A couple of weekends ago, Max sent us a comment that detailed numerous 1950s movies that Variety provided box office grosses on….but were not on our UMR website. Well this weekend we researched those movies and they are now part of UltimateMovieRankings.
| R | Movie (Year) | UMR Co-Star Links | Adj. B.O. Worldwide (mil) | Review | Oscar Nom / Win | 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 | Dragnet (1954) | Jack Webb | 13.60 | 318.0 | 318.00 | 12 | 68 | 00 / 00 | 94.8 | |
| 2 | The Phenix City Story (1955) | John McIntire | 6.30 | 130.3 | 130.30 | 47 | 79 | 00 / 00 | 91.3 | |
| 3 | Bernardine (1957) | Pat Boone | 10.60 | 203.5 | 203.50 | 17 | 52 | 00 / 00 | 89.7 | |
| 4 | The Command (1954) | Guy Madison | 7.10 | 167.4 | 167.40 | 46 | 57 | 00 / 00 | 87.9 | |
| 5 | The Lone Ranger (1956) | Clayton Moore & Western Movies |
3.90 | 76.7 | 107.40 | 88 | 74 | 00 / 00 | 82.7 | |
| 8 | The Lieutenant Wore Skirts (1956) | Tom Ewell & Rita Moreno |
6.40 | 126.0 | 126.00 | 37 | 51 | 00 / 00 | 78.2 | |
| 7 | Francis Covers the Big Town (1953) | Donald O'Connor | 5.50 | 98.0 | 98.00 | 58 | 59 | 00 / 00 | 78.0 | |
| 6 | Rock, Pretty Baby! (1956) | Sal Mineo & John Saxon |
4.10 | 80.1 | 80.10 | 76 | 65 | 00 / 00 | 77.7 | |
| 9 | Wait Till the Sun Shines, Nellie (1952) | Jean Peters & David Wayne |
3.50 | 68.1 | 68.10 | 99 | 66 | 00 / 00 | 75.8 | |
| 10 | Fort Ti (1953) | George Montgomery | 7.90 | 141.6 | 141.60 | 27 | 42 | 00 / 00 | 75.0 | |
| 11 | The Bachelor Party (1957) | Don Murray | 4.30 | 82.5 | 82.50 | 53 | 58 | 01 / 00 | 72.7 | |
| 11 | On the Threshold of Space (1956) | Guy Madison | 3.30 | 64.4 | 64.40 | 105 | 64 | 00 / 00 | 72.2 | |
| 13 | The Stars Are Singing (1953) | Rosemary Clooney | 4.80 | 87.1 | 87.10 | 68 | 56 | 00 / 00 | 71.8 | |
| 14 | Bwana Devil (1952) | Robert Stack | 7.50 | 147.0 | 147.00 | 23 | 37 | 00 / 00 | 71.1 | |
| 15 | Man in the Dark (1953) | Edmond O'Brien | 4.40 | 78.9 | 78.90 | 79 | 57 | 00 / 00 | 70.0 | |
| 16 | The Eddie Cantor Story (1953) | Keefe Brasselle | 5.50 | 98.2 | 117.10 | 55 | 51 | 00 / 00 | 70.0 | |
| 17 | My Six Convicts (1952) | Millard Mitchell & Harry Morgan |
3.10 | 59.9 | 59.90 | 115 | 63 | 00 / 00 | 69.9 | |
| 17 | Back At The Front (1952) | Tom Ewell | 3.50 | 68.1 | 68.10 | 106 | 59 | 00 / 00 | 68.3 | |
| 21 | Crime in the Streets (1956) | John Cassavetes & Sal Mineo |
3.40 | 67.2 | 67.20 | 100 | 58 | 00 / 00 | 66.5 | |
| 22 | Rock Around the Clock (1956) | Bill Haley | 3.10 | 61.6 | 61.60 | 109 | 60 | 00 / 00 | 66.0 | |
| 20 | The Animal World (1956) | Theodore von Eltz | 1.80 | 35.4 | 51.30 | 145 | 68 | 00 / 00 | 65.7 | |
| 22 | Crime Wave (1953) | Sterling Hayden | 1.40 | 25.2 | 42.00 | 188 | 71 | 00 / 00 | 65.5 | |
| 23 | Walk East on Beacon! (1952) | George Murphy | 3.60 | 70.8 | 70.80 | 95 | 56 | 00 / 00 | 65.3 | |
| 24 | I, the Jury (1953) | Biff Elliott | 4.20 | 76.2 | 76.20 | 84 | 54 | 00 / 00 | 64.9 | |
| 25 | Hurricane Smith (1952) | Yvonne De Carlo | 3.30 | 64.0 | 64.00 | 113 | 57 | 00 / 00 | 63.0 | |
| 26 | Flaming Feather (1952) | Sterling Hayden | 3.50 | 68.1 | 68.10 | 103 | 55 | 00 / 00 | 62.8 | |
| 28 | Tension at Table Rock (1956) | Dorothy Malone | 4.00 | 78.4 | 78.40 | 79 | 52 | 00 / 00 | 62.4 | |
| 27 | Silver City (1951) | Barry Fitzgerald | 3.10 | 66.2 | 66.20 | 119 | 55 | 00 / 00 | 61.7 | |
| 29 | Our Miss Brooks (1956) | Eve Arden | 1.60 | 31.5 | 35.90 | 153 | 64 | 00 / 00 | 57.9 | |
| 31 | The Devil's Hairpin (1957) | Cornel Wilde | 2.90 | 55.0 | 55.00 | 84 | 56 | 00 / 00 | 57.6 | |
| 30 | Stop, You're Killing Me (1952) | Broderick Crawford | 2.50 | 49.9 | 65.10 | 131 | 58 | 00 / 00 | 57.3 | |
