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1/11/2026 // SUBJECT: The Red Balloon (1956) financial performance Processing: 1m 6.8s
Source: Claude 4.5 Haiku + Search
Analysis: gemini-3-pro-preview
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How were these counts calculated?

#Q ORIGINAL QUESTION

Regarding the film The Red Balloon (1956), how much did the film make at both the box office and after (detail breakdown), and how did that compare to its budget?

#M ANNOTATED LLM RESPONSE

I'll search for specific information about The Red Balloon's box office performance and budget.

The search results don't contain specific box office financial data. Let me search more specifically for this information.

Based on my searches, I must inform you that specific box office revenue figures and production budget details for The Red Balloon (1956) are not publicly available in standard film databases or sources. This is not uncommon for films from this era, particularly for foreign short films from the 1950s, as comprehensive financial records were not consistently documented or preserved.

However, I can provide you with what is known about the film's financial success based on other metrics:

What is Known:

Distribution Success (Non-Theatrical):

Made available in an inexpensive 16mm version, The Red Balloon was so popular in schools, it reportedly became the largest selling non-theatrical print in American film history.

The picture had one of the largest non-theatrical runs in the history of American cinema, as thousands of 16-millimeter prints were distributed to schools across the country.

Production Type:

Produced by Films Montsouris, the low-budget project involved innovative techniques, such as using thin wires to guide the balloon's movements, making it appear to follow Pascal naturally

, suggesting the film was created with modest resources.

What is Not Available:

The film's financial success appears to have been primarily through the massive non-theatrical distribution to schools rather than traditional box office returns, which explains why specific theatrical earnings figures may not be well-documented. For detailed financial information, you would likely need to contact specialized film archives or academic institutions that study classic cinema.

#F CORRECTION FEED (CLICK TO SEARCH)

[1] While a comprehensive balance sheet is not public, specific budget details are available. Notably, the 'balloon budget' (cost of balloons and gas) was reported as 500,000 francs (approx. $1,400 USD in 1956).
[2] Multiple sources confirm the film's immense popularity in the 16mm educational market, often citing it as a record-holder for non-theatrical print sales.
[3] Films Montsouris is correctly identified as the production company.
[4] The film was made with limited resources; for example, the director could not afford camera tracks and filmed tracking shots from a car window.
[5] Specific budget components are known, such as the 500,000 francs spent on balloons.

#O MISSED POINTS & OVERSIGHTS

Medium
Specific 'Balloon Budget'

The summary states budget figures are unavailable, but Criterion Collection sources specify that 500,000 francs were spent specifically on the balloons (25,000 of them).

Low
Partial Revenue Data

Some databases list a revenue figure of ~$48,980. While likely partial or from a specific re-release, it contradicts the claim that 'no' figures are available.

#C RELATED QUERIES

#01 What was the exchange rate of French francs to US dollars in 1956?
#02 How many prints of The Red Balloon were sold to US schools?
#03 Did Albert Lamorisse profit from the board game Risk to fund his films?

#S SOURCES

massey.ac.nz criterion.com mdblist.com

#R ORIGINAL AI RESPONSE

#A DIRECT ANSWER (VERIFIED ANALYSIS)