Weekend Domestic Box Office September 18, 1981
| Rank | Prev | Title | Daily Gross | Weekly Change |
Theaters | Theater Average |
Total Gross | Days in Release | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | (new) | Continental Divide | $3,218,347 | 864 | $3,725 | $3,218,347 | 3 | ||
| 2 | (8) | Body Heat | $3,027,895 | +704% | 764 | $3,963 | $5,327,189 | 24 | |
| 3 | (1) | Arthur | $2,935,103 | -2% | 939 | $3,126 | $46,731,366 | 66 | |
| 4 | (2) | Raiders of the Lost Ark | $2,326,951 | -4% | 750 | $3,103 | $131,810,688 | 101 | |
| 5 | (4) | Stripes | $1,550,121 | -19% | 901 | $1,720 | $76,485,607 | 87 | |
| 6 | (3) | An American Werewolf in London | $1,400,000 | -29% | 544 | $2,574 | $19,223,249 | 31 | |
| 7 | (new) | Mommie Dearest | $905,920 | 85 | $10,658 | $905,920 | 3 | ||
| 8 | (-) | Heavy Metal | $602,909 | 435 | $1,386 | $18,271,347 | 45 | ||
| 9 | (6) | Private Lessons | $326,215 | -41% | 107 | $3,049 | $4,500,000 | 24 | |
| 10 | (new) | Raggedy Man | $287,081 | 189 | $1,519 | $287,081 | 3 | ||
| 11 | (7) | Comin' at Ya! | $238,512 | -46% | 99 | $2,409 | $6,704,127 | 59 | |
| 12 | (9) | Gallipoli | $190,546 | +90% | 15 | $12,703 | $663,207 | 24 | |
| 13 | (new) | The French Lieutenant's Woman | $124,110 | 4 | $31,028 | $124,110 | 3 | ||
| 14 | (10) | Prince of the City | $85,926 | -4% | 5 | $17,185 | $853,985 | 33 | |
| 15 | (-) | Improper Channels | $77,500 | 41 | $1,890 | $0 | 157 | ||
| Reporting movies: 15 | $17,297,136 | total box office | |||||||
| Rank | Title | Daily | Theaters | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Continental Divide | $3,218,347 | 864 | $3,218,347 |
| 2 | Body Heat | $3,027,895 | 764 | $5,327,189 |
| 3 | Arthur | $2,935,103 | 939 | $46,731,366 |
| 4 | Raiders of the Lost Ark | $2,326,951 | 750 | $131,810,688 |
| 5 | Stripes | $1,550,121 | 901 | $76,485,607 |
| 6 | An American Werewolf in London | $1,400,000 | 544 | $19,223,249 |
| 7 | Mommie Dearest | $905,920 | 85 | $905,920 |
| 8 | Heavy Metal | $602,909 | 435 | $18,271,347 |
| 9 | Private Lessons | $326,215 | 107 | $4,500,000 |
| 10 | Raggedy Man | $287,081 | 189 | $287,081 |
| 11 | Comin' at Ya! | $238,512 | 99 | $6,704,127 |
| 12 | Gallipoli | $190,546 | 15 | $663,207 |
| 13 | The French Lieutenant's Woman | $124,110 | 4 | $124,110 |
| 14 | Prince of the City | $85,926 | 5 | $853,985 |
| 15 | Improper Channels | $77,500 | 41 | $0 |
| Reporting: 15 | $17,297,136 | total | ||