This movie page looks at 1945 Top Box Office Movies. Finding box office information for movies made in the 1930s and 1940s is extremely difficult. For somebody looking for box office information on 1945 it is very very frustrating. Over the years, we have researched and collected information on over 33,000 movies. So we figured we would show all the 1945 movies in our database.
To make this list a movie had to be made in 1945. Obviously many movies made in 1944 earned box office dollars in 1945. On the other side many movies made in 1945 made money in 1946 and later. This page will looks at 127 1945 Top Box Office Movies. The movies are listed in a massive table that lets you rank the movies from Best to Worst in six different sortable columns of information.
The following massive table only includes the movies made in 1944 that are in our database. Since we are constantly adding new movies to our database….this page will quickly become obsolete. We will try and update this page on a regular basis.
Our UMR Top 50 of 1945
1945 Top Box Office Movies Can Be Ranked 6 Ways In This Table
The really cool thing about this table is that it is “user-sortable”. Rank the movies anyway you want.
- Sort 1945 Top Box Office Movies by the stars or in some cases the director of the movie.
- Sort 1945 Top Box Office Movies by domestic actual box office grosses (in millions)
- Sort 1945 Top Box Office Movies by domestic adjusted box office grosses using current movie ticket cost (in millions)
- Sort 1945 Top Box Office Movies how they were received by critics and audiences. 60% rating or higher should indicate a good movie.
- Sort by how many Oscar® nominations and how many Oscar® wins each 1945 Top Box Office Movies received.
- Sort 1945 Top Box Office Movies by Ultimate Movie Ranking Score (UMR). Our UMR score puts box office, reviews and awards into a mathematical equation and gives each movie a score.
1945 Box Office Grosses – Adjusted World Wide
My Main Sources
Source 1: Eddie Mannix MGM Ledgers
Source 2: C.J. Tevlin RKO Ledgers
Source 3: Variety Magazines –
Source 4: Year In Review Variety Editions
Source 5: Grand Design: Hollywood As A Modern Business Enterprise 1930-1942 by Tino Balio
Source 6: Twentieth Century-Fox A Corporate and Financial History by Aubrey Solomon
Source 7: Wikipedia
Source 8: IMDb.com
Source 9: “Revenue sharing and the coming of sound” by H. Mark Glancy
Source 10: Hollywood Power Stats by Christopher Reynolds
Hi
One of my favourite movies of 1945 is The Wicked Lady, the story of a titled lady becoming a highway man at night, robbing people in coaches. No art house but it is so much fun. It broke all records in Britain in ticket sales. It starred Margaret Lockwood, who was massive in Britain but for some reason never came to America. But it’s a film definitely worth looking out for.
Another fun movie was The Dolly Sisters, just one of those run of the mill 20th Century Fox musicals, so well done but you took for granted. Great escapist fun.
I’ve never been a great fan of Spellbound, I just couldn’t understand the appeal. I suppose Bergman and Peck were so hot that people would go and see anything.
Another movie that I could never understand the appeal with is Saratoga Trunk. Nevertheless, some fantastic movies in 1945. Especially Christmas in Connecticut, Mildred Pierce and Anchors Away.
Hey Chris. I will have to check out The Wicked Lady. I am right there with you in regards to not being a big fan of Spellbound. I have not seen The Dolly Sisters or Saratoga Trunk. I did enjoy Christmas in Connecticut, Mildred Pierce and Anchors Away. Your comment has me motivated to watch The Wicked Lady. Good feedback.
Hey Bruce,
Chris and me make 2 fans of The Wicked Lady…maybe this is motivation enough for you to check it out 🙂 They had to reshoot scenes for the american market in ’45, because of Miss Lockwood’s cleavage…so don’t say you haven’t been warned!!!
Hey Lupino….I am sold….now I just have to find the movie….so I can watch it.
