SCRIPT TROUBLES WON'T DELAY PITT-FORD FILM, EXEC SAYS.

Byline: Marilyn Beck & Stacy Jenel Smith

They're finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel on the Harrison Ford-Brad Pitt ``Devil's Own.''

The bedeviled ``Devil's,'' which began production in February, is now expected to complete shooting the first week in July.

Sid Ganis, president of worldwide marketing for Columbia, anticipates the film will hit theaters in November or December.

What about reports this month that Robert Kamen had flown to New York to rewrite the latest version of the script?

``The script is completely done,'' Ganis said, ``and everyone has signed off on it.''

However, he conceded, ``There have been some bumps along the way.''

We'll say. At one point, Pitt threatened to bolt the picture - and Columbia reportedly threatened to sue him for $60 million if he did. Neither star was said to be satisfied with the script as it was written when production began. And all the delays over the screenplay sparked speculation that the Alan Pakula-directed ``Devil's'' movie, about a New York cop and an IRA commando, would not, could not, be finished in time for its planned Nov. 1 release. Still, Ganis told us, ``It could be ready by the first of November. They're editing as they shoot.''

But never forgotten: Expect an announcement of an auction of George Burns' personal effects, furniture and show business memorabilia.

It's expected to be such a major event that the firms bidding to stage it include both Christie's and Sotheby's.

George's longtime friend and manager, Irving Fein, noted: ``It takes six months to a year to set something like this up. ... We have a lot of work here, a lot to clean up. ... We have so many things going.''

Early warning signals: In the wake of Margot Kidder being discovered in a strange, disoriented state in a Glendale back yard this week comes word that friends have been concerned about the actress for a while. Her private phone numbers were disconnected about 15 months ago, and some of Margot's buddies, who were used to staying in touch with her, suddenly found her inaccessible.

Carrying a torch: The Olympic flame arrives at the Los Angeles Coliseum at 9:30 a.m. Saturday for its trip through the city en route to Atlanta, where the 1996 Summer Games begin in just 85 days. Opening and closing ceremonies producer Don Mischer is flying back to Los Angeles from his newly opened Atlanta production offices to be among the dignitary runners (along with the likes of Rafer Johnson) carrying the torch.

Mischer reports that this year, for the first time in history, ``every nation of the world, without exception, will be represented by athletes out on the field.'' This being the 100-year anniversary of the beginning of the modern Olympic Games, he said an estimated 80 percent of television viewers around the globe will tune in. Opening and closing ceremonies will include stars - no names yet - but ``not star turns. We're only using people who fit in to the rest of what we're doing.''

The ceremonies will stress two themes: the Olympics centennial and the American South. Just how to present the latter has been a matter of major consideration, said Mischer. In fact, planners interviewed a diverse group of Southerners - including Coretta Scott King, mayors, governors, corporate leaders and school children - trying to define the American South.

The videoland view: The WB network talent crossover that airs May 8 will have Shawn and Marlon Wayans popping up on the series ``The Parent 'Hood'' for a sequence that has Robert Townsend dreaming his wife is cheating on him with the brothers. A half-hour later, ``The Parent 'Hood's'' Faizon Love will do a turn on ``The Wayans Bros.'' as a flamboyant drama teacher.

This season's final segment of the ``Wayans'' will have Marlon giving up his partnership in Shawn's newsstand to become an actor. Will the brothers remain apart on the series? ``Tune in this fall and see,'' said Shawn.

The brothers teamed in Miramax's recent ``Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood,'' and Shawn and Marlon are currently penning (with writing partner Phil Beauman) another script as a joint starring vehicle. It's an action comedy called ``Black and Blue,'' and if all goes well, they'll make it for Miramax as part of their new two-year first-look feature production deal with the film firm.

MEMO: The Celebrities Column appears Monday through Friday.

CAPTION(S):

3 Photos

Photo: (1) Brad Pitt

Trouble on the set

(2) George Burns

Auction in the works

(3) Margot Kidder

Friends were worried