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Drama box office · 1949

Drama Box Office 1949: Highest-Grossing Drama Movies

Stray Dog (1949) is the highest-grossing drama movie released in 1949, with $47K worldwide, ahead of The Passionate Friends (1949) at $40.3K and The Small Back Room (1949) at $25.1K. 10 drama films released in 1949 report a worldwide gross, $164.2K in all, 59% of it from the US & Canada. By language, English leads with $86.2K across 7 drama releases.

1949 releases with a gross
10
combined worldwide
$164.2K
Stray Dog (1949), the #1
$47K
earned in the US & Canada
59%
Stray Dog (1949) movie poster #1 of 10
#1 drama movie of 1949

Stray Dog (1949)

1949 · Crime, Drama

$47K worldwide · 29% of the chart's total

$46.8K US & Canada · 100% $215 elsewhere · <1%
Top 5

What Were the Biggest Drama Hits of 1949?

Stray Dog (1949) leads with $47K, 29% of the total. The top 5 together took $146.9K, 89% of what all 10 films earned. Each bar splits a film's gross into the US & Canada and the rest of the world.

  1. Stray Dog (1949) movie poster Number 1
    $47K Stray Dog (1949)
    $46.8K US & Canada · 100% $215 elsewhere · <1%
  2. The Passionate Friends (1949) movie poster Number 2
    $40.3K The Passionate Friends (1949)
    No US & Canada figure reported
  3. The Small Back Room (1949) movie poster Number 3
    $25.1K The Small Back Room (1949)
    $25.1K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  4. Late Spring (1949) movie poster Number 4
    $19.7K Late Spring (1949)
    $13.3K US & Canada · 67% $6.4K elsewhere · 33%
  5. A Letter to Three Wives (1949) movie poster Number 5
    $14.8K A Letter to Three Wives (1949)
    No US & Canada figure reported

US & Canada (domestic) Rest of the world

The chart

Every Drama Release of 1949, 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 1949.

  1. 1 Stray Dog (1949) movie poster
    Stray Dog (1949) Oct 17, 1949 · Japanese · Crime, Drama, Thriller $47K worldwide
    Oct 17, 1949 US and Canada: $46.8K Rest of the world: $215 Worldwide: $47K
  2. 2 The Passionate Friends (1949) movie poster
    The Passionate Friends (1949) Jan 26, 1949 · English · Drama, Romance $40.3K worldwide
    Jan 26, 1949 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $40.3K
  3. 3 The Small Back Room (1949) movie poster
    The Small Back Room (1949) Jan 21, 1949 · English · Romance, Drama, War $25.1K worldwide
    Jan 21, 1949 US and Canada: $25.1K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $25.1K
  4. 4 Late Spring (1949) movie poster
    Late Spring (1949) Sep 13, 1949 · Japanese · Drama $19.7K worldwide
    Sep 13, 1949 US and Canada: $13.3K Rest of the world: $6.4K Worldwide: $19.7K
  5. 5 A Letter to Three Wives (1949) movie poster
    A Letter to Three Wives (1949) Jan 20, 1949 · English · Romance, Mystery, Drama $14.8K worldwide
    Jan 20, 1949 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $14.8K
  6. 6 Rendezvous in July (1949) movie poster
    Rendezvous in July (1949) Sep 1, 1949 · French · Comedy, Drama $11.3K worldwide
    Sep 1, 1949 US and Canada: $11.3K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $11.3K
  7. 7 White Heat (1949) movie poster
    White Heat (1949) Sep 3, 1949 · English · Action, Drama, Crime $5.5K worldwide
    Sep 3, 1949 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $5.5K
  8. 8 Tokyo Joe (1949) movie poster
    Tokyo Joe (1949) Oct 26, 1949 · English · Drama, Thriller, Crime $207 worldwide
    Oct 26, 1949 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $207
  9. 9 The Heiress (1949) movie poster
    The Heiress (1949) Oct 6, 1949 · English · Romance, History, Drama $158 worldwide
    Oct 6, 1949 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $158
  10. 10 The File on Thelma Jordon (1949) movie poster
    The File on Thelma Jordon (1949) Nov 4, 1949 · English · Thriller, Crime, Drama $63 worldwide
    Nov 4, 1949 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $63
US & Canada vs the world

Where Did the Money Come From in 1949?

