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V J "
ANEW
VALENTINO?
The screen's latest "sheik" isn't fond of camels,
Cairo, or Arab roles; but, like the Latin lover of the
silent days, he does have a way with women
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Omar Sharif (above) bears a strik
ing resemblance to Valentino (be
low) in hit dark, brooding good looks.
ri
band pays alimony only if there are children and if the
wife isn't working. "We have a six-year-old son, Tarek
Omar, whom I love very much," Omar told me. "But as
for alimony, my wife makes more money than I do, so
that would take care of that."
At present, Omar and Faten have worked out an ar
rangement that seems to suit them equally well. Faten
works in Egypt the year round and visits Omar only
occasionally, usually for no more than a week at a time.
Omar's father did not approve of his marriage to Faten.
"But I couldn't let my father run my life," Omar in
sisted. "He had interfered once before. When I was 16,
I was engaged to a beautiful French girl. We went to
gether for six years, but my father prevented us from
marrying. He wanted me to marry a nice Syrian girl. He
said if I married the French girl he would have a stroke.
So I didn't, and he didn't."
AS' far AS NATIONALITY GOES, Omar has a difficult
time deciding what he really is. His family comes
from Syria (his real name is Michel Shalhoub), and he
was born in Egypt, but he refuses to consider himself
an Arab. Nor does he want to live in Cairo.
"I think I would like to settle in Paris," he told me.
"It's close to both the European and American movie
production centers, and that's what I'm interested in. I
don't want to play Arabs any more ; I want to play South
Americans, Italians, or Mexicans. I want to be identified
with the Western world."
He didn't quite get his wish in "The Fall of the Roman
Empire," in which he plays a Near Eastern prince who
woos and wins Sophia Loren. But in his next film, Colum
bia's "Behold a Pale Horse," he plays a Spanish priest.
Omar was disappointed when he didn't win an Acad
emy Award for best supporting actor in the fabulous
"Lawrence of Arabia."
"I never thought I'd even get a nomination," he con
fessed, "but everyone I worked with told me it was a sure
thing. So when I got the nomination, I was convinced I
would get the award. The night before the presentations
I stood in front of a mirror and practiced all the ex
pressions I planned to use when I accepted the Oscar."
Omar wasn't the only one convinced he would win
an Oscar. Against the rule of the Academy, a national
magazine photographer was sneaked into the auditorium
and seated in front of Omar. Using a miniature camera,
he was to record Omar's expression at the moment the
award for the best supporting actor was announced.
On the fateful night Omar was seated next to Mary
Badham, the talented youngster who played Gregory
Peck's daughter in "To Kill A Mockingbird."
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5
With Sophia Loren in "The Fall of the Roman Empire."
"We made a pact," Omar recalled. "I told Mary that
if my name wasn't called out as winner, she would hold
my hand, and if she didn't win, I would hold hers.' We
held hands all right close to tears!"
Omar thinks he didn't get the award because the voters
thought he was playing himself. He wasn't. Actually, he
had never ridden a camel before and was scared to death
every time he got on one!
It is difficult to predict Omar's future. But with his
popularity becoming increasingly evident, producers cer
tainly will give him the maximum opportunity to develop
into a great star possibly even a modern Valentino.
Family Weekly. August 25, 196.1