Finding box office information for movies made before 1980 is not an easy task. For somebody looking for box office information on 1970 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 1971 movies in our database.
To make this list a movie had to be made in 1971. This page will looks at 127 1971 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. This only represents about 40% of the movies made in 1971….but should cover the top box office movies.
Our UMR Top 50 of 1971
1971 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 1971 Movies by movie titles and movie trailers
- Sort 1971 Movies by the stars or in some cases the director of the movie.
- Sort 1971 Movies by domestic adjusted box office grosses using current movie ticket cost (in millions)
- Sort 1971 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 1971 Movies received and how many Oscar® wins each 1971 Movies received.
- Sort 1971 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 1971 for Adjusted USA Box Office:
My Main Sources
Source 1: Variety – January 5th, 1972, January 7th, 1973
Source 2: Twentieth Century-Fox A Corporate and Financial History by Aubrey Solomon
Source 3: Wikipedia
Source 4: IMDb.com
Source 5: BoxOfficeMojo.com
Hey Dan. Wonderful memories of little Danny and movies. Wow…Bananas seems like a pretty harmless comedy….hard to believe it would be gotten a lot of censorship back in the early 1970s. Trying to sneak into R rated movies…..good that they were able to keep you away from that sex in your early years….lol. Massive list of the movies you have seen since 1992. Got me easily beat. As always thanks for sharing this information.
I have seen 33 movies from 1971. That is up 4 movies from 1970, but the general trend is still going to be a decrease.
The highest rated film I have seen is The French Connection at Number 1. I’m not sure how many more number 1 movies I will have seen in these yearly reviews.
The highest rated film I have NOT seen is A Clockwork Orange.
The lowest rated film I have seen is Chandler at 128.
I have not seen the Gregory Peck movie Shoot Out released in 1971. The only other Peck titles I am missing are Amazing Grace and Chuck and a TV movie entitled The Portrait.
My Viewing By Percentages Up To Top 50 Are:
7 of the top 10: back above 50%! : not seen A Clock Work Orange, Carnal Knowledge or Nicholas and Alexandra
13 of the top 20
18 of the top 30
24 of the top 40
25 of the top 50
My 12 Favourite 1971 Movies Are:
Play Misty For Me
The French Connection
Dirty Harry
The Last Picture Show
Diamonds Are Forever
Support Your Local Gunfighter
Fiddler on the Roof
Get Carter
Shaft
Escape From the Planet of the Apes
And Now For Something Completely Different
Fistful of Dynamite/Duck You Sucker
Hey Flora…..thanks for sharing your thoughts on movies made in 1971. Your 33 currently trails me and Steve….but we are all far behind Dan. I have seen 80% of the Top Ten and Top Twenty. My first miss is Bedknobs and Broomsticks……I have seen much of that movie but not start to finish. I have seen all of your favorites except for the Monty Python one. I did dig up the trailer for Shoot Out..just for you. Of the two Caine movies…..I like The Last Valley more than Get Carter. Good stuff.C
Thanks for the Shoot Out trailer. It looks interesting.
You are most certainly welcome.
I’ve seen 35 of the 129 films on the chart. Looking at my files I have 72 films from 1971 in my movie collection. I haven’t watched them all.
Favorites include –
Abominable Dr. Phibes ,The
And Now For Something Completely Different
Andromeda Strain ,The
Bedknobs and Broomsticks
Big Jake
Blood on Satan’s Claw
Clockwork Orange ,A
Diamonds Are Forever
Dirty Harry
Duel
Escape from the Planet of the Apes
French Connection ,The
Hands of the Ripper
House That Dripped Blood
Lust for a Vampire
Omega Man ,The
Red Sun
Return of Count Yorga
Support Your Local,Gunfighter
THX 1138
Twins of Evil
zz-China – Big Boss ,The aka Fists of Fury
zz-China – One Armed Boxer
zz-Italy – Fistful of Dynamite ,A
zz-Italy – They Call Me Trinity
I knew Billy Jack was a sleeper hit but I never expected that sort of box office, I wonder if that box office gross was a colossal error by Variety or whatever twit was keeping track of the rental/grosses back then. It’s most likely really $9.2m in total not $92m, yeah that makes more sense, and even that’s too much.
