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Drama box office · March 1979

Drama Box Office, March 1979: Top-Grossing Releases

The China Syndrome (1979) is the highest-grossing drama movie released in March 1979, with $51.7M worldwide, ahead of Manhattan (1979) at $40.2M and Norma Rae (1979) at $22.2M. 7 drama films released in March 1979 report a worldwide gross, $133.2M in all, 100% of it from the US & Canada. That is 10.2 times the total of February 1979, whose releases took $13.1M. By language, English leads with $133.2M across 6 drama releases.

March 1979 releases with a gross
7
combined worldwide
$133.2M
The China Syndrome (1979), the #1
$51.7M
vs February 1979
×10.2
The China Syndrome (1979) movie poster #1 of 7
#1 drama movie of March 1979

The China Syndrome (1979)

1979 · Drama, Thriller

$51.7M worldwide · 39% of the chart's total

$51.7M US & Canada · 100% $118 elsewhere · <1%
Top 5

What Were the Biggest Drama Hits of March 1979?

The China Syndrome (1979) leads with $51.7M, 39% of the total. The top 5 together took $132.1M, 99% of what all 7 films earned. Each bar splits a film's gross into the US & Canada and the rest of the world.

  1. The China Syndrome (1979) movie poster Number 1
    $51.7M The China Syndrome (1979)
    $51.7M US & Canada · 100% $118 elsewhere · <1%
  2. Manhattan (1979) movie poster Number 2
    $40.2M Manhattan (1979)
    $39.9M US & Canada · 99% $247.3K elsewhere · <1%
  3. Norma Rae (1979) movie poster Number 3
    $22.2M Norma Rae (1979)
    $22.2M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  4. Hair (1979) movie poster Number 4
    $15.3M Hair (1979)
    $15.3M US & Canada · 100% $29.6K elsewhere · <1%
  5. Voices (1979) movie poster Number 5
    $2.6M Voices (1979)
    $2.6M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%

US & Canada (domestic) Rest of the world

The chart

Every Drama Release of March 1979, 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 March 1979.

  1. 1 The China Syndrome (1979) movie poster
    The China Syndrome (1979) Mar 16, 1979 · English · Drama, Thriller $51.7M worldwide
    Mar 16, 1979 US and Canada: $51.7M Rest of the world: $118 Worldwide: $51.7M
  2. 2 Manhattan (1979) movie poster
    Manhattan (1979) Mar 14, 1979 · English · Drama, Comedy, Romance $40.2M worldwide
    Mar 14, 1979 US and Canada: $39.9M Rest of the world: $247.3K Worldwide: $40.2M
  3. 3 Norma Rae (1979) movie poster
    Norma Rae (1979) Mar 2, 1979 · English · Drama $22.2M worldwide
    Mar 2, 1979 US and Canada: $22.2M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $22.2M
  4. 4 Hair (1979) movie poster
    Hair (1979) Mar 14, 1979 · English · Drama, Comedy, Musical $15.3M worldwide
    Mar 14, 1979 US and Canada: $15.3M Rest of the world: $29.6K Worldwide: $15.3M
  5. 5 Voices (1979) movie poster
    Voices (1979) Mar 14, 1979 · English · Romance, Drama $2.6M worldwide
    Mar 14, 1979 US and Canada: $2.6M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $2.6M
  6. 6 The Passage (1979) movie poster
    The Passage (1979) Mar 9, 1979 · English · Action, Drama, War $1.1M worldwide
    Mar 9, 1979 US and Canada: $1.1M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $1.1M
  7. 7 Rapture (1979) movie poster
    Rapture (1979) Mar 2, 1979 · Spanish · Horror, Drama, Fantasy $2.7K worldwide
    Mar 2, 1979 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $2.7K
US & Canada vs the world

Where Did the Money Come From in March 1979?

Of the top 7, Norma Rae (1979) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while Manhattan (1979) made <1% of its gross abroad. Across all 7 films, $132.9M (100%) came from the US & Canada. 1 film of the top 7 reports no US & Canada figure.

  1. 1 The China Syndrome (1979) $51.7M
    $51.7M US & Canada · 100% $118 elsewhere · <1%
  2. 2 Manhattan (1979) $40.2M
    $39.9M US & Canada · 99% $247.3K elsewhere · <1%
  3. 3 Norma Rae (1979) $22.2M
    $22.2M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  4. 4 Hair (1979) $15.3M
    $15.3M US & Canada · 100% $29.6K elsewhere · <1%
  5. 5 Voices (1979) $2.6M
    $2.6M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  6. 6 The Passage (1979) $1.1M
    $1.1M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  7. 7 Rapture (1979) $2.7K
    No US & Canada figure reported
By release week

Which Week of March 1979 Had the Biggest Releases?

Films released in week 11 (Mar 11–17) took $109.9M, led by The China Syndrome (1979). Each column links to that week's chart; weeks are Sunday to Saturday.

  1. Week 9 Wk 9 Feb 25–Mar 3 Norma Rae (1979) $22.2M Norma Rae (1979)
  2. Week 10 Wk 10 Mar 4–10 The Passage (1979) $1.1M The Passage (1979)
  3. Week 11 Wk 11 Mar 11–17 The China Syndrome (1979) $109.9M The China Syndrome (1979)
  4. Week 12 Wk 12 Mar 18–24 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  5. Week 13 Wk 13 Mar 25–31 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
Earlier years

How Does March 1979 Compare With March in Earlier Years?

Of these 10 years, March 1972 earned the most: $251.3M from 8 films, led by The Godfather (1972). March 1979 took $133.2M.

Month Films Worldwide Change Biggest film
March 1970 4 films 4 $100.5M – Airport (1970) $100.5M
March 1971 4 films · −96% 4 $3.6M −96% THX 1138 (1971) $2.4M
March 1972 8 films · +6952% 8 $251.3M +6952% The Godfather (1972) $250.3M
March 1973 3 films · −100% 3 $24.8K −100% The Long Goodbye (1973) $24.2K
March 1974 3 films · +82866% 3 $20.6M +82866% The Great Gatsby (1974) $20.6M
March 1975 5 films · +408% 5 $104.5M +408% Shampoo (1975) $49.4M
March 1976 3 films · −100% 3 $52.9K −100% Small Change (1976) $38.8K
March 1977 4 films · +40890% 4 $21.7M +40890% Black Sunday (1977) $15.8M
March 1978 5 films · +7% 5 $23.3M +7% Straight Time (1978) $9.9M
March 1979 7 films · +472% 7 $133.2M +472% The China Syndrome (1979) $51.7M
Archive

Drama Box Office in 1979, Month by Month

The months of 1979 with their totals: December leads with $276.6M, led by Kramer vs. Kramer (1979).

FAQ

Drama Box Office March 1979: 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 7 films as the chart.

What is the highest-grossing drama movie in March 1979?

The China Syndrome (1979) leads with $51.7M worldwide, $51.7M of it in the US & Canada. Next come Manhattan (1979) at $40.2M and Norma Rae (1979) at $22.2M.

How much did drama movies released in March 1979 earn?

7 drama films released in March 1979 report a worldwide gross, $133.2M in all, or $19M per film on average. February 1979 releases took $13.1M.

How many drama movies released in March 1979 made $1 billion?

None. The biggest, The China Syndrome (1979), earned $51.7M.

How much of the March 1979 Drama box office came from the US and Canada?

$132.9M of the $133.2M total, or 100%, was earned in the US & Canada (the domestic market); the rest came from other countries. 1 film of the 7 report no domestic figure.

How is the March 1979 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 March 1979. 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 March 1979 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.