#1 of 16 #1 movie of July 1981
1981 · Comedy, Romance
$95.5M worldwide · 28% of the chart's total
$95.5M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
Box office · July 1981
July 1981 Box Office: The Highest-Grossing July Releases
Arthur (1981) is the highest-grossing movie released in July 1981, with $95.5M worldwide, ahead of The Fox and the Hound (1981) at $63.5M and Tarzan the Ape Man (1981) at $36.6M. 16 films released in July 1981 report a worldwide gross, $341.4M in all, 100% of it from the US & Canada. That is down 40% on June 1981, whose releases took $572.7M. By genre, Drama leads with $158.7M across 7 releases.
- July 1981 releases with a gross
- 16
- combined worldwide
- $341.4M
- Arthur (1981), the #1
- $95.5M
- vs June 1981
- −40%
#1 of 16 Top 5
What Were the Biggest Hits of July 1981?
Arthur (1981) leads with $95.5M, 28% of the total. The top 5 together took $253.3M, 74% of what all 16 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 July 1981, 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 July 1981.
- 1 Jul 17, 1981 US and Canada: $95.5M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $95.5M
- 2 Jul 10, 1981 US and Canada: $63.5M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $63.5M
- 3 Jul 24, 1981 US and Canada: $36.6M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $36.6M
- 4 Jul 17, 1981 US and Canada: $31.2M Rest of the world: $1.3M Worldwide: $32.5M
- 5 Jul 10, 1981 US and Canada: $25.2M Rest of the world: $32K Worldwide: $25.3M
- 6
Jul 31, 1981 US and Canada: $18.8M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $18.8M - 7
Jul 24, 1981 US and Canada: $17.6M Rest of the world: $52 Worldwide: $17.6M - 8
Jul 1, 1981 US and Canada: $14.9M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $14.9M - 9
Jul 24, 1981 US and Canada: $12M Rest of the world: $1.5K Worldwide: $12M - 10
Jul 31, 1981 US and Canada: $10.9M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $10.9M - 11
Jul 24, 1981 US and Canada: $10.6M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $10.6M - 12
Jul 24, 1981 US and Canada: $2.9M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $2.9M - 13
Jul 24, 1981 US and Canada: $492K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $492K - 14
Jul 10, 1981 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $3.4K - 15
Jul 5, 1981 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $440 - 16
Jul 31, 1981 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $29
US & Canada vs the world
Where Did the Money Come From in July 1981?
Of the top 10, Arthur (1981) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while Endless Love (1981) made 4% of its gross abroad. Across all 16 films, $340M (100%) came from the US & Canada.
- 1 Arthur (1981) $95.5M $95.5M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 2 The Fox and the Hound (1981) $63.5M $63.5M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 3 Tarzan the Ape Man (1981) $36.6M $36.6M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 4 Endless Love (1981) $32.5M $31.2M US & Canada · 96% $1.3M elsewhere · 4%
- 5 Escape from New York (1981) $25.3M $25.2M US & Canada · 100% $32K elsewhere · <1%
- 6 Under the Rainbow (1981) $18.8M $18.8M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 7 Eye of the Needle (1981) $17.6M $17.6M US & Canada · 100% $52 elsewhere · <1%
- 8 S.O.B. (1981) $14.9M $14.9M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 9 Blow Out (1981) $12M $12M US & Canada · 100% $1.5K elsewhere · <1%
- 10 Victory (1981) $10.9M $10.9M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
Gross bands
How Many July 1981 Releases Crossed $100 Million?
None of the 16 films reached $100M. 5 films, 31% of the list, earned under $10M. Each band shows its films and its share of the $341.4M total.
99%
- $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 11 films, 69% of the list $338M · 99% of the gross
- Under $10M 5 films, 31% of the list $3.4M · <1% of the gross
By release week
Which Week of July 1981 Had the Biggest Releases?
Films released in week 29 (Jul 12–18) took $128M, led by Arthur (1981). Each column links to that week's chart; weeks are Sunday to Saturday.
