Columnist Kate Maddox: Thespian Reid gets his shot

Kate Maddox

Friday, June 16, 2000 | 8:54 a.m.

Kate Maddox's column appears Fridays, Sundays and Tuesdays. Reach her at kmaddox@lasvegassun.com.

Look for Sen. Harry Reid on the big screen next year. Reid got to chat with Michael Douglas in a scene shot earlier this week in Washington for a movie called "Traffic." In the film, which co-stars Douglas' fiancee, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Douglas plays a recently appointed national drug czar. In the scene with Reid, which was shot at a ritzy Georgetown mansion, Douglas talks with various politicos at a cocktail party. "(Douglas') character asks me for advice on how to deal with the drug war," Reid explained. "There were no assigned lines, so we were actually just chatting about real issues."

Reid said the most pleasant thing about the experience was meeting Douglas. He described him as kind and down to earth. "He really put me at ease. He's just the opposite of arrogant." After a quick photo session with the actor, Reid's taste of Hollywood was over.

It's getting harder to find stupid pets these days. Just ask the folks at "The Late Show with David Letterman." When a CBS publicist called to promote the appearance of a local general contractor and his playful pooch on tonight's program, she didn't know the guy would spill the beans on the hidden scandal behind "Stupid Pet Tricks." The plot thickens, film at 11.

Now, I always thought those tricks came about by accident after too many drinks at some lonely American bachelor pad: "Hey look, Sparky just opened a can of beer," or "Wow! Fluffy really can use a knife and fork on the Tender Vittles." Then the obligatory pitch to Letterman -- culminating in an all-expenses-paid trip to the Big Apple and the realization that this dog really is man's best friend and no chick will ever understand that, blah, blah.

But alas, Lou Mack, the so-called contractor from Vegas (as described by Letterman's people), is actually a traveling pet trainer, performing with his 12-dog troupe at more than 400 shows across the country every year. And his dog, AirMax, who tonight will do a handstand in Mack's palm, is a Jack Russell terrier with a skill finely tuned through hours of training. Of course, the Letterman folks will never admit that it was the show that placed the call to Mack, seeking his expertise, nor will they let on that the guy makes a living off his four-legged friends. Mack's just happy to be asked back -- last year one of his dogs was onstage catching a Frisbee.

Jay Leno was in town this week, making a little overtime cash at a private function at Studio 54. On Wednesday night Leno performed a 75-minute stand-up routine for members of a Fortune 500 company who had gathered for a party at the club. Festivities got under way at 7 p.m. and the last of the suits were shooed out at 2 in the morning. The unnamed corporation spent a reported $300,000 on the party, and that includes Leno's pricey private fee.

Singing-magician Darren Romeo checked in to say that it looks like there will be no lawsuits resulting from his split with his manager, Brian Dixon. Dixon reportedly claimed ownership rights to Romeo's work and had threatened to sue both the young entertainer and the Flamingo Las Vegas, where Romeo performed his afternoon show. At word of potential legal entanglements, the Flamingo dropped Romeo last week.

But Romeo, whose career is now in the hands of well-known entertainment producer Kenneth Feld, thinks the Flamingo is still the place for him, and Romeo is looking to take his act to the showroom once "The Great Radio City Spectacular" closes.