WEEKEND BOX OFFICE : ‘Crocodile’ Swamps ‘Rambo’; Hanks’ ‘Big’ Hit

Paramount’s strategy of opening “ ‘Crocodile’ Dundee” in a record 2,410 theaters continued to pay off last weekend--keeping the Australian adventure film at the top of the summer competition heap. But Fox’s “Big,” starring Tom Hanks, demonstrated the most impressive per-screen performance. “Big,” which played at only 1,134 screens last weekend, grossed $7.9 million or $6,967 per screen. In third place for total grosses was another summer comedy, “Big Business,” starring Bette Midler and Lily Tomlin. The Buena Vista-distributed film brought in $6.1 million, or $5,238 per screen.

* Sylvester Stallone’s “Rambo III”--which many expected to be one of the summer’s big blockbusters--dropped down to sixth place. The violent, action-packed film, which cost an estimated $60 million to produce, grossed $4.27 million, or $1,795 per screen.

Weekend Gross/ Screens/ Weeks Movie (Studio) Total (millions) Average in Release 1. ‘Crocodile’ Dundee II $8.5 2,410 3 (Paramount) $61.3 $3,535 2. Big $7.9 1,134 2 (20th Century Fox) $20.5 $6,967 3. Big Business $6.1 1,167 1 (Touchstone/Disney) $6.1 $5,238 4. The Presidio $5.1 1,152 1 (Paramount) $5.1 $4,443 5. Poltergeist III $4.34 1,471 1 (MGM/UA) $4.34 $2,953 * Rambo III $4.27 2,382 3 (Tri-Star) $39.5 $1,795

SOURCE: Exhibitor Relations Co.