He didn't leave his Berrien Springs, Mich., home without it, but when Muhammad Ali left Abidjan, Ivory Coast, last month, he did leave behind his American Express card. Ali had traveled to Africa as part of a Global Village Market relief mission to bring food and medical supplies to Liberian refugee children. During an awards ceremony at which Ali was honored, his assistant discovered that the ex-champ's wallet had disappeared. Neither the wallet nor the card were returned by the time Ali left Abidjan. Can you imagine someone trying to use the card and pass himself off as Muhammad Ali? I can't either, but as collector's items go, it's got to be one of the greatest....

Although The Keenen Ivory Wayans Show seems to be doing better in the late-night ratings than its competitor Vibe, Wayans is not a happy camper and has been critical of his staff for not getting as many A-list guests as Vibe, which has had Mel Gibson, Demi Moore and James Brown since its Aug. 4 premiere. Eric Gold, co-executive producer of Wayans, concedes that his star has "high expectations" when, it comes to booking talent, but says Wayans realizes that Vibe producer Quincy Jones has a lot of high-profile friends in Hollywood. "Keenen respects that," says Gold. "All we're doing is trying for the same level of star."...

Robert De Niro likes to put his money where his mouth is. The actor, who already owns a portion of such swank restaurants as Nobu and TriBeCa Grill in lower Manhattan, has just opened a place on the other coast. I'm told that De Niro's money is behind Ago, an Italian restaurant in West Hollywood, and that G.I. Jane director Ridley Scott is De Niro's main celebrity partner....

Debbie Allen, the actress and choreographer, can now add Spanish instructor to her list of accomplishments. Allen is coproducer of Amistad, Steven Spielberg's historical drama based on a true story about a mutiny aboard a slave ship in 1839. During the filming, Allen came to the rescue of 15-year-old New Zealand actress Anna Paquin (The Piano), who has a cameo playing a young Spanish queen. As I understand it, Paquin was having a difficult time with some of her Spanish dialogue. Enter Allen, who positioned herself under Paquin's large hoop skirt and fed her the lines. Presumably, Allen will not be visible in the scene when the drama is released this December....

It may sound like revisionist history, but Kevin Williamson, the screenwriter of Scream and its forthcoming sequel, Scream 2, insists he was complimenting Tori Spelling and not dissing her when Neve Campbell's character, Sidney, complained in Scream that if her life were made into a TV movie, she'd probably be played by Spelling. "I can't think of anyone," Williamson says, "who's got more sex appeal and personality and is more popular among her peers on television than Tori." Apparently, Spelling didn't take offense: She recently agreed to make a brief appearance in Scream 2, which is due for a December release.