# Top grossing movies of all time **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 5, 2000, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-grossing-movies-of-all-time/15642 "2000-04-05T02:15:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Breckinshire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/71c47a/32.png) [@Breckinshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Breckinshire)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2000, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-grossing-movies-of-all-time/15642/1 "2000-04-05T02:15:00Z")
Here’s a list of the top 10 grossing movies (worldwide) from the IMDB… [list=1][li]Titanic (1997) $1,835,300,000[/li][li]Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999) $923,000,000[/li][li]Jurassic Park (1993) $919,700,000[/li][li]Independence Day (1996) $810,400,000[/li][li]Star Wars (1977) $780,000,000[/li][li]Lion King, The (1994) $766,700,000[/li][li]E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982) $704,800,000[/li][li]Forrest Gump (1994) $679,400,000[/li][li]Sixth Sense, The (1999) $645,100,000[/li][li]Lost World: Jurassic Park, The (1997)$614,300,000[/list=1][/li] This stunned me. How many of these movies are just mindless special effects and action? There a couple of good ones – The Sixth Sense if one of them. Forrest Gump was a great movie, but The Lost World? And even Titanic! I still don’t get how _that_ one got so big… \ Sorry for flying off of the handle. Does anyone else have any thoughts on this? ---
**Author:** ![Chrome\_Toaster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ebca7d/32.png) [@Chrome\_Toaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chrome_Toaster)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2000, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-grossing-movies-of-all-time/15642/2 "2000-04-05T05:58:00Z")
Does that list just take into consideration the amount of money (today’s value) the movies have grossed? Or is it considering the fact that 40 years ago a dollar was worth more? (My wording isn’t the best, but do you know what I mean?) ---
**Author:** ![hightechburrito](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/f6c823/32.png) [@hightechburrito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hightechburrito)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2000, 9:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-grossing-movies-of-all-time/15642/3 "2000-04-05T09:26:00Z")
Chrome Toaster has a very good point. If inflation is taken into account, I believe that _Gone With the Wind_ is the highest grossing movie of all time. I’m not sure, but I think that it cost something like 25 cents to see that one. ---
**Author:** ![Yankee\_Blue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/7ea924/32.png) [@Yankee\_Blue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yankee_Blue)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2000, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-grossing-movies-of-all-time/15642/4 "2000-04-05T13:48:00Z")
I’m with Chrome. It doesn’t count if you don’t take inflation into account. I read somewhere when you consider the cost of living difference, the highest grossing film of all time is Snow White. * * * All you need to start an asylum is an empty room and the right kind of people. ---
**Author:** ![Breckinshire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/71c47a/32.png) [@Breckinshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Breckinshire)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2000, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-grossing-movies-of-all-time/15642/5 "2000-04-05T16:00:00Z")
I checked back at the IMDB, and they said that figures were not adjusted for inflation. Lazy Bastards. ---
**Author:** ![Ursa\_Major](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/a88e57/32.png) [@Ursa\_Major](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ursa_Major)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2000, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-grossing-movies-of-all-time/15642/6 "2000-04-05T16:55:00Z")
Why is the success of a movie measured in dollars and not in tickets sold? We rank popular TV events by how many people watch them, not by how much revenue they generate. Why don’t we do the same for films? ---
**Author:** ![Ursa\_Major](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/a88e57/32.png) [@Ursa\_Major](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ursa_Major)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2000, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-grossing-movies-of-all-time/15642/7 "2000-04-06T05:00:00Z")
Now that I think about it, almost all other popular entertainment is measured in units/tickets sold: Books, records, software, sporting events, concerts. The theatrical film industry really is an anomoly in how they gage success. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2000, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-grossing-movies-of-all-time/15642/8 "2000-04-05T19:53:00Z")
Gold records are dollars, platinum records are units. By the way, I believe I heard that Cleopatra finally turned a profit in something like 1995. A few of the movies that I’ve heard would be on the list if adjusted for inflation include Gone With the Wind and Around the World in 80 Days. However, favorites like Casblanca, Citizen Kane and It’s a Wonderful Life didn’t do that big at the box office, and got their fame from TV/video years later. * * * I understand all the words, they just don’t make sense together like that. ---
**Author:** ![Breckinshire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/71c47a/32.png) [@Breckinshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Breckinshire)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2000, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-grossing-movies-of-all-time/15642/9 "2000-04-06T15:32:00Z")
Ursa M., it makes sense when you think of all those other products being tangible things with an easily defineable price. If I wanted to sell some books, I could calculate how much was needed to run the press, how much the author wanted for his troubles, etc., and then decide a price based on that. Same with CDs. With movies, though, you just sort of hope for the best. Movies are distributed differently than books or CDs. It’s the theatre manager’s decision how much a particular movie will play, if at all. Theatres have limited seating, where a store can sell as many books as they want. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2000, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-grossing-movies-of-all-time/15642/10 "2000-04-06T15:54:00Z")
