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

MOVIES

Items Seized: Police on Friday seized about 25 movie memorabilia items that were to have been auctioned Sunday at Butterfield & Butterfield’s Sunset Boulevard showroom. The items--worth less than $50,000--were seized as part of a continuing investigation against David Elkouby, a North Hollywood resident who has been charged with several counts of receiving stolen property, police said. Butterfield & Butterfield has not been charged or implicated in any way in the case, police said. Among the items confiscated at the auction house Friday were costumes from the movies “Twister,” “Independence Day” and “Tin Cup”; props and a costume from TV’s “Lois & Clark”; and drawings and photographs from “Star Wars.” “We believe [Elkouby] has a very extensive network of studio employees in sensitive areas where they can easily obtain this property,” Officer Fabian Ospina told The Times. Police said they became aware of the stolen items after various movie studios saw the items in the auction catalog. Butterfield & Butterfield Executive Vice President Brian Cole said that the seizure would not affect Sunday’s auction of the more than 500 remaining items. “We were delighted to have these items verified as far as [ownership] titles are concerned,” Cole said. “Representatives [from the various studios] screened the rest of the items [to authenticate ownership].” Remaining items that will be auctioned at noon include a 13-foot-tall set model of the mansion from the movie “Addams Family Values,” complete with working interior lights (expected to bring $25,000 to $30,000); a custom-painted 1989 Mercedes-Benz belonging to Red Hot Chili Peppers’ bassist Flea ($20,000 to $25,000); and several ink drawings on paper napkins by the late James Dean ($600 to $3,500 each).

COMEDY

Overnight Guests: Chevy Chase, one of hundreds of Democratic Party donors to stay at the Clinton White House during the president’s first term, thinks the controversy over White House overnights is “silliness.” “My wife and I have given over the years maybe two grand, maybe a little more, to the Clintons and the Democrats, and we were called one night because we were in town and asked if we would like to stay--and we stayed,” Chase said Friday in Aspen, Colo., during the third annual U.S. Comedy Arts Festival. “That’s because the people who gave four grand weren’t interested,” fellow festival participant Steve Martin interjected. “This is his house,” Chase continued. “He’s the president. Why shouldn’t he have anybody he wants to sleep there? . . . I can invite anybody over to my house. They don’t have to be big donors like Steve. It’s silliness.” Fellow comedian Sinbad joked that he once stayed at the White House, but only because he couldn’t get a hotel room in Washington. “Most people don’t know it’s open to the public,” he said. “If you’re homeless, give them a call between 10 and 4. But you can’t stay more than two nights.” Dennis Miller was a little less charitable, saying: “You know, you can’t stay at the Hilton in D.C. for two grand.”

TELEVISION

Sticker Alert: A cereal box photo of the stars of Nickelodeon’s kids’ show “Kenan and Kel” caused a scramble at Kraft General Foods Inc. after parents and other consumers complained that the photo appeared to contain gang symbols. Kraft said Friday that it glued stickers on millions of Post Honeycomb cereal boxes last month to cover the photograph of actors Kenan Thompson and Kel Mitchell, both 18. “Clearly this was unintentional,” said a Kraft spokeswoman, noting that the sticker covered Thompson’s hands and part of his face, as well as Mitchell’s right hand. Beneath the stickers, Thompson’s hands are crossed over his chest as he flashes duel peace signs. Mitchell’s index finger is straight and his thumb is extended, according to the Chicago Sun-Times, which removed the sticker. Nickelodeon spokeswoman Pamela Dill called the stickers an effort to “err on the side of caution,” adding: “I know these guys. They are both good, clean guys.” Kraft would not estimate how much the incident cost the company.

Pledge Drive: KCET-TV Channel 28 kicks off a scheduled 23-day pledge drive today with an appealing promise to those who hate pledge breaks. If the station reaches a goal of $1.75 million before the pledging period is scheduled to end, all remaining breaks will be eliminated. Last March, KCET raised $1.6 million. “We are really trying to create an event,” notes Barbara Goen, vice president of communications and the executive in charge of pledge production.

QUICK TAKES

HBO is developing a full-length movie based on the concept behind Quincy Jones’ 1995 album, “Q’s Jook Joint.” Jones will executive produce the film, about a fictional journey to “jook joints,” backwoods clubhouses of rural America in the 1930s-50s. . . . Phoenix Pictures has bought the film rights to journalist John Hockenberry’s biography “Moving Violations.” Hockenberry, a paraplegic since an auto accident at age 19, navigated his wheelchair through the Middle East while covering the area for National Public Radio. He is now host of the MSNBC show “Edgewise.” . . . “Real Radio” KLSX-FM (97.1) will broadcast a BBC interview with the band U2 about its “Pop” album and upcoming tour at 11 p.m. on Sunday. . . . KBTL-AM, an “all Beatles” station being constructed at 1650 AM that was to have gone on the air today, is being delayed by at least a month because of difficulties in building the transmitter.