• Now that she's back in the U.K., Kate Winslet ("The Reader") comes clean about where she plans to keep her Academy Award statuette — right next to the one won by her husband Sam Mendes for directing best picture "American Beauty": "The Oscar's going in the loo, next to Sam's." London Daily Mail

• Oscar's best actor Sean Penn wants President Barack Obama to see "Milk" soon: "Eventually we are hoping for a White House screening. I think this film will be one of the steps forward. It will be part of the dialog." Agence France-Presse

• Two early U.K. investors in "Slumdog Millionaire" — Film4 and Celador — won't get a huge chunk of profits after its Oscar success, according a Brit newspaper. It claims biggest payoffs will go to theaters, distributors, Fox Searchlight and Pathe. London Independent

• A London tabloid reports that the joyous spirit of "Slumdog Millionaire's" Oscars victory didn't last long when one of the young stars returned India. The Sun

• Chris Brown and Rihanna are reportedly back together after that nasty clash following a pre-Grammy party. Dish Rag

• A two-time past winner of the Venice Film Festival's Golden Lion will head the fest's next jury: Ang Lee. Associated Press

• Jennifer Hudson told Oprah Winfrey on Friday that she's named two of her dogs Oscar and Grammy! She also revealed how wowed she was to receive the Grammy for best R&B album recently from presenter Whitney Houston. "As soon as she stepped out on the stage, I lost it," Jennifer Hudson said. "That's when I got emotional." Chicago Tribune

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The view from the bridge over the Oscars' red carpet is quite dramatic -- and revealing. Notice the curious details of the set-up in the photo below; there are really two red carpets.There's a velvet rope that divides the main carpet down the center into two halves. Upon arriving under the red pitched tent that can be seen in the distance, celebrities, studio chiefs and other Hollywood honchos are shepherded to the left (right section as seen in the photo) where they can hobnob with the media. The nobodies are shuffled off to the right where their hearing is assaulted by screams from the mobs of fans in the grand stands. You should see the hissy fits that occur under that red tent when guests are told which direction, right or left, to head upon entering. If they don't like what they're told, those notoriously hot-headed Hollywooders frequently tell the Oscars' staffers where they can go!

Behind the media (center section of the photo) there's an open walkway needed so everyone involved with the event can maneuver around the area easily. It's lined with security guards every few feet who all take turns checking your media credential over and over again.

Notice the fencing in the far right of the top photo. Can you tell that the fence is covered with canvas? That's so the public can't peep through and see what's going on. The whole scene below is the stretch of Hollywood Boulevard just west of Highland Avenue. Though the Oscars can shut down the street, they don't have the legal right to close down the sidewalk and the ticky-tacky tourist souvenir shops opposite the Kodak Theatre all day long. So that high fence is built to hide the scene from the public riffraff, which can only get so close after passing through a few metal detectors at security check points scattered across the neighborhood.

Photo below: Up on the bridge over the carpet, space is tight. This year I worked on the live KTLA preshow. Behind us on the left was the "Access Hollywood" position.

Photo below: To the right was E! network. That's Giuliana Rancic with her back to us. It's unusual that she's alone in the segment being shot. Normally, the scene is crowded with fashion critics and other wags piping in on what they think about the hubbub down below, but I chose to feature this photo so you can see the setup of their usually crowded sky box, which contains two cameras. The one in the center of that photo isn't aimed at Giuliana. It's pointed down onto the red carpet below. Giuliana is talking into a teleprompter you can see positioned behind the center cameraman's head. Inside that teleprompter is the second live camera. On the other side of both cameras are five or six more sky boxes occupied by "Entertainment Tonight," CNN and other major media outlets where similar scenes occur.

Photo below: Two scenes of E! film critic Ben Lyons — one as seen through a gap in our KTLA camera setup, the other where he stands in the back of the E! box where he's texting when not working on camera.

Photo below: The bridge and whole red-carpet scene have vanished by Monday night when workers clean up.

