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I actually cannot find any information about how much money Jaws made in Italy so there is no proof one way or another to those claims, plus it is impossible to tell just how wide of a release the film had in that country. Things that are verifiable are that adjusted for inflation, Jaws is the 9th highest grossing film of all time worldwide and that a huge number of Jaws rip-off films were produced in Italy during the late 70s and early 80s so the film must have done well there.

WOW bigger than Jaws. LMAO!
That is awesome

Yes, that's incredible, isn't it?
Argento doing more money than Spielberg in Italy!
I've also read that at the time SUSPIRIA did more admissions in Italy in 1976/77 than another Spielberg's hit, JAWS.
Argento also produced DEMONS and THE CHURCH which were big hits at the italian box office, like all his others 70's and 80's works.
http://www.myspace.com/guillaumep
http://darioargentofr.blogspot.com/

Thanks for the Info and I found an article in an issue of FANGORIA stating that Phenomena out grossed Indiana jones and the temple of doom in 1985 upon its release in Italy.

SUSPIRIA was Argento's only worlwide hit, it seems, even if THE BIRD WITH THE CRYSTAL PLUMAGE did well 1908in the States.
ALL Argento's films from THE BIRD WITH THE CRYSTAL PLUMAGE (1070) to OPERA (1987), with the exception of FIVE DAYS OF MILAN (1973) were hits in Italy, then Argento's hits were smaller in the 90's, 2000's, even if THE STENDHAL SYNDROME, SLEEPLESS, THE CARD PLAYER and to a lesser extent MOTHER OF TEARS were minor hits in Italy.
GIALLO and DRACULA bombed in Italy, even if i guess that the producers were happy with their results, because at least they were sold everywhere in the world (in theaters, on dvds or sold to international tv)
http://www.myspace.com/guillaumep
http://darioargentofr.blogspot.com/