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Box office · October 1979

October 1979 Box Office: The Highest-Grossing October Releases

10 (1979) is the highest-grossing movie released in October 1979, with $74.9M worldwide, ahead of The Black Stallion (1979) at $37.8M and Starting Over (1979) at $35.6M. 11 films released in October 1979 report a worldwide gross, $223.4M in all, 100% of it from the US & Canada. That is 4.4 times the total of September 1979, whose releases took $51M. By genre, Comedy leads with $110.5M across 2 releases.

October 1979 releases with a gross
11
combined worldwide
$223.4M
10 (1979), the #1
$74.9M
vs September 1979
×4.4
10 (1979) movie poster #1 of 11
#1 movie of October 1979

10 (1979)

1979 · Comedy, Romance

$74.9M worldwide · 34% of the chart's total

$74.9M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
Top 5

What Were the Biggest Hits of October 1979?

10 (1979) leads with $74.9M, 34% of the total. The top 5 together took $203M, 91% of what all 11 films earned. Each bar splits a film's gross into the US & Canada and the rest of the world.

  1. 10 (1979) movie poster Number 1
    $74.9M 10 (1979)
    $74.9M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  2. The Black Stallion (1979) movie poster Number 2
    $37.8M The Black Stallion (1979)
    $37.8M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  3. Starting Over (1979) movie poster Number 3
    $35.6M Starting Over (1979)
    $35.6M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  4. ...and justice for all. (1979) movie poster Number 4
    $33.3M ...and justice for all. (1979)
    $33.3M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  5. When a Stranger Calls (1979) movie poster Number 5
    $21.4M When a Stranger Calls (1979)
    $21.4M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%

US & Canada (domestic) Rest of the world

The chart

Every Release of October 1979, 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 October 1979.

  1. 1 10 (1979) movie poster
    10 (1979) Oct 5, 1979 · Comedy, Romance $74.9M worldwide
    Oct 5, 1979 US and Canada: $74.9M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $74.9M
  2. 2 The Black Stallion (1979) movie poster
    The Black Stallion (1979) Oct 13, 1979 · Adventure, Sport $37.8M worldwide
    Oct 13, 1979 US and Canada: $37.8M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $37.8M
  3. 3 Starting Over (1979) movie poster
    Starting Over (1979) Oct 5, 1979 · Comedy, Romance $35.6M worldwide
    Oct 5, 1979 US and Canada: $35.6M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $35.6M
  4. 4 ...and justice for all. (1979) movie poster
    ...and justice for all. (1979) Oct 19, 1979 · English · Drama, Thriller $33.3M worldwide
    Oct 19, 1979 US and Canada: $33.3M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $33.3M
  5. 5 When a Stranger Calls (1979) movie poster
    When a Stranger Calls (1979) Oct 26, 1979 · English · Drama, Mystery $21.4M worldwide
    Oct 26, 1979 US and Canada: $21.4M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $21.4M
  6. 6 Meteor (1979) movie poster
    Meteor (1979) Oct 19, 1979 · English · Action, Sci-Fi $8.4M worldwide
    Oct 19, 1979 US and Canada: $8.4M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $8.4M
  7. 7 Running (1979) movie poster
    Running (1979) Oct 30, 1979 · English · Drama $6M worldwide
    Oct 30, 1979 US and Canada: $6M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $6M
  8. 8 The Great Santini (1979) movie poster
    The Great Santini (1979) Oct 26, 1979 · English · Drama $4.7M worldwide
    Oct 26, 1979 US and Canada: $4.7M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $4.7M
  9. 9 Goldengirl (1979) movie poster
    Goldengirl (1979) Oct 6, 1979 · English · Drama, Sci-Fi $1.2M worldwide
    Oct 6, 1979 US and Canada: $1.2M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $1.2M
  10. 10 Vengeance Is Mine (1979) movie poster
    Vengeance Is Mine (1979) Oct 17, 1979 · English · Drama, Crime $21.5K worldwide
    Oct 17, 1979 US and Canada: $11.9K Rest of the world: $9.6K Worldwide: $21.5K
  11. 11 Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979) movie poster
    Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979) Oct 1, 1979 · German · Drama, Horror $3.5K worldwide
    Oct 1, 1979 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $3.5K
US & Canada vs the world

Where Did the Money Come From in October 1979?

Of the top 10, 10 (1979) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while Vengeance Is Mine (1979) made 45% of its gross abroad. Across all 11 films, $223.4M (100%) came from the US & Canada.

  1. 1 10 (1979) $74.9M
    $74.9M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  2. 2 The Black Stallion (1979) $37.8M
    $37.8M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  3. 3 Starting Over (1979) $35.6M
    $35.6M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  4. 4 ...and justice for all. (1979) $33.3M
    $33.3M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  5. 5 When a Stranger Calls (1979) $21.4M
    $21.4M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  6. 6 Meteor (1979) $8.4M
    $8.4M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  7. 7 Running (1979) $6M
    $6M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  8. 8 The Great Santini (1979) $4.7M
    $4.7M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  9. 9 Goldengirl (1979) $1.2M
    $1.2M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  10. 10 Vengeance Is Mine (1979) $21.5K
    $11.9K US & Canada · 55% $9.6K elsewhere · 45%
Gross bands

How Many October 1979 Releases Crossed $100 Million?

