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) with Lennart and told Stark he wanted her replaced because he thought she was not capable of adapting her screenplay into a viable book for a stage musical. Stark refused and Robbins quit the project. "Funny Girl" temporarily was shelved, and Styne moved on to other projects, including "Fade Out – Fade In" for Carol Burnett. Then Merrick signed Bob Fosse to direct "Funny Girl", and work began on it again, until Fosse quit and the show went into limbo for several months. Then Merrick suggested Stark hire Garson Kanin. It was Merrick's last contribution to the production; shortly afterward