All time top movies in admissions USA, Russia, UK, France, Germany, Spain...

[Rudolf]

Both numbers look reasonable to me too.For extraordinary numbers take Greece with its population of about 10m. Top movie 2010 Clash of the Titans $4.7m, AVATAR only made $10m. But when they really like something: 300(2007) made $11.4m. Any movie with a greek theme overperforms Troy(2006) $7.4m. Top movie 2011: Pirates4 only $5.2m.

Edited April 21, 2012 by Rudolf

[pinocchio]

Since those Terence Hill/Bud Spencer flicks were also huge in Germany (12 million admissions for Vier Fäuste.../Trinity), the admissions numbers seem to be credible I must admit.Godfathr as Rudolf wrote had an italian theme, and Tango an italian director and Brando and so on.

[juni78ukr]

Both numbers look reasonable to me too.For extraordinary numbers take Greece with its population of about 10m. Top movie 2010 Clash of the Titans $4.7m, AVATAR only made $10m. But when they really like something: 300(2007) made $11.4m. Any movie with a greek theme overperforms Troy(2006) $7.4m. Top movie 2011: Pirates4 only $5.2m.

This is box office numbers, not admissions. Clash of The Titans sold only 378,167 tickets. Good but nothing extraordinary. 1 to 27 ratio with entire population. Movies like El Greco, Troy or 300 probably should have 1 to 10 ratio. But that is only 2 or 3 films for many years. Nothing close to them. But so many italian films have 1 to 10 ratio with entire population in the same year. And Godfather 1 to 2.5? But we never heard that italians were such a moviegoing nation.

[Rudolf]

This is box office numbers, not admissions. Clash of The Titans sold only 378,167 tickets. Good but nothing extraordinary. 1 to 27 ratio with entire population.Movies like El Greco, Troy or 300 probably should have 1 to 10 ratio. But that is only 2 or 3 films for many years. Nothing close to them. But so many italian films have 1 to 10 ratio with entire population in the same year. And Godfather 1 to 2.5? But we never heard that italians were such a moviegoing nation.

I only wanted to illustrate that movies with a greek-theme perform extraordinary in Greece. You are right the Godfather number for Italy is startling.

[juni78ukr]

I only wanted to illustrate that movies with a greek-theme perform extraordinary in Greece. You are right the Godfather number for Italy is startling.

If it was one stand alone movie I could agree with that number. But Germany in 70-s had 1-2 movie per year with 5mln + admissions. France had 3-5 movies per year, sometimes only 1 or 2. But 13 movies with 5+ mln admission in Italy in one year? And that is only local production. Doesn't make sense.

[Rudolf]

If it was one stand alone movie I could agree with that number. But Germany in 70-s had 1-2 movie per year with 5mln + admissions. France had 3-5 movies per year, sometimes only 1 or 2. But 13 movies with 5+ mln admission in Italy in one year? And that is only local production. Doesn't make sense.

I found something that might interest you:http://aei.pitt.edu/33519/1/A153.pdfOn page1 (7th if you count everything) Table 1 there is an interesting statistic about Cinema Admissions in Europe 1955-1980. For Italy 1970 you get 525m. So about 10 visits per inhabitant per year. That makes those Italian numbers for 1972 plausible. During that time Italy had more than 3 times the number of admissions than Germay. It was western Europe's leading cinema going country.Interesting that the admission numbers went down in different European countries at different points. For instance in UK and Germany much earlier. In Sowjetunion they apparantly never went down.The Italian numbers go down fast in 1975/76 http://boxofficebenf...ia-1975-76.html the Godfather 2 only made about 5m. Edited April 22, 2012 by Rudolf

[Rudolf]

Admissions for Star Wars ANH:USA 190 million with re-releasesUK 20 millionFrance 6.5 millionGermany 8 millionSpain 7 millionUber-mega hit in the USA, mega hit in the UK and Spain and just "great blockbuster" in many other countries it seems.In Germany for example it's on a level with Goblet of Fire.

Italy 1.669m http://boxofficebenf...ia-1977-78.htmlcorr.: seems only data from 16 cities about 9.m of 55m Italians- I estimate 6m for Italy Edited April 22, 2012 by Rudolf

[Rudolf]

I don't want to say anything rude but those calcullations look a bit fishy. Look like Italy was the most moviegoing country in Europe. So many movies with 5-10 mln admissions nearly every year in 60-s and 70-s. And it is just local films. Hollywood movies obviously made some money too. And suddenly somewhere in the 80-s people just stopped to go to movies. I know that spaghetti westerns were very popular but still hardly belieavable to me. Probably it's better to directly ask the author of this blog.

