MOVIESThanks Again: “To Wong Foo, Thanks for...

MOVIES

Thanks Again: “To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar” was dressed for success at the box office during what was a sluggish weekend for moviegoing. The cross-dressing comedy from Universal took the No. 1 spot for the second week in a row with $6.4 million in ticket sales, according to early industry estimates. Universal’s “Clockers,” the film directed by Spike Lee which opened Wednesday, garnered $4.3 million for second place. In third was Hollywood Pictures’ “Dangerous Minds” with $3.4 million. MGM’s “Hackers” was close behind with $3.3 million for its premiere weekend. Gramercy Pictures’ “The Usual Suspects” took fifth place with $3.1 million.

*

Burnt by Political Fever: Oscar-winning film director Nikita Mikhalkov kicked off his campaign for the Russian parliament in Moscow on Friday. Mikhalkov, whose movie “Burnt by the Sun” (in which he also starred) won the Academy Award this year for best foreign film, is running on the ticket of the Our Home is Russia party, organized at the Kremlin’s behest. The party, led by Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin, includes so many top administration officials that it’s called “the party of power.” Mikhalkov, known for his nostalgic films and nationalist political views, surprised many by agreeing to run on the Our Home ticket. He said he signed up because he believes Our Home can give Russia stability.

*

Awards and More: Actors Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee, who are married, will receive lifetime achievement awards for their contributions to diversity in the entertainment industry at the annual Diversity Awards ceremony on Oct. 10 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. It will mark the first time a husband and wife will be honored together at the awards ceremony, which is sponsored by the Multicultural Motion Picture Awards Assn. The awards show will be taped to air in syndication. . . . Clint Eastwood collected the “Campidoglio” film critics award for directors in Rome on Friday for his body of work. Previous winners include Alfred Hitchcock, Billy Wilder and Martin Scorsese.

TELEVISION

Color Barbra Blue: It turns out that there are limits to Streisand-mania. CBS discovered that the hard way. The network’s rerun of Streisand’s 1966 special “Color Me Barbra” last Thursday night attracted only 7% of the available audience and ranked fourth in its 9 p.m. time slot. It wasn’t a good night for CBS: A rerun of “Murder, She Wrote” in its new 8 p.m. slot also finished behind the competition on NBC, ABC and Fox.

PEOPLE WATCH

Tenor’s Toothache: Placido Domingo’s jaw was sore on Saturday, but not from opening it in song. The famed tenor was not able to perform in the Los Angeles Music Center Opera’s “Stiffelio” on Saturday night due to unexpected dental surgery. Domingo’s publicist said she has no reason to believe that he will miss any other performances, and added that Domingo greatly regretted having to miss the show. Placards were placed in front of the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion to warn opera-goers that Domingo would not be appearing on stage. Domingo’s understudy, Timothy Mussard, performed the opera’s title role in his stead.

*

Sly Moves: Sylvester Stallone is flexing his financial muscle to help keep a 1920’s-era theater in Miami open. The actor told commissioners in the city that he’ll donate $50,000 to the Gusman Theater and promised to help raise additional money. The Gusman mostly stages small classical music concerts and dance troupes. . . . In other Stallone news, the co-owner of the much-hyped Planet Hollywood, which officially opens today in Beverly Hills, will make the first memorabilia presentation at the restaurant when he offers the weapon his character uses in his upcoming movie “Assassins.”

LEGAL FILE

Butler Sues Hope: Bob Hope’s former butler filed a wrongful termination suit against the comedian, saying he was fired for refusing to shave off his beard. In a suit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court on Friday, Jeffery Branum stated that Hope and his wife hired him in December, 1993 after seeing a photograph of him with a neatly groomed beard and informing him that his appearance was acceptable. But he alleged that about two weeks after he was hired, the Hopes told him they had an “unwritten law” that no employee was allowed to wear facial hair and he would have to shave if he wanted to keep his job. He said he refused and was “wrongfully terminated” the same day.

QUICK TAKES

MTV will air part of R.E.M.’s Tuesday night concert live from Reunion Hall in Dallas. . . . Comic Marsha Warfield will host “Hollywood in Cyberspace,” a seminar about using the Internet and the World Wide Web, today from 5-9:30 p.m. at the Pacific Design Center.