Leachman speaks Brooks' 'Spanglish'

By ARMY ARCHERD

GOOD MORNING: One Academy Award winner is replacing another. With Anne Bancroft ("The Miracle Worker") out of "Spanglish" due to surgery, Cloris Leachman ("The Last Picture Show") takes over the role of Tea Leoni's mother in the Columbia comedy. The pic's directed by (Oscar winner) James L. Brooks, no stranger to Leachman -- dating back to their days on "The Mary Tyler Moore" series. And Leachman's involvement with the Bancroft-Mel Brooks family dates back to costarring for Mel in "Young Frankenstein." The busy Leachman is now also working as a semi-regular on "Malcolm in the Middle" and in the series' upcoming seg, husband Frank finds he has another family -- in which the other wife is Betty White. She's another busy thesp, having just wound her three-seg stint in "The Practice" ... Meanwhile, Leachman is also working in "Mrs. Harris," the Annette Bening-Ben Kingsley costarrer in which Leachman plays Kingsley's sister ... Christopher Barrett and Steven Vail are Cloris' busy agent-manager.

THEY DID IT AGAIN! The Alzheimer Assn.'s annual A Night at Sardi's at the BevHilton raised $1.1. million. This year, "Grease" was the theme performed by stars of stage and screens, large and small. Participants knew whereof they spoke about Alzheimer's: the evening marked the 52nd wedding anniversary of Nancy and Ronald Reagan and daughter Patti read a letter from Nancy. Patti said, "I believe my father knows the significance of this day." Nancy's letter noted the importance of TV in getting out the word about Alzheimer's. "The West Wing" won an award for its seg on the disease. Laurie Burrows Brad again chaired the event; her father Abe Burrows was a victim of Alzheimer's ... Wayne Brady emceed and opened the "Grease" goings-in. The finale found the cast of "Frasier" singing "Blue Moon" and "mooning" the audience with blue balloons. The "Frasier" stars, winding their final three segs of the series, are gifting its crew -- 200 strong -- with a private jet vacation to Hawaii. And the quintet reunites on the legit stage one more time in " "Frasier Goes Wilde" at the Taper, Monday ... David Hyde Pierce and Kelsey Grammer told me they each have three B'way offers -- musical, comedy and drama choices!

WHILE THE BRUCE WILLIS starrer "Hostage" has started filming (Jan. 19), author Robert Crais has filed suit against Stratus Film Co. for $500,000-plus. His attorney, Jill Pietrini, who filed in L.A. Superior Court Feb. 25, claims the amount was due on the start of filming. Stratus acquired the film from MGM but the latter is not a defendant ... Neil Simon and his kidney donor, press agent Bill Evans, are both out of the hospital following March 2's transplant surgery. "Doc" answered the phone when I called and he sounded fine. And confirmed he'd remain in New York two months ... On my way driving to the Daily Variety office each weekday, I'd always listen to KNX radio -- to learn which Sigalerts I'd have to dodge -- to hear the showbiz news from Tom Hatten (who always credits my stories) and to listen to the brief seg called, "Ask Martha." It was a pleasant break from the unpleasant news of the day and I'd could learn how to better barbecue, how to plant tulips in my garden or how to get a stain out of the lapel of my tuxedo. But on Monday, there was no "Ask Martha." The station's David G. Hall told me he'd gotten word Monday not to "Ask Martha" any more. I'm mad at you, Martha. I trusted you, Martha. Now look what you've done to me.

NORMAN BROKAW, WILLIAM MORRIS' chairman, will be honored as the Heart Fund Humanitarian of the Year by Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. Brokaw's no stranger to C-S where he has served for in various capacities over 30 years. Brokaw's six children and four grandchildren were also born at the hospital. At the gala, April 20 at the BevWilshire, Bill Cosby, Brokaw's client (and friend ) for 40 years, will perform and Mary Hart is femcee of the evening ... Amnesty International opens its two-year campaign to end violence against women today at CAA at 7 p.m. Mira Sorvino hosts. One of baseball's biggest fans, Garth Brooks, is spending a month playing with the Kansas City Royals in the Grapefruit League ... Praise agent Julian Myers, 86 and running in his 20th L.A. Marathon, sustained a forehead laceration in a road sweeper/bicyclist accident. He's looking forward to the 2005 run ... Ali Kasikci, managing director of BevHills' Peninsula hotel, and three of the hotel's staff were finalists in the bike division of the marathon. No, none of 'em struck Myers.