Hello Chris,
huge Margaret Lockwood Fan here…she did go to America, right after her success in The Lady vanishes, Margaret spent some time in Hollywood but was given poor material and soon returned home. Her two american films were Susannah of the Mounties, another 20th Century Fox Picture starring Shirley Temple and Paramount’s Rulers of the Sea, starring Douglas Fairbanks jr. After that, she went back to Britain to become one of the most successful actresses of the era there. As much as I enjoy her Ladies, Gypsies and Tramps of the 40’s, my favorite performance is in Dirk Bogarde’s Cast a Dark Shadow from 1955. If you haven’t seen it and you like Lockwood, this film is well worth looking for.
🙂
Hello Bruce.
I love this page. I always wanted to know how much the Val Lewton classics like THE BODY SNATCHER and ISLE OF THE DEAD did at the boxoffice. At number 96 KEEP YOUR POWDER DRY is too low for according to MGM it did $1,892,000 in domestic rentals and $2,693,000 in worldwide rentals. Also I glad to see that ALONG CAME JONES is ranked higher than on your older Gary Cooper page. Thanks for this page.
Hey Lyle…..glad you like this page. Our numbers for The Body Snatcher and Isle of the Dead come from our RKO ledger information. As for Keep Your Powder Dry….I thought I had fixed that…as you are right the MGM ledger numbers are out there. The number in the table comes from a Lana Turner book….which is one my least favorite sources….as the writers of books like that rarely get the box office number correct. I will see if I can fix that movie and include the movies that now have box office numbers (Thanks Laurent). Gary Cooper is almost ready for yet another update….Vivien Leigh, John Huston, Steve Martin and then Gary Cooper. Thanks for stopping by.
Fixed Keep Your Powder Dry…it moved up a few spots. Thanks for the catch. Just need to fix it on the Lana Turner page.
I remember going to Theater 80 in NYC to see Salome Where She Danced because Leonatd Maltin gave it a Bomb rating (like 1 star) and he didn’t give many bomb ratings for films from the 30’s or 40’s. I saw it with another Yvonne De Carlo epic from 1947, Slave Girl with George Brent which featured a talking camel. It is said Universal inserted the talking camel because the picture was so bad. Neither of them is that bad, they’re both entertaining. Here are the 114 1945 films I have seen since November 1992 when I hit number 8000. Key is film, studio, star or stars till I stopped listing, date seen. source (tape, DVD, TV channel whether it be local or cable). I saw over 800 older films in revival theaters, all before the mid 80’s.
