Finding box office information for movies made before 1980 is not an easy task. For somebody looking for box office information on 1959 it is very very frustrating. Over the years, we have researched and collected information on over 30,000 movies. So we figured we would show all the 1959 movies in our database.
To make this list a movie had to be made in 1959. This page will looks at 123 1959 Top Grossing 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. So why 1959? There are a couple of reasons….(1) Headed to Alabama for the rest of the holiday and (2) this year gives Steve Lensman’s favorite movie….Ben-Hur….lots of respect.
Our UMR Top 50 of 1959
Year
Movie (Year)
Rating
S
Year Movie (Year) Rating S
1959
Ben-Hur (1959)
AA Best Picture Win
1959
Some Like It Hot (1959)
1959
Anatomy of a Murder (1959)
AA Best Picture Nom
1959
The Nun's Story (1959)
AA Best Picture Nom
1959
North by Northwest (1959)
1959
Pillow Talk (1959)
1959
Rio Bravo (1959)
1959
Sleeping Beauty (1959)
1959
Imitation of Life (1959)
1959
Journey to the Center of the Earth (1959)
1959
Operation Petticoat (1959)
1959
Darby O'Gill and the Little People (1959)
1959
The Horse Soldiers (1959)
1959
Suddenly, Last Summer (1959)
1959
A Summer Place (1959)
1959
On the Beach (1959)
1959
Porgy and Bess (1959)
1959
The Five Pennies (1959)
1959
The Diary of Anne Frank (1959)
AA Best Picture Nom
1959
The FBI Story (1959)
1959
A Hole in the Head (1959)
1959
The Shaggy Dog (1959)
1959
Li'l Abner (1959)
1959
The Best of Everything (1959)
1959
This Earth Is Mine (1959)
1959
Solomon and Sheba (1959)
1959
Don't Give Up the Ship (1959)
1959
The Young Philadelphians (1959)
1959
Blue Denim (1959)
1959
Last Train from Gun Hill (1959)
1959
Room at the Top (1959)
AA Best Picture Nom
1959
Compulsion (1959)
1959
The Mating Game (1959)
1959
The Hanging Tree (1959)
1959
Our Man in Havana (1959)
1959
Al Capone (1959)
1959
The Mouse That Roared (1959)
1959
The Big Circus (1959)
1959
The Big Fisherman (1959)
1959
Say One For Me (1959)
1959
Ask Any Girl (1959)
1959
Third Man on the Mountain (1959)
1959
The Gazebo (1959)
1959
Never So Few (1959)
1959
It Started with a Kiss (1959)
1959
Career (1959)
1959
House on Haunted Hill (1959)
1959
They Came To Cordura (1959)
1959
The Last Angry Man (1959)
1959
Look Back in Anger (1959)
| Year | Movie (Year) | Rating | S |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Movie (Year) | Rating | S |
| 1959 | Ben-Hur (1959) AA Best Picture Win |
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| 1959 | Some Like It Hot (1959) | |
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| 1959 | Anatomy of a Murder (1959) AA Best Picture Nom |
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| 1959 | The Nun's Story (1959) AA Best Picture Nom |
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| 1959 | North by Northwest (1959) | |
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| 1959 | Pillow Talk (1959) | |
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| 1959 | Rio Bravo (1959) | |
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| 1959 | Sleeping Beauty (1959) | |
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| 1959 | Imitation of Life (1959) | |
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| 1959 | Journey to the Center of the Earth (1959) | |
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| 1959 | Operation Petticoat (1959) | |
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| 1959 | Darby O'Gill and the Little People (1959) | |
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| 1959 | The Horse Soldiers (1959) | |
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| 1959 | Suddenly, Last Summer (1959) | |
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| 1959 | A Summer Place (1959) | |
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| 1959 | On the Beach (1959) | |
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| 1959 | Porgy and Bess (1959) | |
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| 1959 | The Five Pennies (1959) | |
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| 1959 | The Diary of Anne Frank (1959) AA Best Picture Nom |
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| 1959 | The FBI Story (1959) | |
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| 1959 | A Hole in the Head (1959) | |
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| 1959 | The Shaggy Dog (1959) | |
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| 1959 | Li'l Abner (1959) | |
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| 1959 | The Best of Everything (1959) | |
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| 1959 | This Earth Is Mine (1959) | |
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| 1959 | Solomon and Sheba (1959) | |
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| 1959 | Don't Give Up the Ship (1959) | |
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| 1959 | The Young Philadelphians (1959) | |
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| 1959 | Blue Denim (1959) | |
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| 1959 | Last Train from Gun Hill (1959) | |
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| 1959 | Room at the Top (1959) AA Best Picture Nom |
|
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| 1959 | Compulsion (1959) | |
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| 1959 | The Mating Game (1959) | |
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| 1959 | The Hanging Tree (1959) | |
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| 1959 | Our Man in Havana (1959) | |
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| 1959 | Al Capone (1959) | |
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| 1959 | The Mouse That Roared (1959) | |
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| 1959 | The Big Circus (1959) | |
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| 1959 | The Big Fisherman (1959) | |
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| 1959 | Say One For Me (1959) | |
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| 1959 | Ask Any Girl (1959) | |
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| 1959 | Third Man on the Mountain (1959) | |
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| 1959 | The Gazebo (1959) | |
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| 1959 | Never So Few (1959) | |
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| 1959 | It Started with a Kiss (1959) | |
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| 1959 | Career (1959) | |
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| 1959 | House on Haunted Hill (1959) | |
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| 1959 | They Came To Cordura (1959) | |
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| 1959 | The Last Angry Man (1959) | |
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| 1959 | Look Back in Anger (1959) | |
1959 Top Grossing 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 1959 Top Grossing Movies by the stars or in some cases the director of the movie.
