MPTF heads toward $5 mil goal

By ARMY ARCHERD

This article was corrected on Oct. 3, 2002.

GOOD MORNING: What do Russell Crowe, John Travolta, Ben Affleck, Jim Gianopulos and Chris Albrecht have in common? Jeffrey Katzenberg reports they are the first donors ($50,000 apiece) to this year's Motion Picture & Television Fund Foundation's Cottage Campaign. Last year, Katzenberg, MPTF Foundation chairman, raised more than $5 million, naming all the villas in the brand new Fran & Ray Stark Assisted Living facility (Variety has one villa with my name on it). This year's goal of $5 million to rededicate the original cottages and rooms in Harry's Haven (the Alzheimer unit Kirk Douglas has helped to fund) coincides with the 60th anni of the opening of the MPTF Country House. Joining Jeffrey K. in this leadership effort are Barry Meyer, Jim Gianopulos and John Ptak.

FAMILY NEWS: Jerry Seinfeld and wife Jessica expect their second child in March. They have a daughter, Sascha. Jerry's feature "Comedian" bows in N.Y. and L.A. Oct. 11 and he guests on Jay Leno (who appears in "Comedian") Oct. 10 … It's an all-Landau family night at the Hollywood Film Fest Oct. 5. At 5 p.m. "Wake" bows starring Martin Landau and produced by his daughter Susie, wife of director Henry LeRoy Finch. And at 7 p.m., Susie's mother and Martin's ex, Barbara Bain, and Susie's sister Juliet star in "American Gun" with James Coburn. Expect a family reunion in the lobby. Meanwhile filmmaker Susie Landau Finch is planning a pic to star her mother and her sister titled "The Drowning Room." Martin Landau also can be spotted all around town working on "Hollywood Homicide" with Harrison Ford and Josh Hartnett -- the pic locations on BevHills' Rodeo Drive, at Hollywood & Highland and today in Malibu. In the pic, Ford plays a cop who moonlights as a real estate agent selling the house of a broken-down Hollywood producer (Landau) … Joey Newman, grandson of Lionel Newman and great-nephew of Alfred N., bows his first cable score on Pax TV's "Anna's Dream," airing Oct. 4. He follows with the music for their "Mary Christmas" -- Joshua Morrow, who plays Nick Newman on "The Young and the Restless," and his wife welcomed their first child, a son, Cooper Jacob, on Friday … Ellen Gilbert and Ken Ziffren were married Sept.7 at the home of K.C. and Bob Kaufman in Malibu. Guests included the Dick Gephardts and Barbra Streisand and Jim Brolin.

WHILE HURRICANE LILI LINGERED offshore from New Orleans Wednesday, I spoke with John Cusack on the set of 20th's "The Runaway Jury," co-starring Gene Hackman and Dustin Hoffman. Cusack plays the jury foreman in the John Grisham tale of gun control-ing a jury. Cusack says they'll be filming there until Christmas -- so Lili may only be the start of something big. But something big is coming up for Cusack Dec. 27 when Lions Gate bows "Max," the story of young Hitler's segue from artist to murderer. Cusack plays Max Rothman, (a Jewish) WWI amputee of the German Army. He plays a typical Jewish German of that era who believed in "Deutschland Uber Alles" (Germany Above Everything) until it was too late for all. Cusack tells me, "This was the best script (by Menno Meyjes, who also directed) I ever read. It is clearly anti-war." I asked him, "Does the film try to make Hitler 'human'?" He answered, "How dare we not say he was a human? If you take away his humanity, he is not culpable. He chose to hate rather than to be honest. I am proud of this film and stand behind it."

TONIGHT'S INVITATION-ONLY DGA tribute to George Sidney looms as one of its all-time salutes, with 20 stars skedded to toast Sidney, a great producer-director -- and champion of the DGA … The Actors Studio salutes Rod Steiger and Kim Hunter Oct. 11 and the San Marino Fest gives Steiger its lifetime achievement award Oct. 19 … Norm Crosby is inducted into Las Vegas' Casino Legends Hall of Fame at the Tropicana Oct. 11 … The box office is now open at the Plaza Theater in Palm Springs, with opening day Nov. 5 for Riff Markowitz and Mary Jardin's 12th edition of the terrif "Follies," this one "Flying Down to Rio," a schmaltzy tribute to the movies of the '30s and '40s with costumes promising to outdo Carmen Miranda -- I promise. First guestar is Gloria Loring, followed by the Four Lads, Jane Kean and Carol Lawrence. This show is always SRO so -- order tickets now … The Oct. 15 Carousel Ball looks to outstar itself this year. F'rinstance, Oprah Winfrey will intro Barbara (Mrs. Marvin) Davis. Sidney Poitier usually has that spot -- but this year he receives the Carousel's Brass Ring -- from Halle Berry … Don Mischer winged to Athens this week on invitation from the Greek Olympic Committee's president Gianna Angelopoulos to talk about their 2004 Summer Games. Mischer did the1996 Summer Games in Atlanta and the recent Salt Lake City Winter Games opening ceremonies, which won seven Emmys. And for baseball fans, Mischer's readying the Oct. 23 pregame show (Fox) before the World Series game in the National League Park (to be determined, natch), the "10 Greatest Moments in the History of Major League Baseball" as voted by the fans will be revealed. Take me out to the ball game.