How much of the 1946 English box office came from the US and Canada?

$91.3M of the $96.2M total, or 95%, was earned in the US & Canada (the domestic market); the rest came from other countries. 14 films of the 20 report no domestic figure.

English box office · 1946

English Box Office 1946: Highest-Grossing English Movies

Q: What is the highest-grossing English-language movie in 1946?

Song of the South (1946) leads with $37.5M worldwide, $37.5M of it in the US & Canada. Next come The Best Years of Our Lives (1946) at $23.7M and Duel in the Sun (1946) at $20.4M.

Q: How many English-language movies released in 1946 made $1 billion?

None. The biggest, Song of the South (1946), earned $37.5M.

Q: How is the 1946 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 1946. 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.

Q: How often is the 1946 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.

Song of the South (1946) is the highest-grossing English-language movie released in 1946, with $37.5M worldwide, ahead of The Best Years of Our Lives (1946) at $23.7M and Duel in the Sun (1946) at $20.4M. 20 English-language films released in 1946 report a worldwide gross, $96.2M in all, 95% of it from the US & Canada. That is 4.4 times the total of 1945, whose releases took $22M. By genre, Drama leads with $54.3M across 11 English releases.

1946 releases with a gross: 20
combined worldwide: $96.2M
Song of the South (1946), the #1: $37.5M
vs 1945: ×4.4

#1 of 20

#1 English-language movie of 1946

Song of the South (1946)

1946 · Fantasy, Comedy

$37.5M worldwide · 39% of the chart's total

$37.5M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%

Top 5

What Were the Biggest English Hits of 1946?

Song of the South (1946) leads with $37.5M, 39% of the total. The top 5 together took $95.5M, 99% of what all 20 films earned. Each bar splits a film's gross into the US & Canada and the rest of the world.

Number 1

$37.5M Song of the South (1946)
$37.5M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
Number 2

$23.7M The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
$23.7M US & Canada · 100% $17.1K elsewhere · <1%
Number 3

$20.4M Duel in the Sun (1946)
$20.4M US & Canada · 100% $20.6K elsewhere · <1%
Number 4

$9.7M Cloak and Dagger (1946)
$9.7M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
Number 5

$4.3M Canyon Passage (1946)
No US & Canada figure reported

US & Canada (domestic) Rest of the world

The chart

Every English Release of 1946, 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 1946.

1
Song of the South (1946) Nov 12, 1946 · Fantasy, Comedy $37.5M worldwide

Nov 12, 1946 US and Canada: $37.5M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $37.5M
2
The Best Years of Our Lives (1946) Dec 25, 1946 · Drama, Romance $23.7M worldwide

Dec 25, 1946 US and Canada: $23.7M Rest of the world: $17.1K Worldwide: $23.7M
3
Duel in the Sun (1946) Dec 29, 1946 · Drama, Romance $20.4M worldwide

Dec 29, 1946 US and Canada: $20.4M Rest of the world: $20.6K Worldwide: $20.4M
4
Cloak and Dagger (1946) Sep 5, 1946 · War, Thriller $9.7M worldwide

Sep 5, 1946 US and Canada: $9.7M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $9.7M
5
Canyon Passage (1946) Jul 17, 1946 · Western $4.3M worldwide

Jul 17, 1946 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $4.3M
6
A Matter of Life and Death (1946) Nov 1, 1946 · Comedy, War $231.3K worldwide

Nov 1, 1946 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $231.3K
7
Brief Encounter (1946) Aug 24, 1946 · Drama, Romance $119.4K worldwide

Aug 24, 1946 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $119.4K
8
Notorious (1946) Sep 6, 1946 · Drama, Thriller $117.1K worldwide

Sep 6, 1946 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $117.1K
9
The Killers (1946) Aug 28, 1946 · Mystery, Thriller $58.2K worldwide

Aug 28, 1946 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $58.2K
10
The Big Sleep (1946) Aug 31, 1946 · Mystery, Thriller $51.1K worldwide

Aug 31, 1946 US and Canada: $25.6K Rest of the world: $25.5K Worldwide: $51.1K
11
Cluny Brown (1946) Jun 2, 1946 · Comedy, Romance $17.2K worldwide

Jun 2, 1946 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $17.2K
12
My Darling Clementine (1946) Oct 16, 1946 · Romance, Western $16.4K worldwide

Oct 16, 1946 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $16.4K
13
Hair-Raising Hare (1946) May 25, 1946 · Comedy, Animation $14.8K worldwide

May 25, 1946 US and Canada: $14.8K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $14.8K
14
Gilda (1946) Mar 14, 1946 · Romance, Thriller $6K worldwide

Mar 14, 1946 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $6K
15
Dragonwyck (1946) Apr 10, 1946 · Drama, Thriller $5.4K worldwide

Apr 10, 1946 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $5.4K
16
The Harvey Girls (1946) Jan 18, 1946 · Comedy, Western $1.4K worldwide

Jan 18, 1946 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $1.4K
17
The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946) May 2, 1946 · Drama, Mystery $380 worldwide

May 2, 1946 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $380
18
Dead Reckoning (1946) Dec 31, 1946 · Crime, Mystery $84 worldwide

Dec 31, 1946 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $84
19
Humoresque (1946) Dec 25, 1946 · Romance, Drama $24 worldwide

Dec 25, 1946 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $24
20
Lady in the Lake (1946) Dec 19, 1946 · Crime, Thriller $11 worldwide

Dec 19, 1946 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $11

US & Canada vs the world

Where Did the Money Come From in 1946?

