NEWS LITE : BARDOT'S PEEK AT BRANDO.

Brigitte Bardot, who quit movie sex symbolhood in 1973 and has rarely spoken of it since, Tuesday published her autobiography, in which she tells of her loves, losses and near-misses. The former ``sex kitten,'' 62 on Saturday, said the 550-page book was 21 years in the writing. Among her loves, she's kind to Warren Beatty (``a ferocious charm that was impossible to resist''), noting he helped her recover from a disastrous romance. Her near-miss was Pablo Picasso (``somewhat indifferent and adorable''), who uncharacteristically kept his distance as he gave her a tour of his Paris studio. She was shocked at Marlon Brando, to whom she served breakfast as a bogus maid in his hotel room. ``He took the eggs and smashed them against the walls,'' she writes, ``before falling back to sleep, swimming in orange juice, coffee, milk, broken eggs and fame.''

Turner has stake in state

Ted Turner's purchase Monday of Pennzoil's 578,000-acre Vermejo Park Ranch puts him in control of 1.5 percent - 1,796 square miles - of New Mexico, the nation's fifth-largest state. No money sums given.

Calvin snubbed by bride?

When Carolyn Bessette donned a Cerruti-designed gown to wed John F. Kennedy Jr., was it a silken slap in the face of former employer Calvin Klein, or a favor to a good friend?

Bessette worked in public relations for Calvin Klein Ltd. until a few months ago. But when the time came to make the dress, she turned to close friend Narciso Rodriguez, who left Calvin Klein last year for Paris-based designer Nino Cerruti.

Fashion industry sources were reluctant Tuesday to declare Bessette's decision an outright faux pas. Klein doesn't focus on wedding dresses or evening wear, some said; others said Bessette had moved on.

``Mr. Klein does not have a monopoly on making spare clothes,'' said Wallace Sloves, a professor at the Fashion Institute of Technology. He praised the work of the 35-year-old Rodriguez, who could net millions from the publicity.

Though Cerruti generally does not make wedding dresses, Rodriguez's three-year friendship with Bessette offered something even more valuable than fashion sense: loyalty.

The dress was ordered just 15 days before Saturday's super-secret wedding, and only Rodriguez and Cerruti knew that it was destined for the 6-foot blonde soon to be dubbed ``Camelot's New Queen.''

``We're very discreet,'' Cerruti spokeswoman Margaret Muldoon said Tuesday in an obvious pitch to the designers' paparazzi-hounded clientele.

That secrecy would have been hard to get from other fashion houses, Muldoon said, though she declined to specifically cite Calvin Klein.

``It's very hard, I think, to control the enthusiasm that one would have, particularly since this type of press becomes so vital to designers,'' she said.

Muldoon said she didn't know the cost of the dress - a bias-cut, floor-length slip of a pearl-color silk crepe - though the New York Daily News estimated the retail price at $30,000 to $40,000.

``It's very minimalist,'' Sloves said. ``It's not a typical wedding gown.''

Actors greet Baby Stella

Actress Melanie Griffith gave birth to a daughter at the Spanish coastal resort of Marbella on Tuesday, and father Antonio Banderas said his wife and ``very pretty'' daughter were doing fine.

``The story of the pregnancy ended happily,'' Banderas told the state news agency EFE. ``The girl is very pretty.''

Banderas, who is from the nearby city of Malaga, met Griffith on the Florida set of the U.S. film ``Two Much.'' They were married in May.

Stella del Carmen Banderas weighed 5.7 pounds, EFE reported.

Eastwood, Locke come to terms

Clint Eastwood and ex-lover Sondra Locke unexpectedly settled their court fight in Burbank on Tuesday, the third day of jury deliberations in Locke's acrimonious $2 million civil suit against the actor.

Superior Court Judge David M. Schacter learned shortly after jurors resumed deliberations Tuesday that both parties had settled the civil case, said court clerk Greg Draypac. Eastwood and Locke weren't in court.

Settlement details were confidential.

The judge interrupted deliberations and advised the jurors that they could go home.

The six-woman, six-man jury started talks Thursday afternoon, deliberated for a full day Friday and had begun a third day of discussion at 8 a.m. Tuesday.

They were apparently ready to vote 10-2 in favor of Locke. Nine votes are needed to win a civil case.

``Her career has been ruined. She's been through a lot of emotional stress and trauma. And she deserved compensation for that,'' said jury forewoman Brenda Williams.

``We believe that it's very clear that the jury believes her. That was very important,'' said attorney Peggy Garrity, who represents Locke.

Locke, 49, filed a $2 million fraud and contractual interference lawsuit against the actor, claiming her film deal with Warner Bros. was a sham backed by Eastwood so she would drop her 1989 palimony suit.

Garrity told jurors that Eastwood committed ``the ultimate betrayal'' when he arranged the allegedly bogus film deal. Eastwood lawyer Ray Fisher said Warner Bros. rejected 30 Locke proposals without the actor's input.

Princess dresses for battle

Princess Diana and the biggest names in fashion mixed, mingled and shopped at a star-studded Washington gala Tuesday night expected to raise more than $1 million for breast cancer research.

Addressing the guests, Diana spoke eloquently of the fight against breast cancer, which she called ``a great dark enemy stalking women.''

``It's a word of just six letters but has the power to strike panic, fear and anxiety in the hearts of all,'' she said. But she said she is hopeful because of advances in research and early detection.

``From where I sit, looking in from the outside, I sense the fight back has begun,'' she said. ``The story of breast cancer is no longer one of overwhelming tragedy but one of hope.''

The event offered partygoers the chance to buy more than $1 million worth of designer clothing and accessories at slashed prices, while sipping champagne at a black-tie bash.

The guest list mixed the Washington set of power politicians with the New York set of power designers, as Elizabeth Dole and Gen. Colin Powell hobnobbed with Ralph Lauren, Donna Karan and Calvin Klein.

When Diana entered, she was greeted by Dole, and the pair chatted for a few minutes as onlookers watched from a few feet away.

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PHOTO (1) Princess Di: Leads cancer fight

(2) Sondra Loc ke: Settles lawsuit