#1 of 3 #1 movie of August 1959
1959 · Action, Adventure
$197.9K worldwide · 68% of the chart's total
$66.7K US & Canada · 34% $131.2K elsewhere · 66%
Box office · August 1959
August 1959 Box Office: The Highest-Grossing August Releases
North by Northwest (1959) is the highest-grossing movie released in August 1959, with $197.9K worldwide, ahead of Jazz on a Summer’s Day (1959) at $75.4K and The Savage Eye (1959) at $16.4K. 3 films released in August 1959 report a worldwide gross, $289.7K in all, 23% of it from the US & Canada.
- August 1959 releases with a gross
- 3
- combined worldwide
- $289.7K
- North by Northwest (1959), the #1
- $197.9K
- earned in the US & Canada
- 23%
#1 of 3 Top 3
What Were the Biggest Hits of August 1959?
North by Northwest (1959) leads with $197.9K, 68% of the total. The top 3 together took $289.7K, almost all of what the 3 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
US & Canada (domestic) Rest of the world
The chart
Every Release of August 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 August 1959.
- 1 Aug 6, 1959 US and Canada: $66.7K Rest of the world: $131.2K Worldwide: $197.9K
- 2 Aug 23, 1959 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $75.4K
- 3 Aug 26, 1959 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $16.4K
By release week
Which Week of August 1959 Had the Biggest Releases?
Films released in week 32 (Aug 2–8) took $197.9K, led by North by Northwest (1959). Each column links to that week's chart; weeks are Sunday to Saturday.
- Week 31 Wk 31 Jul 26–Aug 1 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- Week 32 Wk 32 Aug 2–8 North by Northwest (1959) $197.9K North by Northwest (1959)
- Week 33 Wk 33 Aug 9–15 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- Week 34 Wk 34 Aug 16–22 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- Week 35 Wk 35 Aug 23–29 Jazz on a Summer’s Day (1959) $91.8K Jazz on a Summer’s Day (1959)
- Week 36 Wk 36 Aug 30–Sep 5 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
Earlier years
How Does August 1959 Compare With August in Earlier Years?
Of these 10 years, August 1953 earned the most: $317.8K from 5 films, led by I Vitelloni (1953). August 1959 took $289.7K.
| Month | Films | Worldwide | Change | Biggest film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 1950 3 films | 3 | $314.7K | – | Sunset Boulevard (1950) $310.1K |
| August 1951 2 films · −91% | 2 | $27.2K | −91% | A Place in the Sun (1951) $18.2K |
| August 1952 3 films · +1027% | 3 | $306.3K | +1027% | Les Miserables (1952) $280.5K |
| August 1953 5 films · +4% | 5 | $317.8K | +4% | I Vitelloni (1953) $148.4K |
| August 1954 2 films · −95% | 2 | $15K | −95% | Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954) $14.8K |
| August 1955 5 films · +1118% | 5 | $182.6K | +1118% | Pather Panchali (1955) $136.3K |
| August 1956 2 films · −78% | 2 | $41K | −78% | War and Peace (1956) $24.9K |
| August 1957 2 films · −89% | 2 | $4.3K | −89% | The Pajama Game (1957) $4K |
| August 1958 2 films · +13% | 2 | $4.9K | +13% | The Reluctant Debutante (1958) $3K |
| August 1959 3 films · +5810% | 3 | $289.7K | +5810% | North by Northwest (1959) $197.9K |
Archive
Box Office in 1959, Month by Month
The months of 1959 with their totals: November leads with $74.5M, led by Ben-Hur (1959).
- January $51.6M #1 Sleeping Beauty (1959)
- February No grosses
- March $213.8K #1 Some Like It Hot (1959)
- April $28K #1 Rio Bravo (1959)
- May $438.5K #1 The 400 Blows (1959)
- June No grosses
- July $1K #1 Plan 9 from Outer Space (1959)
- August $289.7K #1 North by Northwest (1959)
- September $34.4K #1 Maigret and the St. Fiacre Case (1959)
- October $30K #1 Solomon and Sheba (1959)
- November $74.5M #1 Ben-Hur (1959)
- December $18.9K #1 On the Beach (1959)
FAQ
Box Office August 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 3 films as the chart.
What is the highest-grossing movie in August 1959?
North by Northwest (1959) leads with $197.9K worldwide, $66.7K of it in the US & Canada. Next come Jazz on a Summer’s Day (1959) at $75.4K and The Savage Eye (1959) at $16.4K.
How much did movies released in August 1959 earn?
3 films released in August 1959 report a worldwide gross, $289.7K in all, or $96.6K per film on average.
How many movies released in August 1959 made $1 billion?
None. The biggest, North by Northwest (1959), earned $197.9K.
How is the August 1959 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 August 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.
How often is the August 1959 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.