Rosie may harvest Field pic

GOOD MORNING: Rosie O'Donnell as Totie Fields. She loves the script by Susan Rice for ABC, and producer Craig Anderson says they're trying to work out the sked during O'Donnell's talker hiatus. Rosie was drawn to the project because of similarities in her childhood and Totie's, such as the early death of their mothers and their careers. O'Donnell told Anderson she'd been influenced by the courage of Fields who continued to perform despite many surgeries, including amputation of one of her legs. But Fields continued using the artificial leg as a gag in her act. She died in 1978 at age 48. Michael Bessman and Wendy Dyteman, Totie's cousin, will also produce the biopic. Anderson is currently producing the Kraft Premier Movie "The Staircase" for CBS. It stars Barbara Hershey, William Petersen and Diane Ladd. The 1878, Santa Fe-set vidpic is about the legend of the "miraculous staircase" of the Sisters of Loretto Chapel in Santa Fe. The staircase still stands -- sans nails or center support. On location Monday night, trained wolves that were being used in a scene escaped and spooked the film's horses and camera crew -- with all scurrying for safety until the wolves were caught and readied for their close-ups. ... Robert De Niro winged to L.A. for a visit with boxing trainer and corner man Angelo Dundee, whom De Niro will portray in "Out on My Feet." He also met with the film's director Barry Primus and the subject of the biopic, former boxing champ Vinnie Curto. Curto, who also scripted with Primus and Larry Golin, will play his own (abusive) father in the pic while Mark Wahlberg plays the young Curto. De Niro is also one of the exec producers in his first return to the ring since "Raging Bull."

ROY LICHTENSTEIN'S ART and memory live on in Hollywood. His 28-foot tall mural in the atrium of CAA is a reminder of his unique and tremendous talent. When the agency's offices were in the planning stage, Michael Ovitz and architect I.M. Pei decided that Lichtenstein was the only one they wanted for the atrium. Thus he created his version of Oskar Schlemmer's "Bauhaus Stairway," showing artists going up the stairway -- just as it was dreamed that artists would be ascending the entrance of the agency. He used his painting as a symbol of that communication, said Ovitz, who has two of his paintings at home -- one, a birthday gift from wife Judy, is Lichtenstein's version of Ovitz's favorite Picasso. ... Doug Cramer is also one of the late artist's admirer-friends: He owns 23 of his works. Cramer, who sold his ranch and museum in Santa Ynez, where he hung the Lichtenstein collection, will create another art library at his new farmhouse in Roxbury, Conn. Ray Stark has one of Lichtenstein's sculptures at his nearby Santa Ynez ranch. Another Hollywood friend and early collector is Phil Gersh, who dined the artist when he was in L.A. and visited with him often in N.Y. ... Oscar-winning ("Casablanca") screenwriter Julius Epstein is in ICU at Cedars-Sinai, recuping after suffering a stroke. Epstein was headed to London, by way of his alma mater Penn State U., for talks on his (and Steven Sondheim's) play "Saturday Night." Epstein's wife asks his many friends to please withhold calls and cards until he is feeling stronger. ... The Academy's high-stepping president Bob Rehme is on crutches these days, after fracturing two bones in his left leg when he slipped on a grassy slope as he was readying to tee off at Mountaingate Country Club, Saturday. He was back at his office Tuesday working on plans to expand the Acad's library and restoration program.

DAVID ZIPPEL HAS MANY FRIENDS, as does the UCLA Freud Playhouse "Reprise! B'way's Best in Concert" program. The theater was SRO with a super-enthusiastic audience Monday night for the one-night "David Zippel & Friends," a support-concert featuring the lyricist's songs (by many composers). Bruce Vilanch noted of the talented cast (he was one of 'em): "They all performed like they grew up in summer stock." And as the multi-talented Jason Alexander said, "You know I have a very heavy day job" -- but he again thrilled the Freud audience (recently here in "Promises, Promises") with a "Goodbye Girl" medley dueting with Karen Fineman. The cast included Jason Graae, Jodi Benson, Christine Ebersole (who'll be appearing Mondays in Nov. at the Cinegrill), Jenifer Lewis, Kristie Canavan, Anne Fletcher, Jill Matons, John Ganun, David Pomeranz, Karla DeVito, a happy return of the Forever Plaids, James Campbell, George Miserlis, Neil Nash and Larry Raben, Vicki Lewis, Davis Gaines, Andrea Martin, and pianist Michael Skloff, bassist John Smith and guitarist John Goux -- plus Zippel himself singing his "In the Cards" from "Diamonds." Zippel admitted he is so in love with L.A., he's now made it his second home. He's reunited with Larry Gelbart and Cy Coleman ("City Of Angels") for Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical of "A Star Is Born". ... The Charlie Powell-founded Shofar Synagogue High Holy Days Services at the DGA are once again available to all, regardless of ability to pay for tickets.