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English box office · 1940

English Box Office 1940: Highest-Grossing English Movies

Gone with the Wind (1940) is the highest-grossing English-language movie released in 1940, with $402.4M worldwide, ahead of Pinocchio (1940) at $121.9M and The Fighting 69th (1940) at $2.3M. 14 English-language films released in 1940 report a worldwide gross, $527.8M in all, 54% of it from the US & Canada. 2 films crossed $100 million; none reached $1 billion. That is 20.1 times the total of 1939, whose releases took $26.3M. By genre, War leads with $405.7M across 5 English releases.

1940 releases with a gross
14
combined worldwide
$527.8M
films crossed $100M
2
vs 1939
×20.1
Gone with the Wind (1940) movie poster #1 of 14
#1 English-language movie of 1940

Gone with the Wind (1940)

1940 · Drama, History

$402.4M worldwide · 76% of the chart's total

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

What Were the Biggest English Hits of 1940?

Gone with the Wind (1940) leads with $402.4M, 76% of the total. The top 5 together took $527.7M, almost all of what the 14 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. Pinocchio (1940) movie poster Number 2
    $121.9M Pinocchio (1940)
    $84.3M US & Canada · 69% $37.6M elsewhere · 31%
  3. The Fighting 69th (1940) movie poster Number 3
    $2.3M The Fighting 69th (1940)
    No US & Canada figure reported
  4. The Great Dictator (1940) movie poster Number 4
    $972.2K The Great Dictator (1940)
    No US & Canada figure reported
  5. Rebecca (1940) movie poster Number 5
    $113.3K Rebecca (1940)
    No US & Canada figure reported

US & Canada (domestic) Rest of the world

The chart

Every English 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 · Drama, History $402.4M worldwide
    Jan 17, 1940 US and Canada: $200.9M Rest of the world: $201.5M Worldwide: $402.4M
  2. 2 Pinocchio (1940) movie poster
    Pinocchio (1940) Feb 23, 1940 · Fantasy, Comedy $121.9M worldwide
    Feb 23, 1940 US and Canada: $84.3M Rest of the world: $37.6M Worldwide: $121.9M
  3. 3 The Fighting 69th (1940) movie poster
    The Fighting 69th (1940) Jan 26, 1940 · Action, Drama $2.3M worldwide
    Jan 26, 1940 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $2.3M
  4. 4 The Great Dictator (1940) movie poster
    The Great Dictator (1940) Oct 15, 1940 · Comedy, War $972.2K worldwide
    Oct 15, 1940 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $972.2K
  5. 5 Rebecca (1940) movie poster
    Rebecca (1940) Apr 12, 1940 · Drama, Mystery $113.3K worldwide
    Apr 12, 1940 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $113.3K
  6. 6 The Shop Around the Corner (1940) movie poster
    The Shop Around the Corner (1940) Jan 12, 1940 · Drama, Comedy $42.2K worldwide
    Jan 12, 1940 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $42.2K
  7. 7 Waterloo Bridge (1940) movie poster
    Waterloo Bridge (1940) May 17, 1940 · Drama, Romance $31.1K worldwide
    May 17, 1940 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $31.1K
  8. 8 The Mark of Zorro (1940) movie poster
    The Mark of Zorro (1940) Nov 1, 1940 · Romance, Adventure $10.2K worldwide
    Nov 1, 1940 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $10.2K
  9. 9 The Grapes of Wrath (1940) movie poster
    The Grapes of Wrath (1940) Mar 15, 1940 · Drama, History $7.3K worldwide
    Mar 15, 1940 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $7.3K
  10. 10 His Girl Friday (1940) movie poster
    His Girl Friday (1940) Jan 18, 1940 · Comedy, Drama $1.9K worldwide
    Jan 18, 1940 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $1.9K
  11. 11 Foreign Correspondent (1940) movie poster
    Foreign Correspondent (1940) Aug 16, 1940 · Mystery, Thriller $782 worldwide
    Aug 16, 1940 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $782
  12. 12 Christmas in July (1940) movie poster
    Christmas in July (1940) Oct 25, 1940 · Romance, Comedy $471 worldwide
    Oct 25, 1940 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $471
  13. 13 His Girl Friday (1940) movie poster
    His Girl Friday (1940) Jan 11, 1940 · Romance, Comedy $330 worldwide
    Jan 11, 1940 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $330
  14. 14 Dr. Ehrlich’s Magic Bullet (1940) movie poster
    Dr. Ehrlich’s Magic Bullet (1940) Feb 8, 1940 · Drama $205 worldwide
    Feb 8, 1940 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $205
Gross bands

How Many 1940 Releases Crossed $100 Million?

