Yearly chart

1959 Box Office Rankings

Year-specific reference chart with worldwide gross, reported budgets, openings and ROI where available.

About the 1959 chart

This 1959 box office chart highlights films released in 1959, using available worldwide gross, budget, gross-minus-budget and ROI data. Some titles may have richer financial detail than others, depending on source coverage and later corrections.

Year gross$382.7Mvisible records

Avg budget$2.5Mbudgeted titles

Top opening—Ben-Hur

Releases38available for year

1959 quick chart highlights

Additional ways to explore the year’s highest-performing titles.

Top gross

Ben-Hur$164.0M Sleeping Beauty$51.6M Some Like It Hot$25.0M Pillow Talk$18.8M The Shaggy Dog$17.7M

Best ROI

The Shaggy Dog14.13x Pillow Talk11.72x Ben-Hur10.93x Some Like It Hot8.62x Sleeping Beauty8.60x

Gross-minus-budget leaders

Ben-Hur$149.0M Sleeping Beauty$45.6M Some Like It Hot$22.1M Pillow Talk$17.2M The Shaggy Dog$16.4M

1959 movie chart

Sorted by worldwide gross.

#	Movie	Year	Worldwide	Budget	Gross - budget	ROI	Studio / Distributor
1	Ben-Hur WW Financial	1959	$164.0M	$15.0M	$149.0M	10.93x	Metro Goldwyn Mayer
2	Sleeping Beauty WW Financial	1959	$51.6M	$6.0M	$45.6M	8.60x	Walt Disney Productions
3	Some Like It Hot WW Financial	1959	$25.0M	$2.9M	$22.1M	8.62x	The Mirisch Company
4	Pillow Talk WW Financial	1959	$18.8M	$1.6M	$17.2M	11.72x	Arwin Productions
5	The Shaggy Dog WW Financial	1959	$17.7M	$1.3M	$16.4M	14.13x	Walt Disney Productions
6	North by Northwest WW Financial	1959	$13.3M	$4.0M	$9.3M	3.32x	Metro Goldwyn Mayer
7	The Nun's Story WW Financial	1959	$12.8M	$3.5M	$9.3M	3.66x	Warner Bros. Pictures
8	Solomon and Sheba WW Financial	1959	$12.2M	$5.0M	$7.2M	2.44x	Edward Small Productions
9	Journey to the Center of the Earth WW Financial	1959	$10.0M	$3.4M	$6.6M	2.91x	Cooga Mooga
10	Suddenly, Last Summer WW Financial	1959	$9.0M	$3.0M	$6.0M	3.00x	Horizon Pictures
11	Anatomy of a Murder WW Financial	1959	$8.0M	$2.0M	$6.0M	4.00x	Columbia Pictures
12	Operation Petticoat WW Financial No budget	1959	$6.8M	—	—	—	Granart Company
13	Rio Bravo WW Financial	1959	$5.8M	$1.2M	$4.6M	4.79x	Armada Productions
14	Ask Any Girl WW Financial	1959	$3.7M	$1.1M	$2.6M	3.29x	Euterpe Productions
15	Porgy and Bess WW Financial	1959	$3.5M	$7.0M	-$3.5M	0.50x	Samuel Goldwyn Productions
16	The Three Treasures WW Financial No budget	1959	$3.0M	—	—	—	Toho
17	Al Capone WW Financial	1959	$2.5M	$1.0M	$1.5M	2.50x	Allied Artists Pictures
18	Last Train from Gun Hill WW Financial No budget	1959	$2.5M	—	—	—	Bryna Productions
19	On the Beach WW Financial	1959	$2.2M	$2.9M	-$700,000	0.76x	Stanley Kramer Productions
20	Compulsion WW Financial	1959	$1.8M	$1.3M	$455,000	1.34x	Darryl F. Zanuck Productions
21	Warlock WW Financial	1959	$1.7M	$2.4M	-$700,000	0.71x	20th Century Fox
22	Watusi WW Financial	1959	$1.5M	$485,000	$1.1M	3.19x	Metro Goldwyn Mayer
23	Gidget WW Financial No budget	1959	$1.5M	—	—	—	Columbia Pictures
24	The Hangman WW Financial No budget	1959	$1.0M	—	—	—	Paramount Pictures
25	The Killer Shrews WW Financial	1959	$1.0M	$123,000	$877,000	8.13x	Hollywood Pictures Corporation
26	The Beat Generation WW Financial Hidden	1959	$750,000	$439,000	$311,000	1.71x	Albert Zugsmith Productions
27	My Wife's Suitor WW Financial Hidden	1959	$458,000	$145,000	$313,000	3.16x	Lola Sedky Films
28	A Bucket of Blood WW Financial Hidden	1959	$180,000	$50,000	$130,000	3.60x	American International Pictures
29	The World of Apu WW Financial No budget Hidden	1959	$134,241	—	—	—	Satyajit Ray Productions
30	Gurbet WW Financial Hidden	1959	$100,000	$55,000	$45,000	1.82x	—
31	Milky Way WW Financial Hidden	1959	$100,000	$55,000	$45,000	1.82x	Pesen Film
32	The Broken Disk WW Financial Hidden	1959	$100,000	$55,000	$45,000	1.82x	Kemal Film
33	The Journey WW Financial No budget Hidden	1959	$19,873	—	—	—	Alby Pictures
34	The Tiger of Eschnapur WW Financial No budget Hidden	1959	$4,673	—	—	—	Regina Films
35	Hiroshima Mon Amour WW Financial No budget Hidden	1959	$3,193	—	—	—	Argos Films
36	The Little Apartment WW Financial No budget Hidden	1959	$1,690	—	—	—	Documento Film
37	The Lord Pretends WW Financial No budget Hidden	1959	$90	—	—	—	Daiei Film
38	The Werewolf WW Financial No budget Hidden	1959	$3	—	—	—	Take Part Theater

