Hess has made two films since then: Nacho Libre, a modest hit starring Jack Black, and the yet-to-be-released Gentlemen Broncos.

A play had premiered on Broadway(possibly earlier in England) in 1908 and was a hit starring Maude Adams.

One is Mr. Howard's "Backdraft," the current hit starring Kurt Russell and Robert De Niro.

Aug. 11 through Aug. 16: "Brigadoon," Lerner and Loewe's first musical hit (1947) about a phantom village in Scotland, starring John Schneider.

Its stage production was a hit, starring Broderick Crawford as the mentally childlike but physically powerful itinerant farmhand Lennie, and Wallace Ford as Lennie's companion George.

A moderate hit like the DreamWorks comedy "Old School" starring Will Ferrell took in $73 million at the box office, but made an astounding $143.5 million on DVD.

Even "Mission Impossible," a hit starring Tom Cruise, which has grossed about $170 million, has been dwarfed by "Twister," which has taken in $225 million.

So far there have been two hits: "Liar, Liar," starring Jim Carrey, and Steven Spielberg's "Lost World."

Lear points to "Maude," his hit 70's comedy starring Bea Arthur as a brassy suburban housewife, as a popular show that was nonetheless ahead of the nation's social curve.

"My Girl," the inexpensive hit starring MacAuley Culkin, is already profitable.