#1 of 5 #1 movie of May 1956
1956 · Comedy, Family
$49K worldwide · 76% of the chart's total
$34.6K US & Canada · 71% $14.4K elsewhere · 29%
Box office · May 1956
May 1956 Box Office: The Highest-Grossing May Releases
The Red Balloon (1956) is the highest-grossing movie released in May 1956, with $49K worldwide, ahead of The Mountain (1956) at $9.3K and Bhowani Junction (1956) at $3.7K. 5 films released in May 1956 report a worldwide gross, $64.5K in all, 54% of it from the US & Canada. By genre, Drama leads with $64.5K across 5 releases.
- May 1956 releases with a gross
- 5
- combined worldwide
- $64.5K
- The Red Balloon (1956), the #1
- $49K
- earned in the US & Canada
- 54%
#1 of 5 Top 5
What Were the Biggest Hits of May 1956?
The Red Balloon (1956) leads with $49K, 76% of the total. The top 5 together took $64.5K, 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.
- Number 1
-
Number 2 -
Number 3 -
Number 4 -
Number 5
US & Canada (domestic) Rest of the world
The chart
Every Release of May 1956, 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 May 1956.
- 1 May 3, 1956 US and Canada: $34.6K Rest of the world: $14.4K Worldwide: $49K
- 2 May 31, 1956 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $9.3K
- 3 May 1, 1956 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $3.7K
- 4 May 29, 1956 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $1.5K
- 5 May 26, 1956 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $1.1K
By release week
Which Week of May 1956 Had the Biggest Releases?
Films released in week 18 (Apr 29–May 5) took $52.6K, led by The Red Balloon (1956). Each column links to that week's chart; weeks are Sunday to Saturday.
- Week 18 Wk 18 Apr 29–May 5 The Red Balloon (1956) $52.6K The Red Balloon (1956)
- Week 19 Wk 19 May 6–12 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- Week 20 Wk 20 May 13–19 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- Week 21 Wk 21 May 20–26 The Searchers (1956) $1.1K The Searchers (1956)
- Week 22 Wk 22 May 27–Jun 2 The Mountain (1956) $10.8K The Mountain (1956)
Earlier years
How Does May 1956 Compare With May in Earlier Years?
Of these 10 years, May 1952 earned the most: $36M from 2 films, led by The Greatest Show on Earth (1952). May 1956 took $64.5K.
| Month | Films | Worldwide | Change | Biggest film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 1947 3 films | 3 | $63.1K | – | Great Expectations (1947) $33.4K |
| May 1948 No films | 0 | – | – | – |
| May 1949 No films | 0 | – | – | – |
| May 1950 3 films | 3 | $821.2K | – | Shadow on the Wall (1950) $769K |
| May 1951 No films | 0 | – | – | – |
| May 1952 2 films | 2 | $36M | – | The Greatest Show on Earth (1952) $36M |
| May 1953 2 films · −100% | 2 | $11.1K | −100% | Julius Caesar (1953) $10.8K |
| May 1954 5 films · +661% | 5 | $84.4K | +661% | Dial M for Murder (1954) $45.3K |
| May 1955 4 films · +820% | 4 | $776.5K | +820% | The Dam Busters (1955) $765.4K |
| May 1956 5 films · −92% | 5 | $64.5K | −92% | The Red Balloon (1956) $49K |
Archive
Box Office in 1956, Month by Month
The months of 1956 with their totals: October leads with $107.5M, led by The Ten Commandments (1956).
- January $33.8K #1 The Burmese Harp (1956)
- February $55.1K #1 The Ladykillers (1956)
- March $23.3K #1 The Conqueror (1956)
- April $11.9K #1 While the City Sleeps (1956)
- May $64.5K #1 The Red Balloon (1956)
- June $21.4M #1 The King and I (1956)
- July $22.9K #1 High Society (1956)
- August $41K #1 War and Peace (1956)
- September $48.2K #1 On the Bowery (1956)
- October $107.5M #1 The Ten Commandments (1956)
- November $41.8M #1 Giant (1956)
- December $14.2K #1 Written on the Wind (1956)
FAQ
Box Office May 1956: 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 movie in May 1956?
The Red Balloon (1956) leads with $49K worldwide, $34.6K of it in the US & Canada. Next come The Mountain (1956) at $9.3K and Bhowani Junction (1956) at $3.7K.
How much did movies released in May 1956 earn?
5 films released in May 1956 report a worldwide gross, $64.5K in all, or $12.9K per film on average.
How many movies released in May 1956 made $1 billion?
None. The biggest, The Red Balloon (1956), earned $49K.
How is the May 1956 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 May 1956. 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 May 1956 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.