May 3, 1999
Web posted at: 2:19 p.m. EDT (1819 GMT)

• Sophia Loren to break the bubbly
• Dylan McDermott late for school
• That's Mr. Weasel to you
• British Airways smokes out Harvey Weinstein

Loren

LAS VEGAS (CNN) -- Italian film siren Sophia Loren is to help open the $1.5 billion Venetian resort-casino on Monday. She's scheduled to christen a gondola at the resort, which replicates some of Venice's most famous landmarks.

The 3,036-room hotel stands on the former site of the Sands Hotel, where Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. cavorted as the Rat Pack. It features site replicas including the Doge's Palace and the Rialto Bridge.

In front, there's a 586,000-gallon lagoon with working gondolas to hint at the damp charms of the real Venice. Inside, there's a domed entrance ceiling 65 feet high with artwork like that found in Italy's city of canals. More artwork graces a 150-foot-long gallery lined with giant columns of Italian marble.

McDermott on his show "The Practice"

WATERBURY, Connecticut (CNN) -- He was two hours late, but Dylan McDermott finally made it to St. Mary's School to receive a Distinguished Alumnus Award. The actor who stars in ABC's "The Practice" was two hours late to the Saturday fund-raiser at his old grade school, after his flight from St. Louis was canceled.

"I'm filled with so many different emotions coming back to Waterbury," McDermott said at the ceremony. "I'm here being honored, but I think we should be honoring St. Mary's. The school gave me so much."

McDermott, dressed in a charcoal designer suit with matching shirt and tie, took some ribbing about looking like his "The Practice" character. "I'm always in a suit," he said. "I can't seem to get away from it."

Shore

LOS ANGELES (CNN) -- In other school news: He might not be a parent's dream-principal, but goof-ball actor Pauly Shore embraced the Los Angeles Unified School District's Principal for a Day program on Friday.

Shore -- a former MTV personality who parlayed his fame to star in such films as the 1995 "Jury Duty" and 1996's "Bio-Dome" -- strolled through the halls of Canoga Park High School and met some students.

While some students chanted "weasel, weasel, weasel," and shouted "Hey, bu-u-dy" -- his nickname and catchphrase -- Shore said he focused on those who weren't saying anything at all, befriending some of the school's more marginalized students. Because of the way he was picked on by classmates during his days at Beverly Hills High, Shore told the Daily News of Los Angeles, "I like to go right for the kids that no one ever talks to. Once you talk to them and kind of make them laugh, that's all they really need."

In the Principal for a Day program, entertainment industry figures and others stand in for regular educators. "3rd Rock from the Sun" actor French Stewart was among those participating.

LONDON (CNN) -- A stink is brewing over Harvey Weinstein's cigar-smoking habit. The co-chairman of Miramax Films failed to show up to a court hearing last month for a summons he got for failing to put out a cigar during a flight from New York to London last December.

"He was smoking a cigar and refused to stop," British Airways spokesman Jamie Bowden told the Sunday Times. "Apparently, he does it all the time. This time the captain was called in following complaints by fellow passengers."

A summons was sent to Miramax's London offices ordering Weinstein to appear in court on charges of lighting up his cigar on the aircraft. Weinstein did not show up at his hearing, but a police official said it was possible Weinstein didn't receive the summons.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.