TINSELTOWN SPYWITNESS.

Byline: Elizabeth Snead

ROCK CLIMBING: The Rock and his gorgeous wife, Dany,teamed up to defeat the forces of bad breath at the Monday night premiere of ``The Rundown'' at Universal CityWalk.

The shapely brunette, clad in a red sleeveless dress that showed off her buff biceps, deftly slipped her hunky hubby breath mints before his red- carpet interviews. Also on the carpet: ``The Rundown'' co-stars Seann William Scott (``American Pie''), who acts much more serious in real life than his on-screen antics would lead you to believe, Rosario Dawson, showing mega-cleavage in a long white dress and Ewen Bremner, best-known to American audiences for playing the nerdy junkie in ``Trainspotting.''

Director Peter Berg (``Very Bad Things'') came with his stunningly beautiful girlfriend, Estella Warren (``Planet of the Apes''). He seemed pretty happy about both her and the movie, which has been getting rave reviews.

After the film, all the Hollywood natives got restless at the wild jungle party with lots of lush palms, colorful tropical drinks, a huge Brazilian band featuring conga drums, and men wearing grass skirts stomping traditional tribal dances.

In person, the Rock seems like such a mellow and sweet dude. But he's apparently not above using his secret powers when he has to.

Asked how he kept his cocky young co-star Scott in his place during filming, Rock bellowed ``I know this sounds crass, but I would eat tuna and drink Diet Coke. If he got out of hand, then I would just burp in his face.'' Bet Scott wishes the Rock's wife (and her breath mints) had been on set!

`TUSCAN SUN' COMES UP: Diane Lane. Italy. Love. Mix well for a sweet, spicy and heartwarming film.

At age 14, Lane shot to stardom with her first film role, in ``A Little Romance'' (1979), playing an American teenager in love with a French boy. The young lovers run away to Venice to seal their love with a kiss under the Bridge of Sighs, guided by an eccentric old man (Sir Laurence Olivier).

In her new film, ``Under the Tuscan Sun,'' Lane returns to Italy a depressed middle-age American divorcee who creates a new life in Tuscany. In renovating an old villa with help from eccentric villagers and Polish carpenters, she also mends her broken heart.

At the Saturday night premiere of ``Tuscan Sun'' at the El Capitan Theatre, the Academy Award nominee (``Unfaithful'') and her foxy fiance Josh Brolin looked totally smitten.

Wearing a red and white Christian Dior dress, her auburn hair in a saucy shag, Lane held close to her bearded love for the photographers on the carpet.

The Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel was transformed into Tuscany for the after-party. Each banquet hall was decorated like a different quaint village square with wood tables, benches, bubbling fountains, even tiny windows with flowerpots on the sills.

Wandering waiters served a sweet lemon liquor made in the Tuscan countryside, and the lines were long at the gelato stands. Enjoying the Italian vino, pasta and fresh salads: Ted Danson and Mary Steenburgen, Harry Hamlin and Lisa Rinna, Benjamin Bratt (sans his wife), ``Tuscan Sun'' novelist Frances Mayes and director/screenwriter Audrey Wells.

For Sandra Oh, who plays Lane's lesbian best friend, working in Tuscany with Lane and the marvelously warm cast of Italian actors was a dream come true. ``Every time I watch the film, it's like a travelogue of our amazing, life-changing time there,'' said Oh, smoothing her white satin Dior gown. So, does she pine for a villa in Tuscany?

``No way. That's too scary. My husband and I just bought a house here. Redoing a house in Hollywood is scary enough.''

CAPTION(S):

2 photos

Photo:

(1) MR. & MRS. THE ROCK: Buff and buffer

(2) OH: Under the Hollywood sign

Albert L. Ortega/WireImage.com