Cruise and Cruz appear in public together

Hollywood’s hottest new power couple Cruised — or is that Cruzed? — the red carpet at last night’s L.A. premiere of the new World War II romance ”Captain Corelli’s Mandolin.” The erstwhile Mr. Kidman arrived with his gal pal, ”Corelli” ingenue Penelope Cruz. The two gleefully embraced and flashed miles of smiles to a wildly cheering crowd. And Cruz’s onscreen leading man Nicolas Cage created a stir of his own, meeting up with his rumored new squeeze, Lisa Marie Presley.

”It’s a little weird and kind of unnecessary,” said Oscar winner and Cage buddy James Coburn (”Affliction”) of all the love-life hoopla. ”But I guess the gossip people and all those magazines just love this kind of stuff.” Tim Bevan, one of the film’s producers, had a different take. ”I should thank Penelope and her new beau,” said Bevan, unfazed that the celeb dish had drowned out talk of the movie. ”The fact is, this will be in every newspaper — with the film’s name on it.”

A glowing Cruz said the scrutiny of her dating life doesn’t amount to much careerwise. ”It doesn’t help, and I don’t think it hurts,” she claimed. ”People care about the work that you do.” But as she nibbled on baklava (a nod to ”Corelli’s” Greek island setting), Cruz WAS willing to admit that it was ”very” important to her that Cruise had made the scene.

Meanwhile, John Hurt, who plays Cruz’s dad in the film, had very little to say about her budding romance. ”I adore her in a very paternal way,” said the Oscar nominee (”The Elephant Man”) of the young actress. ”I don’t know anything more than you do: She, like a good daughter, is reluctant to say anything to her father.”