Skip to content
What's After the Movie?

Jump to
What's After the Movie?
Box office · 1949

1949 Box Office: The Highest-Grossing Movies of 1949

The Third Man (1949) is the highest-grossing movie released in 1949, with $1.4M worldwide, ahead of Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949) at $147.2K and Stray Dog (1949) at $47K. 19 films released in 1949 report a worldwide gross, $1.8M in all, 69% of it from the US & Canada. That is down 71% on 1948, whose releases took $6.2M. By genre, Mystery leads with $1.5M across 3 releases.

1949 releases with a gross
19
combined worldwide
$1.8M
The Third Man (1949), the #1
$1.4M
vs 1948
−71%
The Third Man (1949) movie poster #1 of 19
#1 movie of 1949

The Third Man (1949)

1949 · Mystery, Thriller

$1.4M worldwide · 79% of the chart's total

$1.1M US & Canada · 75% $354.5K elsewhere · 25%
Top 5

What Were the Biggest Hits of 1949?

The Third Man (1949) leads with $1.4M, 79% of the total. The top 5 together took $1.7M, 93% of what all 19 films earned. Each bar splits a film's gross into the US & Canada and the rest of the world.

  1. The Third Man (1949) movie poster Number 1
    $1.4M The Third Man (1949)
    $1.1M US & Canada · 75% $354.5K elsewhere · 25%
  2. Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949) movie poster Number 2
    $147.2K Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949)
    $35.9K US & Canada · 24% $111.2K elsewhere · 76%
  3. Stray Dog (1949) movie poster Number 3
    $47K Stray Dog (1949)
    $46.8K US & Canada · 100% $215 elsewhere · <1%
  4. The Passionate Friends (1949) movie poster Number 4
    $40.3K The Passionate Friends (1949)
    No US & Canada figure reported
  5. The Small Back Room (1949) movie poster Number 5
    $25.1K The Small Back Room (1949)
    $25.1K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%

US & Canada (domestic) Rest of the world

The chart

Every Release of 1949, 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 1949.

  1. 1 The Third Man (1949) movie poster
    The Third Man (1949) Sep 3, 1949 · English · Mystery, Thriller $1.4M worldwide
    Sep 3, 1949 US and Canada: $1.1M Rest of the world: $354.5K Worldwide: $1.4M
  2. 2 Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949) movie poster
    Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949) Jun 21, 1949 · English · Comedy, Crime $147.2K worldwide
    Jun 21, 1949 US and Canada: $35.9K Rest of the world: $111.2K Worldwide: $147.2K
  3. 3 Stray Dog (1949) movie poster
    Stray Dog (1949) Oct 17, 1949 · Japanese · Crime, Drama $47K worldwide
    Oct 17, 1949 US and Canada: $46.8K Rest of the world: $215 Worldwide: $47K
  4. 4 The Passionate Friends (1949) movie poster
    The Passionate Friends (1949) Jan 26, 1949 · English · Drama, Romance $40.3K worldwide
    Jan 26, 1949 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $40.3K
  5. 5 The Small Back Room (1949) movie poster
    The Small Back Room (1949) Jan 21, 1949 · English · Romance, Drama $25.1K worldwide
    Jan 21, 1949 US and Canada: $25.1K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $25.1K
  6. 6 Late Spring (1949) movie poster
    Late Spring (1949) Sep 13, 1949 · Japanese · Drama $19.7K worldwide
    Sep 13, 1949 US and Canada: $13.3K Rest of the world: $6.4K Worldwide: $19.7K
  7. 7 A Letter to Three Wives (1949) movie poster
    A Letter to Three Wives (1949) Jan 20, 1949 · English · Romance, Mystery $14.8K worldwide
    Jan 20, 1949 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $14.8K
  8. 8 Fast and Furry-ous (1949) movie poster
    Fast and Furry-ous (1949) Sep 17, 1949 · English · Animation, Comedy $14.8K worldwide
    Sep 17, 1949 US and Canada: $14.8K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $14.8K
  9. 9 For Scent-imental Reasons (1949) movie poster
    For Scent-imental Reasons (1949) Nov 12, 1949 · English · Comedy, Animation $14.8K worldwide
    Nov 12, 1949 US and Canada: $14.8K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $14.8K
  10. 10 High Diving Hare (1949) movie poster
    High Diving Hare (1949) Apr 30, 1949 · English · Animation, Western $14.8K worldwide
    Apr 30, 1949 US and Canada: $14.8K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $14.8K
  11. 11 Whisky Galore! (1949) movie poster
    Whisky Galore! (1949) Jun 16, 1949 · English · Comedy, Crime $11.4K worldwide
    Jun 16, 1949 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $11.4K
  12. 12 Rendezvous in July (1949) movie poster
    Rendezvous in July (1949) Sep 1, 1949 · French · Comedy, Drama $11.3K worldwide
    Sep 1, 1949 US and Canada: $11.3K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $11.3K
  13. 13 She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949) movie poster
    She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949) Oct 22, 1949 · English · Western $5.9K worldwide
    Oct 22, 1949 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $5.9K
  14. 14 White Heat (1949) movie poster
    White Heat (1949) Sep 3, 1949 · English · Action, Drama $5.5K worldwide
    Sep 3, 1949 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $5.5K
  15. 15 Colorado Territory (1949) movie poster
    Colorado Territory (1949) Jun 3, 1949 · English · Crime, Romance $4.8K worldwide
    Jun 3, 1949 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $4.8K
  16. 16 On the Town (1949) movie poster
    On the Town (1949) Dec 30, 1949 · English · Comedy, Romance $3.7K worldwide
    Dec 30, 1949 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $3.7K
  17. 17 Tokyo Joe (1949) movie poster
    Tokyo Joe (1949) Oct 26, 1949 · English · Drama, Thriller $207 worldwide
    Oct 26, 1949 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $207
  18. 18 The Heiress (1949) movie poster
    The Heiress (1949) Oct 6, 1949 · English · Romance, History $158 worldwide
    Oct 6, 1949 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $158
  19. 19 The File on Thelma Jordon (1949) movie poster
    The File on Thelma Jordon (1949) Nov 4, 1949 · English · Thriller, Crime $63 worldwide
    Nov 4, 1949 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $63
US & Canada vs the world

