MOVIESEye on Oscar: TriStar Pictures will open...

MOVIES

Eye on Oscar: TriStar Pictures will open “Legends of the Fall” in New York and Los Angeles on Christmas Day to qualify the film for Academy Award consideration, the studio said. TriStar also announced that because of audience response to previews, the studio will move up the movie’s nationwide release date from Feb. 17 to Jan. 13. Based on the Jim Harrison novella, the film features Anthony Hopkins as Col. Ludlow, who raises three sons (Brad Pitt, Aiden Quinn and Henry Thomas) in the wilds of Montana in the late 1800s and follows the family through World War I and into the early 1960s. Directed by Ed Zwick, the movie profiles Tristan (Pitt). Julia Ormond plays Susannah, who plunges the family into turmoil. Pitt currently stars in the Warner Bros. film “Interview With the Vampire.”

There’s No Business Like. . . : “Show Business Kills,” a novel by “Beaches” author Iris Rainer Dart, won’t hit stores until February, but Bette Midler, who starred in the 1988 film version of “Beaches,” has already agreed to star in the film version of the upcoming book. The film will be produced by Midler’s All Girl Productions with partner Bonnie Bruckheimer. The movie traces the lives of four over-40 women in Hollywood--a soap opera star, a studio executive, a screenwriter and an actress married to a famous TV star--who are desperate to hang on to their success.

TELEVISION

Latino Viewing Habits: There’s a new study out of ad agency BBDO that has determined that the favorite prime-time show among Latino viewers who speak English as a primary language is “Beverly Hills, 90210.” In descending order, the other network favorites are “Monday Night Football,” “Roseanne,” “The Simpsons,” “Living Single,” “Blossom,” “Sinbad” (canceled since the study was conducted), “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” and “Married . . . With Children.” Why is this study of interest? Because it is believed to be a first. There is ample data provided by A. C. Nielsen Co.’s Hispanic Index, but it tracks the viewing habits of Spanish-speaking viewers only.

Baseball Fever: The Fox network will field a baseball team of its own on the Nov. 20 “Married . . . With Children.” Mike Piazza (Dodgers), Frank Thomas (White Sox), Danny Tartabull (Yankees), Bret Saberhagen (Royals) and Dave Winfield (Indians) guest on the show in which Al organizes a ball club, then leads a strike when he finds out that his team is getting stiffed. So why baseball players? As a spokesman put it, “We recognize that fans haven’t had a chance to see them in awhile.” . . . Fans can also see Seattle Mariners outfielder Ken Griffey Jr. guest on tonight’s “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” at 8 p.m. on KNBC Channel 4.

On Their Soap Boxes: A delegation of soap stars will travel this week to the troubled African nations of Rwanda and Zaire to visit refugee camps, children’s centers and a health clinic. Scott Baker (Conner on CBS’ “The Bold and the Beautiful”), William Christian (Det. Derek Frye on ABC’s “All My Children”), Amy Carlson (Josie Watts on NBC’s “Another World”) and Tonya Lee Williams (Dr. Olivia Barber-Hastings on CBS’ “The Young and the Restless”) are among the stars who will represent Daytime Delivers, a public awareness project designed by an alliance of daytime actors as a way to impact current issues.

LEGAL FILE

Sex, Lies and Lawsuit: A Los Angeles Superior Court judge has ordered the Samuel Goldwyn Co. to pay British film company Virgin Vision Ltd. more than $3 million in damages as well as legal fees for taking presentation credit on the 1989 film “sex, lies and videotape.” According to the suit, Goldwyn substituted “Goldwyn presents” for “Virgin Vision presents” on the prints and advertising for the foreign release of the Steven Soderbergh film. The complaining company, now called Vision Video Ltd., claimed that Goldwyn made the change after the movie won awards at the 1989 Cannes Film Festival. Virgin Vision had originally hired Goldwyn to find local distributors for the film in foreign markets.

QUICK TAKES

“The Parent ‘Hood,” a sitcom starring Robert Townsend, which began taping on Friday, became the first show to go into production for the new Warner Bros. television network. The network and the show premiere on Jan. 11. Rapper Coolio guest stars on the program’s first episode. . . . Actor Jamie Farr, best known as Corporal Klinger on “MASH,” will sign his memoir, “Just Farr Fun,” at Vroman’s book store in Pasadena tonight at 7 p.m.. . . . The Christmas movie hype continues today when 50th Street in New York City is renamed “Miracle on 34th Street” in honor of Tuesday’s premiere of the 20th Century Fox film at Radio City Music Hall.