List of 1961 box office number-one films in the United States explained

This is a list of films which placed number one at the weekly box office in the United States during 1961 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.

Number-one films

Week endingFilmNotes
1 SpartacusSpartacus reached number one in its 13th week of release[1]
2 [2]
3 Exodus [3]
4 Spartacus Spartacus returned to number one in its 16th week of release[4]
5 Swiss Family RobinsonSwiss Family Robinson grossed $265,000 in the key cities sampled[5]
6 The Misfits
7 Exodus[6]
8 The Misfits[7]
9 Exodus
10 [8]
11 [9]
12 Although Variety listed Exodus as the champ for the week based on their cities sampled, it noted that The Alamo likely grossed more nationally.[10]
13 [11]
14 [12]
15 [13]
16 The Absent-Minded Professor [14]
17 [15]
18 [16]
19 Gone with the Wind (reissue)Gone with the Wind grossed $250,000 from 17 key cities.[17]
20 The Absent-Minded Professor [18]
21 Gone with the Wind (reissue)[19]
22 The Young SavagesThe Young Savages grossed around $300,000 from 18 key cities.[20]
23 The Pleasure of His Company[21]
24 [22]
25 [23]
26 [24]
27 The Parent Trap[25]
28 FannyFanny opened at Radio City Music Hall where it grossed over $200,000.[26]
29 [27]
30 Fanny was still grossing $200,000 at Radio City Music Hall[28]
31 The Guns of Navarone[29]
32 [30]
33 [31]
34 [32]
35 Come September[33]
36
37 [34]
38 [35]
39 [36]
40 [37]
41 The Hustler The Hustler grossed over $200,000 from 11 key cities [38]
42 Breakfast at Tiffany'sBreakfast at Tiffany's reached number one despite playing in only 5 key cities[39]
43 [40]
44
45
46 [41]
47 King of Kings [42]
48 The Comancheros The Comancheros grossed nearly $300,000 from 21 key cities [43]
49 King of Kings [44]
50 [45]
51 West Side Story[46]
52 Flower Drum Song [47]

Highest-grossing films

The highest-grossing films during the calendar year based on theatrical rentals were as follows:

RankTitle Distributor Rental[48]
1Ben-HurMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer$14,700,000[49] [50]
2The Guns of NavaroneColumbia Pictures$8,600,000
3The Absent-Minded ProfessorBuena Vista$8,200,000
4The Parent Trap$8,000,000
5Swiss Family Robinson$7,500,000
6ExodusUnited Artists$7,350,000
7The World of Suzie WongParamount Pictures$7,300,000
8The AlamoUnited Artists$7,250,000
9Gone with the WindMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer$6,000,000
10One Hundred and One DalmatiansBuena Vista$5,800,000

