Inflation-Adjusted Box Office: 'Gone with the Wind' Still Tops All-Time Chart
Evaluating films solely by their unadjusted box office earnings skews historical perspective, as a movie ticket in the U.S. cost roughly 25 cents in 1939, whereas today it exceeds $10. Box Office Mojo's chart, which accounts for inflation, alters the rankings, placing 'Gone with the Wind' (December 1939) at the top. This film, produced by David O. Selznick and directed by Victor Fleming, garnered eight Academy Awards, including best picture. Clark Gable portrayed Rhett Butler, while Vivien Leigh received the best actress award. In 2020, HBO Max temporarily removed it. Following in second place is 'Star Wars' (May 1977), succeeded by 'The Sound of Music' (1965), 'E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial' (June 1982), and 'Titanic' (December 1997), which won 11 Oscars. Other significant films include 'The Ten Commandments' (1956) and 'Jaws' (June 1975).
Key facts
- Box Office Mojo's inflation-adjusted chart uses domestic figures for the U.S. and Canada, scaled by ticket-price inflation
- A U.S. movie ticket cost roughly a quarter in 1939; the average today is above $10
- 'Gone with the Wind' (December 1939) leads the adjusted domestic chart and won eight competitive Academy Awards
- Hattie McDaniel became the first Black performer to win an Oscar for her supporting role in 'Gone with the Wind'
- HBO Max removed 'Gone with the Wind' in 2020 and restored it weeks later with an introduction placing it in historical context
- 'Star Wars' (May 1977) ranks second, with theatrical returns in 1978, 1979, 1981 and 1982 plus a 1997 Special Edition
- 'Titanic' (December 1997) held the number one domestic spot for 15 consecutive weekends and won 11 Academy Awards
- 'Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs' (1937) was reissued from 1944 through 1993, with Walt Disney receiving an honorary Oscar in 1939
Entities
Artists
- David O. Selznick
- Margaret Mitchell
- Victor Fleming
- George Cukor
- Sam Wood
- Clark Gable
- Vivien Leigh
- Hattie McDaniel
- George Lucas
- Robert Wise
- Julie Andrews
- Christopher Plummer
- Maria von Trapp
- Bill Lee
- Steven Spielberg
- Melissa Mathison
- Henry Thomas
- Dee Wallace
- Drew Barrymore
- John Williams
- James Cameron
- Leonardo DiCaprio
- Kate Winslet
- Cecil B. DeMille
- Charlton Heston
- Yul Brynner
- Omar Sharif
- Julie Christie
- Boris Pasternak
- David Lean
- Robert Bolt
- Maurice Jarre
- William Friedkin
- William Peter Blatty
- Linda Blair
- Ellen Burstyn
- Jason Miller
- Max von Sydow
- Mercedes McCambridge
- Walt Disney
- Rodgers and Hammerstein
- Ray Conniff Singers
Institutions
- Box Office Mojo
- MGM
- 20th Century Fox
- HBO Max
- Lucasfilm
- Disney
- Universal
- Paramount
- Warner Bros.
- ABC
- Academy Awards
- Billboard
Locations
- United States
- Canada
- Hollywood
- Austria
- Salzburg
- Martha's Vineyard
- Spain
- Finland
- Soviet Union
Sources
- Quartz —