This movie page looks at 1929 Top Box Office Movies. Finding box office information for movies made in the 1920s and 1930s is extremely difficult. For somebody looking for box office information on 1930 it is very very frustrating. Over the years, we have researched and collected information on over 36,000 movies. So we figured we would show all the 1929 movies in our database.
To make this list a movie had to be made in 1929. Obviously many movies made in 1928 earned box office dollars in 1929. On the other side many movies made in 1929 made money in 1930 and later. This page looks at 1929 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. We will update this page on a regular basis.
Our UMR Top 50 of 1929
1929 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 1929 Top Box Office Movies by the stars or in some cases the director of the movie.
- Sort 1929 Top Box Office Movies by domestic actual box office grosses
- Sort 1929 Top Box Office Movies by domestic adjusted box office grosses using current movie ticket cost.
- Sort 1929 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 1929 Top Box Office Movies received.
- Sort 1929Top 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.
Top earners in 1929 for Adjusted USA Box Office:
Want to see our 1929 Worldwide Box Office Grosses? Then follow this link.
Mike’s 1929 Box Office Grosses….actual totals from Variety
1929 Box Office Grosses – Source Variety | Ultimate Movie Rankings
Hey Mike….added a link to your 1929 box office grosses to my 1929 box office gross page. Great research.
I think 1929 was a watershed year for the movies with a mix of sound and carry-over silent films but with movie houses that didn’t have sound equipment rapidly updating their facilities. 1929 and the years immediately following also ruined the careers of may silent stars whose voices weren’t suited to the new techniques.
John Gilbert is often spoken of by historians as one of the very greatest high profile victims as it has often been alleged that he had a squeaky voice that didn’t match the Romeo types that he had played in his silent films when his nickname was The Great Lover and he rivalled Valentino in popularity
Wikipedia disputes that story though as it claims Gilbert fall was to do with studio politics and demands for money. in fact made his last silent film and first talkie in 1929, Desert Nights and His Glorious Night respectively and your table above duly records them
Full marks to you for that but mentioning only Belle Bennett as a star of The Iron Mask is a bit misleading as Doug Fairbanks was the star of that one and billed ALONE above the title with Belle as just his leading lady and not even mentioned in many posters.
All round though your 1929 page is a good chronicle of a very difficult year to research.so please accept my congratulations on a fine job of work..
I now have time to further study your excellent page on 1929 which was the harbinger for the take over of the cinema by talkies. My only quarrel with your magnificent document is that as I said in my last post it gives no credit to Doug Fairbanks for The Iron Mask.
Doug is my favourite actor from the silent era and to a Fairbanks fan the sacrilege of mentioning just Belle Bennett in connection with that movie would be like listing Bonnie Bedelia on her own for Die Hard and leaving the unenlightened to think that McClane was “just another guy around here”! Besides The Iron Mask was a landmark film in Doug’s career for a number or reasons:
1/Although he had a very prolific silent movies career he was best known for the large set of swashbuckling/adventure films that he made entirely within the 1920s and which some years ago were showcased as a complete season in a London cinema. They are The Thief of Bagdad, The Black Pirate, The Gaucho, Mark of Zorro, Don Q Son of Zorro, Robin Hood – and The Iron Mask..
2/Doug made 5 more movies after The Iron Mask but THAT was his final one among the great swashbuckling/adventure series.
3/It was BOTH his first talkie film and his last silent movie because it was only part talkie, though I gather that a completely silent version also went the rounds. Taming of the Shrew with Little Mary the same year was Doug’s first complete talkie.
4/Historians tell us that The Iron Mask was the only one of Doug’s swashbucklers in which he died at the end though the good news for all Doug’s fans is that the version that I saw seemed to imply that he went to Heaven!
Perhaps therefore you can appreciate my disappointment at your airbrushing my Doug out of The Iron Mask, though the plus side is that you have given me my first sight of what a gross for one of Doug’s swashbucklers was like and it is a very respectable one at an adjusted domestic $122.8 million.
Maybe however you are up to your OLD tricks of trying to wind me up so that I will “go for my guns” because to add insult to injury immediately below The Iron Mask you have listed The Desert Song for which 12th billed supporting actress Myrna Loy is proclaimed the sole star! Chances are though that I’m just being paranoiac and it’s merely a case of the familiar adage “you can’t teach an old dog NEW tricks.”