Of the top 10, The Small Back Room (1949) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while Late Spring (1949) made 33% of its gross abroad. Across all 10 films, $96.5K (59%) came from the US & Canada. 6 films of the top 10 report no US & Canada figure.

  1. 1 Stray Dog (1949) $47K
    $46.8K US & Canada · 100% $215 elsewhere · <1%
  2. 2 The Passionate Friends (1949) $40.3K
    No US & Canada figure reported
  3. 3 The Small Back Room (1949) $25.1K
    $25.1K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  4. 4 Late Spring (1949) $19.7K
    $13.3K US & Canada · 67% $6.4K elsewhere · 33%
  5. 5 A Letter to Three Wives (1949) $14.8K
    No US & Canada figure reported
  6. 6 Rendezvous in July (1949) $11.3K
    $11.3K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  7. 7 White Heat (1949) $5.5K
    No US & Canada figure reported
  8. 8 Tokyo Joe (1949) $207
    No US & Canada figure reported
  9. 9 The Heiress (1949) $158
    No US & Canada figure reported
  10. 10 The File on Thelma Jordon (1949) $63
    No US & Canada figure reported
Gross bands

How Many 1949 Releases Crossed $100 Million?

None of the 10 films reached $100M. 10 films, 100% of the list, earned under $10M. Each band shows its films and its share of the $164.2K total.

  • $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 0 films, 0% of the list No films
  • Under $10M 10 films, 100% of the list $164.2K · 100% of the gross
By release month

Which Month of 1949 Earned the Most?

January releases took the most, $80.2K from 3 films, led by The Passionate Friends (1949). November was the quietest month ($63). Each column is a release month and links to that month's chart.

  1. January Jan The Passionate Friends (1949) $80.2K The Passionate Friends (1949)
  2. February Feb No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  3. March Mar No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  4. April Apr No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  5. May May No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  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 Late Spring (1949) $36.5K Late Spring (1949)
  10. October Oct Stray Dog (1949) $47.4K Stray Dog (1949)
  11. November Nov The File on Thelma Jordon (1949) $63 The File on Thelma Jordon (1949)
  12. December Dec No reported grosses – No reported grosses
Last 10 years

How Does 1949 Compare With Previous Years?

Of these 10 years, 1940 earned the most: $404.9M from 9 films, led by Gone with the Wind (1940). 1949 took $164.2K.

Year Films Worldwide Change Biggest film
1940 9 films 9 $404.9M – 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
1947 16 films · −80% 16 $11.1M −80% It's a Wonderful Life (1947) $10.6M
1948 16 films · −44% 16 $6.2M −44% The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948) $5M
1949 10 films · −97% 10 $164.2K −97% Stray Dog (1949) $47K
By language

Which Languages Do the Biggest Drama Movies Speak in 1949?

English-language drama films took $86.2K across 7 films, 52% of the total, ahead of Japanese-language drama films ($66.7K) and French-language drama films ($11.3K).

1949 Drama Box Office by Language

  1. English $86.2K
    7 films · #1 The Passionate Friends (1949)
  2. Japanese $66.7K
    2 films · #1 Stray Dog (1949)
  3. French $11.3K
    1 film · #1 Rendezvous in July (1949)
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 1949: 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 10 films as the chart.

What is the highest-grossing drama movie in 1949?

Stray Dog (1949) leads with $47K worldwide, $46.8K of it in the US & Canada. Next come The Passionate Friends (1949) at $40.3K and The Small Back Room (1949) at $25.1K.

How much did drama movies released in 1949 earn?

10 drama films released in 1949 report a worldwide gross, $164.2K in all, or $16.4K per film on average.

How many drama movies released in 1949 made $1 billion?

None. The biggest, Stray Dog (1949), earned $47K.

How much of the 1949 Drama box office came from the US and Canada?

$96.5K of the $164.2K total, or 59%, was earned in the US & Canada (the domestic market); the rest came from other countries. 6 films of the 10 report no domestic figure.

How is the 1949 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 1949. 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 1949 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.