Modern Times: The Highest Grossing Actor

The Hollywood Star with the highest grossing films at the U.S. box office is Samuel L. Jackson. His films have collectively grossed over $5 Billion.

#1 in 1980: Empire Strikes Back

The movie that nobody really wanted to make now had a sequel that nobody thought would ever get made. The Empire Strikes Back was almost never produced because of an argument between George Lucas and Twentieth Century Fox. At the time, Fox owned all the rights and trademarks to the Star Wars universe. However, they had given the merchandise rights to George Lucas in exchange for his directing fee, believing them to be worthless. When George Lucas made millions, he established his own company- Lucasfilm- and he wanted to buy all the rights to his creations. If Fox didn't agree to sell, they'd get no sequels; not from Lucas anyway. Fox initially stood firm, but soon relented. George Lucas would get his empire and Fox would get its sequel.

#1 in 1979: Kramer vs. Kramer

 

In yet another dramatic shift, the number one film went from being a lighthearted, romantic comedy to the depressing divorce drama Kramer vs. Kramer. As the 1970's drew to a close, it would be the perfect bookend to a seemingly confused moviegoing Decade.

#1 in 1978: Grease

 

The 1970's were scary for movie studios. Every time they thought they figured out what people wanted, it seemed to change. Long after musicals were supposed to be dead, the public embraced Grease, a hit Broadway musical that rode the 1950's nostalgia craze all the way to number one.

#1 in 1977: Star Wars

 

The film world seemed to change in 1977 when Star Wars exploded onto the scene. Jaws may have opened the door for the modern day blockbuster but Star Wars busted through it, taking the world by storm and Hollywood by surprise. Just like many of the other films on this list, Star Wars' success was improbable. Twentieth Century Fox only made the picture because they wanted George Lucas to make other films for them. They had such little faith in the film that they gave the merchandising rights to George Lucas in lieu of part of his salary. The ensuing merchandise explosion allowed George to take control of the franchise and control his own destiny. 

#1 in 1976: Rocky

 

Rocky was another film that Hollywood didn't really seem interested in. The story of an underdog who (surprisingly) doesn't actually win in the end, Rocky somehow went all the way to number one.

#1 in 1975: Jaws

The movie Jaws had much going against it; the expensive shark robots never really worked as expected, Steven Spielberg was still somewhat untested as a director and the film went outrageously overbudget. The film's failure could have sunk Spielberg's career before it got off the ground and further dented Universal Pictures at a shaky time in its history. 
Instead it was a massive success, ushering in an era of summertime blockbuster films and propelling Steven Spielberg onto the A list. The studio would mar this success with lousy sequels made without Spielberg's involvement, but the picture's legacy is unmistakable.

#1 in 1974: Blazing Saddles

Blazing Saddles was a surprise for Hollywood. Mel Brooks was seen as being talented, but not a box office draw. Westerns were considered old and passé and the cast was filled with familiar but hardly huge actors. Plus, the content was a bit risqué. Perhaps it was serendipity that made this film a hit, but it still stands decades later as a classic, popular  picture.

#1 in 1973: The Sting

For the second year in a row, the number one film was also the best picture winner at the Oscars. The Sting melded a 1970's sensibility with a film set in the 1930's; not an easy task.

#1 in 1972: The Godfather

It was a film that many didn't want made- even the studio making it. Francis Ford Coppola faced many obstacles when making the film- the studio didn't want Marlon Brando or Al Pacino. They hated the fact that he was turning what had been considered a pulpy novel into a more ambitious project. The mafia itself weighed in, threatening the production, which resulted in Coppola not even using the word 'mafia' in the film. Despite all this, the film came together, becoming an instant classic; one of the greatest films ever made and the number one film of 1972.

#1 in 1971: Fiddler on the Roof

Fiddler on the Roof temporarily brought back the idea of movie musicals produced in a more traditional fashion. The film was a fairly faithful adaptation of the Broadway musical, a genre that had been left for dead just a few years earlier. The success of the film further cemented the idea of big business taking over Hollywood; the film was produced by United Artists, which had been purchased by Transamerica in a diversification effort.

