Daily News from New York, New York • 275

11 Thursday, November 3, 1988 DAILY NEWS New picture deal for Liz filled 'I TIM II 0 I fit a rf 3 I PEP -ivs. I Elizabeth Taylor, heavy again from taking pills for a bad back, is now trying to lose weight "I know she has had her problems with her back, but she is a survivor," said Robert Lantz, her agent "If everything falls into place, I will have her back before the cameras in January or February," he said. "Elizabeth is the greatest survivor of all time. She even survived that horrible thing she made in Italy called 'The Young Toscanini, but that's because it hasn't been shown in the States." Taylor has been out of the SLY STALLONE leaves China Club at 2:30 a.m. yesterday.

Kids' party The Children's Museum ef Manhattan will inaugurate its Grandparents Leadership Circle en Nov. 14 at the Regency Hotel. The members in-elude Gov. Cuomo and his wife, Matilda, Bob and Joan Tisch and Martin and Edith SegaL They'll attend a show called "Come to the Cabaret!" Patti LuPone of "Anything Goes!" and a hot new trio, Montgomery, Plant Strich, as well as other stars, will perform. Kitty Carlisle Hart, also a grandmother, will be the mistress of ceremonies.

public eye for several weeks. She recently was discharged from St Joseph's Hospital in Santa Monica, where she was treated for an old back injury. During the hospital stay, friends said, Liz was taking painkillers, which caused her to put on weight She has given up the pills, they added, and is losing the extra pounds. Lantz says Liz is resting somewhere in California. "She is in the countryside with friends and I'll be in touch with her soon about the project It will be a movie.

GRIFFIN DUNNE tries his luck the Great American Clubhouse. Villle F.lays signs up Remember when Willie Mays, the former Giant baseball star, got in so much hot water a few months ago over charging kids for his autograph at a bookstore? Well, he is now involved in a mailorder autograph business that sells his personalized signatures Birthday, your friend Willie for triple what his plain autographs cost at card shows or in hobby stores. Alan Segal, head of Sports Messages, of Manhattan, is selling Mays baseballs at $44.95 and pictures at $32.95. Mays never personalizes his autographs at shows. "It's a chance for people who can't Liz Taylor 2 4 at pool at Andrea Dukakis' paty at McuueoMcarrDLfcf-s for autograph biz meet Willie at a card show to get his autograph in a personal way.

It's not an effort to make money just because it's a personalized signature." Segal said. Harvey Brandeign of the National Pastime which promotes card shows, told our Bruce Chadwirk. "If this works, won't Mays be better off getting much more money in the mail (than at a show?" Carl Keisler. Mays agent denies this. "Willie will sign free autographs anywhere, anytime, for anybody he meets," he says.

"This is just an idea for people who cant get to card shows, that's York In Australia. Sarah was less than 10 feet away when a detective with her, hearing the noise, grabbed Fergie by the arm and pulled her back from the side of the dock as the steel rope went past "It was pretty close," a dock worker said. Prince Andrew, who ducked for cover as the cable smashed into the ship's hull, appeared angry and had "stern words" with an enlisted man. Sarah was to leave for London last night to face criticism from British newspapers over leaving her infant daughter, Beatrice, at home in the care of a nanny. EDDIE MURPHY is being sued for divorce by Chair-maine Meade, an Atlanta attorney whom Eddie swears he never met Says Eddie's lawyer, Leonard Marks: "The whole thing is preposterous.

It's got to be the first uncontested nonmatrimonial suit we ever handled." JOHN HOUSEMAN visited the John Houseman Theatre on W. 42d St to catch "Driving Miss Daisy" about three weeks before his death. He was stopped by a teenage autograph hound who asked, "Do you have a favorite rock group?" Houseman replied quickly, "Mount Rushmore." BILLY CRYSTAL was joined for lunch by Rob Reiner and Jon Lovitz, but before they ordered, they played "Can You Top This" for two hours at the One Fifth steakhouse. The rest of the guests were in ESCAPES INJURY: The Duchess of An Australian security man dragged Sarah Ferguson, the uucness oi i oric, to sareiy yesterday when a steel cable mooring her husband's warship to the wharf snapped, narrowly missing her. The incident occurred in Perth as Sarah stood chatting on Fremantle Port's Victoria Quay with Prince Andrew, who was on a lower deck of his ship, HMS Edinburgh.

The 2-inch steel hawser, which helped secure the ship to the dock, snapped with a crack toward the bow of the guided-missile destroyer and snaked back along the ship's side. WAYNE NEWTON is playing a TV evangelist in the new James Bond film, "License Revoked," shooting in Mexico City. The camera being used to film Newton malfunctioned, and director John Glen had to borrow equipment from another movie company. DOLORES HOPE will sing "You May Not Be an Angel" at the Fight-for-Sight benefit at Town Hall on Sunday at 8 p.m. Her husband, Bob Hope, will perform and emcee the show.

DONNA DIXON will join the crowd that comes to see Pat Kerr's top designs of antique lace at the Plaza Hotel luncheon for the American Cancer Society today. Donna's in town to see hubby Dan Ack-royd, who is making "Ghost-busters II" here with Bill Murray. Pat's married to financier John Tigrett, whose son, Isaac, was Dan's partner in the Hard Rock Cafe. c-.