OMAR SHARIF

    Omar Sharif left us recently at age 83.  At his peak he was one of the best-looking men on the planet. Barbra Streisand's lines in Funny Girl say it best: "To tell the truth; it hurt my pride. The groom was prettier than the bride." 

     He became a world-class bridge player and developed a second lucrative career as a syndicated bridge columnist. His film career is an almost perfect bell curve: real bad movies to start, real good movies in the middle, real bad movies at the end. 

     Omar Sharif burst onto the world's consciousness in the towering Lawrence Of Arabia (1962). He was nominated for an Oscar for his role as Sherif Ari, Arab friend and colleague of the mercurial T.E. Lawrence (Peter O'Toole). The film is about the Arab war against the Turks, but more particularly the life and times of the title character.  It is very long, but worth the effort. I used to advise seeing only in a theater, but with today's big screen TVs I think the spectacular scenery and set pieces are quite good.

     The part that endeared him to moviegoers was the title role in Dr. Zhivago (1965). This sprawling story of a privileged Russian on the run during the revolution makes a heckuva movie. The ice scene at the abandoned manor is breathtaking, as is Tom Courtenay as the relentless Strelnikov. Julie Christie as an unforgettable Lara heads a fine supporting cast including Sir Alec Guiness, Rod Steiger and Geraldine Chaplin.  This is one of those films the critics didn't much like and the audience loved.  It is still in the all-time top ten of box office receipts!

     In Funny Girl (1968) Barbra Streisand is the legendary Fanny Brice and Omar Sharif is her wooer and later her husband, Nick Arnstein. This film put Ms. Streisand on the map and deservedly so. The music is quite good and she is spectacular.  Mr. Sharif is good as her love interest.  His singing will not make you forget Frank Sinatra (who was considered for this part).  The ill-conceived sequel, Funny Lady (1969) has the same cast with so-so music and screenplay.

     Mayerling (1968) has Omar Sharif and Catherine Deneuve as the world's cutest couple, excellent sets and costumes and a famous story with a cloudy ending.  I would call it mediocre.

     Before Steven Soderbergh's two-part biopic Che in 2008 there was the even worse 1969 version with Omar Sharif in the title role and Jack Palance (!) as Fidel Castro. Folks, this is just plain awful!

     Omar Sharif can also be viewed as a German officer trying to solve the grisly murder of a prostitute during World War II in The Night Of The Generals (1967) and as Father Francisco in the confusing and not very good Behold A Pale Horse (1964). And, as the immortal Bugs Bunny put it, "That's all folks!" Mr. Sharif had another 40 years of movie roles, none of them very good.

     All of the movies in this article are available on DVD and for streaming. All are for mature audiences.