This movie page looks at 1948 Top Grossing Movies. Finding box office information for movies made in the 1930s and 1940s is extremely difficult. For somebody looking for box office information on 1948 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 1948 movies in our database.
To make this list a movie had to be made in 1948. Obviously many movies made in 1947 earned box office dollars in 1948. On the other side many movies made in 1948 made money in 1949 and later. This page will looks at 139 1948 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 1948 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 1948
1948 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 1948 Top Box Office Movies by the stars or in some cases the director of the movie.
- Sort 1948 Top Box Office Movies by domestic actual box office grosses (in millions)
- Sort 1948 Top Box Office Movies by domestic adjusted box office grosses using current movie ticket cost (in millions)
- Sort 1948 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 1948 Top Box Office Movies received.
- Sort 1948 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.
1948 Box Office Grosses – Adjusted World Wide
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
I saw The Red Shoes in 1979 at the Regency Revival Theater in NYC with 1951’s Tales of Hoffman.
These are the 130 1948 films I have seen since November 1992 when I hit film 8000. Key is film, studio, stars when I still listed, date seen and source from where I saw it (TV channel, local (usually a number) or cable, DVD or tape).
16 FATHOMS DEEP 1948 MONO LON CHANEY JR. LLOYD BRIDGES 11/10 1995 TAPE
ADVENTURES OF FRANK AND JESSE JAMES 1948 REP CLAYTON MOORE 11/12 1995 TAPE (SERIAL)
ADVENTURES OF GALLANT BESS 1948 EL CAMERON MITCHELL AUDREY LONG 6/5 1994 7
AGAINST THE WIND (U.K.) 1948 EL ROBERT BEATTY SIMONE SIGNORET 8/2 1995 A & E
ALIAS A GENTLEMAN 1948 MGM WALLACE BEERY TOM DRAKE 6/11 2000 TCM
ALWAYS TOGETHER 1948 WB JOYCE REYNOLDS CECIL KELLAWAY 4/16 2003 TCM
AN INNOCENT AFFAIR 1948 UA FRED MACMURRAY MADELEINE CARROLL 12/3 2011 TCM
ANOTHER PART OF THE FOREST 1948 UNI FREDRIC MARCH 1/26 1993 A & E
APRIL SHOWERS 1948 WB ANN SOTHERN JACK CARSON 1/24 1999 TCM
ARIZONA RANGER 1948 RKO TIM HOLT JACK HOLT 12/2 1993 AMC
BACK TRAIL 1948 MONO JOHNNY MACK BROWN 3/11 2010 DVD
BERLIN EXPRESS 1948 RKO MERLE OBERON ROBERT RYAN 4/22 1998 AMC
BIG CITY 1948 MGM MARGARET O’BRIEN 2/25 1999 TCM
