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French box office · 1953

French Box Office 1953: Highest-Grossing French Movies

Monsieur Hulot’s Holiday (1953) is the highest-grossing French-language movie released in 1953, with $257K worldwide, ahead of The Earrings of Madame de… (1953) at $135.6K and The Return of Don Camillo (1953) at $127.8K. 5 French-language films released in 1953 report a worldwide gross, $558.4K in all, 30% of it from the US & Canada. By genre, Comedy leads with $384.8K across 2 French releases.

1953 releases with a gross
5
combined worldwide
$558.4K
Monsieur Hulot’s Holiday (1953), the #1
$257K
earned in the US & Canada
30%
Top 5

What Were the Biggest French Hits of 1953?

Monsieur Hulot’s Holiday (1953) leads with $257K, 46% of the total. The top 5 together took $558.4K, almost all of what the 5 films earned. Each bar splits a film's gross into the US & Canada and the rest of the world.

  1. Monsieur Hulot’s Holiday (1953) movie poster Number 1
    $257K Monsieur Hulot’s Holiday (1953)
    No US & Canada figure reported
  2. The Earrings of Madame de… (1953) movie poster Number 2
    $135.6K The Earrings of Madame de… (1953)
    $130.6K US & Canada · 96% $5.1K elsewhere · 4%
  3. The Return of Don Camillo (1953) movie poster Number 3
    $127.8K The Return of Don Camillo (1953)
    No US & Canada figure reported
  4. The Wages of Fear (1953) movie poster Number 4
    $22.3K The Wages of Fear (1953)
    $21.2K US & Canada · 95% $1.1K elsewhere · 5%
  5. When You Read This Letter (1953) movie poster Number 5
    $15.6K When You Read This Letter (1953)
    $15.6K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%

US & Canada (domestic) Rest of the world

The chart

Every French Release of 1953, 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 1953.

  1. 1 Monsieur Hulot’s Holiday (1953) movie poster
    Monsieur Hulot’s Holiday (1953) Feb 25, 1953 · Comedy $257K worldwide
    Feb 25, 1953 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $257K
  2. 2 The Earrings of Madame de… (1953) movie poster
    The Earrings of Madame de… (1953) Sep 16, 1953 · Drama, Romance $135.6K worldwide
    Sep 16, 1953 US and Canada: $130.6K Rest of the world: $5.1K Worldwide: $135.6K
  3. 3 The Return of Don Camillo (1953) movie poster
    The Return of Don Camillo (1953) Jun 5, 1953 · Comedy $127.8K worldwide
    Jun 5, 1953 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $127.8K
  4. 4 The Wages of Fear (1953) movie poster
    The Wages of Fear (1953) Apr 15, 1953 · Adventure, Thriller $22.3K worldwide
    Apr 15, 1953 US and Canada: $21.2K Rest of the world: $1.1K Worldwide: $22.3K
  5. 5 When You Read This Letter (1953) movie poster
    When You Read This Letter (1953) Jul 26, 1953 · Drama $15.6K worldwide
    Jul 26, 1953 US and Canada: $15.6K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $15.6K
US & Canada vs the world

Where Did the Money Come From in 1953?

Of the top 5, When You Read This Letter (1953) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while The Wages of Fear (1953) made 5% of its gross abroad. Across all 5 films, $167.3K (30%) came from the US & Canada. 2 films of the top 5 report no US & Canada figure.

  1. 1 Monsieur Hulot’s Holiday (1953) $257K
    No US & Canada figure reported
  2. 2 The Earrings of Madame de… (1953) $135.6K
    $130.6K US & Canada · 96% $5.1K elsewhere · 4%
  3. 3 The Return of Don Camillo (1953) $127.8K
    No US & Canada figure reported
  4. 4 The Wages of Fear (1953) $22.3K
    $21.2K US & Canada · 95% $1.1K elsewhere · 5%
  5. 5 When You Read This Letter (1953) $15.6K
    $15.6K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
By release month

Which Month of 1953 Earned the Most?

February releases took the most, $257K from 1 film, led by Monsieur Hulot’s Holiday (1953). July was the quietest month ($15.6K). 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 Monsieur Hulot’s Holiday (1953) $257K Monsieur Hulot’s Holiday (1953)
  3. March Mar No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  4. April Apr The Wages of Fear (1953) $22.3K The Wages of Fear (1953)
  5. May May No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  6. June Jun The Return of Don Camillo (1953) $127.8K The Return of Don Camillo (1953)
  7. July Jul When You Read This Letter (1953) $15.6K When You Read This Letter (1953)
  8. August Aug No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  9. September Sep The Earrings of Madame de… (1953) $135.6K The Earrings of Madame de… (1953)
  10. October Oct No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  11. November Nov No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  12. December Dec No reported grosses – No reported grosses
Last 10 years

How Does 1953 Compare With Previous Years?

Of these 10 years, 1953 earned the most: $558.4K from 5 films, led by Monsieur Hulot’s Holiday (1953).

Year Films Worldwide Change Biggest film
1944 No films 0 – – –
1945 1 film 1 $44.9K – Children of Paradise (1945) $44.9K
1946 1 film · +565% 1 $298.7K +565% Beauty and the Beast (1946) $298.7K
1947 2 films · −80% 2 $60.4K −80% School for Postmen (1947) $50.7K
1948 No films 0 – – –
1949 1 film 1 $11.3K – Rendezvous in July (1949) $11.3K
1950 No films 0 – – –
1951 3 films 3 $57.8K – Diary of a Country Priest (1951) $47K
1952 3 films · −9% 3 $52.6K −9% Forbidden Games (1952) $33.9K
1953 5 films · +961% 5 $558.4K +961% Monsieur Hulot’s Holiday (1953) $257K
Archive

French Box Office Year by Year

Every year from 1931 to 2026 with its total and its biggest film. 2012 leads with $937.3M, led by The Intouchables (2012).

2020s 7 years · $1.5B
2010s 10 years · $4.4B
2000s 10 years · $3.5B
1990s 10 years · $113.6M
1980s 10 years · $128M
1970s 10 years · $40.3M
1960s 10 years · $17.5M
1950s 9 years · $2.2M
1940s 6 years · $456.7K
1930s 6 years · $441.2K
FAQ

French Box Office 1953: 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 5 films as the chart.

What is the highest-grossing French-language movie in 1953?

Monsieur Hulot’s Holiday (1953) leads with $257K worldwide. Next come The Earrings of Madame de… (1953) at $135.6K and The Return of Don Camillo (1953) at $127.8K.

How much did French-language movies released in 1953 earn?

5 French-language films released in 1953 report a worldwide gross, $558.4K in all, or $111.7K per film on average.

How many French-language movies released in 1953 made $1 billion?

None. The biggest, Monsieur Hulot’s Holiday (1953), earned $257K.

How much of the 1953 French box office came from the US and Canada?

$167.3K of the $558.4K total, or 30%, was earned in the US & Canada (the domestic market); the rest came from other countries. 2 films of the 5 report no domestic figure.

How is the 1953 French 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 1953. 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 1953 French 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.