None of the 11 films reached $100M. 6 films, 55% of the list, earned under $10M. Each band shows its films and its share of the $223.4M total.

  • $1B or more 0 films, 0% of the list No films
  • $500M to $1B 0 films, 0% of the list No films
  • $100M to $500M 0 films, 0% of the list No films
  • $10M to $100M 5 films, 45% of the list $203M · 91% of the gross
  • Under $10M 6 films, 55% of the list $20.4M · 9% of the gross
By release week

Which Week of October 1979 Had the Biggest Releases?

Films released in week 40 (Sep 30–Oct 6) took $111.8M, led by 10 (1979). Each column links to that week's chart; weeks are Sunday to Saturday.

  1. Week 40 Wk 40 Sep 30–Oct 6 10 (1979) $111.8M 10 (1979)
  2. Week 41 Wk 41 Oct 7–13 The Black Stallion (1979) $37.8M The Black Stallion (1979)
  3. Week 42 Wk 42 Oct 14–20 ...and justice for all. (1979) $41.7M ...and justice for all. (1979)
  4. Week 43 Wk 43 Oct 21–27 When a Stranger Calls (1979) $26.1M When a Stranger Calls (1979)
  5. Week 44 Wk 44 Oct 28–Nov 3 Running (1979) $6M Running (1979)
Earlier years

How Does October 1979 Compare With October in Earlier Years?

Of these 10 years, October 1979 earned the most: $223.4M from 11 films, led by 10 (1979).

Month Films Worldwide Change Biggest film
October 1970 7 films 7 $1.9M – The Conformist (1970) $726.4K
October 1971 3 films · +4121% 3 $80.9M +4121% The French Connection (1971) $51.7M
October 1972 2 films · −100% 2 $20.6K −100% Slap the Monster on Page One (1972) $16.9K
October 1973 6 films · +219087% 6 $45.2M +219087% The Way We Were (1973) $45M
October 1974 7 films · +56% 7 $70.7M +56% Benji (1974) $39.6M
October 1975 1 film · −100% 1 $293.1K −100% The Giant Spider Invasion (1975) $293.1K
October 1976 3 films · +7312% 3 $21.7M +7312% Marathon Man (1976) $21.7M
October 1977 9 films · +324% 9 $92.2M +324% Oh, God! (1977) $41.7M
October 1978 8 films · +45% 8 $133.4M +45% Halloween (1978) $47.2M
October 1979 11 films · +68% 11 $223.4M +68% 10 (1979) $74.9M
Genres & languages

Which Genres and Languages Earned the Most in October 1979?

Comedy took $110.5M across 2 films, 49% of the total, ahead of Romance ($110.5M) and Drama ($75.1M). A film counts once for each of its genres. English-language films took $75.1M across 7 films, 34% of the total, ahead of German-language films ($3.5K).

October 1979 Box Office by Genre

  1. Comedy $110.5M
    2 films · #1 10 (1979)
  2. Romance $110.5M
    2 films · #1 10 (1979)
  3. Drama $75.1M
    8 films · #1 ...and justice for all. (1979)
  4. Thriller $63.1M
    3 films · #1 ...and justice for all. (1979)
  5. Crime $54.7M
    3 films · #1 ...and justice for all. (1979)
  6. Adventure $37.8M
    1 film · #1 The Black Stallion (1979)
  7. Family $37.8M
    1 film · #1 The Black Stallion (1979)
  8. Sport $37.8M
    1 film · #1 The Black Stallion (1979)
  9. Horror $21.4M
    2 films · #1 When a Stranger Calls (1979)
  10. Mystery $21.4M
    1 film · #1 When a Stranger Calls (1979)

October 1979 Box Office by Language

  1. English $75.1M
    7 films · #1 ...and justice for all. (1979)
  2. German $3.5K
    1 film · #1 Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979)
Archive

Box Office in 1979, Month by Month

The months of 1979 with their totals: June leads with $671.1M, led by Moonraker (1979).

FAQ

Box Office October 1979: 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 11 films as the chart.

What is the highest-grossing movie in October 1979?

10 (1979) leads with $74.9M worldwide, $74.9M of it in the US & Canada. Next come The Black Stallion (1979) at $37.8M and Starting Over (1979) at $35.6M.

How much did movies released in October 1979 earn?

11 films released in October 1979 report a worldwide gross, $223.4M in all, or $20.3M per film on average. September 1979 releases took $51M.

How many movies released in October 1979 made $1 billion?

None. The biggest, 10 (1979), earned $74.9M.

How much of the October 1979 box office came from the US and Canada?

$223.4M of the $223.4M total, or 100%, was earned in the US & Canada (the domestic market); the rest came from other countries. 1 film of the 11 report no domestic figure.

How is the October 1979 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 October 1979. 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 October 1979 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.