Latest Eszterhas saga plays offscreen

GOOD MORNING: Is Joe Eszterhas writing his next screenplay based on his own life story? That's what Hollywood's wags are wondering following Eszterhas' announcement that his "great friendship with Naomi (Mrs. Bill) MacDonald has nothing to do with the marital problems that led to his separation" from wife (of 25 years), Gerry. Joe's comment, "Life is strange," is probably the understatement of his writing career. You recall Eszterhas met, worked with Bill MacDonald on Bob Evans' "Sliver" starring Sharon Stone. And Stone and MacDonald just announced their engagement -- although he is not yet divorced from Naomi MacDonald. As they say, stay tuned ... Sony Studios will look like MGM again on Saturday when Mickey Rooney, Debbie Reynolds and Esther Williams are on the lot -- to film their segs of "That's Entertainment III." Rooney will shoot outside the old schoolhouse, now called the Joan Crawford Building -- as he talks about Judy Garland and two outtakes that will be included in "T.E.III" Reynolds will be at the wardrobe dept. (she bought many great gowns for her museum) and will talk about the "glamor mill," etc. And Esther Williams will be at the Saucer Tank stage ... Jeroen Krabbe was SOS'd to replace the ill Richard Jordan on "The Fugitive" filming in Chicago. Krabbe's "King of the Hill" is set for Cannes ... Allen Funt was rushed by paramedics to Cedars-Sinai yeterday when the "Candid Camera" host suffered a stroke at his home ... While Life mag is planning a smaller size, People's prepping a three-issue test of a new, larger mag (different name) for August. It will be celeb driven, almost all-photo, color, and will shed a positive light on the town, I'm told -- with coverage of the many charity events by stars , etc ... Angela Janklow Harrington, daughter of Mort and Lynda Janklow, will be the editor of a new, teenager mag, "Mouth 2 Mouth." It's unlike current teen books and it's also celeb-driven ... Margot Kidder, back from Moscow and Menahenm Golan's "Crime & Punishment," heads to Utah to co-star with Russell Means in Leucadia Films' "Wind Runner." Kidder also replaces Whoopi Goldberg as the voice of "Mother Earth" in the animated children's series, "Captain Planet." And she'll direct "Cool Heaven" for producer Mike Nolin with pal Martin Scorsese godfathering the project.

WHY WERE Joel Silver and his "Demolition Man" director Marco Brambilla, and co-stars Sylvester Stallone and Wesley Snipes watching the classic fight between John Wayne and Victor McLaglen in "The Quiet Man?""Because," promises Silver, "that's the kind of fight Sly and Wesley will have in our picture -- an all-out brawl." But, Silver admits, "After seeing trailers at ShoWest, I'm happy our movie isn't coming out at the same time in competition with Stallone in 'Cliffhanger,' Bruce Willis in 'Striking Distance' and Arnold Schwarzenegger in 'Last Action Hero.' " Silver, who worked with the principals in those pix, plans to reteam with 'em on future mayhem movies, he sez ... Paul Mazursky follows his Columbia "Pickle," which preem-benefits for the Travelers Aid Society and Teen Canteen April 27 at the DGA, with "Poor" for Morgan Creek. It's a reality movie about the rich getting poor and will film in Santa Monica. The versatile Mazursky is also readying "Pictures of Arthur," a comedy set in Italy ... Gregory Peck and Charlton Heston will be among friends toasting Martha Scott as she receives her Hollywood Walk of Fame star today in front of the Henry Fonda theater. Heston played Scott's son in "Ben-Hur" and "The Ten Commandments"-- and her husband in two plays. And Peck co-starred with Martha on B'way in "The Willow and I."

"I GIVE YOU the Queen -- God bless her," said Roger Moore as he led the toast for the royal birthday. "The honor is always given to the youngest in the regiment," Moore reminded. "But I'm not the youngest of anything any more," he laughed at the Bel Air hotel where Joanna Heathcote presented a group of owners of England's prize relais, chateaux and charming townhouse hotels to L.A.'s top travel agents. Moore met earlier with Bob Evans and Bill MacDonald on "The Saint's" latest (fourth) script. Moore, as roving ambassador for UNICEF, is travelingto the U.N. April 30 for an Audrey Hepburn tribute, then back here at the BevWilshire May 5 when Loyola Marymount honors her. And May 10, his UNICEF duties take him to Munich ... Denise Nichols wings to Covington, Ga., Sunday for the new "In the Heat of the NIght" season as Carroll O'Connor's love interest -- and she'll also write some scripts. And April 30 in Atlanta, Nicholas is honorary chair for the tribute to Coretta Scott King ... Sunday at the Comedy Store, Art Metrano's "Nite of Comedy" benefits the Project Support for Spinal Cord Injury with the NFL's Darryl Stingley receiving his award from Jim Brown.... After a 12-year absence, Jean-Paul Vignon is making his singing return with a one-man show at the Hudson Theater ... Polygram Pres. and CEO Alain Levy lunched at Spago yesterday with the Music and Entertainment Chapter for the City of Hope, 'coptered out to the City of Hope to tour. He'll be the chapter's "The Spirit of Life" honoree Sept.30.