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

TV & MOVIES

Premiere, 81 Years Late: An unreleased Rudolph Valentino film, made in 1919 when he was known as Rudolpho Di Valentino, will premiere in the U.S. in March at Los Angeles’ Silent Movie Theatre (611 N. Fairfax Ave.). The film, “The Married Virgin,” about a woman who enters into a contract marriage with a count seeking to hide his affair with another married woman, was restored by the Royal Film Archive in Belgium from several incomplete copies gathered from around the world. The L.A. screenings will be at 8 p.m. on March 1 and 2.

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‘Hurricane’ Takes Another Punch: Former middleweight boxing champion Joey Giardello has filed a federal defamation lawsuit against the makers of “The Hurricane,” saying the movie inaccurately portrayed him as being “relentlessly pummeled” by Rubin “Hurricane” Carter in a 1964 title fight that Giardello won by unanimous decision. In addition to unspecified monetary damages, the suit seeks to have a video clip placed at the end of the movie showing actual fight footage. The movie, once considered a likely best picture nominee, received only one Oscar nomination Tuesday (for actor Denzel Washington). Many critics have blamed the film’s poor nominations showing on attacks against the film’s accuracy. Universal, which released the movie, would not comment on Giardello’s suit.

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Hacker Update: The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences said Thursday that film critic Harry Knowles, who posted what he billed as an advance list of Tuesday morning’s Oscar nominations on his Web site Monday night, obtained a “guess list” from the home computer of an employee of ABC.com, which runs the Oscar Web site. The academy noted that the computer of the ABC.com employee, who correctly predicted all 20 Oscar acting nominees but missed the best picture nomination for “Cider House Rules,” was not protected by rigorous security features. “We still do not know, however, how Knowles knew to hack into that particular database, and that investigation is still ongoing,” the academy said.

POP/ROCK

Remembering Mayfield: Lauryn Hill, Stevie Wonder, the Impressions and actor Danny Glover will participate in a tribute to the late Curtis Mayfield at the First AME Church (2270 S. Harvard Blvd., Los Angeles) on Tuesday. “A Celebration of the Life of Curtis Mayfield” begins at noon and is open to the public. Mayfield, who died Dec. 26 at age 57 in Roswell, Ga., was a pivotal R&B; figure whose inspirational songs about social injustice influenced generations of younger artists. His hits, both with the Impressions and on his own, included “Gypsy Woman,” “People Get Ready” and “Superfly.” Mayfield’s wife and children will attend the event.

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Rockin’ Rosie: TV star Roseanne, universally panned for her crotch-grabbing rendition of the national anthem at a 1990 San Diego Padres game, will step up to the mike again when she gives a free performance with her new rock band, the DiXXX, on Monday at Sunset Boulevard’s Tower Records. During the 9 p.m. show, Rosie will also sign CDs of her first single, with all proceeds to go to local charities.

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Entering Manhood: Two members of the multiplatinum-selling Backstreet Boys are engaged. Kevin Richardson, 28, and Brian Littrell, 24, told MTV News of their glad tidings Tuesday during the group’s tour stop in Albany, N.Y. Richardson said he will wed his “off and on” girlfriend of seven years, and Littrell called his pending nuptials a “jump-start on getting on with life.” Neither revealed a wedding date or their beloveds’ names.

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Case Dismissed: A U.S. judge has dismissed the $10-million slander lawsuit that a Beverly Hills cop filed against George Michael. Officer Marcelo Rodriguez, who arrested Michael on a charge of lewd behavior in a public park restroom in 1998, sued the singer over a music video in which Michael appeared to mock his arresting officer. U.S. District Judge Consuelo B. Marshall said the officer is a public figure and is not entitled to sue for emotional distress. Rodriguez’s attorney said he planned to refile the case.

QUICK TAKES

CBS’ “Late Show With David Letterman” has finalized its guest list for Monday, Letterman’s first night back as host following quintuple bypass heart surgery. Robin Williams and musical guest Foo Fighters join the previously announced Regis Philbin. . . . HBO will receive the Directors Guild of America’s Diversity Award on March 11 at the Century Plaza Hotel. The award honors the cable network’s “consistent commitment to and leadership in” the hiring of women and ethnic minority directors. . . . Whitney Houston and the artist formerly known as Prince will be named female and male artists of the decade at the March 4 Soul Train Music Awards at the Shrine Auditorium. . . . Filmmaker Gregory Nava has cast actress Constance Marie as a lead for his one-hour drama pilot for CBS about a Mexican American family in East L.A. The show is a candidate for the fall schedule. . . . Ron Silver will appear in “Bill Graham Presents,” a new solo show about the life of the late rock impresario, at the Canon Theatre in Beverly Hills, April 30-May 27. Rock journalist and biographer Robert Greenfield is the playwright, and Ethan Silverman will direct.