LEGAL FILEPaula Talks: Paula Abdul told a...

LEGAL FILE

Paula Talks: Paula Abdul told a federal jury Tuesday that she has “all the vocal talent in the world” and that she sang both lead and backup parts on her 1988 debut album. Abdul also said that singer Yvette Marine’s performance on that album--the multi-platinum “Forever Your Girl”--was limited to a background role. Marine claims Virgin Records released the album without proper credit. Abdul, who is not named in the suit, told jurors she was testifying “partly to support my record company and to defend myself” against charges that her singing needed to be bolstered by another vocalist. Taking the stand as the first defense witness, Abdul, 31, said she worked “thousands and thousands” of hours on “Forever Your Girl,” helping to pick songs and musicians as well as performing.

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There’s Ed: Entertainer Ed McMahon won a temporary restraining order Tuesday against the nonprofit Veterans Wish Foundation, which he sued on Monday for continuing to list him as its “national spokesman” even after he asked the group to take his name off all promotional materials. A Superior Court judge barred the group, also known as the American Veterans Assistance Corp., from using his name until the lawsuit is decided. According to the suit, the former “Tonight Show” sidekick allowed the group, set up to grant dying vets’ wishes, to use his name in 1991, but asked to be removed from its materials after government agencies sued the group for alleged fund-raising and financial improprieties. The suit alleges invasion of privacy and seeks unspecified damages.

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Only One Baby: Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman were in a Florida courthouse last Friday, but the hearing was to finalize the adoption in January of their first daughter, Isabella, not to adopt a second daughter, the Associated Press now says. National press, including The Times, picked up misleading weekend AP reports that Cruise and Kidman were in the Palm Beach county courthouse for hearings about “the latest addition to their family.”

TELEVISION

Ladies First: Barbara Walters will host a two-hour special in December in which she hopes to interview Hillary Rodham Clinton and all six former living First Ladies--Barbara Bush, Nancy Reagan, Rosalynn Carter, Betty Ford, Lady Bird Johnson and, if she says yes, the reclusive Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. Walters said that all of the details have not been ironed out, but ABC has been working on the project for some time. The main topic: what it’s like to live in the White House.

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The Waiting Game: While some of the new fall television programs will premiere in late August and the bulk in mid-September, ABC’s “The Paula Poundstone Show” and “George” will have to wait until Oct. 30 to make their debuts. The reason for the delay is that Poundstone’s show was sold to ABC without a pilot and Poundstone is currently doing workshop shows “so that we can figure out what works and what doesn’t work,” Poundstone said. “George” is being held back so ABC can better promote its Saturday 8-10 p.m. lineup, which consists entirely of shows new to that night. ABC plans to air sporting events and movies on Saturdays from September through Oct. 23.

MOVIES

Global Films: U.S. Motion Picture Assn. President Jack Valenti, in Brussels for talks with European trade officials Monday, said he would seek common ground with the European Community to include films and television in a GATT Uruguay Round agreement. Valenti said the United States and European Community should discuss joint ventures to prepare for a global movie industry and stressed the need for competition, free choice and a place for commercial as well as cultural films. He noted that in the last 10 years the viewing of U.S. films in European Community cinemas fell by 15%, against 58% for EC films, as “the result of individual consumer choice.” An estimated 81% of cinema films and 54% of television programs shown in the EC are of U.S. origin.

POP/ROCK

Scaled-Back Reggae: The second day of this weekend’s Reggae Roadblock festival at Cal State Dominguez Hills has been canceled. Canadian reggae-rapper Snow, who had been booked for both the Saturday and Sunday events, was denied a U.S. visa because of a Toronto assault conviction last year. When Cameroon band Les Tetes Brulees was also unable to get a visa, promoters decided to scale back to Saturday only, featuring Pato Banton, Third World and Culture. Tickets for Sunday’s show will be honored on Saturday. Lucky Dube, who was scheduled to appear on Sunday, will instead perform Monday at the Sportsrock Cafe in Arcadia.

QUICK TAKES

Talk-show host Phil Donahue has signed a new contract with Multimedia Inc. to continue hosting the “Donahue” show through Aug. 31, 1995. . . . Actress Kelly LeBrock and actor-filmmaker Steven Seagal are parents again. Their third child, daughter Arissa Seagal, was born Saturday at a Los Angeles hospital. The couple’s daughter, Annalisa, is 6, and son, Dominick, is 3. . . . The upcoming Los Angeles Festival is the topic of today’s “Which Way L.A.?” radio program at 1 and 7 p.m. on KCRW-FM (89.9). The program will look at whether the citywide festival has “buried itself underground.”