American Notes HOLLYWOOD

Color his face red. Ted Turner's, not Orson Welles'. Despite howls that he was committing artistic blasphemy, the Atlanta television and entertainment entrepreneur has applied tints to such classic films as Casablanca and The | Maltese Falcon. Still trying to squeeze fresh profits out of revered movies, Turner vowed to colorize Citizen Kane, the 1941 epic of which Welles was star, producer, director and co-writer.

But the wily Welles may have anticipated future tampering with his work. His 1939 contract with RKO Pictures stipulated that he would retain full control over the film, specifically citing its black-and-white photography. Last week the Turner Entertainment Co. gave up a possible court fight and abandoned its colorization plan. For Welles, who died in 1985, it was a victory from the grave.