Shark Tale took a big bite out of the weekend box office, devouring $49.1 million in ticket sales to become the biggest October opening on record. The

John Travolta-Joaquin Phoenix firefighter drama Backdra... , er, Ladder 49, came in at No. 2 with a strong $22.8 million, followed by last week's top flick The Forgotten, which fell to No. 3 with $12 million. In limited release, the death-row indie Woman Thou Art Loosed earned an impressive $2.5 million, while the quirky comedy I Heart Huckabees grossed a staggering $300,000 in four jam-packed theaters.