Photos: Tom O'Neil / Los Angeles Times

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Three-time Emmy Award winner Jeremy Piven ("Entourage") attended an arbitration hearing Thursday to defend himself before the Broadway community. Jeremy Piven was brought up before Actors Equity by the producers of "Speed-the-Plow" to explain why he exited the hit show in mid-December, just weeks after making his Broadway debut to rave reviews.

At the time Jeremy Piven said it was because of fatigue brought on by high levels of mercury in his bloodstream. And the reason given for these elevated levels? Sushi. The play's author, David Mamet, acidly remarked, "My understanding is that he is leaving show business to pursue a career as a thermometer." Even Mark Wahlberg, exec producer of "Entourage," mocked Piven for making this excuse when the pair attended the Golden Globe Awards in January. Both the show and Piven lost their bids.

At the hearing Jeremy Piven won over the five actors in attendance with his fish tale while the five producing representatives remained unconvinced. Faced with this deadlock, the producers of the show can now pursue arbitration against the actor. However, their case is somewhat weakened as "Speed-the-Plow," which ended its run as scheduled Sunday, still made a profit. Piven's replacements — first, Tony winner Norbert Leo Butz ("Dirty Rotten Scoundrels"), and then Emmy winner William H. Macy — proved to be good draws.

While Piven may avoid any financial payout, his actions probably cost him a Tony Awards nomination. He had earned rave reviews when the play opened Oct. 22 and was considered a strong contender for lead actor in a play. As Bobby, one of a pair of Hollywood hustlers, Piven co-starred opposite perennial Tony nominee Raul Esparza, who played Charlie, and another Broadway babe, Elisabeth Moss ("Mad Men"), who played their secretary, Karen.

For Ben Brantley of the New York Times: "Mr. Piven has the pivotal role, and he executes it with uncanny grace and intelligence." And Elysa Gardner of USA Today thought, "Jeremy Piven's Bobby is softer-textured but also more disturbing than the showbiz animal he plays on 'Entourage'; we see the anxiety and flickers of good intentions underlying his cool arrogance." Michael Kuchwara of the   Associated Press found that "Piven's Bobby is the play's moral center, or at least, the one person on stage who has qualms about what is happening and doesn't quite know what to do about it. The actor has perfected the persona of bad-little-boy-lost and wears the snarling bewilderment here with considerable expertise." And Joe Dziemianowicz of the New York Daily News also lauded him: "Piven is an excellent foil. While downplaying the loudmouthed, sharklike behavior we've seen from him on 'Entourage,' he shows Gould's power-mad side as well as the vulnerability that gradually becomes more apparent."

Twenty years ago, "Speed-the-Plow" lost the Tony Award race for best play to David Henry Hwang's gender-bending "M. Butterfly." This season, three Tony best play winners have already been revived with mixed results: "All My Sons" (1947), "A Man for All Seasons" (1962) and "Equus" (1975). Still to come: classics "Blithe Spirit" and "Waiting for Godot." However, the rave reviews for this production should propel it into the race for best revival. Mamet's 1984 Pulitzer Prize-winning "Glengarry Glen Ross" won that Tony Award in 2005.

Chris Brown and Rihanna are competing against each other in the best song category at the upcoming Kids' Choice Awards. Chris Brown is nominated for his No. 1 single "Kiss Kiss," while Rihanna contends with "Don't Stop the Music." The other nominees are Beyonce ("Single Ladies") and Katy Perry ("I Kissed a Girl"). Voting begins at the official website on Monday, March 2.

This is not the first time the two have been rivals for an award. At this year's Grammy Awards, they both contended in the pop vocal collaboration category. Chris Brown and Jordin Sparks were nominated for "No Air," while Rihanna and Maroon were up for "If I Never See Your Face Again." Both duos lost to Robert Plant and Allison Kraus ("Rich Woman"). And last year, when they faced off in best rap/sung collaboration, Rihanna and Jay-Z won for "Umbrella" over, among others, Chris Brown and T-Pain for "Kiss Kiss."