> [@](#): > > By the way, I believe I heard that Cleopatra finally turned a profit in something like 1995. Nonsese. No Hollywood movie ever made a profit. Just ask Art Buchwald. 🙂 People don’t factor for inflation becuase it’s too hard. It’s a common problem in various areas – top selling albums, top money-earning horses, etc. I think BIRTH OF A NATION is high on the list, thoough GWTW is up there. It would be nice to see a list with inflation factored in, though I suspect TITANIC would still be high on the list. Remember, most of the recent entries not only had higher ticket prices, but they also had people willing to see them multiple times during a run. Prior to STAR WARS, few people saw a new movie more than once in the theaters. Now, it’s very common for all the top money earners. And there’s no way to factor that out. * * * “What we have here is failure to communicate.” – Strother Martin, anticipating the Internet. [www.sff.net/people/rothman](http://www.sff.net/people/rothman) ---
**Author:** ![ultress](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/7c8e57/32.png) [@ultress](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultress)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2000, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-grossing-movies-of-all-time/15642/11 "2000-04-06T15:58:00Z")
I agree with Hightech, I think Gone With The Wind is the highest grossing movie of all time. * * * \*\* _Sigh_. So many men, so few who can afford me \*\* _Original by Wally_ _I’ve learned that if someone says something unkind about me, I must live so that no one will believe it._ ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2000, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-grossing-movies-of-all-time/15642/12 "2000-04-06T15:59:00Z")
Some are sold to other countries, thus, they make big dollars. Also, they don’t really net anywhere near that much. That is gross, not net. ---
**Author:** ![ReservoirDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8edcca/32.png) [@ReservoirDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ReservoirDog)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2000, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-grossing-movies-of-all-time/15642/13 "2000-04-06T16:12:00Z")
For once, I looked something up for you guys. [http://www.the-movie-times.com/thrsdir/Top10everad.html](http://www.the-movie-times.com/thrsdir/Top10everad.html) As you can see, on the adjusted list, _Gone With the Wind_ is indeed #1, with other notables such as _The Sound of Music_, _The Ten Commandments_, _Dr. Zhivago_, _The Jungle Book_, and _Snow White_ rounding out the top ten. Very interesting to see that “Top Ten” listee _The Sixth Sense_ is now relegated to number 37. ---
**Author:** ![ReservoirDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8edcca/32.png) [@ReservoirDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ReservoirDog)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2000, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-grossing-movies-of-all-time/15642/14 "2000-04-06T16:18:00Z")
For once, I looked something up for you guys. [http://www.the-movie-times.com/thrsdir/Top10everad.html](http://www.the-movie-times.com/thrsdir/Top10everad.html) As you can see, on the adjusted list, _Gone With the Wind_ is indeed #1, with other notables such as _The Sound of Music_, _The Ten Commandments_, _Dr. Zhivago_, _The Jungle Book_, and _Snow White_ rounding out the top ten. Very interesting to see that “Top Ten” listee _The Sixth Sense_ is now relegated to number 37. ---
**Author:** ![ReservoirDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8edcca/32.png) [@ReservoirDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ReservoirDog)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2000, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-grossing-movies-of-all-time/15642/15 "2000-04-07T14:46:00Z")
Okay, finally… here is your List, adjusted for inflation. Note that _Gone With the Wind_ is indeed #1, and other notables like _Dr. Zhivago_ and _The Ten Commandments_ are in the Top Ten. _The Sixth Sense_, number 6 on the total dollars list, is now relegated to # 37 on the adjusted list. [http://www.the-movie-times.com/thrsdir/Top10everad.html](http://www.the-movie-times.com/thrsdir/Top10everad.html) ---
**Author:** ![ReservoirDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8edcca/32.png) [@ReservoirDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ReservoirDog)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2000, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-grossing-movies-of-all-time/15642/16 "2000-04-07T14:49:00Z")
I admit it. I didn’t trust the CGI. ---
**Author:** ![Frankie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/258eb7/32.png) [@Frankie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frankie)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2000, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-grossing-movies-of-all-time/15642/17 "2000-04-07T18:36:00Z")
Hey RD- That list is only domestic not worldwide thus the large variation. The other list is worldwide revenues. * * * -Frankie I’m a wholesale dealin papa, but I retail on the side.-Brownie McGhee ---
**Author:** ![ReservoirDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8edcca/32.png) [@ReservoirDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ReservoirDog)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2000, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-grossing-movies-of-all-time/15642/18 "2000-04-07T19:15:00Z")
You know, you’re right. I couldn’t find a worldwide box office adjusted list. I imagine that would be a colossal pain in the ass to create. Would you need to take into account the various inflation rates around the world, or would you just take the total in US dollars and adjust that upward? I don’t know, and I’m not about to try.