Week Domestic Box Office September 18, 1981
| Rank | Prev | Title | Daily Gross | Weekly Change |
Theaters | Theater Average |
Total Gross | Days in Release | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | (7) | Body Heat | $4,143,587 | +650% | 764 | $5,424 | $6,442,881 | 28 | |
| 2 | (new) | Continental Divide | $4,086,063 | 864 | $4,729 | $4,086,063 | 7 | ||
| 3 | (1) | Arthur | $3,860,215 | -7% | 939 | $4,111 | $47,656,478 | 70 | |
| 4 | (2) | Raiders of the Lost Ark | $3,041,473 | -9% | 750 | $4,055 | $132,525,210 | 105 | |
| 5 | (4) | An American Werewolf in London | $1,981,173 | -23% | 544 | $3,642 | $19,804,422 | 35 | |
| 6 | (3) | Stripes | $1,947,413 | -25% | 901 | $2,161 | $76,882,899 | 91 | |
| 7 | (-) | Private Lessons | $1,427,296 | 107 | $13,339 | $5,601,081 | 28 | ||
| 8 | (new) | Mommie Dearest | $912,858 | 85 | $10,740 | $912,858 | 7 | ||
| 9 | (8) | Gallipoli | $449,485 | +163% | 15 | $29,966 | $922,146 | 28 | |
| 10 | (new) | Raggedy Man | $361,115 | 189 | $1,911 | $361,115 | 7 | ||
| 11 | (new) | The French Lieutenant's Woman | $199,310 | 4 | $49,828 | $199,310 | 7 | ||
| 12 | (new) | Only When I Laugh | $102,399 | 31 | $3,303 | $102,399 | 2 | ||
| Reporting movies: 12 | $22,512,387 | total box office | |||||||
| Rank | Title | Daily | Theaters | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Body Heat | $4,143,587 | 764 | $6,442,881 |
| 2 | Continental Divide | $4,086,063 | 864 | $4,086,063 |
| 3 | Arthur | $3,860,215 | 939 | $47,656,478 |
| 4 | Raiders of the Lost Ark | $3,041,473 | 750 | $132,525,210 |
| 5 | An American Werewolf in London | $1,981,173 | 544 | $19,804,422 |
| 6 | Stripes | $1,947,413 | 901 | $76,882,899 |
| 7 | Private Lessons | $1,427,296 | 107 | $5,601,081 |
| 8 | Mommie Dearest | $912,858 | 85 | $912,858 |
| 9 | Gallipoli | $449,485 | 15 | $922,146 |
| 10 | Raggedy Man | $361,115 | 189 | $361,115 |
| 11 | The French Lieutenant's Woman | $199,310 | 4 | $199,310 |
| 12 | Only When I Laugh | $102,399 | 31 | $102,399 |
| Reporting: 12 | $22,512,387 | total | ||