It 's not very long, and it 's not generally written Cloven. But it 's cone of the most exclusive lists in show business, and once you're on, it takes multiple missteps to fall off .

We're talking about the people who are said to be able to "open" a movie-not just top actors, but those superstars who generate the awareness and attendance on opening weekend that has become so crucial when the average studio film costs about $50 million to produce and market and arrives on 2, 000 or more screens nationwide.....

.....Without a strong opening, a film can disappear quickly, and with it all hopes at recoupment . "Everybody wants to feel there's some protection, " says producer and former Paramount production head Gary Lucchesi, "And big stars play an enormous role in that . "

....Money in the Bank

To one extent or another, every star on this list puts people in the seats on a movie's opening weekend. But star drawing-power isn't created equal, so here's a ranking of who best can open a picture (listed alphabetically within categories), based on box-office data and industry interviews . (We've limited this list to talent that goes in front of the camera.)

The Big 5 (men 's division)

Sean Connery: An insurance policy. Propelled the low-profile thriller "Just Cause, " the forgettable 'Rising Sun" and the unremarkable "Medicine Man. " He even got the disappointing "First Knight" off to a $10-million start .

Tom Cruise: Even a misstep like "Far and Away" initially brought in the curious and the loyal. In the right project, like "The Firm," he's solid gold. His next, "Mission: Impossible, " should be huge in "96.

Michael Douglas: Without peer in male melodramas like "Disclosure. " But can he still open a romance like "Romancing the Stone"? "The American President" (with Annette Bening) will be the test.

Harrison Ford: Can do no wrong. Has opened everything from "The Fugitive" and "Clear and Present Danger" to the middling drama "Regarding Henry." Next up is the romantic comedy "Sabrina ."

Tom Hanks: Four huge hits in a row: "Sleepless in Seattle," "Philadelphia, " "Forrest Gump" and "Apollo 13, " which without him could have been "The Right Stuff " all over again .

The Big 5 (women's division)

Sandra Bullock: A year ago she appeared in the hit film "Speed " and it 's been a fast ride ever since. She opened While You Were Sleeping" and "The Net" to $10 million each, boosting her asking price to $6 million a film.

Whoopi Goldberg: She has proven to be hit ("Sister Act") or miss ("Boys on the Side"), but in the right vehicle she can open a film with the best of them. Disney signed her for $20 million for two films.

Demi Moore: Typical of Hollywood's chauvinism, the success of "Ghost" was attributed to Patrick Swayze and that of "Indecent Proposal" to Robert Redford. "Disclosure" changed that . She'll get $12.5 million for "Striptease, " a record for an actress .

Julia Roberts: Can still open any film, including the disastrous "I Love Trouble Trouble". She proved it again this weekend with "Something to Talk About," which took in an estimated $11.1 million at the box office.

Barbra Streisand: Like Redford, she works so infrequently that any film she appears in is an automatic event, and the fan club flocks to see it. Has the drama "The Mirror With Two Faces" due to start production this fall.

Los Angeles Times
August 7, 1995
By Richard Natale