Hollywood Has Best Sales Year

Disney’s computer-animated “Toy Story” led record four-day New Year’s weekend box office earnings of $138.3 million to pump up Hollywood’s best year in ticket sales.

“Toy Story’s” nearly $20 million was followed by “Jumanji” with $17.8 million, “Grumpier Old Men” with $14.9 million and “Waiting to Exhale” with $13.3 million.

“This was a great weekend for Hollywood. It’s been very busy the past two weeks,” said John Krier, president of Exhibitor Relations Co. Inc., which tracks box office performance.

The previous four-day New Year’s weekend record was $107 million last year when “Dumb & Dumber” and “Disclosure” were the top draws.

Weekend ticket sales brought the domestic box office take for 1995 to $5.4 billion, slightly better than 1994’s record $5.2 billion, according to Exhibitor Relations.

But no one in Hollywood was celebrating. It was the smallest annual boost in five years, rising about 1 percent over 1994.

The average ticket price rose slightly in 1995, but the actual number of tickets sold remained about the same or was slightly lower than the previous year.

Meanwhile, movies cost more to make and distribute in 1995 so studio profit margins were slimmer.