Mouse, celebs give benefit concert

GOOD MORNING: Three of Disney's divisions are uniting to aid the Pediatric AIDS Foundation. It all starts at 2 p.m. Sept. 26 at the U Amphi "For Our Children" celeb-loaded concert with performers Paula Abdul, Michael Bolton, D.J. Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince, Gerardo, Kris Kross, Bobby McFerrin, Randy Newman , Salt 'n' Pepa, Celine Dion and Peabo Bryson ("Beauty and the Beast"), etc. with co-hosts including Woody Harrelson, Neil Patrick Harris, Mayim Bialik, Jason Priestley, Kadeem Hardison, Mary Kate and Ashley Olson and the Baby Dinosaur. The Disney Channel airs the show Feb. 16. And an album with top recording artists will be released by Disney, plus a vidcassette via Buena Vista Home Video. Dawn Steel's producing the "For Our Children" fundraiser and admits it's the most gratifying thing she's ever done. As for pix at Disney, she's readying a Dec. 1 start of the delayed "Blue Maaga" (with a budget cut of $3 million), about the Jamaican Olympic bobsled team starring four unknown black youngsters--stunt-doubled by the original team. ... Steel's hoping Whoopi Goldberg will star in the true story of Iris Stevenson,a music teacher in South Central L.A. whose triumph (with her kids) over the system is Frank Capra-esque. ... Steel's other kidpic, "Running for Cover," about a youngster and a baby elephant, is going through rewrite. "It's more like 'E.T.' than 'Dumbo,' " sez Steel. And "Mama Said" which she claims is (partially) autobiographical, is also being rewritten. "I'm now a happy girl," admits Steel, who claims "I didn't sleep one night when I was at Columbia." We'll find out why next spring when Simon & Schuster publishes her book, "They Can Kill You, But They Can't Eat You."

IT WAS A VERY big week here for Richard Attenborough who winged back to London last Friday after two enormously successful sneak previews of "Chaplin" plus a day for Attenborough in front of the cameras as an actor ("the first time in 15 years") for Steven Spielberg's "Jurassic Park.""It was phenomenal," admitted the always affable Attenborough of the sneaks of his three-years-in-the-making "Chaplin." He says Robert Downey Jr. is "miraculous, one of the most staggering performances I've seen in decades." Attenborough winds the film in two weeks when John Barry completes the score. The TriStar-Carolco movie opens at Christmas at which time Attenborough will have completed his role as a mad millionaire in "Jurassic Park" which first takes him to Hawaii. ... Downey's at the GOP convention this week continuing to shoot his political docu for producer Elliott Kastner. ... Carrie Fisher, seated next to Gov. Bill Clinton at the Wassermans' party Thursday, told him she and Bryan Lourd were watching Clinton's acceptance speech at the Democonvention when the stork called. They dashed to the hospital, welcomed their daughter and named her--Billie. "We named her for you," Carrie kidded Clinton. Fisher's now scripting "The Stork Club" for Francis Coppola. ... Tomorrow, after work on "Major Dad," Gerald McRaney flies to Houston where Wednesday (his birthday) he presents Marilyn Quayle to the GOP Convention and he resumes "Dad" here Thursday ayem. The series bows on CBS Sept. 25 and Brian Keith, also a former Marine, plays McRaney's dad in two segs. And in this week's show, Medal of Honor winner Gen. Louis Wilson plays himself. McRaney is promoted to "Colonel"--during November sweeps. ... Martin Bregman next starts "The Real McCoys" for Universal with Kim Basinger, Val Kilmer and Terence Stamp in Atlanta with Russell Mulcahy directing. Bregman then launches an old-fashioned gangster movie, "Carlito's Way" with Al Pacino, directed by Brian de Palma.

BUSBY BERKELEY comes to the Emmys: the Aug. 30 awards show opens with a production number of dancers, singers and a full orch on stage in a special material number budgeted at $75,000. Exec producer-director Walter C. Miller got an OK for the lavish number last week. Dennis Miller is the first of the three Emmy hosts (followed by Kirstie Alley and Tim Allen) to appear. Super Dave (Bob Einstein) will intro the Emmy accountants in his inimitable fashion. ... "Three Faces of Eve's" real life subject, Chris Sizemore won the film/TV rights for her sequels "I'm Eve" (Doubleday) and "A Mind of Her Own" (Wm. Morrow) from 20th and Republic now bought 'em. Joel Gotler of Metropolitan Talent Agency made the deal for Sizemore who is totally integrated and living in Florida. She'll be a consultant on the project. You recall Joanne Woodward won the 1957 Oscar for her portrayal of the multi personalitied "Eve." ... United Talent Agency signed Sean Young, Bob Rafelson and Marlon Wayans last week. ... Robert Guillaume joins the cast of "Mastergate" for Showtime. He's seen this Wed. in WB/CBS' "Driving Miss Daisy" pilot, next on PBS' Thanksgiving spec, "You Must Remember This" produced by his wife Donna Brown. And Guillaume has a series of kids' books/cassettes for Christmas via his Longridge Enterprises. ... Montel Williams joins guestars on CBS' "Education First!" spec. ... Richard Farnsworth comes in from his ranch in New Mexico today to receive his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. ... The 700 extras and 50 gospel singers backing Steve Martin on the "Leap of Faith" set broke into an unscripted tune--"Happy Birthday" to Martin on his 47th, Friday.