Little fanfare for Carson's 70th

GOOD MORNING: Johnny Carson celebrates his 70th birthday Monday. Well, "celebrates" is a bit of an exaggeration. He plans nothing special, probably just dinner with wife Alex, his sons and -- ? It's been more than three years since he hung up his mike and a very relaxed Carson admitted, "It's kind of nice to watch the parade go by." He doesn't watch the latenighters of David Letterman or Jay Leno. "I don't stay up that late," sez Johnny. However, he admitted he sometimes sees them because he has a dish and catches them on an East Coast feed. Don't get him wrong: Carson's not sitting in a rocking chair, he's "playing well" on the tennis court and he and Alex may make another trip to the Africa they love -- Tanzania or Botswana. He is very excited about prepping a CD-ROM for Star Waves. "It's like the one Clint Eastwood did," Carson said enthusiastically. "There's so much to talk about over 30 years." It's what he's talked about in his classic monologues. And the CD user can get answers to questions on any topic: time, personality, subject, etc. He expects it to be a two-disc set. And it's a totally different approach from the videocassette he did last year. But it's a year away; there's so much material to enter. As for making any TV appearance(s), he answered softly, succinctly: "I did it." Happy birthday, Mr. C. ..."People are going to rediscover Kevin Costner," promises Gary Foster, producing "Tin Cup" with Ron Shelton (who also directs). Costner "is wild and goofy -- like he was in scenes of 'Silverado' and 'Bull Durham.' He decided to go back to his roots as an actor and the script is written especially for him." WB's "Cup" will not runneth over as did U's "Waterworld." It's budgeted "in the 40s," said Foster, who adds, "Co-star Don Johnson's perfect as the 'bad guy,' Rene Russo as the gal they fight over and Cheech Marin as Romero, Kevin's caddie/yes man." Costner and Johnson are no slouches on the golf greens and they are not using doubles. Not even for 30-foot putts? "Well, we'll help a little," allows Foster. Golf pros who'll be on camera in U.S. Open sequences to be shot in Houston include champs Lee Janzen, Corey Pavin, Steve Elkington and legend Craig Stadler. Foster's next is "Desperate Measures" with director Barbet Schroeder for producer Peter Guber's Mandalay at Sony/TriStar.

IN CASE YOU WONDERED -- 1991's "Hudson Hawk" is in the black: At least Bruce Willis just received his first profit check. He didn't say how much -- but plus is better 'n minus ... Sharon Stone gets her Star on the Boulevard Nov. 16 as "Casino" bows. She's winding "Diabolique" in beautiful downtown Pittsburgh, heads to N.Y. for the "Casino" junket and on to Paris for an honorary Doctor of Arts & Letters, a USO fundraiser at the French Embassy and a fancy feed at Maxim's in her honor hosted by Valentino. Stone continues good times until January, then back to work in "Lady Takes an Ace"... It's back to Vietnam on Oct. 31 for Connie Stevens, who says she's bringing a plaque (her own expense) of remembrance with her. It's part of the "Women Who Served" trek; Connie reps showbiz, the others are from service and civilian ranks. Connie says, "My life changed after I came back" from Vietnam. She'll visit "all the bases where I'd been and film-document it." She just wound playing James Dean's manager Jane Deacy in "James Dean: Race With Destiny," heads out to dates at Westbury and Valley Forge pre-Vietnam. And she also wound a Home Shopping stand with her Forever Spring line (68 products) and a new scent, Kali, in 11 countries. The company has grossed $380 million in the six years she's been involved! Any man in her life? "Who's got time?" she laughs, quickly adding, "But I'm available"... Gerry and Dennis Weaver celebrate their 50th anni Saturday with a party for 500 at the barn near their home in Ridgeway, Colo. He's bringing up from L.A. the band that toured on the road with the Weavers on their "Country Act" 10 years ago ... CAA feature literary agent Michael Wimer and Sharon Cicero , VP of Longbow Prods., will wed Oct. 29 at the Church of the Wayfarer in Carmel.

THE BIGGEST PARADE NYC HAS EVER SEEN is promised for the Nation's Parade, Veterans' Day, Nov. 11, with Walter Cronkite and Doug Fairbanks Jr. m.c.'ing, Donald Trump as grand marshal ... Jayne Meadows is set as a regular in CBS' "High Society" (which will follow "Murphy Brown" starting Oct. 30) as Mary McDonnell's high society mother. Jayne and Steve (Allen, natch) reprise "Love Letters" this weekend at the Norris theater in Palos Verdes ... KNX sportscaster Gil Stratton and Gale Storm re-create their roles from the '50s hit radio series "My Little Margie" at Newark's Friends of Old Time Radio Convention today through Saturday, with Dick Van Patten playing the father, the role originated by the late Charles Farrell. Stratton did the radio show in the same CBS Columbia Square where he's been doing his sportscasts since 1967.