DREYFUSS IN THE DARK ABOUT WHAT PUBLIC LIKES.

Byline: Marilyn Beck & Stacy Jenel Smith

Richard Dreyfuss has yet to see a completed version of his big-screen ``Krippendorf's Tribe,'' which Disney unveils late this month. But he notes that even if he had, he wouldn't hazard a guess as to whether the comedy will be a winner or a loser. He learned long ago that there's no predicting that.

Says the 50-year-old Oscar holder, ``I've made over 30 films, and out of them, there were maybe three or four I didn't like. The successes that surprised me most were `What About Bob?' (with Bill Murray) and `Mr. Holland's Opus.' '' He says he expected a ``modest hit'' with the latter, in which he played a schoolteacher and for which he received an Academy Award nomination. But ``I never expected the breadth of the success it achieved.''

Chances are that Dreyfuss' next big-screen undertaking will be ``A Fine and Private Place'' for Phoenix Pictures. At one point, John Avildsen was being talked up as director of the caper about a man who lives in a cemetery, where he meets two ghosts and is instrumental in their falling in love. But right now, it's a project in search of a director, and Dreyfuss says that as soon as that search is successfully completed, it will be full speed ahead for the feature.

Also in development for Dreyfuss is a long-form docudrama for NBC on the tumultuous personal life and professional triumphs of Albert Einstein. Dreyfuss, who'll executive-produce and star as the scientific genius, reports that the writing of the project is just beginning.

Down pat

Bob Newhart recently told this column that the creative forces on his and Judd Hirsch's ``George & Leo'' sitcom hoped to cultivate some stand-out supporting characters. Now, they're making an effort to do just that by bringing in onetime ``Saturday Night Live'' cutup Julia Sweeney as Alice, a nanny for George and Leo's mutual grandchild. ``She's high-strung, overeducated, really bad with men. She's hysterical and shy at the same time,'' says Julia, who debuts on the show Feb. 23.

Man-crazed Alice has zero in common with Sweeney's past stand-out character, the icky, androgynous Pat. Where's Pat now? ``Pat is so retired,'' she groans. ``I've got Pat in my garage in a big Tupperware bin I bought at Kmart. I'm not putting on all that stuff again. There've been 12 sketches and a movie; that has more than filled the world's needs for Pat.''

By the way, it's been more than three years since Julia waged a successful war on a rare form of cervical cancer. She says she's feeling fine. She enjoys life with her businessman boyfriend. And, she says, ``I've never been happier, never been in a happier work environment. I'm going to go to church right now and light a candle.''

The big-screen scene

An April 7 production start in New York has been set for ``Analyze This,'' the Billy Crystal-Robert De Niro comedy in which Crystal will play a psychiatrist enlisted to provide psychological help to a mob boss (De Niro). Crystal developed the feature, and another five writers, including Harold Ramis, helped birth the script.

Back on track

Chaka Khan and Michael McDonald have joined musical forces for the first time. Khan and the former lead singer of the Doobie Brothers just went into the studio to record an updated version of The Yardbirds' 1965 hit ``For Your Love'' for the main titles of NBC's new ``For Your Love'' sitcom debuting March 17. The series, which stars Holly Robinson-Peete, D.W. Moffett and Dedee Pfeiffer, centers on three young couples linked by friendship and family.

With reports by Stephanie DuBois.

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2 Photos

Photo: (1) Richard Dreyfuss

He'll know soon enough

(2) Billy Crystal

Shrink for mob boss