ADVENTURES OF KITTY O’DAY 1945 MONO JEAN PARKER PETER COOKSON 1/14 2007 TCM
ADVENTURES OF RUSTY 1945 CO L CONRAD NAGEL TED DONALDSON 5/19 2007 TCM
ALLOTMENT WIVES 1945 MONO KAY FRANCIS PAUL KELLY 4/25 1995 TAPE
ALONG CAME JONES 1945 RKO GARY COOPER LORETTA YOUNG 2/28 1995 TMC
BETRAYAL FROM THE EAST 1945 RKO LEE TRACY NANCY KELLY 5/2 1993 AMC
BEWITCHED 1945 MGM PHYLLIS THAXTER EDMUND GWENN 11/29 1998 TCM
BILLY ROSE’S DIAMOND HORSESHOE 1945 FOX DICK HAYMES BETTY GRABLE 4/20 1996 AMC
BLAZING THE WESTERN TRAIL 1945 COL CHARLES STARRETT 10/16 2000 WEST
BLONDE FROM BROOKLYN 1945 COL LYNN MERRICK ROBERT STANTON 1/7 2007 TCM
BORDER BADMEN 1945 PRC BUSTER CRABBE 5/4 1997 TAPE
BOSTON BLACKIE BOOKED ON SUSPICION 1945 COL CHESTER MORRIS STEVE COCHRAN 5/5 2012 TCM
BOSTON BLACKIE’S RENDEZVOUS 1945 COL CHESTER MORRIS NINA FOCH 3/29 2007 TCM
BOTH BARRELS BURNING 1945 COL CHARLES STARRETT 10/5 2000 WEST
BRENDA STARR, REPORTER 1945 COL XXX XXX 11/13 2011 DVD
CHEATERS, THE 1945 REP JOSEPH SCHILDKRAUT BILLIE BURKE 12/24 2008 TCM
CIRCUMSTANTIAL EVIDENCE 1945 FOX MICHAEL O’SHEA LLOYD NOLAN 7/6 1993 AMC
CISCO KID RETURNS 1945 MONO DUNCAN RENALDO 11/24 2009 DVD
COLONEL EFFINGHAM’S RAID 1945 FOX JOAN BENNETT CHARLES COBURN 5/3 1998 TAPE
CRIME DOCTOR’S COURAGE 1945 COL WARNER BAXTER HILLARY BROOKE 3/31 2007 TCM
CRIME DOCTOR’S WARNING 1945 COL WARNER BAXTER DUSTY ANDERSON 3/28 2000 MYST
DANGER SIGNAL 1945 WB FAYE EMERSON MONA FREEMAN 8/22 1999 TCM
DANGEROUS PARTNERS 1945 MGM JAMES CRAIG SIGNE HASSO 12/21 1999 TCM
DELIGHTFULLY DANGEROUS 1945 UA JANE POWELL RALPH BELLAMY 1/3 2008 DVD
DIVORCE 1945 MON KAY FRANCIS BRUCE CABOT 1/13 2014 TCM
DON JUAN QUILLIGAN 1945 FOX WILLIAM BENDIX JOAN BLONDELL 12/7 2001 FXM
ESCAPE IN THE DESERT 1945 WB PHILIP DORN HELMUT DANTINE 8/19 1998 TCM
EVE KNEW HER APPLES 1945 COL ANN MILLER 6/29 1997 TAPE
FASHION MODEL 1945 MONO MARJORIE WEAVER TIM RYAN 5/30 1999 TCM
FEDERAL OPERATOR 99 1945 REP 9/5 1994 TAPE
FIGHTING GUARDSMAN 1945 COL WILLARD PARKER 11/23 1992 TNT
FLAMING BULLETS 1945 PRC TEX RITTER DAVE O’BRIEN 11/9 2006 WEST
FRONTIER FEUD 1945 MONO JOHNNY MACK BROWN 10/9 2010 DVD
FRONTIER FUGITIVES 1945 PRC TEX RITTER DAVE O’BRIEN 8/28 2002 WEST
FROZEN GHOST 1945 UNI LON CHANEY JR. EVELYN ANKERS 7/1 1998 TAPE
GANGSTER’S DEN 1945 PRC BUSTER CRABBE AL ST. JOHN 8/23 2009 DVD
GREAT DAY (U.K.) 1945 RKO ERIC PORTMAN FLORA ROBSON 2/5 1994 AMC
GUEST IN THE HOUSE 1945 UA ANNE BAXTER RALPH BELLAMY 12/24 1994 31
HER HIGHNESS AND THE BELLBOY 1945 MGM HEDY LAMARR ROBERT WALKER 10/30 1998 TCM
HIDDEN EYE 1945 MGM EDWARD ARNOLD FRANCES RAFFERTY 4/3 2002 TCM