- Week 27 Wk 27 Jun 28–Jul 4 S.O.B. (1981) $14.9M S.O.B. (1981)
- Week 28 Wk 28 Jul 5–11 The Fox and the Hound (1981) $88.7M The Fox and the Hound (1981)
- Week 29 Wk 29 Jul 12–18 Arthur (1981) $128M Arthur (1981)
- Week 30 Wk 30 Jul 19–25 Tarzan the Ape Man (1981) $80.1M Tarzan the Ape Man (1981)
- Week 31 Wk 31 Jul 26–Aug 1 Under the Rainbow (1981) $29.7M Under the Rainbow (1981)
Earlier years
How Does July 1981 Compare With July in Earlier Years?
Of these 10 years, July 1981 earned the most: $341.4M from 16 films, led by Arthur (1981).
| Month | Films | Worldwide | Change | Biggest film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 1972 4 films | 4 | $6.7M | – | Joe Kidd (1972) $6.3M |
| July 1973 1 film · −66% | 1 | $2.3M | −66% | The Day of the Jackal (1973) $2.3M |
| July 1974 3 films · +857% | 3 | $22M | +857% | Death Wish (1974) $22M |
| July 1975 4 films · +68% | 4 | $36.9M | +68% | The Apple Dumpling Gang (1975) $36.9M |
| July 1976 4 films · −15% | 4 | $31.2M | −15% | Gus (1976) $21.9M |
| July 1977 5 films · +9% | 5 | $34.1M | +9% | The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training (1977) $19.1M |
| July 1978 7 films · +487% | 7 | $200M | +487% | Hooper (1978) $78M |
| July 1979 6 films · −33% | 6 | $133.2M | −33% | The Amityville Horror (1979) $86.4M |
| July 1980 14 films · +148% | 14 | $329.7M | +148% | Airplane! (1980) $83.5M |
| July 1981 16 films · +4% | 16 | $341.4M | +4% | Arthur (1981) $95.5M |
Genres & languages
Which Genres and Languages Earned the Most in July 1981?
Drama took $158.7M across 7 films, 46% of the total, ahead of Romance ($145.5M) and Comedy ($132M). A film counts once for each of its genres. English-language films took $340.9M across 14 films, 100% of the total, ahead of Polish-language films ($492K) and Punjabi-language films ($3.4K).
July 1981 Box Office by Genre
-
Drama $158.7M7 films · #1 The Fox and the Hound (1981) -
Romance $145.5M4 films · #1 Arthur (1981) -
Comedy $132M4 films · #1 Arthur (1981) -
Adventure $100M2 films · #1 The Fox and the Hound (1981) -
Animation $63.5M1 film · #1 The Fox and the Hound (1981) -
Family $63.5M1 film · #1 The Fox and the Hound (1981) -
Thriller $40.2M3 films · #1 Eye of the Needle (1981) -
War $28.4M2 films · #1 Eye of the Needle (1981) -
Action $25.3M1 film · #1 Escape from New York (1981) -
Sci-Fi $25.3M1 film · #1 Escape from New York (1981)
Archive
Box Office in 1981, Month by Month
The months of 1981 with their totals: June leads with $572.7M, led by Superman II (1981).
- January $35.7M #1 The Incredible Shrinking Woman (1981)
- February $50M #1 Fort Apache the Bronx (1981)
- March $96.1M #1 The Final Conflict (1981)
- April $137.4M #1 Excalibur (1981)
- May $130.9M #1 The Four Seasons (1981)
- June $572.7M #1 Superman II (1981)
- July $341.4M #1 Arthur (1981)
- August $146.6M #1 An American Werewolf in London (1981)
- September $75M #1 Only When I Laugh (1981)
- October $96.6M #1 The French Lieutenant's Woman (1981)
- November $66.2M #1 Time Bandits (1981)
- December $379.7M #1 On Golden Pond (1981)
FAQ
Box Office July 1981: 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 16 films as the chart.
What is the highest-grossing movie in July 1981?
Arthur (1981) leads with $95.5M worldwide, $95.5M of it in the US & Canada. Next come The Fox and the Hound (1981) at $63.5M and Tarzan the Ape Man (1981) at $36.6M.
How much did movies released in July 1981 earn?
16 films released in July 1981 report a worldwide gross, $341.4M in all, or $21.3M per film on average. June 1981 releases took $572.7M.
How many movies released in July 1981 made $1 billion?
None. The biggest, Arthur (1981), earned $95.5M.
How is the July 1981 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 July 1981. 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 July 1981 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.