MOVIESBright and Brighter: The comedy “Dumb and...

MOVIES

Bright and Brighter: The comedy “Dumb and Dumber” is still doing smart business at the box office. The New Line film starring Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels took in $9.2 million over the weekend to hold onto the No. 1 spot for the fourth week in a row, according to early industry estimates. In second place was Warner Bros.’ “Disclosure” with a gross of $7.3 million. “Houseguest,” the Phil Hartman-Sinbad comedy from Hollywood Pictures, opened in third place with $6 million. Columbia’s “Little Women” was fourth with $5.1 million and 20th Century Fox’s “Nell” was fifth with $5 million. Some box-office notes: Columbia’s “Immortal Beloved,” starring Gary Oldman as Beethoven, took in $1.1 million on just 81 screens for a respectable per-screen average of $13,500. And another Columbia film, “Legends of the Fall,” grossed $225,000 on only seven screens in Los Angeles and New York for a whopping $32,150 per screen. The movie goes into wide release on Friday.

TELEVISION

The Last Crusade: Buena Vista Television is discontinuing its weekly syndicated program, “The Crusaders,” after two more airings, with the final show set to air locally on Jan. 21 at 7 p.m. on KNBC Channel 4. However, a spokesman said that Buena Vista hopes to continue producing the show, but in a five-day-a-week format, which it hopes to sell to a network or cable channel.

A Sort-of Jesse and Angie Reunion: Emmy-winner Darnell Williams, who played Jesse Hubbard on ABC’s “All My Children,” has signed a contract with the ABC daytime drama “Loving.” The show has not revealed a character name or any story line information for Williams, other than to say he would not be recreating the Jesse character. After all, Jesse died (not that death has deterred soaps from bringing characters back in the past). “All My Children” fans will remember that Jesse was married to Angie Hubbard, played by Debbi Morgan, who currently plays the same character on “Loving.”

New Call: “Last Call,” the syndicated late-night show produced by Brandon Tartikoff and seen locally on KCOP Channel 13 at 10:30 p.m., is calling on some new people to spice up its lineup beginning tonight. TV and radio personality “Stuttering John” Melendez will join regular Sue Ellicot on the show’s panel. Baseball’s Pete Rose will become a contributor to the show, and another sports figure, the New York Jets’ Nick Lowery, will become a panelist. ESPN Radio’s Nanci Donnellan, who has been a frequent guest on the program, will also become a regular. Model Veronica Webb, author Jackie Collins and lawyer William Kunstler will be occasional contributors. The show’s new executive producer, Marley Klaus (formerly of “60 Minutes”), worked with Tartikoff to revamp the format.

STAGE

In the Spotlight: Broadway is about to get another Spider Woman. Actress Maria Conchita Alonso will take over the title role in the musical “Kiss of the Spider Woman” in early March, the New Yorker magazine reports in the issue on sale today. Alonso will star in the role vacated by pop star Vanessa Williams. . . . Steve Martin’s play “Picasso at the Lapin Agile” broke the Westwood Playhouse’s all-time box-office record for a single week’s sales last week with $133,260. The play topped the record set by “Patti Lupone in Concert” in January, 1993. Martin made a surprise appearance on stage Saturday night at the curtain call to celebrate the play’s 100th performance. . . . Bernard Slade’s comedy “Same Time, Next Year” will replace the previously scheduled “Belle of Amherst” with Amanda Plummer on March 3-19 in McCoy Rigby Entertainment’s inaugural professional theater series at La Mirada Theatre. The change was announced on Saturday by Tom McCoy, who co-produces the series with his actress wife, former gymnast Cathy Rigby. The cast has not yet been confirmed.

POP/ROCK

Top Albums: “The Sign” by Ace of Base and “The Lion King” featuring various artists were the nation’s top-selling albums in 1994. Each sold 7 million copies, according to the Recording Industry Assn. of America. “II” by Boyz II Men, “August and Everything After” by Counting Crows and “Vs.” by Pearl Jam each sold 5 million, and “Doggystyle” by Snoop Doggy Dogg sold4 million. “The Sign” and “The Lion King” still have a long way to go to surpass the all-time No. 1 album, Michael Jackson’s “Thriller,” which has sold 24 million in the United States and millions more worldwide.

QUICK TAKES

Lou Rawls’ seven-hour telethon on Saturday raised about $12 million for the United Negro College Fund. The 15th annual “Lou Rawls Parade of Stars” telecast from Hollywood featured appearances by Gladys Knight, Anita Baker, Boyz II Men and Whoopi Goldberg. . . . “Tonight Show” host Jay Leno has been selected to succeed Warren Beatty as campaign chairman for the Permanent Charities of the Entertainment Industries, Hollywood’s fund-raising arm. Leno is the first TV personality to be chosen as chairman. . . . Paul Newman, who has thrice made brief comedic appearances on “The Late Show With David Letterman”--including on Letterman’s inaugural CBS show in August, 1993--sits down for his first actual interview on the show Thursday.