A look inside Hollywood and the movies. : SUMMERTIME BLUES? : Will the Rocket (or Anything Else) Fly?

Everyone knows Robin Hood has plenty of arrows. The question is: Does he have “legs”?

That’s industry lingo for movies with staying power at the box office. And you can bet studio executives will be on the phone seeking information from exhibitors this weekend, wanting to know, in addition to how “Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves” performed in its second weekend:

How big a share is Disney’s “The Rocketeer” going to take?

How will Julia Roberts’ new tear-jerker “Dying Young” fare?

Will Billy Crystal’s “City Slickers” be able to sustain its so-far strong pace?

“The marketplace is getting crowded and the summer is really starting to roll now,” said John Krier of the industry data firm Exhibitor Relations Co.

Until “Robin Hood” came riding along, the movies released since Memorial Day have produced mostly disappointing results--not to mention Angst within the industry. Director Ron Howard’s “Backdraft” hasn’t performed up to expectations despite a big opening over Memorial Day weekend, and of course there’s the dismal performance of the Bruce Willis vehicle “Hudson Hawk.” The low numbers cause concern because nearly 40% of the year’s tickets are sold between May and September, making summer the industry’s prime time.

“Robin Hood’s” weekend total of $25.6 million for distributor Warner Bros. and producer Morgan Creek Productions was expected to grow to $39 million by the end of its first week.

According to published results of a CinemaScore survey, all ages--males and females--gave the film A-minus scores or higher. The results fly right in the face of the barbs the movie received from a number of major film reviewers.

“The grades are so strong,” said CinemaScore’s Ed Mintz, “that I’d be surprised if business fell off. The movie is going to play very strong.”