- Sort 1959 Top Grossing Movies by stars of the movie
- Sort 1959 Top Grossing Movies by domestic adjusted box office grosses using current movie ticket cost (in millions)
- Sort 1959 Top Grossing Movies how they were received by critics and audiences. 60% rating or higher should indicate a good movie.
- Sort by how many Oscar® nominations each 1959 Top Grossing Movies received and how many Oscar® wins each 1959 Top Grossing Movies received.
- Sort 1959 Top Grossing 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.
| R | Movie (Year) | UMR Co-Star Links | Adj. B.O. Worldwide (mil) | UMR Score | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R | Movie (Year) | UMR Co-Star Links | Actual B.O. Domestic (mil) | Adj. B.O. Domestic (mil) | Adj. B.O. Worldwide (mil) | B.O. Rank by Year | Review | Oscar Nom / Win | UMR Score | S |
| 1 | Ben-Hur (1959) AA Best Picture Win |
Charlton Heston & Stephen Boyd |
58.8 | 1,225.3 | 3,159.80 | 1 | 91 | 12 / 11 | 100.0 | |
| 2 | Some Like It Hot (1959) | Jack Lemmon & Marilyn Monroe |
23.2 | 483.8 | 483.80 | 5 | 93 | 06 / 01 | 99.5 | |
| 3 | Anatomy of a Murder (1959) AA Best Picture Nom |
James Stewart & George C. Scott |
15.7 | 327.4 | 327.40 | 13 | 86 | 07 / 00 | 99.3 | |
| 4 | The Nun's Story (1959) AA Best Picture Nom |
Audrey Hepburn | 16.0 | 334.0 | 683.60 | 12 | 84 | 08 / 00 | 99.3 | |
| 5 | North by Northwest (1959) | Cary Grant & James Mason |
19.2 | 399.0 | 643.00 | 7 | 93 | 03 / 00 | 99.2 | |
| 6 | Pillow Talk (1959) | Doris Day & Rock Hudson |
22.2 | 463.1 | 463.10 | 6 | 83 | 05 / 01 | 98.6 | |
| 7 | Rio Bravo (1959) | John Wayne & Dean Martin |
16.4 | 342.3 | 599.90 | 11 | 85 | 00 / 00 | 98.2 | |
| 8 | Sleeping Beauty (1959) | Disney Animation | 43.7 | 910.0 | 910.00 | 2 | 82 | 01 / 00 | 97.8 | |
| 9 | Imitation of Life (1959) | Lana Turner & Sandra Dee |
18.3 | 382.0 | 382.00 | 8 | 80 | 02 / 00 | 97.4 | |
| 10 | Journey to the Center of the Earth (1959) | James Mason & Arlene Dahl |
14.3 | 297.6 | 297.60 | 15 | 76 | 03 / 00 | 96.9 | |
| 11 | Operation Petticoat (1959) | Cary Grant & Tony Curtis |
26.6 | 554.8 | 554.80 | 3 | 77 | 01 / 00 | 96.7 | |
| 12 | Darby O'Gill and the Little People (1959) | Sean Connery | 17.2 | 358.9 | 358.90 | 10 | 77 | 00 / 00 | 96.6 | |
| 13 | The Horse Soldiers (1959) | John Wayne & William Holden |
10.9 | 226.2 | 226.20 | 21 | 76 | 00 / 00 | 96.1 | |
| 13 | Suddenly, Last Summer (1959) | Elizabeth Taylor & Montgomery Clift |
18.2 | 379.5 | 379.50 | 9 | 72 | 03 / 00 | 95.8 | |
| 14 | A Summer Place (1959) | Sandra Dee & Dorothy McGuire |
12.3 | 256.4 | 400.10 | 18 | 73 | 00 / 00 | 95.5 | |
| 15 | On the Beach (1959) | Gregory Peck & Fred Astaire |
13.6 | 284.2 | 460.40 | 17 | 71 | 02 / 00 | 95.5 | |
| 19 | Porgy and Bess (1959) | Sidney Poitier | 8.3 | 172.6 | 172.60 | 28 | 77 | 04 / 01 | 95.3 | |
| 20 | The Five Pennies (1959) | Danny Kaye | 7.9 | 163.7 | 163.70 | 30 | 80 | 04 / 00 | 95.0 | |
| 21 | The Diary of Anne Frank (1959) AA Best Picture Nom |
Shelley Winters & Directed by George Stevens |
6.6 | 136.9 | 189.00 | 38 | 74 | 08 / 03 | 94.7 | |
| 21 | The FBI Story (1959) | James Stewart | 10.0 | 208.3 | 208.30 | 22 | 67 | 00 / 00 | 93.7 | |
| 20 | A Hole in the Head (1959) | Frank Sinatra & Edward G. Robinson |
14.2 | 295.5 | 295.50 | 16 | 66 | 00 / 00 | 93.4 | |
| 22 | The Shaggy Dog (1959) | Fred MacMurray | 24.9 | 517.9 | 517.90 | 4 | 66 | 00 / 00 | 93.2 | |
| 26 | Li'l Abner (1959) | Leslie Parrish | 9.1 | 190.5 | 190.50 | 25 | 66 | 01 / 00 | 92.7 | |
| 25 | The Best of Everything (1959) | Joan Crawford & Stephen Boyd |
10.0 | 208.3 | 208.30 | 23 | 62 | 02 / 00 | 92.5 | |
| 27 | This Earth Is Mine (1959) | Rock Hudson & Claude Rains |
9.7 | 202.4 | 202.40 | 24 | 61 | 00 / 00 | 91.7 | |
| 22 | Solomon and Sheba (1959) | Yul Brynner & Gina Lollobrigida |
14.9 | 309.5 | 309.50 | 14 | 61 | 00 / 00 | 91.7 | |
