Taking the top spot for the most profitable movie of all time is 1939's epic romance Gone with the Wind, which starred screen icons Vivien Leigh and Clark Gable. When factoring in inflation, the old Hollywood-era classic is also the highest-grossing movie in history.

The movie grossed $402.4 million at the worldwide box office with a production budget of almost $4 million. Adjusted for inflation, that’s an unbelievable profit of $8.5 billion (£7bn).

As well as being a commercial hit, Gone with the Wind is also considered a cinematic masterpiece. It also set a record at the time of its release for the number of Academy Award nominations and wins it received, clocking up thirteen and eight respectively at the 1940 ceremony.

Now discover which low-budget films made a fortune at the box office.

The 21 most profitable movies of all time