Arts and entertainment reports from The Times, national and international news services and the nation’s press.

LEGAL FILE

Malpractice Alleged: Hundreds of great songs and stories will never be written because of two hospitals’ malpractice, says a lawyer for the family of Jonathan Larson. The creator of the Broadway hit musical “Rent” died in his New York apartment of a ruptured aortic aneurysm in January, just hours after “Rent’s” final dress rehearsal. The writer-composer’s parents, Allan and Nanette Larson of Albuquerque, N.M., have sued New York’s Cabrini Medical Center and St. Vincent’s Hospital for $250 million, claiming they misdiagnosed Larson and caused his death. According to family attorney David Taback, Larson had X-rays taken at both hospitals’ emergency rooms in the days before his death--doctors at Cabrini allegedly told him his stomach pain and breathing difficulties were caused by something he ate, while those at St. Vincent’s allegedly diagnosed him with a virus. However, Taback says doctors reading both sets of X-rays should have detected the aneurysm and could have prevented Larson’s death. Although both hospitals have policies against commenting on pending litigation, a lawyer for Cabrini told the New York Observer that Larson’s care was “proper” and that “the hospital strongly denies the claims of malpractice.” After Larson’s death, “Rent” won a Pulitzer Prize for drama, and Sunday it claimed Tony Awards for best musical, book and score.

*

Lawyers Create Own ‘Backdraft’: Because defense lawyers dragged their feet too long, two Buffalo, N.Y., firefighters are default winners in a lawsuit claiming that scriptwriters for the 1991 movie “Backdraft” stole elements of their script. A U.S. District Court judge ruled Wednesday that lawyers for director Ron Howard’s production company had engaged in three years of foot-dragging and showed “willful and bad faith noncompliance” with court orders. But the judge left unresolved the issue of damages owed to firefighters John Zoll and Terrence Burns. A lawyer for Howard’s Imagine Films Entertainment said that he would appeal the decision, adding, “Ron Howard is one of the most respected and successful directors in Hollywood, and I don’t think he would stoop to stealing ideas from two unknown writers.” “Backdraft,” starring Kurt Russell and Robert De Niro, grossed $147 million at the box office and continues earning money on television and video.

*

Seeking a Piece of ‘Ricki Lake’: An executive producer of “The Ricki Lake Show” has filed a breach of contract lawsuit against the show’s production company, claiming he is owed more than $1 million. Garth Ancier contends in his Los Angeles Superior Court suit that he had a pivotal role in creating the show in 1993, and that it survived the cutthroat daytime talk-show competition because of his ideas, such as targeting a younger audience. Ancier claims that he cast Lake and produced two pilots before the show was picked up by Entrada Productions Inc. Ancier alleges that Entrada promised him 21% of net proceeds but never paid him.

JAZZ

Local Heroes Go to Washington: Los Angeles-based jazz greats Benny Carter, Buddy Collette and Gerald Wilson, who have been collaborators for more than 50 years, are being honored by the Library of Congress in a series of three free Washington concerts that will be recorded for the library’s archives and for later broadcast on public radio. Each artist was commissioned to compose a work for the Washington concerts. Collette, a flutist, clarinetist and saxophonist, was scheduled to open the series on Thursday with the premiere of “Friendship: Sixty Years of Musical Togetherness,” honoring his colleagues.

POP/ROCK

‘Ban’ a Bust: A Wal-Mart corporate spokeswoman denied reports Thursday that the nationwide store chain had pulled the Goo Goo Dolls’ “A Boy Named Goo” CD from its stores due to complaints from shoppers objecting to the album’s cover image depicting a baby boy smeared with “goo” (although the covering substance is blackberry juice, the complainants apparently thought it was blood). The spokeswoman said that the chain had received some complaints, but not enough to stop sales, so the CD can still be found in most stores. However, Wal-Mart has ordered no additional shipments of the record, because of declining sales. Last week, the spokeswoman said, the 14-month-old album--which has sold 1 million copies and still ranks 73rd on the nation’s pop chart--sold 350 copies in 2,247 Wal-Mart stores nationwide.

QUICK TAKES

“Bottle Rocket” director Wes Anderson will receive the Best New Filmmaker Award at Saturday’s “1996 MTV Movie Awards,” airing on the cable station on Thursday. Previous winners include Steve James (“Hoop Dreams”) and John Singleton (“Boyz N the Hood”). . . . The L.A. City Council has approved a $2-million Community Redevelopment Agency loan to finance the Hollywood Entertainment Museum, which is under construction on Hollywood Boulevard near Mann’s Chinese Theater. The CRA also gave an earlier $500,000 loan to the museum, which is slated to open in October. . . . ABC will bring back “Muppets Tonight!” on June 23 with four original episodes airing on Sunday nights at 7. The family series also has a 13-episode renewal for next season. . . . Request TV will offer the “Three Tenors” concert from New Jersey’s Giants Stadium on pay-per-view on July 20, for a suggested retail price of $29.95.