Hey Bob….Fairbanks is now listed as the star of the Iron Mask. When you look at IMDb…Fairbanks is listed as the 16th person….on my first go through I did not see that….I did see he wrote the movie….and I thought that was the reason he was on the poster. But…thanks to your comments….I have fixed that error. When a co-star has a UMR page they get the UMR co-star spot…it is not just for Ms. Loy but everybody. It is all about getting more views….and listing somebody that does not have a UMR page does not help the greater cause. I appreciate the information on Fairbanks Sr. Good information!
HI BRUCE
This site’s No 1 cynic Steve Lensman probably would chide us “Who but Bob would care about a star’s credits in a movie way back in 1929?” And it is true that whilst critics and historians may still drool about the likes of Fairbanks and Pickford, among the general public the only silent star whose legend might mean much today is Chaplin.
Guys like Fairbanks who were usually undisputedly the “Whole Show” in their movies often practised modesty by placing their own names a bit down the cast list as a mark of respect for their fellow thespians and/or to adopt the stance “I’m just one of the boys.” It can at times confuse outsiders who haven’t seen a movie as to who IS the star of the film. [Of course such confusion never applies to a Tracy film!]
However as stated I am a Fairbanks fan [and I like his son as well in swashbuckling roles] and I value and will be using your comprehensive 1929 page quite a lot as a source of reference and had the co-star link column not been adjusted for Iron Mask it would for me be like “the ship being spoilt for a hap’orth of tar”. So thanks for making the adjustment.
The Loy over-promotion I don’t mind as that is par for the course and indeed had you not allowed her to again punch above her weight your viewers might have thought you were losing your touch and as for me I would have been reminded of Dino expressing concern for Sinatra’s health when he reportedly enquired “What’s the matter Frankie – are you feeling unwell? You haven’t hit anybody all week!”
Hey Bob…..thanks for the breakdown of this page on movies that are now 88 years old. When I was doing the information on The Iron Mask…IMDb has Fairbanks at the bottom of the credits….it confused me….and since I am not aware of that movie…I went with the one that IMDb listed first. Fairbanks is now listed as the star of that movie. Good information on John Gilbert. I think you are right….his voice issues did not help…..but they were not that bad….so other factors helped too. Thanks for the kind words about this page.
HI BRUCE
According to Wiki you are right in saying Gilbert didn’t have a bad voice and as I’ve explained that site claims that John being pushed out in the cold was all to do with studio politics and monetary considerations.
Wiki doesn’t go into details but possibly John thought that as he was now providing his voice IN ADDITION TO his magnificent body he was in accordance with a fee scale basis entitled to more dollars!
As our mutual friend Joel, who seemed to have hang ups about actors being paid, might have expressed it “Before Brando there was John Gilbert!”
I like how Bessie Love stars in the # 1 film. Bessie was on the Oracle of Bacon list back in 2000. She was in both Reds and Ragtime in 1981 and The Hunger with David Bowie in 83. These are the 78 1929 films I have seen since December 1992. Almost all were seen on Turner Classic movies/ You know key, title, studio, stars if I listed, date seen and source (TV channel, DVD or tape).