BIG PUNCH 1948 WB WAYNE MORRIS GORDON MACRAE 6/8 2000 TCM
BLACK BART 1948 UNI DAN DURYEA YVONNE DE CARLO 3/4 1995 AMC
BLAZING ACROSS THE PECOS 1948 COL CHARLES STARRETT 11/19 2001 WEST
BODYGUARD 1948 RKO LAWRENCE TIERNEY PRISCILLA LANE 2/3 1993 AMC
BORROWED TROUBLE 1948 UA WILLIAM BOYD ANDY CLYDE 6/9 2002 WEST
BRIDE GOES WILD 1948 MGM VAN JOHNSON JUNE ALLYSON 8/28 1998 TCM
BROKEN JOURNEY (U.K.) 1948 EL PHYLLIS CALVERT JAMES DONALD 1/30 2012 TCM
CANON CITY 1948 EL SCOTT BRADY JEFF COREY 9/4 2000 TCM
CHECK YOUR GUNS 1948 EL XXX XXX 7/29 1997 TAPE
CONGO BILL 1948 COL 6/26 2012 DVD (SERIAL)
CORONER CREEK 1948 COL RANDOLPH SCOTT MARGUERITE CHAPMAN 3/21 1993 TNT
COWBOY CAVALIER 1948 MONO 7/13 2016 TCM
CROSSED TRAILS 1948 MONO JOHNNY MACK BROWN LYNNE CARVER 11/13 2010 DVD
CRY OF THE CITY 1948 FOX VICTOR MATURE RICHARD CONTE 10/4 1997 AMC
DAREDEVILS OF THE CLOUDS 1948 REP MAE CLARKE 1/3 1993 7
DEAD DON’T DREAM 1948 UA WILLIAM BOYD ANDY CLYDE 3/3 2002 WEST
DEAD MAN’S GOLD 1948 SG LASH LARUE FUZZY ST. JOHN 4/11 2014 DVD
DECISION OF CHRISTOPHER BLAKE 1948 WB ALEXIS SMITH ROBERT DOUGLAS 6/9 2006 TCM
DENVER KID 1948 REP ALLAN LANE DON ‘RED’ BARRY 3/19 2000 WEST
DESPERADOES OF DODGE CITY 1948 REP ALLAN LANE EDDIE WALLER 10/25 2005 WEST
DUDE GOES WEST 1948 AA EDDIE ALBERT GALE STORM 12/7 1993 TNT
ELIZABETH OF LADYMEAD (U.K.) 1948 BRITISH LION ANNA NEAGLE HUGH WILLIAMS 12/11 1993 21
EMBRACEABLE YOU 1948 WB DANE CLARK GERALDINE BROOKS 11/14 2000 TCM
ESTHER WATERS (U.K.) 1948 INTL. RELEASING KATHLEEN RYAN DIRK BOGARDE 8/10 2009 TCM
FIGHTING BACK 1948 FOX JEAN ROGERS 12/9 2000 FXM
FIGHTING MUSTANG 1948 ASTOR XXX XXX 2/12 1995 21
FIGHTING RANGER 1948 MONO JOHNNY MACK BROWN 6/23 2010 DVD
FORT APACHE 1948 RKO JOHN WAYNE HENRY FONDA 2/7 1996 TBS
FOUR FACES WEST 1948 MGM JOEL MCCREA FRANCES DEE 11/4 2000 WEST
FRONTIER AGENT 1948 MONO JOHNNY MACK BROWN 12/28 2009 DVD
FRONTIER RESCUE 1948 SG 4/19 2014 DVD
FULLER BRUSH MAN 1948 COL RED SKELTON JANET BLAIR 7/23 2008 TCM
FURY AT FURNACE CREEK 1948 FOX VICTOR MATURE COLEEN GRAY 11/7 1999 MAX
GALLANT LEGION 1948 REP BILL ELLIOTT BRUCE CABOT 2/29 2000 WEST
GERMANY YEAR ONE (IT.) 1948 SUPERFILM DIST. CORP 5/28 2012 TCM
GIVE MY REGARDS TO BROADWAY 1948 FOX DAN DAILEY 12/4 1995 AMC
GOOD SAM 1948 RKO GARY COOPER ANN SHERIDAN 1/23 1997 ROM
GOOD TIME GIRL (U.K.) 1948 FC JEAN KENT DENNIS PRICE 5/9 2007 TCM
GUNNING FOR JUSTICE 1948 MONO JOHNNY MACK BROWN 2/10 2010 DVD