One of my favorite films of the 70s is The Omega Man and I’m glad it made the top 50 on the UMR chart, though a little higher wouldn’t have hurt. 🙂
Another epic movie page Bruce. Vote Up!
Will you notice my comment this time? Maybe. Sometimes I think I’m invisible. 😉
Hey Steve
1. Yes I saw your comment….a little delayed…busy busy weeken (as always) but doing comments while playing lifeguard.
2. 35 is a good total….that is higher than Flora’s 33….. but trailing my 41 and Dan’s epic total.
3. Lots of good movies in your favorites….I would say Willy Wonka, The Last Valley (though I did not enjoy as much on a recent re-reviewing, French Connection and Duck You Sucker would be my favorites.
4. As for Billy Jack…no mistake it was a monster hit, as well as the sequel The Trail of Billy Jack….Billy Jack was the 46th biggest hit of the ENTIRE 1970s decade. The Trail of Billy Jack was the 51st biggest hit of the decade. Billy Jack was the voice for young people..though those young people did not support Billy Jack Goes to Washington at all…as it flopped but Tom Laughlin earned enough money on the first two Billy Jacks that he never really worked again.
Good feedback as always.
Without looking at the list I remember going to the Barefoot Executive and Bedknobs and Broomsticks in the theater then. I went to Plaza Suite and The French Connection also in the theater. I tried to go to an R rated movie then but I was still young. My mother permitted me to see Woody Allen’s Bananas which was GP but unbeknownst to my mother the Catholic Legion of Decency condemned the movie. I can remember Woody grabbing a car lug nuts and a whole bunch of people paraded behind him because they thought it was a religious procession. Also there was a commercial for cigarettes with a priest who was serving someone at communion recommending the cigarette that God smokes. Saw A Clockwork Orange a few years later in CollegeThese are the 95 1971 films I have seen since I hit # 8000 in December 1992. Key is film, studio, stars if I listed, date seen and source (TV channel, tape or DVD).
200 MOTELS 1971 UA XXX XXX 8/29 1996 TNT
ADIOS SABATA (IT.) 1971 UA YUL BRYNNER 9/19 1996 TNT
AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT (U.K.) 1971 COL XXX JOHN CLEESE 10/29 1994 TNT
ANDROMEDA STRAIN 1971 UNI XXX XXX 1/25 1998 BRAVO
B.S. I LOVE YOU 1971 FOX XXX XXX 4/22 1996 TMC
BARREL FULL OF DOLLARS (IT.) 1971 ELEKTRA FILM 4/28 2012 WEST
BLACK BEAUTY (U.K-GER-SP.) 1971 PAR MARK LESTER 5/20 1999 AMC
BLESS THE BEASTS AND THE CHILDREN 1971 COL BILL MUMY BARRY ROBINS 2/25 2012 TCM
BLOOD ON SATAN’S CLAW (U.K.) 1971 CANNON XXX XXX 6/30 2002 MYST
