MOVIESCase Closed: A threat to withdraw the...

MOVIES

Case Closed: A threat to withdraw the R rating of Miramax Films’ “Ready to Wear” was dropped Monday by the Motion Picture Assn. of America after the distribution company won MPAA approval for a revised ad for the film, the MPAA said. A hearing scheduled for Thursday on the possible rating revocation was canceled. The dispute centered around film-related advertising that featured a semi-nude photo of supermodel Helena Christensen. The MPAA said the ad had not received approval from its Advertising Administration. Last Friday, Miramax used the image again in trade ads protesting the MPAA’s policy, which prompted the threat of a revocation. On Monday, the MPAA released a letter from its counsel, Richard M. Cooper, to Miramax’s counsel, Alan M. Dershowitz, explaining the organization’s position. An MPAA spokesperson said Miramax had responded by agreeing that the ad would only be published in black-and-white. The Robert Altman-directed film opens on Christmas Day.

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‘Seduction’ Suit: Backers of “The Last Seduction” are planning a press conference this morning to announce their next move in an effort to qualify the film for Academy Award consideration. Heck, everyone knows their lawyer is Pierce O’Donnell (who won all that loot for Art Buchwald against Paramount Pictures) so a lawsuit must be brewing. The problem is that the film, which is bringing accolades to star Linda Fiorentino, was shown on HBO before it went into the movie theaters. And the rules of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences say that films that open on the tube can’t be considered for Oscars. The rub is that the New York Film Critics Assn., which plays by its own rules, last week deemed Fiorentino the year’s best actress for her role in the film. And the L.A. critics recently gave a special award to director John Dahl for his efforts. Distributor October Films and ITC Entertainment Group say they have appealed to the academy without success. Thus, the press conference at 10 a.m. today at the Four Seasons Hotel and, it’s expected, a quick trip to Los Angeles Superior Court.

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Support for ‘Pulp’: Texas film critics came riding to the support of their Los Angeles colleagues, agreeing that “Pulp Fiction” is the best film of the year. The 20 Texans, whose vote was revealed in Austin over the weekend, joined growing pre-Oscar support for the dark comedy about hitmen and racketeers in Los Angeles. Last week, the New York Film Critics went thataway, picking “Quiz Show” as their favorite flick.

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Brits Clear ‘Killers’: British movie censors said Monday they have reversed themselves on blocking the release of director Oliver Stone’s “Natural Born Killers.” The British Board of Film Classification had banned release of the film in November because of alleged links between the picture’s violence and killings in the United States and France. But the board has now granted an adult rating, saying there was no proof “ordinary people had been turned into killers by being exposed to a particular film.”

TELEVISION

The Nation Watched: President Clinton’s speech from the Oval Office Thursday night attracted about 60% of the viewing audience in Nielsen’s 32 big-city markets. NBC, which had “Seinfeld” and “ER” waiting in the wings, averaged a 14.3 rating and a 22% audience share, compared to 9.8/14% for ABC, 7.8/12% for CBS and 6.7/10% for Fox. The address and GOP response also were carried on PBS and CNN.

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Howser Strikes ‘Gold’: Public television reporter Huell Howser has received double good news: Wells Fargo Bank will continue underwriting his “California’s Gold” series for the 1995 and 1996 seasons. The series airs on 13 PBS affiliates statewide. And L.A.-oriented “Visiting . . . With Huell Howser” will be underwritten for 1995 by the Ralph M. Parsons Foundation. The programs will be paired at 6 and 6:30 p.m. Saturdays on KCET-TV starting in January.

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They Love Lassie: The career of Hollywood’s No. 1 dog, Lassie, will be celebrated in an hourlong special on ABC Thursday at 8 p.m. “Lassie Unleashed: 280 Dog Years in TV” will feature tributes from Dennis Franz, Charles Grodin, Kermit the Frog, Susan Lucci, Phyllis Diller, Dave Thomas, former Vice President Dan Quayle, Dick Clark and stars from the long-running “Lassie” television series: June Lockhart, Jon Provost and Tommy Rettig. But will they reveal the secret of the collie’s longevity?

QUICK TAKES

More than 300,000 copies of a recording featuring Pope John Paul II praying and singing, accompanied by a congregation and original church music, will be shipped to retailers today by AEC Music Distribution and ISR Records Inc. “The Rosary With the Pope John Paul II,” in CD and cassette, is a fund-raiser to help in the restoration of churches. . . . Key CNN anchor Bernard Shaw plans to take three months off to work on his still-untitled autobiography for Random House. Co-anchor Judy Woodruff will do a solo during Shaw’s absence.