‘Sexiest Man’ Powers Top Movie

Beauty invariably wins out when matched against the beast, and that notion was proven again by the nation’s movie box office totals.

“Legends of the Fall,” featuring Brad Pitt - People magazine’s “Sexiest Man Alive” - remained No. 1 in gross receipts, according to figures provided by Exhibitor Relations Co. The Edward Zwick-directed film grossed $9 million.

Meanwhile, the week’s only major debut, “Murder in the First,” ended up at No. 5 courtesy of its $4.7 million take. “Murder in the First” stars Kevin Bacon as a disfigured Alcatraz inmate being defended for murder by Christian Slater.

John Singleton’s overheated look at modern campus life, “Higher Learning,” dropped precipitously in its second week of release. A $6.1 million take earned it the runner-up spot behind “Legends of the Fall,” upping its overall gross to $24.9 million.

At No. 3, “Dumb & Dumber” neared the $100 million mark in its sixth week. The Jim Carrey feature earned $5.9 million, bringing its total to $98.3 million.

“Nobody’s Fool,” courtesy of a fine performance by Paul Newman, is still performing strong after five weeks. It ranked No. 4 ($5.4 million, $14.6 million overall).

And Disney’s “The Lion King,” earning $1.37 million in its 10th week of reissue, upped its overall gross to a whopping $306.4 million.

The following fields overflowed: SUPCAT = COLUMN, MOVIE REVIEW - Box office