Lewis loving 'Yankees' gig

GOOD MORNING: "I'm having the time of my life," Jerry Lewis enthused backstage at Broadway's Marquis theater after receiving a standing ovation following his 50th performance in "Damn Yankees." Although perspiration was still pouring down his cheeks, he was quick-changing to head out into the lobby to autograph posters benefiting Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. His nonstop sked goes on through 1999, he told me: He remains in the show until a month before his Labor Day Muscular Dystrophy Telethon, this year emanating from CBS Television City in L.A. He returns to B'way through December, heads out on a national tour for a year, films a movie for WB, then on to London's boards with "Yankees" and an anticipated year onstage in Paris winding in '99. "I need a few club dates," he laughed. On the wall of his dressing room at the Marquis, Lewis has a framed photo of Loew's State, dated Feb. 15, 1945, with his name on the marquee -- 50 feet across the street from the Marquis theater where on Feb. 15, 1995, he stepped on stage to start rehearsals of "Damn Yankees." Also on the dressing room wall is a framed song sheet, "I Wanna Go Where You Go and Do What You Do," written by his father, Danny Lewis, who met Jerry's mom, Rae, a block away from the Marquis theater in 1925 where she played piano as Danny plugged the song. There was also a good luck letter from Frank Sinatra and a letter from Dean Martin: "Wouldn't you know you'd play baseball during the strike!" As you can see, Lewis is getting very sentimental in his old (young 69!) age. He proudly showed Selma and me a videotape of 3-year-old daughter Danielle, singing/dancing a "Damn Yankees" tune ... Lewis is also sentimental about the remake of his 1963 hit "The Nutty Professor," in which Eddie Murphy will star for Universal and Paramount. "It's my baby," said Jerry. And he said the script is still undergoing rewrites and the start date isn't set. But producer Brian Grazer bristled when I told him Lewis' remarks, said Lewis has "no approval" (of the script) and the script "is ready to go" and the movie is set to go in three weeks.

WHILE BOB DOLE DENIGRATES the delights derived from showbiz, two U.S. congressmen, Sen. Alan Simpson (R-Wyo.) and Rep. John Bryant (D-Texas), who recently introduced bills designed to "raise the level of respect afforded to filmmakers," will take part in the upcoming Artists Rights Foundation dinner April 27 at the BevWilshire to honor Steven Spielberg. (Martin Scorsese endorsed the bills in D.C. March 15.) Simpson presents the John Huston Award to Spielberg and Bryant is keynote speaker ... Spielberg and Edgar Bronfman Jr. met at MCA Tuesday ... The Michael Ovitzes and Sumner Redstones were a Morton's foursome, while nearby Jeffrey Katzenberg was dining with attorneys Ken Ziffren and Skip Brittenham. Everybody's got a lot to talk about these days. Also there, Kenneth Branagh and CAA's Rick Nicita -- Branagh's weighing acting offers these days, not directing -- for a while ... And before leaving for Paris locations of "Sabrina," Harrison Ford met with producer Arnold Kopelson to talk "The Iron Horseman," a Western (also "The Fugitive" sequel), and Ford also talked several new projects with productive producer pals Mace Neufeld and Bob Rehme. Meanwhile , he says "Sabrina's" going exceptionally well, follows with locations in Martha's Vineyard and N.Y. ... Father Bud (Elwood E.) Kieser's Paulist Pictures is feature-filming "Dorothy Day" starring Moira Kelly and Martin Sheen and directed by Michael Rhodes. Day defied all societal injustices in the '20s and ' 30s in the Village ... Yaphet Kotto and Charles Falzon, CEO of Catalyst Entertainment, are co-producing "The Enigma Project," a one-hour globally set series.

KIM HUNTER CONTINUES her cross-country appearances plugging the restored versions of "A Matter of Life and Death"-- honoring Michael Powell. It screens tonight at the Museum of Flying at the Santa Monica Airport. Oscar winner Hunter also is plugging the publication of Michael Powell's autobiog "Million Dollar Movie.""He writes about moviemaking -- not about himself," says Hunter. She saw the movie's rebirth in London, then N.Y. and follows in San Francisco April 27. The Oscar winner was last in L.A. to guestar in -- the last seg of "L.A. Law"... Bono of U2 makes his movie debut as an actor in Wim Wenders' "The Million Dollar Hotel." And U2 is readying to record again during his filming sked ... Linda Ronstadt's May 18-19 U Amphi dates are her 54th and 55th -- more than any other artist ... Jackie Mason received Caroline's Comedy Club's first Lifetime Achievement Award for Humor on the one-year anni of his "Politically Incorrect" show at the John Golden ... Tom Dreesen, who for 12 years toured with Sinatra, will delight the Motion Picture Screen Smart Set today at the House of Blues ... And we're off to see the new additions in Branson, Mo., and the lure of Savannah and Charleston for movie companies. We'll be back in a couple of weeks. Happy Easter, Happy Passover.