1941: "Sergeant York"
Adjusted gross: $268 million
Unadjusted gross: $16.4 million
What it's about: "Sargeant York" may have been about World War I — a sharpshooter becomes an unexpected hero after attacking and capturing a German position using the same strategy as turkey hunting — but the American-proud movie became a point of major discussion in the United States over the merits of entering World War II.