Omar Sharif for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama. Sharif followed it with a cameo in "The Poppy Is Also a Flower" (1966). He, O'Toole and "Lawrence" producer Sam Spiegel were reunited in "The Night of the Generals" (1967), playing a German officer in World War Two, his fourth movie for Columbia. The film was not a success. Neither was the Italian-French fairytale "More Than a Miracle" (1967), despite its co-starring Sophia Loren. Sharif was also praised for his portrayal of Nicky Arnstein in "Funny Girl" (1968), at Columbia. He portrayed the husband of Fanny Brice, played by Barbra Streisand in her
Funny Girl (musical) Finally, Isobel Lennart submitted "My Man", which pleased both Stark and Columbia Pictures executives, who offered Stark $400,000 plus a percentage of the gross for the property. After reading the screenplay, Mary Martin contacted Stark and proposed it be adapted for a stage musical. Stark discussed the possibility with producer David Merrick, who suggested Jule Styne and Stephen Sondheim compose the score. Sondheim told Styne, "I don't want to do the life of Fanny Brice with Mary Martin. She's not Jewish. You need someone ethnic for the part." Shortly after, Martin lost interest in the project and backed out. Merrick