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French box office · 1959

French Box Office 1959: Highest-Grossing French Movies

The 400 Blows (1959) is the highest-grossing French-language movie released in 1959, with $289.7K worldwide, ahead of Hiroshima Mon Amour (1959) at $139.9K and The Law (1959) at $17.4K. 6 French-language films released in 1959 report a worldwide gross, $471.7K in all, 24% of it from the US & Canada. By genre, Drama leads with $471.7K across 6 French releases.

1959 releases with a gross
6
combined worldwide
$471.7K
The 400 Blows (1959), the #1
$289.7K
earned in the US & Canada
24%
The 400 Blows (1959) movie poster #1 of 6
#1 French-language movie of 1959

The 400 Blows (1959)

1959 · Drama

$289.7K worldwide · 61% of the chart's total

$509 US & Canada · <1% $289.2K elsewhere · 100%
Top 5

What Were the Biggest French Hits of 1959?

The 400 Blows (1959) leads with $289.7K, 61% of the total. The top 5 together took $469.2K, 99% of what all 6 films earned. Each bar splits a film's gross into the US & Canada and the rest of the world.

  1. The 400 Blows (1959) movie poster Number 1
    $289.7K The 400 Blows (1959)
    $509 US & Canada · <1% $289.2K elsewhere · 100%
  2. Hiroshima Mon Amour (1959) movie poster Number 2
    $139.9K Hiroshima Mon Amour (1959)
    $96.4K US & Canada · 69% $43.5K elsewhere · 31%
  3. The Law (1959) movie poster Number 3
    $17.4K The Law (1959)
    $17.4K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  4. Maigret and the St. Fiacre Case (1959) movie poster Number 4
    $14.7K Maigret and the St. Fiacre Case (1959)
    No US & Canada figure reported
  5. Pickpocket (1959) movie poster Number 5
    $7.5K Pickpocket (1959)
    No US & Canada figure reported

US & Canada (domestic) Rest of the world

The chart

Every French Release of 1959, 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 1959.

  1. 1 The 400 Blows (1959) movie poster
    The 400 Blows (1959) May 4, 1959 · Drama $289.7K worldwide
    May 4, 1959 US and Canada: $509 Rest of the world: $289.2K Worldwide: $289.7K
  2. 2 Hiroshima Mon Amour (1959) movie poster
    Hiroshima Mon Amour (1959) May 8, 1959 · Drama, Romance $139.9K worldwide
    May 8, 1959 US and Canada: $96.4K Rest of the world: $43.5K Worldwide: $139.9K
  3. 3 The Law (1959) movie poster
    The Law (1959) Jan 25, 1959 · Drama, Crime $17.4K worldwide
    Jan 25, 1959 US and Canada: $17.4K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $17.4K
  4. 4 Maigret and the St. Fiacre Case (1959) movie poster
    Maigret and the St. Fiacre Case (1959) Sep 2, 1959 · Mystery, Drama $14.7K worldwide
    Sep 2, 1959 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $14.7K
  5. 5 Pickpocket (1959) movie poster
    Pickpocket (1959) Dec 16, 1959 · Drama, Crime $7.5K worldwide
    Dec 16, 1959 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $7.5K
  6. 6 Two Men in Manhattan (1959) movie poster
    Two Men in Manhattan (1959) Oct 16, 1959 · Crime, Thriller $2.5K worldwide
    Oct 16, 1959 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $2.5K
US & Canada vs the world

Where Did the Money Come From in 1959?

Of the top 6, The Law (1959) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while The 400 Blows (1959) made 100% of its gross abroad. Across all 6 films, $114.3K (24%) came from the US & Canada. 3 films of the top 6 report no US & Canada figure.

  1. 1 The 400 Blows (1959) $289.7K
    $509 US & Canada · <1% $289.2K elsewhere · 100%
  2. 2 Hiroshima Mon Amour (1959) $139.9K
    $96.4K US & Canada · 69% $43.5K elsewhere · 31%
  3. 3 The Law (1959) $17.4K
    $17.4K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  4. 4 Maigret and the St. Fiacre Case (1959) $14.7K
    No US & Canada figure reported
  5. 5 Pickpocket (1959) $7.5K
    No US & Canada figure reported
  6. 6 Two Men in Manhattan (1959) $2.5K
    No US & Canada figure reported
By release month

Which Month of 1959 Earned the Most?

May releases took the most, $429.6K from 2 films, led by The 400 Blows (1959). October was the quietest month ($2.5K). Each column is a release month and links to that month's chart.

  1. January Jan The Law (1959) $17.4K The Law (1959)
  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 The 400 Blows (1959) $429.6K The 400 Blows (1959)
  6. June Jun No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  7. July Jul No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  8. August Aug No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  9. September Sep Maigret and the St. Fiacre Case (1959) $14.7K Maigret and the St. Fiacre Case (1959)
  10. October Oct Two Men in Manhattan (1959) $2.5K Two Men in Manhattan (1959)
  11. November Nov No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  12. December Dec Pickpocket (1959) $7.5K Pickpocket (1959)
Last 10 years

How Does 1959 Compare With Previous Years?

Of these 10 years, 1953 earned the most: $567.6K from 6 films, led by Monsieur Hulot’s Holiday (1953). 1959 took $471.7K.

Year Films Worldwide Change Biggest film
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 6 films · +979% 6 $567.6K +979% Monsieur Hulot’s Holiday (1953) $257K
1954 1 film · −100% 1 $2.6K −100% Sabrina (1954) $2.6K
1955 4 films · +20798% 4 $550.7K +20798% Rififi (1955) $525.8K
1956 4 films · −87% 4 $71.1K −87% The Red Balloon (1956) $49K
1957 2 films · −79% 2 $15.1K −79% He Who Must Die (1957) $14.6K
1958 1 film · +2764% 1 $431.8K +2764% Elevator to the Gallows (1958) $431.8K
1959 6 films · +9% 6 $471.7K +9% The 400 Blows (1959) $289.7K
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 1959: 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 6 films as the chart.

What is the highest-grossing French-language movie in 1959?

The 400 Blows (1959) leads with $289.7K worldwide, $509 of it in the US & Canada. Next come Hiroshima Mon Amour (1959) at $139.9K and The Law (1959) at $17.4K.

How much did French-language movies released in 1959 earn?

6 French-language films released in 1959 report a worldwide gross, $471.7K in all, or $78.6K per film on average.

How many French-language movies released in 1959 made $1 billion?

None. The biggest, The 400 Blows (1959), earned $289.7K.

How much of the 1959 French box office came from the US and Canada?

$114.3K of the $471.7K total, or 24%, was earned in the US & Canada (the domestic market); the rest came from other countries. 3 films of the 6 report no domestic figure.

How is the 1959 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 1959. 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 1959 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.