BRIDGE IN THE JUNGLE 1971 UA JOHN HUSTON 3/1 1995 TNT
BROTHERLY LOVE (U.K.) 1971 MGM PETER O’TOOLE SUSANNAH YORK 3/27 2001 LOVE
BULLET FOR A STRANGER (IT.) 1971 XXX XXX 4/21 2011 DVD
BUNNY O’HARE 1971 AIP 12/28 2016 TCM
CAIN’S CUTTHROATS 1971 FANFARE SCOTT BRADY 1/16 1995 55
CAPTAIN APACHE (U.K.) 1971 SCOTIA INTL. LEE VAN CLEEF CARROLL BAKER 6/14 1993 TNT
CELEBRATION AT BIG SUR (MUSIC FILM) 1971 FOX XXX XXX 5/31 2006 MMAX
CHANDLER 1971 MGM 11/29 2016 TCM
CISCO PIKE 1971 COL KRIS KRISTOFFERSON KAREN BLACK 7/3 1994 TNT
CLAY PIGEON 1971 MGM 5/15 2016 TCM
CONFESSIONS OF A POLICE CAPTAIN (IT.) 1971 AVCO MARTIN BALSAM FRANCO NERO 9/16 2010 DVD
CORPSE, THE (U.K.) 1971 CANNON 8/19 2015 DVD
CREATURES THE WORLD FORGOT (U.K.) 1971 COL JULIE EGE 2/28 1993 TNT
CRIMINAL AFFAIR (IT-ARG.) 1971 GADABOUT GADDIS 4/2 2013 DVD
CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN (U.K.) 1971 WB PETER CUSHING CHRISTOPHER LEE 11/1 1997 AMC
DEATH BY INVITATION 1971 PARAGON FILMS 12/15 2013 TCM
DEATH IN VENICE (FR-IT.) 1971 WB DIRK BOGARDE 1/5 2005 MAX
DEATH WALKS ON HIGH HEELS (IT-SP.) 1971 XXX XXX 6/21 2006 DVD
DESERTER, THE 1971 PAR BEKIM FEHMIU JOHN HUSTON 12/22 2011 DVD
DIG YOUR GRAVE FRIEND, SABATA’S COMING (SP-IT) 1971 IGIAZIO LESSER 11/20 2013 DVD
DON’T TURN THE OTHER CHEEK (SP-W.GER-IT) 1971 FRANCO NERO ELI WALLACH 12/12 2010 DVD
FEARLESS FIGHTERS (H.K.) 1971 ELLMAN FILM CHANG CHING YEE YOUNG 7/19 2010 DVD
FREELANCE 1971 MGM IAN MCSHANE GAYLE HUNNICUTT 4/15 2003 MYST
GANG THAT COULDN’T SHOOT STRAIGHT 1971 MGM XXX XXX 5/2 1999 TCM
GET CARTER (U.K.) 1971 MGM MICHAEL CAINE IAN HENDRY 6/7 2001 ACTN
HIRED HAND 1971 UNI PETER FONDA WARREN OATES 7/4 1998 55
HIS NAME WAS KING (IT.) 1971 FORD FILM XXX XXX 10/30 2011 DVD
HOLY WATER JOE (IT.) 1971 7/30 2013 DVD
HOME THAT SCREAMED (SP.) 1971 AIP 8/10 2015 DVD
HOUSE THAT DRIPPED BLOOD (U.K.) 1971 CRC 10/18 2016 TCM
HUNTING PARTY (U.K.) 1971 UA OLIVER REED CANDICE BERGEN 7/24 1993 TNT
JENNIFER ON MY MIND 1971 UA XXX XXX 1/14 2003 LOVE
JOHNNY GOT HIS GUN 1971 CINEMATION TIMOTHY BOTTOMS JASON ROBARDS JR. 3/10 1998 BRAVO
KING LEAR (UK – DAN.) 1971 ALTUNA PAUL SCOFIELD 3/12 2008 TCM
KOTCH 1971 CRC WALTER MATTHAU 5/31 2005 ENC
LA CASA DEL FARGI ROSA (MEX.) 1971 PRODUCIONES D. 2/12 2013 DVD
LAST REBEL 1971 COL XXX XXX 2/13 1995 TNT
LAST RUN 1971 MGM 8/30 2015 TCM
LAST VALLEY (U.K.) 1971 CRC MICHAEL CAINE OMAR SHARIF 12/7 1999 MMAX
LEGACY OF BLOOD 1971 ELLMAN FILM ENT. MOSES GUNN JONELLE ALLEN 4/27 2013 DVD
LET’S SCARE JESSICA TO DEATH 1971 PAR ZOHRA LAMPERT BARTON HEYMAN 5/12 2012 TCM
MACBETH (U.K.) 1971 COL JON FINCH FRANCESCA ANNIS 1/30 1995 BRAVO
MADE FOR EACH OTHER 1971 FOX XXX XXX 8/15 1996 TMC
