R.I.P. Omar Sharif

[Big Magilla]

As either Damien or Mason put in Inside Oscar, after Army Archerd revealed that Omar was "Catholic, not Moslem", "betting was heavy that Sharif would triumph on Oscar night" and that "Ed Begley's surprise win was met with whistles and cheers."

I guess you could say that Begley's Boss Finley was a Southern version of Boss Tweed. He was also Shirley Knight's father who has Paul Newman beaten up (castrated in the play) to try and keep him away from her. He was one of the meanest characters ever to earn the actor playing him an Oscar. It was a good performance, but not the iconic one that both Stamp and Sharif gave.

[flipp525]

My recollection is that it was supposed to be between Sharif and Terence Stamp with Sharif considered to have had the edge.

So Begley was just a dark horse that won? I honestly don't remember his character in Sweet Bird of Youth. Was he a kind of a Boss Tweed-type politician wearing a lot of white?

[Big Magilla]

My recollection is that it was supposed to be between Sharif and Terence Stamp with Sharif considered to have had the edge.

[ITALIANO]

At the time, how much of a surprise was it when he lost the Oscar to Ed Begley?

He used to say - at least in interviews to Italian journalists - that he was SURE he'd have won, that everybody told him he'd win and that his loss was a shock not only to him but also to anyone else at the time. Still, strangely, today it's not generally considered one of the biggest Oscar upsets ever, so I have no idea if that was just his personal - though understandable - view of it, or something more objective.

[Eenusch]

At the time, how much of a surprise was it when he lost the Oscar to Ed Begley?

[CalWilliam]

This is sad.

He'll always be that mirage.

[anonymous1980]

Story.