#1 of 8 #1 movie of September 1981
1981 · Comedy, Drama
$25.5M worldwide · 34% of the chart's total
$25.5M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
Box office · September 1981
September 1981 Box Office: The Highest-Grossing September Releases
Only When I Laugh (1981) is the highest-grossing movie released in September 1981, with $25.5M worldwide, ahead of Mommie Dearest (1981) at $19M and Continental Divide (1981) at $15.6M. 8 films released in September 1981 report a worldwide gross, $75M in all, 100% of it from the US & Canada. That is down 49% on August 1981, whose releases took $146.6M. By genre, Drama leads with $59.4M across 6 releases.
- September 1981 releases with a gross
- 8
- combined worldwide
- $75M
- Only When I Laugh (1981), the #1
- $25.5M
- vs August 1981
- −49%
#1 of 8 Top 5
What Were the Biggest Hits of September 1981?
Only When I Laugh (1981) leads with $25.5M, 34% of the total. The top 5 together took $75M, almost all of what the 8 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 September 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 September 1981.
- 1 Sep 25, 1981 US and Canada: $25.5M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $25.5M
- 2 Sep 25, 1981 US and Canada: $19M Rest of the world: $1.9K Worldwide: $19M
- 3 Sep 18, 1981 US and Canada: $15.6M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $15.6M
- 4 Sep 25, 1981 US and Canada: $12.9M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $12.9M
- 5 Sep 18, 1981 US and Canada: $2M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $2M
- 6
Sep 17, 1981 US and Canada: $39K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $39K - 7
Sep 5, 1981 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $533 - 8
Sep 30, 1981 US and Canada: $509 Rest of the world: Worldwide: $509
US & Canada vs the world
Where Did the Money Come From in September 1981?
Of the top 8, Only When I Laugh (1981) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while Mommie Dearest (1981) made <1% of its gross abroad. Across all 8 films, $75M (100%) came from the US & Canada. 1 film of the top 8 reports no US & Canada figure.
- 1 Only When I Laugh (1981) $25.5M $25.5M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 2 Mommie Dearest (1981) $19M $19M US & Canada · 100% $1.9K elsewhere · <1%
- 3 Continental Divide (1981) $15.6M $15.6M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 4 True Confessions (1981) $12.9M $12.9M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 5 Raggedy Man (1981) $2M $2M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 6 The Girl with the Red Hair (1981) $39K $39K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 7 The Killing of America (1981) $533 No US & Canada figure reported
- 8 The Woman Next Door (1981) $509 $509 US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
By release week
Which Week of September 1981 Had the Biggest Releases?
Films released in week 39 (Sep 20–26) took $57.4M, led by Only When I Laugh (1981). Each column links to that week's chart; weeks are Sunday to Saturday.
- Week 36 Wk 36 Aug 30–Sep 5 The Killing of America (1981) $533 The Killing of America (1981)
- Week 37 Wk 37 Sep 6–12 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- Week 38 Wk 38 Sep 13–19 Continental Divide (1981) $17.6M Continental Divide (1981)
- Week 39 Wk 39 Sep 20–26 Only When I Laugh (1981) $57.4M Only When I Laugh (1981)
- Week 40 Wk 40 Sep 27–Oct 3 The Woman Next Door (1981) $509 The Woman Next Door (1981)
Earlier years
How Does September 1981 Compare With September in Earlier Years?
Of these 10 years, September 1975 earned the most: $143.4M from 5 films, led by The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975). September 1981 took $75M.
| Month | Films | Worldwide | Change | Biggest film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 1972 3 films | 3 | $107K | – | The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (1972) $103.2K |
| September 1973 2 films · +78% | 2 | $190.9K | +78% | The Spirit of the Beehive (1973) $190.7K |
| September 1974 5 films · −96% | 5 | $7.6K | −96% | Dunderklumpen! (1974) $5.9K |
| September 1975 5 films · +1897935% | 5 | $143.4M | +1897935% | The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) $115.8M |
| September 1976 2 films · −98% | 2 | $2.8M | −98% | Bugsy Malone (1976) $2.8M |
| September 1977 6 films · +263% | 6 | $10.3M | +263% | Bobby Deerfield (1977) $9.3M |
| September 1978 8 films · +609% | 8 | $73.2M | +609% | Up in Smoke (1978) $44.4M |
| September 1979 10 films · −30% | 10 | $51M | −30% | Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (1979) $21.7M |
| September 1980 10 films · +101% | 10 | $102.7M | +101% | Ordinary People (1980) $54.8M |
| September 1981 8 films · −27% | 8 | $75M | −27% | Only When I Laugh (1981) $25.5M |
Genres & languages
Which Genres and Languages Earned the Most in September 1981?
Drama took $59.4M across 6 films, 79% of the total, ahead of Comedy ($41.1M) and Biography ($19M). A film counts once for each of its genres. English-language films took $75M across 6 films, 100% of the total, ahead of Dutch-language films ($39K) and French-language films ($509).
September 1981 Box Office by Genre
-
Drama $59.4M6 films · #1 Only When I Laugh (1981) -
Comedy $41.1M2 films · #1 Only When I Laugh (1981) -
Biography $19M1 film · #1 Mommie Dearest (1981) -
Romance $15.6M2 films · #1 Continental Divide (1981) -
Crime $12.9M3 films · #1 True Confessions (1981) -
Thriller $39K1 film · #1 The Girl with the Red Hair (1981) -
Documentary $5331 film · #1 The Killing of America (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 September 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 8 films as the chart.
What is the highest-grossing movie in September 1981?
Only When I Laugh (1981) leads with $25.5M worldwide, $25.5M of it in the US & Canada. Next come Mommie Dearest (1981) at $19M and Continental Divide (1981) at $15.6M.
How much did movies released in September 1981 earn?
8 films released in September 1981 report a worldwide gross, $75M in all, or $9.4M per film on average. August 1981 releases took $146.6M.
How many movies released in September 1981 made $1 billion?
None. The biggest, Only When I Laugh (1981), earned $25.5M.
How is the September 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 September 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 September 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.