#1 of 18 #1 drama movie of 1953
1953 · History, Drama
$36M worldwide · 98% of the chart's total
$36M US & Canada · 100% $10.9K elsewhere · <1%
Drama box office · 1953
Drama Box Office 1953: Highest-Grossing Drama Movies
The Robe (1953) is the highest-grossing drama movie released in 1953, with $36M worldwide, ahead of Little Fugitive (1953) at $162.4K and I Vitelloni (1953) at $148.4K. 18 drama films released in 1953 report a worldwide gross, $36.8M in all, 99% of it from the US & Canada. That is up 1% on 1952, whose releases took $36.5M. By language, English leads with $36.4M across 10 drama releases.
- 1953 releases with a gross
- 18
- combined worldwide
- $36.8M
- The Robe (1953), the #1
- $36M
- vs 1952
- +1%
#1 of 18 Top 5
What Were the Biggest Drama Hits of 1953?
The Robe (1953) leads with $36M, 98% of the total. The top 5 together took $36.6M, 99% of what all 18 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 1953, 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 1953.
- 1 Sep 16, 1953 US and Canada: $36M Rest of the world: $10.9K Worldwide: $36M
- 2 Oct 1, 1953 US and Canada: $29.5K Rest of the world: $132.9K Worldwide: $162.4K
- 3 Aug 26, 1953 US and Canada: $116.4K Rest of the world: $32K Worldwide: $148.4K
- 4 Sep 16, 1953 US and Canada: $130.6K Rest of the world: $5.1K Worldwide: $135.6K
- 5 Aug 27, 1953 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $103.2K
- 6
Nov 3, 1953 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $93.9K - 7
Aug 28, 1953 US and Canada: $36.4K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $36.4K - 8
Mar 26, 1953 US and Canada: $11.2K Rest of the world: $13.8K Worldwide: $25K - 9
Apr 15, 1953 US and Canada: $21.2K Rest of the world: $1.1K Worldwide: $22.3K - 10
Apr 23, 1953 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $21.4K - 11
Feb 20, 1953 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $18.8K - 12
Jul 26, 1953 US and Canada: $15.6K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $15.6K - 13
Feb 9, 1953 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $14.5K - 14
May 8, 1953 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $10.8K - 15
Apr 1, 1953 US and Canada: $10.2K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $10.2K - 16
Oct 30, 1953 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $7.4K - 17
Jan 15, 1953 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $2K - 18
Feb 28, 1953 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $372
US & Canada vs the world
Where Did the Money Come From in 1953?
Of the top 10, From Here to Eternity (1953) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while Little Fugitive (1953) made 82% of its gross abroad. Across all 18 films, $36.4M (99%) came from the US & Canada. 3 films of the top 10 report no US & Canada figure.
- 1 The Robe (1953) $36M $36M US & Canada · 100% $10.9K elsewhere · <1%
- 2 Little Fugitive (1953) $162.4K $29.5K US & Canada · 18% $132.9K elsewhere · 82%
- 3 I Vitelloni (1953) $148.4K $116.4K US & Canada · 78% $32K elsewhere · 22%
- 4 The Earrings of Madame de… (1953) $135.6K $130.6K US & Canada · 96% $5.1K elsewhere · 4%
- 5 Roman Holiday (1953) $103.2K No US & Canada figure reported
- 6 Tokyo Story (1953) $93.9K No US & Canada figure reported
- 7 From Here to Eternity (1953) $36.4K $36.4K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 8 Ugetsu (1953) $25K $11.2K US & Canada · 45% $13.8K elsewhere · 55%
- 9 The Wages of Fear (1953) $22.3K $21.2K US & Canada · 95% $1.1K elsewhere · 5%
- 10 Shane (1953) $21.4K No US & Canada figure reported
Gross bands
How Many 1953 Releases Crossed $100 Million?
None of the 18 films reached $100M. 17 films, 94% of the list, earned under $10M. Each band shows its films and its share of the $36.8M total.
98%
- $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 1 film, 6% of the list $36M · 98% of the gross
- Under $10M 17 films, 94% of the list $828.2K · 2% of the gross
By release month
Which Month of 1953 Earned the Most?
September releases took the most, $36.1M from 2 films, led by The Robe (1953). January was the quietest month ($2K). Each column is a release month and links to that month's chart.
- January Jan The Bad and the Beautiful (1953) $2K The Bad and the Beautiful (1953)
- February Feb Ivanhoe (1953) $33.6K Ivanhoe (1953)
- March Mar Ugetsu (1953) $25K Ugetsu (1953)
- April Apr The Wages of Fear (1953) $53.9K The Wages of Fear (1953)
- May May Julius Caesar (1953) $10.8K Julius Caesar (1953)
- June Jun No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- July Jul When You Read This Letter (1953) $15.6K When You Read This Letter (1953)
- August Aug I Vitelloni (1953) $288K I Vitelloni (1953)
- September Sep The Robe (1953) $36.1M The Robe (1953)
- October Oct Little Fugitive (1953) $169.7K Little Fugitive (1953)
- November Nov Tokyo Story (1953) $93.9K Tokyo Story (1953)
- December Dec No reported grosses – No reported grosses
Last 10 years
How Does 1953 Compare With Previous Years?
Of these 10 years, 1946 earned the most: $54.6M from 15 films, led by The Best Years of Our Lives (1946). 1953 took $36.8M.
| Year | Films | Worldwide | Change | Biggest film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1944 11 films | 11 | $102.5K | – | 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 |
| 1950 14 films · +822% | 14 | $1.5M | +822% | Shadow on the Wall (1950) $769K |
| 1951 16 films · +198% | 16 | $4.5M | +198% | Ace in the Hole (1951) $2.3M |
| 1952 20 films · +708% | 20 | $36.5M | +708% | The Greatest Show on Earth (1952) $36M |
| 1953 18 films · +1% | 18 | $36.8M | +1% | The Robe (1953) $36M |
By language
Which Languages Do the Biggest Drama Movies Speak in 1953?
English-language drama films took $36.4M across 10 films, 99% of the total, ahead of French-language drama films ($173.5K) and Italian-language drama films ($148.4K).
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 1953: 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 18 films as the chart.
What is the highest-grossing drama movie in 1953?
The Robe (1953) leads with $36M worldwide, $36M of it in the US & Canada. Next come Little Fugitive (1953) at $162.4K and I Vitelloni (1953) at $148.4K.
How much did drama movies released in 1953 earn?
18 drama films released in 1953 report a worldwide gross, $36.8M in all, or $2M per film on average. 1952 releases took $36.5M.
How many drama movies released in 1953 made $1 billion?
None. The biggest, The Robe (1953), earned $36M.
How is the 1953 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 1953. 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 1953 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.