The Cash Registers Are Ringing

For the 19th straight week, box office was up over the equivalent week in 1995--a trend Exhibitor Relations president John Krier chalks up to the varied moviegoing marketplace. “You’ve got everything out there--comedies, romances, action films,” he said. “It’s almost like the summertime.”

Of the new entries, Universal’s “Sgt. Bilko” came in No. 2 after “The Birdcage,” which led the pack for the fourth straight week. MGM/UA’s “A Family Thing,” starring Robert Duvall and James Earl Jones, turned in a solid performance on just over 1,100 screens. In a crowded children’s field, Disney’s re-release of the animated “Oliver & Company” edged out “All Dogs Go to Heaven 2.”

Of the high-profile Oscar winners, “Braveheart’s” weekend take shot up 158% on 204 additional screens, bringing its cumulative total to $74.1 million, while “Leaving Las Vegas” and “Dead Man Walking” increased by 22% and 15% respectively.

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Weekend Gross/ Screens/ Weeks in Movie (Studio) Total (millions) Average Release 1. “The Birdcage” $10.1 2,236 4 (MGM/UA) $74.6 $4,519 2. “Sgt. Bilko” $8.1 2,304 1 (Universal) $8.1 $3,520 3. “Executive Decision” $6.9 2,289 3 (Warner Bros.) $35.8 $3,021 4. “Oliver & Company” $4.5 2,180 1 (Walt Disney) $4.5 $2,060 5. “Diabolique” $3.5 1,824 2 (Warner Bros.) $10.7 $1,894 6. “A Family Thing” $3.0 1,134 1 (MGM/UA) $3.0 $2,663 7. “Up Close and Personal” $2.8 1,509 5 (Disney/Touchstone) $40.0 $1,848 8. “Fargo” $2.7 596 4 (Gramercy) $8.7 $4,538 9. “All Dogs Go to Heaven 2” $2.3 2,037 1 (MGM/UA) $2.3 $1,108 10. “Homeward Bound II” $2.0 1,786 4 (Walt Disney) $25.5 $1,113

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SOURCE: Exhibitor Relations Co.