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

AUCTIONS

Impressive Impressionists: Claude Monet’s “Nympheas” sold for $22.5 million at an auction of Impressionist and post-Impressionist art at Christie’s in New York on Monday night. The 1906 painting, the evening’s top lot with a pre-sale estimate of $17 million to $20 million, was bought by an unidentified European dealer. Vincent van Gogh’s “Le pont de Trinquetaille,” an 1888 work, was the second-highest price paid at the sale, at $15,402,500 after an estimate of $18 million to $24 million, followed by Pierre-Auguste Renoir’s “Geraniums dans une bassine de cuivre,” which sold for $4,842,500, far above its high estimate of $3 million. Camille Pissarro’s “Polichinelle” nearly doubled its high estimate of $1.8 million, going for $3,522,500. The sale total was $88.2 million, with 92% of the lots offered being sold.

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From Houdini to ‘Blair Witch’: Vintage Hollywood film posters along with other entertainment and magic memorabilia will be auctioned at Butterfield & Butterfield in L.A. on Monday at 1, 6 and 7 p.m. and Tuesday at 7 p.m. Highlights of the sale, previewing Friday (10 a.m.-4 p.m.) and through the weekend (9 a.m.-5 p.m.), include Christopher Reeve’s “Superman” cape, Frank Capra contracts, a pair of Lucille Ball suits from “The Lucy Show,” a Salvador Dali painting from “Spellbound,” original “Gone With the Wind” scripts and conceptual storyboards, a Houdini straitjacket and the twig stickman from the “Blair Witch Project.”

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And a ‘Kane’ Oscar: On Nov. 18 at 2 p.m., Christie’s in Beverly Hills will auction one of the Oscars awarded to what many consider the best film ever made. In 1941, “Citizen Kane,” with Orson Welles in the title role, drew nine Oscar nominations, including best film, best director and best actor. Its only win was for the original screenplay by Welles and Herman J. Mankiewicz. Christie’s will auction Mankiewicz’s gold statue--consigned from the Mankiewicz family and having an estimated value between $200,000 and $300,000. Other highlights to be auctioned include lobby cards, film posters and original scripts. Items will be on display Saturday-next Wednesday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

LEGAL FILE

Settlement: The former lead singer of Three Dog Night has settled a lawsuit over his departure from the band. Attorneys for singer Chuck Negron and the group said they could not discuss terms of the settlement, which headed off a trial Tuesday. “It tries to get them on with their lives in a positive way,” said Philip W. Boesch Jr., who represents Three Dog Night and band members Danny Hutton and Cory Wells. Negron, 57, filed the lawsuit in March 1998. He now works as a solo artist and recently published a book, “Three Dog Nightmare,” which deals with his battle with drug abuse. The band continues to tour without him.

TELEVISION

On the Joys of Adoption: With 110,000 children and teens across the nation waiting to be adopted, an hourlong CBS special, “A Home for the Holidays,” will air Dec. 23 at 8 p.m. At a taping Saturday, child advocates Rene Russo, Henry Winkler, Ray Liotta, Andy Garcia, Morgan Freeman and adoptive parents Steven Spielberg and Kate Capshaw introduced various segments and musical performances by Stevie Wonder, LeAnn Rimes, Brian McKnight and ‘N Sync. Told through the personal trials and triumphs of five American families, “A Home” explores the complexities of adoptive families, single-parent adoptions, empty-nester adoptions and adoptions of teens. Others share the challenges of being adopted themselves. “This television special is an opportunity for all Americans to discover the joys of adopting children,” said Dave Thomas, founder of the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, which is co-presenting the special with Children’s Action Network.

PEOPLE

Honoring a Champion: Kirk Douglas is being honored with the 11th annual Spencer Tracy Award at UCLA’s Royce Hall Dec. 6. The award, honoring his work as an actor, will be presented by Susie Tracy, daughter of Spencer Tracy, and UCLA’s Campus Events Commission. Michael Douglas, one of Kirk’s sons, received the award in 1990. Other recipients include Jimmy Stewart, Harrison Ford, Tom Hanks, Jodie Foster and Denzel Washington.

QUICK TAKES

Quincy Jones and Tim Reid receive the Producers Guild of America Oscar Micheaux Award tonight, honoring those in film and television whose achievements have been accomplished despite difficult odds. . . . “ER’s” Noah Wyle presents the third annual “One Minute Maalox Award” today at Warner Bros. to seven people whose fast action saved another’s life. Recipients, chosen regionally by nominations from around the country, receive $5,000 each and $1,000 for their favorite charity. . . . Steve Ramsey, former news director at WGN-TV in Chicago, has been named station manager at KTLA-TV. . . . Country legend Hank Williams, who died in 1953, has been inducted into the Native American Music Awards Hall of Fame in Albuquerque. Williams had Cherokee and Creek ancestry.