Weekend Domestic Box Office November 20, 1981
| Rank | Prev | Title | Daily Gross | Weekly Change |
Theaters | Theater Average |
Total Gross | Days in Release | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | (1) | Time Bandits | $3,700,000 | -33% | 981 | $3,772 | $16,800,000 | 17 | |
| 2 | (7) | Raiders of the Lost Ark | $3,307,347 | +197% | 1,232 | $2,685 | $151,938,500 | 164 | |
| 3 | (3) | Arthur | $1,491,526 | -10% | 838 | $1,780 | $70,039,803 | 129 | |
| 4 | (2) | Halloween II | $1,300,000 | -42% | 815 | $1,595 | $19,324,019 | 24 | |
| 5 | (6) | Only When I Laugh | $996,701 | -11% | 679 | $1,468 | $23,469,562 | 61 | |
| 6 | (10) | Private Lessons | $927,611 | +23% | 165 | $5,622 | $9,000,000 | 87 | |
| 7 | (5) | The Pursuit of D.B. Cooper | $650,000 | -42% | 623 | $1,043 | $2,104,164 | 10 | |
| 8 | (12) | Body Heat | $576,164 | -18% | 387 | $1,489 | $21,789,750 | 87 | |
| 9 | (14) | Prince of the City | $474,889 | +10% | 307 | $1,547 | $6,768,055 | 96 | |
| 10 | (17) | Chariots of Fire | $175,821 | -7% | 11 | $15,984 | $2,033,937 | 59 | |
| 11 | (new) | Ragtime | $151,351 | 5 | $30,270 | $151,351 | 3 | ||
| 12 | (new) | Absence of Malice | $64,775 | 2 | $32,388 | $73,553 | 4 | ||
| 14 | (-) | Looker | $0 | 0 | – | $3,125,331 | 24 | ||
| 13 | (-) | So Fine | $0 | 0 | – | $9,351,539 | 59 | ||
| Reporting movies: 14 | $13,816,185 | total box office | |||||||
| Rank | Title | Daily | Theaters | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Time Bandits | $3,700,000 | 981 | $16,800,000 |
| 2 | Raiders of the Lost Ark | $3,307,347 | 1,232 | $151,938,500 |
| 3 | Arthur | $1,491,526 | 838 | $70,039,803 |
| 4 | Halloween II | $1,300,000 | 815 | $19,324,019 |
| 5 | Only When I Laugh | $996,701 | 679 | $23,469,562 |
| 6 | Private Lessons | $927,611 | 165 | $9,000,000 |
| 7 | The Pursuit of D.B. Cooper | $650,000 | 623 | $2,104,164 |
| 8 | Body Heat | $576,164 | 387 | $21,789,750 |
| 9 | Prince of the City | $474,889 | 307 | $6,768,055 |
| 10 | Chariots of Fire | $175,821 | 11 | $2,033,937 |
| 11 | Ragtime | $151,351 | 5 | $151,351 |
| 12 | Absence of Malice | $64,775 | 2 | $73,553 |
| 14 | Looker | $0 | 0 | $3,125,331 |
| 13 | So Fine | $0 | 0 | $9,351,539 |
| Reporting: 14 | $13,816,185 | total | ||