DON'T STEP ON MY WEEKEND

By KIM MASTERS

It's been a trying couple of weeks for Harrison Ford. First, his leading lady in the upcoming Six Days/Seven Nights, Anne Heche, overnight became the world's second most famous lesbian. Then he learned that Fox and Paramount want to open their joint $200 million production, Titanic, on July 25--right up against his big summer picture, Air Force One, being released by Columbia.

Ford has generated a lot of loot for Paramount over the years, playing various Indiana Jones or Tom Clancy heroes. The star reminded Paramount of that in a Forceful call to studio boss Jonathan Dolgen, in which he requested that Dolgen kindly get Titanic the hell out of his way. The summer is already crowded with costly cinematic icebergs, including Conspiracy Theory, starring Mel Gibson and Julia Roberts, which is also supposed to open on July 25.

The studios have known for a while that Titanic simply wouldn't be shipshape in time for its July 2 release date. What's not clear is whether the film can be ready in time for any summer date. The unpalatable alternative is to hold it for November. Until then, Fox incurs more than $5 million a month in interest charges.

Fox studio chief Bill Mechanic says the Titanic footage looks great and the decision to make the movie will seem a lot smarter once the public gets a look at it. But given the jam-packed season, there's no place to park this ocean liner. Meanwhile, Air Force One has been generating great buzz. Should the Ford flick be forced into a battle with Titanic, audiences will have to choose between the two, giving Titanic a chance to sink yet again.

--By Kim Masters