Those figures arent adjusted for inflation. Which they really should be.
Definitely the studios like it this way, they can say theatres are just as popular.
Look what happens when you do this
http://boxofficemojo.com/alltime/adjusted.htm
[Show spoiler]
1 Gone with the Wind MGM $1,582,009,400 1939^
2 Star Wars Fox $1,394,676,400 1977^
3 The Sound of Music Fox $1,115,112,400 1965
4 E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial Uni. $1,110,719,400 1982^
5 The Ten Commandments Par. $1,025,730,000 1956
6 Titanic Par. $1,004,948,300 1997^
7 Jaws Uni. $1,002,857,100 1975
8 Doctor Zhivago MGM $971,980,600 1965
9 The Exorcist WB $865,991,500 1973^
10 Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Dis. $853,470,000 1937^
11 101 Dalmatians Dis. $782,352,100 1961^
12 The Empire Strikes Back Fox $768,754,400 1980^
13 Ben-Hur MGM $767,340,000 1959
14 Avatar Fox $761,508,800 2009^
15 Return of the Jedi Fox $736,485,200 1983^
16 The Sting Uni. $697,988,600 1973
17 Star Wars The Phantom Menace Fox $697,924,100 1999^
Star wars ep 1 becomes 17 all time. Proving it's inferior numbers to all other original trilogy theatrically.