HAMLET (U.K.) 1948 UNI LAURENCE OLIVIER EILEEN HERLIE 6/17 2007 TCM
HAWK OF POWDER RIVER 1948 EL EDDIE DEAN XXX 1/10 2001 WEST
HERE COMES THE HUGGETS (U.K.) 1948 PENTAGON JACK WARNER JANE HYLTON 1/9 2012 TCM
HERE COMES TROUBLE 1948 UA XXX XXX 1/4 2007 TCM
HIDDEN DANGER 1948 MONO JOHNNY MACK BROWN 3/24 2010 DVD
HIGH WALL 1948 MGM ROBERT TAYLOR AUDREY TOTTER 11/12 1998 TCM
I WALK ALONE 1948 PAR BURT LANCASTER KIRK DOUGLAS 6/16 1998 AMC
I, JANE DOE 1948 REP VERA RALSTON JOHN CARROLL 3/19 1996 TAPE
IDEAL HUSBAND (U.K.) 1948 FOX PAULETTE GODDARD MICHAEL WILDING 7/8 2012 TCM
IF WINTER COMES 1948 MGM WALTER PIDGEON DEBORAH KERR 4/29 1999 TCM
INDIAN AGENT 1948 RKO TIM HOLT 12/3 1992 AMC
INNER SANCTUM 1948 FC MARY BETH HUGHES LEE PATRICK 7/9 2012 DVD
IRON CURTAIN 1948 FOX DANA ANDREWS GENE TIERNEY 4/30 2007 FXM
JUDGE STEPS OUT 1948 RKO ALEXANDER KNOX ANN SOTHERN 10/10 1993 AMC
JULIA MISBEHAVES 1948 MGM GREER GARSON WALTER PIDGEON 8/12 1998 TCM
KIDNAPPED 1948 MONO RODDY MCDOWELL 11/6 1997 AMC
KILLER DILLER 1948 ATLANTIC XXX XXX 11/29 2007 DVD
LOADED PISTOLS 1948 COL GENE AUTRY BARBARA BRITTON 2/27 2006 WEST
LOVES OF CARMEN 1948 COL RITA HAYWORTH GLENN FORD 4/29 1993 TNT
LUXURY LINER 1948 MGM GEORGE BRENT JOSEPH COTTON 2/13 1994 TNT
MADONNA OF THE DESERT 1948 REP LYNNE ROBERTS DON ‘RED’ BARRY 12/13 1992 7
MAN FROM TEXAS 1948 EL 12/24 2016 DVD
MELODY TIME (CARTOON) 1948 RKO XXX XXX 8/11 1996 DIS
MICKEY 1948 EL LOIS BUTLER BILL GOODWIN 12/25 2010 DVD
MIRACLE IN HARLEM 1948 SG 1/18 2016 TCM
MY DOG RUSTY 1948 COL TED DONALDSON ANN DORAN 6/17 2007 TCM
MYSTERY IN MEXICO 1948 RKO WILLIAM LUNDIGAN 10/4 1993 AMC
NIGHT TIME IN NEVADA 1948 REP ROY ROGERS ADELE MARA 6/12 1994 TAPE
NORTHWEST STAMPEDE 1948 EL JAMES CRAIG JOAN LESLIE 7/3 2000 WEST
OKLAHOMA BADLANDS 1948 REP ALLAN LANE MILDRED COLES 8/12 2003 WEST
OKLAHOMA BLUES 1948 MONO JIMMY WAKELY 7/16 2011 TCM
OLD LOS ANGELES 1948 REP BILL ELLIOTT 6/28 1998 TAPE
ON OUR MERRY WAY 1948 UA PAULETTE GODDARD BURGESS MEREDITH 8/2 2009 TCM
ONE SUNDAY AFTERNOON 1948 WB DENNIS MORGAN JANIS PAIGE 9/22 1998 TCM
OVERLAND TRAIL 1948 MONO JOHNNY MACK BROWN 2/11 2011 DVD
PAROLE INC. 1948 EL MICHAEL O’SHEA TURHAN BEY 6/14 2007 DVD
PASSPORT TO PIMLICO (U.K.) 1948 EL STANLEY HOLLOWAY PAUL DUPOIS 12/7 2002 TCM
PHANTOM VALLEY 1948 COL CHARLES STARRETT 2/7 2002 WEST
RAW DEAL 1948 EL DENNIS O’KEEFE CLAIRE TREVOR 12/1 2007 TCM
RETURN OF OCTOBER 1948 COL GLENN FORD TERRY MOORE 1/10 2008 TCM