Ben-Hur 1959 · WW Budget $15.0M · Metro Goldwyn Mayer

$164.0M ROI 10.93x

Sleeping Beauty 1959 · WW Budget $6.0M · Walt Disney Productions

$51.6M ROI 8.60x

Some Like It Hot 1959 · WW Budget $2.9M · The Mirisch Company

$25.0M ROI 8.62x

Pillow Talk 1959 · WW Budget $1.6M · Arwin Productions

$18.8M ROI 11.72x

The Shaggy Dog 1959 · WW Budget $1.3M · Walt Disney Productions

$17.7M ROI 14.13x

North by Northwest 1959 · WW Budget $4.0M · Metro Goldwyn Mayer

$13.3M ROI 3.32x

The Nun's Story 1959 · WW Budget $3.5M · Warner Bros. Pictures

$12.8M ROI 3.66x

Solomon and Sheba 1959 · WW Budget $5.0M · Edward Small Productions

$12.2M ROI 2.44x

Journey to the Center of the Earth 1959 · WW Budget $3.4M · Cooga Mooga

$10.0M ROI 2.91x

Suddenly, Last Summer 1959 · WW Budget $3.0M · Horizon Pictures

$9.0M ROI 3.00x

Anatomy of a Murder 1959 · WW Budget $2.0M · Columbia Pictures

$8.0M ROI 4.00x

Operation Petticoat 1959 · WW Budget — · Granart Company

$6.8M ROI —

Rio Bravo 1959 · WW Budget $1.2M · Armada Productions

$5.8M ROI 4.79x

Ask Any Girl 1959 · WW Budget $1.1M · Euterpe Productions

$3.7M ROI 3.29x

Porgy and Bess 1959 · WW Budget $7.0M · Samuel Goldwyn Productions

$3.5M ROI 0.50x

The Three Treasures 1959 · WW Budget — · Toho

$3.0M ROI —

Al Capone 1959 · WW Budget $1.0M · Allied Artists Pictures

$2.5M ROI 2.50x

Last Train from Gun Hill 1959 · WW Budget — · Bryna Productions

$2.5M ROI —

On the Beach 1959 · WW Budget $2.9M · Stanley Kramer Productions

$2.2M ROI 0.76x

Compulsion 1959 · WW Budget $1.3M · Darryl F. Zanuck Productions

$1.8M ROI 1.34x

Warlock 1959 · WW Budget $2.4M · 20th Century Fox

$1.7M ROI 0.71x

Watusi 1959 · WW Budget $485,000 · Metro Goldwyn Mayer

$1.5M ROI 3.19x

Gidget 1959 · WW Budget — · Columbia Pictures

$1.5M ROI —

The Hangman 1959 · WW Budget — · Paramount Pictures

$1.0M ROI —

The Killer Shrews 1959 · WW Budget $123,000 · Hollywood Pictures Corporation

$1.0M ROI 8.13x

The Beat Generation 1959 · WW Budget $439,000 · Albert Zugsmith Productions

$750,000 ROI 1.71x

My Wife's Suitor 1959 · WW Budget $145,000 · Lola Sedky Films

$458,000 ROI 3.16x

A Bucket of Blood 1959 · WW Budget $50,000 · American International Pictures

$180,000 ROI 3.60x

The World of Apu 1959 · WW Budget — · Satyajit Ray Productions

$134,241 ROI —

Gurbet 1959 · WW Budget $55,000

$100,000 ROI 1.82x

Milky Way 1959 · WW Budget $55,000 · Pesen Film

$100,000 ROI 1.82x

The Broken Disk 1959 · WW Budget $55,000 · Kemal Film

$100,000 ROI 1.82x

The Journey 1959 · WW Budget — · Alby Pictures

$19,873 ROI —

The Tiger of Eschnapur 1959 · WW Budget — · Regina Films

$4,673 ROI —

Hiroshima Mon Amour 1959 · WW Budget — · Argos Films

$3,193 ROI —

The Little Apartment 1959 · WW Budget — · Documento Film

$1,690 ROI —

The Lord Pretends 1959 · WW Budget — · Daiei Film

$90 ROI —

The Werewolf 1959 · WW Budget — · Take Part Theater

$3 ROI —

1959 box office FAQ

Helpful answers about the 1959 box office chart.

How many movies are included in the 1959 box office chart?

The number of titles depends on available box office data for that release year. More records can appear as source coverage improves.

Why do some movies have more detailed box office pages?

Some titles have more complete financial, ranking and source information available. Titles with less reliable supporting data may remain listed in ranking tables until more detail is available.

What does worldwide gross mean?

Worldwide gross refers to reported theatrical box office revenue across all available markets before any later home entertainment or streaming revenue.

How is ROI calculated?

ROI is calculated from available gross and budget data. Where budget or revenue is missing, ROI may be unavailable or marked as estimated depending on the source quality.

Can more films be expanded with full box office details later?

Yes. A title can receive a more detailed page when reliable financial data, source links and useful context become available.