2 of 14 films crossed $100M and took $524.3M between them, 99% of the total. 12 films, 86% 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 2 films, 14% of the list $524.3M · 99% of the gross
  • $10M to $100M 0 films, 0% of the list No films
  • Under $10M 12 films, 86% of the list $3.5M · <1% of the gross
By release month

Which Month of 1940 Earned the Most?

January releases took the most, $404.7M from 5 films, led by Gone with the Wind (1940). August was the quietest month ($782). Each column is a release month and links to that month's chart.

  1. January Jan Gone with the Wind (1940) $404.7M Gone with the Wind (1940)
  2. February Feb Pinocchio (1940) $121.9M Pinocchio (1940)
  3. March Mar The Grapes of Wrath (1940) $7.3K The Grapes of Wrath (1940)
  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 The Great Dictator (1940) $972.7K The Great Dictator (1940)
  11. November Nov The Mark of Zorro (1940) $10.2K The Mark of Zorro (1940)
  12. December Dec No reported grosses – No reported grosses
Last 10 years

How Does 1940 Compare With Previous Years?

Of these 10 years, 1940 earned the most: $527.8M from 14 films, led by Gone with the Wind (1940).

Year Films Worldwide Change Biggest film
1931 2 films 2 $299 – Transgression (1931) $216
1932 7 films · +13289% 7 $40K +13289% The Old Dark House (1932) $34.6K
1933 8 films · +1369% 8 $588.1K +1369% Baby Face (1933) $451K
1934 5 films · −94% 5 $37.5K −94% It Happened One Night (1934) $17K
1935 11 films · +1508% 11 $602.9K +1508% Sylvia Scarlett (1935) $497K
1936 7 films · +662% 7 $4.6M +662% After the Thin Man (1936) $3.2M
1937 6 films · −99% 6 $27.1K −99% Stage Door (1937) $8.8K
1938 5 films · +684078% 5 $185.2M +684078% Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1938) $185.1M
1939 10 films · −86% 10 $26.3M −86% The Wizard of Oz (1939) $25.6M
1940 14 films · +1906% 14 $527.8M +1906% Gone with the Wind (1940) $402.4M
By genre

Which English Genres Earned the Most in 1940?

War took $405.7M across 5 films, 77% of the total, ahead of Drama ($404.9M) and Romance ($402.6M). A film counts once for each of its genres.

1940 English Box Office by Genre

  1. War $405.7M
    5 films · #1 Gone with the Wind (1940)
  2. Drama $404.9M
    8 films · #1 Gone with the Wind (1940)
  3. Romance $402.6M
    9 films · #1 Gone with the Wind (1940)
  4. History $402.4M
    2 films · #1 Gone with the Wind (1940)
  5. Comedy $122.9M
    6 films · #1 Pinocchio (1940)
  6. Animation $121.9M
    1 film · #1 Pinocchio (1940)
  7. Family $121.9M
    1 film · #1 Pinocchio (1940)
  8. Fantasy $121.9M
    1 film · #1 Pinocchio (1940)
  9. Musical $121.9M
    1 film · #1 Pinocchio (1940)
  10. Action $2.3M
    2 films · #1 The Fighting 69th (1940)
Archive

English Box Office Year by Year

Every year from 1919 to 2026 with its total and its biggest film. 2019 leads with $28.7B, led by Avengers: Endgame (2019).

2020s 7 years · $105.1B
2010s 10 years · $261B
2000s 10 years · $170.2B
1990s 10 years · $84.5B
1980s 10 years · $33.4B
1970s 10 years · $9.6B
1960s 10 years · $1.4B
1950s 10 years · $770.2M
1940s 10 years · $662.1M
1930s 10 years · $217.4M
1920s 4 years · $718.5K
1910s 1 year · $160
FAQ

English 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 14 films as the chart.

What is the highest-grossing English-language movie in 1940?

Gone with the Wind (1940) leads with $402.4M worldwide, $200.9M of it in the US & Canada. Next come Pinocchio (1940) at $121.9M and The Fighting 69th (1940) at $2.3M.

How much did English-language movies released in 1940 earn?

14 English-language films released in 1940 report a worldwide gross, $527.8M in all, or $37.7M per film on average. 1939 releases took $26.3M.

How many English-language movies released in 1940 made $1 billion?

None. 2 films crossed $100 million, led by Gone with the Wind (1940) with $402.4M.

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

$285.1M of the $527.8M total, or 54%, was earned in the US & Canada (the domestic market); the rest came from other countries. 12 films of the 14 report no domestic figure.

How is the 1940 English 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, and so are films whose stored language is most likely wrong.

How often is the 1940 English 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.