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Western box office · 1979

Western Box Office 1979: Highest-Grossing Western Movies

The Electric Horseman (1979) is the highest-grossing western movie released in 1979, with $61.8M worldwide, ahead of The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again (1979) at $20.9M and The Frisco Kid (1979) at $9.3M. 4 western films released in 1979 report a worldwide gross, $97.2M in all, 100% of it from the US & Canada.

1979 releases with a gross
4
combined worldwide
$97.2M
The Electric Horseman (1979), the #1
$61.8M
earned in the US & Canada
100%
The Electric Horseman (1979) movie poster #1 of 4
#1 western movie of 1979

The Electric Horseman (1979)

1979 · Drama, Comedy

$61.8M worldwide · 64% of the chart's total

$61.8M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
Top 4

What Were the Biggest Western Hits of 1979?

The Electric Horseman (1979) leads with $61.8M, 64% of the total. The top 4 together took $97.2M, almost all of what the 4 films earned. Each bar splits a film's gross into the US & Canada and the rest of the world.

  1. The Electric Horseman (1979) movie poster Number 1
    $61.8M The Electric Horseman (1979)
    $61.8M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  2. The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again (1979) movie poster Number 2
    $20.9M The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again (1979)
    $20.9M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  3. The Frisco Kid (1979) movie poster Number 3
    $9.3M The Frisco Kid (1979)
    $9.3M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  4. Butch and Sundance: The Early Days (1979) movie poster Number 4
    $5.1M Butch and Sundance: The Early Days (1979)
    $5.1M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%

US & Canada (domestic) Rest of the world

The chart

Every Western Release of 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 1979.

  1. 1 The Electric Horseman (1979) movie poster
    The Electric Horseman (1979) Dec 21, 1979 · English · Drama, Comedy, Romance $61.8M worldwide
    Dec 21, 1979 US and Canada: $61.8M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $61.8M
  2. 2 The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again (1979) movie poster
    The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again (1979) Jun 27, 1979 · English · Comedy, Western, Family $20.9M worldwide
    Jun 27, 1979 US and Canada: $20.9M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $20.9M
  3. 3 The Frisco Kid (1979) movie poster
    The Frisco Kid (1979) Jul 13, 1979 · English · Drama, Comedy, Western $9.3M worldwide
    Jul 13, 1979 US and Canada: $9.3M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $9.3M
  4. 4 Butch and Sundance: The Early Days (1979) movie poster
    Butch and Sundance: The Early Days (1979) Jun 15, 1979 · English · Western, Comedy $5.1M worldwide
    Jun 15, 1979 US and Canada: $5.1M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $5.1M
US & Canada vs the world

Where Did the Money Come From in 1979?

Of the top 4, The Electric Horseman (1979) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while Butch and Sundance: The Early Days (1979) made 0% of its gross abroad. Across all 4 films, $97.2M (100%) came from the US & Canada.

  1. 1 The Electric Horseman (1979) $61.8M
    $61.8M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  2. 2 The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again (1979) $20.9M
    $20.9M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  3. 3 The Frisco Kid (1979) $9.3M
    $9.3M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  4. 4 Butch and Sundance: The Early Days (1979) $5.1M
    $5.1M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
By release month

Which Month of 1979 Earned the Most?

December releases took the most, $61.8M from 1 film, led by The Electric Horseman (1979). July was the quietest month ($9.3M). Each column is a release month and links to that month's chart.

  1. January Jan No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  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 The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again (1979) $26.1M The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again (1979)
  7. July Jul The Frisco Kid (1979) $9.3M The Frisco Kid (1979)
  8. August Aug No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  9. September Sep No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  10. October Oct No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  11. November Nov No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  12. December Dec The Electric Horseman (1979) $61.8M The Electric Horseman (1979)
Last 10 years

How Does 1979 Compare With Previous Years?

Of these 10 years, 1974 earned the most: $119.6M from 2 films, led by Blazing Saddles (1974). 1979 took $97.2M.

Year Films Worldwide Change Biggest film
1970 5 films 5 $36.8M – Little Big Man (1970) $31.6M
1971 2 films · −97% 2 $1.1M −97% The Beguiled (1971) $1.1M
1972 3 films · +452% 3 $6.3M +452% Joe Kidd (1972) $6.3M
1973 3 films · +148% 3 $15.7M +148% High Plains Drifter (1973) $15.7M
1974 2 films · +661% 2 $119.6M +661% Blazing Saddles (1974) $119.6M
1975 1 film · −69% 1 $36.9M −69% The Apple Dumpling Gang (1975) $36.9M
1976 3 films · +8% 3 $39.9M +8% The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976) $31.8M
1977 No films 0 – – –
1978 2 films 2 $17M – Comes a Horseman (1978) $9.6M
1979 4 films · +471% 4 $97.2M +471% The Electric Horseman (1979) $61.8M
Archive

Western Box Office Year by Year

Every year from 1923 to 2025 with its total and its biggest film. 1990 leads with $735.6M, led by Dances with Wolves (1990).

2020s 6 years · $813.9M
2010s 10 years · $2.6B
2000s 10 years · $1.6B
1990s 9 years · $2.2B
1980s 10 years · $327.3M
1970s 9 years · $370.7M
1960s 10 years · $159.1M
1950s 9 years · $33.1M
1940s 3 years · $29.8M
1930s 1 year · $3.4K
1920s 2 years · $389
FAQ

Western Box Office 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 4 films as the chart.

What is the highest-grossing western movie in 1979?

The Electric Horseman (1979) leads with $61.8M worldwide, $61.8M of it in the US & Canada. Next come The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again (1979) at $20.9M and The Frisco Kid (1979) at $9.3M.

How much did western movies released in 1979 earn?

4 western films released in 1979 report a worldwide gross, $97.2M in all, or $24.3M per film on average.

How many western movies released in 1979 made $1 billion?

None. The biggest, The Electric Horseman (1979), earned $61.8M.

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

$97.2M of the $97.2M total, or 100%, was earned in the US & Canada (the domestic market); the rest came from other countries. 0 films of the 4 report no domestic figure.

How is the 1979 western 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 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 1979 western 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.