#1 of 7 #1 movie of December 1965
1965 · Drama, Romance
$112.1M worldwide · 64% of the chart's total
$111.7M US & Canada · 100% $367.5K elsewhere · <1%
Box office · December 1965
December 1965 Box Office: The Highest-Grossing December Releases
Doctor Zhivago (1965) is the highest-grossing movie released in December 1965, with $112.1M worldwide, ahead of Thunderball (1965) at $63.6M and Do Not Disturb (1965) at $315.7K. 7 films released in December 1965 report a worldwide gross, $176M in all, 100% of it from the US & Canada. One film crossed $100 million; none reached $1 billion. By genre, Romance leads with $112.4M across 3 releases.
- December 1965 releases with a gross
- 7
- combined worldwide
- $176M
- film crossed $100M
- 1
- earned in the US & Canada
- 100%
#1 of 7 Top 5
What Were the Biggest Hits of December 1965?
Doctor Zhivago (1965) leads with $112.1M, 64% of the total. The top 5 together took $176M, almost all of what the 7 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 December 1965, 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 December 1965.
- 1 Dec 31, 1965 US and Canada: $111.7M Rest of the world: $367.5K Worldwide: $112.1M
- 2 Dec 22, 1965 US and Canada: $63.6M Rest of the world: $11.4K Worldwide: $63.6M
- 3 Dec 24, 1965 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $315.7K
- 4 Dec 1, 1965 US and Canada: $18K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $18K
- 5 Dec 6, 1965 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $568
- 6
Dec 16, 1965 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $529 - 7
Dec 10, 1965 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $56
US & Canada vs the world
Where Did the Money Come From in December 1965?
Of the top 7, I Knew Her Well (1965) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while Doctor Zhivago (1965) made <1% of its gross abroad. Across all 7 films, $175.3M (100%) came from the US & Canada. 4 films of the top 7 report no US & Canada figure.
- 1 Doctor Zhivago (1965) $112.1M $111.7M US & Canada · 100% $367.5K elsewhere · <1%
- 2 Thunderball (1965) $63.6M $63.6M US & Canada · 100% $11.4K elsewhere · <1%
- 3 Do Not Disturb (1965) $315.7K No US & Canada figure reported
- 4 I Knew Her Well (1965) $18K $18K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 5 Catembe (1965) $568 No US & Canada figure reported
- 6 The Spy Who Came In from the Cold (1965) $529 No US & Canada figure reported
- 7 A Patch of Blue (1965) $56 No US & Canada figure reported
By release week
Which Week of December 1965 Had the Biggest Releases?
Films released in week 53 (Dec 26–31) took $112.1M, led by Doctor Zhivago (1965). Each column links to that week's chart; weeks are Sunday to Saturday.
- Week 49 Wk 49 Nov 28–Dec 4 I Knew Her Well (1965) $18K I Knew Her Well (1965)
- Week 50 Wk 50 Dec 5–11 Catembe (1965) $624 Catembe (1965)
- Week 51 Wk 51 Dec 12–18 The Spy Who Came In from the Cold (1965) $529 The Spy Who Came In from the Cold (1965)
- Week 52 Wk 52 Dec 19–25 Thunderball (1965) $63.9M Thunderball (1965)
- Week 53 Wk 53 Dec 26–31 Doctor Zhivago (1965) $112.1M Doctor Zhivago (1965)
Earlier years
How Does December 1965 Compare With December in Earlier Years?
Of these 10 years, December 1965 earned the most: $176M from 7 films, led by Doctor Zhivago (1965).
| Month | Films | Worldwide | Change | Biggest film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 1956 2 films | 2 | $14.2K | – | Written on the Wind (1956) $14.2K |
| December 1957 4 films · +191463% | 4 | $27.2M | +191463% | The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) $27.2M |
| December 1958 2 films · −100% | 2 | $86.3K | −100% | The Hidden Fortress (1958) $57.7K |
| December 1959 3 films · −78% | 3 | $18.9K | −78% | On the Beach (1959) $11.3K |
| December 1960 4 films · +213298% | 4 | $40.4M | +213298% | Swiss Family Robinson (1960) $40.4M |
| December 1961 8 films · −99% | 8 | $377.3K | −99% | Klearhos, Marina and the short one (1961) $245K |
| December 1962 4 films · +12277% | 4 | $46.7M | +12277% | Lawrence of Arabia (1962) $46M |
| December 1963 2 films · −74% | 2 | $12.2M | −74% | The Sword in the Stone (1963) $12M |
| December 1964 4 films · +497% | 4 | $72.7M | +497% | My Fair Lady (1964) $72.7M |
| December 1965 7 films · +142% | 7 | $176M | +142% | Doctor Zhivago (1965) $112.1M |
Archive
Box Office in 1965, Month by Month
The months of 1965 with their totals: December leads with $176M, led by Doctor Zhivago (1965).
- January $51.2M #1 Goldfinger (1965)
- February $13.4K #1 The Saragossa Manuscript (1965)
- March $159.5M #1 The Sound of Music (1965)
- April $33.4K #1 The Nun (1965)
- May $82.2K #1 Alphaville (1965)
- June $148.8K #1 Dr. Who and the Daleks (1965)
- July $618.1K #1 Aayirathil Oruvan (1965)
- August $199.3K #1 Pierrot le Fou (1965)
- September No grosses
- October $19.3K #1 Juliet of the Spirits (1965)
- November No grosses
- December $176M #1 Doctor Zhivago (1965)
FAQ
Box Office December 1965: 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 7 films as the chart.
What is the highest-grossing movie in December 1965?
Doctor Zhivago (1965) leads with $112.1M worldwide, $111.7M of it in the US & Canada. Next come Thunderball (1965) at $63.6M and Do Not Disturb (1965) at $315.7K.
How much did movies released in December 1965 earn?
7 films released in December 1965 report a worldwide gross, $176M in all, or $25.1M per film on average.
How many movies released in December 1965 made $1 billion?
None. 1 film crossed $100 million, led by Doctor Zhivago (1965) with $112.1M.
How is the December 1965 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 December 1965. 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 December 1965 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.