#1 of 7 #1 movie of May 1974
Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974)
1974 · Drama, Comedy
$21.7M worldwide · 99% of the chart's total
$21.7M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
Box office · May 1974
May 1974 Box Office: The Highest-Grossing May Releases
Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974) is the highest-grossing movie released in May 1974, with $21.7M worldwide, ahead of A Poem Is a Naked Person (1974) at $96.8K and Parade (1974) at $50.7K. 7 films released in May 1974 report a worldwide gross, $21.9M in all, 100% of it from the US & Canada. That is up 77% on April 1974, whose releases took $12.4M. By genre, Comedy leads with $21.8M across 2 releases.
- May 1974 releases with a gross
- 7
- combined worldwide
- $21.9M
- Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974), the #1
- $21.7M
- vs April 1974
- +77%
#1 of 7 Top 5
What Were the Biggest Hits of May 1974?
Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974) leads with $21.7M, 99% of the total. The top 5 together took $21.9M, 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 May 1974, 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 1974.
- 1 May 24, 1974 US and Canada: $21.7M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $21.7M
- 2 May 9, 1974 US and Canada: $96.6K Rest of the world: $183 Worldwide: $96.8K
- 3 May 12, 1974 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $50.7K
- 4 May 16, 1974 US and Canada: $28.8K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $28.8K
- 5 May 15, 1974 US and Canada: $13.8K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $13.8K
- 6
May 8, 1974 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $1.1K - 7
May 20, 1974 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $755
US & Canada vs the world
Where Did the Money Come From in May 1974?
Of the top 7, Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while A Poem Is a Naked Person (1974) made <1% of its gross abroad. Across all 7 films, $21.8M (100%) came from the US & Canada. 3 films of the top 7 report no US & Canada figure.
- 1 Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974) $21.7M $21.7M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 2 A Poem Is a Naked Person (1974) $96.8K $96.6K US & Canada · 100% $183 elsewhere · <1%
- 3 Parade (1974) $50.7K No US & Canada figure reported
- 4 Hearts and Minds (1974) $28.8K $28.8K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 5 Stavisky… (1974) $13.8K $13.8K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 6 The Mouth Agape (1974) $1.1K No US & Canada figure reported
- 7 Arabian Nights (1974) $755 No US & Canada figure reported
By release week
Which Week of May 1974 Had the Biggest Releases?
Films released in week 21 (May 19–25) took $21.7M, led by Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974). Each column links to that week's chart; weeks are Sunday to Saturday.
- Week 18 Wk 18 Apr 28–May 4 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- Week 19 Wk 19 May 5–11 A Poem Is a Naked Person (1974) $97.9K A Poem Is a Naked Person (1974)
- Week 20 Wk 20 May 12–18 Parade (1974) $93.2K Parade (1974)
- Week 21 Wk 21 May 19–25 Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974) $21.7M Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974)
- Week 22 Wk 22 May 26–Jun 1 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
Earlier years
How Does May 1974 Compare With May in Earlier Years?
Of these 10 years, May 1968 earned the most: $44.9M from 5 films, led by The Odd Couple (1968). May 1974 took $21.9M.
| Month | Films | Worldwide | Change | Biggest film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 1965 2 films | 2 | $82.2K | – | Alphaville (1965) $66.7K |
| May 1966 4 films · +110% | 4 | $172.7K | +110% | A Man and a Woman (1966) $136.5K |
| May 1967 5 films · +5926% | 5 | $10.4M | +5926% | The War Wagon (1967) $6M |
| May 1968 5 films · +332% | 5 | $44.9M | +332% | The Odd Couple (1968) $44.5M |
| May 1969 5 films · ±0% | 5 | $44.9M | ±0% | Midnight Cowboy (1969) $44.8M |
| May 1970 2 films · −28% | 2 | $32.3M | −28% | Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970) $19M |
| May 1971 4 films · −61% | 4 | $12.7M | −61% | Escape from the Planet of the Apes (1971) $12.3M |
| May 1972 4 films · −100% | 4 | $33.4K | −100% | Play It Again, Sam (1972) $15.4K |
| May 1973 6 films · −69% | 6 | $10.3K | −69% | Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid (1973) $8.5K |
| May 1974 7 films · +212484% | 7 | $21.9M | +212484% | Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974) $21.7M |
Archive
Box Office in 1974, Month by Month
The months of 1974 with their totals: December leads with $290.6M, led by The Towering Inferno (1974).
- January $21.9K #1 Unbelievable Adventures of Italians in Russia (1974)
- February $119.6M #1 Blazing Saddles (1974)
- March $20.6M #1 The Great Gatsby (1974)
- April $12.4M #1 The Sugarland Express (1974)
- May $21.9M #1 Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974)
- June $95M #1 Herbie Rides Again (1974)
- July $22M #1 Death Wish (1974)
- August $43.6M #1 The Longest Yard (1974)
- September $7.6K #1 Dunderklumpen! (1974)
- October $70.7M #1 Benji (1974)
- November $107.4M #1 Earthquake (1974)
- December $290.6M #1 The Towering Inferno (1974)
FAQ
Box Office May 1974: 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 May 1974?
Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974) leads with $21.7M worldwide, $21.7M of it in the US & Canada. Next come A Poem Is a Naked Person (1974) at $96.8K and Parade (1974) at $50.7K.
How much did movies released in May 1974 earn?
7 films released in May 1974 report a worldwide gross, $21.9M in all, or $3.1M per film on average. April 1974 releases took $12.4M.
How many movies released in May 1974 made $1 billion?
None. The biggest, Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974), earned $21.7M.
How is the May 1974 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 1974. 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 1974 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.