Will ‘Mrs. Doubtfire’ Cassettes Clean Up?

Home video is stepping on the toes of the theatrical market these days. The trend seems to be to bring hit movies to video while they’re still playing in theaters.

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It started with “The Fugitive,” whose theatrical life was revived by Oscar nominations. The action drama could have stayed longer in theaters but instead was whisked to video three weeks ago. Now FoxVideo’s “Mrs. Doubtfire,” which is still playing in theaters around the country, is due April 26, at $20.

And the sleeper hit of the year, Warner’s “Ace Ventura: Pet Detective,” is coming to video on June 14, at $25. With the kind of business it’s doing, this movie, which has grossed $64 million so far, could still be attracting moviegoers this summer.

What’s happening is that studios are weighing the revenues of the last stages of a theatrical run against the profit windfall of a home-video release--and home-video is winning.

Bruce Pfander, FoxVideo’s senior vice president of marketing, said the company will ship about 8 million copies of “Mrs. Doubtfire,” a gross of about $100-million. “That’s better than it would do in theaters,” he said.

Part of planning a video release is finding a time when the competition isn’t fierce. “ ‘Mrs. Doubtfire’ will own the market in May,” Pfander added. “There are no other major sell-through (sales-oriented) releases in May. It should also do well in the Mother’s Day gift market.

“Also, we’ll get the retail floor space we need to market this properly and we won’t have to fight for that space, which is very important. If we wait until fall, we have ‘Jurassic Park’ and ‘Snow White’ to worry about.”

‘Ben-Hur’

Easter is over but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy “Ben-Hur,” the granddaddy of biblical epics and winner of a record 11 Oscars, including best picture and best actor (Charlton Heston in the title role). Though dated, it’s still entertaining, and the famed chariot race remains one of the most thrilling sequences in film history.

MGM/UA recently released a fancy 35th anniversary package, at $40, featuring a “Making of” documentary. But unless you have at least at 27-inch screen, don’t bother with the letterboxed version of this super wide-screen movie. On a small TV, you’ll have to squint to see the picture. The edges of the picture are chopped off on the regular, cropped version, but it’s the best bet for those with small screens.

Special Interest Videos:

The buzz among fitness-video buffs (there are fanatics who buy every new one that comes out) is that Jackie Joyner Kersee’s “Beyond the Bounds” is one of the best. Her 50-minute aerobic workout tape, priced at $20, is due April 26. . . . Want to teach your child how to swim? You might try Jim Booth’s “Bubbly Baby Swim Video” (New Market Sales, $15), due Wednesday. . . . Fans of NBA’s outspoken star Charles Barkley will like “Sir Charles” (CBS-Fox, $20), an informative, 50-minute documentary that’s part biography and includes some interesting footage and interviews.

What’s New on Video:

“The Age of Innocence” (Columbia TriStar). Director Martin Scorsese’s adaptation of Edith Wharton’s novel about passions steaming under the prim exterior of upper-class New York in the 1870s. A lawyer (Daniel Day-Lewis) is hopelessly smitten by the cousin (Michelle Pfeiffer) of his fiancee (Winona Rider). Marvelously subtle and elegantly understated, for those who like slow-moving dramas.

“A Bronx Tale” (HBO). Robert De Niro, who also has a supporting role, is impressive in his directorial debut. Set in the 1960s, it’s about a New York youngster, portrayed at ages 9 and 17, who is torn between his law-abiding father (De Niro) and a charming gangster (Chazz Palminteri)--a tug-of-war that grows more intense as he gets older. An absorbing drama with an intriguing subplot about the tensions between blacks and Italians in New York. Lillo Brancato is excellent as the hero in his teens.

“Fearless” (Warner). Surviving a plane crash lifts an architect (Jeff Bridges) into a strange psychological zone. He drifts away from his wife (Isabella Rossellini) and forms a strong tie with a fellow survivor (Rosie Perez). Directed by Peter Weir, it’s a fascinating, eerie downer of a movie that grapples with cerebral issues, boasting exceptional performances by Bridges and Perez, who got an Academy Award nomination for her work.

“The Beverly Hillbillies” (FoxVideo). Director Penelope Spheeris’ lame film version of the old TV series, about the backwoods Clampett family striking it rich and moving to Beverly Hills. The bland, lowbrow remake doesn’t recapture the high-spirited fun of the original. If you like the old series, you’ll gag at Jim Varney as Jed--the role Buddy Ebsen made famous. Lily Tomlin and Cloris Leachman costar.

“A Home of Their Own” (PolyGram). Kathy Bates stars as a gutsy, jobless single mother of six who leaves Los Angeles with her family and settles in Idaho. For those with a taste for sentimental, somewhat corny, inspirational movies, this is quite good, featuring exemplary work by Bates and Edward Furlong as her eldest son.

Upcoming:

“Malice,” “Carlito’s Way” and “Cool Runnings” (Wednesday); “Mr. Jones,” “Flesh and Bone,” “Ruby in Paradise,” “The Saint of Fort Washington” and “Another Stakeout” (April 20); “Mrs. Doubtfire” and “Batman: Mask of the Phantasm” (April 26); “Ernest Rides Again” (April 27); “The Remains of the Day” and “A Perfect World” (May 4); “Addams Family Values,” “The Three Musketeers,” “Orlando” and “Into the West” (May 11); “The Piano” and “Rudy” (May 25); “Wayne’s World 2” (June 8).