Did Gone With the Wind sell more money than Avatar and Titanic?
Posted by davidawesomemovies
I’m basing it on everything here people, my brothers and father seem to think because Gone With the Wind was in 1938, and movie tickets were only 5 cents. Its over one billion dollars in earnings is higher than Avatar’s over 2 billion dollars in earnings in our years.
February 7th, 2010 at 10:37 am
The U.S. dollar used to buy a lot more - over time prices of things have risen, which is a process called inflation. In order to judge a movie released in 2010 accurately against a movie released in the 1930s or the 1970s, you have to adjust for the rate of inflation over the years.
If you do that, then "Gone With the Wind" is actually the highest-grossing film. And "Star Wars" (the original) is #2. "Titanic" is #6, and "Avatar" is #21 and rising.
Also, "Avatar" has the advantage of being released in 3-D theaters, which have a higher ticket price than regular theaters. So "Avatar"s gross income is affected by that. It may have made more money, but has not sold as many tickets as some earlier films.
"Gone With the Wind" earned $198 million in 1939 (and the subsequent re-releases). In 2010 dollars, that amount would be over $1.5 Billion. "Star Wars" earned $460 million in 1977 (and re-releases), which would be equal to $1.3 Billion today.
"Avatar" has earned $603 million, by comparison.
This chart explains it:
February 7th, 2010 at 10:37 am
Yes…and rightfully so.
February 7th, 2010 at 10:37 am
I read that, in dollars, Avatar is the winner. Once inflation is a factor, Gone With the Wind still beats them for tickets sold.
February 7th, 2010 at 10:37 am
L I E S
February 7th, 2010 at 10:37 am
movies don’t sell money.
February 7th, 2010 at 10:37 am
I think you mean make more money. On TV the movie reporters are saying that Avatar is the highest grossing movie of all time. I don’t know if they allow for inflation and increased ticket price.
February 7th, 2010 at 10:37 am
How do you sell money?
"Oh, here, this is a ten-thousand-dollar bill. I’ll sell it to you for only twenty-thousand-dollars."
February 7th, 2010 at 10:37 am
If they were the same ticket price, Gone With the Wind would probably have a lot more compared to Avatar, but Titanic is a really popular movie too and I would be willing to bet that Titanic would be first, Gone With the Wind second and Avatar third if all were same ticket prices.
February 7th, 2010 at 10:37 am
yes
Avatar Fox $18,248,600 adjusted to 1930s prices
Titanic Par. $29,519,600
Gone with the Wind MGM $46,470,300
also keep in mind gone with the wind had several re-releases
but it stills falls short on todays adjust margin= [2] $1,450,680,400 Adjusted Domestic box
February 7th, 2010 at 10:37 am
No but it would depend on how you look at it. In terms of inflation and the worth of money now as compared to then it would be a little closer but still to no avail. The one billion dollar mark that is stated may be for all time but it did not take in that much money when it was released.
February 7th, 2010 at 10:37 am
Avatar clearly wins,but gone with the wind sold more in ticket sales.Im sure that if "gone with the wind" and "Avatar"\"Titanic"came out at the same time avatar would win on that basis of today’s liking.
February 7th, 2010 at 10:37 am
I’ve not heard the specific actual breakdown of money earned but I’ve read as well that in today’s dollars depending on how you calculate it Gone With the Wind would have made from $2 billion to $6 billion in sales.