RETURN OF THE BAD MEN 1948 RKO RANDOLPH SCOTT 3/10 1996 AMC
RETURN OF THE WHISTLER 1948 COL MICHAEL DUNNE LENORE AUBERT 5/21 2000 MYST
RIVER LADY 1948 UNI YVONNE DE CARLO DAN DURYEA 5/7 1995 AMC
ROMANCE ON THE HIGH SEAS 1948 WB JACK CARSON DORIS DAY 12/4 1993 TNT
ROPE 1948 WB JAMES STEWART FARLEY GRANGER 11/14 1993 A & E
RUSTY LEADS THE WAY 1948 COL XXX XXX 6/10 2007 TCM
SECRET LAND (DOC.) 1948 MGM ROBERT MONTGOMERY ROBERT TAYLOR 2/19 2000 TCM
SIGN OF THE RAM 1948 COL 6/19 2013 TCM
SILENT CONFLICT 1948 UA WILLIAM BOYD 11/18 2001 WEST
SINISTER JOURNEY 1948 UA WILLIAM BOYD 5/6 2002 WEST
SMART GIRLS DON’T TALK 1948 WB VIRGINIA MAYO BRUCE BENNETT 11/30 2004 TCM
SMART WOMAN 1948 AA BRIAN AHERNE CONSTANCE BENNETT 3/3 2001 LOVE
SOUTHERN YANKEE 1948 MGM RED SKELTON BRIAN DONLEVY 12/24 1992 TNT
STATE DEPARTMENT – FILE 6949 1948 FOUR CONTINENTS WILLIAM LUNDIGAN VIRGINIA BRUCE 1/18 1994 55
STRANGE GAMBLE 1948 UA WILLIAM BOYD 6/6 2001 WEST
STRAWBERRY ROAN 1948 COL GENE AUTRY 10/24 1994 AMC
STREET WITH NO NAME 1948 FOX MARK STEVENS RICHARD WIDMARK 9/21 1998 MMAX
TENTH AVENUE ANGEL 1948 MGM MARGARET O’BRIEN GEORGE MURPHY 10/18 1998 TCM
THE ACCUSED 1948 PAR LORETTA YOUNG ROBERT CUMMINGS 2/19 1995 AMC
THE PLUNDERERS 1948 REP ROD CAMERON FORREST TUCKER 5/28 2000 WEST
THE SWORDSMAN 1948 COL LARRY PARKS ELLEN DREW 11/16 1992 TNT
THREE DARING DAUGHTERS 1948 MGM JEANETTE MACDONALD 5/13 2000 TCM
TIME OF YOUR LIFE 1948 UA JAMES CAGNEY WILLIAM BENDIX 1/15 1994 55
TIOGA KID 1948 EL JENNIFER HOLT 2/5 2002 WEST
TO THE VICTOR 1948 WB WILL FYFFE JOHN LODER 4/8 1999 TCM
TORNADO RANGE 1948 EL XXX XXX 10/5 1997 TAPE
TRAPPED BY BOSTON BLACKIE 1948 COL CHESTER MORRIS 4/1 2007 TCM
TRIGGERMAN 1948 MONO JOHNNY MACK BROWN 1/23 2010 DVD
TWO GUYS FROM TEXAS 1948 WB DENNIS MORGAN JACK CARSON 4/21 1999 TCM
UNTAMED BREED 1948 COL SONNY TUFTS BARBARA BRITTON 8/5 2003 WEST
VARIETY TIME 1948 RKO LEON ERROL 12/26 1992 AMC
VICE VERSA (U.K.) 1948 RANK ROGER LIVESEY KAY WALSH 6/15 2008 TCM
WALLFLOWER 1948 WB ROBERT HUTTON 9/2 1998 TCM
WESTWARD TRAIL 1948 EL XXX XXX 7/25 2001 WEST
WHIRLWIND RAIDERS 1948 COL CHARLES STARRETT 1/10 2005 WEST
YELLOW SKY 1948 FOX GREGORY PECK ANNE BAXTER 5/22 2000 MMAX
YOU GOTTA STAY HAPPY 1948 UNI JOAN FONTAINE JAMES STEWART 9/12 1995 AMC
YOU WERE MEANT FOR ME 1948 FOX JEANNE CRAIN DAN DAILEY 11/12 2006 FXM
These are the 40 1948 films currently in my collection. If a film listed is not from above I saw for the first time before November 1992.
