ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT REPORTS FROM THE TIMES, NEWS SERVICES AND THE NATION’S PRESS.

TELEVISION

Early Roberto: Cable’s Bravo channel will celebrate Roberto Benigni’s double Academy Award victories by showing his 1991 film, “Johnny Stecchino,” today at 1 p.m. and again on Saturday at 10 a.m. The effusive Benigni, who won best actor and best foreign film Oscars on Sunday for “Life Is Beautiful” (the Italian-language film won an additional trophy for dramatic musical score), also wrote, directed and starred in “Johnny Stecchino,” which is about an all-time loser and a Sicilian Mafia don.

*

‘Susan’ Halted by Death: Production on “Suddenly Susan” has temporarily been halted following the death of actor David Strickland, who played a music critic on the NBC comedy. A spokesman for Warner Bros., which produces the series, said two more episodes are left to be produced this season and that it’s unclear at this point when production will resume or how the character’s absence will be addressed. Strickland, 28, was found dead Monday, having apparently hung himself in a Las Vegas motel room.

*

Comedic Clothes: NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” is celebrating its upcoming 25th anniversary with the creation of a Generra clothing line named after the late-night comedy show. The line of casual clothing, to be called SNL25 by Generra, is expected to be in department stores in late summer or early fall. Meanwhile, “SNL” will celebrate its 25th anniversary with a three-hour prime-time special Sept. 26.

MOVIES

French Fare: The third annual French film festival “City of Lights, City of Angels” will be held April 27 to May 1 at the Directors Guild of America, with the opening night featuring the U.S. premiere of Bertrand Tavernier’s “It All Starts Today.” Other events include the West Coast premieres of Catherine Deneuve’s “Place Vendome” and of director Patrice Chereau’s recent Cesar Award winner, “Those Who Love Me Can Take the Train,” and the North American premiere of “Kirikou and the Sorceress,” an animated family film scored by composer Youssou N’Dour.

JAZZ & POP MUSIC

Al Hirt Improving After Stroke: Grammy-winning jazz trumpeter Al Hirt, 76, who was listed in serious condition last week after suffering a stroke, was upgraded to fair condition at a New Orleans hospital Monday. Meanwhile, a message on Hirt’s office phone, recorded by his assistant, said: “While his condition is still considered serious, he’s much improved.” Hirt also has a liver ailment and has been in a wheelchair for more than a year because of knee problems; however, he’d continued to play at New Orleans jazz clubs until shortly before the stroke.

Rapper ODB Faces Another Arrest: Trouble-prone rapper ODB was arrested on misdemeanor drug charges in New York on Monday after police allegedly found three small containers of crack cocaine on him during a traffic stop in Brooklyn. Officers said they approached the Wu-Tang Clan rapper, whose real name is Russell Jones, because his 1996 Range Rover was double-parked and had no license plates. Police said that Jones, who was the driver, had no license or registration, and that when he gave his name, a record check revealed he had a suspended license and was wanted for failure to pay child support--leading to a search that turned up the drugs. The rapper’s attorney, Peter Frankell, did not immediately return calls for comment. Among other legal run-ins, ODB was arrested last month in Los Angeles when he parked in a no-parking zone and police found he was wearing a bulletproof vest. He has pleaded innocent to violating a law banning felons from wearing body armor.

QUICK TAKES

Business reporter Jim Newman, seen most recently on “The KTLA Morning News,” will join KABC-TV’s “Eyewitness News” team next month. His reports will be heard at 6 a.m., 6:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m., as well as on KABC’s afternoon newscasts. . . . ABC is hoping to have talk show host Oprah Winfrey fill in for a week later this year while one of its “Good Morning America” anchors goes on vacation, as a way to get viewers to tune in to the reworked morning show. However, the network said Tuesday that the deal is not yet finalized. . . . KCOP-TV has picked up rights to “The Martin Short Show,” a daily hourlong talk variety show to be hosted by the comedian. It will debut on the station in the fall. . . . “Unsolved Mysteries,” hosted by Robert Stack and Virginia Madsen, will return to the CBS schedule on April 2, filling the Friday 9 p.m. time slot vacated by “The Magnificent Seven.” . . . The Los Angeles Independent Film Festival will present its Indie Supporter Award to Robert and Gregory Laemmle of the Laemmle Theatres chain during the festival’s closing night awards, April 20 at the Directors Guild. The annual award recognizes those who have been “instrumental in helping independent filmmakers realize their vision.” Festival director Robert Faust said that “without the Laemmles, the landscape of indie cinema in Los Angeles would be dramatically different, and many filmmakers would not have had the opportunity to have their work screened to the public.”