| 26 | Don't Give Up the Ship (1959) | Jerry Lewis & Dina Merrill |
11.4 | 238.1 | 238.10 | 19 | 60 | 00 / 00 | 91.1 | |
| 28 | The Young Philadelphians (1959) | Paul Newman & Brian Keith |
7.7 | 160.7 | 160.70 | 32 | 69 | 03 / 00 | 90.9 | |
| 31 | Blue Denim (1959) | Carol Lynley | 7.1 | 148.8 | 148.80 | 35 | 69 | 00 / 00 | 88.5 | |
| 32 | Last Train from Gun Hill (1959) | Kirk Douglas & Anthony Quinn |
6.7 | 139.9 | 139.90 | 37 | 71 | 00 / 00 | 88.2 | |
| 29 | Room at the Top (1959) AA Best Picture Nom |
Laurence Harvey & Simone Signoret |
2.7 | 56.5 | 56.50 | 87 | 83 | 06 / 02 | 88.1 | |
| 30 | Compulsion (1959) | Orson Welles & Dean Stockwell |
5.1 | 107.1 | 107.10 | 48 | 80 | 00 / 00 | 87.8 | |
| 33 | The Mating Game (1959) | Debbie Reynolds & Tony Randall |
7.3 | 151.8 | 151.80 | 33 | 66 | 00 / 00 | 87.7 | |
| 35 | The Hanging Tree (1959) | Gary Cooper & George C. Scott |
6.3 | 131.0 | 131.00 | 40 | 71 | 01 / 00 | 87.5 | |
| 34 | Our Man in Havana (1959) | Maureen O'Hara | 5.2 | 108.6 | 108.60 | 47 | 78 | 00 / 00 | 87.1 | |
| 38 | Al Capone (1959) | Rod Steiger | 7.1 | 148.8 | 148.80 | 36 | 65 | 00 / 00 | 87.0 | |
| 37 | The Mouse That Roared (1959) | Peter Sellers | 5.7 | 119.0 | 119.00 | 43 | 74 | 00 / 00 | 86.9 | |
| 39 | The Big Circus (1959) | Peter Lorre & Vincent Price |
7.7 | 160.7 | 160.70 | 31 | 60 | 00 / 00 | 86.6 | |
| 42 | The Big Fisherman (1959) | Howard Keel | 8.6 | 178.6 | 178.60 | 26 | 50 | 03 / 00 | 85.9 | |
| 38 | Say One For Me (1959) | Bing Crosby & Debbie Reynolds |
11.1 | 232.1 | 232.10 | 20 | 45 | 01 / 00 | 85.8 | |
| 41 | Ask Any Girl (1959) | Shirley MacLaine & David Niven |
5.7 | 119.0 | 119.00 | 42 | 69 | 00 / 00 | 85.1 | |
| 40 | Third Man on the Mountain (1959) | James MacArthur | 4.6 | 95.2 | 95.20 | 56 | 76 | 00 / 00 | 85.0 | |
| 43 | The Gazebo (1959) | Debbie Reynolds & Glenn Ford |
5.3 | 110.1 | 110.10 | 46 | 69 | 01 / 00 | 84.4 | |
| 45 | Never So Few (1959) | Steve McQueen & Frank Sinatra |
8.4 | 175.6 | 175.60 | 27 | 49 | 00 / 00 | 84.4 | |
| 48 | It Started with a Kiss (1959) | Debbie Reynolds & Glenn Ford |
7.9 | 163.7 | 163.70 | 29 | 51 | 00 / 00 | 83.5 | |
| 46 | Career (1959) | Dean Martin & Shirley MacLaine |
6.0 | 125.0 | 125.00 | 41 | 60 | 03 / 00 | 83.0 | |
| 44 | House on Haunted Hill (1959) | Vincent Price & Carol Ohmart |
4.3 | 89.3 | 89.30 | 62 | 74 | 00 / 00 | 83.0 | |
| 47 | They Came To Cordura (1959) | Gary Cooper & Rita Hayworth |
6.4 | 133.9 | 133.90 | 39 | 59 | 00 / 00 | 82.8 | |
| 49 | The Last Angry Man (1959) | Paul Muni | 4.8 | 99.7 | 99.70 | 53 | 65 | 02 / 00 | 81.2 | |
| 50 | Look Back in Anger (1959) | Richard Burton & Claire Bloom |
3.2 | 66.1 | 66.10 | 76 | 76 | 00 / 00 | 80.3 | |
| 52 | The Journey (1959) | Deborah Kerr & Yul Brynner |
3.6 | 75.9 | 75.90 | 70 | 72 | 00 / 00 | 80.1 | |
| 53 | Gidget (1959) | Sandra Dee | 4.3 | 89.3 | 89.30 | 61 | 68 | 00 / 00 | 79.9 | |
| 51 | Ride Lonesome (1959) | James Coburn & Randolph Scott |
2.7 | 56.5 | 56.50 | 89 | 78 | 00 / 00 | 79.7 | |
| 54 | Middle Of The Night (1959) | Fredric March | 4.1 | 86.3 | 86.30 | 64 | 67 | 00 / 00 | 78.7 | |
| 57 | Hercules Unchained (1959) | Steve Reeves | 7.1 | 148.8 | 148.80 | 34 | 46 | 00 / 00 | 77.9 | |
| 57 | Happy Anniversary (1959) | David Niven & Mitzi Gaynor |
5.1 | 107.1 | 107.10 | 49 | 59 | 00 / 00 | 77.8 | |
| 55 | No Name on the Bullet (1959) | Audie Murphy | 2.7 | 56.5 | 56.50 | 88 | 74 | 00 / 00 | 77.5 | |
| 60 | It Happened To Jane (1959) | Doris Day & Jack Lemmon |
4.9 | 101.2 | 101.20 | 52 | 60 | 00 / 00 | 77.2 | |
| 61 | Pork Chop Hill (1959) | Gregory Peck & Martin Landau |
5.6 | 116.1 | 116.10 | 44 | 55 | 00 / 00 | 77.1 | |
| 59 | Warlock (1959) | Richard Widmark & Henry Fonda |
4.3 | 89.3 | 89.30 | 60 | 63 | 00 / 00 | 77.0 | |
| 61 | Day of the Outlaw (1959) | Robert Ryan | 2.4 | 49.1 | 49.10 | 97 | 74 | 00 / 00 | 75.7 | |