16 FATHOMS DEEP
ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN
ADVENTURES OF FRANK AND JESSE JAMES (Serial)
ADVENTURES OF GALLANT BESS
APARTMENT FOR PEGGY
BACK TRAIL
BLACK BART
BLONDIE’S SECRET
CASBAH
CONGO BILL (serial)
CROSSED TRAILS
DEAD MAN’S GOLD
DUDE GOES WEST
EASTER PARADE
FIGHTING RANGER
FRONTIER AGENT
FRONTIER REVENGE
FULLER BRUSH MAN
GIVE MY REGARDS TO BROADWAY
GUNNING FOR JUSTICE
HERE COMES TROUBLE
HIDDEN DANGER
JUNGLE JIM
KIDNAPPED
LUXURY LINER
MELODY TIME
MEXICAN HAYRIDE
ON AN ISLAND WITH YOU
ONE SUNDAY AFTERNOON
OVERLAND TRAILS
PORTRAIT OF JENNIE
RIVER LADY
ROMANCE ON THE HIGH SEAS
SITTING PRETTY
SMART POLITICS
SUPERMAN (serial)
SWORDSMAN, THE
THREE MUSKETEERS
TRIGGERMAN
WORDS AND MUSIC
Hey Dan….thanks for sharing your tally and the information associated with the movies watched. Your 130 movies watched is easily the most 1948 movies seen….Though Lupino and Flora got somewhat close…especially compared to my small total of 20. As always…thanks for sharing this information. P.S. We now have a 1940s decade page….betting you can create the longest comment in the history of our websites there….lol.
I tried listing all 40’s films I’ve seen since November 1992 on the 40’s site but it only would allow up to The Secret of St. Ives. I saw 1405 1940’s films since November 1992 when I started logging them after hitting #8000.
Hi
Definitely a better quality year than ’47, though I’m surprised that Red Shoes was a big money maker, considering it is a very arty type of movie, very different. But nevertheless a great film. Another great show was Paleface, arguably Bob Hope’s best movie. Another favourite would be Easter Parade, The Snake Pit, Johnny Belinda and Sitting Pretty. As for The Emperor’s Waltz, Billy Wilder once that he had high hopes for the storyline but Bing Crosby was so difficult to direct, he practically ignored everything Wilder wanted. So Wilder just gave up. Also Crosby ignored Joan Fontaine, it seems Crosby was very much his own man on set, he done as he pleased and got away with it because he was such a big star. The project had been a labour of love for Wilder, he had been brought up in Austria, and in 1916 he witnessed the funeral of the old Emperor Franz Joseph. It had such an impact on his life that he never forgot it and so it really annoyed him when he made the film, that he didn’t get what he wanted.
I recently watched Sorry Wrong Number with Barbara Stanwyck, although she was quite good in it, I thought the film was just so-so.
Another great page, thanks.
Hey Chris….I have to assume that The Red Shoes had some awesome word of mouth…..it earned 3 times it’s 1948 box office haul in 1951. I imagine how visually stunning that movie was had a lot to do with it’s hefty box office returns.
Glad you like this year more than 1947. Interesting back story to The Emperor’s Waltz….does not sound like a fun movie set at all. I agree with you about Sorry Wrong Number…..it starts off well….but fizzles out at the end. Thanks for the kind words about our page.