Now I see what you mean. First if you study the statistic I gave above, you will see that total admissions decreased in Italy from 525m (1970) to 317m (1978), second it says starting with 1976 that the data is from the 16 most important cities only. I summed the population of the 16 biggest cities up to be 9.5m (that is the present number, but it should not have changed that much since the 70s) so I guess you get an approximate number for Italy by multiplying the number found in the blog by 4-5 as big cities probably tend to have more admissions than the rest of the country.Your argument that there are only local movies is not correct, but there were certainly fewer Hollywood movies successful in Western Europe in the 50s,60s and70s than later let's say starting with Jaws(1975): Lo Squalo No2 :http://boxofficebenf...ia-1975-76.html Edited April 22, 2012 by Rudolf

[juni78ukr]

I made a list for top Hollywood movies in USSRThe Hurricane (1937) 15.2 mlnOne Hundred Men and a Girl (1937) 17.1 mlnThe Man in the Iron Mask (1939) 17.2 mlnSpring Parade (1940) 18.6 mlnJungle Book (1942) 18.9 mlnI Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang (1932) 19.1 mlnThe Sea Hawk (1940) 20 mlnSun Valley Serenade (1941) 20.7 mlnCaptain Blood (1935) 21.3 mlnIt Started with Eve (1941) 21.6 mlnFun with Dick and Jane (1976) 22.1Oklahoma! (1955) 22.3 mlnThe Stunt Man (1980) 23.9 mlnIt's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World (1963) 24.1 mlnEnemy Mine (1984) 24.3 mlnHurricane (1979) 25.3 mlnDesire Under the Elms (1958) 25.5 mlnRhapsody (1954) 25.5 mlnThe Great Waltz (1938) 25.7The Day of the Dolphin (1973) 26.2 mlnWaterloo Bridge (1940) 26.6 mlnThe 300 Spartans (1962) 27.1 mlnThe Bedroom Window (1986) 27.1 mlnOnce Upon a Time in America (1983) 27.6 mlnScaramouche (1952) 30.2 mlnCarrie (1952) 30.4 mlnShort Circuit (1986) 31.7 mlnThe 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958) 32.3 mlnRomancing the Stone (1984) 32.7 mlnCleopatra (1963) 33 mlnOrca, the Killer Whale (1977) 33 mlnTootsie (1982) 34.8 mlnStarman (1984) 35.7 mlnConvoy (1978) 35.9 mlnThe Golden Voyage of Sinbad (1973) 37 mlnThe Deep (1977) 37.9 mlnTarzan Finds a Son! (1939) 38.6 mlnTarzan's New York Adventure (1942) 39.7Tarzan Escapes (1936) 39.7 mlnStunts (1977) 41.9 mlnTarzan the Ape Man (1932) 42.9 mlnSome Like It Hot (1959) 43.9 mlnKing Kong (1976) 47.1 mlnKing Kong Lives (1986) 53.6 mlnSpartacus (1960) 63 mlnMackenna's Gold (1969) 63 mlnThe Magnificent Seven (1960) 67 mlnSome quick notes. Tarzan Johnny Weissmuller movies were very popular in late 40-s and 50-s. The biggest years for moviegoing were 60-s and 70-s. The biggest hits of that period are The Magnificent Seven (1962), Mackenna's Gold (1974), Spartacus (1967) and Some Like It Hot (1966). I give the year of our release.Two King Kong films were not very liked in US but became the biggest hits of the late 80-s here. Both were released in 1988. Also in late 80-s were very popular and much loved two Crocodile Dundee movies (24.8 + 45.8 mln admissions). They were released here in 1988 and 1989. I saw all them plus Short Circuit and Enemy Mine as a kid with my mother.Also some of those films were released in two parts. The number above is mostly an average number for two parts.

Edited April 22, 2012 by juni78ukr

[Rudolf]

In your list of pre 1990 Hollywod movies there are a lot of famous absentees: Star Wars, Jaws, Godfather, Excorcist, Indiana Jones. Are they missing because they were not released or not liked hat much.