That marks the only Grammy victory for Rihanna among nine nominations in two years. "Umbrella" also lost song and record of the year to Amy Winehouse's "Rehab." Rihanna's dance recording bid for "Don't Stop the Music" was beaten by Justin Timberlake's "LoveStoned." And her R&B duo with Ne-Yo on "I Hate That I Love You" lost to Chaka Khan and Mary J. Blige ("Disrespectful") and lost a R&B song bid to "No One" by Alicia Keys. This year Rihanna lost dance recording again, with "Disturbia" bested by Daft Punk's "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger." And her long-form video ("Good Girl Gone Bad Live") was edged out by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers ("Runnin' Down a Dream").

Chris Brown remains a Grammy loser despite five nominations. This year he also lost R&B male vocal for "Take You Down" to Ne-Yo ("Miss Independent"). At last year's Grammy Awards he also lost best contemporary R&B album for his self-titled debut to Ne-Yo ("Because of You") as well as best new artist to Carrie Underwood.

However Chris Brown is a winner with the Kids' Choice Awards, having taken home favorite male singer last year after losing to Justin Timberlake in 2007. This year he contends against 2006 winner Jesse McCartney, Kid Rock and his "Kiss Kiss" collaborator, T-Pain.

Rihanna contends for the first time as favorite female singer at the Kids' Choice Awards against last year's champ Miley Cyrus, 2007 winner Beyonce and three-time nominee Alicia Keys.

There is no word on whether either Chris Brown or Rihanna will attend the March 28 ceremony, which will be telecast live on Nickelodeon and hosted by "The Rock" Dwayne Johnson. They both skipped the NAACP Image Awards, which came only five days after the Grammy-eve incident that catapulted them into the headlines. At the Image Awards, Chris Brown lost the male vocalist prize to Jamie Foxx, and Rihanna was bested by Beyonce for female vocalist.

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The first time Eddie Murphy worked with writer-director Bill Condon he earned a nomination for best supporting actor at the Oscars. That was for playing a fictionalized version of singer James Brown in "Dreamgirls" back in 2006 (he lost to Alan Arkin, "Little Miss Sunshine"). Now the two are reuniting to make a movie about Murphy's longtime idol — the late Richard Pryor.

Fox Searchlight — which shepherded "Slumdog Millionaire" to eight Oscars this year — is reportedly picking up this $25 million project. Eddie Murphy has long revered Richard Pryor, paying homage to him in his stand-up routines and casting Pryor in his directorial debut "Harlem Nights" in 1989. The life of the comic was fraught with drama — drug and alcohol abuse, broken marriages, illnesses — and could make for a powerful piece.

Bill Condon won an Oscar in 1998 for his script of "Gods and Monsters," which explored the troubled life of 1930s film director James Whale. Star Ian McKellen lost the lead actor Oscar race to Roberto Benigni ("Life Is Beautiful") while supporting actress contender Lynn Redgrave lost to Judi Dench ("Shakespeare in Love"). Condon earned another Oscar nod for his adapted script for 2002 best picture champ "Chicago" (he lost to Ronald Harwood, "The Pianist").

Condon's next movie as a writer-director was "Kinsey," another biopic. Laura Linney earned a 2004 supporting actress nod as the wife of the famed sex researcher. She lost to Cate Blanchett ("The Aviator"). Condon's most recent film — "Dreamgirls" — earned eight Oscar nods, winning for supporting actress Jennifer Hudson and sound mixing. However, it deserved much more academy notice considering it won best comedy/musical picture at the Golden Globes and was nominated for the top prizes bestowed by the producers, directors and screen actors' guilds. Condon was snubbed for both his adapted script and direction and, while "Dreamgirls" earned the most nominations over all, it got snubbed in the best-picture race.

Condon and most of his "Dreamgirls" team suffered their slights from the academy graciously. Not Eddie Murphy, who fared better than his boss Condon. At least Eddie got nominated. But that wasn't enough. When he lost to Arkin, he reportedly stormed out of the ceremony.

These days Eddie Murphy is in dire need of a critical hit after a losing streak of films that have won him only Razzie awards. Last year, he set a new Razzie record, becoming the first star  to reap three of the four worst-acting trophies in a single year. All were for for his multiple roles in worst-picture nominee "Norbit" — as the nerdy title character (worst actor), Asian role Mr. Wong (worst supporting actor) and 400-pound shrew Rasputina (worst supporting actress).