#1 in 1970: Love Story

 

Love may mean never having to say you're sorry, but this schmaltzy relic of a film never apologized for turning a cheesy airport romance novel into a huge hit. The film turned Ryan O'Neal and Ali MacGraw into huge stars and forced boyfriends to pretend they didn't mind when their girlfriend suggested this flick. Its one saving grace- introducing the world to Tommy Lee Jones, who took a minor role in the film.

#1 in 1969: Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

 

On the surface, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid looked like a square western film. With similar films failing at the box office, it was somewhat of a surprise that there was a bidding war for this script. In fact, the winning studio paid twice as much for the project as had been approved. What made this film special was that unlike traditional westerns, we were meant to root for the bad guys. This simple twist made the film popular with both the counterculture and traditional filmgoers.

#1 in 1968: 2001- A Space Odyssey

 

MGM had been seen as a stodgy studio whose glory days were far behind it. Its purchase by a casino magnate who sought to strip mine the studio's value and slap its name on the first themed casino resorts didn't help things. As a result of this behind the scenes drama, the studio began taking more risks than it might have just five years before. The early result was 2001: a space odyssey. The film heavily used special effects and unconventional plotting to craft an intriguing story. At first, the film drew mixed reviews and so-so box office. Since this was at a time when studios were willing to be patient with a release, the movie steadily grew notice, resulting in amazing box office receipts. MGM's patience paid off with the number one film of the year.

#1 in 1967: The Graduate

 

What was being billed as "The New Hollywood" reared its head in 1967. While film critics had been warning the big studios that their products were increasingly becoming irrelevant, the warnings had gone largely unheeded. The same big budget spectacles and amazingly tone deaf musicals were still coming out of Hollywood to lower and lower grosses. It wasn't until The Graduate became the number one film that Hollywood began to finally see that it needed to adapt to changing audience tastes.

#1 in 1966: The Bible... from the Beginning

 

The Bible ... in the Beginning is an oddity. It was the number one film in 1966 with an all-star cast yet is virtually unknown to today's audiences, unlike other films of this era. The film was dated in its time, however, appealing to an audience that was rapidly dying off of old age and no longer a reliable presence at movie theaters. The counter culture would soon begin to demand and create its own films. Hollywood would struggle to adapt to this new audience.

#1 in 1965: The Sound of Music

 

The success of Mary Poppins made Julie Andrews a bigger draw at the box office. Her next film would take the top spot with its elaborate musical sequences and sweeping vistas. That the film was set in Nazi Germany seemed to be lost on audiences who found it enchanting. It was a much needed hit for the beleaguered Twentieth Century Fox.

#1 in 1964: My Fair Lady

 

My Fair Lady was a risk- rather than cast the woman who originated the lead role and could sing- Julie Andrews- the producers chose Audrey Hepburn, who mimed to Marni Nixon's voice. The choice made Julie Andrews available to become Mary Poppins, which became her legendary Academy Award winning role. My Fair Lady, however, would walk away with the box office crown.

#1 in 1963: Cleopatra

 

Cleopatra is that rarest of films; while it sat atop the list of movies from 1963, its budget was so huge that it was still a huge box office disaster. The film never had a chance; it had already gone through millions of dollars before real production had even started. Century City would rise up around the Fox backlot because the studio was forced to sell off much of its property to stay solvent. Everyone tried to blame everyone else for this huge failure, but the ultimate mistake was made by the studio itself for believing that the overstuffed film would ever be popular enough to justify the massive costs.

#1 in 1962: Lawrence of Arabia

 

Lawrence of Arabia was a huge undertaking, involving two countries and millions of dollars. The film's sweeping scenic vistas were captured in 70MM, producing visuals that could only be enjoyed on a widescreen. It became a classic epic that would be richly rewarded at the box office.