Orange County, Orange Hair?

DENNIS RODMAN, the basketball star who sports many tattoos and multicolored hair, has purchased an oceanfront duplex in Newport Beach after a three-day escrow, which closed last week.

The Chicago Bulls forward, who leaves for Rome in a few days to co-star for $2 million in Jean-Claude Van Damme’s big-budget action thriller “The Colony,” bought the duplex as an investment and as a place to live.

“We were looking at it when it was priced at $1.2 million, but we couldn’t strike a deal with the former owner, who lost it in foreclosure. So he bought it from the bank for $825,000 in cash,” said Jeff Ewing, who represented Rodman with Lyleen Ewing, both of Coldwell Banker Real Estate, Newport Beach.

Rodman probably will live in the duplex only a month or two a year, Ewing said. “With his schedule, he’s hardly ever in town, and he’ll be in Chicago during the basketball season.”

Rodman has been at an impasse on salary negotiations with the Bulls. He has been wanting two years at $11 million each, and the team has been adamant at one year and $6 million. The 6-foot-8 forward has threatened to retire.

Rodman, in his mid-30s, was born and raised in Texas. He was with the Detroit Pistons before joining the Bulls.

“He likes Newport Beach, and he likes L.A. as well,” Ewing said. “He bought first of all because we made a good buy, but he also enjoys being on the beach and watching all of the scenery on the beach.” Rodman, who is single, was once linked romantically with Madonna.

Rodman was drawn to Orange County because his business agent, who is also a friend, lives there, Ewing said.

The 3,500-square-foot duplex, which Rodman is said to be planning to “extensively remodel,” was built in the 1960s and refurbished about 1990. It has a three-bedroom two-bath upper unit and a two-bedroom two-bath lower unit.

“It’s modern in style and is right on the sand, about 100 feet from the waves,” Ewing said.

Mark Cardelucci and Brian Dauk, both of Mark Cardelucci Real Estate in Newport Beach, represented the bank.

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The late BURT LANCASTER’S longtime Century City home has been listed at $785,000.

Lancaster died in October 1994. He was 80.

The Oscar-winning actor (“Elmer Gantry,” 1960) shared an Oscar as co-producer of the film “Marty” (1955), but he is best remembered as the star of more than 70 films, including “From Here to Eternity,” “Judgment at Nuremberg,” “The Rainmaker” and “The Birdman of Alcatraz.” One of his last roles was in “Field of Dreams” (1989).

Lancaster, who moved from his native New York to Hollywood during the 1940s, had owned his Century City home, a 3,000-square-foot condo overlooking Hillcrest Country Club golf course, for nearly 20 years.

The 26-story tower in which his 18th-story unit is situated was built as apartments in 1964. The building was converted to condos in 1976, when Lancaster bought two units and turned them into one.

The Spanish-style interiors have white stucco walls, Spanish floor and hand-painted counter tiles, heavy ceiling beams and a custom-made heavy-wood front door. The condo also has an 800-square-foot master bedroom and a second bedroom, which Lancaster used as an office.

There is still an exercise bar near the ceiling in an opening between the master bedroom and his bath, where the 6-foot-2 actor, a professional acrobat who became an actor, apparently did chin-ups at one time. He was in poor health after suffering a stroke in 1990.

The views, which extend from downtown Los Angeles to the ocean, include the back lot of 20th Century Fox.

The tower is in a guard-gated complex with a doorman, pool, spa and tennis court. Lancaster’s unit comes with four parking spaces and two storage areas.

Dale Schatz of the Prudential-Jon Douglas Co. in Westwood has the listing.

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BERNIE TAUPIN, who is best known as Elton John’s lyricist but who recently joined with some musician friends to form the band Farm Dogs, has sold his Hollywood Hills home for about $1 million, sources say.

When he’s not playing elsewhere with his new band, Taupin, 46, is said to spend most of his time these days at his 30-acre cutting-horse ranch in the Santa Ynez Valley. He also has an in-town apartment, sources say.

His band recorded its debut album at the ranch. Called “Last Stand in Open Country,” the album features country, folk and blues songs co-written and sung by Taupin.

Taupin purchased the ranch, with its barn for 20 horses and five-bedroom house, for about$2.5 million in 1992, sources said at the time. He bought the Hollywood Hills house, with three bedrooms in 3,000 square feet, for close to $1.5 million, sources say. He and his wife, Stephanie, own the West Hollywood restaurant Cicada.

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Football player-turned-actor BRIAN BOSWORTH has purchased a contemporary home on Broad Beach for slightly less than $3 million, sources say.

The four-bedroom nearly 5,000-square-foot house also has a gym, screening room and rooftop spa. It was originally listed at $3.9 million.

Now that he has bought a house, Bosworth has listed his two-acre ocean-view site at about $1.5 million, including plans for a 10,000-square-foot-plus house.

Bosworth, 31, just finished his fourth movie, “Back in Business,” co-starring Joe Torry and Samantha Eggar. Bosworth was a linebacker with the Seattle Seahawks.

Bob Rubenstein of the Prudential-Jon Douglas Co.’s Malibu office represented Bosworth in his purchase and has the listing on his home site.

A 17,000-square-foot French Chateau-style home in the guard-gated North Beverly Park, in the Beverly Hills area, is being completed and is listed by the architect-builder, Aleck Dugally of Whittier, at just under $10 million.

The French-style home has 24-foot ceilings, a wine cellar for 2,000 bottles, a pool with a spa and a north-south tennis court, which is being constructed.

Bruce Nelson and Raymond Bekeris of John Bruce Nelson & Associates share the listing with Rodrigo Iglesias and David Putnam of the Prudential-Jon Douglas Co.