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

TELEVISION

Pee-wee’s Big Pilot: An NBC variety series featuring Paul Reubens, a.k.a. Pee-wee Herman, is no longer a candidate for next fall’s prime-time lineup, having been delayed until the middle of next season. NBC--which has committed to 13 episodes of the program--said the network and producers mutually agreed to the delay due to the complexity of the project, which is still being developed. Separately, NBC has ordered a third new-series pilot from “ER” executive producer John Wells, who teamed with writer Aaron Sorkin (“The American President”) on the suddenly timely “West Wing,” a drama that focuses on young staffers who work in the White House. Wells is also developing a show about an Irish family living in New York’s Hell’s Kitchen and a legal drama about prosecutors and defenders.

MOVIES

‘L.A. Confidential’ Honored Again: Completing a sweep of all the major U.S. film critics’ associations, “L.A. Confidential” was named best picture Sunday night at the Chicago Films Critics’ Awards. The noir thriller also won for best director (Curtis Hanson) and best screenplay (Brian Helgeland and Hanson). Other winners included Robert Duvall, best actor for “The Apostle,” and Judi Dench, best actress for “Mrs. Brown.” The Japanese film “Shall We Dance?” won for best foreign language film. “Titanic,” the all-time box-office champion, took home two awards: best cinematography and best score.

*

Who’s Behind the Mask?: After receiving complaints from some women in the audience that Leonardo DiCaprio wasn’t in their movie, the producers of a low-budget comedy called “The Man in the Iron Mask” have decided to change the title of the film to avoid any confusion with the soon-to-be-released United Artists’ film that stars DiCaprio. The new title will be “The Three Musketeers Meet the Man in the Iron Mask,” according to William Richert, who wrote, directed and co-stars in the small-budget version. Richert said he made the decision after “five to 10 women” per show came out of the Aero Theater in Santa Monica wondering why they didn’t see screen hunk DiCaprio. Richert said he had to place a sign outside the theater that read: “Leonardo DiCaprio is not in this film.” Richert noted that most of the complaints came not from teenage girls but from middle-aged women.

*

Winner Is ‘Same Old Song’: At a glitzy ceremony Saturday in Paris, the musical comedy “On Connait la Chanson” (Same Old Song) hit the right note at the French film awards, picking up seven of the cherished Cesars--France’s equivalent of the Oscars--including those for best film and best actor. Director Alain Resnais’ quirky movie uses lines from popular French songs to poke fun at the foibles of modern Parisians in search of love and apartments. With the help of brief extracts from 30 songs, the film tracks a group of city neurotics who fall in and out of love with one another while searching for apartments with views of the Eiffel Tower. Unlike Hollywood films, which often use short extracts of pop music to set the background mood, “Same Old Song” has the actors suddenly bursting out a few lines of melodies about their aching hearts before cutting back to their dialogue.

POP/ROCK

Badu Wins Big at Soul Train Awards: Erykah Badu was the big winner at the 12th annual Soul Train Music Awards on Friday at the Shrine Auditorium; she was honored in four categories. The vocal group Dru Hill won two awards. Other winners included Usher, the Notorious B.I.G., Puff Daddy, Boney James and God’s Property.

STAGE

Old Globe Welcomes Two New Musicals: Two new musicals will open at San Diego’s Old Globe Theatre in the fall: “Paramour,” based on Jean Anouilh’s “Dance of the Toreadors,” book and lyrics by Joe Masteroff and music by Howard Marren, Sept. 26-Oct. 31; and an adaptation of Dr. Seuss’ “How the Grinch Stole Christmas!,” with book and lyrics by Timothy Mason and music by Mel Marvin, Nov. 22-Jan. 3. The outdoor summer season will include a Stephen Wadsworth staging of “As You Like It,” July 11-Aug. 15, and a Dan Sullivan staging of “Romeo and Juliet,” Sept. 5-Oct. 10. Karen Allen will star in Michael J. Chepiga’s new play about a Wall Street trader, “Getting and Spending,” on the main stage Aug. 1-Sept. 5, and the Cassius Carter Centre Stage gets Russell Lees’ “Nixon’s Nixon,” July 25-Aug. 29, and John Henry Redwood’s “The Old Settler,” Sept. 19-Oct. 24.

QUICK TAKES

“Touched by an Angel: Amazing Grace,” the second feature-length home video release from network television’s No. 2 drama, will be released today by CBS Video. . . . “Kurt and Courtney,” a documentary that suggests Nirvana lead singer Kurt Cobain’s death wasn’t a suicide, opened in San Francisco over the weekend despite a warning from lawyers for his widow, Courtney Love. . . . Singer Patti Page will sign autographs beginning at 6:30 tonight at Tower Records in West Hollywood. . . . “General Hospital” won for favorite show during the “Soap Opera Digest Awards” last Friday. . . . Elizabeth Taylor decided to stay in the hospital one more day Monday after injuring her hip and back in a fall at her Bel-Air home on her 66th birthday last Friday.