs. Kramer (1979)
- 1978 $585M #1 Jaws 2 (1978)
- 1977 $832.1M #1 Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)
- 1976 $378.6M #1 Rocky (1976)
- 1975 $303.6M #1 One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)
- 1974 $439.5M #1 The Towering Inferno (1974)
- 1973 $869.6M #1 The Exorcist (1973)
- 1972 $337M #1 The Godfather (1972)
- 1971 $133.4M #1 The French Connection (1971)
- 1970 $229.2M #1 Airport (1970)
1960s 10 years · $865.1M
- 1969 $164M #1 Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
- 1968 $59.2M #1 Funny Girl (1968)
- 1967 $166.8M #1 The Graduate (1967)
- 1966 $29.7M #1 Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966)
- 1965 $272.6M #1 The Sound of Music (1965)
- 1964 $74.9M #1 My Fair Lady (1964)
- 1963 $63.5M #1 Cleopatra (1963)
- 1962 $6M #1 The Manchurian Candidate (1962)
- 1961 $6.5M #1 Mother and a Guest (1961)
- 1960 $21.9M #1 The Apartment (1960)
1950s 10 years · $438.7M
- 1959 $75M #1 Ben-Hur (1959)
- 1958 $3.3M #1 Touch of Evil (1958)
- 1957 $32.5M #1 The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
- 1956 $119.9M #1 The Ten Commandments (1956)
- 1955 $95.8M #1 Lady and the Tramp (1955)
- 1954 $32.7M #1 The Caine Mutiny (1954)
- 1953 $36.8M #1 The Robe (1953)
- 1952 $36.5M #1 The Greatest Show on Earth (1952)
- 1951 $4.5M #1 Ace in the Hole (1951)
- 1950 $1.5M #1 Shadow on the Wall (1950)
1940s 10 years · $775.9M
- 1949 $164.2K #1 Stray Dog (1949)
- 1948 $6.2M #1 The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)
- 1947 $11.1M #1 It's a Wonderful Life (1947)
- 1946 $54.6M #1 The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
- 1945 $22M #1 The Bells of St. Mary’s (1945)
- 1944 $102.5K #1 Henry V (1944)
- 1943 $4.9M #1 Casablanca (1943)
- 1942 $270.1M #1 Bambi (1942)
- 1941 $1.8M #1 Citizen Kane (1941)
- 1940 $404.9M #1 Gone with the Wind (1940)
1930s 10 years · $2.8M
- 1939 $1.1M #1 Wuthering Heights (1939)
- 1938 $47.4K #1 Port of Shadows (1938)
- 1937 $19.3K #1 Stage Door (1937)
- 1936 $536.4K #1 Modern Times (1936)
- 1935 $516K #1 Sylvia Scarlett (1935)
- 1934 $13.2K #1 L’Atalante (1934)
- 1933 $451.3K #1 Baby Face (1933)
- 1932 $47.1K #1 The Old Dark House (1932)
- 1931 $46.6K #1 M (1931)
- 1930 $5.1K #1 The Blue Angel (1930)
1920s 8 years · $10.4M
- 1929 $89.2K #1 Pandora’s Box (1929)
- 1928 $40.9K #1 The Air Circus (1928)
- 1927 $161.5K #1 Sunrise (1927)
- 1926 $720.7K #1 Flesh and the Devil (1926)
- 1925 $82.5K #1 The Gold Rush (1925)
- 1923 $12.9K #1 A Woman of Paris: A Drama of Fate (1923)
- 1921 $9.2M #1 The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (1921)
- 1920 $9.3K #1 The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920)
1910s 1 year · $160
FAQ
Drama Box Office 1946: 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 15 films as the chart.
What is the highest-grossing drama movie in 1946?
The Best Years of Our Lives (1946) leads with $23.7M worldwide, $23.7M of it in the US & Canada. Next come Duel in the Sun (1946) at $20.4M and Cloak and Dagger (1946) at $9.7M.
How much did drama movies released in 1946 earn?
15 drama films released in 1946 report a worldwide gross, $54.6M in all, or $3.6M per film on average. 1945 releases took $22M.
How many drama movies released in 1946 made $1 billion?
None. The biggest, The Best Years of Our Lives (1946), earned $23.7M.
How is the 1946 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 1946. 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 1946 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.