Of the top 10, Song of the South (1946) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while The Big Sleep (1946) made 50% of its gross abroad. Across all 20 films, $91.3M (95%) came from the US & Canada. 5 films of the top 10 report no US & Canada figure.

1 Song of the South (1946) $37.5M
$37.5M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
2 The Best Years of Our Lives (1946) $23.7M
$23.7M US & Canada · 100% $17.1K elsewhere · <1%
3 Duel in the Sun (1946) $20.4M
$20.4M US & Canada · 100% $20.6K elsewhere · <1%
4 Cloak and Dagger (1946) $9.7M
$9.7M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
5 Canyon Passage (1946) $4.3M
No US & Canada figure reported
6 A Matter of Life and Death (1946) $231.3K
No US & Canada figure reported
7 Brief Encounter (1946) $119.4K
No US & Canada figure reported
8 Notorious (1946) $117.1K
No US & Canada figure reported
9 The Killers (1946) $58.2K
No US & Canada figure reported
10 The Big Sleep (1946) $51.1K
$25.6K US & Canada · 50% $25.5K elsewhere · 50%

Gross bands

How Many 1946 Releases Crossed $100 Million?

None of the 20 films reached $100M. 17 films, 85% of the list, earned under $10M. Each band shows its films and its share of the $96.2M total.

85% 15%

$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 0 films, 0% of the list No films
$10M to $100M 3 films, 15% of the list $81.6M · 85% of the gross
Under $10M 17 films, 85% of the list $14.6M · 15% of the gross

By release month

Which Month of 1946 Earned the Most?

December releases took the most, $44.1M from 5 films, led by The Best Years of Our Lives (1946). January was the quietest month ($1.4K). Each column is a release month and links to that month's chart.

Last 10 years

How Does 1946 Compare With Previous Years?

Of these 10 years, 1940 earned the most: $527.8M from 14 films, led by Gone with the Wind (1940). 1946 took $96.2M.

Year	Films	Worldwide	Change	Biggest film
1937 6 films	6	$27.1K	–	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
1941 11 films · −99%	11	$4.2M	−99%	Charley’s Aunt (1941) $2.3M
1942 14 films · −53%	14	$2M	−53%	Reunion in France (1942) $1.9M
1943 6 films · +207%	6	$6M	+207%	Casablanca (1943) $4.7M
1944 13 films · −98%	13	$117.4K	−98%	Henry V (1944) $62.6K
1945 14 films · +18667%	14	$22M	+18667%	The Bells of St. Mary’s (1945) $21.3M
1946 20 films · +336%	20	$96.2M	+336%	Song of the South (1946) $37.5M

By genre

Which English Genres Earned the Most in 1946?

Drama took $54.3M across 11 films, 56% of the total, ahead of Romance ($44.6M) and Comedy ($37.7M). A film counts once for each of its genres.

1946 English Box Office by Genre

Drama $54.3M
11 films · #1 The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
Romance $44.6M
11 films · #1 The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
Comedy $37.7M
5 films · #1 Song of the South (1946)
Fantasy $37.7M
2 films · #1 Song of the South (1946)
Animation $37.5M
2 films · #1 Song of the South (1946)
Musical $37.5M
2 films · #1 Song of the South (1946)
Family $37.5M
1 film · #1 Song of the South (1946)
War $33.6M
3 films · #1 The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
Western $24.7M
4 films · #1 Duel in the Sun (1946)
Thriller $10M
8 films · #1 Cloak and Dagger (1946)

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

1919 $160 #1 The Sentimental Bloke (1919)

FAQ

English Box Office 1946: 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 20 films as the chart.

What is the highest-grossing English-language movie in 1946?

Song of the South (1946) leads with $37.5M worldwide, $37.5M of it in the US & Canada. Next come The Best Years of Our Lives (1946) at $23.7M and Duel in the Sun (1946) at $20.4M.

How much did English-language movies released in 1946 earn?

20 English-language films released in 1946 report a worldwide gross, $96.2M in all, or $4.8M per film on average. 1945 releases took $22M.

How many English-language movies released in 1946 made $1 billion?

None. The biggest, Song of the South (1946), earned $37.5M.

How is the 1946 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 1946. 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 1946 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.