'Nice Guys' film on Brando's island

GOOD MORNING: Marlon Brando's very private island of Tetiaroa in Tahiti was the site for filming "Nice Guys Finish Dead." Brando's wife Tarita made the deal with Two Nickels Prods. and director-screenwriter Robert Edwin Bell told me, "She was charming, classy, elegant." Bell is partnered in the feature with Joseph Dicksein, both alumni of documentaries. They say the island is "classically tropical with a unique look. Boats cannot even enter the lagoon and everything is flown in. A generator furnishes power for limited hours." They describe their film as "David Mamet Meets Robinson Crusoe." The cast includes Bentley Mitchum (Bob's grandson), Cec Verrell and Taylor Bernard. They hope to bow "Nice Guys" at Sundance ... Add to Stephen Cannell's hefty plans for TV, feature and books: bigscreen drama "Jupiter's Daughter," which he's readying for Par. Cannell says it's a "genetic thriller a la 'Rosemary's Baby,' " which was a 1968 hit, also for Par. Meanwhile, Cannell is recasting his "Silk Stalkings" series for USA (sixth season) with new characters. However Mitzi Kapture will be in a few segs. Cannell also hied to San Diego last week to reprise his role as Lt. Donald (Dutch) Dixon in (the fifth season of) "Renegade," which is moving from firstrun syndication to the USA net. His new "Two" series, starring Michael Easton, goes the syndie route. He says his "The Plan" (now in paperback) is still available for TV/feature. His second novel "Final Victim" is now on the stalls, and he's looking for a big name to star in the feature version of the "A-Team" at Universal.

HURRICANE BERTHA BLEW the Dick Clarks in from a Caribbean wedding anni at his property in the Turks and Caicos Islands, and he arrived earlier than anticipated at Disney/MGM Studios Orlando to announce the inductees into the TV Hall of Fame. Speaking of anniversaries, this week marks the 40th of "American Bandstand"... Milton Berle celebrates his 88th birthday Friday with a party at Alfred Dunhills in BevHills, where, as you might imagine, there'll be some fancy cigar puffing. The birthday dinner benefits the Alzheimer Foundation. A giant birthday cake, which could feed 600, will go to Children's Hospital -- sans cigars. Berle's coming out with his line of limited edition, hand-signed and numbered cigar humidors, like the one he gave JFK -- which brought in over $500,000 at the Jackie O. auction ... The Grand Havana Room celebrates its first anni Aug. 1 with Cuban music and cuisine to match the puffery ... The Canon Theater will be the stage for TV'ers Monday when "Cybill" exec producer Howard Gould stages a reading of his play "It's Not For You," with "Cybill" thesp Alan Rosenberg directing. Readers include Marg Helgenberger ("China Beach"), Debi Mazar ("Civil Wars"), David Clennon ("thirtysomething") and Adam Arkin ("Chicago Hope") ... Columbia Pictures wants to renew its licensing agreement on "Drive-In" (directed by Rod Amateau) and "Obsession" (directed by Brian De Palma) -- both produced by George Litto in 1976. Col would like to remake "Obsession" as a vidpic, sez Litto ... Nina Foch, directing CBS's "Family Blessings" with Deborah Raffin, will also play a role in the telefilm with Lynda Carter and Steve Eckholdt ... Katharine Ross stars in Hazelwood Films' "Home Before Dark" (new title?), directed by her friend Maureen Foley. Ross' husband Sam Elliott winds "Dog Watch," for which he shaved off all his hair -- Demi Moore has nothing on him (well, almost) -- and joined Katharine back east ... While up north in SanFran, I caught up with the 23rd edition of the late Steve Silver's "Beach Blanket Babylon," still packing 'em in at the Club Fugazi. And no wonder! Each edition sparkles with additions as timely (even more so!) as today's news, ranging from Hillary to Madonna. And, of course, the ever-present "Snow White" weaving through the international characters in their indescribable chapeaux.

FANS ARMED WITH VANITY FAIR caught the new fair-haired coverboy of Hollywood, Matthew McConaughey, at Tuesday's preem of WB's "A Time To Kill" to start their autograph collection of the fast-moving thesp. Inside the Acad, the pros applauded young McConaughey's performance in his final summation. The congrats continued later at Chasen's, again taken over by Along Came Mary, which cooked up appropriate dishes to match the movie's Southern scene. Co-star Sandra Bullock was unable to attend: she's filming "In Love and War" in Europe. But McConaughey's next femme star, Jodie Foster ("Contact"), was on hand to applaud him. Also there, newlyweds Carole Bayer Sager and Bob Daly, back from the French honeymoon and German WB theme park bow ... Nancy Reagan will be special guest of honor at the 12th annual Rita Hayworth Red, White & Blue Ball for the Alzheimer Assn. Oct. 30 at the Tavern on the Green. Claudia Cohen is the gala's chair ... The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation received a million-$contribution from N.Y. finance exec Michael Palm -- to build media resource centers.