He plays a pretty low-down character. But Denzel Washington's movie is high-up on the box office list.

The crime story "American Gangster" has stolen its way into the number-one position on the current list.

It took in 46.3 million dollars to dominate the list. In the film, Washington stars opposite Russell Crowe as Harlem heroin king Frank Lucas.

Crowe plays a New Jersey-based cop who is hot on Lucas' trail. The opening also set a personal best for both performers. "Gangster" was the biggest opening ever for both Washington and Crowe.

Number two on the box office list is Jerry Seinfeld's "Bee Movie," which took in 39.1 million dollars.

Between the two movies, the overall box office picture brightened, with the top 12 films taking in 12 percent more than they did the same weekend last year.