| 63 | Babette Goes to War/Babette s'en va-t-en guerre (1959) | Brigitte Bardot | 4.7 | 97.0 | 97.00 | 55 | 59 | 00 / 00 | 75.5 | |
| 62 | Odds Against Tomorrow (1959) | Shelley Winters & Robert Ryan |
1.8 | 37.2 | 37.20 | 121 | 77 | 00 / 00 | 75.2 | |
| 64 | Goliath and the Barbarians (1959) | Steve Reeves | 4.6 | 95.2 | 95.20 | 57 | 57 | 00 / 00 | 73.7 | |
| 66 | Yellowstone Kelly (1959) | Warren Oates & Clint Walker |
4.3 | 89.3 | 89.30 | 63 | 59 | 00 / 00 | 73.3 | |
| 65 | The Tingler (1959) | Vincent Price & Darryl Hickman |
2.9 | 59.5 | 59.50 | 84 | 68 | 00 / 00 | 72.9 | |
| 69 | The Sound And The Fury (1959) | Yul Brynner | 4.9 | 101.2 | 101.20 | 51 | 54 | 00 / 00 | 72.6 | |
| 66 | The Trap (1959) | Richard Widmark | 3.1 | 65.5 | 65.50 | 79 | 65 | 00 / 00 | 72.4 | |
| 73 | The Devil's Disciple (1959) | Burt Lancaster & Kirk Douglas |
3.9 | 80.4 | 80.40 | 68 | 60 | 00 / 00 | 72.0 | |
| 76 | Thunder in the Sun (1959) | Susan Hayward & Jeff Chandler |
4.7 | 98.2 | 98.20 | 54 | 54 | 00 / 00 | 71.7 | |
| 72 | The Wreck of the Mary Deare (1959) | Charlton Heston & Gary Cooper |
3.3 | 69.3 | 167.60 | 73 | 63 | 00 / 00 | 71.5 | |
| 68 | I'm All Right Jack (1959) | Peter Sellers | 1.0 | 21.0 | 21.00 | 145 | 78 | 00 / 00 | 71.4 | |
| 70 | The Gene Krupa Story (1959) | Sal Mineo | 2.2 | 44.9 | 44.90 | 102 | 71 | 00 / 00 | 71.4 | |
| 71 | The Mummy (1959) | Peter Cushing | 2.2 | 42.1 | 42.10 | 103 | 70 | 00 / 00 | 70.8 | |
| 77 | The Remarkable Mr. Pennypacker (1959) | Clifton Webb | 3.7 | 77.4 | 77.40 | 69 | 60 | 00 / 00 | 70.6 | |
| 77 | Alias Jesse James (1959) | Bob Hope | 5.0 | 104.2 | 104.20 | 50 | 51 | 00 / 00 | 70.5 | |
| 76 | The 400 Blows (1959) | Directed by Francois Truffaut | 0.1 | 2.2 | 129.50 | 178 | 81 | 01 / 00 | 69.5 | |
| 78 | Ten Seconds To Hell (1959) | Jeff Chandler | 2.3 | 48.5 | 48.50 | 98 | 68 | 00 / 00 | 69.4 | |
| 79 | The Story On Page One (1959) | Rita Hayworth & Gig Young |
2.9 | 59.4 | 59.40 | 85 | 64 | 00 / 00 | 69.4 | |
| 78 | Shake Hands with The Devil (1959) | James Cagney | 2.8 | 58.0 | 58.00 | 86 | 65 | 00 / 00 | 69.3 | |
| 82 | Up Periscope (1959) | James Garner & Warren Oates |
3.9 | 81.1 | 158.50 | 66 | 57 | 00 / 00 | 69.3 | |
| 80 | Westbound (1959) | Randolph Scott & Virginia Mayo |
2.2 | 45.0 | 84.50 | 101 | 68 | 00 / 00 | 68.0 | |
| 85 | The Jayhawkers! (1959) | Jeff Chandler | 2.9 | 59.5 | 59.50 | 82 | 62 | 00 / 00 | 66.9 | |
| 84 | The Wonderful Country (1959) | Robert Mitchum | 2.9 | 59.5 | 59.50 | 83 | 62 | 00 / 00 | 66.9 | |
| 83 | Where The Hot Wind Blows (1959) | Gina Lollobrigida | 2.1 | 44.6 | 64.00 | 105 | 67 | 00 / 00 | 66.7 | |
| 87 | Hannibal (1959) | Victor Mature | 4.4 | 92.3 | 92.30 | 58 | 51 | 00 / 00 | 66.2 | |
| 86 | The World, the Flesh and the Devil (1959) | Harry Belafonte | 1.7 | 34.8 | 64.60 | 124 | 69 | 00 / 00 | 65.3 | |
| 88 | The Bat (1959) | Vincent Price & Agnes Moorehead |
2.5 | 52.4 | 52.40 | 92 | 63 | 00 / 00 | 64.9 | |
| 91 | A Private's Affair (1959) | Sal Mineo | 4.3 | 89.3 | 89.30 | 59 | 51 | 00 / 00 | 64.6 | |
| 91 | That Kind of Woman (1959) | Sophia Loren & George Sanders |
2.9 | 59.5 | 59.50 | 81 | 60 | 00 / 00 | 64.5 | |
| 95 | But Not For Me (1959) | Clark Gable & Carroll Baker |
5.4 | 113.1 | 157.70 | 45 | 43 | 00 / 00 | 64.0 | |
| 90 | Tiger Bay (1959) | John Mills | 0.9 | 18.2 | 18.20 | 149 | 72 | 00 / 00 | 63.5 | |
| 93 | Le chemin des écoliers (1959) | Alain Delon | 2.5 | 52.4 | 68.10 | 91 | 61 | 00 / 00 | 63.0 | |
| 96 | Come Dance with Me!/Voulez-vous danser avec moi (1959) | Brigitte Bardot | 3.2 | 66.6 | 66.60 | 75 | 56 | 00 / 00 | 62.4 | |
| 93 | North West Frontier (1959) | Lauren Bacall & Kenneth More |
1.1 | 23.8 | 23.80 | 138 | 70 | 00 / 00 | 62.2 | |
| 92 | Black Orpheus (1959) | Breno Mello | 0.8 | 15.6 | 15.60 | 155 | 70 | 01 / 01 | 62.0 | |
| 95 | A Stranger in My Arms (1959) | Sandra Dee & June Allyson |
