Correcting the record: Natalie Wood (Ava and C.I.)

Box office wasn't always known.  It's really ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT, when it starts up (1981), that introduces the country to the notion of weekend box office figures.  Prior to that, you had to read the industry trades.  

And biographies on actors and actresses prior to that didn't deal reliably with box office.  A lot of films have been called bombs that were not.  And a lot of bombs have been presented as successful when they were not.  

About a year ago, we were noting that PENELOPE was a hit when we were speaking with films.  You may know the film. It stars Natalie Wood.  She's delightful in this comedy and she has one of her best looking male co-stars -- of feature films or TV movies -- Ian Bannen.

 

We were told the film was (a) a bomb and (b) a disappointment.  Hmm?  Where did this information come from?

Disappointment came from CRAPAPEDIA.  Big surprise. Well, we guess all films that don't end up the number one film of their year can be considered a "disappointment."  But the film was the 25th biggest film of its year and made $9 million domestically on a $4 million budget.  

CRAPAPEDIA tells you that THE FORTUNE COOKIE was a hit, "The film, grossed $6,000,000 at the North American box office,^[9] making it the 23rd highest-grossing film of 1966. The film earned $6.8 million worldwide.^[2]"

It's CRAPAPEDIA so you know there's a lie.  Can you spot it?

It's the "making it the 23rd highest-grossing film of 1966."  

LIE!

And they knew it was a lie.  The link they put in?  It's a CRAPAPEDIA page and it doesn't say that it's the 23rd highest-grossing film of 1966.  No, it only lists the top ten in terms of box office (the page also notes nominations and release dates, but the only box office is the top ten).  They lie so often and they hate women.

Click here for a real box office list.  You'll see PENELOPE at 25th and you'll see THE FORTUNE COOKIE at 27.

CRAPAPEDIA tells you Cary Grant's final film, WALK DON'T RUN, was a hit, "The film grossed $7,500,000^[1] at the box office, earning $4.5 million in US theatrical rentals.^[4] It was the 22nd highest grossing film of 1966."  Again, they lie.  The link is the same link that we've already noted doesn't give you a list of the box office for 22 or 23 films -- it's only a top tend.  They lie.

The 25th highest grossing film is rated a "disappointment" but the films below it -- THE FORTUNE COOKIE and WALK DON'T RUN -- films that star men -- are called hits.

Now we agree that THE FORTUNE COOKIE was a hit film.  But we also point out the reality that Natalie Wood's PENELOPE outgrossed THE FORTUNE COOKIE and WALK DON'T RUN.

PENELOPE was not a bomb.  Disappointment at the box office?   It took in over twice as much money at the box office as it did to make the film.  That's generally seen as a hit film.  MGM only had two films in the top thirty that year and PENELOPE was one.  (MGM co-produced BLOWUP with PREMIER PRODUCTIONS, CARLO PONTI PRODUCTIONS and BRIDGE FILMS which cut into its profit; in addition, MGM refused to release it in the US due to the MPAA rating it would be given, they farmed it out to PREMIER PRODUCTIONS for distribution cutting into MGM proper's returns on the film further).  

For years, the lie has been that PENELOPE was a bomb.  We're not surprised when Ben Mankiewicz repeats that lie on TCM -- we're irritated but it's Ben and we know he never knows what he's talking about.  But it is appalling that this film is called a bomb by so-called reputable web sites.  For the record, in 2019 (the last pre-pandemic year) FORD VS FERRARI, DOWNTON ABBEY, ROCKET-MAN and SPIDER-MAN INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE were among the films ranked lower than 25th for the year but are considered hits.  

 

We meant to write about this over a year ago and then got distracted.  Better late than never and people need to give Natalie Wood the credit she deserves and stop lying about her box office.