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Romance box office · 1940

Romance Box Office 1940: Highest-Grossing Romance Movies

Gone with the Wind (1940) is the highest-grossing romance movie released in 1940, with $402.4M worldwide, ahead of The Philadelphia Story (1940) at $415K and Rebecca (1940) at $113.3K. 11 romance films released in 1940 report a worldwide gross, $403M in all, 50% of it from the US & Canada. One film crossed $100 million; none reached $1 billion. By language, English leads with $402.6M across 9 romance releases.

1940 releases with a gross
11
combined worldwide
$403M
film crossed $100M
1
earned in the US & Canada
50%
Gone with the Wind (1940) movie poster #1 of 11
#1 romance movie of 1940

Gone with the Wind (1940)

1940 · Drama, History

$402.4M worldwide · 100% of the chart's total

$200.9M US & Canada · 50% $201.5M elsewhere · 50%
Top 5

What Were the Biggest Romance Hits of 1940?

Gone with the Wind (1940) leads with $402.4M, 100% of the total. The top 5 together took $403M, almost all of what the 11 films earned. Each bar splits a film's gross into the US & Canada and the rest of the world.

  1. Gone with the Wind (1940) movie poster Number 1
    $402.4M Gone with the Wind (1940)
    $200.9M US & Canada · 50% $201.5M elsewhere · 50%
  2. The Philadelphia Story (1940) movie poster Number 2
    $415K The Philadelphia Story (1940)
    $404.5K US & Canada · 97% $10.5K elsewhere · 3%
  3. Rebecca (1940) movie poster Number 3
    $113.3K Rebecca (1940)
    No US & Canada figure reported
  4. The Shop Around the Corner (1940) movie poster Number 4
    $42.2K The Shop Around the Corner (1940)
    No US & Canada figure reported
  5. Waterloo Bridge (1940) movie poster Number 5
    $31.1K Waterloo Bridge (1940)
    No US & Canada figure reported

US & Canada (domestic) Rest of the world

The chart

Every Romance Release of 1940, 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 1940.

  1. 1 Gone with the Wind (1940) movie poster
    Gone with the Wind (1940) Jan 17, 1940 · English · Drama, History, Romance $402.4M worldwide
    Jan 17, 1940 US and Canada: $200.9M Rest of the world: $201.5M Worldwide: $402.4M
  2. 2 The Philadelphia Story (1940) movie poster
    The Philadelphia Story (1940) Dec 5, 1940 · Comedy, Romance $415K worldwide
    Dec 5, 1940 US and Canada: $404.5K Rest of the world: $10.5K Worldwide: $415K
  3. 3 Rebecca (1940) movie poster
    Rebecca (1940) Apr 12, 1940 · English · Drama, Mystery, Thriller $113.3K worldwide
    Apr 12, 1940 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $113.3K
  4. 4 The Shop Around the Corner (1940) movie poster
    The Shop Around the Corner (1940) Jan 12, 1940 · English · Drama, Comedy, Romance $42.2K worldwide
    Jan 12, 1940 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $42.2K
  5. 5 Waterloo Bridge (1940) movie poster
    Waterloo Bridge (1940) May 17, 1940 · English · Drama, Romance, War $31.1K worldwide
    May 17, 1940 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $31.1K
  6. 6 The Mark of Zorro (1940) movie poster
    The Mark of Zorro (1940) Nov 1, 1940 · English · Romance, Adventure, Action $10.2K worldwide
    Nov 1, 1940 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $10.2K
  7. 7 From Mayerling to Sarajevo (1940) movie poster
    From Mayerling to Sarajevo (1940) Jan 27, 1940 · French · Romance, Drama, History $5.2K worldwide
    Jan 27, 1940 US and Canada: $5.2K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $5.2K
  8. 8 His Girl Friday (1940) movie poster
    His Girl Friday (1940) Jan 18, 1940 · English · Comedy, Drama, Romance $1.9K worldwide
    Jan 18, 1940 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $1.9K
  9. 9 Foreign Correspondent (1940) movie poster
    Foreign Correspondent (1940) Aug 16, 1940 · English · Mystery, Thriller, Romance $782 worldwide
    Aug 16, 1940 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $782
  10. 10 Christmas in July (1940) movie poster
    Christmas in July (1940) Oct 25, 1940 · English · Romance, Comedy $471 worldwide
    Oct 25, 1940 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $471
  11. 11 His Girl Friday (1940) movie poster
    His Girl Friday (1940) Jan 11, 1940 · English · Romance, Comedy $330 worldwide
    Jan 11, 1940 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $330
US & Canada vs the world

Where Did the Money Come From in 1940?

Of the top 10, From Mayerling to Sarajevo (1940) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while Gone with the Wind (1940) made 50% of its gross abroad. Across all 11 films, $201.3M (50%) came from the US & Canada. 7 films of the top 10 report no US & Canada figure.