[lab276]

It's amazing how Italy was once, by far, the most cinema-going country in Europe, something that has been reversed to the point that it's now the least attended of the big countries.

[Rudolf]

It's amazing how Italy was once, by far, the most cinema-going country in Europe, something that has been reversed to the point that it's now the least attended of the big countries.

they watch Berlusconi TV

[juni78ukr]

In your list of pre 1990 Hollywod movies there are a lot of famous absentees: Star Wars, Jaws, Godfather, Excorcist, Indiana Jones. Are they missing because they were not released or not liked hat much.

All of those + E.T. were never released theatrically in USSR or Russia. Not so sure about Godfather though. I can't remember anyone having tapes with them either till probably start of 90-s. In very late 80-s also came the age of videorooms. Just imagine a TV with video recorder and about 15 or 20 seats around. They were private and possibly not quite legal. And tickets were not very cheap. But every kid wanted to go there. The quality of recording was not very good and translation was provided with one voice only. It was a way to show a movie that wasn't available in theaters.I remember I saw Over the Top and Commando in a such videoroom. The crowd was mostly kids and teenagers and we all went really excited. It was like a complete madness. Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Sсhwarzenegger, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Jackie Chan and Bruse Lee were real icons for our generation. Terminator 2 came a bit later but probably also made tremendous money in such videorooms.

[Rudolf]

All of those + E.T. were never released theatrically in USSR or Russia. Not so sure about Godfather though. I can't remember anyone having tapes with them either till probably start of 90-s.In very late 80-s also came the age of videorooms. Just imagine a TV with video recorder and about 15 or 20 seats around. They were private and possibly not quite legal. And tickets were not very cheap. But every kid wanted to go there. The quality of recording was not very good and translation was provided with one voice only. It was a way to show a movie that wasn't available in theaters.I remember I saw Over the Top and Commando in a such videoroom. The crowd was mostly kids and teenagers and we all went really excited. It was like a complete madness. Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Sсhwarzenegger, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Jackie Chan and Bruse Lee were real icons for our generation. Terminator 2 came a bit later but probably also made tremendous money in such videorooms.

I think I have stumbled over such movies on the internet. The original movies (for instance in German) were voiced over by a monotonuos russian voice explaining the plot.

[pinocchio]

I found something that might interest you:http://aei.pitt.edu/33519/1/A153.pdf....The Italian numbers go down fast in 1975/76 http://boxofficebenf...ia-1975-76.html the Godfather 2 only made about 5m.

Very interesting links. I have never seen a table like that for historical movie admissions in Europe, thanks.And Benignis Pinocchio in 2002 sold 6 million movie tickets, he, he.

[Rudolf]

Very interesting links. I have never seen a table like that for historical movie admissions in Europe, thanks.And Benignis Pinocchio in 2002 sold 6 million movie tickets, he, he.

Free after the Buggles "Video Killed The Radio Star" :Television killed the movie star

[Rudolf]

I found interesting data sources for admission-numbers in countries dating back some time. Here the (western)-European heavyweights.

cinema admissions in millions logarithmic scale

gridline below 500m is in 50m steps, above in 500m steps; so range is 50m - 2000m

These countries share a similar history. Interesting the differences. First you notice the spike in Germany 1946 (people had other problems than going to the cinema). UK and Germany, the early leaders were the first to plunge, because of economic growth.UK in the 50s. Germany during the "Wirtschaftswunder" in the 60s. That left Italy and Spain to lead in admissions during the 70s (high Godfather-numbers in Italy), not because of superior economic strength but they were behind in the developement. France was "feu rouge" until 1967 but after 1982 it was leading them all because of successful french cinema production.

Funny that the highest and the lowest numbers on this graph are from the UK. Funny that those catastrophic 150m admissions in post war Germany are stil higher than in present day economic powerhouse Germany.

Edited April 27, 2012 by Rudolf

[lab276]

Interesting graph. Where did you get the data from?

[Rudolf]

Interesting graph. Where did you get the data from?

I used a lot of different sources, but the best source was: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Ap0q4QImmPT_cnJZR3d2RGdBekQ5WGVvRkVwSDVmZXc&hl=en#gid=0

[pinocchio]

Interesting chart. No wonder some movies from the 50ies were so huge and made admission numbers they can only dream of today.