At the most recent edition of the Razzies, Eddie Murphy escaped with only two nominations for the comedy misfire "Meet Dave." He lost his bid for worst actor to Mike Myers, creator and star of worst picture winner "The Love Guru." And he was eclipsed as worst couple by Paris Hilton and her co-stars from "The Hottie & The Nottie."

Eddie Murphy had been nominated for Razzies in the past: in 2002 as worst actor ("Pluto Nash") and worst screen couple (shared with "Showtime" costars Robert DeNiro and Owen Wilson) and he even "won" worst screenplay for "Harlem Nights." But those were all just playful jabs at a popular megastar who could use some humbling. Nowadays the Razzies really mean it and think that  Murphy deserves a true pummeling.

His upcoming kid flick "Imagine That" might escape their Razzie wrath. However, "A Thousand Words" — which reunites Eddie Murphy with "Meet Dave" helmer Brian Robbins — could be just the kind of high-minded serio-comic fare that earns him even more of these dubious honors. Murphy plays a fast-talking agent who so alienates one of his clients — a guru (thankfully not played by Mike Myers) — that he is cursed to die after speaking another 1,000 words.

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Zac Efron is being recognized by movie theater owners as the breakthrough performer of the year. This is a new award from ShoWest which bills itself as "the most prestigious and longest running convention and trade show for the cinema exhibition and distribution community." While Zac Efron first came to  fame on TV's "High School Musical," he was featured in the big-screen third installment of this franchise last fall. And now Zac Efron is about to carry his first film with the time-traveling comedy "17 Again."

The trade fair has been handing out various kudos to stars since 1978 when it named Henry Winkler as male star of the year and Mark Hamill as the male star of tomorrow. While Winkler was a hot TV commodity as the Fonz on No. 1-rated "Happy Days," his film career failed to flourish. Neither "Heroes," a 1977 road movie with Sally Field, nor 1978's "The One and Only," a Carl Reiner comedy about wrestling, made much money. And Hamill never escaped the stigma of "Star Wars" much like 2005 honoree Hayden Christensen.

ShoWest has had mixed success at predicting which up-and-comers will have staying power. This year Chris Pine, who plays Captain Kirk in the new "Star Trek" reboot from J.J. Abrams, is being honored. Among the male stars of tomorrow who succeeded were: Johnny Depp (1990); Brad Pitt (1992); Will Smith (1995); and Matt Damon (1998). And those that did not live up to their potential include: David Keith (1983); Stephen Dorff (1992); Giovanni Ribisi (1999), and Brandon Routh (2006).

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Photo: Disney

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It doesn't matter what acting category you campaign for at the Academy Awards — voters can put you wherever they want. Most frequently, when ignoring category guidance, they tend to promote contenders from the supporting race to lead like Keisha Castle-Hughes ("Whale Rider"), but sometimes they have the nerve to push a lead contender down to supporting. Which one of these actors suffered that humiliating fate? See the answer here!

Two of these stars below are tied for suffering the most Oscar snubs among actresses: six defeats, no wins. Can you name them? See the answer here!

Because Cate Blanchett and her playwright husband Andrew Upton are co-artistic directors of the Sydney Theatre Company she has scaled back her film commitments to barely one a year. That makes the news that  Blanchett is about to sign up to play Maid Marian opposite Russell Crowe's Robin Hood even more intriguing.

This legend of rogues and romance has been the inspiration for many films, including 1938 best picture nominee "The Adventures of Robin Hood," which starred Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland — it lost to "You Can't Take It With You." In 1976's "Robin and Marian," Sean Connery and Audrey Hepburn played the pair in their later years. And in 1991's "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves," a miscast Kevin Costner and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio starred.

Sienna Miller was attached to this project but exited last fall. Cate Blanchett is much better matched to hold her own against Russell Crowe. And her presence increases the profile of the picture with Oscar voters. It was a surprise this year when Cate Blanchett — the darling of the Oscars — failed to make the lead actress race for "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button." After all, the film earned 13 nominations in all and Blanchett is a five-time nominee. She has one win in supporting actress ("The Aviator," 2004), two more nods in that category ("Notes on a Scandal," 2006; "I'm Not There," 2007), and another two in lead actress ("Elizabeth," 1998; and "Elizabeth: The Golden Age," 2007).

