Weekend Domestic Box Office December 4, 1981
| Rank | Prev | Title | Gross | Weekly Change |
Theaters | Theater Average |
Total Gross | Days in Release | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | (2) | Raiders of the Lost Ark | $2,441,000 | -42% | 981 | $2,488 | $160,955,434 | 178 | |
| 2 | (new) | Reds | $2,411,083 | 389 | $6,198 | $2,411,083 | 3 | ||
| 3 | (1) | Time Bandits | $2,155,000 | -57% | 1,000 | $2,155 | $25,750,000 | 31 | |
| 4 | (3) | Arthur | $1,169,415 | -45% | 817 | $1,431 | $74,651,604 | 143 | |
| 5 | (-) | The French Lieutenant's Woman | $966,000 | 500 | $1,932 | $19,400,000 | 80 | ||
| 6 | (4) | Only When I Laugh | $519,555 | -49% | 494 | $1,052 | $25,782,304 | 75 | |
| 7 | (-) | Rich and Famous | $500,000 | 350 | $1,429 | $13,000,000 | 59 | ||
| 8 | (6) | Body Heat | $488,921 | -32% | 436 | $1,121 | $23,496,500 | 101 | |
| 9 | (-) | True Confessions | $420,000 | 349 | $1,203 | $12,200,000 | 73 | ||
| 10 | (-) | Private Lessons | $406,531 | 165 | $2,464 | $11,454,417 | 101 | ||
| 11 | (7) | Prince of the City | $248,704 | -47% | 192 | $1,295 | $7,840,272 | 110 | |
| 12 | (8) | Chariots of Fire | $133,092 | -42% | 11 | $12,099 | $2,550,409 | 73 | |
| 13 | (9) | Ragtime | $103,955 | -35% | 5 | $20,791 | $594,893 | 17 | |
| 14 | (new) | On Golden Pond | $89,213 | 2 | $44,607 | $89,213 | 3 | ||
| 15 | (10) | Absence of Malice | $57,055 | -17% | 2 | $28,528 | $388,536 | 18 | |
| 16 | (new) | Whose Life is it Anyway? | $51,988 | 4 | $12,997 | $51,988 | 5 | ||
| Reporting movies: 16 | $12,161,512 | total box office | |||||||
| Rank | Title | Daily | Theaters | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Raiders of the Lost Ark | $2,441,000 | 981 | $160,955,434 |
| 2 | Reds | $2,411,083 | 389 | $2,411,083 |
| 3 | Time Bandits | $2,155,000 | 1,000 | $25,750,000 |
| 4 | Arthur | $1,169,415 | 817 | $74,651,604 |
| 5 | The French Lieutenant's Woman | $966,000 | 500 | $19,400,000 |
| 6 | Only When I Laugh | $519,555 | 494 | $25,782,304 |
| 7 | Rich and Famous | $500,000 | 350 | $13,000,000 |
| 8 | Body Heat | $488,921 | 436 | $23,496,500 |
| 9 | True Confessions | $420,000 | 349 | $12,200,000 |
| 10 | Private Lessons | $406,531 | 165 | $11,454,417 |
| 11 | Prince of the City | $248,704 | 192 | $7,840,272 |
| 12 | Chariots of Fire | $133,092 | 11 | $2,550,409 |
| 13 | Ragtime | $103,955 | 5 | $594,893 |
| 14 | On Golden Pond | $89,213 | 2 | $89,213 |
| 15 | Absence of Malice | $57,055 | 2 | $388,536 |
| 16 | Whose Life is it Anyway? | $51,988 | 4 | $51,988 |
| Reporting: 16 | $12,161,512 | total | ||