Where Did the Money Come From in 1949?

Of the top 10, The Small Back Room (1949) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949) made 76% of its gross abroad. Across all 19 films, $1.2M (69%) came from the US & Canada. 2 films of the top 10 report no US & Canada figure.

  1. 1 The Third Man (1949) $1.4M
    $1.1M US & Canada · 75% $354.5K elsewhere · 25%
  2. 2 Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949) $147.2K
    $35.9K US & Canada · 24% $111.2K elsewhere · 76%
  3. 3 Stray Dog (1949) $47K
    $46.8K US & Canada · 100% $215 elsewhere · <1%
  4. 4 The Passionate Friends (1949) $40.3K
    No US & Canada figure reported
  5. 5 The Small Back Room (1949) $25.1K
    $25.1K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  6. 6 Late Spring (1949) $19.7K
    $13.3K US & Canada · 67% $6.4K elsewhere · 33%
  7. 7 A Letter to Three Wives (1949) $14.8K
    No US & Canada figure reported
  8. 8 Fast and Furry-ous (1949) $14.8K
    $14.8K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  9. 9 For Scent-imental Reasons (1949) $14.8K
    $14.8K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  10. 10 High Diving Hare (1949) $14.8K
    $14.8K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
Gross bands

How Many 1949 Releases Crossed $100 Million?

None of the 19 films reached $100M. 19 films, 100% of the list, earned under $10M. Each band shows its films and its share of the $1.8M total.

  • $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 0 films, 0% of the list No films
  • Under $10M 19 films, 100% of the list $1.8M · 100% of the gross
By release month

Which Month of 1949 Earned the Most?

September releases took the most, $1.5M from 5 films, led by The Third Man (1949). December was the quietest month ($3.7K). Each column is a release month and links to that month's chart.

  1. January Jan The Passionate Friends (1949) $80.2K The Passionate Friends (1949)
  2. February Feb No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  3. March Mar No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  4. April Apr High Diving Hare (1949) $14.8K High Diving Hare (1949)
  5. May May No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  6. June Jun Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949) $163.4K Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949)
  7. July Jul No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  8. August Aug No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  9. September Sep The Third Man (1949) $1.5M The Third Man (1949)
  10. October Oct Stray Dog (1949) $53.3K Stray Dog (1949)
  11. November Nov For Scent-imental Reasons (1949) $14.8K For Scent-imental Reasons (1949)
  12. December Dec On the Town (1949) $3.7K On the Town (1949)
Last 10 years

How Does 1949 Compare With Previous Years?