1.9 | 40.2 | 40.20 | 114 | 64 | 00 / 00 | 61.2 | |
| 98 | The Bridge (1959) | Buck Henry | 0.1 | 2.9 | 2.90 | 175 | 75 | 00 / 00 | 60.9 | |
| 100 | Never Steal Anything Small (1959) | James Cagney | 2.6 | 55.1 | 55.10 | 90 | 59 | 00 / 00 | 60.6 | |
| 100 | Have Rocket -- Will Travel (1959) | Three Stooges | 3.1 | 65.5 | 65.50 | 78 | 55 | 00 / 00 | 60.3 | |
| 99 | Tiger of Bengal (1959) | Debra Paget | 0.9 | 16.9 | 16.90 | 151 | 70 | 00 / 00 | 59.9 | |
| 108 | Sign of the Gladiator (1959) | Anita Ekberg | 3.4 | 71.4 | 71.40 | 71 | 53 | 00 / 00 | 59.5 | |
| 101 | The Indian Tomb (1959) | Debra Paget | 0.9 | 16.9 | 16.90 | 152 | 69 | 00 / 00 | 59.2 | |
| 104 | Edge of Eternity (1959) | Cornel Wilde | 1.9 | 38.8 | 38.80 | 117 | 63 | 00 / 00 | 59.0 | |
| 105 | These Thousand Hills (1959) | Lee Remick & Richard Egan |
1.9 | 38.8 | 38.80 | 116 | 63 | 00 / 00 | 59.0 | |
| 102 | The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959) | Peter Cushing | 0.4 | 8.4 | 8.40 | 165 | 72 | 00 / 00 | 58.9 | |
| 105 | Face of a Fugitive (1959) | ames Coburn & Fred MacMurray |
2.1 | 44.6 | 44.60 | 104 | 61 | 00 / 00 | 58.6 | |
| 108 | The Blue Angel (1959) | Curd Jürgens | 4.0 | 83.3 | 83.30 | 65 | 48 | 00 / 00 | 58.3 | |
| 111 | Tarzan's Greatest Adventure (1959) | Sean Connery & Gordon Scott |
2.5 | 52.1 | 52.10 | 93 | 57 | 00 / 00 | 56.8 | |
| 106 | Carry On Nurse (1959) | Kenneth Williams | 1.5 | 31.2 | 31.20 | 129 | 64 | 00 / 00 | 56.7 | |
| 110 | Web of Evidence (1959) | Van Johnson | 1.5 | 30.6 | 30.60 | 131 | 64 | 00 / 00 | 56.4 | |
| 113 | Woman Obsessed (1959) | Susan Hayward | 3.2 | 67.0 | 67.00 | 74 | 52 | 00 / 00 | 56.3 | |
| 113 | Three Murderesses/Faibles femmes (1959) | Alain Delon | 2.4 | 49.2 | 114.80 | 96 | 58 | 00 / 00 | 56.1 | |
| 115 | The Giant of Marathon (1959) | Steve Reeves | 3.9 | 80.4 | 80.40 | 67 | 48 | 00 / 00 | 55.8 | |
| 112 | The Siege of Pinchgut (1959) | Aldo Ray | 0.7 | 15.3 | 15.30 | 157 | 68 | 00 / 00 | 54.8 | |
| 114 | Journey To The Lost City (1959) | Debra Paget | 0.7 | 14.0 | 14.00 | 158 | 67 | 00 / 00 | 54.2 | |
| 118 | For The First Time (1959) | Mario Lanza | 2.0 | 42.3 | 100.30 | 108 | 59 | 00 / 00 | 54.1 | |
| 116 | Libel (1959) | Olivia de Havilland & Robert Shaw |
0.7 | 14.6 | 69.60 | 159 | 66 | 01 / 00 | 53.4 | |
| 119 | The Wild and the Innocent (1959) | Audie Murphy & Sandra Dee |
2.0 | 41.7 | 41.70 | 110 | 58 | 00 / 00 | 53.0 | |
| 118 | SOS Pacific (1959) | Richard Attenborough | 0.4 | 8.4 | 8.40 | 164 | 68 | 00 / 00 | 52.9 | |
| 120 | Face of Fire (1959) | James Whitmore | 0.1 | 2.9 | 2.90 | 171 | 70 | 00 / 00 | 52.1 | |
| 121 | Holiday For Lovers (1959) | Paul Henreid & Clifton Webb |
3.1 | 65.5 | 65.50 | 77 | 50 | 00 / 00 | 51.1 | |
| 124 | Watusi (1959) | George Montgomery | 2.0 | 41.4 | 92.00 | 112 | 57 | 00 / 00 | 49.7 | |
| 122 | Good Day For a Hanging (1959) | Fred MacMurray | 1.5 | 31.0 | 31.00 | 130 | 60 | 00 / 00 | 49.2 | |
| 123 | Night of the Quarter Moon (1959) | Agnes Moorehead | 1.3 | 27.7 | 56.00 | 133 | 61 | 00 / 00 | 49.2 | |
| 126 | The Angry Hills (1959) | Robert Mitchum | 1.5 | 30.4 | 76.50 | 132 | 60 | 00 / 00 | 48.9 | |
| 130 | Beloved Infidel (1959) | Gregory Peck & Deborah Kerr |
2.2 | 45.8 | 45.80 | 100 | 54 | 00 / 00 | 48.2 | |
| 126 | Riff Raff Girls (1959) | Eddie Constantine | 0.4 | 7.0 | 7.00 | 168 | 66 | 00 / 00 | 47.9 | |
| 126 | I Mobster (1959) | Roger Corman | 0.6 | 11.8 | 11.80 | 162 | 65 | 00 / 00 | 47.7 | |
| 128 | Horrors of the Black Museum (1959) | Michael Gough | 1.0 | 21.7 | 21.70 | 143 | 62 | 00 / 00 | 47.6 | |
| 130 | Sapphire (1959) Limited Release |
Nigel Patrick | 0.1 | 2.9 | 22.40 | 169 | 67 | 00 / 00 | 47.3 | |
| 129 | ...and the Wild Wild Women (1959) | Anna Magnani | 0.1 | 1.8 | 1.80 | 179 | 68 | 00 / 00 | 46.8 | |
| 134 | The Hangman (1959) | Robert Taylor | 2.9 | 59.5 | 78.90 | 80 | 49 | 00 / 00 | 46.6 | |