  1. 1 Gone with the Wind (1940) $402.4M
    $200.9M US & Canada · 50% $201.5M elsewhere · 50%
  2. 2 The Philadelphia Story (1940) $415K
    $404.5K US & Canada · 97% $10.5K elsewhere · 3%
  3. 3 Rebecca (1940) $113.3K
    No US & Canada figure reported
  4. 4 The Shop Around the Corner (1940) $42.2K
    No US & Canada figure reported
  5. 5 Waterloo Bridge (1940) $31.1K
    No US & Canada figure reported
  6. 6 The Mark of Zorro (1940) $10.2K
    No US & Canada figure reported
  7. 7 From Mayerling to Sarajevo (1940) $5.2K
    $5.2K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  8. 8 His Girl Friday (1940) $1.9K
    No US & Canada figure reported
  9. 9 Foreign Correspondent (1940) $782
    No US & Canada figure reported
  10. 10 Christmas in July (1940) $471
    No US & Canada figure reported
Gross bands

How Many 1940 Releases Crossed $100 Million?

1 of 11 films crossed $100M and took $402.4M between them, 100% of the total. 10 films, 91% of the list, earned under $10M.

  • $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 1 film, 9% of the list $402.4M · 100% of the gross
  • $10M to $100M 0 films, 0% of the list No films
  • Under $10M 10 films, 91% of the list $620.6K · <1% of the gross
By release month

Which Month of 1940 Earned the Most?

January releases took the most, $402.4M from 5 films, led by Gone with the Wind (1940). October was the quietest month ($471). Each column is a release month and links to that month's chart.

  1. January Jan Gone with the Wind (1940) $402.4M Gone with the Wind (1940)
  2. February Feb No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  3. March Mar No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  4. April Apr Rebecca (1940) $113.3K Rebecca (1940)
  5. May May Waterloo Bridge (1940) $31.1K Waterloo Bridge (1940)
  6. June Jun No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  7. July Jul No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  8. August Aug Foreign Correspondent (1940) $782 Foreign Correspondent (1940)
  9. September Sep No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  10. October Oct Christmas in July (1940) $471 Christmas in July (1940)
  11. November Nov The Mark of Zorro (1940) $10.2K The Mark of Zorro (1940)
  12. December Dec The Philadelphia Story (1940) $415K The Philadelphia Story (1940)
Last 10 years

How Does 1940 Compare With Previous Years?

Of these 10 years, 1940 earned the most: $403M from 11 films, led by Gone with the Wind (1940).

Year Films Worldwide Change Biggest film
1931 2 films 2 $8.3K – Marius (1931) $8.3K
1932 4 films · −85% 4 $1.2K −85% Trouble in Paradise (1932) $928
1933 4 films · +102% 4 $2.5K +102% 42nd Street (1933) $1.8K
1934 5 films · +1772% 5 $46.8K +1772% It Happened One Night (1934) $17K
1935 7 films · +1028% 7 $528.1K +1028% Sylvia Scarlett (1935) $497K
1936 6 films · +169% 6 $1.4M +169% Born to Dance (1936) $941.8K
1937 4 films · −99% 4 $17.5K −99% Make Way for Tomorrow (1937) $6.7K
1938 4 films · +1057515% 4 $185.2M +1057515% Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1938) $185.1M
1939 8 films · −99% 8 $931.5K −99% Wuthering Heights (1939) $624.6K
1940 11 films · +43163% 11 $403M +43163% Gone with the Wind (1940) $402.4M
By language

Which Languages Do the Biggest Romance Movies Speak in 1940?

English-language romance films took $402.6M across 9 films, 100% of the total, ahead of French-language romance films ($5.2K).

1940 Romance Box Office by Language

  1. English $402.6M
    9 films · #1 Gone with the Wind (1940)
  2. French $5.2K
    1 film · #1 From Mayerling to Sarajevo (1940)
Archive

Romance Box Office Year by Year

Every year from 1919 to 2026 with its total and its biggest film. 2008 leads with $7.3B, led by Mamma Mia! (2008).

2020s 7 years · $9.1B
2010s 10 years · $33.7B
2000s 10 years · $45.5B
1990s 10 years · $25.7B
1980s 10 years · $8.3B
1970s 10 years · $1.8B
1960s 10 years · $620.8M
1950s 10 years · $378.8M
1940s 10 years · $456.6M
1930s 10 years · $188.1M
1920s 7 years · $10.1M
1910s 1 year · $160
FAQ

Romance Box Office 1940: 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 11 films as the chart.

What is the highest-grossing romance movie in 1940?

Gone with the Wind (1940) leads with $402.4M worldwide, $200.9M of it in the US & Canada. Next come The Philadelphia Story (1940) at $415K and Rebecca (1940) at $113.3K.

How much did romance movies released in 1940 earn?

11 romance films released in 1940 report a worldwide gross, $403M in all, or $36.6M per film on average.

How many romance movies released in 1940 made $1 billion?

None. 1 film crossed $100 million, led by Gone with the Wind (1940) with $402.4M.

How much of the 1940 Romance box office came from the US and Canada?

$201.3M of the $403M total, or 50%, was earned in the US & Canada (the domestic market); the rest came from other countries. 8 films of the 11 report no domestic figure.

How is the 1940 romance 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 1940. 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 1940 romance 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.