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

More STP Trouble?: The Stone Temple Pilots have canceled the last four dates of the band’s fall tour, fueling speculation about the future of the troubled, Los Angeles-based group that took a six-month hiatus last year while singer Scott Weiland underwent court-ordered drug addiction treatment. Citing “personal problems within the band,” the group pulled the plug on shows Tuesday in Anchorage and this weekend in Hawaii after canceling a concert Sunday in Vancouver, Canada, because of bad weather. Asked Tuesday if the cancellations had anything to do with Weiland’s drug problems, a group representative declined comment. He said, however, that the group “definitely” would remain intact. Last October, a Pasadena judge dropped all charges stemming from Weiland’s May 1995 heroin and cocaine arrest, saying that the singer’s progress in rehab met the terms of his probation. In November, the band kicked off a two-month tour with a show at the Universal Amphitheatre. Weiland’s bandmates, who recorded an album with an unnamed singer while Weiland was in rehab, were said to be waiting to see how the tour went before committing to future plans with Weiland.

PERFORMING ARTS

Spend, We Do: The Universal Amphitheatre ranked second--behind New York City’s Radio City Music Hall--among the country’s top-grossing indoor venues with 5,000 to 6,999 seats, according to a 1996 year-end tally by Performance Magazine. Universal--the highest-ranking local theater among all of the trade publication’s year-end charts--reported a gross of $13.5 million from 89 shows. The Great Western Forum, which reported a gross of $6.9 million from 18 shows, ranked fifth in its category--auditoriums that seat 13,000 to 19,999. And three local theaters made it on the chart for venues seating less than 3,000--Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts (No. 7 with $4.5 million from 94 shows reported), Pantages Theatre (No. 9 with $3.6 million from 22 shows) and Orange County Performing Arts Center (No. 10 with $2.6 million from 19 shows). The only other Southern California venue to make the charts was San Diego’s SOMA Live, which ranked 10th among night clubs with fewer than 800 seats. Reporting for the charts is voluntary, however, and for those who do report their grosses, only self-produced shows are included, while rentals by outside companies are not.

TELEVISION

Weighing In on TNT Wallace Story: George Wallace’s friends and family are complaining that the script for an upcoming cable movie about the former Alabama governor portrays him as a foulmouthed, suicidal man. “They make him out to be some backwoods ignorant Southerner, and I resent Hollywood always portraying Southerners that way,” said Wallace’s son, George Wallace Jr., about the TNT movie, which will star Oscar-winning actor Gary Sinise. A TNT spokeswoman, however, said that the script for the movie, which begins shooting later this month, is still being revised.

Cosby’s Defense: Bill Cosby said Tuesday that a “Foe-Paw” award bestowed on his CBS comedy “Cosby” by the animal rights group the Ark Trust was wrong, and that he was “wounded by friendly fire.” The comic said the episode, in which a turtle is accidentally burned in a pile of leaves, was not anti-animal and the turtle was not harmed in real life. Instead, he said the show projected the message that, “If you’re going to look after a pet, you should look after a pet correctly.”

MOVIES

For You Betters Out There: Las Vegas oddsmaker Lenny Del Genio of Bally’s casino has weighed in with his annual Oscar race handicapping, putting October Films’ “Secrets & Lies” and New Line’s “Shine” at an even-money tie as best picture favorites, followed by Miramax’s “The English Patient” at 2-to-1, Gramercy’s “Fargo” at 5-to-1 and Sony Pictures’ “Jerry Maguire” at 10-to-1 odds. Del Genio’s favorites for best actress are “Secrets & Lies’ ” Brenda Blethyn and “The English Patient’s” Kristin Scott Thomas, both at even money, and for best actor, Geoffrey Rush of “Shine,” also at even money.

LEGAL FILE

Jan-Michael Vincent Arraigned: A lawyer for actor Jan-Michael Vincent entered a not guilty plea on his behalf Tuesday on misdemeanor drunken driving charges in connection with an August accident in Santa Ana that left the actor with a broken vertebra in his neck. No paralysis resulted. A Feb. 11 jury trial was scheduled, although Vincent’s attorney said he hoped the case would be resolved before then. The charges carry a maximum sentence of up to a year in jail and a $2,000 fine. Vincent faced a previous drunken driving count in Malibu in 1995 that resulted in the suspension of his license.

QUICK TAKES

Starting next week, UPN will flip the time slots of two of its Monday night comedies, the lawyer comedy “Sparks,” which will now air at 9 p.m., and Sherman Hemsley’s “Goode Behavior,” which moves to 9:30 p.m. . . . Viewers of cable’s VH1 have voted French Canadian songstress Celine Dion as 1996 Artist of the Year, beating out the Artist Formerly Known as Prince, Joan Osborne, Don Henley, Melissa Etheridge, Sting, Hootie & the Blowfish, Gloria Estefan, Sheryl Crow, Tom Petty, John Mellencamp and Toni Braxton. . . . NBC News correspondent Andrea Mitchell has announced her engagement to Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan after 12 years of dating. No wedding date has been set.