This new film for her — now titled "Nottingham," but subject to a name change — is to be helmed by three-time Oscar nominee Ridley Scott, who directed Russell Crowe to the lead actor Oscar in best picture champ "Gladiator" back in 2000. Director and actor have made three films together in the past three years — "A Good Year," American Gangster," and "Body of Lies" — with varying degrees of success. An iconic role like the heroic Robin Hood could finally restore Crowe's credibility with the academy after his bad boy behavior cost him at least one Oscar.

In 2001,  Crowe was the front-runner for lead actor at the Oscars as star of the eventual best picture winner, "A Beautiful Mind." He coasted through the early part of the derby, winning with the Golden Globes, Critics' Choice, SAG and finally BAFTA. That Brit fest is where the gladiator threw himself to the lions. He did so by "roughing up," according to the London Sun, a British TV producer for daring to edit down Crowe's rambling recitation of a poem during his acceptance speech. While Crowe eventually apologized, that rang hollow with Oscar voters who went with Denzel Washington ("Training Day").

Two years later,  Crowe proved he was still a commanding screen star, although no longer the ruler of his domain. He steered "Master and Commander" — an epic, high seas adventure —to 10 Oscar nods including best picture. But the actors branch did not nominate Crowe. The film ended up winning only two Oscars, both in tech categories.

An even greater shipwreck lay ahead with his next project, "Cinderella Man." This 2005 biopic helmed by Ron Howard was perfect Oscars fare: a well-crafted, feel-good tearjerker starring  Crowe as a down-on-his-luck boxing hero and Renee Zellweger as his dutiful wife. Reviews and buzz were excellent when it opened but then Crowe pulled his biggest blunder yet. He got furious while dialing his hotel phone in Manhattan, yanked it out of the wall, marched down to the lobby and hurled it at an innocent hotel clerk. The clerk struck back by filing criminal charges.

Unfortunately for Crowe, this time Crowe wasn't taking a punch at a pesky paparazzo or fellow Hollywood bad boy. He took a potshot at an honest, hard-working, innocent Everyman, a regular Joe, just the kind of guy who spends a chunk of his paycheck to see Russell Crowe movies. Produced for $88 million, "Cinderella Man" ended up earning only $61 million domestically.

While voters for the Screen Actors Guild and Golden Globes thought his performance in "Cinderella Man" was good enough to merit a best actor bid, Crowe was snubbed once again by the Oscars. And since then, Crowe has had to make do with a pair of 2007 SAG ensemble nominations for his acclaimed performances in "3:10 to Yuma" and "American Gangster."

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Oscars' king Jack Nicholson — winner of the most awards among male actors  — was conspicuously missing from his domain last Sunday.

Usually, we can count on Jack Nicholson to liven up the cackle on the red carpet or make a notable appearance on stage (remember his startled reaction when he announced that "Crash" won best picture?).

Among the three Oscars Nicholson won was best supporting actor for "Terms of Endearment" (1983). Among his past film roles was as the Joker in Tim Burton's "Batman" (1989). Noted Oscarologist Wayman Wong tells Gold Derby, "This would've been a great opportunity: If Nicholson were a supporting-actor presenter and spoke about Heath Ledger's performance as the Joker."

A source close to the show tells Gold Derby that Nicholson wasn't invited to be part of the supporting-actor presentation. But why didn't he attend as a guest? Gold Derby asked Nicholson's agent, but we haven't heard boo back. All we know is that our source tells us, "Jack didn't want to come this year for whatever reason," which was not specified.

So, in the absence of any other info, Gold Derby must assume that King Jack preferred to do something else last Sunday. Now let's see . . . what was occurring at the exact same time as the Oscarcast that might be of more interest to that notorious wag? Hmmmm . . . is it a mere coincidence that the Lakers game was entering the fourth quarter just as the Oscars ceremony began? Which one do you think was on Jack's TV screen just then?

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Photos: Warner Bros.

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