This is a list of films which placed number one at the weekly box office in the United States during 1949 per Varietys weekly National Boxoffice Survey. The results are based on a sample of 20-25 key cities and therefore, any box office amounts quoted may not be the total that the film grossed nationally in the week.
| Week ending | Film | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Paleface | |||
| 2 | [1] | |||
| 3 | Words and Music | [2] | ||
| 4 | The Snake Pit | The Snake Pit reached number one in its 11th week of release. | [3] | |
| 5 | Joan of Arc | [4] | ||
| 6 | [5] | |||
| 7 | [6] | |||
| 8 | Command Decision | [7] | ||
| 9 | Whispering Smith | Whispering Smith reached number one in its 12th week of release. | [8] | |
| 10 | [9] | |||
| 11 | A Letter to Three Wives | A Letter to Three Wives reached number one in its sixth week of release. | [10] | |
| 12 | Mother Is a Freshman | Mother Is a Freshman reached number one in its second week of release. | [11] | |
| 13 | Knock on Any Door | Knock on Any Door reached number one in its second week of release. | [12] | |
| 14 | The Set-Up | The Set-Up grossed $245,000 from 13 key cities. | [13] | |
| 15 | [14] | |||
| 16 | A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court | A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court grossed $170,000 from the cities sampled. | [15] | |
| 17 | [16] | |||
| 18 | [17] | |||
| 19 | Flamingo Road | [18] | ||
| 20 | Mr. Belvedere Goes to College | Mr. Belvedere Goes to College reached number one in its fifth week of release. | [19] | |
| 21 | Flamingo Road | Flamingo Road returned to number one in its third week of release. | [20] | |
| 22 | The Stratton Story | The Stratton Story reached number one in its third week of release. | [21] | |
| 23 | [22] | |||
| 24 | Home of the Brave | Home of the Brave reached number one in its fifth week of release. | [23] | |
| 25 | It Happens Every Spring | It Happens Every Spring reached number one in its third week of release. | [24] | |
| 26 | Sorrowful Jones | Sorrowful Jones grossed $260,000 from the cities sampled. | [25] | |
| 27 | Neptune's Daughter | Neptune's Daughter reached number one in its fourth week of release. | [26] | |
| 28 | The Fountainhead | [27] | ||
| 29 | Sorrowful Jones The Girl from Jones Beach | Both Sorrowful Jones and The Girl from Jones Beach tied for first place. | [28] | |
| 30 | Any Number Can Play | Any Number Can Play reached number one in its second week of release. | [29] | |
| 31 | Look for the Silver Lining | Look for the Silver Lining grossed $370,000 from 14 key cities. | [30] | |
| 32 | In the Good Old Summertime | In the Good Old Summertime reached number one in its second week of release. | [31] | |
| 33 | Look for the Silver Lining | Look for the Silver Lining returned to number one in its third week of release. | [32] | |
| 34 | Black Magic | [33] | ||
| 35 | It's a Great Feeling | [34] | ||
| 36 | White Heat | [35] | ||
| 37 | Top o' the Morning | Top o' the Morning reached number one in its second week of release. | [36] | |
| 38 | I Was a Male War Bride | I Was a Male War Bride reached number one in its fourth week of release. | [37] | |
| 39 | [38] | |||
| 40 | My Friend Irma | My Friend Irma reached number one in its seventh week of release. | [39] | |
| 41 | Father Was a Fullback | Father Was a Fullback earned $240,000 from the cities sampled in its second week of release. | [40] | |
| 42 | Jolson Sings Again | Jolson Sings Again reached number one in its tenth week of release. | [41] | |
| 43 | Jolson Sings Again grossed $390,000 from the cities sampled. | [42] | ||
| 44 | Jolson Sings Again grossed $305,000 from the cities sampled. | [43] | ||
| 45 | [44] | |||
| 46 | [45] | |||
| 47 | That Forsyte Woman | That Forsyte Woman reached number one in its third week of release. | [46] | |
| 48 | Oh, You Beautiful Doll | Oh, You Beautiful Doll reached number one in its third week of release. | [47] | |
| 49 | Pinky | Pinky reached number one in its tenth week of release. | [48] | |
| 50 | [49] | |||
| 51 | The Great Lover | The Great Lover reached number one in its fourth week of release. | [50] | |
| 52 | [51] |
The highest-grossing films during the calendar year based on theatrical rentals were as follows:
| Rank | Title | Distributor | Rental[52] |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jolson Sings Again | Columbia Pictures | $5,500,000 |
| 2 | Pinky | 20th Century Fox | $4,200,000 |
| 3 | I Was a Male War Bride | $4,100,000 | |
| 4 | The Snake Pit | $4,100,000 | |
| 5 | Joan of Arc | RKO Pictures | $4,100,000 |
| 6 | The Stratton Story | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer | $3,700,000 |
| 7 | Mr. Belvedere Goes to College | 20th Century Fox | $3,650,000 |
| 8 | Little Women | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer | $3,600,000 |
| 9 | Words and Music | $3,500,000 | |
| 10 | Neptune's Daughter | $3,450,000 | |