# List of 1949 box office number-one films in the United States

This is a list of films which placed number one at the weekly box office in the United States during 1949 per Variety's weekly National Boxoffice Survey. The results are based on a sample of 20-25 key cities and therefore, any box office amounts quoted may not be the total that the film grossed nationally in the week.

## Number-one films

| † | This implies the highest-grossing movie of the year. |
| # | Week ending | Film | Notes |
| 1 | January 5, 1949 | The Paleface | |
| 2 | January 12, 1949 | The Paleface | |
| 3 | January 19, 1949 | Words and Music | |
| 4 | January 26, 1949 | The Snake Pit | The Snake Pit reached number one in its 11th week of release. |
| 5 | February 2, 1949 | Joan of Arc | |
| 6 | February 9, 1949 | Joan of Arc | |
| 7 | February 16, 1949 | Joan of Arc | |
| 8 | February 23, 1949 | Command Decision | |
| 9 | March 2, 1949 | Whispering Smith | Whispering Smith reached number one in its 12th week of release. |
| 10 | March 9, 1949 | Whispering Smith | |
| 11 | March 16, 1949 | A Letter to Three Wives | A Letter to Three Wives reached number one in its sixth week of release. |
| 12 | March 23, 1949 | Mother Is a Freshman | Mother Is a Freshman reached number one in its second week of release. |
| 13 | March 30, 1949 | Knock on Any Door | Knock on Any Door reached number one in its second week of release. |
| 14 | April 6, 1949 | The Set-Up | The Set-Up grossed $245,000 from 13 key cities. |
| 15 | April 13, 1949 | The Set-Up | |
| 16 | April 20, 1949 | A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court | A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court grossed $170,000 from the cities sampled. |
| 17 | April 27, 1949 | A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court | |
| 18 | May 4, 1949 | A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court | |
| 19 | May 11, 1949 | Flamingo Road | Flamingo Road reached number one in its second week of release |
| 20 | May 18, 1949 | Mr. Belvedere Goes to College | Mr. Belvedere Goes to College reached number one in its fifth week of release. |
| 21 | May 25, 1949 | Flamingo Road | Flamingo Road returned to number one in its fourth week of release. |
| 22 | June 1, 1949 | The Stratton Story | The Stratton Story reached number one in its third week of release. |
| 23 | June 8, 1949 | The Stratton Story | |
| 24 | June 15, 1949 | Home of the Brave | Home of the Brave reached number one in its fifth week of release. |
| 25 | June 22, 1949 | It Happens Every Spring | It Happens Every Spring reached number one in its third week of release. |
| 26 | June 29, 1949 | Sorrowful Jones | Sorrowful Jones reached number one in its fourth week of release and grossed $260,000 from the cities sampled. |
| 27 | July 6, 1949 | Neptune's Daughter Sorrowful Jones | Neptune's Daughter reached number one in its fourth week of release. Variety split the honors evenly but noted that Neptune's Daughter held a slight edge due to being in it second week of release in most spots. |
| 28 | July 13, 1949 | Sorrowful Jones Neptune's Daughter | |
| 29 | July 20, 1949 | Sorrowful Jones The Girl from Jones Beach | Both Sorrowful Jones and The Girl from Jones Beach were classed as neck-and-neck for first place with The Girl from Jones Beach grossing more than $220,000 but Sorrowful Jones having better showings despite grossing less from the cities sampled. |
| 30 | July 27, 1949 | Any Number Can Play | Any Number Can Play reached number one in its second week of release. |
| 31 | August 3, 1949 | Look for the Silver Lining | Look for the Silver Lining reached number one in its sixth week of release grossing $370,000 from 14 key cities. |
| 32 | August 10, 1949 | In the Good Old Summertime | In the Good Old Summertime reached number one in its second week of release. |
| 33 | August 17, 1949 | Look for the Silver Lining | Look for the Silver Lining returned to number one in its eighth week of release. |
| 34 | August 24, 1949 | Black Magic | |
| 35 | August 31, 1949 | It's a Great Feeling | |
| 36 | September 7, 1949 | White Heat | |
| 37 | September 14, 1949 | Top o' the Morning | Top o' the Morning reached number one in its second week of release. |
| 38 | September 21, 1949 | I Was a Male War Bride | I Was a Male War Bride reached number one in its fourth week of release. |
| 39 | September 28, 1949 | I Was a Male War Bride | |
| 40 | October 5, 1949 | My Friend Irma | My Friend Irma reached number one in its seventh week of release. |
| 41 | October 12, 1949 | Father Was a Fullback | Father Was a Fullback earned $240,000 from the cities sampled in its second week of release. |
| 42 | October 19, 1949 | Jolson Sings Again † | Jolson Sings Again reached number one in its tenth week of release. |
| 43 | October 26, 1949 | Jolson Sings Again † | Jolson Sings Again grossed $390,000 from the cities sampled. |
| 44 | November 2, 1949 | Jolson Sings Again † | Jolson Sings Again grossed $305,000 from the cities sampled. |
| 45 | November 9, 1949 | Jolson Sings Again † | |
| 46 | November 16, 1949 | Jolson Sings Again † | |
| 47 | November 23, 1949 | That Forsyte Woman | That Forsyte Woman reached number one in its third week of release. |
| 48 | November 30, 1949 | Oh, You Beautiful Doll | Oh, You Beautiful Doll reached number one in its third week of release. |
| 49 | December 7, 1949 | Pinky | Pinky reached number one in its tenth week of release. |
| 50 | December 14, 1949 | Pinky | |
| 51 | December 21, 1949 | The Great Lover | The Great Lover reached number one in its fourth week of release. |
| 52 | December 28, 1949 | The Great Lover | |

## Highest-grossing films

The highest-grossing films during the calendar year based on theatrical rentals were as follows:
| Rank | Title | Distributor | Rental |
| 1 | Jolson Sings Again | Columbia Pictures | $5,500,000 |
| 2 | Pinky | 20th Century Fox | $4,200,000 |
| 3 | I Was a Male War Bride | 20th Century Fox | $4,100,000 |
| 4 | The Snake Pit | 20th Century Fox | $4,100,000 |
| 5 | Joan of Arc | RKO Pictures | $4,100,000 |
| 6 | The Stratton Story | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer | $3,700,000 |
| 7 | Mr. Belvedere Goes to College | 20th Century Fox | $3,650,000 |
| 8 | Little Women | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer | $3,600,000 |
| 9 | Words and Music | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer | $3,500,000 |
| 10 | Neptune's Daughter | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer | $3,450,000 |