1) The Godfather – 1972
Gross: $134,821,952
The big dog, the “I-ching” of gangster movies. Its celebrated sequel may be the greater artistic accomplishment, but both for originality and re-watchability, there is no beating The Godfather. From “I Believe in America” to the door shutting on Kay, the film defined the American gangster for eternity. One of the few films to hold its own with Citizen Kane on any list.