Wasserman to relax, consult

GOOD MORNING: What are Lew Wasserman's plans, now that he's stepped down from the board of directors of Universal's parent company, Seagram Co. Ltd.? Wasserman was back at his office Thursday morning when he reminded me that the move was "at my request." Wasserman will be 85 on March 15 and, while he said "I feel fine," his doctor didn't think "8-9 trips to N.Y. for day-and-a-half meetings was the best for me." As for his future, Wasserman said, "I am under contract here for the rest of my life. And I don't think they would throw me out of my office -- my name is on the building," he laughed. His job: "consultant." On what? "Everything," including movies, TV, music and, he reminded, the amusement parks centers. He was instrumental in them from the outset and in their continued expansion, like City-Walk. As for his familiarity with all of the studio's activities, he laughed, "I've only been here (MCA and Universal) 62 years."

ALBANIA, THE COUNTRY depicted as the faux-enemy of the U.S. in "Wag the Dog," is also the site for a thriller, "Dimiter" now being completed by William Peter Blatty. He sez he chose Albania long before the "Dog" started wagging. Why Albania? "Because I wanted an anti-religious and atheistic state." Blatty, of course, knows of religious backgrounds from his novel and Oscar-winning screenplay of "The Exorcist." Blatty and William Friedkin, director of that 1973 pic, were far from happy to read here that their movie would be part of WB's 75th anniversary weeklong series of programming, decade by decade, beginning Friday, April 3 at Mann's Chinese. Their film would screen opening day, 9:30-11:31 p.m. following these other WB prize pix of the '70s: "All the President's Men," "Superman," "Dog Day Afternoon," "Blazing Saddles" and "A Clockwork Orange." Both Blatty and Friedkin told me, "We were told (by WB's Barry Reardon) that the movie would go out in reissue to l00 cities. We saw it on the schedule for April 23." Reardon explained, "We wanted to see how it tested in the anniversary series." Blatty and Friedkin countered, "We don't know how much testing it needs --it showed one night at Radio City Music Hall at $10 a ticket: over 3,500 seats sold." Reardon: "It didn't sell out." Friedkin: "They roped off the higher balconies from which you couldn't see. I know, I introduced the movie. And I thought the print was terrible!" Reardon assured a new, perfect print has been made for the showing at the Chinese. "If we sell out here, I'll know we have a movie I can capitalize on (around the country). I'm interested in making money, and they (Blatty and Friedkin) also have profit participation." The movie, by the way, cost $12 million and has made over $300 million -- on $3 admission tickets. Meanwhile, it is reported Great Britain theaters have also been asking for its re-release, and now Ireland has an OK to show it ... Friedkin emphasizes his interest is in the preservation of classic films like "Exorcist." This week, he was named one of the DGA telefilm nominees, for "12 Angry Men." Friedkin admits he would never have re-made it as a theatrical. "The original was so great, an American classic" (Sidney Lumet directed, 1957).

RONALD REAGAN WILL SPEND "a quiet birthday (his 87th) evening at home," said wife Nancy. At noon, he receives his favorite chocolate cake, as he has every year, from Merv Griffin. Merv probably has the greatest collection of personal interviews with Reagan, from his acting days to the White House, where he interviewed him in the Presidential living quarters. Griffin, who was staying in the Lincoln bedroom, said he wasn't happy with the prepared interview, destroyed that tape, went back into Reagan's quarters and did a totally ad lib interview, which was "priceless" ... The Harry Thomasons, who have been at the White House doing "crisis control" this week, stayed over for last night's White House gala honoring Britain's Tony Blair. The Thomasons return this weekend to resume showbiz projects ... Three Presidents, Eleanor Roosevelt, George & Ira Gershwin, Artur Rubinstein, Louis Armstrong, Luciano Pavarotti, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra and Miles Davis are just a (very) few of those who have graced the stage at UCLA's Royce Hall, which opened in 1929. On April 4, Royce returns after a $68.3 million project to restore it following the 1994 Northridge earthquake. The evening, "Encore: Celebrate the Return" is co-chaired by Mo Ostin and Jerry Moss. Dinner on the Quad will follow the Royce program, during which honorees will include Ginny Mancini, Lew Wasserman, Harold Williams and John Wooden. Proceeds benefit the UCLA Center for the Performing Arts. The kickoff is Feb. 9 at Neiman Marcus ... George Bush will be among those greeting the delegation of Chinese film and TV professionals when they arrive in Houston following their N.Y. visit. Ruda Dauphin, an exec director of their North American tour, will be with 'em in L.A. She's hoping their visit here will be the precursors of an American film fest in Shanghai.