See also

Notes and References

  1. Variety. 'Spartacus' Tops Jan. Estimates; Tailed By 'Exodus' and 'Grass'; Late-Month Biz-Blitz Slows All. Wear. Mike. February 1, 1961. 7. November 10, 2020. Archive.org.
  2. Variety. National Boxoffice Survey. January 11, 1961. 10. November 10, 2020. Archive.org.
  3. Variety. National Boxoffice Survey. January 18, 1961. 10. November 10, 2020. Archive.org.
  4. Variety. National Boxoffice Survey. January 25, 1961. 5. November 10, 2020. Archive.org.
  5. Variety. National Boxoffice Survey. February 1, 1961. 7. November 10, 2020. Archive.org.
  6. Variety. National Boxoffice Survey. February 15, 1961. 17. November 10, 2020. Archive.org.
  7. Variety. National Boxoffice Survey. February 22, 1961. 10. November 10, 2020. Archive.org.
  8. Variety. National Boxoffice Survey. March 8, 1961. 4. January 25, 2022. Archive.org.
  9. Variety. National Boxoffice Survey. March 15, 1961. 6. January 25, 2022. Archive.org.
  10. Variety. National Boxoffice Survey. March 22, 1961. 22. January 25, 2022. Archive.org.
  11. Variety. National Boxoffice Survey. March 29, 1961. 16. January 25, 2022. Archive.org.
  12. Variety. National Boxoffice Survey. April 5, 1961. 5. January 25, 2022. Archive.org.
  13. Variety. National Boxoffice Survey. April 12, 1961. 11. January 25, 2022. Archive.org.
  14. Variety. National Boxoffice Survey. April 19, 1961. 10. January 25, 2022. Archive.org.
  15. Variety. National Boxoffice Survey. April 26, 1961. 19. January 25, 2022. Archive.org.
  16. Variety. National Boxoffice Survey. May 3, 1961. 23. January 25, 2022. Archive.org.
  17. Variety. National Boxoffice Survey. May 10, 1961. 8. January 25, 2022. Archive.org.
  18. Variety. National Boxoffice Survey. May 17, 1961. 10. January 25, 2022. Archive.org.
  19. Variety. National Boxoffice Survey. May 24, 1961. 3. January 25, 2022. Archive.org.
  20. Variety. National Boxoffice Survey. May 31, 1961. 10. January 25, 2022. Archive.org.
  21. Variety. National Boxoffice Survey. June 7, 1961. 10. January 25, 2022. Archive.org.
  22. Variety. National Boxoffice Survey. June 14, 1961. 5. January 25, 2022. Archive.org.
  23. Variety. National Boxoffice Survey. June 21, 1961. 7. January 25, 2022. Archive.org.
  24. Variety. National Boxoffice Survey. June 28, 1961. 7. January 25, 2022. Archive.org.
  25. Variety. National Boxoffice Survey. July 5, 1961. 10. January 25, 2022. Archive.org.
  26. Variety. National Boxoffice Survey. July 12, 1961. 10. January 25, 2022. Archive.org.
  27. Variety. National Boxoffice Survey. July 19, 1961. 19. January 25, 2022. Archive.org.
  28. Variety. National Boxoffice Survey. July 26, 1961. 17. January 25, 2022. Archive.org.
  29. Variety. National Boxoffice Survey. August 2, 1961. 4. January 25, 2022. Archive.org.
  30. Variety. National Boxoffice Survey. August 9, 1961. 18. January 25, 2022. Archive.org.
  31. Variety. National Boxoffice Survey. August 16, 1961. 11. January 25, 2022. Archive.org.
  32. Variety. National Boxoffice Survey. August 23, 1961. 11. January 25, 2022. Archive.org.
  33. Variety. National Boxoffice Survey. August 30, 1961. 11. January 25, 2022. Archive.org.
  34. Variety. National Boxoffice Survey. September 13, 1961. 3. January 25, 2022. Archive.org.
  35. Variety. National Boxoffice Survey. September 20, 1961. 17. January 25, 2022. Archive.org.
  36. Variety. National Boxoffice Survey. September 27, 1961. 13. January 25, 2022. Archive.org.
  37. Variety. National Boxoffice Survey. October 4, 1961. 10. January 25, 2022. Archive.org.
  38. Variety. National Boxoffice Survey. October 11, 1961. 24. January 25, 2022. Archive.org.
  39. Variety. National Boxoffice Survey. October 18, 1961. 20. January 25, 2022. Archive.org.
  40. Variety. October's Golden Glow in 'Tiffany's'; 'Splendor in Grass' & 'The Hustler' Rank 2-3, 'Devil' Following. November 8, 1961. 7. Wear. Mike. January 25, 2022. Archive.org.
  41. Variety. National Boxoffice Survey. November 15, 1961. 10. January 25, 2022. Archive.org.
  42. Variety. National Boxoffice Survey. November 22, 1961. 10. January 25, 2022. Archive.org.
  43. Variety. National Boxoffice Survey. November 29, 1961. 16. January 25, 2022. Archive.org.
  44. Variety. National Boxoffice Survey. December 6, 1961. 17. January 25, 2022. Archive.org.
  45. Variety. National Boxoffice Survey. December 13, 1961. 11. January 25, 2022. Archive.org.
  46. Variety. National Boxoffice Survey. December 20, 1961. 10. January 25, 2022. Archive.org.
  47. Variety. National Boxoffice Survey. December 27, 1961. 10. January 25, 2022. Archive.org.
  48. Variety. 1961: Rentals and Potential. January 10, 1962. 13. January 25, 2022. Archive.org.
  49. Variety. All-Time Top Gross Films. January 10, 1962. 13. $32,000,000 already taken. January 25, 2021. Archive.org.
  50. Variety. Rental Potentials of 1960. January 4, 1961. 47. January 25, 2022. Archive.org. $17,300,000.

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