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From staff and wire reports

Smith leaves Oscars because of daughter's illness

LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- The Oscar night of best-actor nominee Will Smith was cut short due to his daughter's illness.

Smith, nominated for the title role in "Ali," left the Kodak Theatre with his actress-wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, on Sunday after security officials informed them that their 1 1/2-year-old daughter, Willow, was suffering an ear infection and 103-degree fever, a family publicist said.

The couple drove to Santa Monica, where the child had been taken for treatment, the family spokeswoman said, declining to be identified by name.

The couple have a son and the actor has another son from a previous marriage.

Smith was seen earlier in the ceremony. But when the best-actor nominees were announced, a photo of Smith was shown along with a photo of no-show Sean Penn ("I Am Sam") and live shots of fellow nominees Russell Crowe and Tom Wilkinson. The trophy went to Denzel Washington for "Training Day."

Smith was one of the night's three black nominees in the lead acting categories, including Washington and Halle Berry, who won best actress for "Monster's Ball."

Dylan, Wainwright light up

WEST HOLLYWOOD, California (AP) -- When singer Rufus Wainwright saw where he was sitting for dinner at the Elton John AIDS Foundation Oscar party, he thought he'd been banished to a bad table.

"We sat down and nobody was there," he said. "Then Bob Dylan sat down."

The two, both smokers, quickly drew the attention of security in the trendy but smoke-free Moomba's restaurant.

"We made a pact to light up and then we were whisked away," Wainwright said.

The pair ended up in an enclosed private smoking area.

The highlight of the party for John was watching Ryan Adams talk with Dylan, who won an Oscar last year for best song.

"It was sweet seeing the old and the new together," he told The Associated Press.

Newman and J.Lo?

LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- Songwriter Randy Newman may have won his first Oscar in 16 tries, but it seemed like he was just as excited about being next to Jennifer Lopez.

She presented the best original song award to Newman for "If I Didn't Have You" from the "Monsters Inc." soundtrack.

"Walking out here and having someone as beautiful give me an award, I'll never get to heaven, but that's as close as I'll get, I think," he said.

Thoth rapped on red carpet

LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- A New York street performer caused a big stir on the red carpet.

The singularly named Thoth wore a gold lame loin cloth, a red feather on his head and gold chains while playing the violin and leaping around the carpet.

At one point, he used his voice to imitate the sounds of musical instruments as unflappable best actress nominee Judi Dench did an interview next to him.

Three security guards didn't realize Thoth was the subject of a nominated documentary short and confronted him.

The makers of the documentary, Sarah Kernochan and Lynn Appelle, who later won the Oscar, stepped in and explained who he was.

"I was laughing so much because I am being barred from an event that I am about to be celebrating," he said. "It was wonderful."

Poitier gives Canadian reporter touch of Oscar

LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- After receiving their Oscars, Sidney Poitier, Robert Redford and Halle Berry each got standing ovations backstage from an international media contingent.

A black television reporter from Montreal didn't settle for simply asking a question. He wanted to touch Poitier's honorary Oscar for career achievement.

The actor obliged, holding out the gold statuette as journalist Herby Moreau approached him.

An excited Moreau grabbed the Oscar and spoke into the microphone.

Speaking in French, Moreau said, "Mom, Dad, I think I made it because not only am I at the Oscars, I'm with Sidney Poitier."

Moreau, 33, said Poitier was the first black actor Moreau had ever seen on television.

The Associated Press & Reuters contributed to this report.