#1 of 3 #1 movie of May 1961
1961 · Drama, Romance
$223.1K worldwide · 91% of the chart's total
$207.9K US & Canada · 93% $15.2K elsewhere · 7%
Box office · May 1961
May 1961 Box Office: The Highest-Grossing May Releases
Last Year at Marienbad (1961) is the highest-grossing movie released in May 1961, with $223.1K worldwide, ahead of Viridiana (1961) at $16.3K and Two Rode Together (1961) at $5.9K. 3 films released in May 1961 report a worldwide gross, $245.3K in all, 85% of it from the US & Canada.
- May 1961 releases with a gross
- 3
- combined worldwide
- $245.3K
- Last Year at Marienbad (1961), the #1
- $223.1K
- earned in the US & Canada
- 85%
#1 of 3 Top 3
What Were the Biggest Hits of May 1961?
Last Year at Marienbad (1961) leads with $223.1K, 91% of the total. The top 3 together took $245.3K, 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 May 1961, 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 1961.
- 1 May 25, 1961 US and Canada: $207.9K Rest of the world: $15.2K Worldwide: $223.1K
- 2 May 17, 1961 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $16.3K
- 3 May 24, 1961 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $5.9K
By release week
Which Week of May 1961 Had the Biggest Releases?
Films released in week 21 (May 21–27) took $229K, led by Last Year at Marienbad (1961). Each column links to that week's chart; weeks are Sunday to Saturday.
- Week 18 Wk 18 Apr 30–May 6 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- Week 19 Wk 19 May 7–13 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- Week 20 Wk 20 May 14–20 Viridiana (1961) $16.3K Viridiana (1961)
- Week 21 Wk 21 May 21–27 Last Year at Marienbad (1961) $229K Last Year at Marienbad (1961)
- Week 22 Wk 22 May 28–Jun 3 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
Earlier years
How Does May 1961 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 1961 took $245.3K.
| Month | Films | Worldwide | Change | Biggest film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| May 1957 3 films · +1164% | 3 | $814.6K | +1164% | Nights of Cabiria (1957) $799.9K |
| May 1958 1 film · +879% | 1 | $8M | +879% | Vertigo (1958) $8M |
| May 1959 3 films · −94% | 3 | $438.5K | −94% | The 400 Blows (1959) $289.7K |
| May 1960 2 films · −90% | 2 | $42.2K | −90% | L’Avventura (1960) $39.2K |
| May 1961 3 films · +481% | 3 | $245.3K | +481% | Last Year at Marienbad (1961) $223.1K |
Archive
Box Office in 1961, Month by Month
The months of 1961 with their totals: August leads with $10.1M, led by The Taste of Violence (1961).
- January $895.8K #1 Seong Chun-hyang (1961)
- February $5.5K #1 Girl with a Suitcase (1961)
- March $105K #1 Lola (1961)
- April $217.4K #1 La Dolce Vita (1961)
- May $245.3K #1 Last Year at Marienbad (1961)
- June $371.8K #1 The Colossus of Rhodes (1961)
- July $246.3K #1 A Woman Is a Woman (1961)
- August $10.1M #1 The Taste of Violence (1961)
- September $80.9K #1 Yojimbo (1961)
- October $600.7K #1 Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961)
- November $1.7K #1 Too Late Blues (1961)
- December $377.3K #1 Klearhos, Marina and the short one (1961)
FAQ
Box Office May 1961: 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 May 1961?
Last Year at Marienbad (1961) leads with $223.1K worldwide, $207.9K of it in the US & Canada. Next come Viridiana (1961) at $16.3K and Two Rode Together (1961) at $5.9K.
How much did movies released in May 1961 earn?
3 films released in May 1961 report a worldwide gross, $245.3K in all, or $81.8K per film on average.
How many movies released in May 1961 made $1 billion?
None. The biggest, Last Year at Marienbad (1961), earned $223.1K.
How is the May 1961 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 1961. 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 1961 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.