Of these 10 years, 1940 earned the most: $525.9M from 15 films, led by Gone with the Wind (1940). 1949 took $1.8M.

Year Films Worldwide Change Biggest film
1940 15 films 15 $525.9M – Gone with the Wind (1940) $402.4M
1941 11 films · −100% 11 $1.9M −100% Citizen Kane (1941) $1.7M
1942 14 films · +13995% 14 $268.3M +13995% Bambi (1942) $267.4M
1943 8 films · −98% 8 $6.2M −98% Casablanca (1943) $4.7M
1944 15 films · −98% 15 $132K −98% Henry V (1944) $62.6K
1945 16 films · +16649% 16 $22.1M +16649% The Bells of St. Mary’s (1945) $21.3M
1946 23 films · +317% 23 $92.2M +317% Song of the South (1946) $37.5M
1947 20 films · −87% 20 $12.1M −87% It's a Wonderful Life (1947) $10.6M
1948 22 films · −48% 22 $6.2M −48% The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948) $5M
1949 19 films · −71% 19 $1.8M −71% The Third Man (1949) $1.4M
Genres & languages

Which Genres and Languages Earned the Most in 1949?

Mystery took $1.5M across 3 films, 82% of the total, ahead of Thriller ($1.5M) and Comedy ($217.9K). A film counts once for each of its genres. English-language films took $1.7M across 16 films, 96% of the total, ahead of Japanese-language films ($66.7K) and French-language films ($11.3K).

1949 Box Office by Genre

  1. Mystery $1.5M
    3 films · #1 The Third Man (1949)
  2. Thriller $1.5M
    4 films · #1 The Third Man (1949)
  3. Comedy $217.9K
    7 films · #1 Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949)
  4. Crime $216.2K
    7 films · #1 Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949)
  5. Drama $164.2K
    10 films · #1 Stray Dog (1949)
  6. Romance $88.8K
    6 films · #1 The Passionate Friends (1949)
  7. Animation $44.3K
    3 films · #1 Fast and Furry-ous (1949)
  8. Western $25.4K
    3 films · #1 High Diving Hare (1949)
  9. War $25.1K
    1 film · #1 The Small Back Room (1949)
  10. Action $5.5K
    1 film · #1 White Heat (1949)

1949 Box Office by Language

  1. English $1.7M
    16 films · #1 The Third Man (1949)
  2. Japanese $66.7K
    2 films · #1 Stray Dog (1949)
  3. French $11.3K
    1 film · #1 Rendezvous in July (1949)
Archive

Box Office Year by Year

Every year from 1918 to 2026 with its total and its biggest film. 2019 leads with $37.1B, led by Avengers: Endgame (2019).

2020s 7 years · $134.1B
2010s 10 years · $325.6B
2000s 10 years · $201.3B
1990s 10 years · $91.9B
1980s 10 years · $36B
1970s 10 years · $11.1B
1960s 10 years · $1.8B
1950s 10 years · $801.3M
1940s 10 years · $936.9M
1930s 10 years · $214M
1920s 9 years · $10M
1910s 2 years · $9.8K
FAQ

Box Office 1949: 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 19 films as the chart.

What is the highest-grossing movie in 1949?

The Third Man (1949) leads with $1.4M worldwide, $1.1M of it in the US & Canada. Next come Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949) at $147.2K and Stray Dog (1949) at $47K.

How much did movies released in 1949 earn?

19 films released in 1949 report a worldwide gross, $1.8M in all, or $94.9K per film on average. 1948 releases took $6.2M.

How many movies released in 1949 made $1 billion?

None. The biggest, The Third Man (1949), earned $1.4M.

How much of the 1949 box office came from the US and Canada?

$1.2M of the $1.8M total, or 69%, was earned in the US & Canada (the domestic market); the rest came from other countries. 10 films of the 19 report no domestic figure.

How is the 1949 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 1949. 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 1949 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.