Murphy’s ‘America’ Settles Into No. 1 Slot

Eddie Murphy’s “Coming to America” finally surged to the top of the Billboard chart after three weeks. It turns out that the competition from Top Five movies like “Big” and “Cocktail” was simply too strong for the Murphy movie to claim the No. 1 position instantly in the first week or two, as was expected. “Coming to America” is likely to hold on to the top spot rather easily for the next few weeks, resting up for its next big challenge--just-released “Twins,” which, like the Murphy movie, is a member of the exclusive $100-million-grossers club. “Everybody’s All-American,” featuring Dennis Quaid and Jessica Lange, moved up four notches to No. 11 in its second chart week. “Child’s Play” continues to have enormous appeal for horror fans, maintaining its position in the Top 10, this week at No. 7. Few scare flicks show this kind of clout in the rental market.

* “High Spirts,” a ghoulish comedy that some critics labelled a low-grade “Beetlejuice,” shows early signs of being a sizeable rental hit, climbing to No. 16 in its second chart week.

VIDEO CHARTS

Rental Rental Weeks Top Ranking Ranking 2 On Rental Rentals Last Week Weeks Ago Chart 1.”Coming to America” 4 8 3 (Paramount) 2.”The Accused” 2 3 5 (Paramount) 3.”Cocktail” 1 1 8 (Touchstone) 4.”Big” 3 2 11 (CBS-Fox) 5.”Gorillas in the Mist” 5 4 8 (MCA) *”High Spirits” 21 ... 2 (Media)