| 32 | Ain't Misbehavin' (1955) | Rory Calhoun | 2.90 | 59.2 | 59.20 | 108 | 53 | 00 / 00 | 54.7 | |
| 34 | Hell's Island (1955) | John Payne | 2.90 | 59.2 | 59.20 | 106 | 52 | 00 / 00 | 52.8 | |
| 36 | Don't Knock the Rock (1956) | Bill Haley | 3.40 | 67.2 | 67.20 | 99 | 49 | 00 / 00 | 52.1 | |
| 33 | The Man From Planet X (1951) | Robert Clarke | 1.20 | 25.9 | 25.90 | 190 | 62 | 00 / 00 | 50.9 | |
| 35 | Unchained (1955) | Barbara Hale | 1.20 | 25.5 | 33.20 | 160 | 61 | 01 / 00 | 50.1 | |
| 37 | Thunderbirds (1952) | John Derek | 2.80 | 54.4 | 54.40 | 123 | 52 | 00 / 00 | 49.7 | |
| 38 | House of Numbers (1957) | Jack Palance | 1.40 | 27.5 | 60.50 | 134 | 58 | 00 / 00 | 44.8 | |
| 40 | Revenge of the Creature (1955) | John Agar | 3.10 | 65.2 | 65.20 | 98 | 46 | 00 / 00 | 44.7 | |
| 39 | Dangerous Youth (1957) | George Baker | 0.30 | 6.7 | 17.30 | 196 | 63 | 00 / 00 | 41.5 | |
| 41 | The System (1953) | Frank Lovejoy | 1.30 | 22.8 | 31.40 | 196 | 57 | 00 / 00 | 38.0 | |
| 42 | Manhunt in the Jungle (1958) | Robin Hughes | 0.70 | 12.2 | 20.50 | 156 | 59 | 00 / 00 | 34.7 | |
| 43 | Johnny Trouble (1957) | Ethel Barrymore | 0.80 | 15.2 | 21.60 | 171 | 57 | 00 / 00 | 33.7 | |
| 44 | Satellite in the Sky (1956) | Kieron Moore | 1.40 | 26.7 | 37.50 | 160 | 49 | 00 / 00 | 24.2 | |
| 45 | The River Changes (1956) | Rossana Rory | 0.30 | 6.4 | 9.00 | 205 | 50 | 00 / 00 | 15.5 |
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First of all, I got a bit confused because the photographs you are using are from films that were already in the database like Rear Window and Bridge on the River Kwai. Maybe use some photos from the listed films.
I have seen 9 movies from this list. I have a tenth one recorded and waiting for me: Crime in the Streets starring John Cassavetes.
Here are the movies I have seen in order of preference:
Dragnet
Tension at Table Rock
House of Numbers
The Pheonix City Story
Our Miss Brooks
The Eddie Cantor Story
Walk East on Beacon
Crime Wave
Rock Around the Clock
Hey Flora….yeah…I could not find a photo that showed these missing movies…so I went ahead and included some famous movies from that decade. Sorry for the confusion. So you have seen 9 of these movies….mmmm…I have see….counting….0….wow shutout! I did not see that coming at all. So your tally destroys my tally (did see that coming…lol). Of all the movies…I would say I would like to see Dragnet the most. Hope you enjoy Crime in the Streets….John C. must be a baby in that one…lol. Good stuff as always.
Whoa there Silver! [horse whinnies] Was police drama ‘Dragnet’ starring Jack Webb really so huge at the box office in 1954? Bigger than other 50s films like um – Rebel Without a Cause, Sabrina, To Catch a Thief, On the Waterfront, Vera Cruz and A Star is Born? to name a few. hmmm I have my doubts… [Bruce snarls] was the box office gross listed in Variety?
This is why I don’t religously jot down box office grosses like Bob does, too many variables, and it’s possible to be way off. [Bob growls]
Hey Steve….Dragnet was a monster hit. It turned Jack Webb into a star. He would turn that movie into a very long running television series. Yep….Dragnet out performed those legendary movies. Dragnet is 12th on our Yearly 1954 page….but is actually slightly higher on the Variety list. When I had that subscription to Variety Archives….both the 1954 and 1955 Top Grossing Lists were missing…..so I somehow missed Dragnet. Max’s request to include these movies helped me uncover a wiki link that took me to the 1955 Variety list….I felt like a treasure hunter finding a long lost treasure. So let your doubts fade away. In 50 years will people really believe Adam Sandler was such a box office champ? Good feedback.