Web posted on: Thursday, August 20, 1998 6:11:37 PM

• Does 'SNL' want a Trump-Stern showdown?
• Heroic anti-vampire ranks top actors
• Saving D-Day Museum
• 'Private Ryan' and 'Boogie' woman?
• Comedy Central gets Comet Cursor

Trump could open this season's "Saturday Night Live"

NEW YORK (CNN) -- Howard Stern would have a few weeks to warm up, but Donald Trump apparently could arrange a September TV ratings duel with him by simply saying yes to "Saturday Night Live."

"SNL" producer Mary Klein has been lobbying The Donald to be the host for the season debut on September 26. Never publicity-shy, Trump told the New York Post that's he's interested in the job. But, said the tycoon, he will have to talk to the radio shock jock. "I don't want to mess up Howard's ratings," Trump said.

It is a bit early to know whether Stern will have any ratings to mess up. His TV show, naturally called "The Howard Stern Radio Show," debuts August 22 in a time slot opposite "Saturday Night Live," which is in reruns until the season premiere.

Snipes

NEW YORK (CNN) -- Fresh from a promotional tour for "Blade," which opens Friday, Wesley Snipes made known to the media that his role in the movie as a hero battling vampires is a bid at creating a franchise black action hero.

Snipes proceeded to rate the competition. Telling the Los Angeles Times that he didn't understand why he wasn't mentioned in Entertainment Weekly's recent list of Hollywood's 25 greatest actors, he gave his own.

As potential successors to "the aging Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone" as action heroes, Snipes said, "There are only two cats who can do it. That's me and Mel Gibson. And Kurt Russell can still do it. I think they have a few years in them."

And on great actors: "Myself and Johnny Depp, of the younger guys, the actors of my generation, have been the most versatile, I would say. There may be others that I'm forgetting, but right now I can just think of Johnny Depp and myself."

Spielberg

NEW ORLEANS (CNN) -- This river city is far removed from Normandy and too laid back for history's largest amphibious assault, but author and historian Stephen Ambrose was a consultant for "Saving Private Ryan." He lives in New Orleans and want to build a D-Day museum.

Good enough, said Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks. Both have made big donations to help complete the museum by its target date of June 6, 2000 -- the 56th anniversary of the Normandy invasion, Ambrose said.

The historian and author of the bestseller "D-Day" would not give the amount of Hanks' and Spielberg's donations, but he said he is "giving $500,000 and these guys are in the ballpark."

Spielberg, Hanks and Ambrose apparently became friends during the filming of "Saving Private Ryan," which graphicly details the horrors of the World War II invasion at Normandy. Spielberg and Hanks could not be reached for comment Thursday.

Burns

NEW YORK (CNN) -- Two newspapers think that Ed Burns, who played a soldier trying to save Private Ryan in this summer's blockbuster movie, may have found love at an East Hampton restaurant recently.

Both the New York Post and the New York Daily News say the actor-director was spotted with Heather Graham, who recently appeared in the movie "Boogie Nights."

The Daily News reported that Burns fed Graham fried French toast. The Post said some sources say the two have only just met, while others add that they "seem smitten."

The oh-so-analytical Dr. Katz could be your cursor

NEW YORK (CNN) -- Comedy Central announced Thursday it has enhanced its Web site, allowing users to surf with Dr. Katz instead of the standard white arrow.

Comedy Central is the first site to implement the patent-pending technology of Comet Cursor, a new technology that allows users to turn their cursors into the shape of Dr. Katz or any other favorite character on the show. Users can even animate the little critter.

"Now you can visit the Comedy Central site and your cursor will change from the standard, boring arrow to Kenny, Ben Stein, or Dr. Katz. We are excited about the potential for the Comet Cursor to aid navigation throughout our site, and just to make it a more fun place to be," said Larry Lieberman, who is a vice president for planning, not a script writer.

Reuters contributed to this report.