MAKING IT 1971 FOX 6/2 2012 FXM
MAN AND BOY 1971 LEVITT-PICKMAN XXX XXX 5/31 1995 TNT
MAN CALLED SLEDGE 1971 COL JAMES GARNER DENNIS WEAVER 11/17 1993 TNT
MAN IN THE WILDERNESS 1971 WB RICHARD HARRIS JOHN HUSTON 1/11 1998 A & E
MAN OF VIOLENCE (U.K.) 1971 XXX XXX 10/8 1994 55
MANIPULATOR, THE 1971 MANN FILMS 5/16 2015 DVD
MARY, QUEEN OF SCOTS 1971 UNI VANESSA REDGRAVE GLENDA JACKSON 8/1 1993 A & E
MCCABE AND MRS. MILLER 1971 WB WARREN BEATTY JULIE CHRISTIE 2/8 1997 2
MEPHISTO WALTZ 1971 FOX ALAN ALDA JACQUELINE BISSET 1/9 1997 TMC
MINNIE AND MOSCOWITZ 1971 UNI GENA ROWLANDS 11/21 2005 SUND
MURPHY’S WAR (U.K.) 1971 PAR PETER O’TOOLE 7/28 1993 A & E
MUSIC LOVERS (U.K.) 1971 UA RICHARD CHAMBERLAIN GLENDA JACKSON 12/11 2001 SUND
NICHOLAS AND ALEXANDRA (U.K.) 1971 COL MICHAEL JAYSTON JANET SUZMAN 2/2 2011 TCM
NIGHT DIGGER (U.K.) 1971 MGM PATRICIA NEAL PAMELA BROWN 1/20 2011 TCM
NIGHT OF DARK SHADOWS 1971 MGM XXX XXX 10/25 1999 TCM
ON ANY SUNDAY (DOC.) 1971 CINEMA 5 XXX XXX 3/28 2004 TCM
ONE MORE TRAIN TO ROB 1971 UNI GEORGE PEPPARD 6/18 2007 WEST
PINK ANGELS 1971 CROWN INTL XXX XXX 1/4 1997 TAPE
POPSI PUP (IT-FR-VEN.) 1971 CANNON ? ? 7/22 2010 DVD
PRETTY MAIDS ALL IN A ROW 1971 MGM ROCK HUDSON ANGIE DICKINSON 8/20 1997 TNT
PRIEST’S WIFE (IT-FR.) 1971 WB 4/29 2016 TCM
PUNISHMENT PARK 1971 SHERPIX XXX XXX 10/1 2009 IFC
PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS 1971 COL MICHAEL SARRAZIN BARBARA HERSHEY 4/1 1998 ENC
RETURN OF COUNT YORGA 1971 AIP XXX XXX 4/11 2001 AMC
RUM RUNNERS (FR.) 1971 GAUMONT INTL. BRIGITTE BARDOT 7/27 1994 55
SCANDALOUS JOHN 1971 BV BRIAN KEITH 8/29 2000 WEST
SHOOT OUT 1971 UNI GREGORY PECK 12/11 1996 TNT
SIMON, KING OF THE WITCHES 1971 FANFARE XXX XXX 11/8 1994 55
SKIN GAME 1971 WB JAMES GARNER 5/24 1993 TBS
STAR SPANGLED GIRL 1971 PAR XXX XXX 5/20 2000 LOVE
SUNDAY, BLOODY, SUNDAY 1971 UA GLENDA JACKSON PETER FINCH 11/10 1993 TNT
TAKING OFF 1971 UNI XXX XXX 9/18 2006 SUND
THE GO-BETWEEN (U.K.) 1971 COL JULIE CHRISTIE ALAN BATES 11/18 1996 BRAVO
THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS 1971 UNI JOANNE WOODWARD GEORGE C. SCOTT 5/15 1993 A & E
TWO LANE BLACKTOP 1971 UNI WARREN OATES 12/17 2006 DRA
VALDEZ IS COMING 1971 UA BURT LANCASTER SUSAN CLARK 9/18 1995 TMC
VELVET VAMPIRE 1971 NW XXX XXX 5/16 1993 TAPE
WALKABOUT 1971 FOX JENNY AGUTTER 10/12 1997 TMC
WEEKEND WITH THE BABYSITTER 1971 CROWN INTL XXX XXX 3/22 2010 DVD
WEREWOLVES ON WHEELS 1971 FANFARE XXX XXX 1/22 1995 TNT
WHEN WOMEN LOST THEIR TAILS (IT-W.GER) 1971 FVI SENTA BERGER 9/13 1994 55
WILD RIDERS 1971 CROWN INTL 5/9 2013 DVD
ZODIAC KILLER 1971 10/9 2016 TCM
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