HIT THE HAY 1945 COL JUDY CANOVA 4/23 1994 TAPE
I LIVE IN GROSVENOR SQUARE (U.K.) 1945 FOX ANNA NEAGLE REX HARRISON 9/8 2010 TCM
I LOVE A BANDLEADER 1945 COL PHIL HARRIS LESLIE BROOKS 4/22 2008 TCM
I LOVE A MYSTERY 1945 COL JIM BANNON NINA FOCH 11/10 2007 TCM
IDENTITY UNKNOWN 1945 REP RICHARD WYLER PAULINE YATES 10/12 2012 DVD
IT’S A PLEASURE 1945 RKO SONJA HENIE MICHAEL O’SHEA 9/14 1995 TAPE
JUNGLE QUEEN 1945 UNI 2/19 1996 TAPE
JUNIOR MISS 1945 FOX PEGGY ANN GARNER 12/20 1998 MAX
KEEP YOUR POWDER DRY 1945 MGM LANA TURNER LARAINE DAY 10/21 1998 TCM
LAST CHANCE (SWISS) 1945 MGM MICHAEL RENNIE DANIELLA BIANCHI 10/27 2012 DVD
LETTER FOR EVIE 1945 MGM MARSHA HUNT JOHN CARROLL 8/8 1998 TCM
MAMA LOVES PAPA 1945 RKO LEON ERROL LAWRENCE TIERNEY 12/21 1992 AMC
MASTER KEY 1945 UNI 11/15 1992 TAPE
MIDNIGHT MANHUNT 1945 PAR ANN SAVAGE WILLIAM GARGAN 6/10 2014 DVD
MOLLY AND ME 1945 FOX MONTY WOOLLEY GRACIE FIELDS 10/23 2014 FXM
NAUGHTY NINETIES 1945 UNI ABBOTT & COSTELLO ALAN CURTIS 4/3 2005 DVD
NORTHWEST TRAIL 1945 SG XXX XXX 7/6 1997 21
OLD NEW MEXICO 1945 MONO DUNCAN RENALDO 11/25 2009 DVD
OREGON TRAIL 1945 REP SUNSET CARSON PEGGY STEWART 4/17 2000 WEST
OUR VINES HAVE TENDER GRAPES 1945 MGM EDWARD G. ROBINSON MARGARET O’BRIEN 11/2 1998 TCM
OVER 21 1945 COL IRENE DUNNE ALEXANDER KNOX 10/11 2007 TCM
PARDON MY PAST 1945 COL FRED MACMURRAY MARGUERITE CHAPMAN 8/9 2008 TCM
PILLOW OF DEATH 1945 UNI LON CHANEY JR. BRENDA JOYCE 8/29 1997 TAPE
PLACE OF OUR OWN (U.K.) 1945 EL MARGARET LOCKWOOD JAMES MASON 8/2 2009 TCM
POWER OF THE WHISTLER 1945 COL RICHARD DIX JANIS CARTER 8/17 2000 MYST
PRAIRIE RUSTLERS 1945 PRC BUSTER CRABBE FUZZY ST. JOHN 11/21 2001 WEST
PRIDE OF THE MARINES 1945 WB JOHN GARFIELD ELEANOR PARKER 7/4 1999 MAX
RADIO STARS ON PARADE 1945 RKO FRANCES LANGFORD 1/10 1993 AMC
RAKE’S PROGRESS (U.K.) 1945 UNI REX HARRISON LILLI PALMER 9/8 2010 TCM
RENEGADES OF THE RIO GRANDE 1945 UNI ROD CAMERON FUZZY KNIGHT 7/6 2005 WEST
RETURN OF THE DURANGO KID 1945 COL CHARLES STARRETT 10/1 2000 WEST
RHAPSODY IN BLUE 1945 WB ROBERT ALDA JOAN LESLIE 4/12 1993 13
RIVERBOAT RHYTHM 1945 RKO LEON ERROL WALTER CATLETT 10/10 2006 TCM
ROUGH RIDERS OF CHEYENNE 1945 REP SUNSET CARSON PEGGY STEWART 4/6 2000 WEST
ROUGHLY SPEAKING 1945 WB ROSALIND RUSSELL JACK CARSON 10/5 1999 TCM
ROYAL MOUNTED RIDES AGAIN 1945 UNI GEORGE DOLENZ 4/22 1998 TAPE
ROYAL SCANDAL 1945 FOX TALLULAH BANKHEAD CHARLES COBURN 11/16 2003 FXM
SAN ANTONIO 1945 WB ERROL FLYNN ALEXIS SMITH 3/25 1999 TCM
SANTA FE SADDLEMATES 1945 REP SUNSET CARSON LINDA STIRLING 3/2 2005 WEST