I have seen 56 of these 1948 movies.
Here are my top favourites of those listed:
Key Largo
Treasure of the Sierra Madre
Easter Parade
Naked City
Hamlet
Yellow Sky
Road House
A Foreign Affair
Rope
The Three Musketeers
Hey Flora….well with 3 tally counts in…..you are first…and back to the days where your tally tops me and Steve….as it is 56, 28 and 20.
I have seen 5 of your favourites with Easter Parade, Rope and Key Largo being favorites of mine as well.
Thanks for stopping by.
A much better year than 1947 IMO with some seriously good movies – Treasure of the Sierra Madre, Red River, The Red Shoes, Hamlet, Easter Parade, Oliver Twist, Key Largo, Fort Apache and Rope.
Rope was one of Hitch’s experimental films and not in the same league as his dozen or so masterpieces, so it is surprising to see it top the critics chart here, topping the likes of Red River, Hamlet and Sierra Madre.
I’ve seen just 29 of the 139 films listed, I may have seen more I just can’t remember.
I have 42 films from 1948 in my private movie collection –
Abbott and Costello meet Frankenstein
Act of Violence
Adventures of Don Juan
Albuquerque
Big Clock ,The
Blood on the Moon
Date With Judy ,A
Easter Parade (2-disc sp.ed)
Force of Evil
Fort Apache
Hamlet
I Walk Alone
Jungle Jim
Key Largo
Kiss the Blood off my Hands
Macbeth
Man from Colorado ,The
Melody Time
Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House
Naked City ,The
Oliver Twist
Paleface ,The
Pirate ,The
Portrait of Jennie
Red River
Red Shoes ,The
Road House
Rope
Rope of Sand
Silver River
Sorry Wrong Number
Tarzan and the Mermaids
They Live By Night
Three Godfathers
Three Musketeers ,The (1948)
Treasure of the Sierra Madre (2-disc sp.ed)
Unknown Island
Wake of the Red Witch
Whispering Smith
Words and Music
Yellow Sky
zz-Italy – Bicycle Thieves
Looking at the adjusted box office I was surprised to see The Red Shoes topping the chart, was this British fantasy about a ballet dancer really such a huge megahit in the US? Bigger than Easter Parade, Red River and The Three Musketeers? It is hard to believe.
Good work as always Bruce. Voted Up!
Hey Steve
1. Thanks for the comment on your 1948 page.
2. Tally count….I am trailing your total of 29….as I am at only 20….not too impressive.
3. Your other 13 are not yet in my database….but in time I am sure that will change
4. The power of Hitchcock….I am sure his legend helped get Rope many stellar reviews….it is a movie that I enjoy with each new viewing.
5. As for The Red Shoes…when released in 1948 it was only a moderate hit….but it’s re-release in 1951 it was a monster hit…..in the end it earned 5.00 million rentals..which puts it in first place….but like Gone With The Wind…it earned most of it’s money after the year it was made and passed.
6. Yep Red Shoes topped Fred, John, Gene and everybody else.
Good comment.
HI BRUCE
1 I have been closely following this series of annual reviews and find it most rewarding in relation to my personal requirements. Not only does the series comprehensively bring together and rank the movies of each year reviewed but in most cases you give actual as well as adjusted grosses.
2 Whilst the adjusted gross is by far more relevant today it still interests me to see what a movie actually earned in the year of its release. Also as you know I like to privately compare the inflation adjusted figure under the ticket price method with that using CPI methods and to do that I need the actual figure for a movie. I can often ROUGHLY work them out for myself but your stats bring more accuracy to the exercise. I therefore hope that you will be able to continue providing the Actual Earnings column in your annual reviews. Many thanks BOB
Hey Bob…well now we have a 1949 yearly review and a massive 1940s decade page. Annual earnings will be included in all of these yearly updates. We know have every year from 1937 to 1949 covered.
Thanks for the feedback.