Top 10 Classic Hollywood Movies That BOMBED at the Box Office
#10: “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory” (1971)
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Although it’s become a well-regarded classic, this musicalized Roald Dahl adaptation starring Gene Wilder as a menacing chocolatier didn’t make much money in its first theatrical run. On a $3 million budget, it only made $4 million, which is not much of a profit at all. While it wasn’t a disastrous flop, relative to the talent behind it and its current reputation, it had shockingly little traction in theaters. Considering its weirdness, it’s not hard to imagine it didn’t click with audiences right away. Like many movies that suffered the same fate, it was almost lost in limbo before finding new life on television and home video.
#9: “Hello, Dolly!” (1969)
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In 1969, the big budget Hollywood musical was already on the way out. “Hello, Dolly!” probably burned up whatever gas the genre had left. The uplifting show about a turn-of-the-century New York matchmaker thrilled audiences on Broadway. On the big screen, they pretty much couldn’t give tickets away. Times were changing, and the movie was dated before the ink on the contracts was dry. It didn’t help matters that, though colossally talented and fresh off an Oscar win, Barbra Streisand was way too young for the role of a middle-aged widow. Compared to other movies released in the same year, it did good business. But those movies didn’t have a nearly $25 million budget to earn back.
#8: “Doctor Dolittle” (1967)
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He talks to the animals, which is fitting, because the movie was a turkey. Critics and audiences were not charmed by this two and a half hour musical fantasy starring Rex Harrison. With a budget topping out at $17 million, its paltry $9 million at the box office was a major disappointment for everyone involved. Even the live animal performers apparently weren’t fans. They couldn’t stop doing their business on the set or on the people working on the film. Despite failing to please virtually anyone, 20th Century Fox managed to campaign hard enough to get “Doctor Dolittle” nine Oscar nominations. They must have figured if they couldn’t earn profit or praise, they could at least get a little prestige for their money.
#7: “The Fall of the Roman Empire” (1964)
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With an all-star cast, gorgeous and expansive sets, and a London premiere, “The Fall of the Roman Empire” ticked a lot of boxes. Gossip columnist Hedda Hopper declared that it would make millions. She was technically correct. It made 4.8 million to be exact… against a $16 million dollar budget. This little-remembered epic doesn’t actually depict the fall of Rome, but a succession crisis that threatens to incite the fall of Rome. False advertising aside, though, it’s a three hour movie that critics called an incoherent and empty experience. The failure of the film bankrupted its production company and, in retrospect, barely registers as more than a blip on most of its major actors’ filmographies.
#6: “The Wizard of Oz” (1939)
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Given its reputation, it would be fair to assume that one of the reasons this one has stayed relevant for so long is because it made a boat-load of money. That assumption would be wrong. “The Wizard of Oz” closed out its first theatrical run at a loss of over $1 million dollars for MGM. Still, the studio wasn’t too badly hurt, considering another epic they co-produced that year, “Gone With the Wind,” was making a killing in theaters. Stellar reviews are what kept “Oz” from being termed a failure. Only in its re-release did it earn MGM any profit. Subsequent TV broadcasts helped cement its place in the Hollywood canon.
#5: “Vertigo” (1958)
By the late 1950s, Alfred Hitchcock had entered pop culture in ways no film director ever had. His movies were practically a brand all their own. Every week, television audiences saw him introducing short stories of the macabre on his “Alfred Hitchcock Presents” series. But his 1958 film, “Vertigo,” was all together too weird for contemporary audiences. Expecting the concise thrills of “Rear Window” or “Strangers on a Train,” what they got was an arguably Freudian psychological thriller that appealed more to European art critics than classic Hollywood. It’s now considered by many to be one of the best films ever. In 1958, it barely made back its budget and was considered a financial and artistic misstep.
#4: “It’s a Wonderful Life” (1946)
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If you roll your eyes when this holiday classic comes on every December, you’re not alone. Writer-director Frank Capra was known for a specific brand of idealism that may have struck post-war American audiences as a little too naive considering what they’d been through. It also got under the craw of bankers, who were not at all thrilled by the movie’s unscrupulous villain, Mr. Potter. “It’s a Wonderful Life” just barely earned back its budget, but showed very little profit. The movie’s ubiquity on TV was due in large part because the copyright lapsed in the 1970s, and TV stations could broadcast it. Thus, a Christmas classic was born.
#3: “Citizen Kane” (1941)
Yet another masterpiece that didn’t get its due in ticket sales - this one, however, had a helping hand. When word got around that Orson Welles was modeling his movie after the life of William Randolph Hearst, the controversial but powerful newspaper magnate pooled his resources. He banned any mention of “Citizen Kane” in his own papers. Furthermore, he had every Hollywood executive, gossip columnist, and theater owner who owed him a favor or had something to hide contribute to the blackout. Welles remained a target of Hearst’s papers long after the movie eked out the smallest of returns at the box office. Like many other movies on this list, its reputation and box office performance only grew with theatrical re-releases and TV broadcasts.
#2: “Freaks” (1932)
After he made the smash hit “Dracula” for Universal, MGM tasked director Tod Browning with making a similarly horrific movie for their studio. Trouble started when the director cast real sideshow performers with physical disabilities in the film. However, while the movie treats the characters with empathy, the audience reaction was anything but empathetic. Test screenings and initial exhibitions saw people running out, disgusted by the movie and the physical differences it portrays. The reviews were downright scathing, and MGM pulled “Freaks” from theaters before its scheduled run was complete. Since then, it’s found its audience, and has received a warm and welcome reevaluation for its relatively humanizing portrayal of disabled people. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions. “Bringing Up Baby” (1938) This Now-Classic Screwball Comedy Flopped in Its Initial Release “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” (1975) Before Its Legendary Midnight Showings, It Made Pennies at the Box Office “The Conqueror” (1956) John Wayne as Genghis Khan… Need We Say More?
#1: “Cleopatra” (1963)
Many movies have had far more disastrous performances at the box office, but none of them needed to hit with audiences more than “Cleopatra.” Plagued by production issues, a ballooning budget, and Elizabeth Taylor’s myriad illnesses, the historical epic nearly tanked 20th Century Fox before it was even released. Considering the headaches, heartaches, and backaches it took to make, only excessive profits could make it all worthwhile. Yet, despite being the year’s highest grosser, it was still a huge loss for the studio. Only after several years and a TV broadcasting deal did the movie break even. Since then, “Cleopatra’s” production has become a legendary tale of Hollywood hubris.