SARATOGA TRUNK 1945 WB GARY COOPER INGRID BERGMAN 8/29 2012 TCM
SCARED STIFF 1945 PAR 7/22 2015 DVD
SCARLET CLUE 1945 MONO SIDNEY TOLER 3/7 1994 TNT
SCOTLAND YARD INVESTIGATOR 1945 REP C. AUBREY SMITH ERICH VON STROHEIM 5/16 2000 MYST
SECRET AGENT X-9 1945 UNI LLOYD BRIDGES 10/10 2011 DVD
SEE MY LAWYER 1945 UNI OLSEN AND JOHNSON 12/12 1993 TAPE
SHADOWS OF DEATH 1945 PRC BUSTER CRABBE 6/11 2009 DVD
SHE WENT TO THE RACES 1945 MGM AVA GARDNER JAMES CRAIG 8/10 2004 TCM
SHE WOULDN’T SAY YES 1945 COLUMBIA 2/11 2013 ANT
SHERIFF OF CIMARRON 1945 REP XXX XXX 9/22 2004 WEST
SING YOUR WAY HOME 1945 RKO JACK HALEY 7/3 2005 TCM
STAGECOACH OUTLAWS 1945 PRC BUSTER CRABBE 6/29 1997 TAPE
STRANGE CONFESSION 1945 UNI LON CHANEY JR. BRENDA JOYCE 11/4 1997 TAPE
STRANGER FROM SANTA FE 1945 MONO JOHNNY MACK BROWN 1/7 2010 DVD
THE SOUTHERNER 1945 UA ZACHARY SCOTT BETTY FIELD 12/21 1993 55
THERE GOES KELLY 1945 MONO XXX XXX 5/19 2008 TCM
THEY WERE SISTERS (U.K.) 1945 UNI PHYLLIS CALVERT JAMES MASON 8/3 2009 TCM
THIS LOVE OF OURS 1945 UNI MERLE OBERON 3/22 1995 AMC
THIS MAN’S NAVY 1945 MGM WALLACE BEERY 6/24 2000 TCM
THOSE ENDEARING YOUNG CHARMS 1945 RKO ROBERT YOUNG LARAINE DAY 9/14 1993 AMC
THOUSAND AND ONE NIGHTS 1945 COL CORNEL WILDE EVELYN KEYES 5/8 1995 DIS
THRILL OF A ROMANCE 1945 MGM ESTHER WILLIAMS VAN JOHNSON 11/20 1998 TCM
TONIGHT AND EVERY NIGHT 1945 COL RITA HAYWORTH LEE BOWMAN 12/14 1999 AMC
TOPEKA TERROR 1945 REP ALLAN LANE 10/18 2005 WEST
TRAIL OF KIT CARSON 1945 REP ALLAN LANE 11/3 2005 WEST
TUNISIAN VICTORY (DOC.) 1945 12/10 2009 TCM
TWICE BLESSED 1945 MGM PRESTON FOSTER GAIL PATRICK 7/30 2004 TCM
TWO O’CLOCK COURAGE 1945 RKO TOM CONWAY ANN RUTHERFORD 5/4 1993 AMC
UTAH 1945 REP 12/23 2013 DVD
VACATION FROM MARRIAGE (U.K.) 1945 MGM 8/13 2012 TCM
VOICE OF THE WHISTLER 1945 COL RICHARD DIX 11/5 2007 TCM
WAR COMES TO AMERICA (DOC.) 1945 WAR DEPT. 12/9 2009 TCM
WEST OF THE PECOS 1945 RKO ROBERT MITCHUM BARBARA HALE 11/12 2000 TCM
WHO’S GUILTY 1945 COL 2/4 1996 TAPE
WICKED LADY (U.K.) 1945 UNI MARGARET LOCKWOOD JAMES MASON 8/3 2009 TCM
WILDFIRE 1945 SG 12/31 2013 DVD
I have 33 1945 films and 8 serials in my library. If a film is in this list that is not on the above then I saw it for the first time before November 1992.
ADVENTURES OF RUSTY
ANCHORS AWEIGH
BILLY ROSE’S DIAMOND HORSESHOE
BOTH BARRELS BLAZING
BRENDA STARR, REPORTER SERIAL
CHINA SKY
CISCO KID RETURNS
DILLINGER
DOLLY SISTERS
EVE KNEW HER APPLES
FEDERAL OPERATOR 99 SERIAL
FIGHTING GUARDSMEN SERIAL
FRONTIER FEUD
FROZEN GHOST
GANGSTER’S DEN
HERE COME THE CO-EDS
HIT THE HAY (Judy Canova film, not Abbott & Costello)
