‘Home Alone’ Comedy Film Is Laughing All the Way to the Bank

It was another winning week for 20th Century-Fox’s “Home Alone.”

In its 12th week of release, the kid comedy--starring Macaulay Culkin as a youngster who ingeniously battles burglars when he finds himself left at home alone--actually jumped 11% over its previous week’s earnings. With estimated ticket sales of $8.1 million, it has grossed more than $212 million.

Orion Pictures’ Western epic, “Dances With Wolves,” which came in second, also saw ticket sales jump about 13% over last week. It grossed about $4.9 million.

In third place was “White Fang,” adapted from Jack London’s adventure novel about a youth and his wolf-dog. Released by Disney’s Buena Vista, it had ticket sales of about $4.8 million.

In fourth place was Columbia Pictures’ dramatic “Awakenings,” which earned about $4.5 million.

Universal Pictures’ romantic comedy-drama “Once Around”--which widened to about 725 screens--was fifth with an estimated $4.2 million. And Buena Vista’s romantic comedy, “Green Card,” which widened to about 703 screens, was sixth with about $4.1 million.

Rounding out the weekend’s Top 10, in estimated figures: “Kindergarten Cop” (Universal Pictures), $3.7 million; the just-out horror title, “Popcorn” (Studio Three), $2.4 million; “Hamlet” (Warner Bros.), $2.3 million, and “The Grifters” (Miramax Films), $2.2 million.

“Run,” an action drama from Disney’s Hollywood Pictures--distributed by Buena Vista--opened poorly on about 1,170 screens, where it had ticket sales of about $2.1 million, for 11th place.