| 131 | The Great St. Louis Bank Robbery (1959) | Steve McQueen | 2.1 | 43.5 | 43.50 | 107 | 54 | 00 / 00 | 46.4 | |
| 133 | John Paul Jones (1959) | Bette Davis & Peter Cushing |
2.4 | 50.4 | 106.50 | 95 | 52 | 00 / 00 | 45.6 | |
| 136 | The Female/La femme et le pantin (1959) | Brigitte Bardot | 2.5 | 51.1 | 51.10 | 94 | 51 | 00 / 00 | 45.1 | |
| 138 | Green Mansions (1959) | Audrey Hepburn & Anthony Perkins |
3.4 | 69.9 | 69.90 | 72 | 45 | 00 / 00 | 44.0 | |
| 139 | Cast a Long Shadow (1959) | Audie Murphy | 1.9 | 38.7 | 38.70 | 120 | 54 | 00 / 00 | 42.5 | |
| 135 | Broth of a Boy (1959) | Barry Fitzgerald | 0.7 | 15.5 | 15.50 | 156 | 61 | 00 / 00 | 42.5 | |
| 138 | The Restless and the Damned (1959) | Edmond O'Brien | 0.8 | 15.8 | 15.80 | 154 | 61 | 00 / 00 | 42.0 | |
| 142 | Season of Passion (1959) | Anne Baxter & Ernest Borgnine |
1.8 | 37.2 | 37.20 | 122 | 54 | 00 / 00 | 41.5 | |
| 140 | The Beat Generation (1959) | Mamie Van Doren | 1.1 | 23.8 | 44.60 | 139 | 58 | 00 / 00 | 40.8 | |
| 144 | The Big Operator (1959) | Mickey Rooney | 0.9 | 19.6 | 40.50 | 147 | 59 | 00 / 00 | 40.3 | |
| 142 | Expresso Bongo (1959) | Laurence Harvey | 0.1 | 3.0 | 3.00 | 174 | 64 | 00 / 00 | 40.0 | |
| 144 | Operation Amsterdam (1959) | Peter Finch | 0.4 | 9.0 | 9.00 | 163 | 62 | 00 / 00 | 39.1 | |
| 146 | Escort West (1959) | Victor Mature | 2.0 | 41.7 | 41.70 | 109 | 51 | 00 / 00 | 37.8 | |
| 146 | Carlton-Browne of the F.O. (1959) | Peter Sellers | 0.4 | 8.0 | 8.00 | 167 | 61 | 00 / 00 | 36.9 | |
| 148 | 4D Man (1959) | Patty Duke | 0.1 | 2.9 | 2.90 | 176 | 62 | 00 / 00 | 36.4 | |
| 149 | The Angry Red Planet (1959) | Gerald Mohr | 2.0 | 41.7 | 41.70 | 111 | 50 | 00 / 00 | 35.6 | |
| 151 | À double tour (1959) | Jean-Paul Belmondo | 0.1 | 1.3 | 40.20 | 180 | 61 | 00 / 00 | 32.7 | |
| 150 | Home Is The Hero (1959) | Arthur Kennedy | 0.1 | 3.0 | 3.00 | 170 | 61 | 00 / 00 | 32.4 | |
| 150 | Battle of the Coral Sea (1959) | Cliff Robertson | 0.9 | 19.4 | 19.40 | 148 | 55 | 00 / 00 | 31.3 | |
| 154 | Return of the Fly (1959) | Vincent Price & Brett Halsey |
1.9 | 38.7 | 38.70 | 119 | 49 | 00 / 00 | 31.2 | |
| 152 | The Scapegoat (1959) | Bette Davis & Alec Guinness |
1.6 | 33.9 | 71.10 | 125 | 50 | 00 / 00 | 31.0 | |
| 153 | Hound-Dog Man (1959) | Carol Lynley | 1.5 | 31.3 | 31.30 | 128 | 51 | 00 / 00 | 30.3 | |
| 156 | The Gunfight at Dodge City (1959) | Joel McCrea | 2.1 | 44.6 | 44.60 | 106 | 46 | 00 / 00 | 30.0 | |
| 157 | The Bandit of Zhobe (1959) | Victor Mature | 2.0 | 40.8 | 40.80 | 113 | 47 | 00 / 00 | 29.5 | |
| 160 | Count Your Blessings (1959) | Deborah Kerr | 2.3 | 48.2 | 101.80 | 99 | 45 | 00 / 00 | 29.0 | |
| 155 | Portrait of a Sinner (1959) | William Bendix | 0.1 | 3.0 | 3.00 | 173 | 59 | 00 / 00 | 28.5 | |
| 158 | The Young Land (1959) | Dennis Hopper | 1.0 | 21.5 | 21.50 | 144 | 52 | 01 / 00 | 28.1 | |
| 161 | First Man Into Space (1959) | Marshall Thompson | 0.9 | 18.5 | 18.50 | 150 | 53 | 00 / 00 | 27.7 | |
| 162 | Timbutku (1959) | Yvonne De Carlo | 1.5 | 32.2 | 32.20 | 126 | 49 | 00 / 00 | 27.5 | |
| 162 | A Dog's Best Friend (1959) | Harry Dean Stanton | 1.2 | 25.7 | 25.70 | 134 | 51 | 00 / 00 | 27.5 | |
| 164 | The House of the Seven Hawks (1959) | Robert Taylor | 1.2 | 24.7 | 63.40 | 137 | 51 | 00 / 00 | 26.7 | |
| 165 | The Man in The Net (1959) | Alan Ladd & Carolyn Jones |
1.8 | 36.6 | 36.60 | 123 | 46 | 00 / 00 | 25.5 | |
| 164 | Gangster Story (1959) | Walter Matthau | 1.1 | 23.5 | 23.50 | 140 | 50 | 00 / 00 | 24.7 | |
| 163 | The Miracle (1959) | Roger Moore | 0.4 | 8.3 | 8.30 | 166 | 55 | 00 / 00 | 24.6 | |
| 166 | The Last Blitzkrieg (1959) | Van Johnson | 1.2 | 24.7 | 24.70 | 136 | 49 | 00 / 00 | 24.1 | |
| 167 | Subway In The Sky (1959) | Van Johnson | 0.6 | 12.8 | 12.80 | 160 | 51 | 00 / 00 | 19.4 | |
| 169 | Jet Over The Atlantic (1959) | Virginia Mayo | 0.9 | 17.9 | 17.90 | 153 | 49 | 00 / 00 | 19.1 | |