IN OLD NEW MEXICO
JUNGLE QUEEN SERIAL
MASTER KEY SERIAL
NAUGHTY NINETIES
NORTHWEST TRAIL
PILLOW OF DEATH
RETURN OF THE DURANGO KID
ROAD TO UTOPIA
ROYAL MOUNTED RIDES AGAIN SERIAL
SALOME WHERE SHE DANCED
SECRET AGENT X-9 SERIAL
SEE MY LAWYER
SHADOWS OF DEATH
SON OF LASSIE
STRANGE CONFESSION
STRANGER FROM SANTA FE
SUDAN
SUNBONNET SUE
THOUSAND AND ONE NIGHTS
THUNDERHEAD, SON OF FLICKA
TONIGHT AND EVERY NIGHT
TREE GROWS IN BROOKLYN
WHO’S GUILTY SERIAL
YOLANDA AND THE THIEF
Hey Dan
1. Thanks for sharing both lists.
2. Impressive information on both.
3. Your viewing logs put you in first in our tally contest.
4. Your library looks like it is trailing Steve Lensman’s collection.
5. Looking at the number of movies made in 1945….I have a total of 377 movies (350 from Hollywood). Your totals put you in the high 30% range.
6. I am envious of you for seeing so many of these movies on the big screen.
7. I have seen A Clockwork Orange on a big screen….but when it comes to classics….that is the only one that I can claim.
8. Good feedback. It is greatly appreciated.
When I was a kid I saw re-issues on the big screen of The Ten Commandments, Around the World in Eighty Days, It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, World, James Bond movies (These are in the early 70’s). I remember cashing in on Star Wars, Paramount reissued When Worlds Collide and War of the Worlds to screens which I saw at the old RKO Cinerama on Broadway in the city. It later became the RKO Warner and then in 1988 they started tearing down all the cinemas on midtown Broadway. I believe the UA Rivoli Twin and the Loews State all shut down that year, maybe the RKO National too. All these theaters were between 43rd and 51st. I think they use the National now for Good Morning America. The Loews Astor Plaza off 44th or 45th on Broadway became MTV studios for a while. Now they’re all gone no trace. The dumps on the deuce are now a 25 plex from AMC and a 13 plex across the street. The 25 plex is built around an old theater they actually moved down the block!!
Hey Dan. Thanks for the information…..it is fun reading about the old theaters and what became of them. In my little city the same thing has happened….all the theaters I grew up watching movies are long gone. Heck…just thinking about it the only two places that are over 10 years old are now a community theater and a place called The Naro Expanded Theater…which specializes in limited releases “art house movies”.
I imagine it is a lot tougher to see classic movies on the big screen these days. Great stuff in this comment.
Hello Kevin
What I have about there movies in millions :
Thunderhead : 2.705
Where Do We Go From Here; 1.686
Hangover Square ; 0.997
Dillinger ; 2
Hold That Blonde; 2
Bring On the Girls; 2
Hey Laurent. Are those rental numbers or gross numbers?
There are rental numbers.
Thanks Laurent….I will use your numbers and get those movies added into the table….currently working on a John Sturges page..so it might be sometime tomorrow before I get it done….once again….thanks for sharing this information.
All added. Somehow I had Where Do We Go From Here and Hangover Square listed on my 1944 Movie page…..thanks for the heads up Kevin….and thanks for the numbers Laurent.
Hey Cogeron, Do you have the following box office numbers for each films at their studio:
WB= Saratoga Trunk
RKO= First Yank Into Tokyo; George White’s Scandals
Fox= Thunderhead, Son of Flicka; Where Do We Go From Here; Hangover Square
Monogram= Dillinger
Universal= Patrick the Great; Men In Her Diary; On Stage Everybody; That’s the Spirit; Shady Lady; Sudan; The Strange Affair of Uncle Harry; That Night With You
United Artists= Brewster’s Millions; Bedside Manner; Paris Underground
Paramount= Out of This World; Bring On the Girls; Hold That Blonde
Republic Pictures= Erroll Carrol’s Vanities
Columbia= One Thousand and One Nights
Hey Kevin. I actually took the time to include all the movies I have box office numbers…so sadly with the exception of Saratoga Trunk….which was in my 1946 page…..I am striking out with these movies…though Laurent has ridden to the rescue for a few of the movies you listed.