Weekend Domestic Box Office October 2, 1981
| Rank | Prev | Title | Daily Gross | Weekly Change |
Theaters | Theater Average |
Total Gross | Days in Release | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | (new) | Paternity | $3,610,147 | 1,072 | $3,368 | $3,610,147 | 3 | ||
| 2 | (1) | Mommie Dearest | $3,208,436 | -31% | 930 | $3,450 | $10,537,537 | 17 | |
| 3 | (2) | Only When I Laugh | $3,158,909 | -19% | 794 | $3,978 | $8,409,850 | 12 | |
| 4 | (4) | Arthur | $2,111,572 | -12% | 910 | $2,320 | $52,922,322 | 80 | |
| 5 | (5) | Body Heat | $2,093,285 | -4% | 747 | $2,802 | $11,563,489 | 38 | |
| 6 | (7) | Raiders of the Lost Ark | $1,959,650 | +5% | 550 | $3,563 | $136,885,717 | 115 | |
| 7 | (3) | So Fine | $1,887,878 | -27% | 1,024 | $1,844 | $5,341,025 | 10 | |
| 8 | (6) | Continental Divide | $1,500,000 | -25% | 709 | $2,116 | $8,143,450 | 17 | |
| 9 | (8) | Carbon Copy | $1,100,000 | -24% | 268 | $4,104 | $2,843,791 | 10 | |
| 10 | (9) | Stripes | $986,000 | -29% | 650 | $1,517 | $79,687,511 | 101 | |
| 11 | (14) | Prince of the City | $513,647 | +255% | 94 | $5,464 | $1,637,905 | 47 | |
| 12 | (-) | Heavy Metal | $394,659 | 269 | $1,467 | $19,571,091 | 59 | ||
| 13 | (18) | Gallipoli | $256,637 | 47 | $5,460 | $1,263,099 | 38 | ||
| 14 | (17) | Chariots of Fire | $92,639 | +34% | 3 | $30,880 | $198,650 | 10 | |
| 15 | (new) | Zoot Suit | $63,356 | 57 | $1,112 | $63,356 | 3 | ||
| Reporting movies: 15 | $22,936,815 | total box office | |||||||
| Rank | Title | Daily | Theaters | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Paternity | $3,610,147 | 1,072 | $3,610,147 |
| 2 | Mommie Dearest | $3,208,436 | 930 | $10,537,537 |
| 3 | Only When I Laugh | $3,158,909 | 794 | $8,409,850 |
| 4 | Arthur | $2,111,572 | 910 | $52,922,322 |
| 5 | Body Heat | $2,093,285 | 747 | $11,563,489 |
| 6 | Raiders of the Lost Ark | $1,959,650 | 550 | $136,885,717 |
| 7 | So Fine | $1,887,878 | 1,024 | $5,341,025 |
| 8 | Continental Divide | $1,500,000 | 709 | $8,143,450 |
| 9 | Carbon Copy | $1,100,000 | 268 | $2,843,791 |
| 10 | Stripes | $986,000 | 650 | $79,687,511 |
| 11 | Prince of the City | $513,647 | 94 | $1,637,905 |
| 12 | Heavy Metal | $394,659 | 269 | $19,571,091 |
| 13 | Gallipoli | $256,637 | 47 | $1,263,099 |
| 14 | Chariots of Fire | $92,639 | 3 | $198,650 |
| 15 | Zoot Suit | $63,356 | 57 | $63,356 |
| Reporting: 15 | $22,936,815 | total | ||