| 168 | Hot Money Girl (1959) | Eddie Constantine | 0.1 | 2.9 | 2.90 | 172 | 53 | 00 / 00 | 18.9 | |
| 172 | The Immoral Mr. Teas (1959) | Directed by Russ Meyer | 1.5 | 31.4 | 31.40 | 127 | 44 | 00 / 00 | 18.0 | |
| 170 | Killers of Kilimanjaro (1959) | Robert Taylor | 0.6 | 12.6 | 12.60 | 161 | 50 | 00 / 00 | 18.0 | |
| 171 | Bobbikins (1959) | Shirley Jones & Max Bygraves |
1.2 | 25.3 | 25.30 | 135 | 46 | 00 / 00 | 17.9 | |
| 173 | An Angel on Wheels (1959) | Jean-Paul Belmondo | 0.0 | 0.7 | 32.20 | 181 | 50 | 00 / 00 | 13.4 | |
| 174 | The Killer Shrews (1959) | James Best | 1.0 | 20.8 | 20.80 | 146 | 42 | 00 / 00 | 11.0 | |
| 177 | The Man Who Understood Women (1959) | Henry Fonda & Leslie Caron |
1.9 | 38.7 | 38.70 | 118 | 35 | 00 / 00 | 9.9 | |
| 175 | Frontier Rangers (1959) | Buddy Ebsen | 0.0 | 0.7 | 39.40 | 182 | 47 | 00 / 00 | 9.8 | |
| 178 | Tarzan, the Ape Man (1959) | Denny Miller | 1.9 | 39.3 | 39.30 | 115 | 34 | 00 / 00 | 9.0 | |
| 179 | The Oregon Trail (1959) | Fred MacMurray | 1.1 | 22.9 | 22.90 | 141 | 39 | 00 / 00 | 9.0 | |
| 179 | Girls Town (1959) | Mamie Van Doren | 1.1 | 22.3 | 52.10 | 142 | 35 | 00 / 00 | 5.5 | |
| 180 | Cuban Rebel Girls (1959) | Errol Flynn | 0.1 | 3.0 | 3.00 | 177 | 30 | 00 / 00 | 0.8 |
1959 Box Office Grosses – Adjusted World Wide
| Movie (Year) | UMR Co-Star Links | World-Wide Box Office Adjusted (mil) | S |
|---|---|---|---|
| Movie (Year) | UMR Co-Star Links | World-Wide Box Office Adjusted (mil) | S |
| Ben-Hur (1959) AA Best Picture Win |
Charlton Heston & Stephen Boyd |
3,159.80 | |
| The Nun's Story (1959) AA Best Picture Nom |
Audrey Hepburn | 683.60 | |
| North by Northwest (1959) | Cary Grant & James Mason |
643.00 | |
| Rio Bravo (1959) | John Wayne & Dean Martin |
599.90 | |
| On the Beach (1959) | Gregory Peck & Fred Astaire |
460.40 | |
| A Summer Place (1959) | Sandra Dee & Dorothy McGuire |
400.10 | |
| The Diary of Anne Frank (1959) AA Best Picture Nom |
Shelley Winters & Directed by George Stevens |
189.00 | |
| The Wreck of the Mary Deare (1959) | Charlton Heston & Gary Cooper |
167.60 | |
| Up Periscope (1959) | James Garner & Warren Oates |
158.50 | |
| But Not For Me (1959) | Clark Gable & Carroll Baker |
157.70 | |
| The 400 Blows (1959) | Directed by Francois Truffaut | 129.50 | |
| Three Murderesses/Faibles femmes (1959) | Alain Delon | 114.80 | |
| John Paul Jones (1959) | Bette Davis & Peter Cushing |
106.50 | |
| Count Your Blessings (1959) | Deborah Kerr | 101.80 | |
| For The First Time (1959) | Mario Lanza | 100.30 | |
| Watusi (1959) | George Montgomery | 92.00 | |
| Westbound (1959) | Randolph Scott & Virginia Mayo |
84.50 | |
| The Hangman (1959) | Robert Taylor | 78.90 | |
| The Angry Hills (1959) | Robert Mitchum | 76.50 | |
| The Scapegoat (1959) | Bette Davis & Alec Guinness |
71.10 | |
| Libel (1959) | Olivia de Havilland & Robert Shaw |
69.60 | |
| Le chemin des écoliers (1959) | Alain Delon | 68.10 | |
| The World, the Flesh and the Devil (1959) | Harry Belafonte | 64.60 | |
| Where The Hot Wind Blows (1959) | Gina Lollobrigida | 64.00 | |
| The House of the Seven Hawks (1959) | Robert Taylor | 63.40 | |
| Night of the Quarter Moon (1959) | Agnes Moorehead | 56.00 | |
| Girls Town (1959) | Mamie Van Doren | 52.10 | |
| The Beat Generation (1959) | Mamie Van Doren | 44.60 | |
| The Big Operator (1959) | Mickey Rooney | 40.50 | |
| À double tour (1959) | Jean-Paul Belmondo | 40.20 | |
| Frontier Rangers (1959) | Buddy Ebsen | 39.40 | |
| An Angel on Wheels (1959) | Jean-Paul Belmondo | 32.20 | |
| Sapphire (1959) Limited Release |
Nigel Patrick | 22.40 |
Top earners in 1959 for Adjusted USA Box Office:
| Name | Number of Movies | Total Adj World Wide (mil) | Total Adj USA (mil) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stephen Boyd | 2 | 3,368.1 | 1,433.6 |
