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

POP/ROCK

Trouble on the Line: Legendary country singer Johnny Cash, 65, has announced that he has Parkinson’s disease and has canceled all concerts and promotional appearances through the end of the year. “He’s been sick for a while, but it’s not been to the point where he’s needed medication,” a spokeswoman for Cash’s label, American Recordings, said. “It’s now gotten to that point.” Cash--who performed earlier this month at Los Angeles’ House of Blues, taking an offstage break midway through the concert while several family members performed--ran into trouble at a concert Saturday in Flint, Mich., during which he reportedly dropped his guitar pick and nearly fell over while trying to pick it up. In a statement, Cash’s manager, Lou Robin, said: “Johnny feels confident that once the Parkinson’s is medically stabilized, he can resume his normal work schedule.”

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New Denver Release: River North Records will release “A Celebration of Life,” featuring 12 classic John Denver songs--including “Rocky Mountain High,” “Sunshine on My Shoulders” and “Leaving on a Jetplane”--on Nov. 18. Talks are also underway for a benefit PBS special honoring the recently deceased singer.

MOVIES

Smoking Screens: A medical professor told a state Senate panel convened at the Screen Actors Guild Tuesday that smoking by major film characters has risen dramatically in the ‘90s and that teens mimic what they see on screen. Citing a study charting tobacco use in films since 1960, UC San Francisco professor Stanton A. Glantz said that onscreen tobacco use fell in the ‘60s and ‘70s, reaching its lowest point around 1980. But during this decade, Glantz said, a whopping 80% of the male leads and 27% of the female leads smoked. “Tobacco use in films is increasing at a time [when] it is falling in society at large,” he said, noting that the number of 15- to 17-year-olds in California addicted to tobacco has increased from 9.9% in 1993 to 12.1% in 1996.

TELEVISION

Good, Bad ‘Vibes’: The revised “Vibe,” with comedian Sinbad in place of ousted host Chris Spencer, premiered Monday, with a jump in local ratings. The syndicated late-night talk show attracted a 7% share of the available audience, as opposed to last Monday, when it attracted only 2%, according to Nielsen Media Research. But “Vibe” still came in behind a rerun of its rival, “The Keenen Ivory Wayans Show,” which drew 9% of the audience.

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‘Ellen’ Ad-dendum: ABC made light of the controversy surrounding “Ellen” in a promo that ran during this week’s “Monday Night Football” game. In it, DeGeneres said, “Hi. I’m Ellen DeGeneres. I can’t tell you the plot of this week’s show, but it’s titled, ‘Ellen Kisses a Girl and Upsets the Network.’ ” The ad underscores efforts to downplay reports of acrimony stemming from the network’s decision to place parental-guidance labels on the series, which at one point prompted the star to threaten quitting. Tonight’s episode (actually titled “Just Coffee”) introduces DeGeneres’ character to a lesbian love interest, played by Lisa Darr, who will appear in several episodes.

ART

Not Just a ‘Kiss’?: Mormon Church-owned Brigham Young University has pulled four nudes from a traveling exhibition of works by renowned French sculptor Auguste Rodin, including his famous “The Kiss,” which shows a nude couple embracing. “We felt that the nature of those works are such that the viewer will be concentrating on them in a way that is not good for us,” said Campbell Gray, director of the school’s Museum of Art. Three years ago, the school was criticized for its decision to cut scenes with nudity and violence from the Oscar-winning movie “Schindler’s List” for a campus screening.

QUICK TAKES

Tyne Daly has withdrawn from the Nov. 19-23 Reprise! production of “Wonderful Town” at the Freud Playhouse in order to take a movie role, and Lucie Arnaz will replace her, the producers announced Tuesday. This is the third casting change in the series’ inaugural three-show season: Keith Carradine and Ned Beatty both dropped out of “Finian’s Rainbow.” . . . Fox’s “The X-Files” will film its first black-and-white episode, likely to air in December. Written and directed by series creator Chris Carter, the episode pays homage to old monster movies. . . . Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen and Luciano Pavarotti are among the final list of 35 singers whose recordings will be included in the “Diana, Princess of Wales--Tribute” benefit album due Dec. 2 on Columbia Records. . . . Barbara Walters will interview Barbra Streisand and James Brolin on Nov. 14 on ABC News’ “20/20.” . . . “The Full Monty” has become the top-grossing British-made film ever, surpassing 1994’s “Four Weddings and a Funeral,” Fox Searchlight Pictures announced Tuesday. “Full Monty” has brought in $46.3 million in Britain in nine weeks and has a U.S. box-office take of nearly $25 million. . . . Carroll O’ Connor has signed a development deal with cable’s USA Network to direct and star in “The Carroll O’Connor Story,” about his relationship with his son, Hugh, who shot himself in 1995 after struggling with drug addiction. . . . Rock poet Patti Smith will cyber-cast a concert from New York’s CBGB’s club tonight at 7 at www.rocktropolis.com