#1 of 9 #1 drama movie of March 1981
The Postman Always Rings Twice (1981)
1981 · Drama, Thriller
$12.4M worldwide · 35% of the chart's total
$12.4M US & Canada · 100% $6.8K elsewhere · <1%
Drama box office · March 1981
Drama Box Office, March 1981: Top-Grossing Releases
The Postman Always Rings Twice (1981) is the highest-grossing drama movie released in March 1981, with $12.4M worldwide, ahead of Thief (1981) at $11.5M and The Boy Soldier (1981) at $6.3M. 9 drama films released in March 1981 report a worldwide gross, $35.5M in all, 100% of it from the US & Canada. That is down 14% on February 1981, whose releases took $41.1M. By language, English leads with $29M across 6 drama releases.
- March 1981 releases with a gross
- 9
- combined worldwide
- $35.5M
- The Postman Always Rings Twice (1981), the #1
- $12.4M
- vs February 1981
- −14%
#1 of 9 Top 5
What Were the Biggest Drama Hits of March 1981?
The Postman Always Rings Twice (1981) leads with $12.4M, 35% of the total. The top 5 together took $34.8M, 98% of what all 9 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 March 1981, 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 1981.
- 1 The Postman Always Rings Twice (1981)Mar 20, 1981 US and Canada: $12.4M Rest of the world: $6.8K Worldwide: $12.4M
Mar 20, 1981 · English · Drama, Thriller, Romance $12.4M worldwide - 2 Mar 27, 1981 US and Canada: $11.5M Rest of the world: $2.6K Worldwide: $11.5M
- 3 Mar 4, 1981 US and Canada: $6.3M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $6.3M
- 4 Mar 13, 1981 US and Canada: $2.9M Rest of the world: $582 Worldwide: $2.9M
- 5 Mar 20, 1981 US and Canada: $1.7M Rest of the world: $23.4K Worldwide: $1.8M
- 6
Mar 20, 1981 US and Canada: $469.8K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $469.8K - 7
Mar 11, 1981 US and Canada: $183.4K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $183.4K - 8
Mar 6, 1981 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $31.2K - 9
Mar 4, 1981 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $923
US & Canada vs the world
Where Did the Money Come From in March 1981?
Of the top 9, The Boy Soldier (1981) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while Cutter's Way (1981) made 1% of its gross abroad. Across all 9 films, $35.4M (100%) came from the US & Canada. 2 films of the top 9 report no US & Canada figure.
- 1 The Postman Always Rings Twice (1981) $12.4M $12.4M US & Canada · 100% $6.8K elsewhere · <1%
- 2 Thief (1981) $11.5M $11.5M US & Canada · 100% $2.6K elsewhere · <1%
- 3 The Boy Soldier (1981) $6.3M $6.3M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 4 Modern Romance (1981) $2.9M $2.9M US & Canada · 100% $582 elsewhere · <1%
- 5 Cutter's Way (1981) $1.8M $1.7M US & Canada · 99% $23.4K elsewhere · 1%
- 6 Kelly (1981) $469.8K $469.8K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 7 Diva (1981) $183.4K $183.4K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 8 Permanent Vacation (1981) $31.2K No US & Canada figure reported
- 9 The Aviator’s Wife (1981) $923 No US & Canada figure reported
By release week
Which Week of March 1981 Had the Biggest Releases?
Films released in week 12 (Mar 15–21) took $14.6M, led by The Postman Always Rings Twice (1981). Each column links to that week's chart; weeks are Sunday to Saturday.
- Week 10 Wk 10 Mar 1–7 The Boy Soldier (1981) $6.4M The Boy Soldier (1981)
- Week 11 Wk 11 Mar 8–14 Modern Romance (1981) $3M Modern Romance (1981)
- Week 12 Wk 12 Mar 15–21 The Postman Always Rings Twice (1981) $14.6M The Postman Always Rings Twice (1981)
- Week 13 Wk 13 Mar 22–28 Thief (1981) $11.5M Thief (1981)
- Week 14 Wk 14 Mar 29–Apr 4 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
Earlier years
How Does March 1981 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 1981 took $35.5M.
| Month | Films | Worldwide | Change | Biggest film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 1972 8 films | 8 | $251.3M | – | 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 |
| March 1980 6 films · −17% | 6 | $110.9M | −17% | Coal Miner's Daughter (1980) $67.2M |
| March 1981 9 films · −68% | 9 | $35.5M | −68% | The Postman Always Rings Twice (1981) $12.4M |
By language
Which Languages Do the Biggest Drama Movies Speak in March 1981?
English-language drama films took $29M across 6 films, 82% of the total, ahead of French-language drama films ($6.5M).
Archive
Drama Box Office in 1981, Month by Month
The months of 1981 with their totals: December leads with $314.5M, led by On Golden Pond (1981).
- January $21.3K #1 Thee (1981)
- February $41.1M #1 Fort Apache the Bronx (1981)
- March $35.5M #1 The Postman Always Rings Twice (1981)
- April $50.7M #1 Excalibur (1981)
- May $91.8M #1 The Four Seasons (1981)
- June $14.9M #1 The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia (1981)
- July $158.7M #1 The Fox and the Hound (1981)
- August $60.9M #1 Body Heat (1981)
- September $59.4M #1 Only When I Laugh (1981)
- October $47.1M #1 The French Lieutenant's Woman (1981)
- November $14.9M #1 Ragtime (1981)
- December $314.5M #1 On Golden Pond (1981)
FAQ
Drama Box Office March 1981: 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 March 1981?
The Postman Always Rings Twice (1981) leads with $12.4M worldwide, $12.4M of it in the US & Canada. Next come Thief (1981) at $11.5M and The Boy Soldier (1981) at $6.3M.
How much did drama movies released in March 1981 earn?
9 drama films released in March 1981 report a worldwide gross, $35.5M in all, or $3.9M per film on average. February 1981 releases took $41.1M.
How many drama movies released in March 1981 made $1 billion?
None. The biggest, The Postman Always Rings Twice (1981), earned $12.4M.
How is the March 1981 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 1981. 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 1981 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.