| Charlton Heston | 2 | 3,327.4 | 1,294.6 |
| Hugh Griffith | 2 | 3,219.2 | 1,284.7 |
| Jack Hawkins | 1 | 3,159.8 | 1,225.3 |
| Martha Scott | 1 | 3,159.8 | 1,225.3 |
| Sam Jaffe | 1 | 3,159.8 | 1,225.3 |
| Tony Curtis | 2 | 1,038.6 | 1,038.6 |
| Cary Grant | 2 | 1,197.8 | 953.8 |
| Gavin MacLeod | 4 | 822.9 | 822.9 |
| Sandra Dee | 5 | 953.3 | 809.6 |
| Nehemiah Persoff | 5 | 806.7 | 806.7 |
| Strother Martin | 3 | 785.8 | 785.8 |
| Thelma Ritter | 2 | 758.6 | 758.6 |
| Saul Bass | 2 | 970.4 | 726.4 |
| James Mason | 2 | 940.6 | 696.6 |
| Rock Hudson | 2 | 665.5 | 665.5 |
| Debbie Reynolds | 4 | 657.7 | 657.7 |
| Diane Baker | 3 | 694.9 | 642.8 |
| Troy Donahue | 2 | 782.1 | 638.4 |
| Martin Landau | 3 | 869.2 | 625.2 |
| Fred MacMurray | 4 | 616.4 | 616.4 |
| Tony Randall | 2 | 614.9 | 614.9 |
| Jack Lemmon | 2 | 585.0 | 585.0 |
| Jack Albertson | 2 | 573.0 | 573.0 |
| John Wayne | 2 | 826.1 | 568.5 |
My Main Sources
Source 1: Variety – January 4th, 1961 Page 47
Source 2: Twentieth Century-Fox A Corporate and Financial History by Aubrey Solomon
Source 3: Wikipedia
Source 4: IMDb.com
Source 5: BoxOfficeMojo.com
How the Box Office Numbers were Calculated
Sadly in 1959….BoxOfficeMojo was not around to keep track of box office earnings. Back then earnings seem to be a secret and a secret that needed to be safely locked up. When studios did report box office stats they used “box office rentals”. Box office rentals were the amount of money the studio got back from the theaters. It is NOT the box office gross. Every year the rental to box office gross percentage changed…in 1959 this meant you had to triple the rentals to get the gross….so the multiplier used in this page was 3.0.
My Yearly Review Pages
- 1939 Movies Ranked Best to Worst Our movie of the year? Gone With The Wind
- 1942 Movies Ranked Best to Worst Our movie of the year? Mrs. Miniver
- 1946 Movies Ranked Best to Worst Our movie of the year? The Best Years of Our Lives
- 1952 Movies Ranked Best to Worst Our movie of the year? Greatest Show On Earth
- 1959 Movies Ranked Best to Worst Our movie of the year? Ben-Hur
- 1976 Movies Ranked Best to Worst Our movie of the year? Rocky
- 2011 Movies Ranked Best to Worst Our movie of the year? The Help
- 2012 Movies Ranked Best to Worst Our movie of the year? Argo
- 2013 Movies Ranked Best to Worst Our movie of the year? Gravity
- 2014 Movies Ranked Best to Worst Our movie of the year? American Sniper
- 2015 Movies Ranked Best to Worst Our movie of the year? The Martian
- 2016 Movies Ranked Best to Worst Our movie of the year? Deadpool (currently)
Academy Award® and Oscar® are the registered trademarks of the Academy of Motion Arts and Sciences.
If you do a comment….please ignore the email address and website section.
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Good Morning
Highly rated Japanese film
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053134
Expresso Bongo
UK Film 2 BAFTA nominations
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053806
Sapphire
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053242
BAFTA 4/1
Hey Sidney…just added Sapphire to the database. It has an UMR Score of 48.39. So it should be ranked 116th when the entire website gets updated later today. As always thanks for the suggestions.
Thank you for putting together these lists. You’re a life saver!
I’m a collector of hit horror movies, and this type of info is essential to a buyer like myself, as trying to find any financial facts about old movies is, well, very difficult as you can imagine.
It’s so hard to find comprehensive box office records, besides checking out the obvious sites like IMDb and whatnot, so this is very useful information.
🙂
Thanks for the kind words thesaunderschild
104 A Woman Obsessed (1959)
The title might just be “Woman Obsessed”; no “A”
Hey Sidney….fixed and thank you.