ALIBI 1929 UA CHESTER MORRIS 2/12 2008 TCM
BEHIND THAT CURTAIN 1929 FOX WARNER BAXTER 6/15 2003 FXM
BIG NEWS 1929 PATHE ROBERT ARMSTRONG CAROLE LOMBARD 4/15 1996 TAPE
BLACKMAIL (U.K.) 1929 WORLDWIDE XXX XXX 10/29 1994 21
BROADWAY BABIES 1929 FN 12/9 2016 TCM
BROADWAY MELODY 1929 MGM BESSIE LOVE 5/29 1995 TAPE
CONDEMNED 1929 UA RONALD COLMAN 8/20 2017 TCM
COQUETE 1929 UA MARY PICKFORD JOHNNY MACK BROWN 1/5 2004 TCM
DANCE HALL 1929 RKO ARTHUR LAKE OLIVE BORDEN 1/28 2013 TCM
DELIGHTFUL ROGUE 1929 RKO RITA LE ROY ROD LAROCQUE 10/16 2014 TCM
DESERT NIGHTS 1929 MGM 7/10 2013 TCM
DEVIL-MAY-CARE 1929 MGM RAMON NOVARRO 9/5 2016 TCM
DISRAELI 1929 WB GEORGE ARLISS JOAN BENNETT 5/18 1994 TMC
DIVINE LADY 1929 FN XXX XXX 2/6 2005 TCM
DYNAMITE 1929 MGM CONRAD NAGEL KAY JOHNSON 2/12 2002 TCM
FLYING FLEET 1929 MGM RAMON NOVARRO 9/15 2003 TCM
FLYING SCOTSMAN (U.K.) 1929 WB XXX XXX 5/1 1996 TAPE
GIRL IN THE SHOW 1929 MGM EDWARD NUGENT 5/26 2017 TCM
GODLESS GIRL 1929 PATHE XXX XXX 4/25 2011 TCM
GREAT DIVIDE 1929 FN 8/2 2012 TCM
HALF MARRIAGE 1929 RKO KEN MURRAY 1/14 2016 TCM
HER PRIVATE AFFAIR 1929 PATHE ANN HARDING 11/17 2009 TCM
HOLLYWOOD REVUE OF 1929 1929 MGM JACK BENNY CONRAD NAGEL 6/8 2000 TCM
IDLE RICH 1929 MGM CONRAD NAGEL BESSIE LOVE 9/14 2014 TCM
IN OLD ARIZONA 1929 FOX WARNER BAXTER EDMUND LOWE 5/6 2009 TCM
IRON MASK 1929 UA DOUGLAS FAIRBANKS 1/7 1995 TAPE
JAZZ HEAVEN 1929 RADIO JOHNNY MACK BROWN 6/7 2016 TCM
KISS, THE 1929 MGM 4/2 2012 TCM
LAST OF MRS. CHEYNEY 1929 MGM NORMA SHEARER BASIL RATHBONE 1/20 2000 TCM
LETTER, THE 1929 PAR 10/24 2012 TCM
LOCKED DOOR 1929 UA ROD LA ROCQUE BARBARA STANWYCK 11/18 2008 TCM
LOST ZEPPELIN 1929 TIFFANY-STAHL XXX XXX 9/3 1995 TAPE
LOVE PARADE 1929 PAR MAURICE CHEVALIER JEANETTE MACDONALD 7/1 1996 AMC
LUCKY STAR 1929 FOX 8/13 2016 TCM
MADAME X 1929 MGM LEWIS STONE RUTH CHATTERTON 10/8 1999 TCM
MAN WITH A MOVIE CAMERA (U.S.S.R.) 1929 XXX XXX 1/12 2004 TCM
MANXMAN, THE (U.K.) 1929 SONO ART WW CARL BRISSON MALCOLM KEEN 6/10 2013 DVD
MARIANNE (1929/II) 1929 MGM MARION DAVIES OSCAR SHAW 1/3 2000 TCM
NAVY BLUES 1929 MGM WILLIAM HAINES ANITA PAGE 5/10 2010 TCM
NIGHT PARADE 1929 RKO HUGH TREVOR AILEEN PRINGLE 9/11 1999 TCM
ON WITH THE SHOW 1929 WB JOE E. BROWN ARTHUR LAKE 7/29 2003 TCM
OUR MODERN MAIDENS 1929 MGM 7/17 2012 TCM
PANDORA’S BOX (GER.) 1929 MOVIEGRAPH LOUISE BROOKS FRITZ KORTNER 11/5 2012 TCM
PICCADILLY (U.K.) 1929 SONO-ART WW 10/19 2016 TCM
SAY IT WITH SONGS 1929 WB AL JOLSON DAVEY LEE 11/18 2014 TCM
SHIP OF LOST MEN (GER.) 1929 MARLENE DIETRICH 4/30 1997 AMC
SHOW OF SHOWS 1929 WB LORETTA YOUNG 1/3 2013 TCM
SHOWBOAT 1929 UNI LAURA LA PLANTE 10/5 2004 TCM
SIDE STREET 1929 RKO TOM OWEN XXX 9/5 2006 TCM
SINGLE STANDARD 1929 MGM 4/2 2012 TCM
SO LONG LETTY 1929 WB XXX XXX 7/26 2000 TCM
SO THIS IS COLLEGE 1929 MGM ROBERT MONTGOMERY 11/26 1998 TCM
SPEEDWAY 1929 MGM XXX XXX 5/23 2011 TCM
SPIES (GER.) 1929 MGM GERDA MAURUS 4/21 2014 TCM
SPITE MARRIAGE 1929 MGM 10/5 2017 TCM
SQUALL, THE 1929 FN XXX XXX 1/7 2000 TCM
STREET GIRL 1929 RKO BETTY COMPSON 10/1 2008 TCM
SUNNY SIDE UP 1929 FOX JANET GAYNOR CHARLES FARRELL 7/7 1996 AMC
THE PAGAN 1929 MGM RAMON NOVARRO RENEE ADOREE 4/5 1999 TCM
THE RACKETEER 1929 PATHE ROBERT ARMSTRONG CAROLE LOMBARD 8/17 2006 TCM
THEIR OWN DESIRE 1929 MGM NORMA SHEARER 9/14 1999 TCM
THEY HAD TO SEE PARIS 1929 FOX WILL ROGERS 1/22 1997 AMC
THIRTEENTH CHAIR 1929 MGM CONRAD NAGEL LEILA HYAMS 7/18 2002 TCM
TIDE OF EMPIRE 1929 MGM 7/29 2014 TCM
TRESPASSER, THE 1929 UA GLORIA SWANSON 12/14 2011 TCM
UNHOLY NIGHT 1929 MGM XXX XXX 10/23 2003 TCM
UNTAMED 1929 MGM JOAN CRAWFORD ROBERT MONTGOMERY 4/20 1999 TCM
VALIANT, THE 1929 FOX PAUL MUNI MARGUERITE CHURCHILL 12/14 2011 TCM
VERY IDEA 1929 RKO FRANK CRAVEN 10/10 2014 TCM
VOICE OF THE CITY 1929 MGM WILLARD MACK 5/23 2013 TCM
WEARY RIVER 1929 FN RICHARD BARTHELMESS BETTY COMPSON 3/10 2002 TCM
WELCOME DANGER 1929 PAR HAROLD LLOYD 9/18 2003 TCM
WHERE EAST IS EAST 1929 MGM LON CHANEY LUPE VELEZ 8/17 2011 TCM
WHY BE GOOD? 1929 FN 9/29 2015 TCM
WILD ORCHIDS 1929 MGM GRETA GARBO 5/2 2011 TCM
WILD PARTY 1929 PAR CLARA BOW FREDRIC MARCH 5/21 2001 TCM
WISE GIRLS 1929 MGM ELLIOTT NUGENT 7/24 2014 TCM
TMC is not TCM inverted but The Movie Channel.
Hey Dan….got it.
Hey Dan….thanks for the list of your movies watched. You destroy my total. Heck…I have not even heard of most of these movies…and yet your list is so impressive. I did not realize Bessie Love was in Ragtime and Reds. That is some good trivia for sure. Congrats on your 78 movies seen. I am truly impressed. Thanks as always for sharing this information.
Hi Bruce,
You see you start the 1920’s well before I finished on my side. I did not even finish 1927. Lol.
94 films from 1929, it’s impressive. As always, a very good job Bruce.
Hey Laurent…..glad you saw we did a 1929 page. In fairness your pages/articles are a more in depth look at movies……versus my quick hit stat ones. I think I have decided to do a 1927 and 1928 page…..and then work my way to 2011 (the very first annual page we did). Currently we have 60 yearly pages done. 1929-1980 (1981 is ready to go too) and 2011-2018. Thanks for the kind words. Good to hear from you.
I have seen 24 movies from 1929 including Blackmail which was not included in this chart, but that Steve reminded me with his post was Hitchcock’s first sound film from 1929.
The HIGHEST rated film I have seen is The Broadway Melody.
The highest rated film I have NOT seen is Gold Diggers of Broadway.
The LOWEST rated film I have seen is The Unholy Night.
I have The Kiss recorded and waiting for me to watch.
My Favourite 1929 Movies:
Blackmail
The Broadway Melody
The Love Parade
Bulldog Drummand
Condemned
Untamed
The Virginian
In Old Virginia
Coquette
Spite Marriage
Hey Flora. Wow your tally destroys everybody else. You 24…. the rest of us have a combined tally of 11…and that was 3 of us. I have only seen one of your favorites…..Broadway Melody…which I thought was ok…..certainly has not aged very well….or is that anti-musical bias talking….lol. I do want to see Hitchcock’s Blackmail. Glad you were able to check out one of the last classic yearly pages we will do. A 1928 and 1927 page might be coming….but do not see going back any further than that. Good stuff as always.